Portland,  Oregon is a great city for public transportation. Its bicycle friendly with plenty of street rentals for visitors or those who don't have their own.  Light rail, buses,  streetcars, Uber and taxis round out the transportation modes I have used in this beautiful city. I learned to ride the MAX light rail when traffic and parking … Continue reading Priority Seating on the Red Line MAX

The night the horses left. A mostly true short story in the spirit of  Halloween.   I was really surprised when CJ jumped into the trailer first.  Lasaro closed the swing gate and put some hay in through the drop window on the side of the trailer.  She moved around, feeling for the space on … Continue reading The Night the Horses Left

Andi I just finished my conversation at the cat trikes booth when she rolled up beside me.  She took out a handheld device and after a few taps, she had initiated a conversation with the employee I had just been speaking with.  Thinking I knew how slow these devices can be, I waved goodbye and … Continue reading ANDI

To Wayne A Gilbert I have known you for less than a year. It seems as though I knew you long ago, when we were both younger before the Parkinson’s got us. I didn’t. I remember the moment I met you. In Westminster, at the hotel conference room. It seemed you were standing in a … Continue reading The peacenik, Wayne Gilbert

In my most recent “Book Talks” and blogs I have addressed more psychological or emotional issues. While I might call these non-motor symptoms the “soft Parkinson’s symptoms, they are not “soft” at all. The non-motor symptoms provide some of the hardest challenges a person with Parkinson’s faces.  These symptoms include depression, anxiety, delusions, hallucinations, constipation, … Continue reading The “Perfect Friends” of this Person with Parkinson’s

It weighs heavy on my heart, my dear friends and acquaintances who are challenged in their relationships due to the horrid disease process. After reading through hundreds of responses to a post on social media by a heartbroken man who experiences Parkinson's I decided I needed to write it out.  (like, write it out of … Continue reading Relationships

I first met this woman almost 10 years ago when I was newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s. She and two other employees of Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon politely listened to me read from my blog as we sipped our wine in the bar at Valley River Inn in Eugene, Oregon.  If I thought hard enough I … Continue reading A short study of leadership

We have two incredible sons. The stories of how they came into our lives are amazing.  They are told and retold whenever we have Holidays together. They both live far away and I miss them very much. I wrote this for Loren on the 24th anniversary of his Clupnyhood, four years ago.   The A … Continue reading The A Roar A Boring Not for Alice..er…The Roaring Boring Alice…not quite right…Aurora Bores Alice AHG The Northern Lights

                                                           MORE OR LESS IS BETTER.  You Decide. Advance warning!  If you are embarrassed by discussions of bodily functions, you may want to skip over this blog post. People with Parkinson’s are well aware of the non-motor symptoms of the disease.  Let’s do a quick bulleted review to educate and inform everyone else:   Motor Symptoms … Continue reading MORE OR LESS IS BETTER

As the late summer afternoon heated up, I slowed down. I sat down on the couch, ready to snooze off when my notification Bzzzz Bzzzz made me jump. Reaching carefully for my phone across the abyss that is the distance between the couch and the coffee table, I saw there was a Facebook post,  I … Continue reading HOME ALONE