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Who's the Real Writer?
This afternoon my wife, the lovely Karla, and I were reminiscing about a funny experience we shared a few years back. By the way, that’s just two people in the first sentence. It’s called “appositive”. Go ask Mary Alice Rice. Anyway, the point is that I was reminded of how incredible a writer… my wife…
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I'll Be There… Will You?
The “there” where I’ll be is none other than Christendom College’s annual Homecoming celebration. Admit it, you’ve been waiting for a return of these posts. You’ve been sitting at home neglecting your kids, your spouse, your dog all the while frantically wondering what you could possibly have done to merit the desertion you think I’ve…
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The End of the Beginning
Friends, dear fellow alumni, we have reached an auspicious milestone. Yesterday in Nokesville, VA, roughly half-way between the college’s very first home of Triangle and the longtime Front Royal base of operations, the family of Mark Rohlena, ’00, hosted our final Grill’n & Chill’n event. Did I say final? It all depends on how you look…
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Of Broken Teeth and Broken Dreams
Those of you whom I was privileged to meet for Grill’n & Chill’n events this summer will generally fall into two groups. There were the few here and there whom I had already met (and knew somewhat well) thanks to my marriage to Karla and through my siblings. These are the Pierce’s, Belleville’s, and Lazurri’s…
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Grill'n in Big D!
Did you really think we’d leave you high and dry like that? No conclusion? No closing remarks? No chance to grill and chill with the best? Silly people… DAY 55/We’ve Become Master Prep-ers We spent much of this day still soaking things in. I mean that in a literal fashion. The high temperature at DFW…
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Chill'n in the Car
No need to be nostalgic or weepy-eyed… or weepy-voiced. If that intrigued you, let me tell you a story. On one of those real-life crime drama shows I enjoy watching from time to time I encountered the story of Paul Michael Stephani. Every time I hear the word weep or weepy I think of him. Why? Stephani…
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Grill'n in Phoenix
Have you ever stayed at a hotel that seemed pretty decent but had an unusually high amount of police activity? You sure? That must just be us. Our hotel in Perris, a small town about 75 miles east of LA, was just a little too perfect. Thanks to Priceline, it was not a chain hotel…
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Grill'n in Burbank!
Friends, today marks a milestone for us. First is the fact that after more than a week since our Denver event we return to actual “grill’n” today. Second, today marks our fiftieth day on the road! Think about that. It has been 50 days since I walked out the front door of my house in…
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The Day of Rest
Readers of this blog might already know that my wife and I are big fans of beautiful churches. From Little Rock on our first day and its Cathedral of St. Andrew which, though not magnificent, still rises to the level of beauty the likes of which architects of recent Catholic churches have not pondered to…
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The Happiest Place on Earth
I will preface this post by saying that my feelings toward “Disney” are ambivalent. By Disney I am not talking about the man, Walter Elias Disney; rather I speak of the conglomerate corporation that owns half the world and has destroyed Times Square.* Walt Disney, by all accounts, was a decent guy – he had…