Surprises in the mailDays without a phone callThe few days before new sunglasses get a scratchWorld Cup soccer intensityFriendly health insurance peopleThe optimism of a new businessIce cream on the beachTrying new drinksPeople watching at a karaoke barShowing my kids old photo albumsOld sayings still true today

Monday morning reflections on the weekendWhen my wife buys me clothesWatching the Air Show in the oceanThe 15 minutes my sons and I sat in our beach chairs talking on Father’s DayA boat with a built-in barCarryout for dinner after a beach dayConsumer Reports magazineHow popular the new ‘Thing I Miss’ column has beenChunky chicken… Read more »

Watermelon on the beachHow excited my kids get about water parksA sunrise photo featuring dolphinStarting the day with a pool dipA man hugging his adult sonQuiet worriersProving a rumor wrongPictures of little kids with big fishA marina on a good fishing dayNot seeing sweaty kitchenemployees while out to eatPassionate politicians

Displays of gratitudeOverhearing a great questionfrom a reporter in the newsroomJohn Malkovich in “Crossbones”How hungry my kids getafter playing in the oceanMeeting new peopleFamily couch timeBoating the back baysCaptains Galley’s crab cake sandwichDays when no bills come in the mailThe first day after the grass is cutWorking out early in the morning

Hitting an outdoor shower after a day on the beachA picnic table full of steamed crabsAll the flags along the Boardwalk on holiday weekendsGoing to bed earlyGraduation photos on FacebookSeeing dolphins in the oceanThat Kiss and Def Leppard are touring together this summerFriendly police officersInsightful letters to the editorCalling “the guy” rather than trying to… Read more »

Smelling lilacs in a yardPeas mixed in with spaghettiHow much my kids like live musicA nap by a poolWhen my son correctssomething I said that’s incorrectSpending a day on Assateague’s baysideMaking a photo book onlineThe first deck partyof the season at Fager’s IslandLooking at the tides before going to the beachWhen young people talk of… Read more »

Going in the ocean in May (briefly)Prom picturesGranola in a saladAn older man in a bow tiePraying with my kidsWalking on cobble stone streetsBirds chirping in the morningOverhearing a smart chat among little kidsBurgers hot off the grillListening to a band on Main Street in BerlinRunning the Boardwalk at sunrise

Walking through Springfest’s food tentVisualizing something and then seeing it become a realityThat my son likes the “Himalaya” at Trimper’sVehicles that start quietlySmell of a baseball field’s dugoutGetting lucky with a parking spotA funny best man toastA walk-off homer in baseballFruit covered with chocolateCooking out with a cold beerBeach days in May

The first good day after a surgeryWeekends spent outsideWhen my son reads to me in bedSeeing the sun rise from the showerWalking on a new sidewalkGetting a handmade card in the mailWhen it’s obvious teachersenjoy what they are doingPlayoff upsetsPutting on my Assateague OSVsticker for the seasonVideo games that make kids thinkWhen a rainy day… Read more »

Eating healthy at the beginning of the weekThe exhaustion felt on Easter nightWhen a good deed does notcome back to bite in a bad waySeeing my boys hug good nightHearing good economic reportsSeeing my friends’ various kids’Easter outfits on FacebookLearning something new every daySmell of an old baseball glovePutting away the snow shovelSunday brunch after… Read more »