Al, Author at Albert Lea Tribune - Page 14 of 78

Columnists

Al Batt: Having no fair seems unfair

I was dead set against going. But now I want to go. The drive is a hassle. I don’t eat enough deep-fried things on a stick to ... Read more

by Al Batt, Tuesday, June 9, 2020 8:25 pm

Columnists

Al Batt: It’s my good luck to have had a life full of good potlucks

My mirror reflects poorly on me. It’s showing the image from my driver’s license. The looking-glass gets worse every day. It magnifies the pillow tracks on the ... Read more

by Al Batt, Tuesday, June 2, 2020 8:17 pm

Columnists

Al Batt: Put a zip in your code with a forever stamp on your letter

She said she’d had a dream about me. “Oh, oh,” was the thought that came galloping into my mind. I heard menacing drums coming from the ... Read more

by Al Batt, Tuesday, May 26, 2020 8:19 pm

Columnists

Al Batt: What to do if you encounter Yogi the bear and his buddies

I swam with snapping turtles. I was only slightly smarter than a bag of hammers (I didn’t know oregano from Oregon) and I wasn’t the best ... Read more

by Al Batt, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 8:27 pm

Columnists

Al Batt: ‘I got too much sleep,’ said no one ever in their right mind

I got out of bed and tripped over a toenail clipping. That put a bruise on the morning’s sweetness. Note to self: Do not clip toenails in ... Read more

by Al Batt, Tuesday, May 12, 2020 8:26 pm

Columnists

Al Batt: I wish I would have chosen to hug my mother more often

I wish I’d have hugged my mother more. I’m a hugger, but I didn’t grow up in a family prone to hugging. Hugging was saved for ... Read more

by Al Batt, Tuesday, May 5, 2020 8:26 pm

Columnists

Al Batt: Whiskers, beards and how to get through a pandemic

What the blue blazes am I doing? I tried to maintain eye contact with shaggy men from outside my zip code who didn’t look like themselves. Our ... Read more

by Al Batt, Tuesday, April 28, 2020 8:40 pm

Columnists

Al Batt: The day Pepe Le Pew nearly sprayed anchor Tom Brokaw

The smell of spring was in the air. It was the essence of skunk. Odors trigger memories. A scientist tried to explain the reason to me. He ... Read more

by Al Batt, Tuesday, April 21, 2020 8:40 pm

Columnists

Al Batt: Chicken Little lived in a house that was made of sod

Things are short of copacetic. Life has changed for everyone. My day had been filled with John Prine songs. He’s a good friend I’d never met ... Read more

by Al Batt, Tuesday, April 14, 2020 9:25 pm

Columnists

Al Batt: Make it a point to pencil in a good day

I wasn’t singing in the rain. Gene Kelly did that. I walked in a light rain. Walking on a cloudy day was a way I could keep ... Read more

by Al Batt, Tuesday, April 7, 2020 12:28 pm

Arts & Culture

Al Batt: Why do birds stand on one leg?

It was a lovely day. I hoped everyone recognized it as such. I walked amongst the trees while trying not to think of Leif Erickson, Branch ... Read more

by Al Batt, Saturday, April 4, 2020 9:00 am

Columnists

Al Batt: Where’s a Sears Big Book when you need one?

I threw a boomerang three years ago, and I’ve lived in fear ever since.  Each time I step outside, I expect to be conked on the ... Read more

by Al Batt, Tuesday, March 31, 2020 12:16 pm

Arts & Culture

Al Batt: How old was the oldest duck you’ve ever seen?

My neighbor Crandall stops by. “How are you doing?” I ask. “Everything is nearly copacetic. I bought a new garden hose. I buy a new one every year.” “Why ... Read more

by Al Batt, Saturday, March 28, 2020 9:00 am

Columnists

Al Batt: I’m washing my hands while writing this

I’m trying to enjoy myself while social distancing. I’ve nowhere to go but where I am. COVID-19 has become those ubiquitous orange barrels closing lanes. I’ve ... Read more

by Al Batt, Tuesday, March 24, 2020 2:42 pm

Arts & Culture

Al Batt: Why didn’t Ben Franklin want eagle for U.S. emblem?

My neighbor Crandall stops by. “How are you doing?” I ask. “Everything is nearly copacetic. I had a tough year today. I’m going to stop playing cards ... Read more

by Al Batt, Saturday, March 21, 2020 9:00 am

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