Sometime late in this trip early in this journey A group of friends met down on the Farm With Donkeys, and sheep And a behemoth name Elvis There was Flo and Simon Lulu and Fanny And dogs, oh, were there dogs! Izzy and Lenore and Pearl and Orson Red and all the others whose bodies … Continue reading In the Open (or Solitude by Duke Ellington)
Author: BuddhaManAndy
I have devoted myself, because of my traumatic brain injury more than a decade ago and getting sober 7 years ago, to maximizing my new brain, like a Solitaire deck but with all the Aces and most of the face cards missing, by any means available.
The Stripper and Fur Elise Part 3
It’s called your Hot Seat. You sit down with a jury of your peers and your counselor hands you a list of Assets and Liabilities for staying sober once you’ve left the comfortable womb of Valley Hope and ventured into the Outside World. The entire patient group has written down on a piece of paper, … Continue reading The Stripper and Fur Elise Part 3
The Stripper and Fur Elise Part 2
(The names have been changed to protect people. I say “people” and not “the innocent” because we were after all addicts and alcoholics and most of us had more than a few skeletons in our respective closets.) Michaela had fake boobs. Actually, I really didn’t find out enough about her to know if she had … Continue reading The Stripper and Fur Elise Part 2
The Stripper and Fur Elise, Part 1
The Stripper and Fur Elise O’Neil, Nebraska is a pretty dull place. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting it down or anything. I mean, I think Valley Hope was probably put there by design. See, if you’re getting a bunch of alcoholics and addicts in one place to dry out, what better place to … Continue reading The Stripper and Fur Elise, Part 1
Beauty Boy
Inspired by Brooke Lowry I wish I could tell you all about the day Stacey brought him to see me at the hospital. I wish I could tell you the sliding door swooshed open and there he was, tail wagging and jumping on me and telling me how much he missed me. I wish I could you tell … Continue reading Beauty Boy
Moment of Clarity
In AA, it's called a moment of clarity. Or it's an epiphany. Or the light bulb set ablaze in your noggin. My mom calls it my moment of grace. The "Ah ha!" moment. A hundred different things to call it, the event is the same. Something clicked and I'll never be quite the same way … Continue reading Moment of Clarity
“Son, we’re pilgrims in an unholy land.” – Henry Jones Sr.
Okay, let's get this straight right off the bat. I am NOT a misogynist. As Henry Rollins said, I think women are poetry in motion. But, it didn't take long into my journey in the animal care and control field to realize that a staggering majority of my coworkers were and would be women. When I … Continue reading “Son, we’re pilgrims in an unholy land.” – Henry Jones Sr.
Newton’s Take
That's Newton. He's a Burmese Mountain Dog that comes into the Hotel fairly regularly. I've had a special affinity for huge dogs ever since I got into the business. Newfies, St. Bernards, Akitas, BMG's, anything that looks like it could be wearing a saddle, I love it. I've always said that what I would really … Continue reading Newton’s Take
Maiden Voyage
Well hello there. Fancy meeting you here. Alright enough with the pleasantries. Why did I start a blog. Really, it seems more and more these days, asking a writer why he started a blog is like asking water why it's wet. That's the simple answer. The more elaborate answer would be I want to hold … Continue reading Maiden Voyage
My Zen Brain 