Today, I’ll go to bat for Donald Trump. But only just a little. Over the past year, I haven’t found any common ground with the president, but in this one instance I’m on his side. Today’s headline: “He knew what he signed up for.” This is the callous remark Trump made to a war widow. … Continue reading He knew what he signed up for
“O” Brother
I didn’t know whether to call this post “O” Brother or “O” Well. The “O” is the important part of the title. It’s the O in OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I’ve got that one. And not the cute kind as seen on TV. Not the neatnik variety from shows like Monk. My OCD, when active, … Continue reading “O” Brother
A (Name) Poem
Jeanie Jordon was my girl. My squeeze. My better half. At least for a few weeks. To the best of my knowledge, we never held hands, and we certainly never kissed. We were thirteen. For several consecutive years, I went to a music and arts camp an hour away from home. Two-weeks spent sleeping in … Continue reading A (Name) Poem
Olivia’s
Dinnertime: Family conversation. Out of nowhere, Sophie announces her career change: “I’m going to get a job at Olivia’s.” My first response: “Who’s going to drive you to Olivia’s every night?” Sophie already has a job. She’s a babysitter at the Y. When parents with young children come in to exercise, Sophie’s the girl who … Continue reading Olivia’s
White Knuckles
My left hand fell asleep. When I was only forty minutes into driving my portion of our return trip from the beach, my hand went numb. I was gripping the wheel too tightly. They call it white knuckles. While growing up, my family annually packed up our station wagon and rented a beach house for … Continue reading White Knuckles
My Week of Leisure
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” I’ve heard this question six times over the past few days. There is no work. At least not this week. I resigned from my job. It wasn’t working out, I didn’t like it… at all. Friday was my last day. I’ve got something in the works. A part-time … Continue reading My Week of Leisure
Renewal
Every so often, I’ll read a post that’s eerily similar to one I recently published. Too similar. They clearly—I think—stole the idea from me. And I say “Heeeyy, uncool. At least give me a shout-out!” I’m stepping into that realm today, and I don’t want to be accused of plagiarism, idea theft, unoriginality. Yesterday morning, … Continue reading Renewal
Cats (and Dogs)
Since 8:00 on Monday morning, I’ve been job hunting non-stop. Because I’ve only been unemployed and off work for a couple of days, it’s still a habit to keep a To-Do list. I’ve got a big sheet of ledger paper with multiple columns all filled in with the activity areas I want to knock out … Continue reading Cats (and Dogs)
Living in 2A
Whenever America experiences "the worst mass shooting in modern history" I reblog this rant on the 2nd Amendment. I believe in American exceptionalism. We truly excel at killing one another! Source: Living in 2A Jeff
Those things I haven’t done
Two and a half months ago, I started a new job. And then, the pace of my life picked up. Longer hours, more distractions, coming home exhausted, spent. Five weeks ago, my kids went back to school, and my life-pace picked up again. Mornings were shot—the primary focus became getting the kids on the bus. … Continue reading Those things I haven’t done
More Cool S#!t
Eli’s done it again. The kid loves playing with fire. Based on my observations of Eli and his friends, based on my own experiences, twelve-year-old boys like to burn stuff. When I was twelve, I found an empty glass spice bottle somewhere in my house. On occasion, I’d fill the bottle with gasoline—the stuff we … Continue reading More Cool S#!t
Pampered?
Sunday 8:00 AM: Fairfax Coffee on Fairfax Street, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. A large space: clean, polished wood; cushioned booths; organized counter; hip, polite staff. Susan and I ordered Macchiatos and orange cranberry muffins. A nice break from the hotel continental breakfast of bland coffee and boxed donuts. Berkeley Springs, a secluded hamlet on the … Continue reading Pampered?
…and now, Nuclear War
Hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, super malaria. This is today’s Google News feed. Proof that the end-days are upon us. Evidence that God, or the gods, are pissed. Yes, there are a million ways to die, and natural catastrophes seem to be trending right now. For the past month, I’ve found reading the news to be … Continue reading …and now, Nuclear War
Comments
In the comments section of a blog I follow: Me: I hate Bono, he's just like Sting. Blogger: The only thing I know about Sting is that he can have sex for hours without having an orgasm. Me: Why would you want to do that? I'd get bored.
Stop or I’ll shoot!
This morning’s headline: Police and protesters clash in St. Louis after former officer who shot black driver acquitted on murder charges. That’s a long headline! I’m getting a bit old. Edging past middle-aged. Long in the tooth. Over the hills. I grew up in a different world. A world before internet, video games and cable … Continue reading Stop or I’ll shoot!
Cool S#!t
I have two children. Sophie, 15, is likes to draw. She sings along with the radio. She goes for miles-long bike rides around the Gettysburg battlefield. This year, she joined the tennis team at school. Eli, 12, likes to watch cool shit on YouTube. OK, that does Eli a disservice. Not only does he like … Continue reading Cool S#!t
Something’s up
People change. Overtime, over the years, personalities morph. They bend, adjust, reboot. Introverts become extroverted. The immature find maturity. The hopeful become bitter. The shy become bold. Introverted by nature, I like to be alone. My hobbies, distance running and reading, are solitary activities. Time spent quietly in my own head. Only myself as company. … Continue reading Something’s up
“Susan”
Quinn calls her fiancé “Scrubs.” Marie Christine calls her husband “Not Tom Brady.” The Boeskool calls his wife “my wife.” A runner/blogger I sometimes read named Sam calls his wife “Mrs. Sam.” In my blog, I call my wife “Susan,” which may or may not be her real name. My favorite author is the wildly … Continue reading “Susan”
The cost of blogging
Acer 14" Chromebook, 32GB Flash Memory: $299.00 WordPress Premium upgrade with custom URL: $99.00 100 Vistaprint business cards to publicize book and blog: $16.00 One comment informing me that a post I wrote helped a reader gain understanding and relief from their own personal problems: Priceless via Daily Prompt: Priceless
Messy
My public self: confident, controlled, together. And then I blog: vulnerable, messy, confused. Tourette Syndrome. The tics I suppress with medications, mostly: Thigh-punching. Eye-rolling. Body-scratching. Tooth-scraping. Grunting. Pay attention, you see them, hear them. I lack repose. Always moving, twitching. My brain in motion, fueled by anxiety. By obsession. By worry. Those conditions that accompany … Continue reading Messy
