The shopping mall where I spent some of my youth is gone. Razed to the ground for newer strip-style and free-standing stores and an apartment complex, that mall had been a huge part of my young life. We always wanted to go the mall as kids. I can remember a huge bike ride a fewContinue reading “Mall Life, Mall Danger, Mall Death”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Weddings Keep Me Engaged
I look forward to retirement in about 10 years, but I don’t want to stop being active, engaged, and a contributor to my family’s needs. Working has also given me an activity to keep me connected to other people. I enjoy being involved with people, and don’t want to lose that “muscle.” One of theContinue reading “Weddings Keep Me Engaged”
Transportation Decisions
While I was at my Transportation Officer Basic Course at Fort Eustis, Virginia, it was the prime of my life. 22 years old – wearing the country’s uniform every day – training with other young hopefuls. I enjoyed Army training (most of you are looking at me now with that “He does need therapy” look)Continue reading “Transportation Decisions”
Beef Wellington with a Side of Trepidation
Cooking is fun to me, but I am usually too distracted by my hunger to spend a lot of time with it. I’ll heat some pasta sauce, add some extra spices, throw it on some chickpea pasta and I’m in my happy place. Fortunately, my wife’s cooking skills, bound with love for her family, haveContinue reading “Beef Wellington with a Side of Trepidation”
Important Stuff
Some people have trouble getting rid of their stuff. We’ve done a lot over the last few years to downsize and de-accumulate. Life is so much easier with less to manage. Some people on the spectrum obsess over certain possessions, but anyone can suffer from a little separation anxiety with something. Part of my jobContinue reading “Important Stuff”
Did I Check My Pockets?
All three of my children had become adults before we knew that I was on the autism spectrum. All I wanted when they were born – even before they were born – was to be a good dad. I wanted to spend time with my children, teach them the ways of faith and life, seeContinue reading “Did I Check My Pockets?”
Dead Air
I mentioned in an earlier post that I was fascinated with radios as a child. Although I am experimenting with podcasts in the car, I usually listen to the radio. I switch the stations around based on whatever I like – or don’t like. Mistakes catch my ear, especially dead air. I recognize them, becauseContinue reading “Dead Air”
Eliminate! Eliminate!
The Daleks were a recurring enemy in the Doctor Who series that went around destroying people and worlds with one mantra, “Exterminate! Exterminate!” I thought of that mantra often, but exchanged it with a similar sounding word, when a doctor told me that I needed to eliminate some foods to see what some of myContinue reading “Eliminate! Eliminate!”
Do I Hear the Wheels Spinning?
My father tells me that my great-great-grandfather was a Dutchman. My middle name is passed down from that heritage – Holland. Hoping to visit the Netherlands one day, I was pleased to read a sizeable description of Dutch culture in the book, Niksen, Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing. The author, Olga Mecking, hasContinue reading “Do I Hear the Wheels Spinning?”
Picking a Peck
We did not take the Mini to the Piedmont area last week; we used instead my wife’s larger SUV. A tighter fit for 4 adults and lots of birthday presents, the Mini stayed home. This was our annual visit to Carter Mountain, a Charlottesville area orchard spot near Jefferson’s home – Monticello. It was aContinue reading “Picking a Peck”
Manual Transmission: Shifting Gears as an Adult with Autism 