A guide to some of the things I’ve published on Medium and elsewhere. — Conversations with My Wife Chats with Deb My wife and I, just talking about stuff. Formerly "Conversations with My Wife" and with all the old posts.jherlocker.medium.com Lessons & Observations I Like Being Married One weird guy’s experience being married to his best friend(s)byrslf.co Start With a Partnership Romance is good, friendship is good, but a romantic relationship has got to be a working partnershipmedium.com

Where DO these companies find us for their mailing lists? — My wife and I talk to each other at breakfast. No, really, we do! But since we also need something to talk about, we like to read through our junk mail catalogs. Chat with Deb—Catalogs, Part… Sorry, Kinda Lost Count My wife and I flip through junk catalogs over breakfast. Does that make us bad people? Do we care?jherlocker.medium.com ME: Is there something about the holidays that brings out friends-related stuff? Like a plaque that says, “We’ve…

“What cute little puffins!” “INCOMING!” — So when last I posted, we were just departing Greenland on our way to Iceland. Chat with Deb—Our Great Northern Cruise, Part 6 They predicted fog and ice. They were correct, but fortunately NOT both at once.jherlocker.medium.com So, you know those big chunks of ice that float around up north? Not really icebergs, but still weighing a few hundred tons each? Nice big lumps that (I always thought) melt away gently? While…

Why are the nuns bringing sewing kits to the stable? — Deb got a reusable Advent calendar from her parents years ago. It has figures and objects from the Nativity, hand-cut and hand-painted. It finishes the day before Christmas, so besides providing an Advent countdown…

They predicted fog and ice. They were correct, but fortunately NOT both at once. —

Okay, fine, maybe you had a book on the best seller list, but did you ever have one of your characters come to your door for Halloween? Hmm? — DEB: Chris and Joelle are bringing Noah and Oliver over to trick-or-treat. I told them it’s okay. ME: Sure, honey! It was two days before the official costumed-kids-hit-the-streets day in our township, but why not? Plus we just turn out our lights and hide on the real Halloween, so this…

Usually Deb does these. Not this time.¹ — Hello Billy- I was a USNA classmate with your parents, and part of your mom and dad’s wedding party in 1981. You probably don’t remember, since you were barely a bump under your mom’s wedding dress at the time. …

by Debra Herlocker — After the meltdown There was peace I assure you my meltdown was justified. My fiancée returned from visiting her cousin… Three months pregnant She’s a wonderful girl I’m a God-fearing man How could she? I railed against her I railed against God I railed against the unfairness of it all …

My wife and I flip through junk catalogs over breakfast. Does that make us bad people? Do we care? — Chat with Deb—Fun with Junk Mail Okay, “fun” might be an exaggeration… sniggers?medium.com We read things to each other that we find in junk mail. It’s a married thing. (Might just be us, come to think of it. Oh well!) ME: “Stop buying plastic human skeletons for Halloween! Instead, invest in environmentally-friendly, locally-sourced, all-natural skeletons!”