Let me begin with a heartfelt thanks to everyone who creates, builds on and maintains free open-source software. I rely on you heavily and generally buy upgrades or at least kick in a few bucks to the developers of the ones I use for client projects. I would also like to recognize that maintaining plugins …
Author Archives: admin
My Father's Apron Strings
At long last, I am on the plane heading home. After an incredibly busy 2 weeks, I once again forgot to give myself adequate recovery time upon my return. At least I am used to hitting the ground running. For the first time in a long time, I am eager to call my parents when …
Olympic Dreams
One of the fun parts of coming to Lake Placid is getting to visit the Olympic Center. Inside the Olympic Center is the skating rink built for the 1932 Olympics, which is still used as a practice facility for Olympic hopefuls. The space itself is a testament to a time before the Olympics meant hordes …
Feels Like Home
I am now halfway through my week in Lake Placid with family. There are 11 of us up here, but the house is large enough that we are not tripping all over each other. Groups regularly excurse in different configurations, which pretty much guarantees opportunities for one:one or small group conversations with pretty much everyone. …
All Aides are Not Created Equal
In the past year my father has had a parade of aides coming in and out of his life. At one time or another, most have shown up late or not at all. Their training is minimal and it shows. They haven’t been particularly attentive, nor have they been overtly neglectful. Most of them …
Tap Dancing Across the Keyboard
After taking 2 full days off (something that I haven’t done in way too long), I am back to work this morning. I am still recovering from the sleep deficit I built while staying with my father. And, I have added a layer of physical exhaustion on top of that with an uphill hike yesterday. …
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Leaving my parents’ house was bittersweet. On the one hand, I am really looking forward to getting a full nights’ sleep tonight. It will be nice to see David after a week. It will be even nicer to get to see my nieces (David’s brother’s daughters) after a year. On the other hand, I really …
The Up (and Down) Side of Things
Caretaking isn’t all bad. In fact, I enjoyed hanging out with my father both Wednesday and Thursday. Although he slept most of Wednesday, he did have his old spark most of the time he was awake. He was a little more confused about some things on Thursday, but that didn’t stop him from dishing out …
The Night I Had
Last night I got my first taste of being a 24-hour caretaker. Usually my mother is the primary caretaker. I am giving her a break and have taken over for 3 days and 2 nights. My father is incredibly prone to falling. He is also increasingly frail. Even a relatively minor fall could be completely …
Too much Technology
Once again I am on the road and I find myself hauling around a ton of technology. Specifically on this trip I have my laptop, iPod, Android tablet (with wireless keyboard) and phone. Why am i hauling all this around with me? Good question. And one that I have asked myself several times since I …