Willie hates me. I have become Moriarty to her Sherlock; Q to her Picard, Thanos to her Avengers. I am all that is wrong in her world. Worse, I delight in hastening the demise of her independence. Ooh! I am Khan to her Kirk! How could I have missed that one?!…
I’m going to need you to believe me when I tell you I didn’t buy that Alexa to make Willie crazy. It’s just been an unexpected perk. I set up an Alexa for Willie and Indy. It seemed ingenious at the time. They’re constantly forgetting appointments. And grocery lists! I thought Alexa could help…
You know my story, that five years ago next week my mom nearly died. It was six weeks in the hospital and a year and a half to recover. I no sooner breathed a sigh of relief at that 18-month slog when my dad told me his left hand had begun to shake and…
Moving Day finally approached. We – my parents, brother, and I – spent my birthday, a Saturday, packing as much as we could. The movers were set to arrive that Monday. The movers were a one-shot deal, the better to save money. In case you’re wondering – yes. Packing up your childhood home on…
I’m not sure how many “parts” the story of my parents’ move will have. It is, to be sure, my parents’ tale, although I’ll do the telling. Like my parents, this story is not neat and tidy, as I would have it – and them – be. But then they’d tell you that I’m obsessive,…
So my dad had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, both my parents were aging, and my mom fell down steps constantly even when she was 30. It was time to move. Smaller, safer digs. I therefore spent most of 2019 helping my parents move from their house to an independent living apartment. Let me rephrase…
Indy and Willie’s new apartment is, by design, small. Open floor plan. Kitchen, living room, dining room. Bookend bedrooms, a full bathroom in each. I can cross the whole apartment in thirty steps. Fifty, if I’m being generous. Standing in the entryway hall, I can see the entirety of their space. So I…
To get to the funny, I have to start with the serious. My dad has Parkinson’s disease, something he possibly contracted from exposure to contaminated water at Camp LeJeune. This is heartbreaking on many levels, not the least of which is Camp LeJeune’s role in our family history. Located in North Carolina, Camp…
I promise I’ll get to the electrician story soon. But Indy and Willie visited Indy’s property in Maryland last week and, well, you should know the story. Back in his Marine Corps days, Indy was stationed in Quantico. Sometimes North Carolina. At one point, his parents moved from Delaware County to Rock Hall, Maryland….
At four years of marriage, she wasn’t really a bride anymore. But for him, today and forever, she would be a bride. His bride. He stood, watching his wife make up the bed. In their minds they had practically discovered this quaint island getaway. When they found that beach homes could be rented, this place had become…