Life in the fast lane--where's the on ramp?

By Pat_B - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Journal

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Story Design a la Solitaire

After we play hundreds of games of Solitaire we come to recognize how Computer does what she does late in the game to confound us. It boils down to a contest of wills: me against the cold happenstance of the cards falling randomly. Sol is like a force of nature - indifferent to my wants or... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 4:39 AM | add or view comments (1) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Into That Good Night

I am so proud of my children, the ordeal they went through, the way they came together to take care of the toughest job humans must do. Their father passed at 12:32 a.m., slipping peacefully away. Son Guy and his youngest brother Steve were there. My daughter tried to phone me, but I didn't hear it... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:44 AM | add or view comments (7) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Monday, July 16, 2012

What he said...

When I went to spend a little time with the kids' dad on Sunday a.m. about 8:30, he was apparently sleeping, so I just sat awhile. He turned his head and saw me, said good morning. Much improved over the all-but-gone shape he'd been in a day earlier. I said I hoped he didn't mind, I just wanted to... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 8:36 AM | add or view comments (6) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Brief update...

Steve, the son from the other mother arrived yesterday at the nursing home from S. Carolina. He and his fiance took the old man in a wheelchair outdoors into the 95 degree heat to snap a photo and sent it Joe via cell phone. In the midnight hour their dad crashed again. The nursing home sent his dad... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:49 AM | add or view comments (5) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Potato Salad

Eight days ago - seems longer - I baked a salmon fillet and made a big batch of potato salad. The boys were supposed to come over, Joe was to bring Matt and Amy, but things happened. He had a flare-up with his girlfriend, the kids had something else on their agenda, and his dad had another health... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:27 AM | add or view comments (6) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Coincidence?

My sons and daughter have been asking for prayers for their father on Facebook for the past week. As of this morning, his suffering continues, although his energy fades from day to day, and even he knows it's only a matter of time. I've spent the past couple of days organizing his files and records... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:57 AM | add or view comments (5) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Friday, July 13, 2012

Show us your shorts...

That's the first line of the ad on the back inside cover of "Writer's Digest." It calls me from the desk beside my keyboard, this call for entries to the magazine's annual short short story (1500 words or less) competion. I was thinking of touching up "A Death in Salkum" and submitting it -- the... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:25 AM | add or view comments (8) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Thursday, July 12, 2012

This 'n that

Heard from my daughter, who's safely back in Tampa after her 5 days in crazytown. She left a message on my phone during the five minutes it took to go haul the garbage & recycling bins back to their spot next to the garage. She's playing catch-up for the class she missed, recovering from the stress... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:14 AM | add or view comments (6) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

What Mama Said

Mom had a lot of colorful sayings... "Colder than a well-digger's ankle," (clean version) or "Hotter than the hinges on the gate to hell." Whenever she talked about things we now call stupid human tricks, she'd say so and so had to have been "numb from the butt both ways." It's not like the three of... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 6:42 AM | add or view comments (7) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

About yesterday

One reason I post stuff on writing / writers is that it interests me and seems to draw comments from others who read and enjoy the same. Another is to distract myself from thinking about my trubbles. Long drawn out health issues among older people are so damn boring to other people - we can feel... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:02 AM | add or view comments (7) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

About this Blog

Sometimes you have to write it down in order to learn what you really think about life, what it means, how to do what's best. Sometimes you need feedback from someone else to put things in perspective.

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