Still Here!

Still Here!

I am grateful to have so many wonderful, thoughtful, caring readers of my blog over the years. I encountered a rough patch, which coincided with the need to update my technology in order to work across devices. Both the blog and the writer are now emerging from the...
Let’s Get Lunch

Let’s Get Lunch

At Seattle Central College, where I’ve worked for the past three years, a few steps separate the main hallway from the Atrium Cafeteria. From there, it’s a straight shot to Seattle Culinary Academy’s One World Café and Square One Bistro. (An important aside: I’m a big...
This Ends Badly

This Ends Badly

The northwest corner of First and Jackson can be tricky. During rush hour, traffic whizzes by, despite the fact that there’s only one block of street left until you hit Elliott Bay. In places, cracks in the tarmac reveal old bricks underneath. The curb cut is...
Apply Liberally

Apply Liberally

It’s tough to get close to a beach without access. From an overlook, I get a taste of the full view, smell, and sounds. Just a tantalizing taste. But a taste isn’t enough. I have been to Nauset on Cape Cod hundreds of time. As a boy, the ocean—open clear out to...
What It Takes

What It Takes

I have a new moniker for Steve L., one of my four brother-in-laws with the same first name. Now he’s Ramp Man to me. He drove to the Cape from Connecticut fully loaded: Boston Whaler packed with bikes, folding tables, life jackets, power tools, and reclining chairs...

Well Used

I often hide my hands now. They stay clasped in my lap when I’m in polite society, though I can’t stop myself from checking for sore spots. They are cracked and deeply lined. The tips sometimes split where the skin meets the nail. I have callouses on the insides of...
Touched

Touched

“What happened to your dog?” The kid must have been about eight; his sister younger by a few years. She wore a silver tiara. He held the matching magic wand and brandished it like a sword. It took me a minute to register the question. He frowned and pointed to...
Just Diagnosed

Just Diagnosed

The subject line read, “Just diagnosed with AMN.” Aaron from Auburn found my blog. He went on to tell me about his initial symptoms with our condition. He wrote about his family, his faith, and his fears. We shared an uncertain future and the same area code. Would I...