At the McAfee house, there is one New Year's tradition that dwarfs all others. The new year ushers in budget season. Kim and I put our first household budget together as soon as we got home from our honeymoon. It was 1992, and the world still ran on paper. We kept...
Making Waves just reached a major milestone - 10,000 times someone has clicked to read a post. I am so thankful for the time each of you shares with me. In recognition of this landmark moment, I'd like to take a few moments to reflect on the journey.It's been a...
Holidays never seem to last long enough. It's already been a week since we had a great Thanksgiving. Erin put together a vegetarian spread that was awesome, and we chose to supplement it with a melt-in-your-mouth brisket and skipped the turkey altogether. The five of...
This week, I had breakfast with a friend of mine. If you read one of my earlier posts, The Serpent and the Dove, then you already know his story. If not, you can click on the title and catch up. I've been worried about him for the past couple of months. There are...
When I was an emerging adolescent, sex was one of those things nobody talked about in my house. My parents approached the subject with a Victorian-era level of modesty that extended from activities to anatomy. It was don't ask and don't tell. At some point in junior...
Mike was ignoring my best attempts to get off the phone.I had returned his call as I left the office but the drive home was now over and I was sitting in the driveway in the dark. It had been good to hear that his trip home from the wedding was smooth, but it was time...
Erin and Josh got married last Saturday, and brought a close to this year's wedding season.The event went perfectly. Erin was a doe-eyed bride, and Josh was a nervous groom. Their love for each other was on full display. When they read their vows to each other,...
This is my eulogy, as delivered at mom's Memorial Service. You can listen to me deliver it through the youtube link.After Mom passed away, our family had a meeting at the church with Pastor Thomas. When we arrived, he guided us to a large table in a meeting room down...
When Erin was six years old, she had a bicycle. It was exactly what you would imagine for a little girl. It was pink with turquoise accents and tires so white you knew they would never touch the grass. One pretty fall day, I took her with me on a run. We removed her...
** nothing below is intended to imply guilt or defend against details where I have no knowledge ** This week, a friend of mine got into trouble. Big trouble. This is the kind of thing that involves federal agents, potential prison time, and national headlines...
Erin is engaged and everything was shaping up for a March wedding (click here for the background story). With six months to go, we saw no reason to hurry. We were relaxed and enjoying the scenic route.Oh, what can change in a few weeks! On three consecutive days, she...
This past week was a tough one to be a McAfee. It seemed like the whole family had challenges. Kim's and mine were physical. She's had terrible seasonal allergies that have given her crippling headaches. Work has been tough as she tried to focus through the pain. I...