Curse of the Black Squirrel

So, I'm walking along Wisconsin Ave on two different days and notice an odd site - a black squirrel. Now, I suppose an albino squirrel would've been even stranger...but this guy was jet black all over. One day, I saw him close to the beginning of my walk. A couple days later...he was dashing fearlessly across the street, avoiding an onslaught of buses and cars. Or perhaps noir squirrels are common here in DC.
Then, there's a Japanese restaurant called Kuma. It's new and an animal paw is part of its logo. A paw? Seems Kuma is a bear. Haven't wandered in there yet…although I'm really curious if they have a pet bear or serve pet, maybe? ;)

Two Saturdays ago, I saw my first movie here, Spidey 2. Cool flick. Not a big deal in the scheme of entertainment choices. However, keep in mind that I've taken few breaks while here. Sadly, the theater is across the street from the station.

It's hard to believe that a month ago yesterday, I was watching my child being born. A month?! My child?! Yeah, I'm still not used to it…which is easy when one is working away from their child and wife. Kim says that little Georgia is now seeing further. She's following things, looking at herself in the mirror, watching Alley the Cat…which should be entertaining. Yes, Georgia, she's supposed to have that many colors.

I'll be returning to Mississippi tomorrow. Finally. It'll be nice to give Kim a break. Although she's had friends and my parents stopping by, she's mostly been alone with Georgia. I'm very proud of her strength and bravery. The three of us will return on Sunday morning and spend Labor Day in ole DC. Kim and Georgia will then be in DC for a week and a half.

The house is "on the market" with a sign in the yard. We're on the down slope of our time in Mississippi. Which is kinda sad…but we'll be back.

Comments

A Very Angry Prostate

Cancer. No other word evokes so many emotions and consumes so many thoughts of both the one with the diagnosis and those who learn of it. On Tuesday, June 25, at 4:40pm, I learned that I have prostate cancer. One of the questions I'm most asked: "How did you know to check?" Naturally, some wondered if I had signs or pains. There were none. Last September, I had my second physical with my new primary physician. With an age of 50, he requested a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test be added to my blood panel. The next day, the results were in my portal. For my age, my PSA should be no higher than 4. My reading was 4.191. Since this number was out of range, the portal chart visually shouted at me that this was HIGH. Googling sent me into a spiral of thinking I might have prostate cancer which led to many thoughts of mortality. I was at work sitting in my cubicle attempting to calm myself and praying as waves of anxiety, thoughts and emotions washed in. I contacted my prima

READ THE FULL STORY »

When Three Weeks Felt Like Three Months

These words have taken months to reconcile as I've wrestled with and revisited many times over. Summarizing three very long weeks of December 2023 has been quite the challenge. I was in Mississippi for what began as a hip fracture for my mother and ended in her passing. It's still rather surreal for her to be gone. The first Mother's Day without her impacted me more than what would've been her 86th birthday on January 24 or what would've been her 67th wedding anniversary on April 4. Not getting a call from her on my birthday July 1 was also a void which was filled with Dad calling in birthday wishes. My family being a thousand miles away for the last 20 years, only speaking on the phone once or twice a month, visits only being every few years due to life and expenses...it feels almost routine being disconnected from Mom. Yet, random memories and various regrets have trickled through my mind since those exhausting weeks in December. Three weeks which felt like three

READ THE FULL STORY »

May We Never Forget

On this 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, I'm posting below a story I wrote on the 10th anniversary. These are my reflections on that day. Looking at the first paragraph, it's interesting how times change. No one has asked me questions of where I was or what I was doing. I'm not sure if many of us have forgotten but more likely we're so very distracted. We've navigated almost two years of a pandemic that's taken and changed so many lives. We've navigated political and cultural changes poorly and emotionally to the point of creating more divisions. We are not the country we were the weeks and months after 9/11. The bipartisan efforts then were refreshing. The amount of American flags flying proudly and in solidarity was inspiring. Today, it seems many despise their own country and its flag. But even this is not new. While she has stumbled over the years and will continue to do so - America will always be the most amazing country in the world. It

READ THE FULL STORY »

Mr. Garner Goes To Washington

Search This Blog