The Crotchety Old Man

Category: Friends

  • Reunited

    The trip to my old Kentucky home was great! I had no expectations. Having finally learned they are mostly precursors to disappointment, I avoid them. From start to finish, my homecoming weekend exceeded any expectations I could have had. The drive up quashed any lingering thoughts of driving myself. Between heavy rain, road construction, and…

  • Trippin’

    My interest in travel has declined with my vision. The last night away from home was in early 2018. A friend from Lexington, KY picked me up on her way to Florida. Our birthdays are in the same week and she wanted to celebrate our 60th at the beach. Andy took care of Toodles. Without…

  • The Best of a Bad Situation

    The global corona virus pandemic is the most frightening situation I’ve ever experienced. The virus could but isn’t likely to kill me, but with no one to care for me should I fall ill, avoiding possible contagion is my top priority. Consequently, I’m homebound for the foreseeable future. Were I to get sick, friends would…

  • A New Holiday Tradition

    I had no plans for Christmas this year. Vision issues and my diabetic puppy make travel difficult. Dinner with Andy has been the extent of my holiday celebrations for more than a decade. This year would be different. I decided to cook rib roast for my Christmas dinner. It’s not the kind of thing one…

  • Grateful

    Floods, fires, tornadoes, terminal illnesses, and other ugly events have recently impacted the lives of more than a few dear friends. My heart goes out to them. Their misfortune reminds me  just how lucky I am. Yeah. I said lucky. So I’m slowly going blind, recently lost someone very close to me, and am dealing…

  • Savoring Solitude

    Ten weeks have passed since the unexpected death of my ex and best friend. Our seventeen-year relationship was complicated — especially the last few years. Adjusting to life without him is an ongoing process. How am I doing? Mom says I’m doing great. Arguing with her is pointless, but in this case, I’m inclined to…

  • The Friends Behind my Blog Tour

    The midpoint of my 14-week promotional campaign for The Case of the Missing Drag Queen just passed. So far, so good. It’s #8 on DSP Publications best sellers list and has been as high as #6.. Setting up a blog tour is a lot of work. Since my first release, I’ve outsourced the job. Those campaigns…

  • Filling the Void

    Three weeks ago, my world forever changed when my companion of nearly seventeen years unexpectedly passed away. Grief is no stranger to me. Lots of people who were important to me have died. But this time is different. We’ve lived together for years. The few months he wasn’t living with me, we saw each other…

  • Farewell, My Friend

    The man I’ve loved for nearly eighteen years passed away last weekend. The circumstances were tragic — he was only 38 years old. My heart is broken. We met in a gay chatroom. He was half my age at the time — a beautiful young man inside and out. We hit it off right away and…

  • Time Warp

    The older I get, the faster time seems to pass. I can’t believe it’s nearly the middle of March. What happened to winter? The last month of the year always goes by fast. This December went by at a record-setting pace. On top of the usual end-of-year and holiday rush, preparing to teach a class…