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 […]
Hello 2014 – The year of giving selflessly
Goodbye 2013, otherwise known as the Year of Death round here. We lost great pillars from the combined families, something we hope not to repeat this year. We knew it at the time, but looking at the spread shows we were either dealing with the death, or supporting people through terminal illness all but two […]
Shiny Shiny
It’s Christmas time again, bringing joy and anger to humans all over. Let’s be straight about this up front; I’m a None who loves Christmas. But lately I’ve soured on much of the gift side of Christmas, opting for more restrained spending. In fact, the general rule is to skip me on gifts and spend […]
The Future Self
It’s no secret I want to live for as long as I possibly can swing it. I’m not unique in this, I know. But thinking about immortality I find myself at peace, even desiring my options include virtual ones. Let’s get it right out of the way. I don’t know what happens after death. A […]
The Body, The Brain, and the Sucker Punch – Introduction
This series attempted to expose a debilitating disease by detailing its effects on my father. Lewy Body Dementia is a rapidly growing diagnosis as professionals discover that many previous Alzheimer’s designations may have been LBD. In the tradition of George Lucas I may edit and update some posts as we learn more. It only makes […]
The Body, The Brain, and the Sucker Punch – Part IX Counting the Countable
Here are some things I learned. Get in front of your disease ASAP. Don’t waste time in the denial phase. Those wasted weeks might be the good ones when you look back. You may not want to admit you or your loved one has this terrible disease, but keeping track of symptoms might prove life […]
The Body, The Brain, and the Sucker Punch Part X – The Wild Geese Are Calling
Stand with me on Man’s old planet, gazing north when sky has darkened; follow down the Dipper’s handle, half again and veering leftward. Do you see it? Can you sense it? Nothing there but cold and darkness. Try again with both eyes covered, try once more with inner vision, hearken now to wild geese honking, […]
The Body, The Brain, and the Sucker Punch Part VIII – The Spin Cycle
My father moved into his last home on a Wednesday morning while my brother and I filled out forms. Filling out forms, a necessary evil no doubt, consumes the greater part of the time you spend in a medical facility I think. Worries over the mark of the beast aside, it’d be nice if we […]
The Body, the Brain, and the Sucker Punch – Part VII Gather Ye Rose Petals
The call went out that my father was dying. His remaining siblings traveled 7 hours to see him. It became a veritable family reunion as we all paraded in and out of his room. My father lay in the bed, eyes closed and lips dry. Intermittently he’d twitch as if in some calamitous dream, arms […]