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Category: Reflections

Around the Sun in 80 Books

Around the Sun in 80 Books

My year of reading started innocently enough. Emily invited me to see the movie Mary Queen of Scots to relive part of our trip across Scotland, and after the movie, I bought biographies about both the first Stuart queen (Guy) and Elizabeth I (Weir). A few weeks later, I decided to read Chernow’s Hamilton, since Emily had secured tickets to the touring production of the musical. The problem occurred when I was putting those three works away. I stood staring…

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Happy Feet Honest Reviews

Happy Feet Honest Reviews

Now you know how I became a shoe model. (If not, you can read the story here.) But how did I actually feel about the shoes I received? A little background: Happy Feet Plus is a Florida chain that sells “footwear for a healthier you.” They are well known for selling Birkenstocks, and since I had never owned a pair, I had never thought to go into a Happy Feet. My first experience with the store was the night I…

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Move Over Cindy Crawford. There’s a New Pair of Feet in Town.

Move Over Cindy Crawford. There’s a New Pair of Feet in Town.

I want you to do a little role playing. Ready? You’re at the mall (yeah, yeah, no one goes there anymore…but stay with me here). You’re at the mall with your friends, contemplating whether you should buy that pair of pants at Contempo Casuals or go to the food court and get some Sbarro. Your super-geeky friends are ogling a princess in the Disney store (I’m really bringing it back here), when all of a sudden someone walks up to…

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Dijon, c’est chouette!

Dijon, c’est chouette!

I’m feeling overwhelmed by the lack of intelligence and grace in the world right now. How about you? Perhaps it’s fallout from the presidential election and realizing the majority of the American population has vast difficulty in the realm of analysis and research. Maybe it’s the bombardment of all things Christmas, which, let’s be honest, has been ongoing since November 1. Maybe it’s the lack of attention to this blog: poor blog. While leaving work yesterday, I was feeling particularly…

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The Only Place to Go

The Only Place to Go

We had grand plans. I was going to fly into Boston for her birthday. We were going to have high tea at the public library. We were going to tour Back Bay, take in some history, and eat as many carbs as we could. Unfortunately, a nasty little bug ruined all of our plans but one: eat as many carbs as we could. That mission has been accomplished. Today, instead of venturing out into the world and exploring the historical and culinary sites…

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Be Good or Be Gone

Be Good or Be Gone

The world can be a terrible place. Paris, Beirut, Kenya. Those are the ones we know about. That is what we’re reeling from today. And if you’re not horrified by what the politicians are saying, you’re probably horrified by the hate and vitriol filling your Facebook feed. It’s no wonder we’re feeling overwhelmed, depressed, unable to stymie the flow of tears. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in South Africa, where everywhere exists a stark dichotomy between the stunning beauty and the appalling horror next to…

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Game-Winning Catch

Game-Winning Catch

I am 37 years old. For at least 32 of those years, I have played some form of softball, starting with t-ball at Lyndon Recreation when I was just 4 or 5 years old. It’s a long time to play, and at this point in my life, the glory days are over, long over. I play co-ed D-league slow-pitch softball—the only step down from this league is the kickball league. And there are fewer and fewer heroic moments to be…

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Because I Could Not Stop

Because I Could Not Stop

Writing a check is pretty uneventful stuff. But as I was writing out the date yesterday, looping the “J” of June, I thought, “Today is the first day in 96 years that my Granny hasn’t drawn a breath in this world.” It was a strange thought to have. I pulled back the pen and looked at the date for a moment: June 10, 2015. My grandmother passed away Tuesday. It wasn’t an unexpected death. She had had a stroke not…

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Slow Walks with an Old Dog

Slow Walks with an Old Dog

Our walks have been slower these days. We don’t go nearly as far, and I’m often stopped waiting ahead as he sniffs around the neighbor’s yard. He’s never been a quick dog or even an energetic dog. As a puppy, he found walking the length of the house too strenuous and would collapse in a ball of adorable fluff halfway through, looking sadly toward me as if to say, “It’s too far!” I have very few memories of him actually running….

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Back in the Spring of Things

Back in the Spring of Things

Opening Day, April 6, is just a few days away. Here in Florida, we’re wrapping up a good month of spring training. If you’re a baseball fan, come to Florida in March. You can see a bevy of teams at a variety of ballparks within a short distance of one another. Several weeks ago, during the frenzy of spring training and before the influx of travelers, my friend Emily and I spent the day at the Rays/Phillies game at Charlotte Sports Park,…

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