Now that we're back, my two feet safely on the ground, I have a confession to make: I'm terrified of flying. I know we all have anxieties about flying, but I'm afraid in that stomach-churning, I-can't-breathe, heart-pounding, claustrophobic, walls-closing-in way that only people who are really afraid of flying can understand. I've managed to stay grounded for almost three years, thanks to Amtrak, but also thanks to rail repair and limited train availability I had to take the plunge and find three internet fares for the return home on Wednesday. [more]

I had one of those “dad moments” (for lack of a better term) the other day. I was with K-Man and we were enjoying an afternoon of parks and play. In the midst of all of this, I realized that I wasn’t exactly in the moment as I should have been. I was distracted. My mind was wandering. K was chattering away about this or that (and probably fire trucks), but I wasn’t altogether “there.” That’s when I looked up to see that he was riding an escalator. [more]