(ROCKWALL, TX — February 8, 2018) A few months ago my wife’s boss had a birthday and invited us to her celebration. It was my busy time of the year so I was game for anything, well, except for salsa dancing. Yep, that was the birthday plan, go to a restaurant in Dallas that shut […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — January 5, 2018) In the handful of days before New Year’s, I’ve written a novel, taken up fly-fishing, and I’m presently becoming an elk hunter. Yes, that’s a bit of exaggeration, but each of those bucket-listers started as a resolution. I’m a list-nerd, a goal-monger, a resolution-junkie, you could say. Each year […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — December 7, 2017) The chili simmered on the Coleman stove as I tiptoed around so not to kick dirt in it while gathering wood for a fire. Freezing temperatures neared, and I knew Ireland and I would need to start a toasty campfire before slipping into our sleeping bags. The solar power […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — October 30, 2017) It’s embarrassing to say, but I still get teary-eyed when I watch Cinderella Man, and the first time I saw Russell Crowe’s portrayal of the Depression Era boxer, James J. Braddock, I was a blubbering idiot. Angie elbowed me, whispering how I needed to get ahold of myself. I […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — September 29, 2017) The trail didn’t look as it did in daylight, and despite having a flashlight, a slight panic simmered in my chest. Was I going the right way? Forests change in the dark. Songbirds’ chirping gives way to crickets and owls, and blaring above all is silence. No motors rumbling […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — August 30, 2017) I’d watch the seconds tick away and as soon as that bell rang I was off to one of my favorite places. Less than a mile from my school sat my grandparents’ house—a virtual farm in the city. I’d store my bike there so I could ride the two […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — July 26, 2017) Dad straightened my tie and inspected my shirttail and we headed to the capitol building. He was “dressed to the nines”—tight Windsor knot, starched shirt, fresh dry-cleaned suit. Nervous, I’d be serving as an honorary page that day in the Tennessee House of Representatives. He reminded me, “Remember, when […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — June 12, 2017) My Uncle Harry taught me how to shoot a basketball, coached me throughout my elementary years. I love my uncles, but I’m closest with him. Books couldn’t hold the joking he’s done with every member of the family and the sneaking an extra $100 in his Christmas card to […]
(ROCKWALL, TX – May 5, 2017) It was pitch black. My headlamp lit a path though the dark field to the edge of the woods and the perfect hide. Philip worked his way into the opening to set up some chairs while I placed the decoy where a turkey could see it after coming off […]
“What you need here, son, is a way to power the trolling motor from the rear battery,” Dad quipped as he rubbed his chin, then we drove down to the hardware store and found a blue electrical box (the kind you see installed in houses for wall plugs) and a couple of brass screws. He […]