tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60731190126717437322024-03-04T23:28:36.451-05:00Away From The Things Of ManTales of Faith, Family, Road Trips, & Roller CoastersEric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.comBlogger857125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-62980936851599144072023-12-16T00:17:00.005-05:002023-12-16T00:30:40.273-05:00Popcorn, Family, and the Wonderful Life<p>A few years ago, I discovered a hidden world I knew nothing about: Reaction videos on YouTube. It was quite a realization, and I find myself thoroughly enjoying watching movies I love or listening to my favorite songs with new eyes and ears as I watch these people see movies or hear music I know so well for their first time. And I gain a greater appreciation for those things that I love, watching their surprise, despisement and/or enjoyment, among other emotions.</p><p>My absolute favorite reaction channel is Popcorn In Bed. Cassie, the young lady who hosts the channel, is adoringly sweet and genuine in her reactions to movies of all kinds, and I love to see her discover many of the ones that I've watched and loved over my own lifetime. There is an honest innocence to her reactions, and I love to watch her become so ingrained and entrenched in the movies as she expresses her sadness, sense of humor, anger, frustration, and love of the characters as they tell their story. For her to be able to make me feel the way she feels, even after I've seen some of these movies for the second, third, tenth, or fiftieth time, is a very real feat.</p><p>Tonight I watched Cassie's reaction to the movie THE FAMILY MAN, starring Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni, among others. THE FAMILY MAN follows the lead of its predecessors, A CHRISTMAS CAROL and my all-time favorite movie, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, with a Christmas background theme around the main characters experiences with the supernatural, which gives them the opportunity to see their lives from a different perspective as they go through a personal crisis, whether brought on by their own actions and personality flaws, or because of circumstances that cause conflict, doubt, sadness, anger, or frustration.</p><p>Without giving away too much of the movie's story, THE FAMILY MAN tells the story of a man who believes he has the perfect life, one of solitude, success, and what he believes is happiness, that was sent in motion at a point in his life where he made a choice to take that path. But after encountering his own version of a "guardian angel," he is given a glimpse of what his life could have been had he made a different choice, with a loving wife and family, and without the high paying executive job and extravagant lifestyle he thought he wanted. And we get to watch his transformation as the realization of what he really wants comes to fruition.</p><p>It's a classic wish fulfillment scenario, much like a fairytale, and we begin to root for him as he starts to accept this other life over the one he had, but then tries to bring those two lives together with devastating consequences, and then he's thrown back into his old life and begins to regret it.</p><p>I find myself sometimes wishing my life could have been different. I found the love of my life, started a family, had a child, then lost my wife suddenly after only four years of marriage, when our daughter was just a baby. She died of a heart ailment of which we were unaware. It's not lost on me that my daughter just turned 20 years old, and in a few months, it will be 20 years since I lost my Teresa.</p><p>How different would my life had been had she lived? I hate to speculate, but oh how I wish she could see how her daughter has grown, and the successful young woman she has become. I wish she could have shared in my own job successes and failures, so that we might support each other during those highs and lows. I wish she could see how her students have gone on to have successful lives and careers, knowing she had a small part in helping them achieve those successes when they had her as their freshman English teacher, or in her public-speaking classes. I wish she could experience seeing her parents become grandparents, and assist them as they have grown older. I wish we could have grown old together.</p><p>But the truth is that she and I didn't get to have a chance to grow old together. The solitude of the past 20 years is something I would trade in a second to have her be with me now. But at what cost? Would it have been better than what I had? I assume it would be better but there's no way to know. I have accepted that the Lord had a plan for each of us, and that didn't include her life with mine past that April 19th date twenty years ago. Melody wasn't meant to have her mother in her life, and instead she doesn't even know what she missed, since she was too young to even remember her. It's a tragedy in my mind, since I DO know what she missed by not having a mom. It makes me sad, and it's why I'm in therapy for depression, even after so many years.</p><p>So I try not to think about it. Instead, I will live vicariously thru the lives of the characters in these movies, who do get to see what life would be like had things been different. George Bailey, in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, will forever be a role model for me, so that I will always understand that the life we've had is the best life we have. In fact, next week I will go to the American Film Institute's Silver Theater in downtown Silver Spring, MD, with my parents and my daughter, to see IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE on the Big Screen. It has become an annual tradition for me, and this will be about the fifteenth time I've seen it there over the years, the last ten with my daughter, who has grown to love it as much as I do.</p><p>And I appreciate people like Cassie, from Popcorn in Bed, who allows me to watch movies with her, and even stated in her introduction to THE FAMILY MAN how welcome we are to enjoy her company, especially when we are alone or are lonely due to circumstances. I highly recommend that you check out her site on YouTube. Her personality and love of movies is infectious. </p><p>(Cassie, if you ever read this, I hope you will someday soon watch my second favorite movie of all time, JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO, the first of the Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan romantic comedies... I guarantee you will enjoy this fairytale of a movie...)</p><p>Best wishes to you readers out there as we approach this wonderful time of year. I hope you have a blessed and meaningful Christmas season.</p><p><br /></p>Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-87645737544648399332023-09-23T22:28:00.002-04:002023-09-23T22:28:45.392-04:00Life Adjustments<p>It is amazing how successfully depression and a well-timed pandemic can combine to push away, to at least arm's length, all of my closest friends, to a point where they no longer interact with nor ask about me, and they have practically no presence in my life. That wasn't my goal, but that was the result. If you feel like someone who fits that qualification, then you know you've been played. Out of sight, out of mind, you know?</p><p>Am I happier this way? The jury is out. On one hand, those who seemed to worry about me the most no longer do so, which is a positive in my mind. I didn't like having those with an active role in my life be concerned about my well-being. All that did was make me feel terribly guilty, and increase how screwed up I felt my life had become.</p><p>As it is, I can put out onto social media the occasional picture of my dog, one-year old Winnie the Wonder Pup, my cheery and over active Cavapoo companion, and it will appear that life is good in my world. Leave it to our cute pets to provide a sense of normalcy.</p><p>I also can allow myself to be the loner I prefer to be. I'm an empty-nester now. My calendar is relatively clear, and I can selfishly just do my own thing. I don't have to leave the house except to go to work (when I'm not teleworking), and run a few errands, which allows me to be a self-proclaimed honest to goodness shut-in. I can even have my groceries delivered.</p><p>My church slammed the door on my connections there with the elimination a few years ago of the Saturday service that I had grown accustomed to attending, and I lost my circle of friends there who had to spread out to over-crowded Sunday service times, and that, mixed with my own severe introversion and a growing feeling of anxiety as the pandemic became our new way of life, led to me no longer having a church home for the first time in my life.</p><p>I'm certainly not bored. My daughter calls me regularly to update me on her campus activities in her second year of college life. Mom & Dad check in periodically to give updates on their health. My 14 fantasy baseball teams and 10 fantasy football teams provide me with plenty of entertainment. And Winnie gives me opportunities to get a little bit of exercise, and someone with whom to talk.</p><p>Is this a life worth living? Of course. All life is worth living. Is it a happy life? No, not really. It provides some contentment, but not the happiness I used to enjoy. </p><p>This feeling of melancholy did lead me to pursue therapy, and that is helping. I just couldn't keep going down the path I was on. I was at my wit's end in a lot of ways, particularly with my job, which I actually hate with wild passion. Retirement is approaching quickly, however, and as long as I keep making plans for that retirement, I feel like I have something of which to look forward. Realistically, in three to five years, I can comfortably retire.</p><p>This isn't a happy post, though it isn't meant to be. It's just where things are at this time.</p><p>I hope things are well with you.</p>Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-76061259367230078422023-08-30T17:14:00.004-04:002023-08-30T17:14:52.947-04:00Still Alive<p>Every once in a while, I get a hankering to write a post here. I usually don't get very far. Writing is harder as I've gotten older; don't ask me why that is. But I want to overcome that and actually, you know...write.</p><p>I'll sometimes get a reminder that I haven't written in too long, like over the past 24 hours. A bunch of people, maybe random, maybe intentional, have left their email addresses in the contact form on this page, and I get a notification when that happens. There was nothing for almost two years, but when I get a bunch of notifications in less than 24 hours, there's something going on. My first thought is someone is testing me, to see if I'm paying attention. Then I think it's a phishing attempt, or someone is going to try to hack into it. My spidey-sense is tingling...</p><p>Well, I'm still here. Still alive. Life goes on...</p>Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-47421255267659069012021-09-06T10:40:00.001-04:002021-09-06T10:40:15.521-04:00Complications of Loss and Understanding in Grief<p>Grief is a complicated thing. Everything may be going well in your life, maybe even joyfully, and then a reminder of a time of loss occurs and knocks you right back down. This has been the pattern for me over the past 17 years, ever since my wife, Teresa, suddenly passed away from an undiagnosed heart issue during an outing with our 5-month old daughter.</p><p>I just finished reading a wonderful tribute written by an old friend on the 30th anniversary of the death of her husband in a tragic car accident. It was filled with specific details of the emotional roller coaster she experienced after finding out he had died, all the way through her healing process. She also shared how she was impacted by her walk with Christ, and the path her faith has led her during the time since this traumatic event. It was a reminder of how fragile life is, and reminded me so much of Teresa's homegoing. I wish I was where she is.</p><p>Last night, I received a message from another old friend, someone I got to know well during our time working together in youth ministry. She is now a pastor, and it was clear early on that her walk with Christ would have a similar result to my other friend's experience. Her message, though, hit me like a ton of bricks, and I am heartbroken upon hearing the news of the death of her daughter.</p><p>Her daughter wrote to me just after Teresa's death, sharing with me her experiences since the death of her husband, which occurred less than a year before Teresa's, and left her a young widowed mother. The advice she shared has helped me more than anyone and anything since Teresa died, and she became in some ways my spiritual guide in my healing process. Most importantly, she taught me that healing doesn't come by "getting over" the traumatic event. Healing comes upon accepting the event as a part of your life story, and makes you the person you are. I am forever thankful to her for sharing this with me.</p><p>However, while there are still a lot of unknowns at this time, her passing is a tragedy beyond all understanding. I may find out more in the future, but given the information I have at this time only makes me sadder and grief-stricken. I'm being intentionally vague because it is not my place to share. I just know that, given the connection I had with her, my own path forward will very likely be impacted by her death.</p><p>I find it ironic that I would hear over two days from or about two women who experienced the sudden loss of their spouses at a time when they were raising young children, which is my experience, too. Each has had an impact on me in very different ways. I hope that I can learn only positive things from their stories.</p><p>My prayers go out to both of my friends and their families, and that they can find comfort and understanding through our Lord and Savior.</p>Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-25028358854609552112021-08-25T17:51:00.000-04:002021-08-25T17:51:20.743-04:00Road Trip!<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Despite
rising numbers of those infected by the variants of COVID, travel was recently at the
highest point since before the pandemic began.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">People are tired of being stuck at home and anxious to get out and do
things and live life fully again.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’m
one of those.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I hadn’t traveled since
last summer, when my daughter and I successfully navigated a cross-country road
trip during one of the worst times of COVID exposure.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It was a weird trip, with many tourism sites
closed or limited in capacity due to the pandemic.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hotels had many restrictions, and cleanliness
was almost more important than the accommodations themselves.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So
here we are, one year later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My daughter
and I are vaccinated, and we needed a vacation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Based on the horror stories of canceled and overbooked flights, poor
customer service, and violence occurring on planes in flight, we had no desire
to fly anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being isolated on a
large ship with the potential of infection meant no to a cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even amusement parks are somewhat tenuous due
to the amount of touchpoints offering high chances of exposure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s left?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another road trip!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
decided to take a road trip to a region we hadn’t explored much, and wasn’t too
