Older entries
— Entries prior to 4/06
- 2021
- Sep19Look at the helpers“For the last 15 years or so, my mom, her longtime partner, and my aunt ...”10Human grip PSI“I read once about a traumatized baby chimpanzee whose fiercely gripping fingers were briefly pried ...”07
- Aug23Give and take“I finally have a hospice patient again, after many many many months of the volunteer ...”05
- Jul20
- Jun3011Blather, small but heartfelt rant“Riley and I were talking about gaming and I was trying to describe what I ...”03
- May27Another correction“I hate feeling like I need to clarify a post but it’s worse to come ...”25Myehhhhhhh“I was at a doctor’s appointment this afternoon and the first thing she said as ...”20Course correction“I would say that starting in, oh, March of 2020 and extending well through December, ...”11Museum of blather“At some point in time the email notification plugin for this blog started getting weird ...”05
- Apr27Shift“I feel like I am always talking/writing about aging lately, which makes sense because I ...”1510Inside the cave“Mad respect for the shark’s streamlined singular purpose, the cheetah’s Pilates-limbed booster mode, but the ...”09Enthusiasm not yet flagging“A couple of updates on topics that likely weren’t particularly interesting the FIRST time around, ...”
- Mar19Shopping roundup“Hello! Today’s post is a roundup of the things I’ve purchased lately that have sparked ...”13Matryoshka“I would like to nominate Swistle for Most Perfectly-Stated Summary of These Particular Parenting Issues, ...”11Vaccinated“Here is some exciting news: my mom, her longtime partner, and my aunt are all ...”09Virtually cool“Our family now has an Oculus VR headset (the Quest 2). It’s technically mine since ...”07My own shape“I turned 47 last month, which would have seemed far more difficult to believe if ...”
- Feb
- Jan3119A lost friend“I gave up on a book recently, not because I had read enough of it ...”15A big disgrace“The other day I spilled 18 eggs inside my refrigerator. It is important to clarify ...”08
- 2020
- Dec2216Spoonfuls of sugar“That last post was wearing some heavy boots, in the language of Extremely Loud & ...”09Scraping by“My car starts alerting me when the gas tank is below a certain amount, I ...”
- Nov09Starting to exhale“My last post was written with no guess whatsoever how the election would go down ...”02Fingers crossed“As I type this, tomorrow is Election Day. Maybe when you read this we will ...”
- Oct26Lost in translation“Last week I went to a group exercise class at a Pilates gym, using up ...”16Back in my day we didn't need a point to tell a story about our own stupidity“I had a nasty bike crash a while back, which was sadly not due to ...”
- Sep28ISO: purpose“Last fall my days had a fairly enjoyable rhythm to them: I was working from ...”2517Bad air, bad vibes“Yesterday evening the smoke seemed to clear out quite a bit here in Eugene and ...”09Zero percent containment“There are a number of terrible wildfires burning nearby right now and the valley I ...”04The bad card“I had been saying for months that I wanted some sort of percentage that compared ...”
- Aug28Choose your own adventure“Do you ever see the appeal of a thing while knowing, deep in your heart, ...”21Cawfee talk“A seemingly small thing I really miss is sitting in coffee shops. Not for the ...”19Life 6 months later“John and I were talking about how pandemic life really now has the post-911 feel ...”1202
- Jul
- Jun302817Somewhere between fear and IDGAF“If back in March I was struggling with accepting the reality of a pandemic, I ...”13Footing““It’s so hard to find my footing lately,” I said to a friend yesterday. It ...”05Hard things“Dylan and I have a saying, it’s something I keep telling him when he’s faced ...”
- May24What to binge during the apocalypse“Pretzel Crisps. A cracker/pretzel combo that is entirely pleasing from start to finish. Thin and ...”21In order to feel safe“The weather seems hard-wired to my mood lately, we’ve had a stretch of grey wet ...”16The joy/existential dread of a hair appointment“Our county is in the early phase of reopening and I now have an appointment ...”1207Deus ex machina, MIA“Can you imagine if, back when we first went into lockdown, we had been told ...”0519“Today is our wedding anniversary, which really and truly snuck up on me this year. ...”
- Apr3026Oh that“The other day Dylan and I were talking about what the plan was for the ...”23Foibles“I had been enjoying posting to my product review website, Sundry Buzz, but I have ...”21I miss your face“I have a non-ideal mask situation as I wait for the ones I ordered a ...”1714Bear spotting, no refs“I have decided I am over hearing this won’t last forever even though I myself ...”1108Light and dark, dark and light“The irrational thought I keep having is that I wish there was a way to ...”0603Strange but caring“I’ve already forgotten what it was really like, back when Covid-19 seemed like a China ...”01It won't always be like this“SCHOOLS LIKELY CLOSED FOR REST OF YEAR, trumpeted the headline on our local paper this ...”
- Mar30Dear diary“I keep feeling like I should preface every self-indulgent complaint here with an acknowledgment about ...”28Inequitable“Yesterday felt like a commonly-experienced Challenging Day, at least I saw a lot of like-minded ...”27Beware of The Bog“I’ve seen the memes comparing what we’re all experiencing right now to the stages of ...”2524Passing connections“This DIY kit has been on my Amazon wishlist forever and when it became clear ...”23How to be a hermit“I’ve been working at home since 2010 and I can’t give you any great advice ...”222018Day ... whatever“Two things I read recently: Instead of seeing social distancing and travel bans as panic, see ...”17Viral diaries“The pace of all the coronavirus news and updates is the scariest part of all ...”16The curse of interesting times“Well! Things are certainly quite … *flaps hands helplessly* right now, aren’t they? It makes ...”04
- Feb04Modern Maytag“When we moved into our house here in Eugene we had to spend a bunch ...”
- Jan27Cat lady FAIL“I was asked to check in on my brother-in-law’s cat while his family was vacationing ...”23Shareholders“John has been out of town this week, his absence both a bit of alone-time ...”17Mommyblogging in 2020“I miss being able to write more freely about parenting. There’s more to say than ...”08With feathers“I feel very preoccupied with aging these days, which feels about as interesting as being ...”01
- 2019
- Dec12Winging it, part 94802357318471340“This week John and I went to an orientation meeting for high school, because apparently ...”09Christmas with littles“I feel deep in the thick of holiday near-overload these days, somewhere between being swept ...”
- Nov2319Among the paperbacks“Here is a somewhat unexpected delight in my life right now: volunteering at the middle ...”
- Oct2922On foot“When John and I first moved to Seattle we lived in the area known as ...”07Small update, and Sundry Buzz“Middle school is going okay, so far, for both boys. I think? It’s so hard ...”
- Sep200504Better late than never: an ode to Barre3“If I had a way to search the archives of this blog for all the ...”
- Aug20Currents“In July we stayed near Bend for a couple days and spent an afternoon floating ...”08Sparkle lights“I bought earrings at Old Navy the other day, three pairs of gemlike plastic oblongs ...”
- Jul
- Jun10
- May14A different, beautiful brain“I had some specific hopes about Dylan’s 5th grade experience that unfortunately did not come ...”
- Apr30The birds in the trees“There are so many oddball things about getting older. Ever-deepening ridges in my previously-smooth fingernails. ...”05
- Mar21Don't be rash, now“I got diagnosed with shingles recently, which started out as a tiny cluster of red ...”
- Feb14Richer or poorer“It’s not easy to talk about a marriage. Even if there weren’t so many slippery ...”06Mom cold“I have been feeling very sorry for myself because I have a cold, which is ...”
