The Good Side of a Bad Blizzard
As hundreds of thousands of commuters across Chicagoland breathe a collective sigh of relief as we dig our way out of Friday afternoon’s “couldn’t-come-at-a-worse-time” blizzard, this dad woke up to a quite Saturday morning, grateful he wasn’t stuck in four-plus-hours of traffic yesterday, and determined to shovel his way out of the eight inches of snow topping his driveway. I…
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Erma. And Mom.
My mom was your typical mom of the sixties and seventies. She was a stay-at-home mom (long before the term “stay-at-home” was even used). She was just a mom. Like millions of other women. Overworked. Under-appreciated. And certainly under-represented in media. Then came the refreshing, honest voice of another mom from Dayton, Ohio. Her name was Erma Bombeck. She started…
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Eulogy for my Brother
Today would have been my brother Kevin’s 57th birthday. He died at the age of 46. I lovingly publish the eulogy I gave for Kevin annually on this day to celebrate him, remember him, and share him. Kevin was the best. He really was. You would have liked him. And, I promise, no matter who you are, Kevin would have found…
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Sunset
The setting sun tonight was rather breathtaking. I saw it (the photo above is compliments of my iPhone) as I was running into the Apple store at the mall near our house. Breathtaking. I swear it was speaking to me. We’ve been enjoying some pretty terrific weather during the past few weeks. I think I’ve only pulled out my legitimate…
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A Minute Movie: Business Trip
I’m now the dad of a college graduate. And while I know firsthand that it’s a tough market to find a job, I’m a little pleased with myself for giving my boy a little extra experience under his belt. And I love the memory it gives me. Enjoy.
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A Minute Movie: Floating Pants
From the mouth of babes… Remember when your clothes could make you smile? Laugh? Or giggle? Remember the feeling of a bunch of air bubbling up inside your bathing suit? Here’s wishing you – and your clothes – a few more smiles…
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My Cousin Sent Me a Package!
And I was really excited to receive it! Not to sound like Debbie Downer (Doug Downer?), but the last few weeks have been rotten. And I’ve tried to lay low on all of it because, heck, it’s the holidays and no one really wants to hear my crummy junk. So I’ve just been quiet. Fortunately, the kids have all been…
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We Played in the Snow…
The kids and I all kind of kidnapped each other and drove about seven hours away so we could play in the snow. We’ve needed to play. We even needed a seven hour car trip together. Truthfully, I don’t remember the last time we were all in the same car that long. Sitting 3′ apart from the people you love…
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We Ate Well…
among many other things. But over the Christmas holidays, while all three kids were home, we ate well. And that, for me, is a big deal. Cooking is not my strength. I’m more likely to find myself at 5:48 in the afternoon thinking, “Crap, I forgot about feeding all these mouths in the house.” It just doesn’t really matter…
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Why I Believe
(This is one of my favorite stories from my book, “Bobblehead Dad” 25 Life Lessons I Forgot I Knew.” I hope you enjoy!) It was our last Christmas in North Carolina. My son, Kevin, was eight and my daughter, Wallis, was five. That would make my youngest, Drew, a one-year-old just mastering the art of walking. It was the week…
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