I don't know about you, but I do not care for mushy apples. For the health benefits, I am trying to eat more apples these days.

They are not always as crisp as I like them, so the other day when I bit into a mushy one, I took out my pen and drew an arrow to the area where I took a bite and wrote, "Sorry, mushy" and set it on the kitchen counter.

That evening for supper there were baked apple chunks in a bowl. Mighty tasty, I must say.

Another Trojan Classic basketball tournament has come and gone. The boys' championship game was one for the ages. Talk about being put through the wringer. There was more drama to this game than I can remember seeing in my lifetime.

That Hillsboro didn't win the game was the most shocking part of what unfolded throughout the evening. If you were from Riley County, or anywhere else for that matter, there was a lesson to be learned, which is "Don't ever give up."

As far as I know, I have never not had health insurance, which means I have paid premiums my entire adult life. When I was first employed at KU Printing Service right out of college, my premiums were $8 per month. The hefty price I pay now is a much larger percentage of my earnings.

There is no incentive for our elected representatives in Washington to fix this problem that affects so many Americans who don't have health insurance because our lawmakers have the best health care plan in the world.

Ironically and shamefully, their cadillac health plan is partially paid for by citizens who don't have any coverage or can't afford it.

Grandson Alex just turned 8 last week. His friend Skyler, who is the same age and was born on the same day, invited him to go see the monster trucks at the Georgia Dome.

Unless I am willing to go see the monster trucks, I'll have to be checking to see if the monster trucks are in town before planning a visit in the future or I'll be going to see the monster trucks, too.

Free Press sportswriter Tom Stoppel and I were discussing the topic of free throws the other day. We are not understanding why so many players at all levels have so much trouble making them.

The free-throw line has always been 15 feet from the basket and no one is guarding the shooter. In close games, the free throw can make or break the final outcome.

It's official. The grandsons have said they don't want to miss the Marion County Fair ever again and plan to be here in August.

If you want to keep tabs on this session of the Kansas Legislature, go to www.kslegislature.org.