When we moved from Alton, IL, to Arlington, VA, in 1981, we moved our banking accounts to Virginia National Bank because the Norfolk-based institution had the closest branch to our new condo in the Virginia Square neighborhood. No long after moving to Arlington, Virginia National Bank became “Sovran Bank” after a merger with a First
While working in the political side of Washington and government for a dozen or so years as part of our 23 years in the nation’s capital, I dealt with many folks who worried about their “legacy” in life. Legacies even have a “project” dedicating to help people understand what they might, or might not, leave
Metropolitan St. Louis, MO, — the area that includes my wife’s hometown in Belleville, IL and the area where I lived for 12 years — now ranks as the most violent urban area of the nation. CBS News reports St. Louis overtook Detroit as the most violent area in 2017 and now averages 66 homicides
Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams, considered by many as the greatest pure baseball hitter of all time, lived as a proud atheist. Sports writers generally ignored Williams lack of religious belief. Yet, he never hid it. When asked about the time he spent with kids at cancer centers, always without reporters or photographers present,
A Carilion neuropsychologist Friday put me on medication to help handle short-term memory loss that continues to haunt me since the brain trauma I suffered in my motorcycle accident in late 2012. MBT (for Massive Brain Trauma) was a closed head injury that affects my “cognitive memory functions.” I sometimes lose my train of thought
Windy weather and a forecast of heavy thunderstorms top the warnings this Sunday afternoon as the National Weather Service office in Blacksburg issues a “wind advisory” running from noon to 10 pm for Southwestern Virginia, Southern West Virginia and the North Carolina mountains with gusts reaching 57 miles per hour. NWS predicts the winds “could
Friday nights and the music of Floyd are subjects of many of the photos and films shot over our last 15 years in and around the area. The Friday Night Jamboree, of course, is a focus because of its international draw and prominence on Virginia’s Crooked Road and the music that spills out onto the
It has taken 53 years for my “Wahoo-ness” to celebrate a long-pursued sports victory. My alma mater is now king of the NCAA basketball world. And it took two comebacks and constant nail-biters to carry out the University of Virginia’s win over Texas Tech in the NCAA championship game in Minneapolis Monday evening. As Doug
Whoever called old age “the golden years” had a sick sense of humor. Old age brings aches and pains in places you didn’t know you had. The wall we hit after too much activity is now closer and harder. Doctors finish every sentence with “for your age.” Old age slapped me hard Thursday morning when
Sunday mornings are good times to answer questions that arose during the previous week. Some come in by email, other via social media and a few via phone. One question this week sticks out: “I understand your are an atheist? Why?” This inquiry came via email, so I answered it back. “I’m sorry, but what
