Adventures in Plumbing

Because we don’t have a dishwasher, that regular task falls to me.  I don’t really mind because it makes me feel like I’m actually contributing to the daily maintenance of the house. I settled myself in front of the sink over the Fourth of July weekend to attack the mountain of dishes, cups and other […]

Senior Games, Here I Come

We went out for breakfast on a Sunday morning with our daughter on a camping trip with her Girl Scout Troop. I thought I would just have a Belgian waffle and some coffee. Instead, I discovered where I needed to focus my attention for the next seven years. My wife and I sat across the […]

A Close Shave

We had one of those special times a week or so ago. Bridget went to my mother-in-law’s for a few days of spoiling so Maria and I had lots of free time to ourselves. We totally took advantage of this. We went out to eat a couple of times. We went to see a movie. […]

Getting Old Stinks

I had a decision to make, a decision which would have wide-ranging implications. For a number of reasons, I had committed to paying close attention to the NBA Finals. I have slowly drifted toward pro hoops over the past few years. The quality of play combined with some really dramatic storylines in the playoffs had […]

Kindle Me!

During a Memorial Day weekend picnic, I had to break the bad news to a friend of ours. She works at a small bookstore. I had to come clean about the new Kindle I had bought. We had brought it to the event because I had bought a few books for Bridget since she was […]

Why the Go-Go’s Matter to Me

A number of years ago, I went to the mall to purchase a CD. I only had the songs I wanted on cassette and wanted to upgrade my collection. After I handed the disc to the clerk at the register, he sighed. Now this was no sullen teenager bothered by some older guy’s nostalgic purchase. […]

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Something remarkable happened over the past nine months. I went an entire television season without wanting to break up with any of my shows. This might not sound that remarkable, but I have managed to shed at least one show each of the past few years. Over time, I have found myself incapable of sitting […]

Knowing My Value

As it happens sometimes in my family, we have a very busy summer ahead without even really trying. A couple of graduations, a wedding, the annual beach trip. It all adds up pretty quickly. Which means we have to find time when we can for other activities. We combined the two things a couple of […]