It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.

I often "mark" or delineate my life by certain points. Moving to Pittsburgh 18 years ago next month is one. Getting married, having J, and my company (old job) moving locations were others.

Five years ago last month, I was laid off. In several and great ways that marked the end of one life and the beginning of another. When I try to remember events, I often ask myself if they came before or after that. I had wanted to write a post to mark that five-year anniversary, but did not get around to it. I am quite certain I will remember that date for years to come, though that it was Friday the 13th is probably a bigger reason. Regardless, for several years, much of my blog was colored by that loss.

Just a few weeks after that gut-punching, life-changing event, I was affected more profoundly by the death of two children, Kate and Peter. I have written about that over the years as well. Today marks five years since their tragic passing. I never go more than a week or so without thinking of them or their mother Amy. For the first year or two, I thought of them daily.

Five years ago this month, another tragedy happened, the death of three Pittsburgh police officers. I can honestly say I don't think of that too much, but at the time, that weighed on me heavily, and made me view the work of officers in a different light.

But even though I will remember 2009 for mostly sad things, I also have a handful of wonderful memories and events that also linger in my mind. That was the year both the Steelers and the Pens won their championships. When your two favorite teams do that within four months of each other, it is just amazingly wonderful. I remember the final moments of both games. I especially remember standing on a ladder to watch the SB parade. I also remember the palpable joy and excitement around town and the constant wearing of championship shirts.

Personally 2009 (and several years after) allowed me to spend time with my daughter. We lived at the park, worked on reading skills, and just were together. It was great. We even took a family vacation, which I uncharacteristically planned months ahead of time, before the job loss. If I could turn back time, I would definitely go to those moments. I want my little girl back sometimes!

Maybe years down the road, I will no longer think of things before and after that period in my life. In fact, now that I celebrated one year at the current job, a job I still really like and that in many ways I feel as if I have had for years, I find myself using that as a new "marking" point. I cannot say how long I will be there (due mostly to funding issues), but I am hopeful that having gone through 2009, I can get through a lot, and find the positive.

I wish I had a profound quote to end on, but I got nothing. Have a good one!

What a year 2021 has been (Day 7)

I have almost no words for what happened yesterday at the Capitol. Protesting is one thing (though I truly think it is and has been time to move on). But to storm the Capitol? A friend on Facebook said, quite simply, " Almost 20 years ago a group of people on an airplane sacrificed themselves to protect the Capitol. How far we have fallen!" Indeed. And, yes, it IS storming the Capitol. I have seen numerous videos of people knocking down barricades/fences, pushing police officers, and breaking windows and climbing through them. That is beyond protesting. And even if a protestor did not do those things, if they followed those seditionists past those barricades and into the building, they are just as guilty. I did not support the violent protests this summer that resulted in damages to businesses and public property (I was in full support of the actual protests). But I also acknowledged as a white person, I cannot truly put myself in the position of a black person who is angry a...

Why do they stand up there and say that when they are just lying?

That extra-long title is courtesy of my nine-year-old and was something she uttered during "Say Yes to the Dress" on Friday evening. I watch very little reality TV, but I make an exception for this show because I like to look at the dresses. And sometimes, the stories are heart-warming. Typically at the end of the show, a snippet of a wedding is aired. In this particular show, a woman who was confined to a wheelchair was exchanging vows with her fiance. After the two of them finished, J made her comment. I asked her what she meant as I must have been on the computer while the TV was on, and she explained that because so many people just get divorced, why do they even say "as long as we both shall live"? That is tough one, kid. I tried with what I thought was a sound explanation: Most of the people who get married truly believe they will be together the rest of their lives, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. But if you don't think that you will be ...

Disenfranchised Republican

When I went to vote this a.m., I handed my ID to the guy, since my last name can be tricky. He looked for several minutes in the box with the cards. Then he asked if I was in the right place (there is another area in this room, for people in a different neighborhood, I presume). And I told him that this is where I have always voted. He then reviewed the bound paper list, found my name, but could not figure out why it was there, yet not in the box with the cards. Then he realized what was going on and rather exclaimed, "Oh, you are a Republican!" One of the ladies sitting next to him said, "Oh, one of those." I said I assumed they had not seen too many of "my kind" that morning, and she said I was the third. Then, being the open person I am, I eagerly said I was coming to rock the vote and vote for Ron Paul. One of the women commented that she liked some of the things he had stood for, perhaps to try to make me feel as if I was not voting for a terrible per...

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