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After living for 5 years without one, I finally bit the bullet and bought a portable shop vac. As regular readers know vacuuming is one of my most enjoyable activities. But, I resisted getting a shop vac because I have perfectly good upright Shark vacuum that has a wand attachment (of sorts) which works –…

As a former drinker who got drunk every night after work for about 10 years, I used to say it was a good thing I never tried heroin, because I would have loved it. Now, as a non-drinker for two decades and having used Percocet a few times post-op, I can confidently say I was…

I am missing my little old lady Snickers a lot this month. Maybe it’s because it is the 5 year anniversary of my wife’s death in a few days. Maybe it’s because my new dog Sparkles is such a handful on walks when she lunges for a squirrel or another dog. Snickers hated squirrels and…

The molar which I had a major root canal in three years ago is infected. I’ve had problems with it (ie. pain) off and on ever since I cracked it on an unexpected olive pit which necessitated the first root canal. Most of the time, I take advil for a few days, chew lightly on…

Back in high school, there were several girls who I had significant crushes on who, even then, I knew would be a terrible match for me. They were dumb. Or crass. Or had many boyfriends. Or partied too much. Or something else, that I knew would never work. And yet, I’d think about them a…

Recently, IVF treatment, surrogacy and other fertility treatments have been a topic of conversation on podcasts I follow. Although I have absolutely no intention (nor opportunity) of having a baby, I am curious. I wondered about things like: I’ve listened to fertility doctors, women in their 30s who have frozen their eggs or their embryos,…

The host of the Solo podcast often derides the idea that having a committed romantic partner “completes someone.” He posits that people are complete as individuals and that the notion of needing partner to be made whole is a fairy tale. Unlike him and many others in the Solo community, I had a long, happy…

My neighbors had a second baby over the Thanksgiving Weekend and I couldn’t be happier for them. I’ve watched them raise their first kid from his baby days to today – now nearly 5 years later. They are loving, doting parents. They are tightly connected with both of their families – frequently spending time with…

I swam at a nearby Lifetime Fitness Club on Thanksgiving Day using a free guest pass from my neighbor. The facility was amazing. It is massive with bright multistory glass alcoves. It has mirrors, marble and tiles worthy of some of the nicest resorts I’ve ever visited. It had 2 indoor pools, 2 outdoor pools…

In addition to the price of groceries, utilities, gas and many staples, I am now seeing that just about everything I buy has increased in price over the past year. I don’t believe it is “just inflation”. Like I’ve said before, if you follow the money, it is clear that companies are taking advantage of…