Feeding Andrew 2017

March 19, 2011

  I am sure the human race would have died out long ago if our forebears hadn’t discovered the pleasures of fermentation.   There’s no doubt that Andrew has been saved by the clink of a glass on more than one occasion.   Still, alcohol can be a very complicated subject in relationship to raising children.  It […]

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The Two Edged Sword(Fish) of Religion

March 12, 2011

  Raising a child was the greatest decision of my life and even now when I look back on the last five years with Andrew, I can see how the times where he put me to the test can be transformed into a moving anecdote of childhood growing pains or fatherly devotion.  However, looking back […]

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The Sunday Night Braise at Casa Providencia

March 5, 2011

In January of 1996 I bought a Jeep, packed my bags, and took off on a two-month journey through Mexico.  Although I had been living there just months earlier, I felt compelled to return.  My year in Baja, California, had been rewarding in so many ways, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had […]

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My Son, The Zombie Killer

February 27, 2011

  With a huge drop in the barometric pressure, a sudden shift to strong winds from the arctic north, and unusually dark and somber cumulonimbus lowering a torrential boom on Los Angeles, I instinctively knew, as we drove home to start our weekend, what Andrew was thinking:  It’s a good night for killing zombies, Xbox […]

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All Star Mac and Cheese

February 23, 2011

Making and keeping friends can be a tough game for kids.  If your child brings any issues to the table, it can be even tougher.  It’s also one of the most heartbreaking moments for a parent to see his child struggle with trying to form strong friendships and fail. Andrew was a tough kid to […]

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WHY I STOOD UP JAMIE OLIVER

February 19, 2011

I received the invitation late yesterday afternoon in an e-mail from one of his gracious assistants.   “Jamie is making a menu for LAUSD tomorrow at his new kitchen.  He is keeping it within their costs and guidelines.  He needs help and tips from people who know LAUSD.  It’s tomorrow between 1:00-3:30.  Like I said, last […]

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THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME

February 16, 2011

“Andrew, what do you want to do tonight?” I inquired, thinking that he would want to see a movie or something else fun on this Saturday night. “I want to stay home, watch a video, and eat a big tub of ice cream,” came the reply from behind the bathroom door where he was luxuriating […]

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From Heartache to Hero

February 12, 2011

“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.” –David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens We have a great capacity for retaining the memory of physical pain and it helps us avoid many future mishaps.  Touch a hot […]

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Fighting Fire With Fire

February 11, 2011

“Dad, we’re hot and bored,” Andrew moaned as we walked through the searing heat that was coming off the ground at ten in the morning at the Park City Utah Street Fair. “We’re going to go to the hot salsa store and wait for you there. It’s air conditioned,” he informed me and with that Andrew […]

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The Intolerance of Tolerance

February 6, 2011

As I drove Andrew to soccer practice tonight, he mumbled out loud as he noncommittedly read off billboards that we passed: Ralph’s, Food For Less, etc.  Soon he followed with Museum of Tolerance as we passed by it and suddenly he was engaged. “Dad, what does tolerance mean?” he asked earnestly. I was a bit […]

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