far from home:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New England.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here
are a few highlights:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSo-4NA5yz7SjWmaDqyfV7i5mxSIMzyx_gMt6eJ0ILBC1OCjG-hUxn-s24HmCtMB73XhY6RZR_SxrKFXUgaVESgb2yOcHWqI4OEc84OD7R1crT6ysnloDolCTbUi230B1eupLEVJByUWJP/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="363" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSo-4NA5yz7SjWmaDqyfV7i5mxSIMzyx_gMt6eJ0ILBC1OCjG-hUxn-s24HmCtMB73XhY6RZR_SxrKFXUgaVESgb2yOcHWqI4OEc84OD7R1crT6ysnloDolCTbUi230B1eupLEVJByUWJP/w326-h326/image.png" width="326" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>New
Haven, CT </b>– We started the day visiting the <b>PEZ candy factory</b>, followed by
lunch at <b>Louis Lunch</b>, where the Hamburger was invented.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Then, in a driving rain, we visited <b>Yale
University</b>, where a security guard saw us wandering around and ended up giving us
a two hour tour of the campus.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My
daughter had not considered attending an Ivy League school, but the tour was so
enjoyable, she has decided to at least apply to Yale.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A few days later, we visited Harvard, as
well.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigItig5LlZ8JAe59iYl2ocIknRl7N5VrU8ZyHU20pWlOEKzBlBQOgGo0Zzghk6Ek_TDg7wUy1jaTvQ5rZaFyKzNKeoObTREwHiwNVFfFINnH5JE2w1lQCeqQvDYbKOeCkJijw34cs4b3zI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="362" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigItig5LlZ8JAe59iYl2ocIknRl7N5VrU8ZyHU20pWlOEKzBlBQOgGo0Zzghk6Ek_TDg7wUy1jaTvQ5rZaFyKzNKeoObTREwHiwNVFfFINnH5JE2w1lQCeqQvDYbKOeCkJijw34cs4b3zI/w328-h328/image.png" width="328" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Bethel,
NY, site of the original Woodstock</b> – Because the Franklin Delano Roosevelt and
Eleanor Roosevelt home, museum, and library in Hyde Park, NY, was still closed
due to the pandemic, we adjusted on the fly and ended up in Bethel, NY.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There we visited the <b>Bethel Woods Center of
the Arts</b>, which provides a wonderful museum and overview of the Woodstock Music
Festival in August 1969.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmvunZNBJxgJ7FVBrwVIXiuHCGqkw0RTtWQxP2lyVgy21RL-2aXTGxhG1Y6kSCreYC2l1i6s7a1w0idRMJcWGY0OQn_jMfPdVXN8msJ6Wkl46R3e9M-SL7S4q2yip5K7vNj_NrVEpXnxt/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="301" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmvunZNBJxgJ7FVBrwVIXiuHCGqkw0RTtWQxP2lyVgy21RL-2aXTGxhG1Y6kSCreYC2l1i6s7a1w0idRMJcWGY0OQn_jMfPdVXN8msJ6Wkl46R3e9M-SL7S4q2yip5K7vNj_NrVEpXnxt/w324-h324/image.png" width="324" /></a> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscLc-j_EUsCpKGtgrvb5_naqgdJQOuJlXhWTLaiS1PJzMRPos3bixOwKbb029WYfZ3vWFbqqNettVNGNGqr3QeYUPuG1ehNVYft_giSZqKNkVLEeITD0SljywoyCv2Jk6Viz_hCp3k309/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscLc-j_EUsCpKGtgrvb5_naqgdJQOuJlXhWTLaiS1PJzMRPos3bixOwKbb029WYfZ3vWFbqqNettVNGNGqr3QeYUPuG1ehNVYft_giSZqKNkVLEeITD0SljywoyCv2Jk6Viz_hCp3k309/w325-h325/image.png" width="325" /></a></div></div><p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>The
Coast of Maine</b> – So many highlights, with scenic lighthouses (<b>Portland Head
Light, Bass Harbor Head Light</b>, and <b>West Quoddy Head Lighthouse</b>); <b>Acadia National
Park</b>; <b>Penobscot Narrows Observatory</b>; “<b>Lenny</b>,” the 1700 pound chocolate moose,
in Scarborough; and <b>Eartha</b>, the largest rotating globe in the world, in
Yarmouth.</span> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuklYtC7KoD2KBNY9YBZ6sqZCj1_Ay92wA5KiR6pcFLMYJGKVK7RzLzqRdAYe59Ns_ewbu7kgN79QDgz2xBBN9b1fdLxRbelerM7jfPTuQ5XwHgtij-rQ77dvtB9KdFOhvd1Pu-i_4tH44/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuklYtC7KoD2KBNY9YBZ6sqZCj1_Ay92wA5KiR6pcFLMYJGKVK7RzLzqRdAYe59Ns_ewbu7kgN79QDgz2xBBN9b1fdLxRbelerM7jfPTuQ5XwHgtij-rQ77dvtB9KdFOhvd1Pu-i_4tH44/w345-h345/image.png" width="345" /></a></div><p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Mount
Washington, NH</b> – The tallest peak in the <b>White Mountains</b>, there are a few ways
other than hiking to reach the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Auto Road allows you to drive your car, and that’s somewhat scary if you have a
fear of heights due to the lack of guard rails above the tree line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most fun way to the top is the <b>Cog
Railway</b>, which is what we did.</span>
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrwPJb4UDyU0IW-5L_TRxRWMRK3NbxPzuN3emxvmdnnAoJVvyARR7Y7Hd8OLoIGacFGfMzEmlwfj-NRbzi5JNSD5inPmdRhGbJO2RD4suDPoq05qHElfjBK7xtw2minobANyWfxWTfsqI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="307" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrwPJb4UDyU0IW-5L_TRxRWMRK3NbxPzuN3emxvmdnnAoJVvyARR7Y7Hd8OLoIGacFGfMzEmlwfj-NRbzi5JNSD5inPmdRhGbJO2RD4suDPoq05qHElfjBK7xtw2minobANyWfxWTfsqI/w347-h347/image.png" width="347" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Dog
Mountain, St. Johnsbury, VT</b> – Home to the <b>Stephen Huneck Gallery</b>, Dog Mountain
stands as a tribute and memorial to those who have lost a member of their
family, man’s best friend, their dog.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There is a chapel at the site containing notes from floor to ceiling
left by owners of their loved ones, and it begs the question, “Do dogs have a
soul?”</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt99zSMmQj5SGvaDOE2Siv8eznQa_PvDsqAgOQe3eSQ34luLJ6-fKJl7CKdayf6yERLQSJbC6r8nvzq9tpQ1hyM3P3IoW4pTTpMbhYFWh6xtotNsgCxeKfO5qU4u1gqqGYlNg9G6sucuU3/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="338" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt99zSMmQj5SGvaDOE2Siv8eznQa_PvDsqAgOQe3eSQ34luLJ6-fKJl7CKdayf6yERLQSJbC6r8nvzq9tpQ1hyM3P3IoW4pTTpMbhYFWh6xtotNsgCxeKfO5qU4u1gqqGYlNg9G6sucuU3/w338-h338/image.png" width="338" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Seneca
Falls, NY</b> – Home of the <b>IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE Museum</b>, this is the city that
inspired Bedford Falls, the town featured in the movie and home to George
Bailey.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Frank Capra, the director,
visited Seneca Falls just before the movie went into production.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjr99vI4sX7puXZ4fjWZk-6O9YcGsHRS1HvsLijkRHGkAwzJyMIBbCgYlm0eMjKc7cpY6N32rmdKGmaEvA4Vu44-WauHwUsIBc62UKHACXHO-gzpXc3Zh69Mqn8ahBRmQYe6tF8NJ8K2Xz/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="325" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjr99vI4sX7puXZ4fjWZk-6O9YcGsHRS1HvsLijkRHGkAwzJyMIBbCgYlm0eMjKc7cpY6N32rmdKGmaEvA4Vu44-WauHwUsIBc62UKHACXHO-gzpXc3Zh69Mqn8ahBRmQYe6tF8NJ8K2Xz/w355-h355/image.png" width="355" /></a></div><p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Watkins
Glen, NY</b> – Home of the <b>Watkins Glen International </b>road course, my favorite race
track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from the annual NASCAR
event, it hosts races of every kind and at every level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, for $30, you can take three laps around
the track in your own car!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a
bucket list item for me, and it was one of the highlights of our trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if I hadn’t gotten stuck behind a Ford
pickup during my laps (we were not allowed to pass any vehicles), I would’ve
gone much faster than my high speed of 86 mph.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
was a great trip, and I highly recommend getting out and taking a road trip
vacation (if you have gotten vaccinated).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It does the body, mind, and soul and world of good, and almost makes it
feel like life is normal once again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-69946971688565186482021-08-23T20:12:00.002-04:002021-08-23T20:12:54.122-04:00That's Long Enough<p>I guess that's long enough. I've been away a long time, and I'm finding this "home" hasn't changed a bit.</p><p>My office has a biweekly newsletter, and it had a problem with readership, meaning no one was reading it, and there was a substantial lack of material. I decided to submit one of my essays from a blog entry from this site, slightly modified it for a different audience, and submitted it. It was well received, and I was encouraged by the editor to continue submitting stories, articles, essays, or whatever I wanted. It gave me a regular column in which to share my thoughts, get things off my chest, and generally say what was on my mind. It is highly unusual to be given that kind of freedom. I wrote the column for almost two years, 46 entries in all. I received nothing but positive feedback, which had a therapeutic effect on me. I mined a lot of material from this blog for that column.</p><p>A few weeks ago, the editor received a complaint from a colleague who threatened a grievance due to the assumption that there were too many straight white males writing articles for the newsletter. There were two of us writing regular columns, and it's true: we were both straight white males. Never mind the fact that we were writing voluntarily, and that the editor would accept just about anything that was either related in some way to the work that we do, or was entertaining and not offensive. Anyone could write and submit an article. But the complaint was legitimate, and the editor determined that she should cut back on the number of columns written by straight white males. All two of us. Her solution was to have us alternate columns, so instead of writing an article every two weeks, we would each write one article every four weeks, alternating every two weeks.</p><p>I was disappointed, but the arrangement was fine with me. However, the more I thought about it, the more I just wanted to be done with the whole thing. So I requested that I be given the opportunity to write one more article to basically say goodbye, and announce that the column was ending. I thanked everyone for their support, for the kind words sent to me as feedback, and for the extraordinary good fortune of being able to write something with such freedom. It published last week.</p><p>The feedback I received was immense, unanimously positive, and certainly a greater response to anything I've ever written. Readers were disappointed, but seemed to understand. One told me that I should collect all of the articles I had written and make sure to save and share them with my daughter, who might appreciate them more than anyone else.</p><p>That led me to remember that this blog, "Away From The Things of Man," was written for that very purpose. My audience has primarily always been for my daughter, and the writer of that particular piece of advice was a reminder that the blog would always be a place for me to scratch the writing itch. And here I am.</p><p>The purpose of this blog has never been about gaining readers. That was secondary to giving my daughter something to remember her father when I'm no longer around. She missed out on knowing her mother, who passed away when she was only five months old. My daughter needs to know how much I respect her, how proud of her I am, and how much I love her. She is my primary source of happiness. And while I tell her that all the time, I want her to be able to find these words in whatever format this blog is kept for the rest of time.</p><p>So, if there is anyone still out there who read this blog prior to this entry, welcome back. I won't be writing every day, but I hope it will be often enough to keep your entertained. </p><p>Have a great evening, everyone.</p>Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-19978348624194647842020-10-25T16:23:00.002-04:002020-10-25T16:23:23.996-04:00Slightly Hibernating<p> I apologize for the lack of content for the past several months, during the length of the Pandemic of 2020. There were other priorities, but the blog will be back in the weeks to come. In the meantime, since it appears that hackers have been trying to access this site, I wanted to comment to show that we are still an active site.</p><p>Stay tuned...</p>Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-87815752201571709472020-03-29T20:42:00.001-04:002020-03-29T20:42:10.705-04:00Postponing AlaskaOne of my most popular and most-read posts on this blog refers to a bucket list trip that I've wanted to take since I was a teenager: a trip to Alaska! And not just a trip to Alaska.... We're talking a trip on the Alaska Highway, through most of Northwestern Canada, into the Klondike in the Yukon, thru Whitehorse, Dawson City, and all the way to Fairbanks, then down to Anchorage, Seward, the Kenai Peninsula, and to Haines, Juneau, and Skagway. It is an epic adventure that I have been planning for several years now. This Summer was going to be, finally, a four week adventure of a lifetime. <br />
<br />
Then... Coronavirus.<br />
<br />
We're still hopeful. There may be a miracle where the virus disappears or is deemed under control, and life will return to some semblance of normal. Maybe the kids will still be able to finish the school year before losing their whole summer, and having to start the next school year with nary a break. Maybe families will still get a chance to take a vacation. (What's happening now is NOT a vacation... Yes, the kids are out of school, and yes, many adults are home, but this is not a vacation.)<br />
<br />
What the whole planet is dealing with is hardly just an inconvenience. People are dying, families are suffering, our economy is a disaster, people are out of work, some with no income, and so many of the modern conveniences that we count on are no longer available to us. We are denied physical contact with one another while we wait out the pandemic that has taken the normal out of our lives.<br />
<br />
This certainly doesn't change the fact that we desire, and maybe continue to plan, the things that we want to do... the things we love doing. Like travel.<br />
<br />
My daughter and I are road trip enthusiasts. We have had a lot of practice over the past decade traveling throughout America, and last summer we made a significant achievement: we went to our 48th state in the USA. Only Hawaii and Alaska are still to come for us. Our excitement grew as we began preparations for the longest road trip of our lives. But we just don't know now if this trip will be possible this year. And we're disappointed.<br />
<br />
Life appears to be on pause. We can't do anything except stay secluded. We can get out, of course, and we do that. This is a great time for my daughter to put in lots of time behind the wheel of our car as she prepares to get her driver's license, with most roads devoid of traffic. Last weekend, we even went into DC to do some city driving. I think she'll have her full amount of hours completed by the time she takes a driver's education class. Getting her license before our trip to Alaska was one of our goals for this spring.<br />
<br />
We continue to pray for everyone that is impacted by COVID-19. We pray for the health and safety of our first responders and for hospital workers. We pray that our family and friends are able to avoid it, and that we are able to get it eradicated from our lives.<br />
<br />
Take care. Stay safe. Keep away from everyone. Let's beat it.<br />
<br />
Best wishes.<br />
