tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309297832012-02-06T04:10:05.840-08:00Started as a story of my MS and my foster kids, but it changed when my wife and I were able to adopt. The name may change, but the love I feel is forever whether they are "foster" kids or "adopted." While in our house, they were and are our kids.life well livednoreply@blogger.comBlogger721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-47545113260483626732012-02-03T08:31:00.000-08:002012-02-04T05:58:00.092-08:00

My family and I were lucky this past week.  We spent 5 days on a trip to Disney World with our neighbors who have two kids the same age as ours.  We had a blast from shooting Zerg to riding Space Mountain.  During the trip, a few things stood out to me as lessons to take back. First, we all get tired, and when we are tired, even the smallest things can be either frightening or disturbing.  It is

life well livednoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-85999564385084561442012-01-28T09:40:00.000-08:002012-01-28T17:02:50.898-08:00

From those to whom much has been given, much is expected. I often look at my life and think there is no way I can ever do enough to deserve the life I live.  I live in one of the richest countries ever to exist.  I get to live a relatively well-off life even by the luxurious standards of the U.S.  I work in a job I like.  I come home to a single family house where my beautiful wife and 2 kids

life well livednoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-23943954516836899332012-01-25T03:12:00.000-08:002012-01-25T08:52:04.557-08:00

On a crappy week, some times we get news to remind us, “This living thing, it’so not for wimps.” As we continue to survive with a little one in the hospital dividing the locations of our energy needs, it seems so easy to fall back to the tired and exhausted state I tried to describe in my last post. My hands hurt slightly worse than my head, and with the emotional drain from the kids,

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-31064083975034869822012-01-13T12:31:00.000-08:002012-01-13T12:31:09.775-08:00

Fatigue is one of those concepts I find myself constantly breaking up into a few types . 1st) This is the one everybody relates to whether they have MS or not.  This is the I just completed a marathon tired.  We can all imagine pushing ourselves further and harder in some physical activity.  For some, climbing a set of stairs would qualify, and for others it might be a triathlon before this

life well livednoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-21759240002207609542012-01-11T08:43:00.000-08:002012-01-11T08:43:36.146-08:00

I am having a week which is pushing me to my limits.  I am finding limits like a blind man finding walls without a cane in a building set to be demolished at any moment.  I am running smack into them, shaking off the "ouch" and hurrying onward...but I am tired.  The pain accompanying the stress isn't helping much either.  I feel like back during my initial flare when I had horrible headaches

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-72721410371837027292012-01-03T05:37:00.000-08:002012-01-03T05:37:22.194-08:00

The New Years parties I attended in my youth rarely lived up to the anticipation.  New Years often amounted to little more than a farcical scramble to make plans as much to have them as to live them.  There was a status which went along with having plans.  I keep thinking this is more than just New Years.  There is still the search for direction, a need for a plan.  Once the plan is made, it’s

life well livednoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-3465669693189768152011-12-28T10:34:00.000-08:002012-01-02T06:47:07.542-08:00

If I had to list the first 10 things which come to mind when I think about this Christmas they would be: 1. Elf on a shelf: I love how my kids search for and look forward to finding him every day of the Christmas season. 2. Thank you Johns Hopkins for everything from the medical care I and my kids have gotten there to the gift bags delivered to our house before Christmas full of great

life well livednoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-36795167576351450482011-12-22T07:17:00.000-08:002011-12-22T07:25:49.001-08:00

It’s around this time of year when I start to take stock of how things are going with my life.  It’s a time to be thankful and loving.  Perhaps it is odd, but this Christmas, I think back to my lunches a couple of years ago with Michael. http://thelifewelllived.blogspot.com/2009/03/so-here-i-was-having-worried-day.htmlIt’s rather amazing.  Years after meeting him, I think of him again this

life well livednoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-21340955315907249122011-12-15T06:30:00.000-08:002011-12-15T06:31:45.956-08:00

There Is No FairFor many things in life, I think we have to accept there is no fair.  Whether we are talking about the patients who have MS like me forever alter their life or for the children who lose their parents as they are placed into the foster care system, there is no outcome which even remotely comes close to fair.  For all of these people, the outcomes will probably never be the fairy

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-35387190503814750062011-12-14T06:16:00.000-08:002011-12-14T06:20:25.465-08:00

