There's a scene in the movie Parenthood where the older father (Jason Robards) is asking his son (Steve Martin) for parenting advice. The scene was interesting when it came out and I was in my early twenties, but now that I'm the father of two twentysomethings, I realize Robards was dropping a real truth bomb. … Continue reading Remembering Dad and never doing a touchdown dance

Once you're on the inside of military academy life, your perspective changes forever. You've seen behind the curtain. It's not as disappointing as Toto revealing The (not-so) Great And Powerful Oz, but your understanding broadens. When people learn of my kids attending USNA and USAFA, they immediately believe that they have had their Golden Ticket … Continue reading The ongoing imperfection of our military academies

Neither my son nor I wanted a dog. Not that I don't love dogs, because I do. In fact, I'm the type of person who feels compelled to greet every dog I see in every situation. If I'm at a party, I'm likely to spend more time with the dog than the other guests. I … Continue reading Fair winds and following seas to the best Falcon of them all

They say you're not supposed to start with an apology, so let's begin with a few items. First, the sixth edition of the Herndon Playlist is live! More than that, this year's playlist features author Susan Weisberg, author of the Chester Midshipmouse books, and features the books' star (and friends). So let's start with a … Continue reading The Herndon Playlist is live … special guests included

As part of my nomad-like career, I spent about a year-and-a-half in the beautiful city of Lexington, Kentucky where I worked as a page designer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. What a great experience. I was in my early 20s and making a modest career shift from doing mostly writing and editing to a more visual … Continue reading And … dooooown the stretch