Thoughts of a Common Man

The last day of 2021. Another weird year, by all accounts. No need to rehash it! What are we all looking forward to??? 1). No more Covid Wouldn’t that be lovely? The hospitals are still being taxed, and no matter what anyone thinks, the healthcare workers need a break. And a lot of people are still dying as a result of it. Those are facts. Argue the science all you like, tell me that masks don’t work, and that Fauci started it so he could make money because he owns the Wuhan lab. I don’t care to discuss it anymore.  I just hope it ends in 2022. 2). Writing  I’ve always felt that I needed to take a break. The breaks never last very long because I get antsy. Just know that there are ones that have been started. A comedy. A number of short stories. A story about my high school basketball team. There is also I want to do: A Barking Lions part 2. My goal for my lifetime is 20 published books. I’m at 16. Kind of hard to think I won’t just blow right by 20. Gotta’ leave a mark! 3). S...

It’s automatic. I get to the last two days of the year and I start reflecting back. 2021 was another very uneven year because of Covid, and because work was uneven and at times haunting. I had to deal with fatalities again, and those truly take the steam  out of what the job should be. It’s all about prevention and when the worst of all things happen, well, it takes it out of me a bit. I released two books. ‘The Barking Lions’ was so much fun, from beginning to end. I wrote it quick, the publishing wasn’t difficult, and the reviews were great. Then it won a couple of awards to cap it all off, but it was a story about friendship, and man, it was great to walk back to the camp site, to the ball fields and through time. Proud of that effort. I also released a book that I wrote as a tribute to the guy who beat Penile cancer. Dave’s battle was inspiring, and his wife, Carolyn’s devotion, was the heartbeat of the telling of their story. The writing was great in 2021. The rest was way une...

I’m going on vacation. Yep. And not only am I going for a 3-day golf get-away, we set up a 4-day visit to a warm weather location that is just a couple of hours away from the golf. So, a full week off. In the sun (hopefully). And the thing about it is that we certainly should do it way more often, but Covid stopped even the thought of it for the last couple of years. Kathy researched it while I was off at work on Tuesday. “Just give me the number,” I said. She did, and then she set up the booking for a place that we had visited about 4 years ago. “Are we sure?” She asked. “You haven’t checked your schedule.” “It’s set far enough away,” I said. “And the schedule can wait.” “Really?” “Do it!” Moments later she yelled out: “Booked!” We are now officially 31 days away. Covid be damned, work can wait. Sunshine.  A golf club in my hand.  Good food.  A hot tub.  A swimming pool. Maybe I leave the phone home… …with the freaking puppy.

It’s been a few months with this “Let’s Go Brandon” thing, right? I don’t know how it started, but I heard long ago that it meant, “F**k Joe Biden”. Which made little sense to me; so I ignored it. Figured that it was so juvenile that it would just disappear. I mean the basis of it seems like it was developed by a couple of 5th graders. Then I saw it painted on signs outside of houses that still have blue and white Trump signs instead of the American flag waving. Confusing. I never once thought about wearing a tee-shirt with the photo or slogan of a politician on it. Seems too much to me like rooting for a sports team. Political stars on shirts and bumper stickers and barns and houses. Too cultish for me. Seriously odd. But, I can’t ignore it anymore, I guess because some dope said “Let’s Go Brandon” to the President after the president wished the guy’s kid a Merry Christmas. That’s not even 5th grade… …more like 3rd grade. Biden did the absolute right thing. He ignored it. It simply sh...

Leo, Streep, Jonah Hill… …about a comet ☄️ striking the Earth and obliterating all of life. There’s a 6-month warning. “What would you do if there was only 6 months left?” I asked, as we watched the movie. “Nothing,” Kathy said. “What is there to do? Maybe all kinds of drugs.” I laughed. As the movie showed, there would be mistrust. Disbelief, anger, and fighting. A chase for who could make the most money off of the destruction, and half the country fighting the other half over whether or not science means anything. And then we would all be blown to smithereens. But the point of my question. What would you do differently if the world were to be blown away in 6 months? If we all got that advance warning I’m certain that life would be an absolute mess. Mayhem and murder and drunkenness and stupidity. Would they still finish the sports seasons? Would the churches be busting at the seams? “What about you?” Kathy asked. “I’d eat well,” I said. I would also hang out with the people I like. W...

