Columnists
Al Batt: I don’t know beans about anything related to coffee
It’s not rated “E” for everyone. I’ve been told the world runs on coffee and bad decisions.
Al, Author at Albert Lea Tribune
Columnists
Al Batt: An eerie yearie is 2020
I looked for toad feathers. The unexpected is expected in 2020, so this might be the year to find toad feathers. The year has provided a ...
by Al Batt, Tuesday, October 20, 2020 8:14 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: Making good time while going home from a good time
We took no vacations. We had to make good time going home from a family gathering because we didn’t have a good time taking vacations.
by Al Batt, Tuesday, October 13, 2020 8:12 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: JUNCO is acronym for ‘Just until nicer conditions occur’
The temperature dropped as if it had spotted a State Patrol squad car. Then something landed in my yard. It was no mere bird.
by Al Batt, Tuesday, October 6, 2020 8:17 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: The contents had burned but the structure was unharmed
I remember it being the year after all the needles had fallen off the tree three days before Christmas. I was at a family reunion smaller ...
by Al Batt, Tuesday, September 29, 2020 8:12 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: It’s fall when even my feet smell like pumpkin spice
Fall is when we give serious thought to winter. Winter is when we begin looking forward to spring.
by Al Batt, Tuesday, September 22, 2020 8:12 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: I stole a car that wouldn’t start
You picked up the phone and you hoped for the best. That’s how it was before everything went to voicemail.
by Al Batt, Tuesday, September 15, 2020 8:12 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: A neighbor votes for whoever he dislikes the least in elections
Sanctimonious senators! It’s that time again. I’m taking a break from a life of unbridled ecstasy to make this important announcement.
by Al Batt, Tuesday, September 8, 2020 6:53 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: Making a to-do list is easy when you’re doing nothing
Back in the days when everything was nearly copacetic, we made hay and ground feed. Not all of the hay went into the barn nor ...
by Al Batt, Tuesday, August 25, 2020 8:12 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: My dear little chickadees
I dreamed of chickadees. My favorite bird is the chickadee. There are things that turn frowns upside down. A chickadee does that for me. It’s not a ...
by Al Batt, Tuesday, August 18, 2020 8:09 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: A swagger isn’t far from a walk with a limp in reality
His ancient pickup had undergone more oil changes than any vehicle in Iowa. That’s what legends are made of.
by Al Batt, Tuesday, August 11, 2020 8:15 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: The music drowned out the sounds of many clarinets
Tales from Exit 22, by Al Batt “You live in the middle of nowhere.” The visitor who said that was from a big city. That ...
by Al Batt, Tuesday, August 4, 2020 9:03 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: Rummaging around the last place I’d ever look for item
I rummaged around. It’s life on the planet Batt. I wasn’t chewing on life’s gristle or on a quest. I wasn’t looking for the truth. I wasn’t ...
by Al Batt, Tuesday, July 28, 2020 8:12 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: He’s still using rabbit ears
Once upon a time, long before “The Andy Griffith Show” went into reruns, there was an eastern cottontail with a dream. He had a name, but ...
by Al Batt, Tuesday, July 21, 2020 8:11 pm
Columnists
Al Batt: We can’t help it; eating is simply just in our DNA
I spit sunflower seeds for distance. It was a contest. I did OK. I’d have done better, but it had been a dry year.