Category: Family

Vampire Power and the Money We Lose

When I started dating my hubby, I owned the following electronics: A cheap, 3-disc changer stereo that was roughly the size of a large breadbox A CD walkman that ran on AA batteries (rechargeable) A Sony Dream Machine clock radio A laptop A small point-and-shoot film camera A cordless phone One cellphone and one charger…

What Happens While Driving…

One of Colin’s and my favorite things to do is a road trip. We are at our most relaxed on the way to somewhere, with him driving, and me organizing whatever podcast or playlist or wrong turn is up next. Our first road trip, en masse however, had me on edge. I had sweet-fond memories…

Rabbit-Proof Fence

There is a lot of wasted life, and so much of our time is used beating back the natural cycles. Shouldn’t we just leave the rabbits be? Let them mate and mate in our back yard, eat all of our hardwork, hard-earned? Shouldn’t we look at them and see the best of them? The softness…

Losing Late Nights

It suddenly occurred to me — when I was in the basement waiting to see if the washer would flood/leak — that I am no longer a Night Writer. I used to stay up and journal, scribble, angst-ify long after the sun had gone and the house had gone quiet. In KC, I’d sit on…

The Unfinished Basement is Not Worth Examining

So I’m just emptying the dishwasher this morning and number one son runs out the the kitchen and says: “Mom! I just saw this guy on TV! He says he can finish your basement!” “Oh yeah?” My mind is spinning. I start to do the math. Local news is on. Commercial jingles ring. TiVo has…

The Recurring Potato

We accidentally have perennial potatoes in our garden. These potatoes are unstoppable. We “planted” these them two seasons ago, on a whim. “Whim” = they had actually started growing from a few rotten potatoes we’d thrown out into the compost pile. Colin said “Hey, look. Potatoes are growing!” and dug ’em out and put them…

I’m Not Mowing The Lawn…

… and the reason I’m not is not at all simple. Despite the fact that I drive the heck out of our zippy five-speed manual transmission Mazda, and the fact that I drive our minivan like I need to get the kids to the raceway poddy–NOW! — despite both of THOSE facts, I feel complete…

Techno-Love

Or, On How to Avoid Becoming a Lesbian at College My friend, Frances, and I have married the same man. Frances: Alex is bobsledding in Lillehammer. He’s a bit nervous. Me: Why? He’s loves to ski black diamonds in brightly colored one-piece snowsuits. Frances: The first time they go down in a big bathtub thing…

Feeling Normal in Nashville

My life is decidely different than it was a year ago, 3 years ago or 7 years ago. Colin and I move around and like to keep things interesting. Our latest additions to the household have definitely redefined the meaning of “interesting.” And exhausting. So as a sweet little surprise for my birthday, Colin called…

The Parenting Apocolypse

Wow there is SO much “content” out there in the World (Wide Web) to inform, amuse, and berate today’s parent. I mean, don’t get me wrong. Some of it is actually useful. Such as the answers to basic questions like “Which end is up, again?”  “Will it ever stop pooping?” and the classic follow up,…

Kentucky Fried Christmas

After a visit to Colin’s work, we were all famished for lunch today. Nothing says special holiday like a big bucket of KFC. We got the family 12 piece meal and just about devoured all of it together. Dining on fast food on Christmas eve always reminds me of my own childhood. Ever so often…

Status Update…

I am not sure what I am supposed to say anymore. I feel guarded, though what I am guarding isn’t tangible. The woman at the food pantry was so frustrated. She didn’t have anything kind to say.  She didn’t know me and she still yelled at me. The happiest moment was still in the snow,…

On Being Easy

A friend of mine from college (found her again via Facebook) recently bought a house with her man in Vermont. Amy is living a rural life, feeding the cats, listening to the wind, recovering when she needs to from the bruises of being a New Yorker. In London, on Oxford Street, it was push and…

The Bacon Fat on the Counter

I did the dishes. But I left the Presto Power Crisp full of bacon fat on the counter. It’s not that I’m not interested in cleaning it– I scrubbed WAY more disgusting pans at The Passage in the London, where burning oatmeal in the bottom of a pot the size of the Queen’s bathtub seemed…