Saw a post on Twitter from someone in the Midwest. She said that her family has been in a year-long battle about the inheritance and that her uncle showed up at the family Christmas gathering with a to-go container. He filled it with food, didn’t say a word to anyone, and left. They saw him eating in his truck, and then he peeled out and left. Made me laugh. Yet the battle is real for a lot of families. I don’t quite understand how it gets that crazy. There are a lot of political in-family squabbles as well. Many members of the same family don’t quite see eye-to-eye on Covid and vaccinations which is a whole ‘nother problem. Having a get-together is a tad risky right now anyway. When you aren’t sure who might not be vaccinated it’s even worse, but of course, the unvaccinated are quite vocal about how stupid you are to do it. There’s not a whole lot of fighting on either side of our family. My philosophy on it is to just not comment. If an inflammatory text is going ‘round, I’ll simply ...

My Mom gifted rings that belonged to Dad to me and my brothers. I put the ring on and I don’t intend to take it off. Until I gift it to one of my boys. The inscription reads: From: L.J.F. To J.C.F. - 07/03/61 And when I slipped that ring on my finger I thought about all the love that ring was a symbol of. The crazy dinners, the laughter, the life lessons, the joy and the heartache. A whole lot of living goes into sixty years. And Dad, of course, wore the ring proudly and he put everything he had into his jobs as a husband and a father. Christmas Eve raced on by and I sat and watched my 3 boys as they opened gifts, traded barbs, and laughed and ate. They are a product of the love that is symbolized in that ring. What I know about being a Dad… …part of the ring. How I learned to be a husband… …yeah… …the ring. Perfect gift.

It’s impossible to not think back about past Christmas Eve gatherings. As a kid the anticipation of Christmas was tempered by that trip to Grandma and Grandpa Fuzzy’s home. When we passed through the door and made our way to Grandpa’s chair to give him a kiss, we all knew that we were going to have a great night and that we had finally made it to Christmas. Grandma’s pizza was legendary, and I was partial to the anchovy slices. Even as a kid.  It was an absolute madhouse! Dad came from a big family too so the place was standing room only. Hugs and kisses and presents and pasta and pizza and fish and peppers and laughter. I still hear that laughter. Grandma and Grandpa Schryver were usually there as well, and Grandpa Schryver would join me at the anchovy pizza. “Us Cliffs have to stick together.” Grandpa Clifford said that thousands of times. As adults the party shifted to the big house on the hill, and the kids made it magical. Mom and Dad bought thousands of dollars of gifts. The ...

There are mornings when I wake up just knowing that Dad came to visit me. I see him clearly, and hear his voice. I wake up thanking God or the part of my brain that brings him to me in those nightly visits. The celebration of his birthday each year since he passed away isn’t a sad event for me because the one thing I know to be true about Dad is that he emptied the freaking tank every single day. He lived life hard. Dad succeeded at so many things in so many ways and I had a front row seat to all of it. We spent time on the road together, eating great dinners (that he usually prepared), drank hundreds of beers together, argued, listened to music, went to ballgames, and had deep conversations that often exploded into laughter. One of the best moments, near the end of his life came when I told him a joke that he’d never heard. It made him spit his coffee, and I can still see that burst of laughter. He made me tell the joke to others at get-togethers afterwards. And of course, his voice i...

With the exception of the long-gone drinking days I’ve always jumped out of bed with the crazy expectation that something good will happen today. I can remember the days I was late for work… …because it only ever happened once. If I happen to set an alarm I’m usually up a few minutes before it’s set to go off, and if I do set an alarm it’s because I need to get up really early. Been like that all my life… …but not in this last month! I’m tired! I’ve been tired since golf ended and it’s because each night has been busted sleep. Take last night, for instance. I headed up early with an aim on getting at least 7 hours. Paris, the old dog, and Miller the cat came up with me. At 4:00, on the dot there was a meeting at the cat’s food bowl. Paris ate the food. Miller, who has anger management issues: Went off!!! I imagine what those air raid sirens were like back in WW 2. Miller has one. “Okay, okay,” I said through the sleep fog. “I’m on it.” Re-filled the bowl and everyone went back to bed. ...