- Jan
- 2018
- Dec30Obsolescence“I recently posted a photo of John and I to Instagram along with the comment ...”1006The new nesting“It has been bitingly cold lately and John has been teasing me for leaving my ...”03Bits and pieces“I kept finding tiny bits of white string all over the house and it was ...”
- Nov16Getting real“My favorite podcast, Terrible, Thanks for Asking started a writing club, and this is the ...”14Change of scenery“Last week was a WEEK and I went to the cabin to regroup for a ...”05Grace and learning“We have been lucky with our kids in that neither has exhibited any major behavior ...”01
- Oct30Wax on“One of my favorite and most rewarding tasks is also one of my LEAST favorite, ...”29Lifetouch“It was picture retake day at Riley’s middle school last week, and I was there ...”26Is this thing on, etc“There is always a reason not to write here, in this beloved, familiar place. I’ve had ...”
- Aug24Piece of paper“It seems like the entire vibe for our upcoming final year in elementary school comes ...”21
- Jun
- May
- Apr
- Mar22Hospice files: one visit“I am only here for today, so that she can leave the apartment. She has ...”21I love you and I want you to be scared“I went to Glacier National Park a few times as a kid, and I have ...”16Thumbs“Riley is my movie buddy. He likes watching movies as much as I do, which ...”1207Checking in“I don’t really leave comments on blogs any more. Most of the stuff I read ...”02
- Feb2613PyeongHarangue“I know next to nothing about Olympics sports or athletes but it has been great ...”12Life on pause“There are no cell phones allowed in rehab. If I want to make a phone ...”080501Unlikely friction point“The angriest I have been at Riley lately happened when we were watching Blue Planet ...”
- Jan292418Not about me, part one gazillion and five“The volunteer coordinator at hospice calls to see if I am interested in taking on ...”1612Turn to the left, turn to the right“I used to really enjoy picking out my kids’ clothes because they were so ridiculously ...”10You're in the great game now“It is downright balmy here in Oregon compared to many parts of the country currently ...”0807Sin City: PG version“Writing more often is one of my goals for 2018, so if the (probably super ...”05Visibility“I was leaving the gym the other day and came upon an older lady in ...”03Ring ring, hypocrisy calling“From what I’ve been told — multiple times, often accompanied by dramatic hand gestures — ...”
- 2017
- Dec
- Nov28Daily dose of duh“Do you enjoy solving problems? I myself have recently become enamored with the daily jumble ...”16Wry five“A few weeks ago I was at a Halloween school event, one of those evening ...”14Hospice files: M.“I have a new hospice patient, her name is M. We were visiting yesterday and ...”
- Oct
- Sep21Hospice files: P. goes home“On Labor Day I went to visit P. Such a familiar routine by then: park ...”1815Social phobia and a Stop-n-Go“At the intersection, study the situation carefully: does it seem like a person can just ...”11New windows“A couple weeks ago Dylan was lying around the house, dramatically bored, and announced that ...”
- Aug27A glass of wine“A while ago I read a book in which one character tries to soothe another ...”17Groovy“Here, for no particular reason, is a video of an ant hill we discovered while ...”
- Jun
- May28Hospice files: P.“P. has bright blue eyes and remarkably smooth skin that stretches across the protruding bones ...”2518An incomplete list of inventions I’m hoping for in 2017“— A washing machine that flips all my kids’ inside-out clothes the right way — ...”15Airtight“Last year I fell during an obstacle race and I ended up with a fractured ...”12Mother's day“Years ago when I was so unsure about having children, I didn’t know how I’d ...”110801The picky child and school lunch“There is a girl in Dylan’s class who brings the most amazing lunches from home. ...”
- Apr282018Addiction and recovery“Imagine there are two journeys. The first involves a short, exciting ascension, followed by a ...”13Forever winging it“One of the challenges/joys of having more than one kid is that unless you give ...”10Nothing changes if nothing changes“The boys were digging clams this weekend with John and his dad, we’d reached our ...”06
- Mar28Slices of pie“We recently started re-watching The Walking Dead with the kids. Oh I KNOW. Don’t even ...”2003
- Feb2215The Afrin files“My sinuses have always been a wreck. Every purse I own is at Level: Grandma ...”070190 days“90 days of sobriety, as of today. On the one hand, hey! 90 days. Way ...”
- Jan25Rabbits bearing gifts“When the boys were very young we used to take them to a nearby community ...”18Avalanche of duh“A while ago, I gave both boys a container of Silly Putty. Riley was only ...”16Maybe just keep scrolling next time, self“I’ve been seeing this sponsored video over and over on Instagram — it’s for some ...”11Different glasses“Do you, like me, have shifting relationships with your unwanted extra pounds that are based ...”07Om“I’ve been using a guided meditation app called Headspace lately. Correction: I’ve been trying to ...”0301
- 2016
- Dec29Blocked“Writing has been really difficult lately. My current environment isn’t particularly conducive to the process, ...”22Diversion“Weight gain, pros: • Boobs no longer look like half-empty icing bags • Rounder face = fewer ...”15Fool’s gold“Romanticizing is one of the more devious pitfalls in addiction. It’s an upside-down fantasy land, ...”1207Cure for the doldrums“While I have been struggling a bit to find the holiday spirit lately, Dylan is ...”
- Nov28Same plot, different villain“Declaring it publicly to boost my commitment: I have embarked upon a sugar/processed crap moratorium. ...”16Reading rainbows“A follow-up to the fretting I was doing about Dylan’s homework struggles: things are better. ...”14All the ways of chasing oblivion“I have a counselor who is a tiny woman with the most unnerving gaze I’ve ...”1312 days sober: Gratitude and hope“I’m mostly out of the woods detox-wise and it’s scary how the more I come ...”11So anyway I guess I need more pens now“Oh, you guys. The relief of that last post, from the processing that always comes ...”
- Oct30The places you know“There is a special kind of parental suckage when it comes to your child experiencing ...”17Erratic“For years parenting was such a whole-bodied, consuming activity. It’s like jail, isn’t it? I’m ...”1110Creature comforts“Everything’s pretty terrible out there and I keep mining for peace in the sparkling salted ...”05Clip clop, clip clop“I’m sure there’s a way to live life without overthinking the smallest, most ridiculously inconsequential ...”03Bumbling towards acceptance“Does a person ever feel the age they are? Rooted, precisely and comfortably, in their ...”01It's Saturday night and I'm ranting about toilets, WITNESS ME“The worst home improvement decision we've made to date was to replace the toilet in ...”
- Sep2914Trashy“Have you seen those articles about how crappy clothes are piling up in landfills? Apparently ...”
- Mar28
- Feb
- Jan27Observations of a classroom helper“Calvin is a small freckled menace. He goofs around during independent work time, wandering over ...”14Idle Thursday thoughts on children's laundry“Factors that determine whether something needs to be washed: • It’s been worn and is legitimately ...”12Growing“There was a time when I came here to write about whatever parenting hurdle I ...”
- 2015
- Dec21Restricted movement“I was having my teeth cleaned a while back and during one of the many ...”18Holiday receipts“Confession: we bought a fake Christmas tree. Now, depending on your perspective, you’re probably either ...”14Critical“I’m taking an online class in fiction writing and it’s been nice, an opportunity to ...”
- Nov05Stayin' alive“Earlier this week I took a first aid/CPR course offered through the Red Cross, because, ...”
