Articles written by Joe Paradis

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About me - Joe Paradis

Good day! I'm Joe, just plain ol' Joe.

In 2004, after 20 years running in the rat race we call Corporate America, work, for me, had become just that - work. A means to an end - and not a really enjoyable one either. So I decided that I needed a creative outlet.

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Home & Garden > Home & Garden (Other) Tips for shoveling snow: 2 of 19

Retiring the Snow Blower Preparing for winter. It's a rite of passage here in New England. Finding those snow shovels you've buried somewhere in the shed. Hauling out that bucket of sand that's been sprouting a patch of grass over the last three seasons. And above all, making sure that the snow blower is ready to go before t...
Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas Decorating your home for the holidays: 6 of 28

Another Year of Stringing the Lights "Don't wanna," I said, but not too firmly. I knew the inevitability of the situation. "Why not?" my wife responded. "It's a beautiful day, perfect weather. There won't be many more days like this before Christmas." She was right and I knew it. It was sixty degrees outside. So with a heavy...
Style & Beauty > Tattoos & Piercings Why do people get tattoos if they hurt?: 3 of 14

Tattoos "Well, Dad, I'm eighteen now" my son announced, one day a few years ago. "That you are, son!" I responded. "so what?" "Well, I think I'm gonna get a tattoo." I paused a moment before answering. This is one of those teenage challenges that kids occasionally throw at their parents. I guess I was wrong thinking we would...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: My favorite classic car and why: 7 of 29

A True Classic - the VW Beetle In 1969, at the ripe old age of fifteen, I made up my mind that I would own my own wheels as soon as I got my license. I combed every used car lot within 20 miles of our house. I mulled over a 1964 Chevy Impala. It was a soft light green color all Impalas were in those days. I also looked at a ...
Society & Lifestyle > Social Values & Norms Greeting Cards: Assessing the gesture of good wishes: 1 of 3

Greeting Cards "Now get one for each of them," my wife instructed me. "One for your father and one for mine. And get a birthday card for Robert too." "Yes, ma'am," I responded. "I think I can cover that." And off I went to make the rounds of my Saturday morning chores, which generally includes a stop at the post office, a ha...
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Pet peeves: 22 of 64

Pet Peeves In a fit of truthfulness, I bet we'd all admit that we have pet peeves. Those little things others do that really annoy us. Some even have the propensity to get us so wound up, so ready to snap, that we usually have to block our eyes or ears, or just walk away, to avoid a scene about something that, in the grand s...
Health & Fitness > Medical Concerns & Issues How to deal with claustrophobic fears during an MRI: 2 of 5

A Claustrophobic MRI Experience Earlier this summer, my son headed off to Marine Corps Officer Training School in Quantico, Virginia. He was particularly concerned with one part of the training that requires candidates to crawl, on their backs, into a 3-ft wide sewer pipe through which mucky water is continually rushing. Wit...
Sciences > Surgery Recovering from rotator cuff surgery: 1 of 1

Shoulder to Shoulder - Rotator Cuff Surgery He came toward me from across the room at the funeral parlor. A huge man, easily 250 lbs. Barrel-chested, close cropped hair, goatee, leather jacket. He wasn't anyone that I knew. But then I saw that he had his arm in a large cushion-like sling, just like the one I was toting aroun...
Politics, News & Issues > Soldiers & Veterans Military life: How to survive a deployment: 15 of 23

Why We Serve I spoke with him for a few minutes, just before the play began. A nice kid, nineteen years old, Phil joined the Marines last year, after graduating from Londonderry High School. His dream is to be a fireman in a big city. Any big city. The Marines are giving him the training to pursue that goal. And he'll be hon...
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Christmas traditions: 20 of 30

The Family Christmas Letter Before we let another Christmas season settle into the mythical snow bank, I'd like to take a shot at one of my biggest pet peeves those family letters that some people stuff into their Christmas cards. You know, the letter that tells you everything about their family. How perfect the kids are. Ho...