The thing about writing a book is that you’re out on an island for the writing, and it’s often so damn tedious because you write it, read it, edit it, rewrite it, read it again, edit it again, read it again and then finally come to the conclusion, as the writer, that, this is… …absolute garbage. And then it goes out there anyway, and you shy away because you grew to be so sick of it… …and the reviews come in from readers and… …they like it! They get it! The entire message, as you meant to write it. And sometimes the message is important like in “Life Isn’t Always Beautiful.” Cancer touches a lot of people. Penile cancer touches almost no one! The crazy thing about it is that people who are diagnosed with a life-altering illness can react just a couple of different ways: They can rise up and fight… …or they can let it eat them alive mentally. And man, everyone in that situation needs the support of friends and loved ones. And laughter. The reviews of the book are good and I’m happy for ...

I sound like an old man now, but man, I don’t get it. It was 28 degrees here on Sunday and a chill wind made it feel like it was about 10. I headed down Abbott Road to drop off Jake and his girlfriend  and I saw all the fans hanging out, drinking beer, standing in front of grills, and throwing a football. For the Bills against the Panthers.  A game that was never truly a contest.  Going in, everyone knew the Bills would win! Just before the half I got a text from Jake: “Can you pick us up at halftime?” I saw their approach from a long way away. They looked absolutely miserable! Jake’s face was frozen. They got into the warm car. “This was the best decision ever,” Maggie said. “Oh hell yeah. It was miserable.” Then they ate pizza and wings and laid under a heating pad. We watched the 3rd quarter. Spotted a man in the crowd with his shirt off! His face was painted to match the Grinch! “That’s a grown ass man,” I said, and Kathy laughed. The guy had grey hair! “It would cost...

I almost crashed the car the other day as I tried to change the channel when “White Christmas” came on. I am NOT a fan of Christmas songs… …at all! And life has been weird for a long while. Back when I worked in the construction crews during college the entire occupation shut down in November. We would have to do training in the winter months, but there wasn’t a lot going on. It doesn’t slow down at all anymore. There are a lot of jobs just getting started now. So, it’s bound to happen: “It doesn’t even feel like Christmas,” is something I hear a lot from guys out there. That’s truly the deal around here right now. We don’t even have a tree up… …are kicking around doing a table top one. Kathy’s injury isn’t the problem. It’s all about taking bets on which pet will knock it over each day.  The dog with dementia? The puppy? The cat with anger management issues? It’ll be a mess! And presents??? The present getter isn’t getting any for us. “What do you want from Santa?” I asked each of...

Springsteen sold his songs to Sony Music for $500 million. Not bad for 50 years of work, and it’s funny but a lot of his fans are mad that he “sold out.” I laughed when I read those comments. I also thought about the Bruce on Broadway Show where he told the story of begging his Mom to rent a guitar after he saw Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show. His family was poor and his Mom had to scrimp and save to rent the guitar for her 10 year old son. He gathered all the people from the neighborhood and assembled them in his backyard and as he says in the show, there was only one problem: “He couldn’t play the f****ng thing! It was hard!!” Be he twirled it, and pretended to play it and he posed with it and his little friends cheered. Bruce wrapped up the story by saying how disappointed he was when the rental was up, and they had to return the guitar. “For a brief moment, I felt it. When they cheered me holding that guitar, I got excited. I smelled blood.” Then he worked his ass off. Totally dedica...

The bad news was delivered in a text from Kathy. She included the time and address and even the doctor’s name. I was reminded to be there 15 minutes early, told to wear my mask and was told to ask for a shingles shot and massages for my ever-aching back. I headed straight to the docs from a job site and to be totally honest I was okay with sitting in a chair for a minute and scrolling through the news of the day. Didn’t work that way.  I no sooner sat down when a guy called my name. He took my blood pressure and checked my pulse rate and had me step on the scale. All standard stuff but I had dropped a number of pounds since last year’s physical. Ten minutes later the doctor was there. “Why’d you lose weight?” She asked. “They’re working me to a nub,” I said. She laughed, asked me how I was feeling. We talked about the back pain, and then she tested my reflexes and listened to my heart and lungs. She then had me follow a pen light with my eyes… …and that was it! When we were kids th...

A bunch of text messages have been read for all to hear. Of course, they were provided to Congress by the chief of staff who was using a personal phone for texts and emails. Aren’t there people who chant “lock her up?” for something like that? Anywhoha… …this isn’t political. I was just thinking about what might happen if my text messages suddenly became available for all to read. Wouldn’t be pretty! I have a few buddies who I keep a running conversation going all day long. Those can be a tad crazy. We make fun of each other for high school loves and crazy nights of mad parties. We’ve seen each other in all sorts of degrees of intoxication from a long time ago. The two guys in that thread have wicked memories, and they are not afraid to embellish. Then I have another buddy who also keeps a regular thread going. He knows my immediate thoughts on current events. We also trade stories of gossip about all kinds of people we’ve known. Nothing malicious, mind you, just staying on top of thin...