<br />Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-88026666385752241012020-03-21T16:14:00.001-04:002020-03-22T11:38:29.790-04:00Random Thoughts One Week In...<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">We're one week into our self-imposed quarantine during this world-wide outbreak of the COVID-19, or Coronavirus. It's being called a pandemic by most, and there appears to be as many people who are frightened out of their minds as there are who could care less and are living their lives normally, or even recklessly. I think both extremes are as harmful as the virus itself. I've always believed that community is important to our mental well-being. One could argue that community still exists even when we are closed off physically in our homes away from everyone, given that we have so many technological tools at our disposal to stay in contact with the world. I hope that's the case. I can't help wondering how different our world will be, if at all, when we are able to return to some semblance of normal. Aside from the many inconveniences, it seems that only those who suffer serious setbacks during this outbreak may come out of this changed, for better or worse. For everyone else, maybe some habits will change, but I'm willing to bet many will go right back into their previous lifestyle.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">This was the longest string of telework days I've ever worked in my career, and counting. I feel very fortunate that I'm able to do my job remotely, and that the service our agency provides is making an important contribution, even with so much of the country shutdown. It can be isolating, even with the tools we have to stay in touch, just as with our personal lives. My employees continue to do their work, and in most cases, they prefer teleworking than being in the office. I get it. I haven't teleworked much; just a few days sporadically throughout the year... I much prefer being in the office, but I can feel the benefits. Instead of almost 2 hours per day of commuting, I only need to roll out of bed, without even the need to shower (my opinion, I'm sure). But I miss the face-to-face contact I get with colleagues and employees.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">My teenage daughter finds a lot of enjoyment in having no school work to do (aside from the year-long project in her Independent Research class, which she continues to work on almost daily), and the opportunity to sleep until noon everyday. However, we have quite a bit of time together to just talk each afternoon, when I'm off the clock, and she has been very honest given her feelings about this whole thing. Firstly, she feels terribly about the sacrifices that many of her senior-class friends have had to make, and who are missing out on once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It started with the cancellation of the annual music trip, which impacted all of the band and chorus students, and took away their excitement about going to Boston. Then it was the cancellation after one performance of the school musical, "The Addams Family." It continued with the school system itself being shutdown for, currently, two weeks, and is sure to expand well past that. Now it's the expected cancellation of the Senior Prom, and, perhaps, graduation. And what to do about all of the missed school that will likely have to be made up? It has become almost a lost year for students. Time seems to go by so much more slowly during our childhood, and the teen years in particular impact so much of who we are and who we become and what we do for the rest of our lives. Missing out on these once-in-a-lifetime school events is very sad, in my opinion. My very intelligent and compassionate daughter seems to think so, too.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">I'm mildly disappointed in one of the conveniences being offered by some businesses during these unusual times. With our instructions to stay away from human contact to reduce the risk of exposure to the Coronavirus, and businesses having to shutdown and close as the impact becomes more and more widespread, some, particularly restaurants, are going to carryout service only, and some even offering delivery. I hate cooking. It's one of those daily chores that I just do not enjoy. My daughter and I take advantage of these services regularly, and much more often than we should. That said, I'm finding more and more restaurants that we enjoy are offering delivery. We are happy to oblige these offerings... however, once we plug our address into their ordering websites, we're finding that we are, inexplicably, just outside their delivery areas. It's incredibly frustrating, especially after whetting our appetites with our favorite dishes and then dashing our hopes with disappointment. Carryout is always an option, but, since we're not showering as often, and not even getting dressed appropriately to face the public, the convenience of delivery is an option that is much more preferable. Oh, the problems of a privileged society...</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">I don't mean to make light of any of this. The COVID-19 outbreak is a deadly serious issue for our entire planet, and many are suffering terribly by its effects. We who believe know that God is still in control, and we won't panic when we have faith. We pray that our family, friends, and so much of planet Earth will survive and escape suffering and tragedy. We are so thankful for what we have. We will get through this, and we pray for a return to normalcy, and a willingness to learn the lessons this experience will teach us.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I hope you are safe and healthy during this unprecedented time. Take care, everyone.</span><br />
<br />Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-76686703848287534552020-03-17T20:45:00.000-04:002020-03-17T20:45:25.645-04:00Corona-cation, Day 4...<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Corona-cation, Day 4: We’re beginning to get stir crazy. We began self-quarantining after last Friday, and have not left our home since then. Our links to the outside world are through virtual connections, and, fortunately, technology allows us to maintain at least some semblance of normalcy. While my daughter is missing school, she isn’t missing homework. And I am able to continue working thru telework.</div>
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Our biggest issue so far was running out of toilet paper. Why the run on such a necessary staple of civilized society is beyond me, since there really isn’t any logical connection between COVID-19 and toilet paper with which I am aware, but the shelves are empty at every store I went to over the past week. Thank goodness we found a fairly inexpensive option online. It’s not as soft as our regular brand, but these are not regular times. And if you’re regular, you need this stuff, anyway.</div>
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Our concern is focused mainly on my parents and my in-laws. Reports say that their age group is most at risk, particularly with additional health issues, such as my mother’s diabetes and mom-in-law’s asthma. They are reporting price gouging on necessary medications, which should be a crime. Over-the-counter meds are ten to a hundred times their regular cost, in some cases.</div>
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We’re thankful for modern entertainment conveniences, such as streaming movies, online games, and e-books. There’s no shortage of options. That said, we are getting bored already. We’ve taken to cleaning out our closets and paring down unneeded clothes that will be donated.</div>
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A dedicated sports fan, I am suffering from withdrawal due to the postponement and cancellation of pretty much all spectator sports. Hockey was nearing the end of the season and the beginning of the Stanley Cup playoffs, something I look forward to every spring. March Madness is now March Mad-less with all college basketball tournaments cancelled. And, the worst news, the start of baseball season is being delayed indefinitely. As a diehard baseball fan, I find this news depressing. I pass the time by doing fantasy baseball mock drafts.</div>
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We bought what we figured would be an adequate amount of food for an extended period of hunkering down, but we’re running through it much more quickly than expected. Snacking out of boredom is a real thing, unfortunately. Thank goodness for food delivery, but that puts us at some risk because what we’re eating is being prepared and delivered by unknown hands. We must have some level of trust that they are taking precautions just like us. But it may necessitate a store run, which means leaving the safety of our home. Something we’ll have to consider…</div>
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Even the churches are shutting down, but church is more than just a building or a gathering of believers. We can worship virtually in today's world, and connect with others through streaming, video, audio, and just about any other modern techniques. And this is the time when we need community, particularly with the anxiety many are feeling. Prayer seems to be the best thing we can do.</div>
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Nothing is normal right now. My parents likened this to 2002, when the DC Snipers had the entire region on lockdown, and everyone took extra precautions when going out to the stores, or getting their cars gassed up, or stayed home, out of fear that the snipers might have them in their cross-hairs. If nothing else, this is going to be one of those major life events so outside the norm that everyone is going to remember where they were and what they were doing, like 9/11, or the Challenger explosion, or the Kennedy assassination. </div>
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This is unprecedented. There are only a few times in my life when I felt out of control and/or fearful of something going on in the world. In 1987, I was in a car accident in which my grandparents were killed, in a car I was driving, when we were hit from behind by a tractor trailer. In 1990, it was the beginning of the Persian Gulf War, which had me watching CNN every free moment, expecting to be drafted into the war. In 2001, it was 9/11. In 2002, it was the DC Snipers. In 2004, it was the death of my wife. Now this. I don’t think I’m overstating it.</div>
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These sure are some crazy times, but I'm glad to know that my family is safe and feeling well. It's likely inevitable that some of us will end up getting the COVID-19 virus, but I pray the it's effects will be minimal, at least to our health. Impacts to just about everything else are already here.</div>
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If you find a good deal on some toilet paper, drop me a line.</div>
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Have a great evening, and please stay safe. And wash your hands...you just may be saving a life.</div>
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Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-80340273273780986562020-03-08T18:12:00.001-04:002020-03-08T18:12:27.383-04:00Driving Me Crazy<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My daughter started driving in November, a week after her 16<sup>th</sup>
birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a huge milestone in
her (and my) life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know how excited I
was to be driving when I was her age, and, while she seemed to not care a whole
lot at first, now that she has a few miles under her belt, she really looks
forward to getting behind the wheel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
tries to come up with reasons every day why we need to go to the store.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">We had some stressful days leading up to her getting her
Learner’s Permit, which allows her to drive with an experienced adult in the
passenger seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had been studying the
driver’s manual off and on for a few weeks, and she aced the online written
driver’s test multiple times, so, a few days after her 16<sup>th</sup> birthday,
and despite some anxiety (hers and mine!), we went to Motor Vehicle
Administration to apply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">She was a nervous wreck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It became my responsibility to keep her calm, so I kept distracting her
by asking her trivia questions, which she hates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting her mad at me turned into a welcome
distraction, it seems, because it did calm her down, if for only a moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, though, they called our number and it
was her turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To add a bit of drama to
the tale, the testing room is behind a closed door, and she had to knock on the
door and wait for someone to open it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That took about five minutes, but she told me it felt like hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The door finally opened, she went inside, and
fifteen minutes later, she exited excitedly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She passed!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">She did the math and figured out that she could only miss up
to four questions and still pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
told me she had already missed three when she got to the last question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was so scared she would fail, but she got
an easy one:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What kind of sign is red
with eight sides?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was so relieved!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The next hurdle was the actual driving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had only been behind the wheel once, and
it was in our Jeep Wrangler, which has a manual transmission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The experience traumatized her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Driving a manual is similar to playing the
drums, requiring all four limbs to be on the same page, since they each have a
role while driving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The left foot works
the clutch; the right foot brakes and accelerates; the left hand steers; and
the right hand shifts gears and holds your sandwich while you drive and eat
lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes a lot of
coordination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, my daughter could
not get the hang of it, almost burning out the clutch, and she decided she
didn’t want to try it ever again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, with manual transmissions in both of our vehicles, she
was stuck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Over the Holidays, we got a new car…with an automatic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess we were due.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My 2-seater was impractical, 13 years old,
and had a problematic leaky top, so it went to a worthy car donation
organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My daughter will still
have to learn to drive a manual transmission, but it doesn’t have to be right
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the meantime, she will get lots
of hours behind the wheel of our brand new, brightly colored hatchback before she
takes a driver’s education class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
the way I learned, and I was better for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is very excited, and I am excited for her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The first few times out on the road with my daughter behind
the wheel were very hard… for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
sure she was nervous, but, for me, who has anxiety issues already, this was a
new level of fright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pulling out into
