Gratitude

Prayers For Nana Ruth

October 12, 2012 Gratitude

Erin’s maternal grandmother, Ruth Robinson, has always been one of my favorites among the in-laws. Her smile is contagious. She loves unconditionally. She’s always there for all of us. Now, she needs all of us to be there for her. Nana Ruth has been in the hospital for the last couple weeks, and a few days [...]

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Cheering My Aunt As She Fights Breast Cancer

October 12, 2012 Gratitude

My Aunt Robin has been valiantly fighting breast cancer for the last several months, and I wanted to take a moment and thank her for showing us all how to do it with humor, grace and grit. Mood music:  And It SpreadThe Avett BrothersI And Love And You She’s always been a tough one. Why [...]

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Most Days Are Like New England Weather

September 4, 2012 Gratitude

Last Friday started in a brutal fashion. I woke up more than an hour late after a lousy night’s sleep. As a result, I fell way behind with work. To top it all off, the kids had the day off and were making all kinds of noise. Mood music:  Gettin’ BetterTeslaMechanical Resonance For the first [...]

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Older But More Alive

August 24, 2012 Gratitude

Sunday is my 42nd birthday, which happens near a bunch of other birthdays in the family and at work. Inevitably, when discussing this, someone admits they’re depressed about being a year older. Mood music:  AlivePearl JamTen I have a different outlook, which is that when you reach another year without having dropped dead, that’s cause [...]

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Two Years Later, Remembering Joe Zippo

August 10, 2012 Gratitude

Hard to believe, but it’s been two years since the death of Joe “Zippo” Kelley. I’ve been listening to Zippo Raid’s Punk Is In Season disc a lot lately and I smile every time. I’ve made some wonderful friends these last two years and Joe is our common link. Sometimes it seems strange to me, because [...]

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Screw You, Las Vegas — And Thanks To Good Friends

July 30, 2012 Addiction

The author travels to Las Vegas on business, his addictive personality is put to the test and some good friends carry him through it mostly unscathed. Mood music:  Given To Fly – Mexico City 12/10/05Pearl JamPearl Jam Live As locations go, Las Vegas is the absolute worst for a guy like me. I have a [...]

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Family Reading Time

July 11, 2012 Gratitude

In our house, a cool nightly ritual has taken hold. We all gather on my bed and read until the kids reach their bedtime and the grown-ups (me specifically) pass out. Mood music:  Damn GoodDavid Lee RothSkyscraper Here’s what I love about it: We’re all together in one cozy spot. The kids have their faces [...]

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Fatherhood Saved Ozzy, Eddie & Me

May 4, 2012 Addiction

Yesterday I watched the “God Bless Ozzy Osbourne” documentary, which focused heavily on how his addictions maimed him and his family over four decades. Though my addictive behavior pales by comparison, it still struck a chord. Mood music:  DreamerOzzy OsbourneThe Essential Ozzy Osbourne What hit me deepest is how Ozzy finally decided to get real [...]

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Me and My Dysfunctional Twitter Family

May 1, 2012 Communication skills for the crazy

It feels like Twitter has been with us forever. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s still a relatively new toy we’re learning to use.  I see it as my second dysfunctional family. Mood music:  Ace Of SpadesMotörheadNo Remorse Deluxe Edition My Twitter house has 3,262 people crammed into it; many from the information [...]

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A Death Survival Guide For Novices

April 18, 2012 Children's issues

A friend is reeling from the death of a grandparent. Outliving your older family members is considered part of the natural order, especially if it’s a grandparent. But if it’s your first taste of death, it’s got to be pretty devastating. Having experienced more than my share of friends and family dying, I figured a [...]

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