I’m not sure who needs to hear this, but people should be held to account for January 6, 2021. People died. Security was attacked, beaten and mentally destroyed. They breached the Capital and the information flooding in certainly seems to be pointing to the fact that it was organized by people inside the government. People who are still there! I don’t understand why more people aren’t outraged. You stand for the flag and lambaste those who take a knee and you don’t care that what that flag stands for was obliterated? “That happened almost a year ago,” one guy told me. “It was wrong but the Dems should let it go.” Are you freaking kidding me????? Does that go for all crime now? “Sir, we discovered your wife’s body buried in the desert. We are arresting you for murder.” “But I did that last year! Let’s just let it go.” Watergate was a minor scandal compared to this. We all watched it on television! They met with the organizers of the insurrection in the days leading up to it! Showed them...

Paris is acting weird. My poor dog, who is 12 years old now, is showing some signs of not being all there. Suddenly. She walks from room to room, knocking things down. Garbage cans, my suitcase, lamps. She’s also been staring off into space and has a weird habit of eating the cat food out of Miller’s bowl in the middle of the night. Which isn’t good because Miller’s dish is in my room and when his dish is empty…he goes off! Of course, the wife can’t move and needs me to help out. Then there’s the puppy. Oliver is a freaking maniac. He zoomed so bad last night that I thought he was broken, I have cuts and scratches all over my arms. Was having lunch with a buddy. “How’s it going?” He asked, as he sat down. “My dog is senile, my wife is broken, the cat has anger management issues and the puppy is an asshole. The kids don’t care and work is busy, which is difficult because I can’t get 7 straight hours of sleep.” He just stared at me. “Some solid life choice got you there,” he said. We lau...

Sam had a huge agenda for Sunday. Villanova, the Bills and a new episode of Dexter. “I need at least one win, and I know Dexter will be great.” Then I asked Kathy what pasta I was doing and she said:  (Get this!) “It’s a 4:30 game, why don’t we do something different? You can do appetizer junk food.” Huh. No pasta on a Sunday? Well, to be fair, I had it on Wednesday and again on Saturday for lunch (My buddy Big Al and his beautiful wife Jen set us up with dinner on Saturday!) So, I got to planning it out. Pizza of some sort, chicken wings, chicken wing dip, sliders, Buffalo chicken logs. Why not? And then the boys, one-by-one said that they were watching the game elsewhere! As for the games? Sam took a loss on the ‘Nova game, and the Bills started horrifically. I’m a Tom Brady fan so the kids weren’t texting or talking to me… …until the Bills started coming back. And to be fair, I thought it was an exciting, well-played game and Josh Allen played his heart out… …but when Brady’s te...

The tornadoes in Kentucky were on the ground for 200 miles. It was 68 degrees here in Buffalo and the wind started gusting in the early afternoon. Blew shutters off the house. I brought anything not bolted down into the house and laid the basketball hoop down. We dodged the loss of power and the loss of the internet through most of the day. Thankfully, another great friend dropped off dinner for us so I had a lot of downtime on Saturday. We joked a bit about the weather and how climate change might actually take us all out. “I’m going out for the Bonnies game,” Jake said. He got into his car and then ten minutes later he was back. “Yeah. What’s for dinner? I ain’t driving in that. Car was blowing all over the road.” And once everyone was in the house and accounted for I didn’t really care how hard the wind was blowing. But you definitely do hear people preaching about doomsday scenarios due to climate change and when tornadoes and hurricanes and fires are all once in a century type eve...

The hands-down saddest thing about getting older is that we lose track of people as we move along. And then, because we are reaching that fragile age, we start to hear about people passing on. Woke to sad news yesterday as a friend from decades ago passed away. I immediately thought of a day from nearly 40 years ago. Just a day gone by when laughs were shared around a kitchen table with her family. We were all just kids! And I didn’t lose complete touch with her, but obviously, time and life get in the way. We all go separate ways. And I’m being particularly vague here, but it’s all about loss and then remembering. The moments aren’t lost in a friendship. Ever. They live on. I heard it said that we die twice. Once when we pass from this Earth and again when the last person who loved us also passes. I might argue that we last even longer than that. The joy we put out.  The love we share.  The happiness we bring to others all the days of our lives… …spins around and around for e...

