My friend who is my age lives with his elderly mother, purportedly to take care of her. This friend has not worked for more than 25 years due to various issues which I won’t detail here. His financial, medical and housing needs are met by government subsidies and additional support from his family. He is…
Author: Steve Ainslie
Maid Man
I never thought I would enjoy cleaning the house. Back when I first lived with my wife and her two lazy slob kids, I hated Saturdays because they were the day for house cleaning. We’d do 10 loads of laundry. Vacuum. Pick up all the crap all over the house. Clean the kitchen. Scrub the…
Home
The last time I was on plane was 4 years ago. I haven’t slept in a hotel or traveled more than an hour away from my home since I ended my road trip in 2019. My wife and I moved many times for work, family, her medical conditions and better weather. Despite moving to different…
Sign Yourself Up
Too many websites now have pop-up ads, videos or “newsletter” signups that cover the entire page and can only be removed by clicking a tiny X or microscopic text that says something smarmy like “No, I don’t like to save money”. These same sites automatically add me to their email list if I am required…
Friendtervention
Three of my closest friends have had major life transitions in the past four years. Including the significant life changes that have happened for me since my wife died, that makes four of us. I don’t think the timing is a coincidence. We’re all in our early 50s. Career changes, family changes, yearning for love,…
A 100% Loyalty Penalty
It is time for me to find a new dentist. When I moved to Raleigh 3 years ago, I used Nextdoor to find a dentist who could handle my basic needs- 3-4 cleanings a year, an annual exam and emergency work as needed with no high pressure upsell bullshit. The first dentist I found did…
No Funerals
I haven’t been to a funeral in 20 years. When I was a child, funerals were a big deal. Once I hit my teens, I only went to a couple. As an adult, I remember going to 3 – for my wife’s father, her aunt and her cousin. When my stepdaughter died, we opted out…
Full House
My friend (and neighbor), asked me to feed his dogs for a few days while he’s away on a trip. He’s helped me many times, so I was thrilled I could finally do him a favor. His home is nearly identical to mine. Same square footage. Same floor plan. Similar lots. His home is filled…
Not A Moral Failing
Sometimes I get embarrassed for reasons that make no sense. When I had ants in Florida that I couldn’t get rid of with any amount of cleaning and Terro bait, I thought it was because I wasn’t diligent enough in cleaning my counters. When I got my hernias, I suspected that I worked out too…
No Spring Fever
Spring has been wonderful. Despite injuring my foot and being in constant pain, I am having a great time enjoying the sunshine, the birds, the flowers and my life. I hardly miss dating at all since I stopped a few weeks ago. I think about The Music Fan a lot. There’s no doubt I had…