I like the campground where we are staying. I’m happy that we rethought our first choice, searched for a better park and canceled the existing reservation. This cost us $250, but listen – we are in one place for 30 days and it’s important to like it. It’s not the first time we’ve bounced out …
Tomorrow is our last full day at our cabin in Youngsville, NY, so we are finishing up a song, packing our RV and riding east for two months of summer vacation (and a bit of work). A few minutes ago, we were sitting outside at a friend’s home enjoying the sunshine and a cool breeze. …
The months of July and August are coming and thus begins our annual summer travel season. This year, we decided to spend July at an RV campground near Wurtsboro, New York – a great little town with one of the world’s worst names. Wurtsboro – it sounds like some combination of warts and liverwurst. In …
Every two or three years, I shave my beard. Typically, it’s because I’ve gotten fed up with something and want to start with a clean slate. In this case, I want to rededicate myself to physical fitness, to look better and feel better about myself. My father once said, “One of the best things about …
Our friend, Don, celebrated his birthday with friends and, unexpectedly, a parade of soldiers. At first, I didn’t understand why Don bought a bunch of tiny tanks and soldiers until he informed us, “If Trump can have a parade, so can I. And mine will cost millions less.” In addition to being a mensch, Don …
As I write this, I’m atop one of the small peaks in the Catskills. I needed to go back to nature to reclaim my connection to nature. For the last couple of years, I have lived to work more than worked to live. I gave up the nomadic life I came to love to try …
I just finished the third book in a Lee Child series of novels featuring his protagonist, Jack Reacher. It’s a a series of twenty-nine books about a drifter who moves through the world clobbering the evil dudes who are taking advantage of the system for power or profit. When I was a boy, I enjoyed …
Apparently, some people take this blog of mine seriously. The other day, for example, a reader accused me of not living up to something I wrote and basically called me a hypocrite. Listen, writers are illusionists. In the moment, we might be very sincere about something, but that doesn’t make it the new King James …
I’m reading a novel. I’m always reading a novel, by the way, but this one is different than my usual diet of crime fiction, legal thrillers and anything by Stephen King. It’s called “The Goldfinch” by Jane Tartt. It’s about a thirteen year old boy who loses his mother in a tragic accident and what …
Beth and I are taking some downtime – a couple of days before we return to our normal schedule. We know from experience that a pause, a transitional moment when we do less, makes sense for our emotional wellbeing. As an American trained in a culture of doing, however, pausing brings on two distinct and …