traffic was very difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually
closed my eyes waiting for the crashing sound of another car piling into
ours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indecision is another
problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told her that she can’t begin
pulling out into traffic and decide she can’t make it with the car already
halfway into the intersection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make a
decision and stick to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Braking is
also difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve worn a hole into
the floor mat on the passenger side of the car trying to step on the
nonexistent brake pedal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whew!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got her one of those fluorescent yellow
“Rookie Driver” magnets for the back of the car when she is driving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, it only causes other drivers
to harass her as they zip by us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
things are getting better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Experience
makes all the difference, and while she still has some exasperating moments,
I’m a lot calmer about it, knowing our lives are on the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s going to be a great driver.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you find yourself in Central Maryland behind a hatchback with a bright yellow “Rookie Driver” sign on the back, look out!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just may be my daughter and her stressed
out dad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for reading!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-83076705738864742922020-03-04T19:35:00.000-05:002020-03-04T19:35:52.658-05:00Getting Away From It All<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">There is
something to be said for getting away from it all, and to satisfy my
wanderlust, I needed a getaway.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Travel
is good for the soul, and when it comes to a road trip, I can’t recommend it
enough.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I planned a quick 3-night trip
to the American Southwest to drive a last bit of Route 66 that I had missed on
previous trips across the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
would mean flying to Los Angeles, renting a car, and driving across the Mojave
Desert on Route 66 to Needles, CA, swinging north for a night in Las Vegas, and
driving back to LA the following day for the flight back home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It was
November 2004, fifteen years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
was my first trip to the region since my cross-country trip with my wife,
Teresa, in July 2000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was excited
because I had been very recently promoted into my first management position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The job was effective
the day after my return from my trip west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I was also anxious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt
like I was ready for management, but I was still battling through the grief of
losing my wife earlier that year in April to a sudden heart attack. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had been a difficult year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was my first trip without her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">With my
parents taking care of my almost one-year old daughter, Melody, I flew west. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was by myself, and had rented a convertible
for the drive across the Mojave Desert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
arrived at Ontario International Airport towards evening, and I grabbed dinner
at In-N-Out Burger and crashed for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The next morning had a chill in the air, but I had the top down,
anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a gorgeous autumn
Southern California day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Heading
east out of Barstow, CA, on Route 66, the first chunk of the old road
paralleled the interstate, so the sounds of 18-wheelers were fairly
prominent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road itself was in bad
shape, with a patchwork surface, so the car, a well-used Chrysler, which so far
seemed to float down smooth roads, felt like it was bouncing to a rhythmic
pattern down Route 66.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The road
eventually smoothed out and drifted southeasterly away from Interstate 40, near
the village of Ludlow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was really out
in the desert at this point, and there were no other cars on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew I might be the only living person for
miles around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It brought me such peace
as I looked around at the beauty of the desert, mountains off in the distance,
the sound of a train echoing across the valley in front of me…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I stopped
the car right in the middle of the road, got out, and stood on the double
yellow line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could see for several
miles in every direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I slowly
turned in a circle to take in the moment, experiencing the beauty of the
American Southwest, inhaling the fresh desert air, and embracing my aloneness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tears came as I sat back down in the car,
and I thanked God for that moment, for my family and friends, for my career and
the opportunities ahead, for my health, for my wonderful little daughter, and
for the happy memories of my life with my wife.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I drove,
continuing east on the old road just past the little town of Goffs, CA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After seven years, I had completed all of
Route 66 (from Chicago to LA) at this intersection, the same spot I had reached
from the opposite direction with my wife just four years prior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I headed north on US 95 to Las Vegas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">(The Rest
of the Story… After driving to Las Vegas and back to LA, my flight from Ontario
was delayed by mechanical issues, and then arrived in Atlanta late, so I missed
my connection to Baltimore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to
get another flight, but the airline insisted I wasn’t getting home that night. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I was able to get a flight to
Richmond, VA, where I rented a car and drove two hours to my home, arriving at
2am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t have my house key, or any
of my luggage, which had been flown on to Baltimore without me, so I snoozed in
the rental car for a few hours, and then rushed to the office just before
dawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I greeted my new employees with a
box of donuts, unshaven face, and in wrinkled clothing that I had been wearing
for more than 24 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that was my
first day of what is now 15 years of management.)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-71088582248829497732020-03-03T22:14:00.000-05:002020-03-04T07:11:27.245-05:00Stressing Health<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A few
months ago, my daughter and I were getting ready to attend a Christmas party at
my in-law’s church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an annual
tradition, and ever since my wife’s death, it’s a way for us to continue to
connect with my in-laws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My daughter
enjoys it quite a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My father-in-law,
Jim, is the pastor of the church, and the pastor’s family (including us) always
gets spotlighted in some way at the party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It is a catered
affair, and there are a variety of games and a program of singing carols.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Attendees generally get <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">volunteered</i> to be a “contestant” for some of these games, and getting
embarrassed is all part of the fun, if you’re into that sort of thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I almost always get volunteered to do
something, and I’m not fond of it. I get covered in glitter, or wrapped in wrapping
paper, or I have to eat a mincemeat pie without my hands, or sing solo a verse
from the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” and everyone laughs, and I get thoroughly
stressed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I was just a bit anxious
about the whole evening.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I was getting
dressed, and thinking about the evening ahead, when the room started to
spin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt dizzy and immediately sat
down on my bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart rate accelerated
rapidly, and I started to sweat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I laid
back on the bed and tried some deep breathing, something I had learned a few
years ago as a method for reducing stress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Having battled significant stress for much of the past several years, I
knew some of the signs to look for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
felt awful, and my heart felt like it was racing right out of my chest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something was definitely not right.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I yelled for
my daughter and told her what was going on as she entered the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Staying calm (though 16, she is mature way
beyond her years), she suggested we call an ambulance right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still in denial that anything was seriously
wrong, I said no, that I didn’t want the whole neighborhood to watch me get
placed in an ambulance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then she suggested
that we call my father, since that’s what you do when you need help:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you call Dad!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So she called him up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dad, ever
the voice of reason, told me to call an ambulance right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I resisted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He insisted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was being stubborn
and stupid, but I figured I could get myself to the hospital without an
ambulance interrupting the whole neighborhood.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My heart
continued its incessant rapid beating, and my stress over my predicament
grew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to drive to the
hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My daughter recently got her learner’s
permit to drive, but she had not yet driven our Jeep with a manual transmission
(which is something I will address very soon). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I drove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Given the seriousness of the situation, I was foolish to think I could
drive myself to the hospital, and, in hindsight, I would not have done it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should’ve called an ambulance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we rushed to Howard County General.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe I hit 85 mph on Route 32.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a hectic drive, but we made it to the
hospital without incident.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Fortunately,
we found a parking space near the door to the Emergency Room, and rushed inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in some distress at this point, and felt
like I might pass out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nurse at the
front desk recognized that I needed immediate assistance, and as she checked my
heart rate (it was at 190 bpm!), she called an orderly and they rushed me into
the ER in a wheel chair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point I
was in a bit of a panic. And scared.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I was
wheeled into a room with a bed, ordered to remove my shirt, and there were
nurses and doctors everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think
there were ten people in the small room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They began to ask all kinds of questions, while attaching wires and
sensors to me, connected to a vast array of beeping equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone knew their job and did it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole situation was overwhelming to me,
but I’m really glad they worked so hard to get my heart rate and blood pressure
under control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a few minutes, my
heart rate was near normal and, several hours later, after a chest X-ray and
full examination, and with test results showing no blockages, meaning everything
was fine, I was released with instructions to follow up with my doctor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The consensus was that I had suffered a panic
attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t my first, but it
certainly was my worst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We missed the
party, and my mother-in-law was angry with me for allowing the party to stress
me out, which stressed me out.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So
consider this a Public Service Announcement:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stress is not good for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
the body and mind’s reaction to uncomfortable situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stress is recognized by many as the number
one proxy killer disease, and is the basic cause of more than 60 percent of all
human illness and disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chronic
stress can cause or exacerbate many serious health problems, including mental
issues such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders, and
cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, high blood pressure, abnormal
heart rhythms, and stroke.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">How can
you better deal with stress?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are a
few tips, courtesy of the </span><a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">National Institute of Mental Health
(NIH)</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Be observant. </span></b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recognize the signs of your body’s response to stress, such as
difficulty sleeping, increased alcohol and other substance use, being easily
angered, feeling depressed, and having low energy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Talk to your health
care provider or a health professional.</span></b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Don’t
wait for your health care provider to ask about your stress. Start the
conversation and get proper health care for existing or new health problems.