I sometimes think the process of finding the right treatment for MS is like a color blind man solving a modern day Rubik cube after no sleep for the past 3 days.  Other days I think it’s a riddle I am right on the verge of solving.  I sometimes think it’s like knowing some parts and being expected to fill in the rest.  If maybe I just had 1 more peace of information, it would be doable.  I

life well livednoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-28241198160438921632011-12-06T18:19:00.000-08:002011-12-07T19:11:32.963-08:00

2 Years Ago In the past 2 weeks, we've had the 2nd year anniversary of the adoptions of both our kids. It seems odd to celebrate something so mundane and taken for granted in our lives. By that I mean they have been our kids for longer than they have been our adopted kids. They were our kids the moment they stepped in our house. There acceptance into my life as my kids is one of those "of course

life well livednoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-28648821007878257932011-11-28T05:30:00.000-08:002011-11-28T05:30:21.327-08:00

Good Decision?  Why Thanksgiving seemed so difficult seems a bit clearer in the rear view mirror. Yes, life is like this some days.  A few weeks ago, I mentioned the "Do you see any difference in behavior with this medicine?" question as one I wanted more time to consider. The question was in relation to one of my daughter's meds when she had up until that time been on the smallest dosage

life well livednoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-41625120983854309732011-11-24T18:56:00.000-08:002011-11-28T04:38:50.637-08:00

This isn’t the post I had planned, but some days life gets in the way.  The post I started on the 2 year anniversary of the adoptions of my kids will wait for me to finish it with the consideration it deserves. I can’t even count the number of times today I had to tell myself how wonderful it is to be able tell myself this has been my least favorite Thanksgiving in memory.  OK, so the kids

life well livednoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-48065782851704918492011-11-23T06:32:00.000-08:002011-11-28T08:25:05.053-08:00

    On the almost too funny for words front, my daughter asked my mother-in-law to smile yesterday while they were sitting at the dinner table having some lunch. Like a good grandma, she smiled even though she had food in her mouth forcing a closed mouth smile. This wouldn't be anything most of us would think twice about, save for my daughter replying "So it is true. You can't see a white

life well livednoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-90540743325214721992011-11-16T19:04:00.000-08:002011-11-17T06:40:25.798-08:00

"Did you call in the prescriptions?" "Meet me at the doctors like last week? OK, and we want a 10 peace nuggets for the kids to share and they can have my fries. You get whatever you want. Just don't be late." " So what's next? Are we ahead of schedule?" "Have you done the performance reviews? Did you enter them into the system?" "This program took a huge amount of time and resources last time,

life well livednoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-89060414652100116552011-11-15T07:30:00.000-08:002011-11-17T06:41:06.000-08:00

One of the message boards I belong to asked what it means "to be a man." I usually think of Kiplings "If" when I first ponder this.  In any event, I responding by posting up one of my old 2 a.m. musings from back before I knew I had MS and had only extreme headaches waking me demanding I go to sleep. (note gender is unimportant to this) A Good Man A man is a lucky somebody who has grown out of

life well livednoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-19607140076185662992011-11-10T06:56:00.000-08:002011-11-17T06:41:38.727-08:00

The more I hear about the Pen State Football program and what various people had to have known or seen, the more I think of a quote often attributed to Edmund Burke, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." I don't know the exact origin of the quote, but it seems to fit this situation too much for my liking whether describing Paterno, the coach who saw one

life well livednoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-32944529211645290792011-11-08T03:57:00.000-08:002011-11-17T06:42:03.040-08:00

I am definitely feeling a bit older as I started trying to put into words why I always thought Andy Rooney was great. His commentary on 60 minutes was a staple to my growing up. Even if his thoughts were the thoughts of most people, his ability to express them most certainly was not. I wish more people took the time to try and express themselves as he did because often in his frank examination

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-78014276765550539822011-10-31T12:42:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:43:03.802-08:00

It seems some how appropriate for my daughter to ask me on the night before Halloween why she looks different from mom and me. We have never made any attempt to hide her being adopted, and we wouldn't have hidden it even if it wasn't obvious. She knows about birth moms and dads, but she wanted to know why she is brown and I am white. I have to say it's a heck of a conversation to have while

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-87023782391136428072011-10-25T06:53:00.000-07:002012-02-05T17:49:20.318-08:00

