"Welcome to the first day of class. On the card where it asks about your parents' occupations, be sure to put that your mom is working--even if she doesn't receive a paycheck. She is definitely working: She washes your underwear and your socks." -- Mr. Loewen, my 7th grade science teacher June 17, 2026: Here I am on the floor of the Colosseum in Rome. This past Thursday, the four year anniversary of the accident, was a bitch. It's hard for me to put it any other way. Four yea

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” –Groucho Marx The boys read together at the city library in Los Altos when they were in 7th grade. Jenny loved reading at least as much as any of her other passions. Over her last several years, she kept a log of the books she read. Unfortunately, without knowing the password to her computer, that document is lost to history. However, I do know she averaged reading slightly more than o

"Recipes are like cats: You only think they're yours." —Roadside cafe reader-board in Hillsboro, OR My kids love animals. I can't begin to emphasize that enough. One is a doting cat-dad and the other regularly volunteers at a dog shelter in Santa Barbara. Both assume their roles as much for themselves as for the animals they serve. Although their devotion to cats and dogs is undoubtedly innate, it was also nurtured by their mom. One can point to any number of examples where J

“Easy, guys. I put my pants on just like the rest of you—one leg at a time. Except, once my pants are on, I make gold records.” – Bruce Dickinson (Christopher Walken), Saturday Night Live For as long as I can remember, Jenny role-modeled conservation for us three boys. She cared deeply about the environment, limiting waste and being resourceful. This mindset spanned conserving hydrocarbons, electricity and water. As I mentioned many times in this space, the rules she set for

Throughout my relationship with Jenny, I never once saw her drink coffee. Tea was her hot drink of choice. Good Earth tea — Sweet & Spicy, specifically — was her favorite, though she always enjoyed trying teas of all kinds. She liked it enough that she made sure we never ran out. Of all the vendors who would deliver it to our door, Walmart had the lowest price. Amazon would deliver it too, but at a multiple of the cost. So Jenny signed up for a Walmart+ subscription just to m

Before I get to Jenny and her valuable contributions to innovation, I want to say this first. When I was a boy, my mom was an anesthesiologist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis. I visited regularly and was awestruck by the medical professionals working there, doing everything in their power to care for those who served our country. Their level of dedication to their patients set a standard for me that endures to this day—both in attitude and in work ethic.

" The Coast Salish peoples had longhouses 600 feet in length. That's about two football fields long. For those of you not from the US, that's about two football fields long. " --Seattle walking-tour guide Dylan dashes upfield in a match against San Diego State in early 2025 Ever since she was a kid, Jenny enjoyed watching gridiron football. Just as this enthusiasm was influenced by her father, Jenny passed along her fascination with the sport to her kids. Yes, growing up in t

The boys turned 21 years old today and I was fortunate enough to see both of them. So, as of today, they can legally drink alcohol, gamble (though they could have played the lottery since 18), own a concealed weapon, buy cannabis, apply for marriage without parental consent and even adopt a child. Despite their newfound privileges, the twins did none of these today. Contrast that with my 21st birthday, when my parents took me to Vegas. There, my mom played at the blackjack ta

Six years ago, almost to the day, I lost my mom. It was the first time anyone so close to me had passed away. The loss turned my world upside down and I was in therapy for two years as a result. One activity, suggested by my therapist, that helped me cope was to celebrate my mom's life wherever possible. Specifically, I immersed myself in the things she enjoyed as a way of having fun and appreciating her tastes. In that spirit, I threw together some items for today, Jenny's b

The years immediately following college can be a turning point for our careers and, indeed, our lives. For Jenny they proved to be both....

Jenny and I got married 25 years ago today. That night of our marriage, we agreed that it was the happiest day of our lives. (She would...

In Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, the author offers reasons as to why technological innovation flourished in some societies and...