The Cherry Blossoms Cometh

Two more "firsts" have been achieved since I last tapped on a keyboard to you. For the first time since I've known her, I've been away from Kim for 2 1/2 months AND that's the longest I've been away from Miss G since she was born.

Also, I missed our first Valentine's Day...well, I sent some happies to Kim and Georgia...but it was the fist Feb. 14 to not be around them.

I've survived driving an old Benz in snowy-slush...and two significant snow falls...there's been a few others but those were nothing. Yeesh, I sound like a winter-pro or something! :)

My Benz also has a new "doctor." Well, I doubt to find a Tony Murphy of Tony's Tire & Auto in Jackson...but Pat at Custom Auto might be close. The ole gal has new belts and front brakes. I'm still driving instead of taking Metro - it works out far better...just would rather let the Benz have a break.

Kim and Georgia are coming here this Thursday - FINALLY! February sweeps kept me from going to see them and we had planned a jaunt to NYC to show a couple the town and stay in Katie's apartment in Manhattan. Except for a corporate meeting requiring me to head that way mid-way through, it should be a wonderful getaway. Kim and Georgia will be here until the Monday after Easter.

Wow, how time has flown! I've been here 9 months but don't feel "birthed" into this area. Still feel as a man without a country, of a sort...and will continue to feel that way, I'm sure until things get organized and arranged at the station (rebuilding and building a department takes time) and get relocated.

Otherwise, I've seen a bald black man speed walking backwards today...realized that the mention of snow around here sends people to the store for "bread and milk" (Channel 9 has a Bread-O-Meter to rank the severity of storms)...much of Maryland looks like Mississippi in some ways with lots-o-trees and foliage but far better roads...being a manager is tough but helping people succeed is rewarding...it is "all about the meetings" as my former boss once said, which is why I make every effort to either avoid them or make them shorter...and if this doesn't work out, I can always make a decent living opening my own coffee shop!

More to come...

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