HAT 16b: That GirlIt's official... the flu got us. Not THAT flu, just regular ol' influenza. Fortunately we have gold in the treasure chest, and you're certain to delight in more Macy. Make sure you stick around for the last couple of minutes. If you need a smile today, you're in for a treat. Be back soon with better health and new things to kick around!

HAT: DMV Day:  Pleasant greetings, good day, and namaste, y’all. The minutiae of adding the new vehicle along with transferring the old Jeep has put me at the mercy of phone calls, emails, car dealerships, and the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (which, incidentally, is as admirably efficient at their work as one could reasonably expect given the task at hand). All of this has bitten implacably into my writing and recording time. Since you’ve all learned a bit about my child recently, I thought you might delight in a show we did together after returning from vacation a few years ago. Enjoy a little silliness on… HERE’S A THING.

HAT 16: Parent Of The Year?!? Today a new age dawns upon my family’s world. The paradigm we have known, and by which we have dutifully operated, has permanently shifted. Much like one’s own mortality, the impending arrival of this new factor set has been looming at the edge of our collective conscious like a specter. And this gray vaporous form holds the scales of balance with joy and renewed freedom countered by categorical terror. Just exactly what is going on around here? Well… HERE’S A THING.

HAT: Sick Day 2   Feeling this bad MUST mean I'm on the way back to the living! Right??? Have a joyful weekend!

HAT: Sick Day When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one dude to stay in bed and take lots of cold medicine rendering him useless… he must dig back into the old treasure chest of past episodes of past recordings. Please enjoy this encore presentation of Backyard Round Table and Backyard Backup. I’ll see you back here shortly when I’m capable of speaking for more than 20 seconds without sounding like a lifelong consumer of unfiltered Lucky’s.

HAT: 15 Charm    I have stated in this very place that a certain amount of friction in life is NECESSARY. There is such thing as constructive friction. Check with any athlete, physicist, or debate champion. However, reducing UNNECESSARY friction in daily interpersonal encounters seems like a goal only the weirdest of masochists would not endorse. What personality trait, when refined, is the single greatest tool available to smooth over the rockiest of roads? Well, HERE’S A THING.

HAT: 14 Grace  You have very pretty curls. Your hair isn’t real, is it? I wish I were going bald like you. It would save me so much time in the morning. Oh, man… are you getting a zit? I hate that. You’re so cute and chubby!Awww… your nose is shaped like a tortilla chip! I love that! Out of the mouths of babes, right? No… apparently this is what’s trying to pass for discourse among adult-aged humans these days.What the hell is going on around here? Well, HERE’S A THING.

HAT 13: IHEARTU  Happy Chocolate & Flowers Day!Today’s episode is presented by… Scott Schroeder Photography; modern-classic imagery for genuine people. Based in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and available everywhere. If you find yourself in need of timeless imagery of your family, event, or business that won’t scream Instagram filter in years to come… well, Scott Schroeder Photography IS A THING. Scott Schroeder Photography

HAT 12: Gastronomy  Perhaps my advanced age is a factor. After all, I’m reminded of it each time I stand up, sit down, throw a ball, or try to make sense of marketing strategies. Nevertheless, something has changed in my attitude regarding how I prefer to experience the adventure of eating out. A not-so-subtle shift has developed in my psyche and I’d like to know if you feel it, too. Come along and conduct a little sociological experiment with me today on HERE’S A THING.

HAT 11: Joy  In the midst of battle little bits of light make it through the haze. Not everything can be steered by friction and conflict. You have to allow calm to have it’s proper place. Without it there is a schism in the universal balance. Without it, there is no joy. What is joy? Well, HERE’S A THING.