| ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY, LIFE |
2023-12-20 |
 This is Aleo's freshman year final project. Not much to say from me other than, wow! My favorite comment overheard from another is, "Who knew how photogenic the DeArmitt/Walter house could be?"
I'm also supposed to say that this is not the final-final version and there is still some fine-tuning and color-correction that is necessary. I'm confident none of us civilians will ever know the ...
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ARCHIVE VIEWER
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FAMILY, LIFE |
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2011-11-11 |
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alex came into pee moments after i stepped out of the shower. we said our good mornings and each went about our ablutions. instead of leaving after washing and drying his hands, he leaned against the sink and watched me, with great curiosity, rub gel into my hair. after a few moments he studiously asked, "why do you put glue in your hair?" without looking away from my task i matter of factly replied, "because that is what you do to broken things alex."
if you gave me three months to come up with a better answer than my from the hip quip, i'm sure i could not.
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monthly archives
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| ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY, LIFE, SOCIETY |
2023-12-18 |
 The last few years I have spent the month of July tent-camping in Michigan. Parts of the family will join me for much of this but I usually spend a week or two alone. Every morning of this month begins with a 3-4 hour reading and writing session on the beach. As for what I’m reading, each year I choose a different topic to research and I will have a few books on that subject and will spend my mo...
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| ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY |
2023-12-01 |
 Above is Alex’s second film school assignment—make a two minute silent film.
Since first seeing it, I've had multiple recurring thoughts about this 150 second video:
- I'm struck by the conciseness of the storytelling. I won't say I thougth it an impossible ask but would have surely thought it an unreasonable ask were it put before me. Two minutes? What the heck am I suppposed ...
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| FAMILY, LIFE |
2023-11-30 |
 "See you Sunday."
This is what we say to Anthony when he leaves the house. It doesn't matter if the day is Monday or Saturday; this is what is said. The source of this is tied to a single weekend from his sophomore year where Anthony left the house on Saturday morning with no real plans in hand, and we didn't see him again until Sunday evening.
He did a number of things with tho ...
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| FAMILY, LIFE |
2023-11-28 |
 What's it like having Mrs. Walters as a mom?
All three of our kids attended high school where their mother taught. And not just taught but thankfully served as one of the most popular teachers at the school. Kids love her. They love how she dresses. They love her energy. They love the crazy things she says in class. Last year, a student surreptitiously kept a list of these sayings on the ...
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| FAMILY, LIFE, WEB |
2023-11-27 |
 Bella just got her first post-college, big-girl job. It is at the same university I worked for until 2016. It is an idyllic starting professional experience for both her and her employer. For her because she is going to learn a lot about the future industry she intends to occupy, and for them, because they just landed a young woman obsessed with what their group does—event production.
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| ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY, LIFE |
2023-11-03 |
 It is rare to see Alex look unsettled.
When he was in a middle school robotics competition, if someone was struggling with a challenge, they were allowed to have a teammate step in to help them. In many cases, the person called in was Alex, and when he took the controls from the rattled contestant, he would begin methodically stepping through the problem, the world around seemingly disso...
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| ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY, LIFE |
2023-11-02 |
 Bella and Abdi (her multi-year boyfriend) were in Chicago for a long weekend. After parking their car on a congested neighborhood street, they stood back, assessing if their park job was okay given the signs and curb paint. They stopped two guys passing by and told them they were visiting town and asked if they, the guys, thought their parking was alright. The two fellows gave it a thumbs up. Afte ...
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| ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY, LIFE |
2023-10-31 |
The worse thing you can do to a young person is tell them to be themselves
because they have absolutely no idea who they are.
Tony DeArmitt
I think Anthony...
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| ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY, LIFE, TECHNOLOGY, WEB |
2023-10-30 |
 In 2016, I left my job to start a company. I still vividly remember an exchange with an older guy shortly thereafter.
OLD GUY
Oh. So you started your own company?
TROY
Yeah. I’m a little nervous but more excited.
OLD GUY
Sure. Fun stuff. Being your own boss is great. Want to know the best thing about having your own company?