The Police’s ‘Wrapped Around Your Finger’ came on and I was immediately back in the college townhouse watching Sting run through the room filled with candles. It’s one of those songs that puts me in a good frame of mind. Like Robert Plant’s “I’m in the Mood.” Another cool song that has a sort of hypnotic effect. How about Paul Davis with “I Go Crazy”? Or the Atlanta Rhythm Section with “So Into You.” I think about the girl I liked back then. Sometime I say her name. There are a couple of Howard Jones songs that I love because I was on a flight to California and they played on a loop. Others? .38 Special - Hold on Loosely Alan Parsons - Eye In the Sky Madonna - Borderline A few Bread songs, a couple of Ambrosia and even a few Air Supply songs. Then there is Tracy Chapman… …she has a dozen. Guilty pleasure songs! Oh yeah, Gordon Lightfoot, and Boz Skaggs! What? You thought it was all Bruce all the time?

Let a driver in on the thruway yesterday. He was in a tight spot and while I didn’t want to do it, I let him go. Ought to be easy to lift his hand to wave. He didn’t. Saw another photo of another Republican congressperson with everyone around the tree holding a gun. Four kids were shot to death two weeks ago. Ought to be easy to feel some compassion. It isn’t. Watched a movie where a down on his luck man, suffered mightily as he tried to get his life together. The next day I listened to a lecture from a guy on a job saying that homeless people should be rounded up and shot. Ought to be easy to think of the least of our brothers. Millions don’t. Heard another story of another acquaintance suffering in the hospital on a ventilator. Covid might take him out. He didn’t want the shot because God would take care of him. Ought to be easy to understand science but it’s not. Because the world is feeding people bad info. So, yesterday ended with me fairly exasperated by how hard the day had gone...

This was supposed to be the year when the Bills finally got it done. They were beat in the AFC Championship game last year, and Tommy won another one, but they were ready! They looked horrible in the opener, but then ripped off four straight. They were back on track! Have gone 3 & 4 since then and are sitting at 7-5. Worse than that they’ve played some real stinkers, including losing at home. Where my sons (and my nephew) have been thoroughly disgusted by the effort. On Monday night the wind was blowing, the rain was falling, and the Bills put 9 in the box to stop the run and New England ran it down their throats. “Are you going to renew your tickets next year?” I asked Sam. “Absolutely! You gotta’ BILLIEVE!” I laughed. “Doesn’t it make you mad when they lose?” Sam asked. “I’ve been waiting for them to win since 1969,” I said. “I’m no longer emotionally attached.” “That’s sad,” Sam said, “I’ll never give up.” “Think about this…the year is 2056. The Bills have still never won one. Y...

There was no contest about the worst thing about becoming a father. Not sleeping through the damn night! There were a couple of nights back then when I stood in the center of my kitchen… …just howling at the moon! This past week has reminded me of all that. The problem, you ask? 1). Miller I have a cat who loves me. He is also very aware of time and starts nagging at me to get out of bed by 06:00 - no matter what day it is. He also gets lonely for time with me. I’ve been a tad busy being around for Kathy so Millsie has felt neglected. He firmly believes that waking me up in the middle of the night is also perfect for some quality time. 2). Johnny is here I love my son. I love my nephew. Together they are an absolute handful.  “Let’s not turn this into a six a.m. night,” I said. They woke me at 2. Again after 4. I not-so-calmly reminded them that I had enough! 3). The Patient We’ve been married long enough to know one another’s sleep habits.  I’m a light sleeper and much like w...

Birthdays of siblings are the best because no matter the age we can all recall each other’s birthdays all the way back. My older sister loves her birthday! And we all love helping her celebrate. I gifted her the Billy Crystal autobiography because she still laughs hysterically at one scene between him and Gregory Hines where they were on a stakeout and Billy Crystal’s character made a fake phone call. My brother-in-law Chucky can do a perfect impression of the scene. There was also a shared moment with Corinne and Carrie where Corinne sang along with Mariah Carey. A high note. I can’t ever hear Mariah Carey and not think about laughing at her. But on her birthday, there is a moment that makes my Hall of Fame of all Corinne moments It was a random night out at a Chinese buffet and after we ate, as we all walked to the car, Corinne and all three of my sons broke into a song and dance. At first I was annoyed because I wanted to get home, but through the windshield I watched them all laugh...