I know it impacts you too. I do. There isn't a day I don't feel guilty for not being who you think I should be, who I might have been. What do I need to do? What would you like me to do? Is there any way I can help? I feel like I ask these questions all the time as a prelude to the sound of silence. I know you are frustrated. Dealing with MS sucks for those of us with it, and I know it blows

life well livednoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-80526616020904338862011-10-14T11:11:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:44:20.117-08:00

That's Something To Be Proud of... As frustrating as the past week has been at times, there have definitely been some decided up points.  It's those times which make it worth it for all parents emotionally invest.  It's pay back for the discussions about why it's not OK to punch a kid in the face even if just play fighting.  It's pay back for those bed time fits. I know from the title, a comment

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-19203114299173685172011-10-07T08:14:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:47:06.380-08:00

How many negatives have positive meaning? As I have radiating pain from my wrists and fingers, it makes me curse and then ponder. Obviously, the pain is frustrating and lately a bit tiring, but it is pain at least partially of my own choice. I could take some strong pain killers and swallow away the sensations. The truth is I'm reluctant to do this because I remember what it means to be numb

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-55461370352283747062011-09-30T07:17:00.000-07:002011-11-23T06:29:30.374-08:00

Am I tough enough?For the pains in the arms and lasers through my eyes?For only 5 hours sleep?For getting up in the middle? Am I tough enough today to work for tomorrow?To think logically despite life's distractions?Am I tough enough to love?To allow myself to be loved? Am I tough enough ?To listen to honest appraisals of my work?From all who offer?From people's whose opinion I value? From a

life well livednoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-89531576776020190622011-09-14T10:13:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:47:54.782-08:00

My two little ones are 5 and 6. As they both had birthdays this week, I need to thank both of them. My life is so much richer for the time and effort spent with them. From little crying pooping blobs to running screaming children, my two have come so far and given me hope during times I just wanted to fade into the background. Confession Time: As I think back, I find myself laughing at some of

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-77580243669880866982011-08-31T07:58:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:50:01.308-08:00

I think the Shakers got it right when they said "Hands to work. Hearts to God." I know I tend to blow by things which go wrong when I am doing something I believe is good and right. I usually just refer to those things as "details" and pondering them endlessly as a way to get side tracked. If you can blow over it, do so. Then live with the results and the "details." As I read more and more

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-11718733777869653592011-08-27T08:18:00.000-07:002011-11-23T06:12:48.776-08:00

I was at a seminar yesterday where the topic was cultural intelligence. There were a lot of obvious examples of why people from different cultures misinterpret what they perceive. There are the obvious ones we see even here in the U.S. where some families give hugs and kisses and others have much less physical contact. Just the lack of offering a hug can seem cool and stand offish if one is from

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-14992374609392018912011-08-12T11:25:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:45:29.781-08:00

Every now and then, I find it useful to go back to the old questions.  When I ended my last post, it started me thinking about self esteem.  Ultimately, my self esteem has been drawn and shaped by my belief in my ability and willingness to accomplish needed things which otherwise would be left undone.  In an odd sort of way I value my life in a very different manner from my normal economic minded

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-64583989045884350612011-08-05T08:31:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:48:46.621-08:00

I remember in psychology classes being taught during therapy one of the ways to tell where issues lay in a personal relationship is to look for resistance points. For example, if a couple both agree, "Yes we fight, and we both hate it" then the therapist hasn't really gotten to a point where work is needed. I doubt either in the couple needed somebody else to tell them they fight too often, much

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-6000103995331468962011-07-29T06:13:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:50:30.313-08:00

Inflation: I have to take a break from my normal posting to post what has occupied my brain this week. I know it's probably not what most people think about in that space and time between going to bed and falling asleep, but here is result of this week's insomnia which lasts for two to five minutes a night: Inflation as it relates to currency means a dollar today will buy less than the same

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-72828234383225908562011-07-21T14:43:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:52:28.506-08:00

As I read through blogs and message boards for patients of MS and other chronic conditions, I keep coming across the idea of wellville. In this place which is really a state of mind, people don't have chronic illnesses and can't relate to people from sickville. It seems the ideas of sickville are as understandable as Portuguese to a Spanish speaker. Even when something looks the same it's

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-68549458302051775272011-07-11T06:01:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:56:39.893-08:00

After the shingles, I was told to delay my Tysabri infusion for 2 weeks due to an increased risk of infection. Because of scheduling difficulty, it will be 47 days between infusions before I get my next infusion. As I sit here at day 43 with heat and humidity rather extreme, I am reminded of the professor making his point about how even little annoyances can become big issues: As he approaches

