Tag: life
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A (Laundry) Day in the Life
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Tempus fugit, The Jim Garraty ChroniclesSaturday, December 13, 2025, Orlando, Florida Time flies faster than a rollercoaster at Universal Studios—or so it seems. Can you believe we’re already skidding into mid-December, with just twelve days left on the countdown to Christmas 2025? I’m still trying to wrap my head around that one, and my coffee hasn’t quite caught up yet.…
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“The Last Afterschool Walk Home”: Writing Friendship, Farewell, and the Emotional Geography of South Miami High
🌇 “The Last Afterschool Walk Home”: Writing Friendship, Farewell, and the Emotional Geography of South Miami High This is a story I don’t tell often; I’m a private man, and I don’t like to spill my guts about my love life, or lack thereof. I’m fine with talking in front of a crowd – whether…
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A Somewhat Stressful Monday in Orlando
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in the United States, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A StoryMonday, November 10, 2025, Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s Monday afternoon here in Central Florida, and I’ll be honest—it’s been a bit of a nerve-wracking day. Earlier, I had to complete a mandatory phone interview with Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) to qualify for SNAP benefits—what most folks still call “food stamps.” I…
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A Sunday Musicale for a Cloudy November Day in Florida
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Anxiety, Audible, Audiobooks, Autumn in Florida, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Family History, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Melodies and Memories: Music, Songs, and Singers, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A StorySunday, November 9, 2025, Orlando, Florida It’s late morning here in my corner of Central Florida, and the second weekend of November has arrived cloaked in gray skies and a damp chill that mirrors my mood a little too well. I’m still worried—quietly, persistently—about when (or if) I’ll be reunited with my belongings that remain…
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My Plans for a Restful Sunday
Sunday, November 2, 2025, Orlando, Florida It’s late morning here in Central Florida as I write this—my 2,214th post on WordPress. True to late autumn in this part of the world, it’s a bright but cool day: 74°F (23°C) under sunny skies, with a forecast high of 80°F (27°C) and mostly sunny conditions. Being the…
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The Music That Hurt Less: A Response to Thomas Wikman’s Review of ‘Comings and Goings’
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The Music That Hurt Less: A Response to Thomas Wikman’s Review When Thomas Wikman described Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen as a luminous prelude to Reunion: Coda, I felt seen—not just as a writer, but as someone who stitched memory and melody into fiction, hoping someone might hear the emotional subtext.…
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Adventures in Storytelling: ‘Reunion: Coda’ Nears Its ’15-Minute Checkpoint’
Checkpoint Received: A Milestone for Reunion: CodaVignette I: Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds I woke up to a quiet thrill this morning—a message from Stefan (Steve) Lee confirming that the 15-minute checkpoint for Reunion: Coda is already in progress. For those following along, Coda is the longest and most emotionally layered of the three Reunion…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Taste of Memory
🍺 The Taste of Memory: How Beer Became a Quiet Motif of Emotional Growth in the Garratyverse In Reunion: Coda, beer isn’t just a beverage—it’s a threshold. When Mark Prieto hands Jim Garraty his first Heineken, it’s not about rebellion. It’s about presence. About offering comfort without commentary. About saying, I see you, in the…
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Midweek Update: M-Day Plus Three in Orlando
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in 4K UHD Blu-rays, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Blogging, Blu-ray Box Sets, Blu-ray Collection, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Movies, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaMidmorning, Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Orlando, Florida Hey there. It’s my third day living in Bithlo, a suburb not far from Orlando. Florida’s autumn weather is as usual—warm and humid. This Wednesday morning, it’s about 77°F (25°C) with partly sunny skies. Humidity’s at 90%, and there’s a light breeze coming from the south-southwest at around…
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A New Chapter Begins: From Miami to Orlando
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, GoFundMe, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaMidday, Tuesday, September 2, 2025 – East Orlando, Florida Hello, friends. As you may have noticed from the heading, I’m no longer in South Florida. After decades rooted in Miami, I’ve relocated about 200 miles north to the Orlando area. The move wasn’t smooth—our first attempt on Saturday was derailed by trailer issues that left…
A Certain Point of View, Too 