Her paw print arrived today. Bastards. Just about the time I could get through three hours at a time without crying; just about the time I no longer bowed in reverence to the sacred places where she loved to sleep; just about the time I’d laughed really hard in days, I opened the card from the vet who put my dog down. There was Libby’s paw print. Punch to the gut. Damn doctor. She didn’t even warn me. A sudden gasp caught in my throat and then came the heaving … [Read more...]
Don’t Squander Your Greatness
June 13, 2014 By
What a week! My inbox has been bursting with so much good will vapor, it’s as fragrant as Bath and Body Works during their 75% off sale. Here’s a sampling of this week’s bouquet: Julie wrote to say she’d forwarded my story “Same Little Legs Still Carry Me” to her sister, who, God bless her, is not only dealing with the loss of her 25-year-old-daughter, but breast cancer as well. Julie sent it to her sister to remind her of just how strong she really is. I was blown … [Read more...]
‘Cause I’m (reasonably) Happy
May 22, 2014 By
My consulting travels recently took me to Indianapolis. I posted up in an office that had been vacated just days earlier. Somebody had been 86’ed, shit canned, pink-slipped, workforce reduced. Book shelves and desk drawers were empty. (I know because I checked) There were no photos, no stapler, no box of Kleenex on the desk, no abandoned pad of Post-It notes. There was, however a small affirmation taped to the computer monitor which had been left like the skeletal … [Read more...]
Zen Dentistry and Other Acts of Courage
May 16, 2014 By
So, I was talking to my shrink yesterday. We determined that I had not seen him since 2009, as he was in his former location, not as fancy as his new place. Must be a high demand for therapists these days. I understand from whence this comes, being a card carrying member of the Highly-Functioning Merely Neurotic Club. Even we need an occasional tune-up on the couch. I did not lay down. I did lay out what I called the churn. The dreaded … [Read more...]
Random Acts of Elevator Kindness
May 6, 2014 By
On the G train heading home to my son’s place in Brooklyn Saturday night, I committed a cardinal sin. I spoke to a stranger. Well really, he started it. I was reading the playbill from the show we’d just seen, curious over why Toni Collette was the only actor to have this disclaimer after her name: “appearing with the support of Actors’ Equity Association.” “Surely she’s not the only union member in this play,” I said to Patrick. A gentleman sitting across the car … [Read more...]
Never Seen So Many Books
June 8, 2013 By
Have you? Thanks to The Book House for hosting us today. Tony and I talked all about New Mexico, I left and immediately went and bought a taco at Nacho Mama's up the street, home of the drive-through marg. Note that my foot is firmly planted on Libby's leash. There was a cat in the back room. … [Read more...]
We Cleave to Our Dogs
September 16, 2012 By
I just left my friend Michelle’s house. We took her dogs out just before I left. It’s almost gotten to the point where Roxie, her black standard poodle, needs to be carried down the stairs. The arthritis in her hind legs makes each step treachery. I don’t mind carrying her down. I’ll carry that dog any day of the week. She’s the Roxie, the queen dog at Michelle’s castle. She is as much the heart and soul of that home as Michelle and her son, Sam are. Roxie has been a … [Read more...]
They Don’t Cotton To Takin’ Pitchers of the Barn
July 30, 2011 By
It's Day 24 of our little trek, and I'm in Douglasville, Georgia, just south of Atlanta, staying with my niece and her family. Libby's getting another dose of country living, with her southern canine cousins, both females. There were a few raised hackles at first, reminded me of the woman who pulled up behind me at the Hope Mills General Store, in appropriately named, Hope Mills, VA. By the time that brief stopover was through, I was hoping to get out of there alive. … [Read more...]
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