- Oct27Every story contains three parts: the beginning, the middle, and the twist.“You’ve come to expect the mail every day. Okay, maybe there are a few schedule ...”23Amazon is my spirit animal“I’m almost out of conditioner so I went to the store specifically to buy that ...”20Shut up, Coffee-Mate“I just noticed my container of fake coffee creamer has this annoying Good to Remember! ...”08
- Sep2824Six months and change“About halfway through my rehab stay I absentmindedly grabbed a hot curling iron by the ...”2116
- Aug
- Jul09Salvation and chance, AA and God“A few weeks ago we were hiking along the Rogue river with the kids and ...”
- Jun0901Way deep down“Everybody is identical in their secret unspoken belief that way deep down they are different ...”
- May21Turn, turn, turn“There’s a swing in our backyard hung from a fruit tree and during the spring ...”1306One month, 27 days, 15 hours“Several of my rehab comrades have relapsed since we were in residential. Statistically speaking, this ...”
- Apr30The gummy is dark and full of terrors“I used to eye-roll the adult gummy vitamin options. I mean, honestly. Do you want ...”23Contents may have shifted“Items I was not allowed access to while in treatment included gum/candy/non-cafeteria food, books, digital ...”20Inventory check“It’s been the sort of warm day that you could mistake for late summer here ...”15Excavation“For the next ten weeks, I’m doing outpatient treatment. Three days a week, three hours ...”13Muffled“I’ve been trying to figure out why I’ve been feeling — after an initial whoosh ...”
- 2014
- Dec
- Nov
- Oct2721Good, bad ... I'm the guy with the gun“I don’t think anyone was hanging on the edge of their seat or anything, but ...”06The scary things and the helpers“Several years ago an acquaintance passionately informed me he’d never seen any footage of the ...”
- Sep30Please stand up, please stand up“Are you the kind of person where your shit is either completely in order, or ...”19All hail the good teachers“During the summer I made a promise to myself that once school got underway I'd ...”15Dis-cord“We've been traveling a lot during the weekends over the summer and this past weekend ...”08
- Aug28My state of decline“I've been thinking about aging lately. Maybe by "lately" I mean "since this morning, when ...”21Perverse attractions“In Ann Patchett's This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage she writes about deliberately ...”1813Next chapters“Today JB took the day off work and went to the cabin with the boys, ...”11Eye on September“A couple days ago Riley dropped a full water bottle on the floor and when ...”07060401
- Jul3129Things happen“When we were on vacation, I lost Riley for a while at an aquatic rec ...”28Itch“Stephen King's The Gunslinger begins, "The man in black fled across the desert, and the ...”
- Jun09Only this“I have been sitting near rivers lately. The Rogue, tumbling and hurried and gathering itself ...”
- May
- Apr22Complying“At the Haganah gym I go to, we're repeatedly taught about compliance. Compliance is when ...”1509How we learn sometimes“Dylan was screaming in pain, the sort of fear-driven sobbing that's hard-wired right into your ...”01Oh my god Becky look at her butt“The other day I had the opportunity to hear my own recorded voice and I ...”
- Mar282416266 days and counting“In the last month or so I've had a few different people accuse me of ...”06
- Feb2522No sense of moderation“I got a FitBit recently (the Flex variety as opposed to the newer Force, which ...”1105
- Jan29The Prowl, praise, perspective“I've been working with The Prowl off and on for a while now, and I'm ...”2108
- 2013
- Dec3119WarGames“Last night I showed the kids this amazing video by a special effects company. About ...”18And everyone telling you be of good cheer“We have an advent calendar that's a sort of wooden box with twenty-five little doors ...”12080201
- Nov2523On the bright side, you don't need a helmet“If you have decided to take your first cycling class, let me pass on the ...”2018171412Workout music request, part IV“A couple folks asked me if I would solicit exercise music suggestions again, which is ...”111008Watching and leaving“I was dropping Riley off at school a couple days ago and before I pulled ...”06A typical day (in November of 2013)“The good thing about the time change is that it's no longer pitch black at ...”0504What is your emergency“Last summer we were driving around near the cabin when we rounded the bend on ...”03This is my jam“When I was around twenty-two years old, I was living in Corvallis and working at ...”0201
- Oct26Space“The woman I've been training with is an artist of pain. Her sunny, low-key disposition ...”2521Near miss“We visited the world's most crowded pumpkin farm yesterday, and as we were weaving our ...”181512Gratitude“The numbers keep climbing on my sobriety tracker app (yes, there is in fact an ...”03Forty more years“JB turned forty back in August, and I wrote him a letter: From early emails between ...”0201
- Sep272423On mattering“For a brief period of time every school day except Wednesdays, I'm in charge of ...”20Hindsight“I have sometimes wondered: had I fully known what it was going to be like ...”1908Let it go by“I took the boys to visit their grandparents this weekend while JB was off on ...”01
- Aug272218Tones“I waltzed into the hair salon with the giddy anticipation of a woman on the ...”10Bravery: MIA“Everything went as planned over the last few days and I am feeling good. Great, ...”
- Jul23I am here, this is me“I've been seeing a counselor. Do you know how difficult it is to find a ...”1918Happy Family contest reminder“I have just returned from a glorious family vacation through Oregon and I can't wait ...”12On seeing things differently“Last week we went to a Fourth of July parade in the neighboring town of ...”05
- Jun24Happy Family video“As promised, I'm here to let you know that my Stories from the Bright Side ...”21Coming soon to a cringe near you“Remember the video shoot I did for Happy Family back in March? The campaign finally ...”1805Leveling up“Everything about parenting older children is, in my personal experience, superior to parenting babies and ...”
- May
- Apr282104Riding styles“I'm thirty-four years older than Dylan, but he's the far better bike rider. He rides ...”01Magnolia Workshop testimonial (or, why I no longer automatically make an elaborate gagging pantomine at the term "life coach")“In January I published a somewhat incoherent post about being unsure about what I'm doing ...”
- Mar27How road trips have changed“Look, I'm not saying things are perfect. But they've goddamned well improved. July 2009: ...”18
- Feb24Conversations“NECESSITIES Riley: (proudly showing his uncle Joe the Lego building he made) "And this is the ...”2220Hamster wheel“There are times when I don't mind my soft, flabby belly. It happens whenever I ...”1918Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes“Next Sunday JB's traveling to Seattle. He's spending the night there because he needs to ...”1713Infinite loop“I have gained all kinds of weight since this summer. I was in a groove ...”0605Proud“I was worried, a little, after the parent teacher conference we had about Riley in ...”
- Jan2827Last April, with toast“It was last April, I think, when JB had turned in his notice at Microsoft ...”20Long game“I was thinking about how I've been freelancing from home for a couple years now ...”08At odds“When Riley was little -- maybe three years old? -- I agreed to have him ...”03The Sleep of the Parents“Even when Dylan stopped waking up at night to cry lustily every few hours -- ...”
