July is National Ice Cream Month. I’m throwing an ice cream social…in August. Oh well, it’s the thought that counts. Who do we have to thank for this month-long celebration of ice cream? The Gipper! Photo Credit: Curtis Patrick & Art Van Court collections I thought an ice cream social would be a fun way to…
In the two weeks since I finished my iPod shuffle challenge, during which I listened to a complete shuffle of all the songs on my iPod without skipping any, I’ve been restless about music. New shuffles bore me, my music seems stale. It feels like I’ve “just” heard all of it. So I’ve been listening…
Coming Out I haven’t explicitly written about not having kids. I’ve been hesitant for two reasons: 1.) I don’t want to alienate anybody. I think some parents get uncomfortable around me once they know I’m purposely childfree (it’s hard to avoid the conversation now that I’m of an age when “do you have kids?” is…
Last year, I missed the supermoon. Meaning I had no idea what a supermoon was or why I should give a shit. Then in the days that followed, I saw the pictures. And regretted missing it. This time, I was ready. I planned my whole day around seeing the supermoon in its rising glory and…
I’m challenging myself to get through a whole shuffle of my music collection on my iPod without skipping. Then I write about what I heard each week. Again a week with no posts between the shuffle entries. I’m writing posts in my head all the time. I probably have a dozen at least that are…
On the surface, it may seem counter-intuitive for a perfectionist’s office to look like a cyclone hit it. But those of you who have the perfectionism affliction, or love someone who does, see the truth. Am I comfortable with this picture? No. Do I enjoy working in this environment? No. While a normal person might…
Before I got married, my work colleagues threw me a party. One of the gifts was an insulated picnic backpack, which we never used until years later, after we adopted Chuck. Our first Memorial Day with Chuck, Dave suggested we have a picnic by the Potomac. The first picnic consisted of a very long walk…
My birthday was Wednesday. Dave and I always make each other a birthday cake. My favorite cake is Harvey Wallbanger. This cake (boxed yellow mix doctored with vanilla pudding and the ingredients of the Harvey Wallbanger drink–vodka, Galliano, and orange juice) was a childhood favorite. In my family, there were two schools: cream cheese frosting/normal…
Portfolio.com assessed the collective brainpower of the 200 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. My hometown, Erie, PA, came in 143rd out of 200, with a negative brainpower index. Washington, D.C was third on the list, so obviously my mobility was significant to these results. Seriously…the brainpower index was measured by the educational attainment of…
This is one of those posts no one gives a shit about. I’ve been away from here long enough that I had to log in. The past few weeks, I’ve been trapped in a nostalgia sinkhole and it’s been harder to climb out than usual, because I’m deliberately trying to immerse myself in memories for…