It was a long, rectangular room, with posh reclining chairs lining three walls and turning the corners on the fourth. The remaining space had a counter with cabinets and maybe a sink behind it. I don’t remember more detail than that. Except that attached to the front side of the counter was a small Liberty … Read more
I like to been seen. So do you. Might be in totally different ways or contexts or audiences, but we all want to be seen, understood. As a kid, I was introverted and socially anxious, good academically, and eager to please. In elementary school, I more or less spoke when spoken to. I remember clearly … Read more
It’s my birthday today! Except that mostly, it doesn’t matter. Work, chores, appointments, etc. all happen regardless. Which is fine (and reasonable). The number changing doesn’t make me feel any different. I know quite a few people on both sides of that fence—some who don’t care about the number turning over and some who react … Read more
About a month ago, we learned that we can rent the climbing gym for a per-person fee (with a minimum number of people). We agreed that it would be fun but that acquiring enough people would be challenging. The Climbing Daddy’s birthday was last month and mine is in a few days. We decided to … Read more
I know they’re important. Really important. I get it. Maybe I hate it because I’m not good at it. But where does one go to get feedback or training on title-writing? The only training I’ve had has talked about titles as a means of getting clicks (“Use numbers! Five ways to write great headlines!”), and … Read more
For a long time, peanut brittle was one of my favorites. And it was an infrequent treat, which made it even more delightful. It’s been years, maybe decades, since I had peanut brittle. There was some at work the other day. I took a piece. Or two… And you know what? It wasn’t that delicious. … Read more
I found a good reminder for myself. Something that I was doing that I shared with my online world a few years ago that maybe will help you, too. Here’s the context: I was working part time, teaching band. The schedule was brutal, many of the classes were brutal, and there was very little professional … Read more
So … it’s not anywhere close to Father’s Day. Here’s the story: The Kid and I went to Burst of Butterflies, a local painting place (canvas, ceramic, etc.) where he painted two small identical tiles that said #1 Dad. We were traveling for the actual holiday and picked up the tiles after we returned. We … Read more
I was invited to consider volunteering to do remembrance photography. (Invited as part of a photography group. Not personally invited.) I clicked through to see if it was what I thought it was. It was. Volunteer photographers do photo sessions with parents and their deceased infants. The example photos shown were very much like typical … Read more
The best fortune I ever got out of a cookie was over 30 years ago, and while I didn’t keep it, I remember it. “Today is a good day to go moose hunting with a belly dancer.” I haven’t received any that were nearly as entertaining in the intervening decades, though some came close when … Read more