Published in So Cal Live Work Play·PinnedMember-onlyThe Myths and Realities of a Santa Monica Beach TripWhich picture should I give you? — We drove to the beach yesterday from our home by Pasadena, and I thought of how I could paint a picture of a sunny, laid back time on the sand in Santa Monica. I could easily write it so you’d feel a tinge of jealousy no matter where you live…Beach4 min readBeach4 min read
Published in Inspired Writer·PinnedMember-onlyWhy I Drink My Coffee in a Smooth, Ceramic MugA morning brew in a solid container reassures me that I can live confidently — “Would you like your coffee in a to-go cup or a mug?” I appreciated that question from the owner of the small coffee shop where I used to sit and write. “A mug, please.” After I became a regular they always gave me a mug. The boutique shop seated less…Confidence5 min readConfidence5 min read
PinnedMember-onlyFinding Stories You Want to ReadMy guide to the fiction, marketing, relationship articles and more that I’ve written — Publications Hey Don: The Days of Don Simkovich Two-minute life lessons So Cal Live Work Play Stories from Southern California related to home and health, career and entrepreneurship, and recreation Stone Cold Crime Stories True Crime and Crime-Thriller Fiction featuring background information collected for the Tom Stone Detective stories available on…Stories1 min readStories1 min read
Published in About Me Stories·PinnedMember-onlyAbout Me — Don SimkovichWriting was my way of heading into the thick of the action — I was in early grade school when the NBC Nightly News splashed videos and images of the Vietnam War across the television screen. My parents were typically busy upstairs while I watched in our basement’s family room. What intrigued me was how journalists could cover fights in the jungle and…Writer3 min readWriter3 min read
Published in Publishous·1 day agoMember-onlyWhat Loving My Traumatized Son Taught Me About ParentingPopular parenting techniques didn’t work — During my late 20s, my wife and I agreed to open our home to children who needed a family and we became foster parents. …Parenting6 min readParenting6 min read
Published in Stone Cold Crime Stories·4 days agoMember-onlyWhat if You were Forced onto a Narco-Sub?Drug cartels believe people are born to be used. But we put a face on a man who fights back. — The Colombian navy just recently seized a narco-sub in the Pacific Ocean and the news reports say “two bodies” were on board, apparently from the fumes that leaked inside the vessel and ended up poisoning the two that died. Two others were arrested and were given first aid, as reported…Crime3 min readCrime3 min read
Published in Stone Cold Crime Stories·Mar 12Member-onlyA Smuggling Boat Capsizes in San Diego, 8 DieThe tragedy off of a San Diego beach is one glimpse into the suffering that human smugglers cause — A suspected human smuggling operation ended in disaster on Saturday night (Mar 11, 2023) when at least 8 people died after two fishing boats capsized. A woman called 911 late Saturday night saying she was on a panga boat, a small fishing boat, with 15 people and it capsized off…Drugs2 min readDrugs2 min read
Published in Writers’ Blokke·Mar 3Member-onlyPatience is a Prized TraitSo is enduring when you face the unknown … a good life lesson for many of us — Interviewing Melissa Monte made me think that being patient and adventurous is a prized quality when you face the unknown. She’s pregnant and she and her husband are waiting to return to their home in Big Bear but she’s also 9 days past due in delivering her child. Their plans…Life Lessons1 min readLife Lessons1 min read
Published in So Cal Live Work Play·Mar 3Member-onlyBig Bear resident endures the unknown as crews clear snowMelissa Monte and her husband know she’ll go into labor any day but where will she deliver? — Snow removal crews in the Big Bear area are dumping snow into Baldwin Lake in an effort to clear streets, but the storms that dropped about 11 feet of snow in a week have left Big Bear resident Melissa Monte and her husband Shane Michael in limbo. Melissa is pregnant…Mountains4 min readMountains4 min read
Published in So Cal Live Work Play·Mar 1Member-onlyToo Much Snow Shuts Down Skiing in Los Angeles County’s Mt. WatermanToo much snow to play in the mountain snow until further notice — Mt. Waterman is the red-headed stepchild of Southern California ski slopes, to borrow a phrase from decades ago. Yep, it usually languishes forlorn along the heights of the Angeles Crest Highway every winter with not enough snow to open. Meanwhile, its cousins to the east are welcoming skiers, snowboarders, tubers…Travel2 min readTravel2 min read
