Next Monday, I start the first of sixteen appointments at Mayo Clinic's Pain Rehabilitation Center in Rochester, Minnesota. That same day, I'm launching a GoFundMe campaign to help fund the final professional edit of my memoir, Keeping It Together While Falling Apart. Here's how I got here. I started working on this book just over … Continue reading Wednesday Before the Monday to Come.
health
No Longer in My Medicine Cabinet
On July 6th, I will enter Mayo Pain Rehabilitation Center for its 16-day program. I will be in Rochester, MN, for over three weeks. 2026 got off to an inauspicious beginning. I had my 34th surgery—a left shoulder revision. Shout-out to the Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital staff for their incredible care. Then came the left hamstring … Continue reading No Longer in My Medicine Cabinet
Keeping It Together While Falling Apart
(Today’s Pain Log) I’m writing this from the recliner that pretends to be a solution. It isn’t. It’s a truce. Ten, maybe twenty minutes of less-awful before everything starts screaming again. Nights are math problems I can’t solve: how many positions can a body try before it bargains with dawn? Quick status for those following … Continue reading Keeping It Together While Falling Apart
Hope, Dreams and A Change of Plans.
The transition from teaching to writing was supposed to be smooth. I had imagined that I would continue teaching until retirement and then transition into a full-time writing career. I hoped to get an agent, but as my wife says, “Hope is not a strategy.” So, I put together a business plan, intending to launch … Continue reading Hope, Dreams and A Change of Plans.
From ? To Hot Dogs
It’s the start of grilling season with a smattering of summer-like weather in the north and warm temperatures already settling in in the south. We have all seen the headlines. And you’re probably wondering just what goes into making your favorite hotdog. Huffington Post “How Bad Are Hot Dogs For You, And How Many Are … Continue reading From ? To Hot Dogs
T.L. Johnson 