On a social media thread, someone mused, “I wonder if I had a sell by date, if it has passed.” It caught me a bit. I don’t know this person and I have no context for whether they have lamented being old since they turned 26 or if they’re just being silly or what, so … Read more
I sat down to write. No words. (I am rarely a woman with no words, especially when confronted by a fresh document.) So I went to things I’d started before to see if I could work on one of those. Nope. List of ideas? No good ones. And then I had a couple of conversations … Read more
A mailing list I’m on had a link that interested me, so I clicked through. The post that I was redirected to had ads interspersed between the paragraphs, ads in a side bar, and an ad at the bottom of the screen. The lead image is a screen shot from one portion of a similar … Read more
Variations on a meme go around every now and then, and I saw it again recently: Without relentlessly criticizing, could we let people have their pumpkin spice, and avocado toast, and their fandoms, and their D&D, and their too-early-Halloween decorations, and whatever little harmless things in which they’ve managed to find a tiny shriveled flower … Read more
Ordinary Chaos is my new podcast, found wherever you get your podcasts (though I’m having trouble at Google), and has been in the works for over three months. What has taken three months?? The obvious things: the interviews, the art, the music, the trailer. Less obvious but not invisible: the hosting, the website, the show … Read more
I have a document where I save my current writing: complete pieces, incomplete pieces, complete but not going to publish pieces, and a slew of ideas for pieces-to-be. When I settle in to write, if I don’t already have something in mind to write about, I will refer to the unfinished pieces or the list … Read more
Whenever I come into contact with sirens of police, fire, or ambulance, I have a moment of gratitude that whatever they are racing to does not involve me. We live close enough to a few main roads that sirens are not that uncommon. Eating dinner on the back porch and hear them in the distance. … Read more
In college, I had a repetitive stress injury that prevented me from playing my flute. A year later, an ear infection caused me to go deaf in my right ear. In addition to seeing medical doctors, I went to see a therapist. At the time, my relationship with my family was a mess. No one … Read more
Rocket Kid is attending half day camp. (We’re all very grateful for places that are maintaining COVID protocols.) We don’t have to leave the house until eight or so. On Tuesday, his first day, I woke up at about six and decided I was going to run before I had to get him up, then … Read more
“People from the northeast are so rude/straightforward/abrupt.” Or so I’ve heard. My experience is more that if you ask a stranger for directions in those places, they’re going to give you directions and move on. No small talk about the day or why you’re going there or the weather or where you’re from. But I’m … Read more