or How I Went to Ft Lauderdale for Thanksgiving and All I Got Was Covid — TUESDAY It’s early, very much still dark. At 4:44am it’s also 44°, which is good luck, right? I’ll wear shorts on the plane. There’s a lot of last minute rushing around, final packing, making sure all the electronics are charged and stuffed into an interior pocket. I’ve cleaned the litter boxes…

Friday was an Institute Day, so no school. Naturally Judah had it in his mind that we’d take the Metra to Elmhurst. And to his credit it was also on the calendar. I was vaguely aware. Sidebar: I barely know what the plan is. That is, I generally wing it…

I like to craft. Twine bottles, pet rocks, blank puzzles from Michael’s. It’s calming and meditative. Time just slips by. And over the course of any ‘enterprise’ I start developing ‘techniques’ as I’m ‘self-taught’… To be clear, none of my pet rock techniques are particularly extraordinary. No one’s…

“Hey, bud,” I said picking up Judah at school three hours after dropping him off. “Should we have lunch… in Elmhurst?” Because two things converged today; early dismissal and Judah’s love of Metra. Well, three things, the third being my knowledge of the two other things. “YES! Thanks, Dad!” “Cool…

“Daddy, can you be a chaperone for Monster Mash?! Please?!” I’ve chaperoned for Nola’s dances at her middle school before. I basically walk around and say things like “Careful!” “Easy there!” “Guys, guys.” Maybe I’ll strike up a conversation with another chaperone, or help a kid inside with a bloody…

The morning of the block party some of the neighborhood boys (10 and under) were cruising around on their scooters. They saw me and came up onto our porch. “Hey, guys,” I said. “You looking for Judah?” “No,” said one of the boys — the one that’s usually nicest to…

There is that person in life who will say, “Hey, remember the other day when I told you about that friend of mine I’ve never mentioned before? What? You don’t remember their name? But I said it. Once. How can you not remember?” Right? And they’re offended? I HATE that…

as texted to my wife — TO: Pam FROM: Steve 9.8.23 / 2:08pm The plane ride was fine. Erik is going to pick me up in a rental car. He’s been doing an east coast tour for the last week seeing old friends and visiting places. Glen is going to drive out from Montclair and meet…