I sat on the hotel bathroom floor at zero dark o’clock, distracting myself from my misery by watching Meghan and Harry’s wedding on my iPhone. Oh. Look. Oprah is there, I thought, as my stomach clenched again. Yes. That Meghan and Harry. Lucky for me, their royal wedding was streaming right around the same time... Continue Reading →
The Big Fight with Fran
It was a humid morning in May, the kind where your skin sticks to your clothes before you’ve made it past the mailbox. I had walked four blocks with baby Sergio in his stroller to Fran’s house, something I did often without thinking. I didn’t call first. I never had to. Fran had always been... Continue Reading →
The Perm, the Towels, and Me: My Glamorous Start in the Workforce
In 1986, at the tender age of 15, while most teens were at the mall or learning how to smoke behind 7-Eleven, I had a job at a hair salon. And by “job,” I mean my mom paid a man named Wayne Michael to let me work there. This was a shocking twist I discovered... Continue Reading →
The Reluctant Parent’s Guide to Raising Good Humans
Years ago, I met up with a couple of friends from high school. We had our kids with us, so we visited a local science and activity center. While our kids played, we talked about parenting. At one point, I said, “Wow! It’s weird that we are definitely not kid people, but we had kids.”... Continue Reading →
The great Great Dane Rearranging of it’s Still Dark O’clock
Chris and I never wanted to be a dog parent cautionary tale, but here we are. Long ago, back when we had just one tiny dog, one semi-huge dog, and three cats, we used to close our bedroom door at night. None of the animals slept with us. It was peaceful. It was clean. It... Continue Reading →
The MOST Depressing Time of the Year
As soon as the automatic doors open, I come face to face with a life size plastic Santa. I see him even before I see the CVS clerk, who greets me to let me know she is there, in case I was thinking of shoplifting. At least, that is why I assume they greet people... Continue Reading →
You Never Know What You’re Gonna Step In!
I'm glad I always look down when I walk. It's not because I'm depressed or super short, both are also true. It's because I have three huge dogs, and in a warped Forrest Gump kind of way, in our house, you never know what you're gonna step in.When I first exited the bedroom this morning... Continue Reading →
My Mother at 80
Today is my mother’s 80th birthday. Yes, I said IS, not would have been as people often say when someone is dead but they are remembering a birthday. It’s still my mom’s birthday even though she has been dead since January of 2019. It’s still 10/4! It’s her day. Ten-four is something truckers say over... Continue Reading →
Through the Fog
I can barely see her through the gray mist, even though I am standing right next to her. It’s like we are standing in a cloud. It’s my mom, Janet, but she is a teen and she’s sad. She’s wearing a dark dress with a turtleneck, which is weird. I never saw my mom wear... Continue Reading →