In my older age, I’m getting soft, and I’ve learned to do stupid things a lot smarter. I’m a 47-year-old bald and smooth Chinese dude. That’s what I wrote on dating apps when I encouraged women to change it up from the norm here in Portland, Oregon. Tired of all…

Life happens fast. Love, learn, and laugh. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. — One day you’re a teen terrorizing the neighborhood, squealing tires around corners, and ripping doughnuts in the nearby soccer field while driving a 1981 Buick Century, a surprisingly capable off-road vehicle for newly licensed sixteen-year-olds. The next day you’re a Dad yelling off your porch at the asswipe driving too…

Is it possible to enjoy alcohol and still live a healthy lifestyle? — The history of my drinking, my strategies for cutting back, and wondering if quitting is something I need to do — or even want to do. I turned 50 a month ago on February 11th in Baja, Mexico doing what I love and being with a person I love. I…

Pills, pills, pills, and more pills. — A nurse at my Dad’s senior home in Chicago walks into his room with a little plastic tub and says, “Time for your medication!” My slumped-over, 77-year-old, wheelchair-bound Dad barely lifts his head. She spoons pill after pill into his mouth. …

I miss all of her. My old gal, Baetis, has been gone for three months now after two decades purring at my side. In her last years she slept on a window perch that my daughter and I made for her. There were times when her breathing was so slight…

It feels good not wanting to destroy my old house. — I just bought a lunch gift certificate for my Ex and her new partner. They’re celebrating their commitment in Maui. Last month they ended up at the same concert as my girlfriend and they all sat together. During a recent heatwave I napped in my Ex’s house on my old…

We can be a shoulder to cry on and cry at the same time. — Paddy the Baddy ain’t so bad. The brash UFC mixed martial arts fighter with a British-Scouser accent famously talks a lot of smack. However, after winning his fight in London on July 23, he didn’t bash his fallen opponent or arrogantly tout his skills. …

Helping my Dad live his best life. — “Whoa Dad. You look more wobbly than usual. Should we bag it or fire through?” My 76 year old dad lifts his head and stares at me with glassy eyes. He smacks his lips, something he’s doing more of as Parkinson’s Disease affects his speech. He replies, “Fire through!” “Ok,”…

A lucky cat naps and dreams of her previous chapters. — Baetis, the old tabby with the ginger accents, labors up a cedar plank ramp to her perch at the kitchen window. Curled claws grip and click on the soft wood. Her claws left marks at ten different homes spanning almost two decades on both sides of the equator. Many a…