- 2012
- Dec292012“For the last several years, I've set aside some time at the end of December ...”261714No warning“As a kid, I can remember this time when everything I'd heard about nuclear war ...”1203
- Nov282619Holiday gift ideas for the hard-to-shop-for“Doesn't the title of this post make it sound like it's going to be a ...”130502
- Oct2317The harder we work, the luckier we get“We knew moving here would involve living on drastically reduced means, but knowing it and ...”131208Boulders and hills“Many years ago, I had a minimum-wage job working for a movie theater. It was ...”04
- Sep2419It all vanishes“I picked Riley up from school the other day and while I was waiting in ...”17Ze Frank's 'An Invocation for Beginners'“A friend sent me a link to this video, saying, "I thought you would love ...”141307Brainwashing“I picked Riley up from school yesterday and began the laborious process of trying to ...”0501
- Aug30Update“Well, I'm sorry to say that IndieGoGo rejected JB's campaign for Hellbreaker, and worse, they ...”Go f*** yourself, Aaron Sorkin“How my job -- the entertainment writing side of it, anyway -- works at The ...”28201107
- Jul
- Jun2822BabbaBox winner (and updated coupon)“Congratulations to Christine, whose comment on 6/19 at 11:23 AM was randomly chosen for the ...”19110703
- May282320Crunch time“I can hardly believe it, but we're down to less than a week before moving ...”1514One nation, divisible“Health insurance was a huge factor in our decision to move. By choosing to leave ...”080701
- Apr252319Perspective“I probably shouldn't be enjoying your kid-injury stories as much as I have been, but, ...”18141110WE ARE MOVING HOLY SH-“Some of you mentioned that the space above the bookshelf looks bare. I agree. But ...”06Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring BANANA PHONE“So I have suddenly become weirdly obsessed with ringtones. Because, you know, it's 2003? Honestly, ...”04
- Mar22They don't give enemas any more, do they?“I randomly found a very, very old email thread tonight, and I had to share: ----- ...”181413Stranger danger“My phone rang this afternoon and after I life-coached myself into answering it (phone phobia, ...”120704Two months of me“So I was all gung-ho on the diet and exercise front during January and then ...”
- Feb2925Groove“There is dirt on the living room floor, clumps of mud that have dried and ...”2017Sandman“Dylan has a nightmare at least once a week, often more. They used to be ...”14120701On such a winter's day“I have a question for you: have you ever deliberately given up on a dream? ...”
- Jan2624That's what kids do“Dylan's 4th birthday is coming right up (FOUR!) and I spent last night scrabbling around ...”2019What's been happening around here“BRB, enjoying the snow before it's gone. Sledding January 2012 from J_5harps on Vimeo.”15120906Friendships and firepower“I have a question for you. Well, first I have a statement: we own guns. ...”0403Update on Vioguard“Many months ago, I told you that JB had left Microsoft to start his own ...”
- 2011
- Dec292827231815Six and counting“I was tickled when I picked Riley up from school today, because about five little ...”12Red pill“I have been diligent about getting to the gym lately which has been doing wonders ...”09Tiny Tiger app“My friend Scott and I used to frequently commiserate over our miserable work commutes. We ...”0705It was a blast, really“We joined a gym recently. Or more precisely, we re-joined the gym where JB and ...”0401
- Nov3029The mystery of the lost job that maybe never existed“A few months ago I met a woman for coffee. She'd contacted me by email, ...”282622Full of thanks“Today I finished my last article for the week and I'm sorry to say that ...”21Improper signatures“Me, peering at the grocery checkout card swiper: "Heh. I always think it's oddly charming ...”201918140907Memorable evenings“Look, I don't mean to be totally disgusting or sound like a lame Jerry Seinfeld ...”04Fiction Friday: FENCES“This one's been posted before, but I'm trying to get back in the habit. Maybe ...”01
- Oct30A raucous viewing of 'It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown'“World War I Flying Ace on his Sopwith Camel—or hilaaaaarious dog on a motorcycle/box? Man, ...”2625Lucky“Up until recently, I had no plans to enroll Dylan in preschool. For one thing, ...”2321Friday bowl of serial“A long time ago I had a thing I called Friday Fiction on this here ...”17Learning to say it again“It is cold when I start and my body rebels in all the usual ways. ...”10Working from not-home“I have a babysitter who comes to the house three days a week, usually from ...”0705Okay“What is your favorite color he asks me and I realize I have no idea. ...”02
- Sep29Stasis“My phone comes to life in the early dark of our bedroom and I swim ...”272321191412Understanding“A few days ago I posted this on Twitter: Saw a young kid angrily flailing and ...”08Age expectations“I've been trying to remember if the nurse I had during my last Pap smear ...”0601
- Aug31292322211716Lowering the bar“Boy have the weekdays been dragging lately, and the peekaboo now-it's-hot-now-you-need-a-fleece cloud cover hasn't helped. ...”1109080302Still fighting for justice at 38“In honor of JB's 38th birthday, I thought I would share a video that I ...”01Too quiet“Last week JB's parents called us with a last-minute plan. What did we think about ...”Hot dog, we have a wiener“Thanks for all the interest in the giveaway, guys. The Random Number Generator picked commenter ...”
- Jul282521Fun House Chronicles“Back in May I told you about my aunt's self-published book, Lessons of Evil, and ...”1812Culture of calm“The city we live in, Bellevue, is an interesting cultural melting pot. I think most ...”0706Mishandled“Okay, I said I was only going to focus on the happy parts of last ...”05
- Jun2826Holes“My friends. Thank you for your kind words about Dog. Thank you. Some of you asked ...”221916The myth of perfect“When I think about my job now in comparison to where I used to work, ...”13May, Instagram-style“Daily photos from May 2011. Archived: February, March, and April. ”090701
- May3125242216Wings of desire“A few weeks ago I was pointing something out to the kids and I noticed ...”11I have time to listen“Do you ever read something in a book that makes you pause, back up, read ...”080503
- Apr2726Pros and cons of attempting to write a book“Cons: I've spent nearly ten years writing blog-type entries on a regular basis, and as such ...”2018Tilt-shift“JB and I have been putting together a family tree and one thing I've learned ...”1511Partial payback for three years of midnight wakeup calls“I realize this video doesn't exactly portray my child as his usual charming self, but ...”06Bark“Riley has always been a sensitive sort of kid. Doesn't like loud noises, seems particularly ...”
- Mar29Noise“Continuous steady state exercise for at least 60 minutes is the best way to burn ...”26Propellant“In the last couple years I've learned a couple tricks for at least partially salvaging ...”2322Throwing in the towel“I've been wavering on how I feel about CrossFit for a while now, and I ...”20130806On CrossFit and other forms of self-torture“The weather gods took pity on us yesterday and I was initially ecstatic to see ...”04Parts of them are like Dennis Hopper“DISCLAIMER: do not watch if offended by Charlie Sheen-isms. ”03Watching 'Waiting for Superman' didn't help this“I recently wrote about fretting over kindergarten, and it's true, I am. Fretting, that is. ...”
