Blog the First

This is my first posting. For anyone who gets here, I am welcome to the feedback. God knows, I can use some. Long story (see this is about stories), I have been out of work since last Febuary. I flew done to Florida to be with my very sick (cancer) father (that is another story). His doctor gave him four to six months to live and so I decided to stay there for the duration.

I flew down during a snow and ice storm that crippled much of the air travel in the eastern half of the country. When I got to his condo (he is in a nursing home...yes, you guessed it...another story), it was about 3:30 in the morning and my luggage was missing. It was also very cold in Florida. While the condo is only 2.5 miles from the nursing home, it was a long walk later that morning with only a light jacket. When I got to my dad's room, he was in bed, literally at death's door. And that is pretty much where he stayed for weeks and months. Of course there were some good, if not great moments, like Sam Schwartz Day in Tamarac on February 28th 2007; but there are many stories to tell.

So we prepared for death. We got a psycholigist involved (another story). We stopped his treatments and got hospice services involved. Friends and family came to visit (more stories) and so we waited for death. But, in late May/early June, my father chose to "live" instead of "waiting to die." So, by mid-August, I was on my way back home with plenty of stories to add to the collection.

During those months, my wife was great and held down the fort. My older son, Mick, got marrie in New Orleans to a wonderful woman, Caroline. Scout Nicholas was born on September 7th. And my younger son Ben was a lifesaver, coming to Florida for a few weeks to help me out.

So, here I am, with a graduate degree and far too many years in education and the world of nonprofits, trying to find a job and trying to figure out what I am good at so I can get paid, at least a little to contibute to the family's well-being. After all, I have resposibilities now, a grandson in New Orleans and grown up children that I wish weren't so far away. And of course, it's nice to buy flowers for your wife once in a while.

More stories to come.