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Category: Life of Brian

  • Goodbye, Uncle Paul: No Grilled Cheese , That O’Leary Courage and a Special Christmas Reunion

    “I didn’t order a grilled cheese sandwich…”  Hospital food. They brought grilled cheese AGAIN.  And my Uncle Paul wasn’t having any of it. “Its not what I ordered…They did this last night as well.”   In fact it was the third time in two days.  It was time for him to get something to eat. …

  • Bonnie Tiegel: One Big Beautiful Heart of a Human Being

    My afternoon wild goose chase had lots of stress. Two grocery stores and one 7 Eleven down in my search. And they were out. Damn It. No-one had a regular iconic bottle of Heinz ketchup.   Nope…Sugar Free… Low Sodium or the Fancy Balsamic Recipe wouldn’t do. I couldn’t believe what I was doing. But…

  • An Open Letter To A Heroin Addict Who Saved My Life

    Dear ….YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE… Please don’t die! Even though I haven’t known you for very long I care about you. Being your roommate in rehab for 28 days was enlightening to say the least. Even though heroin wasn’t my thing, it effected the majority of our rehab brothers and sisters. Almost three years…

  • Thank You Aunt Alice

    “We came to tell you how much we love you Aunt Alice,” I kind of nervously announced.  For some reason I uttered such a grand statement..And for some reason I didn’t cry…I don’t know why. I thought I would and I didn’t. She seemed stunned at first and profoundly sad, even crying, about why I…

  • An Awakening on Sandbar Island: My Social Media Blackout, Post-Addiction Progress, and Keeping the Circle Open…

    My heart stopped. I almost couldn’t breathe. The unthinkable had happened. I knew this day would come. And what timing: there I was alone on a desert island in the Gulf of Thailand..such a desert island its name means Island of Sandbars. (Ko Phangan its called.) I clicked again to make sure my phone was…

  • The Lost Life Tweets from Sandbar Island

    THE LOST LIFE TWEETS FROM SANDBAR ISLAND—Almost a week off social media I compiled random thoughts, reflections and concerns….an impulse compendium. Only in Thailand could you be in a 500 a night hotel villa and lunch at the resort is eleven dollars! Off campus it’s six bucks!! Upside down pineapple ..(or coconut) economy ! Nutella…

  • Billy O at 75: The Charming Golden Boys of Silver Beach, The Original Teflon Bill, and The Great Lesson of Forgiveness

    ‘NEVER!!! “, bellowed the woman holding court in my sister Katie’s living room. “Never in a million years did he get caught!” Relating some important family history, she continued, “And poor Mickey…he always got caught!! But Billy…he could do no wrong!”, she wailed, hinting at a smidge of jealousy, perhaps. It was my Aunt Patty…

  • The Heroin Kids: Learning, Living, and Surviving

    Got an email from prison the other day. It was one of the heroin kids. Who knew they had email in prison? And who knew there was an app for that! Called JPAY. With that…you know some Stanford kid’s summer house and retirement fund has been cemented in stone. Also—when in my life did I…

  • A Winter Journey to Recovery 101: Strength, Hope, and Peanut Butter and Jelly

    “Seriously?!”….blurted the wide eyed newbie listening to the older man talk about the old days. “You had Peanut Butter and Jelly Uncrustables?!”, was the hyper-excited question from this young man in his very early 20’s sitting next to me. He was one of the heroin kids…for sure…or maybe Oxys. Didn’t ask…Doesn’t matter….Not the point. Me,…

  • “The Dime Story”

    THIS WEEK CELEBRATING GMA’s 40th ANNIVERSARY WE REVISITED A BEAUTIFUL STORY FROM 2004. THAT BROADCAST EVENT ON ABC WAS A PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CATHARTIC MOMENT. HERE I GO BACK IN TIME TO THAT FRIDAY BEFORE MOTHERS DAY. I was shaking like a leaf.  Because of the voice on the phone.  It was MY voice on…