Around the neighborhood, my father was known as “Savage Sam”. He could level a gaze at you that was meant to peel your skin off, and his scowl was all he needed to communicate. He believed in the economy of words; Sam never spoke without a reason; and… Read full post »

Howdy OS...yes, it's been a while.   

Since last we spoke, the Universe has administered a quite a beatdown.  Oh, what a year it's been.   A year with way more dark moments than light ones, a year of learning lessons good and bad; a year of change, the… Read full post »

I worry so much about the state of humanity.   There are folks out there who make me embarassed to be grouped in the same species with them.  And yet there are people out there who remind me how truly blessed I am to consider them my fellow human beings.

 Consider this… Read full post »

In the five years or so prior to my divorce (when I knew I was going to leave, but not sure how I was going to accomplish it) I became obsessed with the concept of the open road. 

Whenever I traveled, I made sure to take a picture of an endless… Read full post »

To my children... 

You are there.  I am here.  And I am missing you more than my heart can bear.

To Miss Lillian.

You are there.  I am here.  And I am missing you more than I ever could have thought was possible.

This is the best that I can do… Read full post »

Time flies when you're ... well, it just seems to fly.  I've missed writing, I've missed reading, I've missed the brilliance that is the OS collective.

When last we spoke, gentle readers; I was gearing up to escort yet another relative down that long hallway.  As it turned out, instead of… Read full post »

I swear to you guys, I really AM a cheerful person!  Fun and funny things do happen in my life; they really do!  Just not lately. 

This will be the second to the  last time that I write about death and dying.  I can say that with some authority because… Read full post »

Oddly enough, this past week a group that I meet up with to talk all things metaphysical brought up this very question.  What is love?

I can barely remember what being "in love" feels like; it's such a dim and distant memory.  But I'm thankful to know that I can… Read full post »

I was a Catholic school kid back in the days when nuns openly abused students.   Corporal punishment was an Olympic sport to these women; and to this day I am "math phobic" thanks to Sister Jeanne d'Arc.  Thankfully I was rescued one day my mother (in her usual over the… Read full post »

I write because I love music.  To me they are the same thing.  I'm not exactly sure when I had my "words = music" epiphany; nor can I remember the book.  What I do remember was becoming conscious of the fact that I was "hearing" what I was reading.  … Read full post »

Life has been good to me.  Even when it was shitty it was good.   I can say that because adversity has been my greatest, though least favorite teacher, and the lessons learned from hardship are the most memorable.   I have been blessed with "Forrest Gump"- like experiences.  Somew… Read full post »

Except for garden variety fears...spiders mostly; I've never really been a fearful person.  When you grow up in a chaotic (read: psychotic, violent, and generally dysfunctional) household - you learn quickly that fear will not keep you safe.  Fear will keep you rooted to the spot and mak… Read full post »

For my first post a little back-story is necessary, so I thought I'd start where the next half of my life began (I like to think of it as my "do-over").  That would be July, 2009; and bring you up to date.  My mother (Miss Lillian to all who know her,… Read full post »