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MAY 1986, THE LAST WEDDING

It was a cloudy, wet, day, in May 1986 for the last wedding.
Like so many raised on the Oregon coast, a cloudy, wet, day, is good luck no matter where you are.
Everything was done, everything set in Sandy, from rented morning coats to a rented preacher.
The preacher was a second choice.
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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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toughen up

DIVORCE NEW NORMAL: “WAS IT ANOTHER GUY?”

    Older people, a goal baby boomers are moving toward at hyper speed, have heard more joy and heartache than anyone else. We’ve got at least ten thousand hours in each encompassing most every possible outcome.   At recent bar stop I learned a whole new take on divorce for modern times. It came […]

YOKE BUILDING PULLS A BETTER LIFE, BUT HOW

If you’re called yoked it’s not a joke, and it’s not about woodworking. It’s a compliment. Someone noticed your gains. They think you’re strong. You look strong, feel strong, and it’s because you lift weights. Whether a fitness lifestyle or just trying it out, lifting changes your body. Strong as an ox? Not a bad […]

BOOMERITIS, OR WHY DOES IT HURT WHEN I DO THIS?

The Longer You Let Yourself Go, The Longer The Trail Back. One doctor joke goes like this: “It hurts when I raise my arm.” Doc says, “Don’t raise your arm.” It’s as funny the first time as it is the last, if you don’t have arm pain. Most of us have pain from one thing […]

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boomer years

SELF CONTROL INTERVIEW BEFORE ASSAULT RIFLE PURCHASE

  What do we need to know before another assault rifle purchase?   In the short days before the next mass shooting, gun shops need to start an interview process for those making their first assault rifle purchase.   Besides the usual questions on the background check and ATF Form 4473, add a short interview […]

BETTER SELF? IF YOU HAVE A BETTER SELF, WHO WERE YOU BEFORE FINDING OUT?

    Life mysteries usually get solved by our better self, the part we hope others notice because it’s better than the usual.   The mystery solutions usually fall between ‘Wow, I didn’t think I could do that’ and ‘Oops, I thought I could do that.’   One shocking example was Det. Mark Fuhrman during […]

GENERATION BOOMER AND THE DAMAGE DONE

They came in the as Boomer Generation, leaving as a Generation Boomer. Generation Boomer, at least those with millennial kids, lived up to the name. Our Millennials lead the list of the ‘most populous generation’ category. And most photogenic. You can’t be too smug when you’ve produced the biggest generation since the Baby Boomers, the […]

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buckle up

PORTLAND MOVEABLE FEAST: COMMUNITY

    “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” Would Hemingway say the same about a Portland moveable feast? He would if he booked Eastburn for dinner. Try […]

How To Sake Bomb

Start A Boomer Birthday Right What goes best with sushi? Ask your server at Mio Sushi. Ours recommended the traditional Sake Bomb. Sake Bomb? Huh? That’s what I asked. Am I the only baby boomer who’s never heard of it? And why is it called a bomb? Start with Japanese beer, like Sapporo, and a […]

DESTINATION PORTLAND

Once you move out, the city becomes a backdrop for Destination Portland. Oregonlive posted the story 9 Legit Reasons To Leave Portland For The Suburbs. Like millions of stories to stay in the Rose City, there’s just as many for leaving. The more questions you ask people about leaving Portland, the more you realize no […]

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