Extra Pedestrian

    “So, what happened?”     “Well... someone broke in and stole a bunch of my stuff.” ----- I ----- Our family dog, a miniature schnauzer named Shimmer, used to sleep in a recliner beside the front door when nobody was home.  This may sound sweet, the idea of her waiting as close to the door as possible for her humans to return, but we know that wasn't the case.  For one thing, I'm fairly certain she was more immediately concerned with the view out of the nearby window than she was with our return.  And then there's also the fact that she was never in said recliner when any of us came home.  Because that was against the rules, and she knew it. Shimmer was only allowed on the couches if she was with one of us -- which was indeed often.  But rare were the times when you might find her relaxing on the sofa alone, catching up on her soaps.  Because she knew the rules (and because she didn't watch soaps).  So when her powerful little ears would catch t

Bear with me, I may actually have a point this time. 
 Shortly after the turn of the century, I spent a few semesters at the University of Florida.  A not-insignificant portion of my time in Gainesville was devoted to keeping my head above water, financially-speaking, as I attempted to pay my own way through college.  Though a portion of my tuition was paid by a state-funded scholarship, I was responsible for covering not only the remaining balance, but also my books, apartment, car, insurance, cell phone, food and entertainment.  While this was indeed a beating -- and often a hindrance to experiencing the relatively carefree lifestyle that many college students enjoy -- it remains a source of personal pride to have carried the weight on my own. 
 Before moving to Gainesville, though -- and for the weeks between semesters -- I'd earned money slicing-and-imbibing behind a sushi bar near my hometown in the state's panhandle.  Though it'd be a lie to say I was anything mo

originally posted to Facebook on February 10, 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We said goodbye to Maw Maw last Saturday.  It was every bit as difficult as imagined. I’ve been trying for over a week to wrap my mind around it – much like I did almost a year ago, when my mom’s mom, Grandma, passed away.  I've been fortunate enough in not having to deal with these things for so much of my life, I find myself unsure of how to feel, how to respond, and what to do. I do suppose that it’s common at these times to look for perspective, positives, lessons learned, legacies to further.  Of course, in both cases, this has been our family's approach.   And there's certainly a large role for faith to play in helping to stunt the blow.  In that way, Grandma and Maw Maw are both doing just fine right about now, if you follow.  It’s only the rest of us, those left behind, who have to compose ourselves, gather