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-58685985545180454952011-07-07T06:31:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:55:23.837-08:00

For those who believe in coincidence, over the weekend I saw what seems like a perfect example of the inspiration driven A to B to XXX thinking. This is an exerpt of a  conversation with my daughter as her mind works through the idea of opposites: "So big is opposite of small,. right?" - correct"and dark is opposite of light?" - correct"and yellow is the opposite of purple"- say what? surprised

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-54449927529772789582011-07-01T06:37:00.000-07:002011-11-23T06:10:58.430-08:00

Shingles and the 2 A.M Musing on Problem SolvingOver the past 2 weeks, I've had and for the most part gotten over shingles. Reading and hearing how most people find shingles to be extremely painful, I've been pleasantly surprised. The itching annoyed me more than the pain. My wife describes me as having an exceptionally high pain tolerance, but is it really accurate when my nervous system loses

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-64870279069076614212011-06-15T12:07:00.000-07:002011-11-23T06:33:19.090-08:00

I wonder if this is how most of us look at ourselves, with glasses in hand, colored face paint and in a scratched beat up mirror. We see the costume we put on every day whether it's the "dad" costume or the "worker bee" costume, it is really difficult to see past the paint with which our mind cloaks us. So often, we may even take off the glasses which would force us to look differently. After

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-36322086315065296562011-06-14T08:32:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:51:19.512-08:00

 My wife and I took our kids to Philly to see my mom and her boyfriend. While there, we went out for a walk in a park and a hot dog cookout. After running around at a playground, my daughter, son, mom and I stopped by a fishing peer. On the way back to the fire pit for hot dogs, my daughter was lagging behind. With her heart condition, this happens sometimes when she has been running a lot. When

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-40290912310861378752011-06-09T04:31:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:53:24.355-08:00

Maybe it's the 100 degree heat. Maybe it's waking up at 4am. I just don't feel my internal filter today. Granted, this has been written for days, but I never posted. So why now? Who knows? My bet is those with an intolerance for heat and lack of sleep could relate. Oddly enough, this blog seems to get hits around that time. How much is life worth? No this shouldn't be taken with regard to my up

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-35797604858004826782011-06-06T08:18:00.000-07:002011-11-17T06:54:30.023-08:00

Life and Death From whence did the phrase "It's a matter of life and death" originate as a way of saying something is of the utmost importance? We seem to recognize the rights regarding how we can live, but somehow death has been religated to a spot of lesser importance.  Dr. Kevorkian died of cancer June 3rd, 2011 in the hospital without euthanasia. Some seem to take the view he lessened his

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-16153858827773192452011-05-31T05:52:00.000-07:002011-11-23T06:14:28.228-08:00

---------------------------------------------------- Memorial Day: While in Jamaica, my wife and I had a talk with a navy seal instructor. He was drunk as a skunk, but he could still swim across the 1/2 length Olympic length pool before coming up for breath. While we were talking to him, I told him I was happy he and his men were out there fighting so we could live the life we do with all

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-33797419210848552412011-05-24T03:54:00.000-07:002011-11-23T06:31:52.878-08:00

There was yet another crazy prediction of the world ending on Saturday at 6:00 PM. In theory, it was to happen at 6:00 PM in every time zone, but it was the rapture for only the chosen few. It was widely mocked. As many making fun noted, "If we're wrong, we'll never know it or those who were right won't be here to gloat." So Sat. at 5:59, as I was about to send my mind on a quest for Sanity,

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-44520559651091773932011-05-10T07:25:00.000-07:002011-11-23T06:16:40.073-08:00

   On days where I don't quite feel right, I often find myself going back to think about how I would evaluate success in life. I've got my masters in project management, and I know how to evaluate success on each and every goal I've set if I was to be so inclined. It's just such measures seem so shallow.    I find myself coming around to a sort of duplicate bridge way of evaluating my life

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-73256457536127615452011-05-02T04:52:00.000-07:002011-11-23T06:28:47.213-08:00

More than a decade after the Cole, the twin towers, the pentagon and a field in PA were hit, Osama Bin Laden has been killed in Pakistan. Good riddance. May he find some of the peace he took from our lives in his next. It's odd to me. I find myself happy to rid of Osama Bin Laden, but I share little of the jubilation I see and hear about on the TV and radio. In fact, I feel a little sad to be

