You can’t slide these dying eyes
Dad was dying, but I knew what to do. I had to close his eyes. Many years ago, I was with my mom when she died. Long battle with cancer,…
Why I’m a Digital Ideaist
I was listening to an archived interview with Dr. John and Terry Gross in my NPR podcast channel. In the interview, Gross asked John how should she describe him: Singer,…
When punctuation should be like a carrot
I learned my language skills through three years of high school English, memorizing the AP style book in college and enduring newspaper editors calling me mocking names. Reading the world’s…
When a comma is like a choo-choo train
I help my clients with writing tips. Here’s one on commas: When’s the right time to use a comma in a series, and more importantly, when do you — not? Think…
Three ghosts meet a fool in a bar
What was a hospital visit has become a vigil here in Nyack. So much has happened this week in Rockland County. So little of it was good. We’re all bracing…
The talking dead
The Pop I would conjure in my passenger seat is about 47 years old: Confounded by lingering misery. He was by himself. Dead wife, forever bills, and raising children on…
The damn eulogy
We buried Pop today. Thanks to Higgins Funeral Home, St. Augustine’s, St. Anthony’s, FDNY color guard, The Knights, The Legion and that soul-cracking bagpiper. Gonna sleep for a week. The…
Taking a long way home
Seems a year ago I went to NY to see Pop, watch him die, praise him and bury him. It’s been all of 2 weeks. After a couple of days…
Present simple messages simply
The best way to visually display simple messages, is simply In Sunday’s Washington Post is an article on how Metro is trying to get its train drivers to stop at red…
My baby just wrote me a letter
For Christmas, my son wrote me a letter recognizing my difficult year. Keith wrote it with his therapist, who helped edit from three pages to one. Perhaps it was a…
Lest we forget
For Christmas, my son wrote me a letter chronicling my past year. He wrote about my dad’s death, grieving at Disney World, his coming out and his pushing me away…
Jo’burg
First, you get a paper cup. Can be any paper cup: sturdy, little bit deep. Krispy Kreme — Starbucks if you can find one. The cup should be white and…
Jared Spool in action
Last night, I was lucky enough to see Jared Spool give his interactive presentation, “Anatomy of a Design Decision,” which reminded me a bit of Dale Earnhardt in his prime.…
Going through Pop’s drawers
As I’m going through my Dad’s papers, I’m telling myself he deliberately left what he left. I believe he’s telling me his story. Read, enjoy, toss. Otherwise, he was just…
Conflicting priorities
I thought this was an interesting paradox: one construction project trumping another construction project. Though both projects yield a permanent product, management prioritized the structure. Prospective mothers will hopefully be…
Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world
When you go to Ireland, go first to the west coast to see why these fair-skinned peopled dress in full-length wet suits to surf an an ocean that’s always in…
Bill Simmons, in his prime
I’ve talked about Bill Simmons in glowing light. He’s a long-winded, online friend to many of us. Like that college friend, you haven’t seen in a decade, you still know him and…