The most vile thing I read about the school shooting in Oxford, Michigan was the LOL following the mother’s text to the shooter about “not getting caught.” Her 15-year-old son was in trouble at school because he was looking up ammunition on his phone. There were also disturbing drawings of murdered children in his notebook. The school notified those parents of the troubling behavior and his mother adds an “LOL”? Beyond disturbing. Forget that they bought him the gun.  They, after being alerted of his bizarre behavior, insisted that he be returned to the classroom. I’ve spent a lot of the last 3 days haunted by thoughts of what my life would’ve turned into and one of my children been shot in a classroom. Incomprehensible. Four children died that day. How do those parents react to that “LOL?” How do they not lose it when thinking about the fact that the school’s precautions ALMOST worked? And just when I thought I couldn’t be any more disgusted a Republican congressman posted a photo...

Kathy has a brand new hip. Man, it’s going to be a long rehab for me. The best part of all was that we were able to rejoice as she was finally discharged. There isn’t a whole lot of hustle involved with some of the tasks, and I truly feel bad as the hospitals are full, the hours are long, and sick people can be mean. Kathy spent years as a nurse so I thought she would be a little more patient as a patient. It doesn’t always work that way, I suppose when there is pain involved, but talk about pain tolerance! Kathy went 9 days without putting her foot on the floor, and she kept insisting that it was either a muscle pull or a pinched nerve. I finally insisted that she go to the ER. An x-Ray shed light on the problem, and then the fun began. Surgery was delayed for a little while. Then it started and they explained that it would take a couple of hours. Give or take a few. “She’s in recovery and you can head up there in a half an hour.” I got there and two security guards showed up. “You ha...

The hospital is a funky place to be now. There’s a temperature check at the entrance with a camera that shows ME as I stand there. Why didn’t someone tell me that I’m gray and balding. “Take a step back,” the camera told me. I did. “Step back,” it read again. There was a big circle there where I assumed my forehead was supposed to be. “Step forward.” Bah! I took another step and a guy there with a mask hit my head with a temperature gauge. “Good to go.” I stepped up in line and a large black man stepped to the counter. “I’m here for my sister,” he said. Then his voice betrayed him. “She died this morning. Where do I go to see someone who died?” I felt his anguish. He took an unsteady step and then a swarm of people headed toward him. “Uncle John,” one of the younger looker members of the crew called out, and the heartbroken man stepped into about twelve arms as they reached for him. Their cries sent my heart straight to my throat. And I’m not sure why their loved one died so suddenly. ...

There’s no way that the Mets spending spree would’ve gone unanswered. I listened to Max Scherzer’s press conference as he spoke about the Mets having a spring training home near where his kids would be as a major reason why he decided to go there. The $43 million a year had zip to do with it, right? And it’s weird to see a team like the Rangers spend $561 million in one day… …as the Yankees sit there… …without a shortstop or first baseman. Thirty years ago, the Yankees would’ve dominated this past week. My brother used to call me and ask what I wanted Uncle George to buy me for Christmas. There was always something under the tree! And of course, the Yankees will have a shortstop and a first baseman when the season starts. (It’s all up in the air though, as right now, the owners are trying to tell us that there’s no money in the game and the players are pretending they’re underpaid. A work stoppage could be deadly!) The thing is, the Yankees won from ‘96 through ‘00 without having to ‘b...

Lennon said that “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” I am way too structured, and certainly struggle when life throws a curveball. Kathy is having a bit of a medical issue.  There will be a surgery and a bit of a rehab for sure, but we are of the opinion that she’ll feel better in the long run. Thing is, I don’t know how to react when my plans have to suddenly change. “What should I do?” I asked as Tuesday approached. “Go to work,” she answered. “That’s usually the right answer, right?” And she wasn’t being snarky in the least. She just knows I work better when I work. So, off I went and it was a pretty routine day with the nagging question of what should I do next hanging over the top. Do I cancel things? “What time are things happening?” I asked. “Who knows? We’ll let you know.” I feel like asking if they can give me a little lead time. And of course, I must annoy those around me because I annoy the hell out of myself. I can get something stuck in my head, for ...