- Feb2827Solo vs. Ensemble“I was really kind of lonely at my last job, especially towards the end. The ...”2416Really?“Once a week I take both kids to a Little Gym class, where they dutifully ...”130906
- Jan3028Girl stuff“Remember me whining about my skin a while back? So I've been doing the Oil ...”27Indulgent“When will I start taking classes again? I don't know. I know it's not the ...”2524Winterized“I was desperately craving something approximating sunshine and so I went to a tanning salon. ...”18Cruelest month“I'm tired of being cooped inside by soggy cold dark weather but I suppose there's ...”17Space“It's about like I expected, this place. Run-down building, fluorescent lights, cheap plastic chairs, a ...”1209Inhale“Did you ever see the movie Safe with Julianne Moore where she plays a woman ...”05
- 2010
- Dec29282019161412Next stop, YouTube“Have you seen Maru, the Japanese Internet Sensation? The boys are totally in love with ...”0705
- Nov3028232118Up and away“I'm reading a story (begrudgingly, because I'm not enjoying it but I rarely give up ...”16Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven“Here you are, 36-almost-37, everything bulging and crinkling at the corners and collapsing into folds. ...”1211Scales“The Halloween decorations have been packed away, and while I am not ready to festoon ...”0807
- Oct3127Two steps back“After four months of frantic, fruitless cleaning and all of maybe 5 showings, we're taking ...”2524203 things“Some random housekeeping details: 1) For those who enjoy chatting about All Things Potty Training, and ...”Gratified“Thank you, thank you for all your kind comments and emails. I feel . . ...”19New skin“My life is so different than it was a month ago, in so many good ...”18Artifacts“I was attempting to clean out a bookshelf in our office recently and was struck ...”171413Koolaid“The woman next to me at CrossFit has immaculate form during her deadlift, if you ...”12Tempting fate“Let me start out by saying that I know I'm jinxing myself with this blog ...”11Naptime“The noise and chaos stops suddenly, replaced by murmured words of love and the quiet ...”090706Deciding to care“There's no trick to finding the discipline to be fit. Or more accurately, there are ...”05Tuesday notes, II“Dylan has started leaving his room in the morning before I wake up, which is ...”0301
- Sep30Monster under the bed“Last night Dylan woke me up with his typical grousing sort of complaint and I ...”282623Money, get back“A while ago I wrote elsewhere about my efforts to cut back on household expenses, ...”225-year-olds and double rainbows“We were at the store earlier today and on a whim I decided to buy ...”2019Welcome to CrossFit“I'm not sure what the hardest part is. Maybe it's the pushups, which we start ...”18Preconceived notions“When I was counting down the days until I could give notice at Workplace, I ...”15Downgrading“There's the matter of personal upkeep, of course. I do manage to shower every morning ...”14Less is more“I feel like I know an awful lot about celebrity news lately. Maybe that's because ...”12Unfamiliar“Last week was awesome. It really was. I could not be more convinced this was ...”0907060302Brand new day“Goodbye vacation and sick time. Goodbye free massages, computers, and meals. Goodbye quiet office to ...”
- Aug3126Grand Klong“It feels like the last truly summery day of summer and I suggest a post-dinner ...”24Why the sign is in the yard“It was always in our plan to move to Oregon. That's where JB's family lives, ...”222118Love the one you're with“The other day I read that Paul Reubens—you know, Pee-Wee Herman—still protests his innocence over ...”17Reasoning with a toddler“8:15 PM, bedtime Me: "Okay pookie, night night. Now remember, no—" Dylan: "CWYING!" Me: "Right. Just—" Dylan: (delighted) "SWEEPING!" Me: ...”1612Cloudbursts“I've often joked about Dylan's epic temper tantrums—remember the dog hair?—but I guess I never ...”11Hey man, is that freedom rock? Well, turn it up!“I love it when someone tells me about their recent music obsessions, so on the ...”090804Rush hours“Man oh man, the days are busy lately. I get up and it's a mad ...”0201
- Jul3028Advil“Thank you, thank you for all the suggestions and comments on the house-staging photos. Lots ...”2725232221What works“I've pretty much round-filed the idea of running the Portland marathon in October. A few ...”1915Miscellaneous“1) I have a proposal for those of you who are local, like to swim, ...”14Five years later, still winging it“Somewhere along the line, Dylan finally started sleeping through the night. I am only stating ...”13120907Glow“I know them only vaguely, they're family friends whose faces I see at Thanksgiving and ...”06
- Jun2827When binges go wrong“I do stupid things all the time. I microwaved a metal cup once, generating foul ...”24ISFJ in the hizzy“A while ago I did one of those online Myers-Briggs personality tests (this one, I ...”2322Absence“I talk to my coworkers while I'm in the office and I talk to my ...”21201817Shiny“The new iPhone became available for preorder and my coworkers were chatting back and forth ...”15141009Pink stuff“Riley woke up on Monday morning crying piteously and when I went to touch his ...”07050301Fix“I start making excuses mid-week when the kids are sick and when the long weekend ...”
- May3130282624Pieces“It was grey and windy the day she found the foot. The sky was thick ...”21Gymnastics“Some standard 7:45 PM chaos in our house: And I wonder why ...”2019The fret-pelt is itchy“I've been thinking quite a bit about school lately, starting with the chin-scratcher of whether ...”171311Milestones and indecision“Riley has what I suppose is his first best friend, a boy named A. whose ...”090502
- Apr28Out on the roads“It started with deciding to say yes to a challenge that felt impossibly out of ...”2622201514Solve for ACK“I've mentioned before that I'm not exactly good at math, and if you've been reading ...”130806Peptalking out loud“My spring quarter class starts tonight and I'm squirrely-nervous all over again, wondering if I'm ...”0402
- Mar31302925Clouds in my coffee“I think I am far more self conscious than vain, but really, they amount to ...”232219Making the grade“After all my wigging out about going back to school, all of a sudden next ...”15Very superstitious“Early last week I was happily trading parenting war stories with my friend at work ...”10Atten-HUT“Trivia: I know pretty much every word to the Bill Cosby "Himself" performance. I listened ...”09Intervened“I was watching last week's episode of The Office where Jim and Pam have their ...”0704
- Feb2824Tangible“If you missed the post I put up on Monday night and have been wondering ...”2322Countdown“I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but JB's been training at a mixed ...”2017In the news“Here's something I've been wondering about lately, and I hope I can phrase this in ...”16Water“I'm not sure what it is I crave these days. Adventure? Spontaneity? Or muted creature ...”1512080402Thoughts during my first official night of homework“Okay, time to study. Studying is reading, right? I love reading! This is going to ...”01Garbage in, garbage out“I wouldn't have guessed it was possible to overdose on bread to the point of ...”
- Jan2827First day“Yesterday was my first day of class, and even if I hadn't been anticipating the ...”26In the membrane“I was grouchy and short-tempered again last night, totally fed up with the kids and ...”25Shadow“So. During the course of Sunday afternoon, I: • Screamed at the tantruming 2-year-old to SHUT ...”20Goodnight moon“Riley wakes up early in the morning, earlier than the rest of the household. He ...”1918141209Omissions“I sat in her office on Friday morning as she peered over the edge of ...”0502
- 2009
- Dec3028272321Turning“Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your thoughtful comments on the last post. ...”20Gears“What if at almost 36 years of age you are finally starting to get a ...”16141008Keeping score“A few weeks ago I took a personality test. Well, I'm not sure if that's ...”0701
- Nov302923Thankswhinging“I engaged in some power-whining a couple months ago about not wanting to travel too ...”22Easily entertained“So we watched 2012 on Saturday night and dear god, what a shitfest of a ...”19War wounds“Last night I was putting Riley to bed and asked what kind of story we ...”18Cheers“The first mile is always the hardest, it's like my body isn't quite sure what's ...”16121009Living“Four miles and counting. I don't mean to go quite this far but the lake ...”06Stewing“Hey, thank you for the ideas, suggestions, and anecdotes with regards to ongoing childhood mystery ...”05Diagnosis: mystery“Okay, I could use some advice. Let's say you have a four-year-old who has always ...”04After some 23 years of this, you'd think I'd recognize the symptoms“Man, that last post was kind of a drag, huh? You know what, I've been ...”03Stop me if you've heard this one before (spoiler: YOU HAVE)“A friend on Twitter recently wrote that she understood my recent parental venting because when ...”02
- Oct28Decision tree“Reasons not to run this morning: 1. Dylan came down with a fever yesterday and didn't ...”2522Fifty more plates“Yesterday before I left for work I took a quick peek at my email and ...”201816Shortfall“I work outside of the home, and usually I find this to be a good ...”13The consistent character flaw“We continue to have sleep problems with Dylan, and I'm finding it really difficult to ...”1109The F word“Right after I posted my last entry—in which I refer to my body fat (not ...”07Refocusing“Yesterday I had to do a periodic fitness evaluation at my gym, where a trainer ...”06Hamthrax! Maybe.“So hey, you know all that hemming and hawing I was doing over vaccinating my ...”04Refresh“After a long day capped off by an endless witching hour complete with meltdown after ...”03Embiggen“I am developing a love affair with La Tartine Gourmande. Reading this beautiful website reminds ...”
