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ONE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE LATER

July 9, 2025 by

How often does a declaration of independence come up? I declared my independence early. It was a quiet declaration that went something like: I do declare my living conditions to be unlivable. What did I do? Nothing.

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AGING TRAVEL WITH GRANDY

July 2, 2025 by

Aging travel with 70 and 80 year olds is getting some attention. How hard it is, how easy it used to be, and how it feels losing the magic of new places. How do you manage it when you’re in your 60’s and your mother in law in her 80’s. The short version: if they […]

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IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT . . . HEALTH CARE PANIC

June 30, 2025 by

In the unlikely event this post goes viral, which is every blogger’s secret and not so secret wish, I’ll need to be precise. How precise? Very. As my longtime readers know, I write a personal blog about personal things to try and dial down the panic in case you ever face anything similar. Sometimes it’s […]

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THE PORTLAND DIFFERENCE: URBAN FEAR

June 19, 2025 by

The Portland difference means telling yourself one urban space is different than another. How can anyone make such a judgement? There’s only one way: wander around urban spaces both new and old. From London to Paris, more like Paris to London; from Philadelphia to New York City, which most people think is only Manhattan without […]

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TOP DOG? OR LAST DOG

June 18, 2025 by

Every dog I’ve had in my married life has been the top dog, starting with Lucky. We were talking about it when the kids were small. One of my wife’s friends heard about the talking and called to say she had one for us. The perfect dog.

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THE RIGHT SHIRT PULLS EVERYTHING TOGETHER

June 15, 2025 by

What is the right shirt for the occasion? As all fashionistas know, it depends on the occasion. You don’t want to go too over the top as much as you don’t want to look like you could care less. Try not to channel your inner-Lady Gaga. This was the right shirt for the No Kings […]

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NO KINGS? HOW THINGS CHANGE OVER TIME

June 14, 2025 by

Running at the No Kings march? No, but . . . Things change slowly that feel like warp speed looking back. One day you’re a marathoner in Seaside cruising down the road. Feeling good, looking good, before hitting the wall. Then it’s all about recovering and finishing big. On the sandy beach. Ugh.

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LASTING CONSISTENCY OVER THE LONG HAUL

June 12, 2025 by

Lasting consistency means one thing: dependable. You know what you’re looking for and you know what you’re getting when you find it. History is full of people needing things they can depend on and you can depend on this writer to dig them up. I know you’ve got a few yourself but that’s for your […]

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WHO DESERVES BETTER? YOU, YOU, AND YOU

June 8, 2025 by

I’ve taken a poll with the question ‘who deserves better.’ The results? Everyone deserves better. Shocking? I know. Here’s how it works:

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POWER RULES WRITTEN TO FOLLOW

June 2, 2025 by

Power rules come in a variety of formats including written, verbal, and example. The written ones seem to carry the most importance since we’ll never know the verbal or actions of history. Unless it’s written down. Once direct orders are written down, the next bit of documentation is the recollection of events, the after-action report […]

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