Family and Friends

Spell me

This morning my son asked me to spell one of the character’s names from Cars. Without hesitation, I replied: M – A – T – T – E – R “That’s not right dad! There’s only one ‘T’ in Mater.” Then he went to his dry erase board on the fridge to show me: MATER “Yep,” I said, “that looks right Adam.” Inside I…
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Genealogy

Have you seen me?

I don’t who I am. I think I may be a Giese or a Petznick, but even that’s really just a guess (based on the stack of pictures I was in). As long as we’re guessing, I might as well add that someone suspects my family came to America from Germany sometime between 1881 and 1885 (according to US Census records). I’m told this same “someone” has spent months (not all…
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Genealogy

A navy blue suitcase

There’s an old suitcase that sits in the corner of my room. With the exception of a pocket watch and a small toolbox from my grandfather, and a grooming kit from my great-grandfather, it contains everything I own from my mother’s side of the family. Well, I use the word “own” loosely. I’ve actually borrowed it from my mother (semi-permanently – she hasn’t…
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Family and Friends

ABCs

Our son and daughter have something in common. They both loved to play with the alphabet magnets on the fridge. Boy, if those letters could talk… oh the stories they could tell. You can sense it just looking at them. Scratched, scarred, chewed, abandoned, thrown, drown, colored and just plain abused – they’ve suffered every indignity a child could throw at ’em. I tell you…
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Family and Friends

On your mark...

I wonder if it’s normal for kids to be restless sleepers. My kids are all over the place. It’s like they treat their bed the same at night as they do when they’re awake – like a piece of gym equipment. I wonder if their sleep position has anything to do with their dreams. Yesterday morning made me wonder. Adam had his arms raised, his chin up (his pillow was under his…
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Cancer

A year ago

“What did we do last year for our anniversary, Cheryl?” “We didn’t do anything. You were about to start chemo and we were staying away from public places.” Let me clear a few things up. My experience with cancer was much easier than most (as far as I’m concerned). Although I still think about it every day, it’s not something that causes me any fear or…
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Kitchen Sink

What writing means to me

After that last post, I decided to post something a little more uplifting – if for no other reason than to remind myself of the good in life. I wrote this for another site last September, so there’s a chance you’ve seen it before (if only a small one). — Chances are you’re going to read this and conclude that my story isn’t unique. I’m o.k. with that.
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Family and Friends

My mother's day

There was a long time when I couldn’t get over feeling angry with my mother (like she had some choice in this). I was angry that she wasn’t like everyone else’s mom. I was angry that she made all of us different by association. I was angry that middle and high school were really hard – in part – because she was so different (and because I wasn’t strong enough to…
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AppleComputer

My wallet smells danger

Cheryl’s been making a lot of noise about our Verizon contract, and the ten months* left on it. She’s been making even more noise about the iPhone, and how she’d like one. Damn woman! Can’t you see my fiscal restraint is hanging by a thread? There’s real trouble on the horizon too: we’re about to walk out the door – to go to the International Plaza in…
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