August 2011

What’s The Worst That Can Happen?

August 31, 2011 Depression

A friend keeps telling me about big fears he has of not getting the mortgage paid and being homeless. There’s no danger of that happening. But OCD and reality rarely see eye to eye. Mood music: He wrote: My Biggest Fear is that we will lose our house because we will get too far behind [...]

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I Miss The Beer Bottle Collection Under The Patio

August 31, 2011 Coping tools

In my opinion there’s no better way to release anger and frustration than prayer. But let’s be honest: Sometimes it helps to break things. Mood music:  When I lived in the house on Revere Beach, there was a storage room beneath the concrete patio where I collected all the empty beer bottles from the numerous [...]

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A Loss Beyond All Reason and Comprehension

August 30, 2011 Coping tools

I’m praying hard for my co-worker and friend Joan Ritchie Goodchild and her husband Bryan. Bryan’s uncle and cousin were swept away in the flash flooding Tropical Storm Irene caused in Vermont Sunday. Mood music: Here’s the basics from the Burlington Free Press: The body of Rutland Water Treatment Plant Supervisor Michael Garofano, 55, was [...]

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This Is No Place To Make Amends

August 29, 2011 Adventures in writing

After running the post “Bully’s Remorse” a few days ago, it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, writing it was a mistake. Or maybe it simply didn’t go far enough. Mood music:  HurtJohnny CashUnearthed Like many topics in this blog, I wrote it to yank another skeleton out of the closet and acknowledge that [...]

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Screw Hurricane Irene. Let’s Rock!

August 26, 2011 Children's issues

On my facebook wall, an old friend, Taimee Leary Scarpa, posted this: “Hope you have a happy birthday. Hope you are able to fit in some fun before you start taping your windows for Hurricane Irene, lol.” She was referring to the events I described in the post “Fear and Duct Tape.” Truth be told, Hurricanes [...]

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41 Years

August 26, 2011 Addiction

Some people get depressed on their birthday. Not me. The fact that I turn 41 today is a freak of nature. But a year into my forties, I know I have more cleaning up to do. Mood music: Item: When I was sick with the Crohn’s Disease as a kid, I lost a lot of blood and [...]

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A Call From My Mother

August 25, 2011 Children's issues

It’s Wednesday morning. I’m working from home, face behind the computer. My kids and two neighborhood kids are tearing though the house, overturning everything in sight. Then the phone rings. Mood music: “It’s been five years,” the voice on the other end says. “Can’t we fix this?” It’s my mother. I saw her at my [...]

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The French Toast Alert System

August 24, 2011 Lighthearted

Bookmark for use in the upcoming winter storm season… For those in New England who tend to panic over impending hurricanes, Nor’ Easters and the like, here’s something that’ll help you prepare while taking the edge off. Mood music:  Like A Hurricane – Remastered Album VersionNeil YoungGreatest Hits From the folks who run the excellent [...]

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You Can’t Be Everyone’s Friend

August 24, 2011 Adventures in writing

I once wrote about an obsession with the Facebook friend count. I worried about offending people who de-friended me. Lately I realize it’s ok if I can’t be everyone’s friend. I’m even warming to the idea. Mood music: I’ve always had this stupid idea that I needed to be everyone’s friend. Even when I was [...]

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Earthquakes, Fear and Anxiety

August 23, 2011 Uncategorized

An earthquake centered in northern Virginia just rattled a huge part of the eastern seaboard. I think our building in Framingham, Mass. shook some, but I’m not sure. Mood music:  We’ve had quakes in New England. They happen often, in fact, but they are usually small. This was bigger than usual, but I wasn’t bothered. [...]

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