There is a site called 10Q that asks 10 questions (one a day) during the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The questions ask the respondent to reflect on the previous year and to start thinking about goals and aspirations for the year to come. Shortly before Rosh Hashanah, 10Q sends you your responses …
Monthly Archives: August 2013
Why I Love Swaps
This morning, I dropped an overflowing bag of David’s old clothes off at my local elementary school. This afternoon, I will head back and see if there is anything of interest to take back home with me. This is a potentially dangerous swap for me because it includes both clothes (which I am usually pretty …
Where Would I Be Without Friends?
It should not come as a surprise that I have been reading a lot about factors that correlate with dementia. Two of the strongest protective factors seem to be education and a strong social network (aka friends). My father is certainly well educated. In addition to a graduate degree and work towards a second, he …
When Its Out of My Hands
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 …
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 …