Every year, PNC Financial Services figures out how much all the presents in the Twelve Days of Christmas would cost. This year, it’s $46,729.86. That’s a record high. It’s up 2.7% from last year, which was the previous record holder. If you’re wondering, ten lords a leaping led the way at $14,539.20. That’s almost a…
I’ve been saying for a long time now that the economy has never been good in my lifetime. I make that as an honest and serious statement. It’s not hyperbole. The economy has not been good for at least 45 years. But, the official outlets (the government, news agencies, professional economists) have said differently. They…
Like many other people, I’ve been home by myself a lot over the past few weeks. I was sick. I’m 99.9% sure it was just a seasonal cold. I had a sore throat, runny nose, and a cough. There was never a fever or difficulty breathing or anything like that. But, just to be safe,…
Today was the first official day of spring training for most of baseball. Usually, when spring training starts, there are a whole bunch of stories about how some 36 year old is in the best shape of his life, and how some 22 year old is going to be the next Ted Williams, and about…
I had to get slightly buzzed at a pub with a friend I’ve known since elementary school to finally feel comfortable enough to say out loud what I’ve been thinking recently: “Identity politics is bullshit.” Even then I half-whispered it, despite being in a room full of people who were too drunk to care. In…
I overslept this morning. I was on time to the IOP, in fact I was the first one there, but I had to rush. I hate being rushed. It got my day off to a bad start. Check-ins were pretty standard today. I talked about how most of yesterday afternoon was good, but then I…
It’s late on Christmas Eve Eve and we just got our tree up. We should have done it earlier but just haven’t had the time. It’s a nice tree. Small but full. It’s covered in colored lights, homemade decorations, and silver baubles. We also hung the stockings, put some garland on the railing, and placed…
A couple weeks ago, I posted an apology because I couldn’t get my Monday mental health piece written. I was talking to my therapist lately and she said that I should have posted what I did have written even though it wasn’t finished. It could provide insight both into the writing process and the depressed…
We got our first snow of the season last night. It was the second winter storm, but the first one had mixed precipitation and just left a slushy mess on the ground. This one was snow from start to finish. We only got about three inches, which isn’t a lot, but it covered everything in…
