Wakin’ Bakin’, a delicious eclectic breakfast eatery near Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans, treated us like locals and gave us a supremely satisfying breakfast of burritos, potatoes, pastries and biscuits. It’s the kind of place where the staff all have tattoos and the serving ware consists of mismatched plates and cups. Located in an old […]
My Father’s Father Part 5 – The Not So Big Easy
One night while researching various family trees my brother discovered an Ancestry user with a detailed tree for the Mullers reaching back over 200 years. The tree was like a godsend when our search needed it. This tree even had a twist involving a family with a different name, but clearly still a Muller. While […]
My Father’s Father Part 4 – Down by the Bay
The Historical Society proved beneficial in a couple of ways. We found a clearer shot of Charles’ family in 1900, the year he was born. We also discovered the maiden name of a “lost cousin” of the family. Well, she wasn’t lost to the Mullers or the Moreaus, only to me. Thanks to a local history […]
My Father’s Father Part 3 – Rebirth
Things didn’t get better, though. One month after going into prison his father dies. The obituary mentions Charles as one of the children, but he is unable to attend. Sadly this is the last time an obituary mentions Charles. To make matters worse, his release attracted the attention of the Attorney General who threatened to […]
My Father’s Father Part 2 – The Old Cup and Ball Trick
The Cup and Ball Trick is the oldest in the book. You show a player the ball and place it under a cup. You surround that cup with two empty ones and proceed to move the cups about in some chaotic, obscuring fashion. The objective is to mix them up so much the player has […]
My Father’s Father Part 1 – The Not Knowing
There’s an archetype of sorts in the panoply of southern literature, that of the wandering man, dirty and dark. His thoughts a brooding mixture of childhood atrocity and modern masculine struggle. He thrusts himself into situations with ruthless abandon or withers away in silent anger. He doesn’t have a name, or not one that matters. […]
My Father’s Father – Introduction
I’m going to tell a story, in real-time. You know the kind where it’s long and meandering, filled with insight and intrigue. Maybe someone learns something about themselves along the way. I’m not sure what I learned about myself but damn if it wasn’t one hell of a ride. You’ll stumble with me into dead-end […]
The Generation in Motion
I have no idea what my son is talking about some days, but I comprehend he’s speaking words in a language I understand. What I lack is context on his subject matter. I’ve come to accept he and I live in two totally different worlds, separated by 32 years. It’ll be years before we fully […]
No Doggies in the Bathroom! – The Five Reasons Humans Love Animals
People seem to love blogs where you count things. In a blatant attempt to get more traffic, I’ll bite. Speaking of biting, I noticed our largest dog Cody standing outside my son’s room this morning, tiny whimpers slipping from his snout. I peered from my bedroom into the hallway and he turned my way. “He’s […]
Hey baby, it’s cold outside!
It’s hard to argue with climate change deniers. I suppose they feel the same with believers, but I’ve found it’s hard to argue with folks who use ironic sound bites to make their point. You know the ones I mean; they respond to a particularly cold day with “where’s that global warming?” As if one […]