Before I made the questionable decision to get a BA in English and then spend my 20s dressing up like furniture and mincing about for a living, I always kind of thought I wanted to be a zoologist. I was SERIOUS about this. I used to get the National Wildlife Foundation magazine as a kid,... Continue Reading →
George
I don't know if this is common knowledge or not, but Walt Disney World is reportedly SUPER haunted. It kind of makes sense that, in a place where people have been feeling big feelings for nearly 50 years--where engagements, honeymoons, and anniversaries have been celebrated, where life-threateningly ill children and their families get a moment's... Continue Reading →
At a Lonely L Stop
There are two kinds of train in Chicago: one goes to the suburbs. The other is an express line to all the weirdos in the city. Continue Reading →
Everything You Need to Know if Episode 9 is Your First Star Wars (2019 Edition)
Two years ago, a friend of mine got an awesome opportunity to attend a private screening of The Last Jedi, but was unfortunately not familiar with the Star Wars saga. She turned to me for help, and I attempted to summarize an entire space opera in a few paragraphs. After a bit of polishing, I... Continue Reading →
Office Mates
Until very recently, the company I work for took up one and one-quarter floors of a 31-story skyscraper. I worked on the floor that was entirely ours, which was near the top of the skyscraper. My pal Heather worked five floors below on the partially-ours floor. We made it work. Currently, my floor is closed... Continue Reading →
The DNA of Feisty Women
I felt pretty lucky, growing up, because most kids just had grandmas, but I had a grandma AND an Oma. Not to say that one is better than the other. To be clear, Oma is German for Grandma. But the distinction felt necessary to me. It was a completely different job, and it required a... Continue Reading →
This Town (dare you not to sing it as you read)
Little Town, It's a Quiet Village... Continue Reading →
Because it is Hard
"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills." President John F. Kennedy said that in 1962. Seven years later, fifty years ago... Continue Reading →
Reasons My Lawn is a Mess
Last night, after the rain stopped and the ground dried out to a reasonable extent, I had a limited window of time to plant the flowers that I've been keeping in my kitchen until the weather warmed up enough for them to not die. Also, if I didn't do something about my lawn soon, prior... Continue Reading →
RBF
Occasionally I will remark to my friends something like "just once, I'd like to be the person that people on a busy sidewalk scoot aside for, instead of being the one that has to dodge out of everyone else's way," or, "having never developed a taste for coffee, I have no universally recognized 'don't talk... Continue Reading →