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-43082446089601241982011-04-14T05:53:00.000-07:002011-11-23T06:35:24.623-08:00

According to the Wall Street Journal, it seems another MS "cure" fails again.  There was a theory saying MS was a cardiovascular disease (chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency or CCSVI)  rather than a disease of the immune system.  It turns out the blockages are more prevalent in patients with MS than healthy subjects, but the difference is 44% to 25%.  What's more 42% of patients with other

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-81764821374649572182011-04-13T12:32:00.000-07:002011-11-23T06:40:46.851-08:00

I think the biggest reason I enjoyed my trip to the Pacific was not the weather, the scuba, the comparatively huge amount of free time without obligations. It wasn't even the beautiful women. It was the seemingly cultural habit of building up people in conversation. It took me almost half my 3 week trip to finally isolate it. When I and my friends talk, there are far fewer compliments, and even

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-73371242268855750512011-03-17T05:46:00.000-07:002011-11-23T06:23:55.872-08:00

How does one normally think of the roles we play and how we are perceived? How much doubt normally accompanies self reflection? I am in Guam. I've run every morning, and I've actually been ok...I think.  Today I ran, talked with doctors, learned more of how those answering our forms are thinking, saw dozens of new kids of fish while snorkeling, walked a few miles before bed...andsome how still

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-66821283065408738062011-03-03T05:41:00.000-08:002011-11-23T06:19:04.076-08:00

Yesterday, a friend was lamenting the value of knowing is not all it's cracked up to be.  This got me thinking on just what is the intrinsic value of knowledge. There is some knowledge for which we can spend our entire lives searching. The value in the answers inevitably is the direct result of the question asked. Some how in the first few years of our life we tend to move past the first

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-77697053274333653072011-02-16T11:00:00.000-08:002011-11-23T06:26:52.073-08:00

Some random thoughts I've had in the past few weeks which I've meant to get up here: I was thinking about Plato's Allegory of the Cave in terms of what it means to be a parent. What if all of parenthood when boiled down to its essence is little more than an attempt to build a better mirror rather than a wall thus allowing our kids a "better" vision of the world and their place with in it.

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-42696465640796185652011-02-14T10:45:00.000-08:002011-11-23T06:22:46.737-08:00

Valentines Day As the years go by, it’s sometimes easy to forget how we got here. I hope many years from now, any reader of this would understand why I marvel at my wife’s vision. There’s a reason she is the beautiful dreamer in our relationship, and it’s one very good reason I’ve stayed for all these years. Because I wish everyone could see her in the light of my eyes, here’s a little

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-59824551930721005992011-02-14T05:32:00.000-08:002011-11-23T06:42:36.990-08:00

It's been so long since I have actually posted to this blog as I find myself posting more on other websites rather than my blog and I hate losing paragraphs posting here). The odd part being I still think of myself as only a superfiscial extrovert, meaning I readily give information about myself to others just not anything I worry about others knowing. I tend to spend more time thinking about the

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-48743011444311690722009-03-18T06:10:00.000-07:002011-12-20T04:07:35.220-08:00

So here I was having a haggard day, the type of day I either stare off into space, bury my head in my hands, or scream at no one thing. The desire was one where if I could do all three at once I would have. Surely others feel that way too from time to time. I was pissed off at work because nothing I did turned out the way I planned. Some of the things I was trying to do were for unplanned

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-43041358092680187422009-02-17T10:54:00.000-08:002011-11-23T06:25:37.101-08:00

Some days, I think life is all just one big collection of stories we all compose in our heads. Most of us want to be the hero or heroine, and we all tend to frame the stories of our actions in that light. For many of us the audience is purely ourselves. Like an editor, we pick which are the most salient peaces of the stories and the rest falls away. We think back on the good we’ve done. Maybe,

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-10542435736509454692007-11-21T07:12:00.001-08:002007-11-29T06:17:31.599-08:00

Fears:I definitely have a new one. Both my foster kids are threatened with going home to families other than mine. Mr.O is likely to go back home to his parents now that mom's case has been moved to juvie. The way things look now, she will probably get off with time served and parenting classes. Regardless, she will be released in a few years at age 21. At that point, she becomes the resource for

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-76467447207104671992007-11-17T05:30:00.000-08:002007-11-19T12:32:50.241-08:00

