Happy 100th to Betty, the mother who gave me up but never stopped loving me

Happy 100th birthday, Betty. I hope you and all of your angel friends — of which I’m sure you have too many to count — are having a grand celebration. It seems unthinkable that the woman who gave birth to me was really born a century ago. But, I do need to come to grips … More Happy 100th to Betty, the mother who gave me up but never stopped loving me

Sharing memories by video call while celebrating the birthday of a brother who’s gone but forever in our hearts

Three siblings and my wife Kay gathered by video call Sunday evening to celebrate a birthday, remembering and sharing memories of a brother who left this world in his 61st year on January 9, 2009. For over 90 minutes while catching up on one another’s lives and families, we spent around 30 reminiscing about Robin, … More Sharing memories by video call while celebrating the birthday of a brother who’s gone but forever in our hearts

It’s OK to celebrate a silver house anniversary … isn’t it?

Today is a special day for the Christliebs. An anniversary. On June 19, 1996, after about five months of building that seemed more like 15, Kay and I moved into our first house. And 25 years, just one roof replacement, one new AC unit and a slew of new neighbors on both sides of us … More It’s OK to celebrate a silver house anniversary … isn’t it?

16 years after they came into my life, happy “found ya” day to my three full siblings

I didn’t know these 3 kids when this old B&W photo was taken — I wasn’t born for about another six years. And from the date of my birth, Feb. 28, 1961 — which, amazingly, happened to be the same day the boy on the left turned 17 — I wouldn’t learn these kids even … More 16 years after they came into my life, happy “found ya” day to my three full siblings

It was a grand day at the Rangers’ new ballpark — maskless! — even though my Astros came up short

While our trip to Globe Life Field today didn’t end the way we’d hoped with an Astros victory over the Rangers, it was cool to see the new indoor (retractable roof) stadium in Arlington for the first time. Kay and I had to leave after the Astros tied it 2-2 in the top of the … More It was a grand day at the Rangers’ new ballpark — maskless! — even though my Astros came up short

Wishing love to all the mothers in my world, and the rest of the world, this Mother’s Day

Sending all my love and thanks this Mother’s Day to the four moms who have been such an important part of my life, and to all the remarkable mothers the world over who have sacrificed so much for their families. For our Mother’s Day (although I have no photographic evidence because we had to leave … More Wishing love to all the mothers in my world, and the rest of the world, this Mother’s Day

It’s been 38 years to the day, and this Aggie journalism degree has served me well

Thirty-eight years ago today, this happened. About a month later — with two years of interviewing and writing about the likes of Jackie Sherrill, Shelby Metcalf, Bear Bryant, Grant Teaff, Gary Kubiak, Eric Dickerson, Akeem Olajuwon and Doug Flutie under my belt while working at Texas A&M’s student newspaper, The Battalion — I started as … More It’s been 38 years to the day, and this Aggie journalism degree has served me well

Take a bow, fellow Dallas Morning News copy editors. Now have a seat and write another award-winning headline.

As text editors, headline writers, all-around journalists and generally awesome people, we copy editors at The Dallas Morning News really, truly rock. I hate that we’ve only seen one another via Zoom for the past 13 months while working from home. So that said, it’s my honor to that, for the eighth year since 2011, … More Take a bow, fellow Dallas Morning News copy editors. Now have a seat and write another award-winning headline.

Deciphering a shoulder MRI, starting physical therapy … and wishing that steroid shot had actually worked

Type II acromion process. Minor sclerotic degenerative changes. Hypertrophy of the joint capsule. Minimal effacement and impingement of the supraspinatus tendon. Tendinosis and thinning of the rotator cuff tendons. Degenerative type 1/2 labral tear. Tendinosis within the biceps tendon. Sounds like a need a new right shoulder, doesn’t it? That’s just some of the undecipherable … More Deciphering a shoulder MRI, starting physical therapy … and wishing that steroid shot had actually worked

A former newspaper colleague just out of college forges bond with Holocaust survivor, writes his remarkable ‘Upstander’ life story

I learned yesterday (Saturday, April 10) that a former Dallas Morning News colleague, Jori Epstein, who now covers the Cowboys for USA Today, has done this amazing thing. She’s teamed up with Holocaust survivor Max Glauben, a most remarkable man about whom we’ve published many stories in the DMN, to tell his amazing life story … More A former newspaper colleague just out of college forges bond with Holocaust survivor, writes his remarkable ‘Upstander’ life story