That’s how a recent discussion with my mom began. “It’s all your fault…” she said, with a dramatic pause long enough to make me question my actions over the past few weeks. What did I do? What could I have possibly done wrong?
“You got that modeling clay for your nephew for Christmas and now I’m [...]

Recently I was reminded of the question, “If you could ask anyone living or dead any question, who and what would you ask?” I pondered this delicious question for several moments. What made an impression on me was who I wanted to ask. I didn’t really have any questions.
So I got to thinking about the [...]

Picture it. Portland, Oregon. February 2, 2008. It’s cold and snowing. Why, oh why, am I putting on tennis shoes and heading out the door? I’m starting Foot Traffic’s University, a training program for running or walking a half marathon. And I am willing.
Exactly 33 days ago, at the beginning of the year, I ran [...]

In a quick cursory glance at the internet just now, the phrase “money can’t buy me love” comes up in Yahoo search 927,000 times. If that’s really the truth, why does “get rich” show up 20,800,000 times?
What is it with our inconsistent world that tries to instill this altruistic vision of money that it’s not [...]

I want to fess up about something. For the next 11 months I will be watching polls and looking at maps of the US in red and blue. It started today when I kept clicking on news stories and went here; http://news.yahoo.com/election/2008. It’s a simple, clean persepective on the presidential election.
I come from two families [...]

Good Morning and Happy New Year!
I decided 100 days ago that I would open up the new year running (!) the First Run, an annual 5K race that begins at the first moment of each new year in Portland.
I just checked online and I saw my ranking in the finish line - 797 out of [...]

I used to have a theory that if I gave 100%, and I received 125% back in return, that I couldn’t really accept the extra 25%. Where did it come from, who needs it more than me, aren’t I taking more than I deserve? If I’ve given 100%, and I receive it more - I [...]

I need to admit something. I love Christmas shopping at the last minute, at malls, with tons of people. I love the hustle and bustle. I love smiling at tons of strangers. I love the craze of it all.
Yes, I’m that guy who walks around the store with a big cheery grin on his face, [...]

Ok, so the shopping’s not done and the dog’s barking and you don’t know what to make for dinner and it’s cold out and the light’s burnt out in the fridge and the bills aren’t paid and the floor needs to be mopped and the family holiday party next week is going to be a [...]

For those of you not in the Pacific Northwest, even you have heard of the floods that have devastated many of our communities. One town, Vernonia, already reinventing itself after floods in 1996 and a diminishing timber economy, has had families displaced from homes, schools not schooling, a medical office shut down.
The community is gratefully [...]