Jack is an old dog. To you and me he’s 16, but according to the Pedigree Dog Calculator, he’s the equivalent of an 80-year-old man. Jack has outlived his brother, Joe, by about 10 years. He’s outlived his best friend, my father-in-law, by three months now and counting. He’s an old dog, but he is … Continue reading New tricks
Tag: South
It’s all downhill
These were two journeys I didn’t want to take. I was less than thrilled to be “voluntold” by my wife back before Christmas that I was chaperoning our son’s first snow skiing adventure in January with the youth from church. This attitude was mirrored in my less-than-enthusiastic embrace of said son reaching the adolescent milestone … Continue reading It’s all downhill
Snowpocalypse 2014: A product of the New South
As I worked this week from home in my pajamas, I couldn’t help but join the millions of Atlantans and Birminghamians, among others, in contemplating just how Snowpocalypse 2014 happened. This will not surprise you, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the fault of the New South. Although much has been written already … Continue reading Snowpocalypse 2014: A product of the New South
Living in the Nose South
What does your house smell like? Ours is a mixture of coffee, a hint of mildew wafting up from the basement (the dehumidifier is on the fritz), fabric softener, and bergamot. You heard me. Bergamot. You know bergamot, right? I didn’t think so. You see, here in the New South we have new smells filling … Continue reading Living in the Nose South
A son-in-law’s grief
At approximately 5:15 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, my mother-in-law called me on my mobile phone as I was driving out of the parking garage at work in Midtown Atlanta. “Lanny has been in accident,” were the words that began a journey for our family that culminated in another phone call, at about 10 a.m. … Continue reading A son-in-law’s grief
Veggie tales
With age comes responsibility, and one of the responsibilities of children aged 5 and older in our house is eating vegetables. Lest you think Carla and I are unreasonable parents, we are not clean platers. The quantity of the food consumed is not our beef, so to speak. We insist our children eat vegetables as … Continue reading Veggie tales
Carrying cash
There is no amount of wealth that can surpass the all-too-rare occurrence of having a wallet full of cash. In these days when plastic pays for everything, the times in which I have actual greenbacks on my person are so few that I can’t help but feel special. It doesn’t matter if its $7. Carrying … Continue reading Carrying cash
Lions and monkeys and turtles, oh my!
For the past two weeks, Carlton has been without his favorite sleep-aid: Lion. This now raggedy stuffed animal with the roaring voice box that hasn’t worked in several years has been his constant sleeping companion for the better part of five years. But two weeks ago, a weekend with the grandparents was so much fun … Continue reading Lions and monkeys and turtles, oh my!
A trip to Georgia’s oldest city to feel new again
I’ve kicked around Georgia now for more than 21 years, almost half my life. In all that time, I had only been to Savannah twice. The third time was definitely a charm last weekend as Carla and I were able to parlay a work event Friday night into an excuse to leave the boys with … Continue reading A trip to Georgia’s oldest city to feel new again
News? What news?
I get my news from Will McAvoy. The fact that he’s a fictional news anchor and the events he’s reporting on are two years old is really immaterial. My good friend, Bob, gave me season one of the HBO series “The Newsroom” on Blu-ray for my birthday this year, and it took me and Carla … Continue reading News? What news?
New South Essays 