Normally, I reminisce about all the great things that happened during the year from the perspective of being a dad, being a husband, being a full-time employee, being a reader, and being a writer. But, this year, I won’t go on and on and on about it. I will just say, it was a very…
Author: Mark Lieberman
Author of the Year -2025
Without a doubt, for me, it’s got to be John Sandford. Of the 151 books I read in 2025, 50 were by John Sandford. He was actually recommended in a Facebook book group I belong to, and when I did my research on him, I learned that his Prey series of book all take place…
Book of the Year – 2025
This year, I read a lot of Fiction thrillers; James Patterson’s Michael Bennett and Women’s Murder Club books and John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers books. It’s not that I didn’t like them, I did and that is why I devoured them. I just couldn’t come to grips and mark any of them as…
The Dad Is OOO
Well, I am off from work all next and the following week, as I go back Friday, January 2nd. Last year at this same time, I was off, but it was because we moved. And, totally unexpected, I also had emergency surgery for a heart attack a few weeks before that move. Yeah, shit happened. …
Snow Shoveling/Blowing
Since the day before Thanksgiving, snow has been on the ground where we live. Wait, where else would it be? In the air? I have already used the snow shovel and snow blower multiple times to clear the driveway. Our snow blower is a Toro, and it worked very well and quick. Don’t tell anybody…
One Year Heartiversary
One year ago today, I was discharged from Methodist Hospital Texsan, one of the top heart hospitals in Texas, after an experience that changed everything. On December 5, 2024, I woke at 3 a.m. with chest pain, sweating, and a pounding headache. They were classic heart attack symptoms, but instead of calling an ambulance like…
Sushi
If you don’t know me, my name is Mark, and I like to eat. Not Sushi, though. It doesn’t appeal to me to eat raw food! I have never actually eaten Sushi, but that changed when Niko saw a video on it, and was intrigued to try it. But, Nina and I had no clue…
It Snowed (Twice) – Finally
Niko was off from school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and on Tuesday night it snowed and when we woke up on Wednesday morning, it was a winter wonderland. It’s been below freezing ever since and, according to my weather app, for the next 9 days, that won’t happen (on that 10th day, it says…
It’s Cold (No Snow Yet)
I am definitely not used to the cold weather. All of my life, I lived in Texas and have had to deal with extreme heat for most of the year! Car and home A/C blasting super cold air all of the time. Now, we live in one of coldest cities in the country. Even going…
Firsts – Snowflakes, Northern Lights, and Walking on the Mississippi River
Last Sunday, it was cold. So cold and cloudy. With precipitation. Add that up, and that afternoon, I saw something flying through the air and realized it was a snowflake! A few more snowflakes arrived. I sat on the couch and just watched as snowflakes flew downward. It was very surreal and pretty, and this…
Beds Are Not Burning
In July, Niko declared his current King bed not comfortable anymore and he was really struggling in the evenings to go to sleep. So, I gave him my Queen bed and took his uncomfortable King bed. For me, it was a no brainer swap as his sleep is the most important in the house. That…
Halloween 2025 – No Snow Yet
Up until about a month ago, Niko wasn’t even thinking about what to be for Halloween. But, then, he watched KPop Demon Hunters, and he wanted to be Jinu as a Demon! Fine with us. Nina found his hat online and made the robe herself. She used makeup on Niko and drew the demon markers…
Minnesota Winter
In June, we moved from one of the hottest places in the USA to one of the coldest places in the USA! We are ready for snow, as we have lots of warm clothes and continue to buy more. We got a TORO snow blower delivered last Wednesday and I turned it on yesterday, and…
Niko’s Time Off
Niko was off from school Wednesday through Friday, for no particular reason. I guess that is how the schools in Minnesota function. He does get time off like this throughout the year, in addition to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. But no Spring Break like in Texas. Nina worked most of her hours on Monday…
The Dad’s Trilogy of Random Thoughts
I got three random things I wanted to share and didn’t feel like separating them out over the next three weeks. So, you get them all today. 10/10/2025 On Friday, Nina and I celebrated 15th wedding anniversary. I took Nina to lunch at a “nice restaurant” on the lake near our house. Not the one…
The Dad Isn’t a Lifeguard
Last Saturday and Sunday, Niko and I went to the community center where they have an indoor pool. He took swim lessons over the summer at the local high school, and now, he is a professional swimmer who loves showing off his skills. When we do pool, I strive to be there right when they…
The Dad HandyMan
Since we moved to our new house in June, I have done a lot of “DAD HANDYMAN” things. It’s not like the house we purchased was in shambles and needed a ton of work. Just normal things that needs to be fixed or replaced. I think we have something like 25 doors in our house…
Cat + New House = Chaos
Ever since we moved into the new house, the cat has acted like an explorer in a kingdom full of locked doors. Every forbidden room is a treasure cave to him, every closet a secret passage. He prowls the halls like a furry outlaw, crying at doors as though they’re keeping him from his destiny….
School Week 2 – 3 By Niko
This Blog is edited by ChatGPT here is it’s version: On the Friday of the second week of school, I woke up with a cold that clung to me like a fog. Dad understood and let me stay home, which felt like a small mercy. The weekend came and went, but the sickness refused to…
Bad Words
For 9 years, Nina and I have done a really good job of keeping bad words out of Niko’s vocabulary. Niko is aware of the bad words (probably from classmates at his old school), but he kept them pretty far back in his brain. He never used them and whenever something appeared audible to him…