Happy Monday, everybody! Reflections on my first day of retirement....
Two Puppies
Our dogs, Daisy and Sam, are both technically adult dogs, but they don't act like it....
So Long, Downtown
After 30 years spent working downtown, I'm happy with an office move that keeps me in the suburbs....
Construction In The Time Of Coronavirus
Here’s a tip from experience: before you undertake a major house renovation, be sure to check the pandemic forecast. In the fall of 2019, Jean and I had grown tired of our tiny kitchen and tiny dining room and decided to see if we could remedy both problems at once. We engaged Dylan—a nephew...
The Singers
My dad said he didn’t sleep well his first night in the assisted-living facility. It was because of the music. This was in October. After some eight years in an associated independent living facility down the street, he’d had two hospitalizations in six months, each followed by a short stint in a rehab facility....
Walking With The Old Girls
This is our routine. I get their leashes on and nudge Molly toward the front door. She slowly, awkwardly, haltingly walks to the door and goes out. Daisy is always several steps ahead of her ......
The Power Vested In Me
So, yes, I’m a minister. After my nephew and his then-fiancé asked me to officiate their wedding, I went online and got myself ordained. She’s no longer his fiancé; as of last weekend, they are married, and I got to be the one who said, “By the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband...
A Great Honor And An Awesome Responsibility
For a few minutes yesterday, I had the most important job in the world. I had the great honor of officiating at the wedding of my nephew David and his love, Amanda. My role in the wedding was to write, and say, a few words, which will soon be forgotten. My real responsibility was...
I’ve Been Pushing For This For Years
Fellow fools, rejoice! Finally, the federal government has declared that today, April Fools’ Day, is a national holiday. That means no school today. Most people don’t have to go to work. Banks are closed, as is the stock market. The U.S. Postal Service won’t deliver mail today. Word has it that hospitals across the...
The Bookstore
I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve gotta tell you, I’m a VERY good procrastinator. If I have a deadline for something next week, you can bet your last dollar that I’ll get to work on it—next week. And so it was that one day a few years ago, I was down to the...