Family and Friends

Moving day.

I participated in my first move in several years this weekend. There was a time when I moved more often than I went out to eat. Lately though, there has been a welcome reprieve. However, an opportunity came up this weekend that I could not refuse: my sister was moving into her first house. I know from experience that this is a wonderfully exciting time and I just had to be there. Unfortunately for…
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Family and Friends

Memorex.

John and Cheryl had been married nearly ten years, but they had know each other since high school. First they were perfect strangers, then they were friends, then more than friends (wink, wink), then man and wife, and finally mother and father. Through it all they noticed changes in each other. Cheryl grew a little sterner and more assertive. Being a law enforcement officer will do that to you.
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Beth

Family differences.

As Beth has grown, Cheryl has taken no pleasure in noting that Beth “is just like you John.” Beth saying something smart. Beth sitting in strange, contorted positions while watching TV. Beth exploring the limits of her abilities, improvising when necessary to achieve a goal (usually something that Cheryl doesn’t want her to do). These are all examples of when Cheryl might invoke…
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Beth

On the first day of school…

One of my favorite commercials of all time is an Office Depot add. A man and his children are walking through the isles of Office Depot with a familiar Christmas season tune playing in the background – setting the mood. The father is happily lip-syncing the words to the song as he glides down the isle. The children are dragging each step as if they are being led to their own execution. The…
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Family and Friends

Next?

What is in store for me now? Well, tomorrow we’re going to church. Cheryl and I decided that we would carpool to church tomorrow (a bit of an inside joke that I’m not going to explain). Not much is going on at this point. We are between major events, and what’s more, there are no imminent plans for another major event. What’s a guy to do? The last think I need to do right…
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Beth

The world according to a six year old.

“Mommy, when you were little did you watch the Care Bears forty hundred times?” “No Beth, I could only watch the Care Bears on the weekend because we didn’t have cable TV, VCRs or DVD players” “Oh, you mean back in the old days?” I am certain that I never referred to anything being associated with “the old days”. I am certain that I have never…
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Beth

Eyes wide open.

Counting down the days until Beth’s thirteenth birthday with a few reposts from the archives. Originally posted: Jul 10, 2003, Beth’s age: 5 (almost 6) We have been thinking about Beth’s birthday present for some time now. Tonight we took action. Cheryl called around to see which stores had the item in stock. After a couple of disappointments we found one that had it. Cheryl took off…
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Family and Friends

“How would you like to go to the Arena Bowl?”

It was Friday evening and the game was scheduled for Sunday afternoon. It was to be the Arena Football League championship game, and I had completely forgotten that it was going to take place nearby. Arena football being slightly more popular than curling in Florida, we were able to get tickets. Having never seen an Arena League contest, I was game for a new experience. I checked my calendar…
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