After stuffing myself with hash-brown casserole and cheese grits for almost two weeks in Atlanta, we headed back to the airport to fly north, to Philadelphia, to see my parents and one of my brothers. Once again, we caught a lucky break and Ava slept like a mummy in her sling during the entire flight. At least until the landing. …
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As children, my parents would insist on taking me and my younger brothers to the local shopping mall to see one of ‘Santa’s Helpers’ a few days before Christmas. It was the only mall for miles in an extremely rural area, so it kinda came off as a hillbilly meet-up. I couldn’t believe my Mom had the patience to brave…
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Flying the red-eye with an infant isn’t as glamorous as banging a flight attendant in a 737 bathroom on the way to your buddy’s bachelor party in Vegas, but it does have its perks. Wait, no, it doesn’t. It doesn’t have any perks. Welcome to being the disease. If you want to know what it was like having leprosy in…
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The days of eating out of vending machines and recycling underwear were over. No longer would I have to touch my rear to a foreign toilet seat, watch sports in standard-definition, or remember the names of 30 rotating nurses. We were back on home turf. After we carried Ava into the house, I spent some time lugging flowers and gifts…
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The last day or two at the hospital had been more routine and while Ava slept, I found myself making the rounds, exchanging gossip with Phyllis in the gift shop or Greg, the line chef in the basement cafe. My slippers and wristband identified me as a new Dad. Unless you’ve been able to experience it firsthand, you wouldn’t know…
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