End of an Era

So I don’t know if you’ll remember this but I’ve spent the past five years working next to a guy who is gross and creepy and horrible and I’ve spent a lot of time air-strangling him and making obscene gestures at him from behind our shared cubicle wall and quoting him on Twitter while HE…

Pain Management

A few months ago I was referred to something they call a “pain management specialist” for steroid injections, meant to relieve a chronic pain in my neck (and I don’t mean the husband – ba-dum-bump). I walked into the office and announced myself to the receptionist, who promptly handed me The Clipboard — you know,…

My grandfather is a quiet man.

He’s not in-your-face, he’s not gregarious. He doesn’t go out of his way to make his presence known in a room; he lets others be noticed while he stands back and watches, hands in pockets or arms folded. He’s thoughtful, wise, generous. I’ve never known anyone else so pure of heart, and I know I…

The Laundry is Trying to Kill Me.

Hey, listen, sorry I didn’t make it to that party you had this weekend. It sounded like a LOT of fun and I was really looking forward to it. Happy birthday, anyway. Oh, and that trip to the pool we had planned with the kids? That sounded like a great time, too. Sorry I missed…

I Am In Earnest

I am in earnest I feel things intensely and I commit with my whole heart.  This is who I am.  It will never change.  And I won’t apologize for it, not even to myself. I will not equivocate I promise to do my best with this.  Don’t fudge.  Don’t evade.  Don’t hide.  Face your life…

Musical Flashback: Vox

It’s the fall of 1990. I’m a miserable 18-year-old college freshman, home for the weekend, yet again. I’ve made the 1 ½ hour drive from College Station back to Austin as I’ve done pretty much every weekend since school started. I’m despondent at A&M, missing home desperately, completely out of my comfort zone and choking…

Everybody’s workin’ for the weekend.

Except me. Me? I’m counting down to next Friday, the day that decides the entire course of the rest of our entire lives. Or the day that Bill goes for that job interview in Oregon. Take your pick, but if you’re like me, you’re going with the more dramatic version. I have recently realized that…

Feed me. The WHOLE entry.

Alright, kids, let’s talk. Specifically, let’s talk about your feeds. I’m a busy girl with a blog addiction, so I read through Google Reader. That’s just how it is. Now, I admit, I understand that you want me (and your other readers) to come to your blog directly so that you get those page hits…

I started to write…

…my list of five things for which I’m thankful. What came immediately to mind was the Bill of Rights. I thought about making an exception and posting ten positive things, but then I realized that I wanted to delve into some of these things more deeply than I normally would in an aside. But I’m…

Natural and logical consequences.

When Matt was very young, I was a spanker. I didn’t see anything wrong with spanking. After all, I’d been spanked as a kid, and I turned out okay, right? Except I wasn’t just spanking my son — I was releasing my anger and frustration with his behavior, too. There was one night that I…