January 2011

30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #15 – A Fond Memory

I remember making mix tapes when I was a kid. At first I had to record the songs from the radio. I hated it when the DJ would talk through a part of the song and ruin my recording. After a while, I learned to time the recordings without capturing any of the commercials. I [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #14 – My Wedding

In 1997, I married the woman of my dreams. We had been dating since 1992 when we met each at our college’s campus newspaper office. She was the consummate journalist and I was a guy looking to use my writing skills to make some extra cash to pay my rent. Despite our differences, we managed [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #13 – My Favorite Food

I’ve always been an adventurous eater. My travels around the world and around the country have exposed me to wide variety of foods. Whenever I have the opportunity to try something new and different, I take it. Sometimes I’m terribly disappointed by the taste of texture. Other times I’m pleasantly surprised. Despite all of the [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #12 – My Hobby

Over the years I’ve had many hobbies – photography, painting, drawing, writing, comic book collecting, model car building, and many more. Last summer, I started taking guitar lessons. Although I feel as if I’ve progressed, I still have much to learn. One major problem I have is scheduling consistent lessons with my teacher. Work, travel, [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #11 – What’s in My Wallet

I try not to carry too much stuff in my wallet because I don’t like the way a huge wallet feels in my back pocket. In fact, I carry a card holder instead of a wallet. The smaller card holder prevents me from carrying much cash and I no longer keep pictures of my family [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #10 – My Favorite Quote

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind… - Romans 12:2 from The Holy Bible I first read this quote when I was in college and it immediately resonated with me. I copied it to a piece of notebook paper and taped it to my dorm room wall [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #9 – A Photo That Makes Me Smile

One day while shopping, my kids, Nee, N, and X were goofing around and making funny faces. Pulling out my trusty iPhone, I told the kids to stand against the stone wall and tried to channel some of their energy into a portrait. Nee wanted her brothers to stop making faces and take a “normal” [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #8 – Something That Makes Me Angry

While sitting in my office this morning, I received a call from my wife. “Hey, honey,” KayEm said. “They denied my credit card at the grocery store.” “Really,” I said, “Because the same thing happened to me at the coffee shop this morning. I guess I need to call the credit card company to find [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #7 – A Photo of the Person I Love the Most

The person I love the most will always be my wife, KayEm. I could never love anyone the way I love her. No one knows me better than she does. All the secrets of my heart are hers. I truly adore her. She is my greatest blessing and my brightest light. She makes my life [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #6 – My Favorite Movie

Stay Strong, Question: What is your favorite movie?

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #5 – My Favorite Books

I have always found comfort in a book. They were my escape, taking me to places that transcended the poverty, squalor, and despair that surrounded me. Below is a list of books that have impacted my life in one way or another. Spiritual The Bible – This is my guidebook for life. I’ve read the Bible [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #4 – My Favorite Song

I’m a music fanatic. I have over 14,000 songs on my iPod and many more CDs and records (yes, vinyl LPs) around the house. It’s nearly impossible to choose one song as my favorite because I’ve heard so much beautifully written and performed music during my lifetime. Since I have to choose a song, I’ll [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #3 – A Letter to My Younger Self

Dear Fred, You’ll be a teenager soon and there are a few things that you should know. Life will have many challenges, but you are resilient and you will make it through with only a few scars and bruises. Please keep these things in mind over the next few years: Your mother is a hard [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #2 – A Recent Photograph

I took this photo of myself on January 13, 2011 in a Washington, D.C. hotel room as I was going out to find a restaurant. After walking around for several minutes in the 20 degree weather, I finally settled on California Pizza Kitchen. I ordered Mahi Mahi with pasta and I was not pleased with [...]

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30 Days of Mocha Dad: Day #1 – My Personal Philosophy

After your 40th birthday, each subsequent birthday becomes an opportunity for reflection. You start to assess your successes and failures and try to figure out how to best live the remainder of your life. Today, I celebrate 41 years of life and I feel quite comfortable with who I am and what I believe. I [...]

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