Sometimes life’s best made plans go for naught. Last week, I had my transfusion that is usually followed by a week of increased energy. I had 4 days off, so I was able to plan to be up and home to take care of the kids allowing my wife to finally catch up on some sleep. I’m under no illusions that I’m easy to live with, and getting up every morning with 2 kids (the oldest is 2) is one of those

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-58771750485271145632007-10-19T12:25:00.000-07:002007-10-20T04:44:50.910-07:00

I’m now 72 hours into my 33rd year. I often find myself looking at where I am now in terms of where I’ve been and what I’ve been through in the past year. As such, birthdays and new years seem natural times to just take a minute to look back.Looking back, I have to say I hated my last year more than any other I’ve lived through. If my life were a movie, I’d be hitting fast forward in search of

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-17498049363437389772007-10-01T09:51:00.000-07:002007-10-01T09:54:12.159-07:00

HOME.It's one of those concepts I can't quite completely get my head around. What makes a HOME instead of a home where we go to sleep and get up the next day? It's definitely more than just a place to lay our heads. I guess for me it's a place that feels both emotionally and physically safe. That's a kind of definition, but I can't help but think that it misses some crucial intangible bit. Maybe

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-70749421910262223812007-09-07T07:30:00.000-07:002007-09-16T06:30:56.691-07:00

It’s so easy to write people off as crazy. I think that’s why I cherish my little wooden placard from Shaker Village in Kentucky. It made of wood and it has an upside down heart overlaying a hand. Above and below it has the phrase “Hands to work Hearts to God.” There’s something simple that just feels incredibly correct in that simple peace of wood.It always gets me questioning that which I just

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-56698858269218853972007-08-21T05:39:00.001-07:002007-08-21T05:41:11.332-07:00

There is a certain power that lies in being passionate about something...anything. I think I need to update my definition of a life well lived to include having a passion. Surprisingly to me, I don’t think it matters if the passion is for something many of us would consider trivial. I don’t think it matters if we chose to display it in a nonsensical way. One just has to have it.Heck, sometimes

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-6439324898919914702007-08-09T11:48:00.001-07:002007-08-09T11:49:40.224-07:00

I was thinking the other day about the quote “the opposite of love isn’t hate. It’s apathy.” I’m not sure what prompted this other than not having a lot of good feeling physical sensations making through to my brain these days while I wait impatiently for this flare to go on its merry way.In any event, I’m not sure either apathy or hate is the opposite of love any more than yellow is the opposite

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-90264907691850007382007-07-06T11:22:00.000-07:002007-07-06T11:30:28.795-07:00

A Year Into It AllWhen I first began this blog, I wasn’t really sure where I wanted it to go. I began the first post with a message about what my Grandfather taught me. I began it that way, because I want my life to be like I envisioned his life. I learned a lot from him. In an odd sort of way I wanted to write it down so that somebody else might share in the experiences I had modeled for me. I

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-8138393439384551802007-07-05T12:16:00.000-07:002007-07-05T12:52:33.559-07:00

Woohoo, I can finally post again. I'm not sure what was changed, but I guess a tech finally saw the latest request for help I made.------------------------------------------------------------------I can't say the last few months have been my favorite, but...that's what you get. At least there have been some great moments too. I hate that as I write this, the facts of life theme song is running

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1167577118610145812006-12-31T06:58:00.000-08:002006-12-31T06:58:38.623-08:00

2006 A year of extremesI tend to look back to see where I am in life around this time each year. It’s a good time to look back at what I’ve really liked, what I wish never happened, and all of the important moments falling in between. Probably the biggest occurrence of the year in my life was bringing home A. As she has grown and gone from an 8 month old little girl who couldn’t so much as

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1164748093831474062006-11-28T13:04:00.000-08:002006-11-29T07:25:36.630-08:00

Sometimes being right isn’t enough and being “wrong” isn’t enough either…Both sides suck in their own special way.So my new knowledge about the way life seems to work was gained being frustrated with a lady at my work smoking right outside my window. Grrr. I don’t want to breath that crud, and I don’t need my throat closing up because she is too self absorbed to read any one of the signs posted

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1163104337735892222006-11-09T12:23:00.000-08:002006-11-11T18:02:43.473-08:00

So A, J and I had a great trip to Seattle for Halloween. I was a little nervous beforehand that I wouldn't have much energy or would be sick for the trip, but it all turned out great. I had a blast hanging out with J's sister and her family. One thing I noted was that I think 5 kids is probably a few more than I want (their 4 and our 1), but at the same time having no end of people want your

