Regular Life

It’s New Year’s Eve, and I sit here with the last scene from “The Breakup” playing in the background. Shannon’s family sits rapt (she and I didn’t watch because we were preparing Ben for bed). Vince Vaughan is a very funny guy.
Ever since we got married 14 years ago, Shannon and I have spent every [...]

Ben slept about 12 hours last night, interrupted only by his mommy and daddy for some medicine.
He awoke with a textbook 98.6 F temperature (that’s 37 C for those so inclined).
Now we’re off to our final Christmas celebration of the year.
Overheard as I’m typing…
Ben: I don’t want to go to Tulsa.
Shannon: You’re going to get [...]

Ben plays with his new voice changer.
Previously in our Christmas Misadventure, road conditions and worn tire tread joined forces to put us in a motel on Christmas Eve. Now, in the final chapter, we arrive home on Christmas day and hope that Santa came down our chimney.
Shannon figured out that Ben and I could drop [...]

(This continues the story started here.)
Previously on “The Christmas Misadventure,” we stopped on our way home Christmas Eve due to the van’s sketchy handling in heavy rain.
Now, we resume our story.
I stopped at the Bostonian Inn and the Tex Inn. The latter looked more expensive, what with its fresher paint, but a banner hanging out [...]

I started this post on Christmas Eve, using a cheap motel restroom as an office. Door closed to keep the light and noise from distracting our three-year-old son Ben from the task at hand (falling asleep), the tiny room provided much-needed respite within range of the nearest wireless access point.
“Ben, lie down and go to [...]

I never thought we would spend Christmas Eve at a cheap motel in New Boston, Texas. I never dreamed our son would wake up to his fourth Christmas in that same motel, no mantel lined with stuffed stockings, no Christmas carols wafting from living room speakers.
That’s pretty much what happened, though, and I’ll be glad [...]

(Read Part Three of “The House With No Lights,” if you’re following along)

The pic Shannon shot for our Christmas letter and cards.
This pic meets my new requirements for my pic of the week because it’s relevant to the season. No more explanation needed.
Well, somehow I left town without copying the Christmas tunes to my laptop, [...]

(For today, you may preview and/or download “Noel Sing We” from my Free Christmas Song Each Day page)
Wednesday morning, we were out of milk, and with the holiday eating season already in full swing, my resistance was low. I stopped at McDonald’s on the way into work.
I happened to be testing my recorder’s ability to [...]

(After a brief hiatus, I’ve added two short but sweet songs to my Free Christmas Song Each Day page. They are “Joyfully Now Let Praises Ring,” and “Recipe.”)
Speaking of recipes, here’s one for that dip I mentioned in my last post.
Smak
Ingredients:
1 can of corn
2 packages of cream cheese (8 oz.)
1 green bell pepper
1 can chopped [...]

I usually make it through social events without saying something inappropriate or embarrassing. When I do utter words I wish I could take back, it’s nothing worse than the average person who’s had a few drinks. Difference with me is, I say whatever goofy thing’s on my mind without having a drop.
This time it was [...]