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SHARING SPECIAL DAYS, EVERY LAST ONE

Special days have special meaning which don’t hit the same for everyone.
For some it’s repeating, “Why bother,” for the fortieth time.
Others like to say, “I thought we’ve moved past all that.”
But you still find those looking for something special in every day, and keep looking until they find it. Hell or high water.
The last line is the bell ringer.
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OLD PORTLAND, YOUNG PARENTS

Make that old Portland, youngish parents.
Or not so old Portland, and not so young parents.
We weren’t teenagers, but if you ever want to feel like one push a stroller around downtown.
With two kids it’s like a double punishment, like sent to your room AND missing dinner.
What else?
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LET THEM, LET YOU, OR LET ME?

The Let Them Theory book has a lot of lets in the letters.
My favorites are the parts that address my problems, which come with a writing habit from what I can tell.
Will I discover why I’m not a better writer?
Learn what I should have done by now, or find a lingering message to get over myself already?
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NORTH BEND HEROES START HERE

 Calling North Bend a small town is a disservice to real small towns everywhere.
Driving south on 101 and crossing the North Bend Bridge takes you under this sign.
If you’re not paying close attention and keep going the same direction, the entire area of the largest metro complex on the Oregon coast feels like it’s all North Bend, especially if you miss the little coos bay sign.
How can the biggest city on the coast be a small town?
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READING HISTORY LIKE IT MEANS SOMETHING?

Reading history is the same as reading a story, but it comes with a bonus:
You can check the validity of the history story, check the sources, visit the places history happened and is still happening.
When old people check sources it’s because they have nothing else to do?
Baby boomers visit historical sites not to learn anything new, but to confirm their already established believes?
If this sounds like a load of crap, you are correct.
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toughen up

STEP UP TO THE JUICE BAR, BOOMER

Have One On The House. Doing a juice fast usually means one thing: lots of juice. Finishing a juice fast usually means one thing, too: no more juice. Neither is true. I just finished eight days of adapted juice fasting. Instead of going hardcore juicer, I adapted to a restricted calorie, limited choice diet, to […]

HEALTHCARE BULLY PREYS ON THE WEAKEST

  Any coherent healthcare bully debate needs to go beyond the numbers, the insurance companies. Beyond drug company research and development that puts the BIG in Big Pharma. It’s about who the healthcare bully reaches for in the debate. The most vulnerable, of course. The population currently undergoing severe medical treatment. I’ll use cancer treatment […]

WHAT SEVERE ILLNESS MEANS TO OTHERS

  Under the category of ‘Who Knew’, severe illness opens the door to compassion. And it’s not all about you.   Talk between cancer survivors is one thing; talk between a cancer survivor and someone untouched launches other topics. Some survivors are good listeners, others see the open door and rush right through.   That […]

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boomer years

BROADWAY OREGON, A PARABLE

Two guys, just people who need people. The beauty of life we agree on: the Mona Lisa, Grand Canyon, and Broadway Oregon sparkle like universal jewels. You’re seen the Grand Canyon and Mona Lisa, or heard of them. Not Broadway Oregon. No one’s heard of it. You’re the first. I’m only talking to you. Kids […]

THE BIRTHDAY BOY: HOW TO CELEBRATE YOUR DAD’S DAY

The Gillaspie children Wayne, Cleo, and Rex, c. 1948. This May 8th my Dad would have been 84 years old. Birthdays are important. To all baby boomers: Call your parents on their birthday. To all hipsters: Get off your scooter and show your parents you were raised right. Call them. To all millennials: Follow the […]

MILLENNIALS NEED BOOMER ‘LEAVING LESSON’

    Leaving Lesson for the younger generation? Stick around. Once upon a time solving problems was simple. If something didn’t go your way, you left. The first class for Leaving Lessons explains how it works. You’ll learn the best time to bail is not a year on a calendar, but an age. 20 – […]

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buckle up

CATCH PORTLAND FEVER

Once you catch Portland Fever you’re doomed. Drug stores don’t advertise shots in case you catch Portland Fever. It’s not shingles, pneumonia, or the flu. On the other hand it’s not polio, malaria, of tuberculosis. While not fatal, if you do catch Portland Fever, your life is ruined. After a few years in Portland, maybe […]

Get Your Medical History In Another Language

In The Hospital And You Don’t Speak The Language. Now What? Do you like new places, the sort where you step off a plane and think, “It looks normal enough,” but you know it’s not? You know because you showed up after language immersion and Rosetta Stone, and you still don’t understand what anyone says. […]

PORTLAND BEER HUNT

Portland Beer Of The Year Starts Here. Do you see a beer sign? A brewery sign? Anything that says beer is near? It’s not an accident. Once you park your car it’s still a mystery. To help out, this place in across the street, maybe two streets, from the Rose Garden, Modo Center, Memorial Coliseum. […]

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