Heat Weirdlastname Growing up, the first day of school was always so exciting. I always had a new outfit. Often a new backpack or lunch box. I had friends at school. I got along well with most of my teachers, so that was never a worry for me. I wasn’t a wiggly kid and had no trouble … Read more
A thing happened. Person A was in a bad emotional place. Person B offered company and help with a difficult task. Person A, not wanting to impose, declined the offer. Except that Person B was also in a precarious emotional place, and helping would have also done them a lot of good, for a lot … Read more
In the district where I teach, today is the first day of school for students. (Teachers, counselors, others started last week. Principals, custodians, some of the office staff have been working all summer.) Today is July 23. I grew up in New Jersey, where school always started after Labor Day. (We have mid-quarter parent conferences … Read more
A workout definitely feels more accomplished if I’m sweating hard at the end. Of course, the photo was taken after an outdoor run the other morning. It was hot and sunny, so the sweat wasn’t really indicative of the run being harder than the same run in the winter, but it still feels better. (In … Read more
Veganism has benefits, and I don’t think there’s anything bad about being vegan, as long as you know what you need to know for getting all of your nutrients. (Protein is not the issue, typically.) So when I was given a magazine promoting veganism, I flipped through it, mainly looking to see if they had … Read more
Phoenix—as part of a large swath of the US southwest and northern Mexico-—is located in the Sonoran Desert. While most of the country has four seasons, the Sonoran Desert actually has five: autumn, winter, spring, dry summer, wet summer. Wet summer here is known as monsoon season, which is technically defined as three consecutive days … Read more
Last night, my name was picked and I got to tell a story on stage at The Moth. (I didn’t tell any stories involving wedding dresses, as they ended up not making good stories. More like good anecdotes. I told a story about a brazen comment in a conversation with my first principal-to-be.) Because I … Read more
I’m volunteering at The Moth StorySlam tonight in Phoenix. While I’m there, I can throw my name into the hat for an opportunity to tell a 5-minute story on stage. (I’ve had the opportunity to tell stories twice. One went well; the other, not so much.) The theme this month is BOLD. I’ve been thinking … Read more
I found a photography game via Facebook ad and joined it. Simply: There are a bunch of contests with themes. You enter one or four photos (depending on the rules of the contest) and other users vote on them. Whoever created the contest also chooses their favorites. They run between two and eight days. The … Read more
For almost three quarters of a year, I’ve been posting daily. It’s changed me a little bit. I’ve always enjoyed writing, but having something to say on a daily basis—even for someone whose brain is often busy—is challenging. Especially when my brain is busy with things that aren’t necessarily appropriate for blogging. But this pursuit … Read more