My family is a bit odd, okay, maybe more than a little. We're not very close, there are many miles between us and there seems to be little effort made in keeping in touch. It starts with our mother and trickles down from there.

I'm the oldest of five children, my brother Scott was born less than 22 months after me. We grew up together, shared a ( Read more... )

In an online forum many years ago I used the term 'relationship duty' in reference to doing things we may not want to do with our partner. A few in that group took exception to my opinion. They were deluded in thinking their significant other always wants to go places they ask to go and do the things they love to do. I suspect they're partnered ( Read more... )

Is the boiling point for blood the same as water? I need to know.

Over the last few days my ex wife and I have exchanged a few emails regarding Jeffrey's upcoming UCLA tuition payments. That's all good. I took the opportunity to update her on some news regarding James.

Yesterday afternoon I met with Dr. Ramalamadingdong. He heard from nurse Pat ( Read more... )

I stood in the greeting card aisle at Target earlier this week staring at Valentines Day cards. I opened at least two dozen before leaving empty handed. Yesterday I went through the same fruitless exercise at Frys Market. Sometimes I'll find a card holding the words needed for the occasion. Most of the time Hallmark cannot express my feelings as my ( Read more... )

I have the Scrooge gene, the direct antithesis of the Christmas gene. I also have a soft spot for my sons, people I love and some of the traditions I grew up with. Sure it was indoctrination, but it was mine.

In a previous edition of this blog I mentioned something about decorating. Last weekend came. Nothing was happening. I assumed Cheryl read my ( Read more... )

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I don't know where it comes from but when it hits me......it's like Niagara Falls. If you've never been to Niagara, you'll miss my point. Okay, I'll try the Grand Canyon. Inspiration can hit you like the Grand Canyon. Damn. Maybe you haven't seen the canyon. It's unfuckingunbelievable. I wanted to weep, but thankfully I kept it together and took ( Read more... )

Mom called mid-week to let me know she got her Mother's Day gift.

Because I'm so much older than my siblings there's some distance in our relationship. There's never been a fight between myself and any of my sibs. I moved out at 19, when they were 10, 8 and 6 years old. I wasn't around during their formative years. By the time they were in high ( Read more... )

Every time I hear about an old person embracing technology, like the internet, I think it's cool. I hope I'm up-to-date with such things when I'm in my elder years.

In my last post I alluded to my family. There's an unusual dynamic in our clan. My mom is not one of those older folks embracing technology.

My younger brother Glen, (13 years my junior ( Read more... )

Happy Mutha's Day to all the mutha's out there.

Smoked ribs, grilled chicken , corn-on-the-cob, pasta and fruit salads are on the Mother's Day menu today. Cheryl's family is coming over for dinner.

I'm okay when a friend offers to pick up a tab for drinks or dinner, but not if he/she does it every time. Saturday was Cheryl's birthday. We went out ( Read more... )