Tales of the Ordinary Days

Oscar to the left and Felix to the right Stealing a phrase from a friend of mine; 'we have a situation' at my house. I live with Felix and Oscar. The Odd Couple. For those of my age and older, you completely understand of whom I am referring. For those younger and confused, check with your friend, Wikipedia. This relationship has existed for some time, but has escalated over the last year. Post-marriage, Garrett and I have began spending our weekends with each other's kids and with more overall time in Omaha. Although the result has been a culture shock to both Ben and Garrett, it has been no surprise to me. Most say merging families in re-marriage is hard on the kids. The truth is that it is harder on the step-parents. Let me just throw out the core of the issue. Ben is a train wreck. This assertion is not a surprise to those who have known him his whole life. As a forever-smiling toddler, when asked his name, he would say "I'm Benny and I'm a train wr...

The phrase 'bloom where you are planted' keeps resonating with me. I'm not completely sure where the embedding began, but as of late, this catch phrase continually hits replay in my brain. I do feel like I am planted in a lot of different places these days. Tonight I am in Omaha. And I'm at home. Just home (9:06 p.m.). But home nonetheless. Home means many different things to me. I confuse people with pictures of Denver on my blog and social media. I also confuse people with my spotty appearances and 'going quiet' for periods of time. The new norm. "Did you move to Denver?" is a frequent question. or "I haven't seen you in ages. Why have you dropped off the face of the earth?" is another. Albeit the understandable confusion (apologies for past miscommunication and the inevitability of those in the future), I'm kind of everywhere these days. But the real answer is that most time is spent at 72nd and Center in Omaha, less tim...

2001 College World Series photo with Kevin Costner ~ kids are thrilled ;) The College World Series is back and Omahan's are loving life. Anyone who lives here or travels to enjoy the games knows what I'm talking about. There is a feeling of excitement as we wait for the eight teams to win their way to the final playing field of CWS Omaha. Watching these young men play from their heart, for their team, and for the love of the game is pure bliss. Definitely a favorite time of the year as we soak up the spirit of this annual Omaha summer tradition. Like us Omahans, others from outside the confines of our Midwestern world are also enamored with the games.  They pour into our airport and flock our city by car to support their favorite team and watch the "best show on dirt".  Among these masses, we are also blessed each year with those of celebrity status.  Everyone from US Presidents to dignitaries, professional athletes, and actors come to...