- Sep30Windfall fantasies“JB and I were watching some awful show called "Million Dollar Yachts" the other day, ...”29The best you can“Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your thoughtful comments on yesterday's post. So ...”28Fretful“The last time I saw my doctor, he was very firm on the subject of ...”24Kappa Babble Upchuck“Thank you for the ideas/commiseration on Dylan's sleep issues. Sometimes it's just immensely helpful to ...”23Same as it ever was“I had a hard time falling asleep last night, thanks to a lingering mental image ...”201715Four more days“So the triathlon I'm doing—and can I just interrupt myself, like, immediately here and say ...”14Through it and out the other side“Sometimes I think why can't you just stop and be in this moment stop just stop and be here all ...”09Muddling“"Horse. Horse. Horse? HORSE. Donkeys. Donkeys. Mooooooooo. Moooooooo. DONKEYS! Farm? Farm. Baaa. Baaa. Doat? Doat. ...”07Doing it wrong“JB has returned from hiking over 40 miles through glorious Rogue River wilderness and I ...”02
- Aug3128Trying new things“My last swimming lesson was on Wednesday and I'm going to miss my little ragtag ...”27To clarify“I've been reading Heather Armstrong for years, and I'm a big fan. Truly, it was ...”252019Twilight“At 4 in the morning Dylan started howling from his bedroom, the nagging sort of ...”17Misc.“Cat update: still no Cat. Tomorrow I'll go back to the shelter (it's closed on ...”13111006Not like the books“The thing I mostly remember about sex during pregnancy is how spectacularly unfair it seemed ...”0403How it goes“Our youngest wakes up early and I am glad for summer because the room is ...”02
- Jul29282717 months: there is no resting. Ever.“He beelines for the place where the hose was dripping and swishes his hand through ...”2620Advice for young people“Someone recently mentioned how their baby has slept through the night since they were born ...”191615Real“All done, he tells me. All done, all done. Ah dunnn. Ah dunnn. His face is a ...”13Aiming slightly upwards“I've been thinking about doing a triathlon, and the only reason I'm even considering such ...”10080601One-trick pony“The most difficult thing for me about writing fiction (other than the time constraints, the ...”
- Jun29Short cuts“• If you're reading this in a feed reader and you've noticed that all of ...”282422Roadbumps, revisited“I was having a Particularly Challenging Time with Dylan the other day and when we ...”21Father's Day“It's been six years since I last had any contact with my father. He's never ...”17Blanket apologies“Dylan, I'm sorry I can't stop cramming my hand up the bottoms of your pantlegs in ...”1511Loves company“The other night Dylan starting howling around 2 AM and since it's (thankfully) been a ...”0908What was, what isn't“She had gray frizzy hair pulled into pigtails on either side of her head and ...”06Backup, footnoted“On Friday night we had a new babysitter come over, a wonderful lady we found ...”0401Deep thoughts during a 5K“The guy who passes you in the other direction sprinting towards the finish when you've ...”
- May312827File: New“I think the cool thing to do is to wait until you've finished a book, ...”2521Another charming new trait“Say, can anyone tell me what to do about this? I think he's broken. And ...”20Needs improvement“You'd think that once you were on your second child you would become, if not ...”181513111006Bullets“• I just went and tried to shoo three large, gang-banger-looking pigeons off the birdfeeder ...”04
- Apr30Flipping Out over Marshall Karp“A while ago Beth asked me if I'd like to take part in a blog ...”29Accolades, flu-ry“First, can I just say how useful Twitter was for me today? After crabbing about ...”2724Outings gone bad“Once when Riley was a little over two years old we made the regrettable decision ...”23So hard for it honey“I've heard three separate people complaining about the economy lately and saying that if things ...”2220Blink“Whatever virus Riley has seems to be of a particularly stubborn ilk, because it's been ...”1716$4.25 an hour“As I stumbled out of my teens and into my early twenties, distracted by the ...”1408Monster babies“A few years ago when Riley was still a very small baby we visited some ...”06Parenting poetry: Dylan edition“For Dylan at 14 months. Consistently when prompted you tilt your little flower face up to offer a ...”050201Tranq gun: loaded“Verdict: I decided to RSVP that we'd be happy to go on the DC trip. ...”
- Mar31The publish button is totally my Magic Eight Ball“Let's take a break from the school-musings to talk about a different subject, because once ...”30Millions of choices“Thank you to those who commented or emailed on the topic of schools, I can't ...”29Edumacation“We keep thinking about moving, in a vague sort of way that mostly involves looking ...”26Life in a yellow shirt“Last Sunday at the Big Climb I saw hundreds of people wearing bright yellow shirts ...”25Quarterly report“I mentioned it over at Bodies but I don't think I've written here about how ...”24Farewell“There is a family story about me from when I was a very young child. ...”23Mulling“There is a couple around our age that moved into a large, beautiful home down ...”2019Heh. Nutflesh.“Somebody left me a comment recently about how their kid was a tough nut to ...”18Next chapter“She asked if I planned on having any more children and when I said no ...”17In measured hundredweight and penny pound“Once I fell backwards from the branches of a willow tree, straight down onto my ...”16Rested“My SXSW recap, in brief: good panels, fun town, spectacularly terrible American Airlines customer service. ...”11First night“We started Operation Sleep Through the Night last night, and it was . . . ...”09Sleep cycles“Dylan has never slept through the night, but for quite a while he was only ...”060302Feeling Minnesota“I can't think of the last time I noticed anyone looking at me. You know: ...”
- Feb28More grousing from the peanut gallery“Hey, if you're sick of talking about formula marketing, you want to talk about health ...”26Not exactly anthrax“The other day in my various clickings around the internet I came across a webcomic ...”2523222019Wove, sweet wove“Oh, what the hell. Relationship meme-y quiz thing, found via Dooce. What are your middle ...”16Adult life and interests“We had some friends over for dinner last night, a married couple expecting their first ...”1410Travels“When I was a kid I used to fly on my own from Virginia to ...”09Passing“It's true that some of the most accurate parenting advice is This too shall pass ...”060301
- Jan3028'Roid rage“Nobody really tells you about the hemorrhoids. I mean, sure, the pregnancy books might mumble ...”27Self-inventory“JB's workplace announced layoffs a few days ago, and while the axe did not fall ...”2622Housekeeping“Hey, I meant to tell all three of you who might possibly care that I'm ...”2119181614Never just one“I have received several emails in the last month that all touch on the same ...”13Wakeup calls“I never thought I would have a year-old baby who still isn't sleeping through the ...”12Monday morning“I got in a fight with JB this morning and while I was in the ...”11Liberating“JB and I did a major purging of some over-stuffed closets this weekend, and we ...”1008Kids in the pool“I'm back home again and I have all these things I'd like to talk about, ...”050301
- 2008
- Dec31Your end-of-year recaps“I'm still laboriously working through my own answers, but here's the list of those of ...”2827242321191815Blue ribbon“The more of your comments I read on the issue of Small Children and Weddings, ...”1312111009070504Close-mouthed“Whoah, that last post was kind of a bummer. It sounds like I'm just sitting ...”Sidestepped“When Dylan started being able to do more than lie helplessly on his back waving ...”02Bodies in Motivation“When I went to BlogHer last July, I spent a long bus ride jabbering in ...”
