FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: No Man’s Land.

by Dave Markwell Firmly nestled in the no man’s land between the Christmas and New Year holidays, I ponder the year past and the year ahead. While polishing off the last of the Christmas cookies and... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Shoulders

by Dave Markwell I have flown on a plane many times throughout my life. During the countless hours I have spent shoe-horned in a too-small seat, I had never actually witnessed the airline-provided barf... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Voices

by Dave Markwell While watching the T.V. singing show, The Voice, the other night I was struck by how much I enjoyed listening to people sing songs that I knew. I liked that each version of these songs... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Sinners

by Dave Markwell I just finished reading Keith Richard’s autobiography, “Life”. I love reading these books. Sex, drugs and rock and roll are always interesting. While I always look forward to the... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Tis the Season!

by Dave Markwell The other day, Thanksgiving Day it was, I experienced an unusual phenomenon. It was a rare and precious moment. In fact, it was gold. Through some cosmic intervention or anomalous aligning... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD VETERAN’S DAY: The Marine.

EDITOR’S NOTE: In honor of Veteran’s Day, we’re re-running this column by Dave Markwell: by Dave Markwell “The soldier has come to believe, and with considerable reasons, that those... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Sick and Tired.

by Dave Markwell My household is sick, most of it anyway. My son and dogs seems to have avoided the bug. Ironically, these creatures take the least care about whom they interact with and/or what they put... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: The Phone Call

by Dave Markwell Twenty-four years ago on Halloween day, I received a phone call that changed my world. I was in college and had just returned home to my apartment from my early morning classes when the... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Collisions.

by Dave Markwell I am not a big Halloween guy. I don’t like to dress up much. With the one notable exception in my life being my plastic Batman costume that I had as a kid and wore religiously until... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Pull Up Your Pants!!!

by Dave Markwell “Aden!! Get up!!” I hollered at 6:45 A.M. My wail was answered with an impressively quick, but thankfully inaccurate paperback novel chucked in the direction of my face. My son gets... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Big Ideas

by Dave Markwell “Hey, Dad! Check this out!!” my thirteen year old son, Aden, bellowed. Based on a rather dubious history with his exclamations, I am rarely quick to respond to these requests, because... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Cages

by Dave Markwell Following a particularly troublesome morning in my wife’s office, we sat at the picnic table on our patio and ate lunch in the sunshine. We talked about her challenges. During our discussion,... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Ice Cream

by Dave Markwell The softness of the morning melted like ice cream throughout the rest of my day. And like melted ice cream, once it was gone, I was left with a sense of loss and a longing for some more.... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Night and Day

by Dave Markwell Last night was a blood bath. My eight, almost nine, year old daughter hit the wall, and some other things, including her brother. I saw it coming, but could not avoid or outrun the train... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: The Garage.

by Dave Markwell Today, I began my cleaning and organizing my garage. When this project will end I do not know. I have piles of tools and hardware and camping crap and kid crap and wife crap and my crap... [Read more]

LETTER: ‘An Open Letter to all Real Estate Companies Selling in Des Moines’

An open letter to all real estate companies selling in the city of Des Moines, Describing as many positive reasons for buying a home in Des Moines  including: quality of the school system, beautiful views,... [Read more]

LETTER: ‘What’s Up with Marina District Banners on Streetlamp Poles on 216th?’

Question – What’s up with the “Marina District” banners on the streetlamp poles going east on 216th? They’re very nice looking but I would question the location. The Marina District is down here... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Last Dance

by Dave Markwell I was thinking about death the other day. I was thinking about my brother and Dad and grandparents. I was thinking about how I missed them and how my life changed when they passed. What... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Old Friends

by Dave Markwell To have old friends, one must BE old. Well, I am and so are they. It is with no small sense of perverse pleasure that I endure the passing of time in my life with the compromised collection... [Read more]

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: The Dump.

by Dave Markwell I love going to the dump. I have always loved going to the dump. Some of my earliest memories involve climbing into the back of my Dad’s old Ford truck and “helping” him unload various... [Read more]