Effective treatments can help if your stress is affecting your relationships or
ability to work. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Get regular exercise.</span></b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Just 30 minutes per day of walking can help boost your
mood and improve your health.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Try a relaxing
activity.</span></b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Explore relaxation
or wellness programs, which may incorporate meditation, muscle relaxation, or
breathing exercises. Schedule regular times for these and other healthy and
relaxing activities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Set goals and
priorities.</span></b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Decide what must
get done now and what can wait. Learn to say “no” to new tasks if you start to
feel like you’re taking on too much. Try to be mindful of what you have
accomplished at the end of the day, not what you have been unable to do.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay connected.</span></b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> You are not alone. Keep in touch with people who can
provide emotional support and practical help. To reduce stress, ask for help
from friends, family, and community or religious organizations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Consider a clinical
trial.</span></b><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Researchers at the National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH) and other research facilities across the country are
studying the causes and effects of psychological stress as well as stress
management techniques.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #505050; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Call the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline</span><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anyone can become overwhelmed. If you or a loved one is having
thoughts of suicide, call the confidential toll-free National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), available 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week. </span><a href="https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/"><span style="color: #0678be; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lifeline chat</span></a><span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a service
available to everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #293340; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for reading.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-25886859406737999772020-03-01T16:02:00.001-05:002020-03-01T16:02:21.150-05:00Jumpstarting the Writing MusclesHave I been away long enough?<br />
<br />
It was bothering me that the ol' blog had sat idle for so long, and I wanted to get back to writing regularly. Every time I sat down with an idea, though, I struggled to stay with it. Before I knew it, a year had passed.<br />
<br />
About six months ago, I was given the opportunity to write a story for our biweekly newsletter at work. It proved to be successful and I was encouraged to continue writing, and I ended up with a regular column. I mined this blog for a lot of material for the new column, adjusting it for an office environment, and it was just what I needed to jumpstart my creative juices. And here we are.<br />
<br />
To say that a lot has changed over the past year is an understatement. Between the massive changes I've experienced in my work life, and the personal challenges with my health and family, things have hardly been normal. That said, there's a lot of stuff to write about.<br />
<br />
What I want to start with, though, is Faith. Proverbs 3:5-6 -<br />
<br />
<div class="verse font-helvetica" id="v-5" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 1.3em !important; outline: 0px !important;">
<span class="verse-number" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-indent: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: 700; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 3px;">5</span></span> <span class="verse-5" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; </span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 15px;"></span><br />
<div class="verse font-helvetica" id="v-6" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 1.3em !important; outline: 0px !important;">
<span class="verse-number" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-indent: 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: 700; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 3px;">6</span></span> <span class="verse-6" style="box-sizing: border-box;">in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.</span></div>
<br />
I stared at this verse for a long time when my church made significant changes to their service times at the end of last summer. The big thing, which impacted me and my daughter the most, was the elimination of the service on Saturday. We had been attending that service for about 7 years, when it was started, and to say we enjoyed it immensely is an understatement. Our whole week seemed to revolve around the Saturday evening service, and it was a principal part of our faith. Socially, we connected with so many people who became our close friends, and their daughters prayed, worshipped, and did activities with my daughter. Because of our lifestyle, which included the opportunity to sleep in on the weekends (particularly Sunday morning, and generally after a long difficult week of school and work), it was a wonderful and refreshing alternative to the typical Sunday morning worship times with which I had grown up.<br />
<br />
Our routine on Saturdays generally allowed for running errands, cleaning house, doing laundry, etc., then attending worship at 5:30pm, followed by dinner out, either just the two of us, or with our friends from church. It was comforting to know we had this to look forward to each week. Our church is very large, and even after calling it our home since 2003, it was difficult for us to get involved. I had attended small to medium sized churches my whole life. Attending a church with several thousand members was intimidating. The Saturday service was much smaller with a few hundred attending each week, and it was so much more relaxing. It allowed us to get to know folks that we would not otherwise have known.<br />
<br />
Due to significant mental stress, mostly from work, I had developed difficulty with anxiety, and large crowds in particular made it difficult for me to attend the severely overcrowded services on Sunday mornings. In fact, the crowds on Sunday were the main reason the church started the Saturday service. This was a Godsend, really. I had gotten frustrated with finding parking, and even finding seats, on Sunday mornings, as the crowds got me down. It was great for the church, though, to see the kind of growth that many other churches could only hope for. <br />
<br />
For my shy daughter, the smaller youth gathering Saturdays allowed her to become more intimate with other kids her age, and praying with and for each other was so important to her spiritual development. The student's program saw significant changes to the weekend services, too. The high school program changed to a Saturday only service every two weeks, so instead of the smaller gathering, now ALL of the kids were together on Saturday evening. My daughter has told me repeatedly that the change was not something she liked, and her interest in doing anything with the youth has greatly diminished.<br />
<br />
The news of the elimination of the Saturday service was a punch in the gut to me, and I didn't take it well. Even worse, it felt like our church home was turning its back on us. I honestly feel like, given how large the church is now, losing a few attenders who could not make the switch from Saturday to Sunday, was no big loss to our church. I reached out to the church elders, but they didn't give us any alternatives.<br />
<br />
The last Saturday service was on September 2, 2019, and that was the last time I walked through the doors of my church home since 2003. I love my church. I can't put into words how supportive the people there were when my wife, Teresa, passed away in 2004, and how much Pastor Mark helped me find significant healing. I don't want to leave my church home. Why did this happen?<br />
<br />
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding..."<br />
<br />
The verse kept going through my head, and as hard as it is to do, I have to believe that there is a reason for these changes to me, personally, even if I don't yet know what they are. I've already put out some feelers to other churches in the area that may end up being a good fit for us, but I'm not ready to walk away from our church yet. I keep hoping that something will change to bring us back. Unfortunately for my daughter, however, it's her friends that she misses the most in all of this, as school functions seem to take away much of her time, even for the biweekly Saturday gatherings.<br />
<br />
So we will continue to pray for the Lord's guidance.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I'm feeling energized about writing regularly again. Stay tuned for more content here on the ol' blog.<br />
<br />
Have a great weekend, everyone.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-79761448547386402782019-01-17T20:49:00.000-05:002019-01-17T20:49:00.216-05:00Incident At A Restaurant<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Daughter Melody and I went out to dinner at one of our
favorite restaurants:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Houlihan’s, in
Elkridge, MD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve been going there
since they opened more than a decade ago, and it qualifies as one of the better
chain restaurants we frequent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a
special promotional envelope that was given to us on our last visit, about a
week before Christmas, and we were anxious to see whether we would be getting a
free appetizer, dessert, or discounted meal, which were advertised as possible “prizes”
inside the envelope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We entered and saw that it was not at all crowded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The host, a young man, perhaps in his late
teens or early twenties, asked us how many were in our party (just the two of
us), made a series of marks on a list on his clipboard, and took us to a table
right in the middle of the restaurant, awkwardly sandwiched between three other
occupied tables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were a lot of
other open tables nearby, including several preferred booths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After sitting, I quickly glanced over at my
daughter, and she looked at me, and we determined that we were going to be too
uncomfortable to converse with each other while other patrons were sitting just
a few feet away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our server showed up
almost immediately, a young lady in her early twenties, and we told her our
dilemma, and asked if we could move to one of the open booths, several of which
were adjacent to our table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said she
understood, and told us to hold on just a minute, as she needed to clear it
with our host.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He happened to be passing
by at just that moment, and our server asked him, within earshot of Melody and
me, if she could move us to the booth nearest to where we were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sighed, and said that it was in “Jared’s”
section, and she would have to clear it with him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now, I’m from the school of good customer service, and accommodating
a guest is just good business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
request to move was not out of the ordinary, and there seemed to be no issues
with over-crowding at the restaurant, and the server even volunteered to
continue serving us at the other table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
the host’s reply struck a very negative chord in me, as if we were
inconveniencing everyone by wanting to move from a heavy concentration of customers
to an open table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His concern, I
reasoned to myself, was that it might unbalance the number of customers in each
of the server’s sections, and he didn’t want to make the change on his
carefully arranged clipboarded sheet of paper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Either way, I immediately went into the “red,” stood up,
grabbed my jacket, and quite audibly exclaimed, “Okay, we don’t want to
inconvenience anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll just leave!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I headed for the exit, followed by my
suddenly surprised daughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I walked
away, I muttered about how ridiculous this was, and I couldn’t believe I was
walking out over this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I reached the
host/hostess stand, a lady who I’m guessing was a management type,
asked, “What happened?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said, very
loudly, “It’s apparently too difficult to change tables!” I said, flashing my
prize envelope so she could see this wasn’t our first visit to the restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We’ve been coming here for over ten years,
but you just lost a customer!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we left.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I have never walked out of a restaurant like that in my
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was flush with emotion, and my
poor daughter looked at me like I was a crazy man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I immediately apologized to her, and told her
that I didn’t mean to ruin our evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We went back to our car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told