- Nov3029282726Taking a break from packing to post this“In a few hours we're piling in the truck and heading down to Eugene, where ...”252423222120Sleep, clogged“I actually didn't even consider the fact that it might be Extremely Controversial to disclose ...”1918Documented“A bunch of my coworkers follow me on Twitter. One of the (several) embarrassing things ...”171615Jeez, crackers, whine“I had just given Dylan a bath earlier tonight and dressed him in his pajamas ...”1413Second-guessing“I've just cleaned up my first barf of the day, fiftieth barf of the last ...”12Re-run: parenting poetry“(A few of you may remember these from when I originally posted them over at ...”11Wasted adrenaline“I was in Hawaii, snorkeling. The water was clear and warm and every time I ...”10090807Filler content, brought to you by NaBloPoMo“I'm typing this while watching Dylan on the video monitor, and the little so-and-so is ...”06Franks, beans“It sounds horrible to admit now, but when I was pregnant with Dylan one of ...”05Temporary“Sometimes when I'm making Riley do something he doesn't want to do, he starts wailing ...”0403Voting criteria“This morning I got a random email from a PR company representing Cafemom.com, informing me ...”0201Retail therapy“This morning we loaded up the kids and trekked over to the Bellevue Square Mall, ...”
- Oct3029License to shop“Yesterday morning at my workplace it was announced that due to celebrating some milestones, we ...”272524In between days“The term "witching hour" is a common one among parents, and it seems to generally ...”221917Elasticity“I was watching Before the Devil Knows You're Dead a couple weeks ago and there ...”16Remember“I spent my evening tonight sniveling over old family videos, in particular the ones of ...”15Cookies, formal wear, dong“When JB is gone, I pretty much give myself a pass on the diet and ...”141310Unpredictable“Riley has moved into a real, no-shit preschool class at his daycare and now instead ...”08070501Grousing“I was rambling to JB last night about how challenging Dylan is lately -- a ...”
- Sep282524Happy place“In order to deal with my crabby state of mind this week, I have taken ...”23Obscured“My normal morning routine on the days I go to work involves rushing around getting ...”2018Goodness gracious“I was driving home from work today and as I motored along Westlake Ave -- ...”17The more things change“The vast majority of the comments I get on this website are helpful, pleasing, entertaining, ...”16Things I have learned about diet and fitness“(Speaking for myself only, your mileage may vary, different strokes for different folks, etc.) It's possible ...”1411Objects in mirror“(Hi, I'm still talking about career stuff and work situations and whatnot, so if you've ...”10Objectives“I would really like to be able to work from home. I actually don't mean ...”08070403Battered“I was just walking in from the backyard when I heard JB saying "Oh no, ...”02
- Aug30All I ever wanted“Hello from the Oregon coast, which we travelled to in only five hundred and eleventry-three ...”2625Small plates“• Need a new laptop bag? I'm giving one away on SundryBuzz. • 30 Day Shred ...”24Swing low, sweet blaring trumpet“There's this commercial, I think it's one of those shmoopy Johnson & Johnson "Anything for ...”2019Green, mean“I am getting old and cranky, which I suppose is mildly better than old and ...”17131211Letting go; clinging tight“I sometimes think the key to a good marriage is being able to let things ...”09080605Sharing time“I have fallen off the diet wagon in a big way the last few days, ...”04Best guess“Sometimes I think I'm getting fairly seasoned at this whole parenthood business, especially when my ...”03
- Jul29Break“Riley had a bad day yesterday, the details of which were fuzzy but seemed related ...”27Family ties“I have something like 18 months' worth of video on our camcorder, mostly because 1) ...”2421Written to pass the time on the flight home yesterday“SIX ENCOUNTERS: He looks like somebody's grandfather but he's definitely not exuding a kindly manner at ...”20Homeward bound“Handy Tip! While sitting on your ass in an airport waiting for your delayed flight ...”1918141008070601
- Jun302724Tuesday blather“I don't know if I'm allergic to mosquitos or what but every time I get ...”2220Life as usual“A typical evening conversation, from 5:15 - 5:18 PM: Riley: HI MOMMY HI MOMMY HI MOMMYYYYY Me: ...”171513San Francisco treat“When I was in contract discussions for this writing gig a while back I was ...”1211Searching for my inner STFU“Oh god, are we still talking about this? Note to the million-and-one ParentDish commenters who ...”09Navel-gazing, take infinity“The scale is reading 134 these days, which is about 20 pounds down from my ...”060302
- May30Allsorts“I take back every bad thing I once said about Twitter, because not only am ...”28I AM CRANKY ABOUT THESE THINGS“• The term "mompreneur". It's just . . . argh. Listen, you run your own ...”2623Three, unrelated“I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Awfully Acrylic-Looking Skull today and it ...”219-5 and otherwise“I am feeling pleasantly busy lately as opposed to chicken-with-head-cut-offedly busy, thanks in part to ...”19Parenthood lately, bullet-style“• My kids are both good sleepers. I suppose I shouldn't even say that in ...”1614Four (4) random things“• I . . . well, there's no good way to say it so I'll ...”13Worrywarting“Riley seems to be dealing with some lingering effects of being sick, at least we ...”1209Motherfickle“On tap for the weekend: JB's parents, visiting for a couple days on their way ...”0807Quarantine“Riley is sick: feverish, coughing, draped bonelessly over furniture with great unhappy anime eyes. He ...”06Bob Loblaw's Law Blog“My first day at work? Surprisingly gratifying. I am, at the moment, glad to have ...”04Turn to the left“The Keens/White Socks Travesty is still going on, people. I may need to take drastic ...”0201Sleeping, shoes“There were two days in a row when I successfully put Dylan down for a ...”
- Apr2928Strength training“There are a thousand and twelve things I keep meaning to do like paint my ...”2725Balance beaming“As an employee of a Very Large Software Company here on the Eastside of Seattle, ...”23Is "commenter" a word? TextEdit thinks No.“I've learned there are maybe two or three hard-core ParentDish commenters who spend what must ...”22Expenditures“Hi. Can we talk about groceries for a minute? I know, BOring, but the alternative ...”21Upcoming returns“We got home on Saturday after a freakish drive through every type of weather imaginable ...”16Jolie laide“Can I just say how much I've been enjoying your movie star crushes? And with ...”15The list“Can you even imagine a better scenario for Dog while we're away from home? I ...”14Sleep, spiders, and invisible balls“Dylan didn't wake me up until 4:45 yesterday morning and after a brief and productive ...”1210Exposure“The worst part about being away from home and having JB gone is the stretch ...”0705Status“Countdown to leaving on a 7+ hour car drive: 12 hours Number of toddlers suddenly feverish ...”03Sweet dreams“For the last couple nights Dylan has slept from around 11:30 PM until 5 AM, ...”01Get your motor running“If I were prone to panic attacks I would currently be having one over the ...”
