My demons, real or imagined, are leaving nasty scars tonight. I am near comatose in front of the television, knowing full well I’ll pay for the lack of sleep tomorrow. When I come to bed, my subconscious whispers, then screams,…
Continue ReadingA Time to Kill; A Time to Heal
Throughout the past two weeks I’ve felt a certain sense of deadness, of dread. I have had trouble completing even the most basic of tasks and I feel my concentration tanking with my mood. New stories scroll daily of black…
Continue ReadingDon’t Snow on my Parade
I’m at a loss right now. It’s mid-May in the Pittsburgh region. Mother’s Day is this weekend. And it’s snowing. Like really snowing. I opened a window during my zoom martial arts class this morning and it was literally snowing…
Continue ReadingStaying Sane in the Never-Ending Day at Home
I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent more time in my house in the last few weeks than in all the time I’ve owned this house. Until March 11, I spent the majority of my waking hours running around,…
Continue ReadingOrder or Chaos in Quarantine
Some of us are planners, some operate by the fly-by-the-seat of your pants planning system. Over the years, I’ve waffled between both camps. If you want to make an organized person lose their shit, introduce your chaos. Likewise, chaos tends…
Continue ReadingFinding a New Normal
Well, it looks like we’re going to be here for a while. Aside from learning new things personally and professionally, I’m taking the time to relive older parts of myself. The Grateful Dead and The Doors weigh in heavily for…
Continue ReadingCoronavirus Writing(less) Blues
Many writers in blogs, podcasts, or YouTubes I follow have noted the mandatory time at home couldprovide an opportunity to create amazing new works. That novel you said you never have time to write: what’s stopping you now? There are no…
Continue ReadingShutting Down and Shutting In
When I was a child, we used to call older people who were not able to drive themselves places ‘shut-ins.’ What a horrible label for a person! Meals on Wheels and Bookmobiles were created people like them. How could they…
Continue ReadingFrom the Vault: The Perfect Family
Every once in a while I’ll post something from my past. This is circa 2004. We could settle into middle-aged sage – never questioning the roles. Wife kisses her husband at the door, and sends him off to work while…
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