Though I started my new position with

I recently took about a six-week hiatus from posting anything to my Facebook page, primarily because I was going through some personal difficulties which I am still dealing with to a mildly lesser extent. However, I do not post often anyway so it was not really an intentional thing, just a natural element of my prolonged social extraction.
After awhile, I noticed I was having these thoughts that after some initial contemplation seemed to unconsciously resolve into a Facebook-like snippet. I guess that is our how our minds are beginning to …

One of the quirky results of having a twin-television setup in my Man Cave is random parallels between the two screens. The frequent synchronicity is quite often startling, and also humorous or just plain cool.
The photo above (click image to see full-size photo) is a recent example of this phenomenon. I was watching MLB TV on the smaller screen on the left, with the Cardinals game being featured on the primary (flat HD) screen on the right. The A’s were using rookie relief pitcher Sean Doolittle to close out a …

Engaging in the real estate game can permeate the fabric of one’s daily existence in many, many exhausting ways.
On this particular Friday night, there seemed to be countless options for fun outings around St. Louis, especially for lovers of live music. Even though I’m almost adjusted to temporarily eliminating this part of my life, I have had that nagging sensation the past couple of hours … that I’m totally missing out on things.
Which is undeniably true, to some extent. Though my reasons for focusing on home and family are being …

I still forget just how therapeutic writing can be, so as I deal with a large volume of frustration I have turned to a brief blog entry. Looking for employment is more than just a trying experience; it is exceedingly full of agony, irritation and maddening experiences. I use that three-pronged word approach to not be redundant, but to emphasize what this process embodies. I realize that potential breakthroughs and a fresher future await – and that there is an element of excitement involved.
The downside to this process that leads …

The short-term future that I see is much less murky than the long-term, yet each brings with it an impressive degree of cloudiness with just enough clarity to firm up this mix of perception, hope, desire and reality. Not to be overly cryptic, but I feel that I am facing an axis, a spinning wheel of personal evolution that will obviously lead me to the inevitable future – but what lies beyond today has much more of a mysterious overtone than the cozy, comfortable tones one wants to be accustomed …

This past Thursday was a solid example of one of those days when events take a very sudden turn for the worse at the most inopportune time, causing major parent panic. It was not an overly serious circumstance, relative to genuine emergency. But just as I was experiencing a fatherly zenith while enjoying a gorgeous evening at the park, my little girl starting throwing up all over the park playground. Not good times.
I certainly realize now that each day as a parent of a baby or toddler brings with it …

In six hours, I will be on my way to the KK Ranch, a place that is held sacred among many of my friends. I agree with their sentiment. It is really an idealistic way for us to gather and enjoy time outdoors and together in a perfect setting.
Located out in the country not far from I-70, the KK is only 90 minutes from most points in St. Louis. It features an old-school bunk house that conjures imagery of 1970s Americana, a real outhouse (though it actually is relatively nice), …

I was just reflecting on last week’s St. Patrick’s Day St. Louis celebration in Dogtown. What a day! Since I am looking for work and in the very beginning stages of helping to prepare our house for market, I was conflicted last Wednesday morning. Our daughter goes to daycare on Wednesdays, and so the idea is for me to scramble as best I can to be extra productive. Not party all day.
But … this day only comes once per year. And it was sunny … and I really wanted to …

Few things within the realm of common occurrence is as painful as gout. If anything. Waking up to a throbbing, swollen and painful big toe sounds awful to most, but unless you’ve experienced gout for yourself it is difficult to comprehend. I woke up to another bout of gout this morning, but it is not nearly as intolerable as a truly chronic outbreak. But it still hurts a lot. The explanation I use when talking to others about this condition is to imagine having a big toe that is throbbing …