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At the Family Compound
Vacations mean different things to different people. My favorite getaway is the beach. Relaxing by the water, getting too much sun, and eating seafood every day make for a nice change from normal routines. Nothing else comes close for me. My partner grew up vacationing in Panama City Beach. His grandmother lives there. Eventually, they…
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Forever Changed
What happened to August? Normally, August and January vie for the longest months of the year. Yeah, I know other months have the same number of days. But temperature extremes associated with the first and eighth months make them drag for me. Not this year. Cooler, wetter weather helped. It’s still plenty hot, but not…
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Loyalty Oath
Not too long ago, I knew everyone who read my blog personally. Maybe we went to school together, or worked for the same employer, or did the same kind of work. The connection, whatever it is, was face-to-face and in real time at some point in the last fifty years. The number of visitors to…
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My New Normal
Too much has changed in the past month for my life to ever return to normal. I lost my father. But the end to his suffering and his inability to do the things he wanted to do prevent me from being sad. Mostly, I feel a profound sense of relief–like a huge weight has been…
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Tales of a Slow Learner
Sometimes I’m a little slow. It’s more a matter of application than intelligence. Drawing me a picture helps…usually, but it can take a while. I still remember the day in high school health class when I suddenly got every dirty joke I’d ever heard. I laughed until my cheeks ached. I blame my sun sign–Pisces.…
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Stop the World!
Swapping the vacation my partner and I had been looking forward to for Dad’s funeral ended up being a good thing. We were already off work, and since we were driving anyway and had a free place to stay at the beach, changing our plans at the last minute didn’t cost anything. Any other time…
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My Dad’s Garden
I’m pretty sure gardening is genetic. Whether a recessive gene or one of those that lie dormant until needed, I don’t know and couldn’t say. But I know beyond a doubt that my love for gardening was passed down to me from my father’s side of the family. Dad’s mother kept a vegetable garden in…
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A Joyous Occasion
The last few weeks have been a trying time for me. Work is off-the-chain busy, the heat is driving me crazy, and I said goodbye to my father. I’m off my diet, haven’t been exercising, and have consumed more coffee than a person should drink in a year. Throw in a culture war around a…
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Goodbye, Dad
My father passed away this morning. My sister called me to tell me the news. I knew when I saw her number on the callerID that he was gone. Now I know what the expression “overwhelmed with grief” means. His death wasn’t a surprise. In fact, I welcomed the end to his suffering. There was nothing…
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On the Other Hand…
In yesterday’s blog, I came out as a Chick Fil A and Target fan, despite company support for anti-gay groups. If Chick Fil A’s CEO doesn’t shut up, I might change my mind. Unless you’re Mitt Romney, we’re allowed to do that in America. Today I’m going to blast an organization for their antigay and…