her that I have never reacted like that before, never been so upset that I’ve
walked out of a place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She didn’t know
what to say to me, so she didn’t say anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I asked her to pick another restaurant, any place, something that she
liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we just sat there in silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I replayed the entire incident in my head, trying to figure
out why I reacted so uncharacteristically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am not one to fall so quickly into anger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, given the current Federal Government
shutdown, which is directly affecting us, plus not receiving
a paycheck even while I continue to work to help maintain our National Airspace System, stress seems to be ruling my thoughts and actions, causing me to
have a short fuse, and I overreacted to something that wasn’t worth reacting
to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I normally would have been too
embarrassed to draw attention to myself in a situation like that, and my normal
reaction would just be to suffer in silence, even though I knew my daughter and
I both were very uncomfortable with the seating arrangement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I flew off the handle and reacted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I again apologized to my daughter, letting her know that I
was embarrassed by my reaction, and I promised her that we would return to the
restaurant in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want
to sacrifice more than a decade of patronage at a favorite eating establishment
over one lousy incident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition,
since we are friendly with one of the managers, who has been there since they
opened (though she wasn’t there last night), we would likely have the
opportunity to talk to her about what happened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Melody and I went on to have a very fine evening, completely
overshadowing our bad experience, and I didn’t dwell on what happened, like I
usually do. But it serves as a reminder and cautionary tale of the impact stress can have on our day to day actions. I will do better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great evening, everyone.</span></div>
<br />Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-92205143660181148412018-12-05T20:11:00.001-05:002018-12-05T20:11:14.967-05:00The Summer Of Road Trips Begins!<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was the Summer of Road Trips (in fact, every summer is the Summer of Road Trips, for us)! We had a whole slew of things we did this year, and it began in June with our trip to Williamsburg, VA, and Busch Gardens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We left on Wednesday after I worked two-thirds of a day, so we could get an early jump on traffic. But leaving early didn’t help a bit since there’s ALWAYS traffic in the DC area. Twenty minutes after we left home, we hit a major traffic backup on the Capitol Beltway, and we crawled for several miles. I abandoned the beltway at Route 4 and meandered over to US 301 and headed south from there. While there were the typical back-ups in Brandywine, where local authorities caved to developers and built a huge complex of shopping centers along 301, which has created gridlock at all times of the day, we were able to keep moving and made it to Williamsburg by 6pm. It was a relatively quick trip, which was a rare thing.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This was a special trip since we had made plans well over a year ago with the timeshare company BlueGreen to receive a “two-hour” presentation on what they’re offering, in exchange for a bunch of hotel points. I’ve already established in my head that these timeshare things do not fit our lifestyle, so it’s very easy for me to say, "No, I’m just not interested," despite the "manager" telling us that we're stupid for passing on their offer. It's high pressure and I can see why so many people cave and buy when they don't want to. The only downside to our visit was that they picked the hotel we were staying in for the time we were there. I’ve stayed in practically every hotel in the Williamsburg metropolitan area, but we have never stayed at the Country Inn and Suites on Bypass Road. While it ended up being okay, it was fairly typical of the standard hotels we’ve stayed at in the past.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our evening plans consisted of dinner and possibly a movie. We went to our new discovery, the Mellow Mushroom, in Newport News, where I had one of the largest calzones I’ve ever seen. Our server, Heidi, was wonderfully upbeat, and that made Melody happy. We told her so, and it brought her to tears. She was very good at her job, and, if you go, ask for a table in her serving section.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After some debate, we decided against seeing a movie, and instead we drove back to the New Town section of Williamsburg to visit the local Barnes and Noble bookstore. However, to our shock, the store had a handwritten note on the door saying that they had new hours and closed at 9. It was 9:15, so we missed out. Instead, we got dessert at the Sweet Frog, then went back to our hotel and crashed for the night. Our appointment with BlueGreen was to start at 10:30am the next day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After getting ready the following morning, we went to our appointment with BlueGreen. We listened to their presentation and all I will say is that they used every technique I’ve seen in the past, making assumptions about us by our appearance and the things we shared while we chatted. I was not at all interested, and they knew it, and we were the first ones out of the place. We left at 1:15pm, so it was definitely longer than the two hours they said it would be, but I expected that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We went back to the hotel for a few minutes to change and get sunscreen, then we spent the rest of the day at Busch Gardens. We had a great time, though it rained on us each day for the rest of the trip. We rode all of our favorites, including the Loch Ness Monster, which is celebrating its 40<sup>th</sup> birthday. The only coaster we missed was Verbolten, which always seemed to have the longest lines, and also was closed off and on most of the time we were there. Crowds were light overall, mostly due to the rain, so we enjoyed ourselves a lot. Friday night was especially fun because, after getting soaked by a late evening thunderstorm, we had the park to ourselves for about an hour before they closed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">By Saturday, we were ready to head home. We had breakfast at the Colonial Pancake House, a regular tradition on our last day in Williamsburg, then shopped at a couple of places we like. We found a five foot tall dancing Santa Claus for half price at the Christmas Mouse, and we bought it for Mom and Dad for their anniversary. At around 2pm, we headed out of Williamsburg, going out on the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown, and Route 17 through Rappahannock to US 301. From there, we stopped to eat at Cheddar’s in Brandywine, then we surprised my parents in Bowie with the dancing Santa. We finally arrived at home at almost 9pm. It was a fun trip!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great evening, Everyone!</span></div>
Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-44069542878628712902018-12-01T11:49:00.000-05:002018-12-01T11:52:46.960-05:00Looking Back at Father's Day<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My wonderful 14-year old daughter, Melody, surprised me with a Father’s Day gift yesterday that I didn’t expect: a free lunch. She made all of the arrangements, talked to her grandmother for advice, and, at mid-morning, declared we were going out. She had already set the GPS on her phone and said that I would be required to drive one hour and 15 minutes, and she would provide the directions. So, off we went!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We headed north, then west, towards Frederick, MD, then continued west to Hagerstown. As we approached a shopping center, it became clear where we were having lunch: Primanti Bros! I didn’t even know they had a Maryland location, since Primanti’s is a Pittsburgh fixture. It’s a sandwich shop specializing in the all-in-one meat, cheese, slaw, and fries, between two thick slices of bread. Melody was pleased that she had managed to surprise me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We headed in, were soon seated, and placed our order. We started with tater tots for an appetizer. Melody ordered a salad, but I got a sandwich with Capicola, provolone, slaw, fries, and a fried egg on top. It was delicious. Melody talked us into a brownie sundae, and I had a few bites before allowing her to finish it off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">She insisted paying the bill, and I helped her calculate the tip. We also found out that, since it’s Father’s Day, all dads get to eat for FREE! What a great deal!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Melody said I should decide what we would do for the rest of the day, though she suggested a few places that her grandmother had recommended. We ended up going to an antique mall just south of Hagerstown. We spent the next hour walking through the large, crowded aisles, settling on a book (for me) and picture (for one of Melody’s teachers). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We then continued down the road to Frederick along old Route 40. We stopped at the large, overly crowded Wonder Books, a used book store, where we each found a few more books. Our next stop was in downtown Frederick at North Market Pop Shop, home to hundreds of unusual bottled soda pops. We found six bottles of various flavors, then walked back to our Jeep and headed towards home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What a nice day, and great idea, by my darlin' daughter. She seemed pretty proud of herself, and I'm glad that she thought to go out and celebrate with me. She makes me special by making me a Dad, and I'm so honored to be her father.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great evening, everyone!</span></div>
Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-77212015342760698432018-11-13T09:02:00.001-05:002018-11-13T09:02:18.230-05:00Memorial Day Weekend Getaway<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Looking back at some of our travels over the past year...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My daughter and I decided to get away for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. We don’t usually travel on that weekend specifically because it seems like EVERYONE travels on that weekend, but we both needed a break and the timing was good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We waited until after rush hour on Friday, which allowed the traffic to completely unlock itself, and we headed north from Baltimore up to Hershey. Chocolate World was open until 11pm that evening, so we enjoyed a ride through the factory, which is free, and then loaded up on chocolate gifts. After that, we drove to our hotel and crashed. It was midnight when we shut off the lights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We got up early, found a Cracker Barrel for breakfast, then drove to Dorney Park, in Allentown, PA. We had never been to that park before, but it was a part of the Cedar Fair family of amusement parks. We have season tickets which gives us admission to all Cedar Fair parks, including Kings Island in Cincinnati, Kings Dominion in Virginia, and Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, among others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The park was crowded, but most people seemed to be headed to the attached water park. We quickly found out that this meant there were no lines for any of the coasters!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We rode most of the roller coasters, including Talon, Hydra, Thunder Hawk, Steel Force, and the Wild Mouse. Steel Force was easily our favorite. It is a very smooth-riding steel-tracked coaster, and seemed a lot like the Magnum XL 200, a coaster at Cedar Point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was a really hot day, and we found ourselves drinking water like it was going out of style. At around 3pm, we decided we were done, so we left the park and headed over to our hotel. Since it was still early, we decided to backtrack to Shartlesville, and we stopped by an old favorite attraction, Roadside America. Roadside America is a huge model, with houses, buildings, landscapes, cars and roads, and moving features, laid out in a large room almost as big as a warehouse. It's looking old, but it's still pretty cool, and we spent a good hour just walking around and admiring the detailed models.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">We headed back towards Allentown, and, on the way, we decided to get some dinner at a Red Robin. Dinner was good, as always. My daughter, anxious to do more, had me looking for the nearest bookstore, and there was a Barnes & Noble at a mall not too far from our hotel. We decided to go. After more browsing, and some ice cream from Coldstone, we crashed at our hotel.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">We were up kind of late, missing the free hotel breakfast, so we went to a diner nearby after checking out. It was pretty good. Then we headed for home. We meandered through the countryside towards Lancaster, where we stopped at a few of our favorite haunts, then continued on home. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">We hit a tremendous rainstorm as we entered the Baltimore area. the Baltimore Beltway moved very slowly, and there was a lot of lightning. When we reached the interchange for I-95 South near Catonsville, the roadway was flooded. Already in 4-wheel drive, our Jeep easily forded the deeper than expected water, and we continued on home.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Upon arriving home, we heard the terrible news that Ellicott City, MD, had been flooded for the second time in less than two years, with tremendous damage worse than the last time, in July 2016. Ironically, we had had just returned home from a vacation on that day, as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">It was a sad coda to our trip. We watched a lot of news that evening, praying for the folks in EC. We slept late the next day, thankful to be home.</span><br />
