Agent Page

My Posts/Listings

Thoughts on Independence Day

Everyone in America is from somewhere else.  Back in the day, it used to just be European colonists, but now we have people from China, Japan, India, Russia, South America and a host of other smaller nations.  From the 1600’s until now, people have been coming here to make a better life for themselves, to  find opportunities that didn’t exist at home, to... [Read more]

It Actually Works!

I liken parenting to running a marathon.  There is  nothing short, fast speedy, quick about being a mom or a dad.  Parenting is a long journey.  In a marathon, you may feel great at mile three, crappy at mile nine and great again at mile thirteen.  In a marathon, you may feel dehydrated, tired, pull a muscle and maybe collapse. As a parent, all the business distracts... [Read more]

My Oldest Daughter

The nature versus nurture argument is a great topic for conversation especially when it comes to family members.  It’s relatively easy to understand why your hair is black and your eyes are blue.  Developments in personality and mannerisms are a different story.  Am I that way because of the way I was brought up? Karen and I have always agreed that our oldest... [Read more]

A Real Whodunit

We had a scary occurrence in our neighborhood last weekend.  After midnight early Saturday morning, a house less than a block from us burned to the ground.  I knew something was up when red and blue and white lights kept flashing through our bedroom window like disco strobe lights.  Peeking through the window only, I witnessed about five squad cars, two fire trucks... [Read more]

How Irish Are You?

There is definitely Irish blood on my mother’s side.  My mother’s maiden name is Reidy and my grandma’s maiden name was Flanagan.  My mom has it all traced back to the 1600’s.  My wife Karen received some great genealogy information from her aunt and uncle tracing her family back to Scotland to the 1400’s.  I think it’s all a great... [Read more]

Talk To Your Daughters

My sister died when I was a teenager.  She had an inoperable brain tumor.  We watched for two years as the cancer slowly took control of her body, day by day, as her physical and mental capabilities incrementally diminished, until the cancer eventually took her life.  I don’t know what is worse, a slow death when you know its coming or the unexpected sudden heinous... [Read more]

The Fishwrap is Dead

Driving around the block the other day, I saw three newspapers sitting in  someone’s driveway.  It was an unusual sight because you just don’t see newspapers delivered in the suburbs anymore.  Paper boys are extinct.  One of my favorite activities used to be sitting on the back deck with a big cup of coffee and reading the paper.  Now, I sit on the back... [Read more]

Sweet 16!

First of all, I am amazed that I have helped create a human being and have gone through sixteen years with him.  His mom and I are excited for him and we truly hope he is enjoying his high school years since we don’t have much time left with him.  Before the blink of an eye he will be a man and off living his life. It seems like a lot of parents and the government... [Read more]

End of a Decade

It’s not just the end of the year, it’s the end of a decade.  Puts things in a different light if you think of it that way.  Do you feel worn out at the end of a year?  I sure do.  I think it has more to do with the frenetics of Christmas than the conclusion of a year.  December is busy in so many ways that it’s the most exhaust ing month of the... [Read more]

Flu This

The Hooks family just completed one week of barf-o-rama.  So far, I am the lucky one that seems to have eluded the illness but I do have an impending sense of doom that something bad is going to happen at any moment.  It all started eight days ago when we got the call from school that Jacqueline was vomiting and needed to be picked up.  Karen leaves work early and... [Read more]

Next Page »