June 1, 2026
Five years ago, I wrote a post about taking our youngest son to college. Dropping him off was a bigger deal than I thought it would be. It hit us like a ton of bricks as we watched every step of Dawson’s journey from the car to his dorm. We both had a good cry, […]
May 9, 2026
“I don’t know the answer to nothin’ about a blessed thing.” That’s what Mac Sledge, played by my favorite actor of all time, Robert Duvall, said near the end of Tender Mercies, after his daughter was killed in an automobile accident. He’s overwhelmed because he has been blessed with love and simple beauties, and then hurt to […]
March 29, 2026
I lack self-confidence in many arenas. Put me at a party where I don’t know anyone, and I do my best to look invisible. I’ve had a few jobs where I had to act the part of a salesperson, and I have found that I rarely have the hutzpah one needs to repeatedly ask for […]
January 3, 2026
Happy New Year everyone! First and foremost, I hope that 2026 brings you all joy, meaning, good health, and a heck of a lot of fun. For my swimming, golf, and pickleball friends, I hope the year brings personal records, a new age group, consistent workouts, long straight drives, a few lucky breaks, around the […]
December 24, 2025
My brother Pat is an artist – I’ve written about him before. One of the coolest and most spectacular pieces that he creates is his seasonal studies. He takes a subject – it could be Colorado aspen trees or Arkansas cypress trees or something else simple and yet majestic, and then creates four separate paintings, […]
November 9, 2025
Two Mondays ago, Jill and I channeled one of the great movie lines of all time — from Risky Business. (I’ll substitute “heck” for the original.) Both Jill and I like routines. I find that when I’m in my regular routines, I eat more healthily, I exercise hard and regularly, I sleep a little better than I […]
October 26, 2025
Jill and I recently had dinner with two old friends — well, one of them is old (just kidding, Kevin!). For three decades now, our conversations have centered on our kids — their successes and struggles. But this time, the focus was on our parents. I would say that our parents are one of the hottest […]
October 12, 2025
Find a Door. Open It. Begin. My youngest son, Dawson, has started interviewing for jobs. He finishes his masters in computer science in May, and both of us think it would be wonderful for him to leave with a job in hand. There are a gazillion different ways to use a computer science degree. Dawson […]
September 14, 2025
As I approach the one-year mark after my total knee replacement, I am full of gratitude. I thank the people in my life who encouraged me to do it. My good friend Charlie, a doctor, athlete, and blog reader, strongly encouraged me to not wait, so I could get back to living life fully. So […]
August 31, 2025
In my next life, I’m going to do everything I can to be a rock star. Well, not a rock star. I don’t think I have that in me. But I’d love to be a musician on the stage supporting a real rock star. I’d also be happy as a country musician, as a lot of […]
August 18, 2025
Though I’ve been fortunate to have some amazing experiences in my life, you could never accuse me of living life in the fast lane. Unlike the Eagles, I guess I did not know the right people, take the right pills, throw outrageous parties, or pay heavenly bills. Oh well. As Joe Walsh would say, “Life’s […]
August 2, 2025
Bless me, friends, for I have not posted a new piece in seven weeks. I have my excuses. Boy, do I have them. I had a big consulting job that got in the way. That’s why. I’ve been injured twice – bruised ribs and a sprained wrist – certainly that’s a good enough reason. I’ve […]
June 14, 2025
Summer officially begins on Friday, June 20 at 7:42 PM PDT. Kind of odd to have summer start in the evening, right? But astronomers don’t give a hoot about Pacific Daylight Time. All they care about are the facts – as seen from Earth, the Sun will be directly over the 23.5-degree latitude line – […]
May 24, 2025
One of my favorite stories to read to my children was Frederick, by Leo Leonni. It’s a super simple story with great illustrations about a family of field mice preparing for the winter. All of them work their long tails off collecting food for the winter, except Frederick. All he does is stare out into space. […]
May 11, 2025
Well, I said I wouldn’t cry during Dawson’s graduation. Actually, I said I probably wouldn’t. And . . . I totally failed. Oh well. I loved it all. He did it. Cheered on in-person by his mom and dad, his brother and sister-in-law, and his wonderful girlfriend, while his grandparents watched online and cheered from […]
April 19, 2025
If there’s one way to guarantee low blog post readership, it’s to make it about golf. I can already hear my dad and my mother-in-law sighing as they read that first line. I have disappointed both of them. Again. You’d think they would be used to it by now. And yet, they still love me. […]
April 5, 2025
Examining my fears as our child enters this unique job market You never stop being a parent. My dad still worries about me, tells me to be careful on long trips, and generally tells me to do my best not to be an idiot. I’ve made it 63 years in spite of, or perhaps because […]
March 15, 2025
I turned 63 years old this week. I’m quite good with it. As they say, it’s way better than the alternative! I decided to share some random birthday thoughts in this post, so here we go. When the ground shifts, I’ve found the best thing to do is to be of service. Go where the […]
March 1, 2025
Tom Peters, a famous writer on business and management, wrote, “If you’re not confused, you’re not paying attention.” Well, based on my level of confusion, I can confidently report that the good news is that I am paying attention. I have never been more dazed and confused. I think that is what this administration wants. […]
February 16, 2025
I found myself mesmerized by the heavy rains we experienced here in Los Angeles on Thursday. It’s been a while since we’ve had a real rain. I was reminded of some kindergarten students I witnessed when I was visiting an elementary school back in 2017. It started pouring rain, and all of the kindergarten kids […]
February 10, 2025
Who’s in that Lane for September of 2025?! Johnny Potenza and JP Llanos, that’s who!! Just a reminder that these Who’s In That Lane! pieces celebrate our club and our teammates, and help us to get to better know our lanemates and the people in those lanes over there! I know we all enjoy being […]
February 2, 2025
The last time I wrote a post about political influences on education was back in 2021 when I wrote a post about Critical Race Theory (CRT). I was a school superintendent that year, and I vividly recall getting phone calls and emails from parents asking about CRT – I had to look it up in […]
January 18, 2025
Sometimes the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets appear when something is terribly wrong in or around our communities. There is a true lack of coherence in this post. It was written over several days during the fire. I have tried to make it all fit together, but I know it really doesn’t. The lack of […]
December 28, 2024
As I end my 2024 year, I find myself spending 90% of my time in my own home, most of it cuddled up with my newest and favorite possession – my ice machine that provides soothing relief to my new knee. I love my ice machine. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with […]