My three grandkids (ages 5, 5, and 3) flew in from Boston yesterday with their parents and are here for the holidays. When I came downstairs this morning at 7am, the kids were already up and playing a game called “Let’s throw Hot Wheels cars at the shiny Christmas tree bulbs.” They were very good… Continue reading Rocketing the Christmas Tree
My youngest child recently wrote and mailed a letter for the first time. He’s 21. To his credit, he knew he needed to attach a stamp before sending it off. A few years ago, his older sister attempted the same thing but just taped a bunch of quarters onto an envelope. I know what you’re… Continue reading Mail 101
Tamie and I were married 33 years ago last Friday. To celebrate, I planned a four-day getaway to the Oregon coast, complete with beachside accommodations, charming outdoor restaurants, scenic hikes, and a romantic train ride for three. This seems like the appropriate time to mention that Rupert, our 80-pound dog, chaperoned. To be clear, this… Continue reading Our 33rd Wedding Anniversary: It Could’ve Gone Worse
Rupert and I got up early to participate in the fourth annual Ivan Memorial Hike. We haven’t missed one yet. My wife has missed all four. She hates the venue for some reason, but I enjoy the climb and Rupert enjoys chasing the spirit of a dog he’s never met. It was a very good… Continue reading Upwards, Still
I left my wife alone over Mother’s Day weekend. Before you get all judgy, know this: it was her idea. Also, she wasn’t technically alone since Rupert, our 80lb lap dog, was with her the entire time. Do we have any regrets? It depends on which one of us you ask. I had a thoroughly… Continue reading Get Away
I took my dog in for his annual exam today and the vet said Rupert had reached his "pet weight" which is one of those phrases that sounds kind of like a compliment but is actually a backhanded way of saying he's gotten too fat to survive on his own in the wild. This is… Continue reading Pet Weight
We celebrated the first anniversary of Rupert’s Adoption Day last week. Don’t feel bad if you didn’t send a card. I can see how you might forget about the existence of a 71-pound dog if you weren’t living with him every day. Besides, I’m not sure if Hallmark even covers this specific occasion, so you… Continue reading Truth in Advertising
My wife and I were married 30 years ago today. To show her how much I still love her, I got up at 3:30am to clean dog vomit off our bedroom floor so she could stay snuggled in bed. I know pearl is the traditional gift for this major milestone, but she strongly hinted she… Continue reading Keeping it Fresh
June 10, 2022 There’s a two-mile trail near my home that punches its way upwards through 2000 vertical feet of unkempt Pacific Northwest forest. It’s little more than a crack through thicketed undergrowth – a tangled and erratic mixture of stone, roots, and sludge. My dog and I first discovered it in 2011. I was… Continue reading Upwards
Have you ever been to a professional dog show? Me neither, but I recently watched several minutes of one on TV and then went online to find out if my new puppy, Rupert, would qualify for such an event. SPOILER ALERT: He would not. According to the American Kennel Club’s official 166-page Regulations and Guidelines… Continue reading In Training
