A Family Tradition - a Column by Carlos Briceño

We live in Illinois, where the weather can be unpredictable. Some days we have perfect weather — 70 degrees and sunny — followed immediately by snow. We may not see the sun for days. When we moved here, we quickly discovered that you have to enjoy the beautiful days…

I am messy. I’ve always been messy. My desk at work looks like an explosion of papers. I love to read, so it’s not uncommon for my bedroom floor to have books scattered like leaves on the ground on a fall day. I also tend to buy the same product…

The Huntington’s Disease Society of America held its annual conference in early June. Like many events these days, it was virtual, which made it super convenient to attend. I watched several sessions, including “Preparing for the Change That Will Come” and “Support Group for Caregivers.” I like to have a…

On May 21, 1992, MTV aired the first episode of “The Real World.” The introduction to the show went like this: “This is the true story of seven strangers picked to live in a house, work together, and have their lives taped. Find out what happens when people stop…

I have pink eye. Again. And I’m extremely happy I got it. I’ll get to why in a moment, but first some background. For the third time since March, the whites of my eyes are red and watery with occasional discharges that result in some crusting on my eyelashes.

If you’ve ever experienced an allergic reaction to something, you probably understand why the root word of misery comes from the Latin word “miseria,” which means wretchedness. My dog has been in a state of misery for the past two weeks due to an allergic reaction. We don’t know…

Reality bites. That was the name of a 1994 romantic comedy movie starring Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke. It’s about four recent graduates finding out how difficult life can be when searching for a decent job and true love after college. In pop culture, that phrase eventually came to…

May is Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month. While I was starting to write this week’s column, my wife, Jill, received some devastating news: Her second cousin, Pamela Averman, had passed away from pneumonia on April 28. Because this is a Huntington’s disease column,…

The first time I met my wife, Jill, she told me she wasn’t comfortable with “PDA.” Being a smart aleck, I asked her why she didn’t like personal digital assistants. (The old PalmPilots were known as PDAs.) She flashed the patient smile of someone who knew it would require…

My wife, Jill, and I live in Illinois, where the governor has declared a stay-at-home order for our entire state. It’s been weeks now. He also suggests canceling summer events and has decided that children will not return to school for the remainder of the academic year. We are…