“How’s the pressure?” asks Rick, owner and Head Torture Technician at Russ Medical and Sport Massage Clinic in Beaver, as he digs into what feels like a grapefruit-sized knot in my upper back. “Guh…” I manage to grunt in response, my face buried within the padded head rest of the massage table. What’s funny is I…

So I went on my first typewriter house call the other day. Funny. Never thought I’d hear myself saying that. It’s a good thing I’m already married. It was actually a favor for my friend, Lisa, who’s holding an event this weekend at her awesome “Snail Mail Supply Co.”, Sapling & Sons, located right on the…

  “Hey, Dadda—what’s that?!” Shoot. He saw it. My 1984 G.I. Joe Storm Shadow action figure. I’d been hiding it inside my desk drawer where I knew it would be safe and where, every now and again, I could catch a glimpse of it and recall those oh-so-wonderful days before things like mortgages, electric…

It’s funny, you’d think parenting would get simpler as you go. After all, most things tend to get easier with practice. Not so. Not only are my kids becoming more unmanageable by the day, but the strain of the job itself, i.e., being a stay-at-home dad, is really starting to get to me. Imagine a…

The other day we celebrated my son’s fifth birthday. Boy, time sure does fly by. It’s hard to believe that, just five years ago, I still thought I wanted four kids. Funny how things change. The following is a quick recap of how we celebrated The Animal’s big day: – Even though we had his official party the…

“What’s the matter with you kids?! What—are you just too cool to sing anymore? Is that it?” It’s been 30 years now, but I can still see Mrs. Deelo standing at her piano at the front of the classroom, glaring out at us as she expressed her frustration. I really can’t blame her. For years in…

So for the past few years my wife and I have made it a tradition to take our daughter and niece downtown to see The Nutcracker just before Christmas. They really get a kick out of it, and it’s a nice way to get into the holiday spirit. And, believe me, I need all the help I can get…

Working from home certainly has its advantages — a 30-second commute, showering every other day, afternoon naps, etc. But the one benefit I never expected was being able to walk my daughter and niece to and from school every day. We only live a few blocks from their school, so unless it’s pouring down rain or we’re in…

So the other day I stopped at my favorite new shop in town, Sapling & Sons — Snail Mail Supply Co., when I saw a card with the following inscription: “PARENTING IS MOSTLY JUST INFORMING KIDS HOW MANY MORE MINUTES THEY HAVE OF SOMETHING.” Brilliant. I got to thinking about how true that statement is, especially the “how many” part, and…

DAY 6 — Day Off / Magic Kingdom Halloween Party When we planned our Disney vacation (and when I say “we”, I mean my wife and my sisters), we decided to include a day off at the hotel where we could relax, recharge, and frankly, sleep in past 7 a.m. That day had finally come, and after sweating our you-know…