Category Archives: Family

Gym Rat – II

Posted on January 11, 2020 by Al

Three years later at college, I joined the Freshman swim team. The coach, John Edgar, was actually the head of the football team. He sent aspiring team members a mimeographed set of exercises in September, urging us to consider going … Continue reading →

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Rotten To The Core

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Al

“When did that tree fall over?” Cody asked. He had driven down from Seattle for one of his periodic visits with Cheryl’s perpetually overloaded computer. She takes literally 1,000s of pictures at a time, and has a tenuous hold on … Continue reading →

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Christmas, 2017

Posted on December 24, 2017 by Al

It’s been a quiet year in Gig Harbor, our hometown. Mostly because we were here so rarely. Skiing in Snowmass January and February. Early March, a trip to California: Sebastopol, Morro Bay, and LA for Cheryl’s 50th HS reunion (Pacific … Continue reading →

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One After 909

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Al

Cheryl (muted, from the bathroom): “What time is it?” Me (looking at my watch with the giant digits): “Nine-oh-nine. [Pause a beat] You know what song that always makes me think of?” Cheryl: “Uh, lemme see… mmm … [lowering and … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Reviews: Books, Movies, Music, TV | 1 Comment

Backyard Engineer

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Al

Some guys are shade tree mechanics; Harry was a backyard engineer. He couldn’t help himself. He had studied science and engineering at the Naval Academy, then when he was mustered out due to failing eyesight, he finished up at Creighton … Continue reading →

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An Engineer And A Jock

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Al

Harry was an engineer and a jock. I never knew which came first, but he seemed to give equal credence to the values of each. As I was growing up, he seemed to spend equal amounts of energy trying to … Continue reading →

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Broken Toe

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Al

I broke my toe this morning. As soon as it happened, I knew. When I was about seven, I thought it would be fun to jump from half way up the stairs, click my feet together twice, and see if … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Harry Stories, Injuries and Recovery | 1 Comment

Going to Tibet, Part IV

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Al

Our scuba guide had promised all week a grand adventure on Friday – swimming with the seals. They liked to hang out and sun themselves on a large rock near the edge of the bay. They’d gotten used to the … Continue reading →

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Going To Tibet: Loreto

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Al

Loreto was a small coastal town along the eastern edge of the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), two-thirds of the way from Mexicali to Cabo San Lucas. It also had been anointed by the Mexican government. Streets laid out, … Continue reading →

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Going To Tibet (Cont’d)

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Al

Reluctantly, we turned our attention to the Western Hemisphere. A beach vacation sounded nice. Especially one with a bit of exotic history as a chaser. We’d been to Mexico several times before. First, in the ‘70s, a rapid weekend to … Continue reading →

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