When I was an undergrad at Tulane University in New Orleans in the early and mid 70s, it seemed like every year we dealt with the approach of one or more hurricanes coming up through the Gulf. Of course, we knew that the Crescent City was terribly positioned if it should take a direct hit, and many [...]
Today is my father’s 83rd birthday. He is quite a remarkable man. Having spent time in both academic medicine and private practice, Dad is one of the most distinguished psychiatrists in the country. He still keeps regular office hours and has spent a great deal of time trying to untangle North Carolina’s mental healthcare mess. [...]
I have been reviewing quotes and alternatives on my life insurance this past week. I have 3 or 4 policies in place, some of which were started when we were still raising our kids. My gut reaction is I am a bit overinsured at the moment (i.e., my life is not worth THAT much!). The [...]
Saturdays are usually busy. It’s the only day all week when we can spend the entire day doing chores. This morning started with my usual Saturday bike ride. However, two miles into the ride I heard a bang that sounded like a gunshot. Turned out that I had a blowout with my bike tire. Jodie [...]
Jodie and I have a lot of friends going through difficult times right now. One couple, who are dear friends, are sitting through a long vigil at hospice waiting for their daughter to die from breast cancer. The end is near, they are exhausted, and its so hard to watch a loved one slip away. [...]
After many months of waiting (yes, it happens to Senators too), I finally received the North Carolina state income tax refund for my mother’s estate. That was the final piece of the puzzle that I needed to get her estate wrapped up, make filings with the Clerk, and close the bank account. I had done [...]
Mealtimes are one of the fun things about bringing the family together at the beach. Cooking duty is rotated through the five houses we rent, with each family taking their turn with cooking duty. That is no easy chore, since a meal must be planned and cooked for 36 people, and the house arranged to [...]
I can’t imagine loving and respecting a man more than I do my father-in-law. Joe Bray is a self-made man with a blue collar background. His father was a career fireman who earned a Purple Heart in World War I. For his part, Dad signed up for the V-12 program during World War II [...]
Jodie doesn’t like it when I tell people that we are out of town. She is in charge of worrying in our family (she is very good at it), and she worries about our house. So, I won’t tell you where we are, but I will tell you that we had the ten acres of [...]
I have 26 nieces and nephews. That is a lot to keep track of. Most of them are young adults in their 20′s right now. They are, like in most families, a varied lot. One is a Captain in the Army Special Forces, one is a nurse, another is paramedic. We have a chiropractor, an [...]