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1161961582461672242006-10-27T07:35:00.000-07:002011-09-16T04:53:07.031-07:00

Don Quixote would be proud I’ve spent the better part of the past 2 weeks getting a diagnosis for why I’ve felt dizzy and had double vision off and on for most of the summer. After getting an MRI and an ENG test to try and determine why I was dizzy, I also developed a facial palsy (couldn’t move the right half of my face, mostly cheek). After the results of the MRI showed lesions on my brain,

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1160162235372837532006-10-06T12:10:00.000-07:002006-10-10T05:21:55.176-07:00

A's first birthday I’ve been a slacker for a few weeks while I’ve been working through some things medically, but A’s 1st birthday is one of those things that deserves at least a comment. Sometimes things are just right in the world, and it’s cool to think that people can make it thus.There are times where everything just feels right. It’s kind of amazing that people’s caring can actually just

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1158754717324774052006-09-20T05:17:00.000-07:002006-09-20T05:18:37.333-07:00

Grand CanyonSadly, I know not words to do justice to the trip down the Grand Canyon. Top thoughts from my trip down the Grand Canyon:The rocks and cliffs are amazing. There is nothing like looking up at 2,000-3,000 feet of rock and thinking about just how old the rocks are. I kept looking at them wondering how many inches represent the rocks that are only as old as recorded history. There is

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1158148192597134232006-09-13T04:35:00.000-07:002006-09-13T04:49:52.693-07:00

A large part of me think this is how we should all get a chance to explore the world: with a loving cheering section, we should all be ableto explore new things with a touch of intraspection. Maybe we should all be so lucky.In any event, I thought I would try to post another pic, as I have had trouble posting pics of late. I know it's a few weeks old, but it's one of my favorites. Soon I'll

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1156872949292136172006-08-29T10:30:00.000-07:002011-02-16T05:33:23.959-08:00

Grade: BA Latin teacher once told me I was probably smart enough to do well in almost anything if I put an honest effort in to mastering it. However, she also said I was probably not smart enough to be great. If that were true, it would seem the key would be finding something extraordinary to be good at. After all, being good at counting to ten is rather underwhelming. However, a good family man

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1155223872709482852006-08-10T08:30:00.000-07:002006-08-14T12:45:35.143-07:00

I guess everyone has one of those moments that we would have wished we had put the peaces together in a more timely fashion. I still have a hard time believing that my first reaction when A. threw up was to grab a napkin and try to catch it/wipe it off. One would think that with all the times I “helped” drunks in college, my first reaction would have been the correct one: turning her over so

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1154541163877745942006-08-02T10:49:00.000-07:002006-08-02T16:38:15.326-07:00

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day…Timing Is EverythingI can’t help it. With yet another day in the upper 90’s and low 100’s, I can’t help but long for a hazy shade of winter. Maybe I’ll look back on this post in 6 months and wonder what on earth I could have been thinking, but for the time being I find myself looking forward to the next time I’ll feel cool. I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude to

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1153943139080503982006-07-26T12:38:00.000-07:002006-07-27T06:52:02.616-07:00

Momma said there’d be days like this:I guess that in order to really appreciate when all goes well, we all need those times where nothing works out as we would hope. Personally I just wish for as few of these days as possible, and when I’m in a week I would for the most part just assume forget, I try to think of the little things I really enjoy. This week, that’s just not coming as easily for me

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1152970162370747172006-07-15T06:26:00.000-07:002006-07-16T05:11:55.753-07:00

Two months into the whole child raising gigIt’s hard to belive it’s been two months already. Another week passed, and this one was pretty good. It’s kind of odd how we track time. I mark the passage of time in my memory by big events passing, and as I get older the things I use to mark the passage of time get bigger but further apart. Things like being old enough to drink, graduating college,

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30929783.post-1152641928950247992006-07-11T11:11:00.000-07:002006-07-27T08:39:37.183-07:00

For my Grandfather,Hopefully, I still carry the torch.I was recently asked what I would title a book about my life. In a moment of hubris and dreams, I answered what I would hope the title would be: The Life Well Lived. After a day or so to think about this, I’m not sure it means what it meant to me at the time I said it. A life well lived is not without tears nor is it one without hardship. For

life well livednoreply@blogger.com0