The background: Cheryl (known to many of you as my wife) had an MRI done recently due to chronic back pain.
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It was one of those court days where several people needed to be escorted out of the building. A little conflict goes with the territory. Your agency sues someone, you expect a little hostility. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for both sides to leave with no love to…
A few weeks ago we were cleaning the house, something we’d neglected for too long. Pollen from the oak trees formed a thick yellow film over all of the vertical surfaces outside. The dust inside was approaching the critical mass for self awareness, and the growth in the bathrooms was beyond sentience – plotting a coup.
Adam took the cleaning frenzy one step further. I found him in our…
I was picking up Adam from my in-laws’ place after work last week, and Adam had a little picture they gave him. It was a picture depicting Jesus and Mary.
“Do you have your picture Adam?” my mother-in-law asked as we were leaving. “Yes Memere,” (that French-Canadian thing again) Adam replied.
Later, as we were backing down the driveway, Adam asked, “why does…
Another Friday of fatigue. Another drive to Orlando. Another day in the world that Walt built.
My sister called on Thursday to warn us about the epidemic of colds working its way through the house. The implied message: “John comes at his own risk.”
But when have I ever given in to good sense?
We hit the parks with my standard equipment: a big floppy hat, sunglasses, my Nikon, and my…
Franklin Conner, my maternal grandfather’s brother, was an outgoing, generous man. However, one night he was supposed to meet some of his family for dinner but he never showed up. While they were waiting for him he killed himself.
I learned the story of my great uncle Franklin doing genealogy research. Recently I traded emails with my grandfather’s (and Franklin’s) half sister…
Cheryl was headed out the door early this morning to take Adam to a soccer game, and I felt compelled to give her a warning. A Floridian for most of my life, I’m almost certain these words never crossed my lips before:
“Be careful, there may be ice on the roads.”
It came out so naturally, you’d think it was a memory encoded in my DNA – from generations of ancestors…
Here’s another post you can blame Cheryl for, at least in part. Every year we have a Secret Santa gift exchange at work, much like may of you (probably). For the last ten years (give or take a few) I’ve included some kind of letter with my gift. It’s been my schtick, my thing.
Cheryl thought I should post this year’s letter, in part because we didn’t send out…
“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our detergent.”
– Epictetus, Greek philosopher (AD 55 – 135) – disputed, alternate translation from the original text
Cheryl really wanted me to write this post.
“John, you’ve got to blog about this.”
See, I told you.
“Why don’t…
She had no idea she was making a mistake. I’m unpredictable that way. You never know what will set me off.
We were watching something on the TV and Cheryl asked, “where have I seen her before?” Not missing a beat, I whipped up a brilliant song about IMDB… set to the music of YMCA. I even threw in the arm spasms… I mean letters. It’s my one true gift, the thing…