June 17, 2012 · 9:07 am

A Little Place Called Papatown

My boys are pretty lucky. They, unlike most American families, live in an extended family home. We just barely qualify for that classification as my father lives with us. And my boys love it.

My father ended up with us through a particular set of circumstances that found him living a bachelor life as a man in his early 60’s. When we were looking to buy a bigger house 4 years ago, we decided to look for something with room for Papa. My wife and her close friend, our realtor, found our current home. The house was big enough for our growing family (my wife was pregnant with the Goon at the time) and the basement was 90% finished with a space that would be perfect for my father. So it was that Papatown was founded.

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June 16, 2012 · 8:22 pm

First World Problems?

Am I the only person that enjoys the absurd?

I traveled this past Tuesday from Syracuse to Minneapolis to visit one of my organization’s field offices. Syracuse is not exactly the travel hub of the country so usually any flight out of SYR entails connections. Today’s trip was no exception- SYR to O’Hare in Chicago then on to Minneapolis after a 90 minute layover. I got lucky with the airport logistics today. Usually connections through O’Hare feel like you are landing in Wisconsin and leaving from Indiana but today my arrival and departure gates were only a short stroll from each other.

I grabbed a sandwich on my way to my connecting gate and, once finding where I needed to be, sat down for a leisurely lunch and some people watching. The Gods of Humor did not disappoint as I was barely into my sandwich when a whole lot of crazy sat down three seats away from me. Sit back and enjoy the show…

***

A well-accessorized woman in her mid-60’s sits down with a bundle of exasperation and irritation. Her hair is perfectly coiffed. She’s got about as much gold as Mr. T. Her cell phone is already out and ready to do some damage. The woman (let’s call her Goldie) unloads on the person unfortunate enough to be on the phone with her. Her statement to the effect of, “And it’s coach!” is what really grabs my attention.

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June 15, 2012 · 11:16 pm

Home!

More to follow tomorrow….  🙂

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June 14, 2012 · 8:20 pm

Does It Count If You’re Not Sweating?

I am no gym rat. I am a 41 year old husband with 3 kids. I have not been very successful in carving out time for myself to work out. This is not the result of anyone’s choices but mine- I own this.

Interestingly, the one time I consistently get to the gym is when I travel. Either I am antsy from hours of flying/driving or I leave the office I’m visiting and have hours to kill. Regardless, I like sweating a bit.

So I’m traveling this week for work. The other day I wrap up at the office and decide to do some cardio before grabbing dinner. I put on the requisite gear and find the fitness center. This hotel has a cozy little room with a half dozen machines. I grab one and start moving.

Another guest enters shortly after me and sits down on one of the bikes. He begins pedaling. As I’m exercising, I notice that he has a smartphone out, has an earpiece in, and is carrying on a conversation. I’m moving too fast for chatting so I chuckle quietly to myself. A few minutes later, the call has apparently ended. He is now thumb-scrolling through device- all the while ostensibly exercising.

Am I too out of shape to multi-task during cardio or is this guy a poser?

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June 13, 2012 · 7:51 pm

Well, This Sucks…

Post from the road:

This is my 3rd attempt to upload this- the hotel’s wifi network apparently cannot handle all of the guests’ mobile devices. This is like trying to write a term paper via text message.

I’m writing and will probably post stuff after I get home Friday night. Sorry for the interruption but please stay with me on this 30 Days of Write challenge!

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