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Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-36030873005835233302018-10-24T20:42:00.001-04:002018-10-24T20:42:06.520-04:00New Stories<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
I’ve always thought of myself as a writer. My high school English teacher in 9<sup>th</sup> grade, Ms. Keeny, may disagree, as I didn’t take writing very seriously back then, nor did I always practice what was being taught in the world of grammar, and I had the grades to show for it. But writing about what I liked, versus what I was forced to write about, made a huge difference, and I really do enjoy it now.</div>
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However, life gets in the way when we’re trying to do the things we want to do. I’m defining “life” as responsibilities, or the things that take greater priority, such as eating, cleaning, driving, raising a teen, and taking care of one’s health, that can take time away from the “fun” things.</div>
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Much of the past six months have been filled doing lots of fun things, actually, but these are more along the lines of living life vicariously through my daughter. She entered high school this year, and the accelerator is pressed to the floor all of the time. She immediately got involved with the band, and she is thriving socially as a result. The only negative is homework, which takes up a significant amount of her free time, but she’s pulling in wonderful grades, so what more can a parent ask for? I wish she didn’t put so much stress on herself, so I try to keep her encouraged, and we do enough things outside of school to keep her from getting too stressed out. Our church, also, helps keep her focused on other things, and she loves the girls in her small group. They encourage and pray for her, and she for them. I’m very happy for her, and thrilled to see her thriving.</div>
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Our travel opportunities were also plentiful this past Summer, with a grand vacation in mid-July to Niagara Falls, NY, and Ontario, which was her first trip out of the country, to Canada. We worked our way up to Toronto, and Montreal, Quebec, where my daughter used her French language skills to speak more like a local.</div>
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We spent time in Chicago (G-Fest XXV), Cincinnati (Kings Island Amusement Park), Sandusky (Cedar Point Amusement Park), and New England (where we drove up to the Mount Washington summit, among other things). We took several trips to Busch Gardens, in Williamsburg, VA, too. With our collection of season tickets, we could, in theory, go to 30 different amusement parks, and ride almost 300 different roller coasters! That’s a lot of ups and downs!</div>
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Band and church camps (her), and business trips to Oklahoma City and Fort Worth (me), rounded out the rest of the Summer, and while I thought things might quiet a little bit this Fall, the aforementioned new high school routine has taken away almost any possible time for relaxation. The fact that it’s almost the end of October is incredible to me, since time seems to be flying fast.</div>
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It isn’t all great news, though. Both my mother and my mother-in-law suffered major health issues in the Spring, and between Mom’s back surgery (after falling backwards down a staircase) and my MIL’s knee removal due to infection and still unscheduled knee-replacement surgery, we’ve spent lots of downtime when we’ve visited with each of them. Both are still recovering, though MIL is still in a wheelchair, and she has a long road ahead even after her surgery. Mom has difficulty walking, and still can’t go down stairs without assistance.</div>
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And then there’s this: I’ve made no secret here in the past of the fact that I’ve had my battles with depression and stress, however much of the last six months were a continuing struggle for me. I’ve had days where I couldn’t get out of bed, let alone get to work. I pray every night and every morning for God’s help in getting me through each day. I experienced an unwanted change in jobs and responsibilities a few months ago, which is the primary source of stress, and it has me doubting my ability to do… well, just about anything. That’s what depression does to me. It leaves me feeling paranoid, unhappy, distrusting, and doubting myself in a lot of ways. Most days, I feel like I’m in a pit and I can’t climb out of it.</div>
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As a result of these struggles, I’ve had difficulty writing. It isn’t that I’m not writing at all; what I’ve written is just not worth posting, as much of it is meandering and personal. With regard to this blog, I’ve put it aside in order to concentrate on getting better. While I’m a long way from that still, there are things I feel like I can share. And, really, the blog is an itch that I need to scratch. I’m unsure of just how much I’ll post, but I hope multiple times a week will suffice to get me back into a routine.</div>
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In the near future, you can look forward to hearing stories about my daughter’s high school band adventures; my wonderful wife; our latest roller coaster trips; pizza…oh, so much pizza; and stories about my walk with God.</div>
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Have a great day, everyone!</div>
Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-18588601391974133942018-05-13T10:51:00.002-04:002018-05-13T10:51:58.672-04:00Happy Mom's Day<div style="text-align: center;">
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Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there. My wonderful wife, Teresa, passed from this life less than a month before her first official Mother's Day, so everyday spent with our daughter, Melody, was Mother's Day. Teresa was a great mom.<br />
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Melody was so fortunate to have my own mother, as well as Teresa's mother, as moms, so we celebrate them because they were so wonderful and supportive.</div>
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Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Happy Mother's Day, Mom2! Happy Mother's Day, T2!</div>
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Have a great day, everyone!</div>
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Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-85397634253141471192018-05-11T18:39:00.000-04:002018-05-11T18:51:23.497-04:00Pizza!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I consider myself a pizza connoisseur. Though it is not the best thing for me to eat, I can’t help trying an old favorite or a brand new, never-tried-before pizza parlor. So many of my favorites over the years have disappeared off the map, many of them childhood favorites that helped develop my pizza palette, and I miss them terribly. I’m sure they weren’t necessarily good, at least not all of them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Places like Shakey’s were pretty awesome, though it likely wasn’t the pizza, but the ambience that I remember so well. In the mid- to late-70s, my grandfather, Kenny Fulcher, displayed his powerful trumpet playing chops with a Dixieland Jazz band called Southern Comfort every Friday night at the Rockville, MD, Shakey’s restaurant, on the Pike. The place always seemed packed with patrons, and the pizza wasn’t bad. It closed back in the 80s, eventually replaced by a Hooter’s. Where Shakey’s was certainly children-friendly, Hooter’s is not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I’ve mentioned this place once before on this blog, but another favorite pizza restaurant was the Dino Restaurant, in Suitland, MD. It’s also long gone, but not forgotten. Eating at Dino’s was a lot like eating in someone’s Italian dining room. It seemed very formal to my child eyes, but we loved going here for special occasions, or on a Friday night when we had a craving for it. It was very similar to Ledo’s recipe, with a somewhat thin, rectangular crust, slightly sweet sauce, and nicely portioned layer of cheese. I remember going more than a few times with my grandparents, and once tried anchovies, which my grandfather would order separately and add on to his slices of pizza. The Dino is missed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I generally stay away from the chains (though I know Shakey’s was a chain, and Ledo’s, my current favorite, is, too), but I’m going to mention Pizza Hut. I haven’t liked their pizza for many years, but when I was a kid, we went to Pizza Hut often, and it was pretty good. The crust was always thicker than anything else we tried, and the cheese was laid on pretty thick, too. I guess it was the pan pizza that really attracted us, though, and we loved every greasy slice. While my family always seemed to go to the Clinton, MD, store, it was the Upper Marlboro Pizza Hut, near Osborne Road on 301, that became “ours.” I went to Frederick Douglass High School, and the school’s band adopted it as our hangout. After every football game or concert, we would gather there for a celebratory pizza.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of Clinton, another really good pizza place was Margellina’s. I didn’t “discover” them until I was in my 20s, but it became a favorite of mine, and I loved dragging friends there to eat. My parents loved it, too. Many times, I’d order a couple of pies and take them home. They were really good, slightly thick, and packed with toppings. They were unique enough to want to come back often.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A shopping center near my childhood home in Upper Marlboro opened a Pizza Oven restaurant in the early 80s. While the pizza was nothing special, it really grew on me and the thick tomato sauce and thin crust satisfied my pizza cravings often. They were a fairly decent local chain for a while, but now there’s only one left in the DC area that I can find, near Riverdale, MD, just off of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Ironically, it’s in the exact same shop that my parents used to get their pizza fixes when I was a baby and we lived in Riverdale, called the Pizza Wheel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In my mid 20s, I moved in with my cousin, Dan, in Montgomery Village, MD. MV seemed far from where I grew up, and I had to find all new pizza places and learn what was good. Dan was a pizza guy, too, though, and he knew where to get the good stuff. He and I began ordering a large pizza from Armand’s Chicago Pizzeria almost every Friday. They delivered, which was perfect, and he and I could put away a large pizza easily. Armand’s pizza was thick, Chicago-style, and had a slightly bitter, thick tomato sauce. And we loved it. Our regular order was pepperoni, mushrooms, and extra cheese. There are still a couple of Armand’s in the area, though they seem to come and go. There was one in Bowie, near my parent’s place, but it only lasted a few years. I don’t know if the MV store is still there, but there is one in Silver Spring, not too far from my office, and I surprise my management team with a pizza lunch every once in a while.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I’m still searching for good pizza places in Howard County, where I live, but I haven’t been very successful. My current favorite is Trattoria E Pizzeria***, on Guilford Road at the King’s Contrivance Village Center. It’s a New York-style pizza that retains its Italian heritage. I wish they delivered, but I don’t mind going to pick up a pie when I get a craving for it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Other pizza joints in Howard County that I’ve tried, both chains and standalones, include (with my subjective ratings): Bertucci’s*** (Columbia), Coal Fire** (Ellicott City), Facci** (Fulton), HomeSlyce*** (Columbia), Ledo’s*** (Columbia and Fulton), Lucero’s*** (Fulton), New York J & P** (Fulton), Pasta Blitz*** (EC), Squisito** (Burtonville – technically Montgomery Co), Pub Dog*** (Columbia), Waterloo** (Columbia), Waterloo** (Elkridge), Vennari’s** (Columbia), Bella Mia** (EC), Gateway Pizza*** (Elkridge), Upper Crust** (Columbia), Pazani*** (Elkridge), Luna Bella** (Columbia), Roma’s** (Columbia), Pizza Presto* (Laurel), Pizza Primetime* (Laurel), Royal Pizza*** (Columbia), MOD*** (Columbia), Pie Five* (Columbia), Papa John’s* (Laurel), Domino’s* (Laurel), Pizza Hut* (Laurel), Jerry’s** (Fulton), Grotto’s** (Columbia), Wegman’s*** (Columbia), Weis** (Laurel), and Three Brother’s*** (Laurel/PG County – Columbia location is closed!). </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Some are pretty good, many are not so great, though I’ll say I did really like Three Brother’s and was saddened that the Columbia location closed. The Ledo’s chain is the closest to great, but they’re still not at the level of the Original Ledo Restaurant**** (College Park) and TJ Elliot’s**** (Bowie – they use the original recipe).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So my search for great pizza continues. If you have recommendations, please pass them along.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great weekend, everyone!</span><br />
