My hands became clammy. I started to fret over what to say and how to fit in with the rest of my coworkers. The anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach ticked off like a bomb waiting to go off and I cursed when I accidentally spilled my water bottle onto my tie. The …
Category: Dream
A writer’s best friend and enemy
I got in my car and felt like crud, lower than dog poo on the bottom of your shoe. I had been putting in tons of hours at work, extra hours each evening and again on the weekend. For once, I was hoping to leave early, but it wasn’t in the cards, one fire cropped …
Saying no to “The Elf on the Shelf” and other traditions
I love the Christmas season for many reasons, but especially because of all the traditions. We decorate our house with a big tree with lights and ornaments that we’ve made or purchased over the years. Each ornament has special meaning. There’s the heart that I gave my wife to commemorate our first Christmas together and …
Continue reading Saying no to “The Elf on the Shelf” and other traditions
Lighting up Christmas
A good number of year ago, my three kids came running down the stairs in their pajamas. They were giddy with excitement. Without being told twice, they put on their coats and gloves, the night chill made them a must, and my wife loaded the three of them into our car. Once everyone was tucked …
Favorite movie lines
From mid-November to late December in my house, the Hallmark Channel with Christmas love story after Christmas love story is on pretty much nonstop. My wife and daughter love them, they can’t get enough of them. I’m a Christmas softee, so I must admit that I'll pull up a chair and watch for a few …
If our pets could talk
Our family dog, Nittany, a Lhasa Apso – Bichon Frise mix, looked up at me with drowsy eyes from her perch on our bed. Before I got up and got a shower and got started with my work day, I rubbed behind Nittany's ears and up and down her belly. Nittany, who is now 11, …
Finding some inspiration
Is anyone else having a tough week? I've been there before. Once when I was a kid, I was having a particularly tough week. I’m not sure what was going on, maybe a test or two, possibly something at home, who knows? When I let my frustration come out during basketball practice, my coach, the …
Something we can all get behind
The anger and vitriol across U.S. has been high in recent weeks. The election, the state of race relations, and Covid have all been a drain. I’ve been pretty vocal about how I will vote on Tuesday, but my hope remains that, whatever the result, America will be able to stand together and support our …
Unanswered prayers
I put the phone down and lightly banged my fist against my head. My wife and I were newly married and I was up for a new job that would mean more money and, if we pinched our pennies right, could help speed up our bid to buy our first home. Unfortunately, though, the newspaper …
An inauspicious first date
It was Friday night and the music boomed throughout the restaurant. Boom, ba, ba, boom, ba, ba, boom. The restaurant manager had the lights down low and the place was packed with people, with everyone seeming to be shouting to the person next to them. I could barely hear myself think, forget about hear my …