TROY
Sure. What ...
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| ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY, LIFE |
2023-09-29 |
 The Secret Cajun Band (SCB) is a St. Louis ska-band I became obsessed with in the 90s. Marty knew the guitar player from her high school days and asked me to go with her to a small concert they were doing. I said I didn't want to go. She said she didn't want to go alone and asked me to go as a favor. So I went, but under protest. After the first five notes from the first-ever song I heard from the ...
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| ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY, LIFE |
2023-09-28 |
 Last year I shared that Bella was graduating college and that she was throwing herself a party and that there would be speeches.
For those who might not have been invited or who were invited but could not attend, above are the speeches that happened at Baya’s self-thrown graduation party.
We all have Aleo to thank for the excelle...
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| FAMILY, LIFE |
2023-09-26 |
 End of an Era, Part II
End of an Era Part I here.
Logic dictates that when one thing ends, another thing begins, and this new era has plenty of interesting fodder in the folds. For one, it, the new era, is marked by Marty and I being the parents of three grown children. There are many curious things about watching your children ste...
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| FAMILY, LIFE |
2023-09-25 |
 End of an Era, Part I
Bella and I were sitting on the couch. I hadn't seen her in several days. Before now, travel-aside, I could count on one hand the number of times I did not see my oldest child for consecutive days. But those times have passed. Now, seeing her two days in a row is the unusual experience. As we sat catching up, she said she recently had a few tough emo...
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| FAMILY, FRIENDS, LIFE |
2022-12-22 |
 I'm going to close this year's books by sharing the best parental compliment Marty and I have ever received. Bookpimp and I were catching up after not having spoken for a few months. After giving him the family updates, the following ensued.
BOOKPIMP
If you and Marty had another kid, they'd be a shithead right?
TROY
Uhh, what?
BOOKPIMP
If you and Marty had a...
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| ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY, LIFE |
2022-12-21 |
 Now that the kids are older and either moved out or are often out, Marty and I are edging our way into those scary waters where a couple has just one another to talk to. When I was younger, I thought this period would resemble life before having kids. Light. Carefree. Easy. In some ways, it is, but when you have sent children you love more than you thought possible into the world, I think my mind ...
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| FAMILY, LIFE |
2022-12-20 |
 Alex recently came to Marty and asked if she was ok. She was and said as much. He asked again, seemingly not believing her first answer. She repeated she was fine and asked why he was asking. He said that he noticed that she had not made dinner on two of the three nights this week. Marty took a moment to recall the week, and yes, because of some atypical evening events, we did not have our usual f...
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| ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY, LIFE, TECHNOLOGY, WEB |
2022-12-15 |
 MARTY
This is Marty's tenth year back in the classroom, after taking a nine year hiatus to stay home with our kids. This year she returned to peak form. She would have gotten there sooner, but the covid-disruption set everyone's plans back. She is a marvel in the classroom and is someone who connects with young people far better than most. I see this every time we go to a school event in the w...
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| FAMILY, LIFE, WEB |
2022-12-14 |
 For years Bella wanted to be a waitress. I believe this began after she heard, "waitresses make bank!" After working a few counter-service jobs, she got hired at Red Lobster. They said she couldn't serve tables because she had no experience, but they would start her as a hostess and get her waiting tables in time. That never happened, and after a half year or so, Bella gave notice.
She t...
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| ENTERTAINMENT, FAMILY, LIFE, SPORT |
2022-12-13 |
 Anthony. Where to even begin in describing what it's like to exist near a now 16-year-old Anthony Walter DeArmitt.
His life mantra for the past few years has been, "it will probably be ok," and to date, he has been 100% right.
Even though academics might be one of his top skills/gifts, he has applied to a trade school where he will study the construction arts in his last two ye...
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| FAMILY, LIFE |
2022-12-12 |
 I recently, to Marty, compared Anthony to Bella saying that something he did reminded me of her. With zero pause, Marty quickly corrected me with the following.
Bella appears confident, even when she is not.
Anthony is confident, genuinely confident, and is never pretending.
Then you have Alex who might not look confident b... |
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