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Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-54814552595175710182018-05-05T11:58:00.001-04:002018-05-05T11:58:08.676-04:00Short TakesToday is <a href="https://www.freecomicbookday.com/">Free Comic Book Day</a>, the annual celebration of all things related to comic books on the first Saturday in May, featuring a variety of books offered for FREE by publishers working with comic shop owners to provide access to the world of comic books. My daughter and I have participated in Free Comic Book Day for much of the last decade, and will be visiting our favorite shop, Big Planet Comics in College Park, MD.<br />
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My Dear Daughter Melody began her Summer concert tour by seeing Lord Huron perform at the relatively new venue at the DC Waterfront, The Anthem, last night. While Lord Huron likely won't overtake twenty one pilots as #1 in Melody's heart, they are a current favorite, and the first of another series of live concert performances we plan to attend this season. On tap is Imagine Dragons and Yes, with more to come. We love the music of our favorite bands, and seeing them live is a great opportunity to celebrate that love.<br />
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Melody and I saw AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR last weekend. If you're a fan of the genre, and/or you've seen the previous Marvel movies, you owe it to yourself to check out this movie. It is really good, though it ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger, and you'll have to wait a year to see the rest of the story. But we were mesmerized. We loved seeing the various team-ups of the characters, and while a cast as large as this one makes it difficult to go too deeply into anything but surface characterizations, everyone gets at least a few minutes in the spotlight. We do lose a few favorite superheroes, as you may have heard. SPOILER WARNING: I don't believe that any of the character deaths are permanent, however there are a couple that are integral to the story, and we may not see their returns. That's as far as I'll go. END OF SPOILER WARNING.<br />
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Medical updates:<br />
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Mom is at home, resting and feeling better. She started physical therapy a few days ago, and that will continue for the next several weeks. She's on the road to recovery.<br />
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Mom-in-law is at a rehab center for the next six weeks, going through physical therapy while keeping her "knee-less" leg from taking any weight. After the six weeks, she will have surgery to place a new knee into her leg, and then she will have six more weeks of rehab. She's doing okay.<br />
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Daughter Melody is still dealing with Spring allergies, resulting in stuffy nose and sore throat, but she's feeling better.<br />
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My sister is preparing for toe surgery on Tuesday morning. She'll be off her feet for at least a week.<br />
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Have a great weekend, everyone!<br />
<br />Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-85047145368223993262018-05-02T20:47:00.002-04:002018-05-02T20:47:51.354-04:00Prayer RequestsIt has been a rough week, with my mother's surgery on Friday to fuse a vertebrae after her fall down the stairs last week, and my mother-in-laws surgery, also on Friday, to remove her knee for a knee replacement. Daughter Melody and I found ourselves making multiple visits to two different hospitals over the weekend.<br />
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The good news is that Mom came home on Monday, though she has a long recovery ahead of her. She was finally able to walk, with assistance, on Sunday, which led to her release from the hospital, but she and my dad have had a rough week awaiting word on a rehabilitation facility. God is so good, and we're so thankful that things are looking up, overall.<br />
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My mother-in-law was released from the hospital yesterday. She had a bad infection in her knee, and the replacement knee she received five years ago had to be removed. She went to a rehab center where she'll stay for the next six weeks, at which point she'll have another surgery to install a new knee.<br />
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With the Spring weather comes pollen and allergies, and Melody always seems to have a bad reaction. She has been miserable for the past several days, and I elected to keep her home from school for the past two days. I feel so badly for her, especially with the warm weather. She's had to be indoors while she recovers. It has also kept us from visiting the grandmothers this week.<br />
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Finally, I'm having two more big, bad moles removed from my back tomorrow. My dermatologist apologized to me in advance, telling me that I'll have some pretty nasty scars, but I don't really care. I'd rather have them out. I'll never see them, and it's not like anyone else will see them, except doctors, most likely. Anyway, I'm going to be confined to the couch for the next several days. Nothing like a little forced rest to take some of the stress away.<br />
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I feel like all I'm doing is asking for good thoughts and prayers for healing, not just me, but for Mom, Mom-in-law, and Melody, too. As I said at the top, it has been a rough week.<br />
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Have a great evening, everyone.<br />
<br />Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-67505617140582819062018-04-26T23:11:00.003-04:002018-04-27T07:20:45.050-04:00Mom Takes A FallTuesday night, I was in bed, reading a book and getting sleepy, when my phone rang. It was 10pm, so I knew it was not a normal call. Sure enough, it was Dad. His voice was shaky as he told me he was following an ambulance to the hospital. Mom had fallen down the stairs. I asked him if it was a bad fall (as if any fall down the stairs isn't), and he said it was, that she was in bad shape. He said that he would call us as soon as he had any news, and he asked me to let sister Angie and brother Darren know what was going on. He figured they were both asleep and didn't want to wake them up.<br />
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My mind was all over the place as I hung up the phone. Daughter Melody, who was still awake and had heard my phone, came in the room and I told her what was going on. She quickly texted Angie and we found out she was awake, so we called her. I told her what was going on, and asked if she could come over to our house (she lives a mile away) and stay with Melody while I went to the hospital. She said she would. I quickly got dressed, and headed out the door with a mug of coffee as Angie arrived. Angie told me that Darren had texted her and said he was on his way to the hospital, too.<br />
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I got to the hospital in 20 minutes. It was raining hard, just a lousy all-around night, but I found a parking spot near the Emergency Room. I saw Dad in the waiting room right away, and he looked very surprised to see me. I asked if he knew anything yet, and he said he hadn't, but he relayed what had happened.<br />
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Mom was going up the stairs with her hand full. She wasn't holding the handrail. She had a box of nail polish in her hands. She lost her balance about ten stairs up, and fell backwards. There is a wall at the bottom of the stairs, and she slammed hard against it. She never lost consciousness, she said. Dad was in the basement and heard her fall, and he raced up to find her. She was in serious pain, and nauseous. Dad called 911, then asked her what happened. She told him.<br />
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The EMTs arrived quickly, and took charge. She was in too much pain to move herself, and in order to be safe, the EMTs put her on a backboard. Once she was loaded into the ambulance, they took her vitals and stabilized her before leaving for the hospital. Dad wanted them to take her to the hospital the normally use, but they told him that, because she had fallen more than five stairs, they had to take her to a trauma center, and the closest was in the opposite direction, a hospital with a terrible reputation.<br />
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Mom had a bad gash on the back of her thigh, in addition to severe back pain. It turns out that many of the bottles of nail polish had broken and she landed on the shattered glass. The back pain was the real concern, though. She had feeling in her extremities, and while she could move her legs and feet, she could not sit up.<br />
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After waiting with Dad for about an hour, they let us go back to see Mom. Because of security concerns at the hospital, we had to be escorted. Mom was alert, but very uncomfortable. The initial CAT scan indicated a compression fracture to the L-2 vertebrae, and the gash in her thigh required stitches. We chatted for a bit, and Mom shared a few details about the fall from her perspective.<br />
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Darren had arrived, and they only allowed two of us in the trauma room at a time. I said goodbye to Mom and headed back to the waiting room. I gave Darren a quick update, and then he went back to see her. Darren came back out about 30 minutes later, and told me that they were going to do the MRI and were planning surgery. That was a surprise to me. Darren was going back to Mom & Dad's house to crash and make sure the house was locked up, since Dad couldn't remember if he even shut the front door. Darren had to work early the next morning.<br />
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I walked him out, then awaited security to escort me back to the trauma room. That was when I got the details from Dad. The doctors feared that there may be internal bleeding, and they were going to do an emergency MRI in order to see if they needed to do immediate surgery.<br />
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At 2:30am, they took Mom out for the MRI. Dad and I waited. I was happy that I had brought a mug of coffee, since it was keeping me awake. I kept talking to Dad to keep him distracted and awake. The nurse brought Mom back in about 45 minutes. It was another 30 minutes until the doctor arrived to give us his prognosis. He said that they were ruling out surgery, at least for now, that she was bleeding enough to be a concern. Mom was getting pretty drowsy from the pain meds, and since nothing else could be done that night, we agreed to go home and catch some shuteye. Dad planned to be back by about 9am to meet with the doctors. I had a dermatologist appointment the next day, so I was able to get out of work for the day. We said goodnight to Mom, and Dad and I went out to the parking lot.<br />
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I told Dad to keep me updated on things, and I went home. Angie was still awake and watching TV when I walked in. It was 4:30am. I normally got up at 4:40am on weekdays. I gave Angie all the information I had, and sent her home to sleep. Then I went to sleep. I was up an hour later to get Melody up and ready for school, and I gave her an update on Mom. At 6:30am, I called the folks at work to let them know what was happening, then I tried to sleep a bit more.<br />
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More to come on this story. Mom will have surgery tomorrow (Friday) afternoon. Good night.<br />
<br />Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073119012671743732.post-2810106006648554522018-04-24T19:48:00.002-04:002018-04-24T19:48:49.625-04:00Say "Cheese!"I got a speeding ticket mailed to me a few days ago. Apparently, I was speeding in front of an elementary school on a Sunday evening, going 48mph in a 35mph zone, and there was a speed camera. I'm definitely guilty, even though I didn't even know I was going too fast at the time. It's only the third speeding ticket I've ever received, the second via speed camera. The other time was on a stretch of Route 108 in Olney, MD, where the speed limit changes three times in less than a mile. Yes, I was guilty then, too.<br />
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Personally, I'm not a fan of speed cameras. I realize there are good safety reasons for them, especially around schools. I'm usually very cognizant of them. My daughter used to walk to school and I was very happy that there was a camera in front of her school, especially given the ridiculous number of speeders along that stretch of road. My issue with them is when they are posted on roads nowhere near schools solely for the purpose of making money for the jurisdiction that places them.<br />
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My first speeding ticket was given to me by a West Virginia state trooper when I was in my mid-twenties. Though it was a speed trap, I was clearly and admittedly speeding. He clocked me going 70mph in a 60mph zone. The speed limit was only 60 in that short stretch of highway, jumping to 65 a short distance further ahead. But getting pulled over by a police officer, with lights flashing and in front of lots of other drivers, was a much more intimidating and humbling experience than getting a picture of my car and a speeding ticket in the mail. I learned a lesson that day and never received another violation until the Olney incident, more than 20 years later.<br />
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Clearly, if the idea is to get people to stop speeding, getting a ticket from a flesh and blood police officer is a better way of hindering drivers than getting something mailed a week or more after a camera gets you. Unless, of course, the idea is to make money. Just my two cents.<br />
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Do I sound bitter?<br />
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Have a great evening, everyone.<br />
<br />Eric Freedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03077355362215517201noreply@blogger.com0