- Mar3028Waiting impatiently for spring weather“Stop jumping on the couch. Stop jumping on the couch RIGHT NOW. Daddy's at work, remember? ...”272625245 pointless things“1. I had a pelvic exam this morning and the doctor who Took Care of ...”232221JCOOAHD“Helmets and facial deformities and infant chiropractic adjustments, oh my. I am gripped—GRIPPED I SAY—by ...”20191816Money well spent“In 1999 I was living in Portland, Oregon, and JB was living a couple hours ...”1413Tapas style“We have this swing for Dylan that has an adjustable seat, can swing either back ...”1211Mind wide shut“JB and I were watching the show "Real Sex" on HBO last night — if ...”09080605Imposter“Those of you who have children, do you ever feel like you haven't quite adjusted ...”04Man jelly“I keep a pair of pre-pregnancy jeans readily accessible in my closet for the purpose ...”03
- Feb292827Committed“I gingerly stepped on the scale the other morning and learned that I'm down about ...”2523Sensitive subjects“I mentioned that I borked up my back on Monday, right? The first day JB ...”212019An inauspicious start“Yesterday was JB's first day back to work and my first day alone with both ...”18171412110907060403The night before“Your Baby's Development at Week 39 of Pregnancy: You may notice that your baby is ...”01Status quo: maintained“Oh hi there, it's ME AGAIN, just doing the blog equivalent of blathering nervously out ...”
- Jan31Groceries and Xerxes“Lately I have been ordering my groceries online from Amazon's food delivery service, and it ...”2928Another thrilling update, but with naughty words“Pregnancy status: still pregnant. Blog updating status: surely veering into the "way too frequent" zone. So! ...”2623211815Low-impact name calling“A long-ass time ago when I was still very optimistic about exercising throughout this entire ...”141009Feelings, whoah whoah whoah“My mother-in-law sent me an email asking if I thought I was going to "make ...”07Tales from Blimp City“We moved Riley into his own bedroom a little while ago, a transition that did ...”050302Idle hands, devil's workshop“Man, I'm kind of glad that the holidays are over and done with and my ...”
- 2007
- Dec31New Year's meme, version 2.007“Ah, this old thing. Just as scintillating as it was in 2004, 2005, and 2006. ...”28221918Unrequited“Yesterday when I got home from work JB held Riley up to the window so ...”1512090704As stupid does“I am doing a lot of mouthbreathing lately, thanks in part to the Cold That ...”03Rant and rain“I wasn't going to get a flu shot this year, mostly because I am a ...”02
- Nov30One bad apple“Every now and then I notice some Odd Activity on my Flickr account. There's a ...”29Sickly, Sicko“Having a rotten cold is never fun, but if you'll allow me to be complainy ...”2827Maybe Mr. T is pretty handy with computers!“I mentioned this recently at The Other Blog: The Other Blog is going to be ...”2520Finding faults, giving thanks“I've had my Touareg for almost exactly a year now, and for the most part ...”18161513Bloggy news“If you haven't been a dedicated reader of SundryBuzz, now would be an excellent time ...”09The Tao of the Mundane“I have always believed that spirituality, in its many forms, has been created to help ...”080706Life decisions: tastes like uncertainty“We've been having some problems at Riley's daycare lately. Nothing overly traumatic, just some ongoing ...”040201Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited“At social functions I used to compensate for my dorktastic amounts of shyness with large ...”
- Oct30How to deflate a dirty phone call in one second flat“The other day: Me: "Hello?" JB: (panting moistly into the phone): "What are you wearing?" Me: "A great ...”292826Quick housekeeping question“October 26, 2007 Show of hands, how many of you find those widget boxes in the ...”2423Contractors, Quentin, dolphins“October 23, 2007 By posting the pictures of our newly operational and yuppified kitchen, I probably ...”211916Baked goods, internal body-slams“October 16, 2007 Whoorl's comments section is making me depressed. Fall recipes! Involving squash, and pumpkin, ...”1510One more for the road“October 10, 2007 I use Photoshop several times a week but I only know how to ...”09Ramble“October 9, 2007 Last night I tried to wheedle JB into going to the store for ...”0704Strange times“October 4, 2007 My belly is, perhaps not surprisingly, growing. It now protrudes from the front ...”03Dreaming of squash, O Canada“October 3, 2007 Here are some things I'd like to be cooking in my new kitchen ...”01Banished“October 1, 2007 At some point I realized that I go days on end without thinking ...”
- Sep30Sunday morning: easy like“September 30, 2007 The Rain has arrived, the dark and penetratingly chilly variety that we'll see ...”28Keegans, Wyatts, and Graysons, oh my“September 28, 2007 Out of all of the (really cool) suggestions for boy's names you guys ...”27By any other name“September 27, 2007 First of all, thank you so much for the books/movies/music suggestions! I've got ...”25Memey, but for a purpose“September 25, 2007 My iPod feels stale, my nightstand is in need of a good book ...”242220Seat of my pants“September 20, 2007 I keep being surprised at the many ways in which a kitchen remodel ...”18Toxins, eight-legged freaks, the burning question“September 18, 2007 LET'S START WITH A LINK I have never played Dungeons & Dragons, but this ...”17Waist not, want not“September 17, 2007 I can't remember if maternity wear waistbands get easier to deal with later ...”16Plastic spoonfuls“September 16, 2007 JB's parents were planning to stop by our house on the return drive ...”13Waiting for Google Maps: Personal Life Decisions Edition“September 12, 2007 The other day I was driving home from work and an emergency vehicle ...”11More meta, more blogging“September 11, 2007 I have another blogging-related question for you, since you guys are always so ...”Meta: blogging“September 11, 2007 I read an immensely sad blog entry a while back—a series of them, ...”10More of my scintillating opinions“September 10, 2007 Are any of you fans of LinkedIn? I've been trying to add more ...”09Little ado about not much“September 9, 2007 GENDER TEST When I say "We really need to work together to clean up ...”06Unwelcome companions“September 6, 2007 JB and I used to sleep with both the cat and the dog ...”05Story, scurvied“September 5, 2007 Check it out: a short story of mine (an old one, a couple ...”04
- Aug2928Vegetative states“August 28, 2007 Can I just say how much I loved your cucumber stories, especially the ...”27Produce“August 27, 2007 My sleeping position of choice is flat on my stomach with my arms ...”26232221Taking procrastination to a new level“August 21, 2007 I think the best thing about exposing my young son to the flickering, ...”1916Contrived conversational topic du jour“August 16, 2007 When I was around 18 or so I worked at a movie theater ...”13Revealing vibrations“August 13, 2007 I had an ultrasound scheduled for this morning, for which I had been ...”1110Why sometimes one outing is more than enough for the day“August 10, 2007 I visited Whole Foods with Riley this afternoon where immediately upon entering the ...”0907Itchy“August 7, 2007 Today the sheet rock is going up in the addition, and if there's ...”06Momentum“August 6, 2007 In this weekend's issue of Gender F in the Seattle Times the topic ...”0502Not drowning but waving“August 2, 2007 (JB's birthday! Today my favorite provider of both affection and dutch ovens ...”
- Jul31Breathe easy“July 31, 2007 I can't remember the last time I experienced a blockage-free inhalation through the ...”3029Good genes“My mom's birthday is Monday, July 30, and my aunt wrote a lovely post in ...”27Won't you be mine“July 27, 2007 Earlier today our next door neighbor stopped by, pounding at my front door ...”26This title intentionally left blank“July 26, 2007 After taking into consideration your helpful comments yesterday, I think I'll be asking ...”252423Navel gazing“July 23, 2007 In no particular order, here are some reasons I've been using lately for ...”221918Proof I am a very bad person“July 18, 2007 A few weeks ago my coworker T and I were talking about Top ...”17Keeps on slipping“July 17, 2007 A very nice woman asked if I wanted to write for Work It, ...”161513Gadgets and plans“July 13, 2007 (Ooh! Happy Friday the 13th!) Workplace decided to buy every interested employee an iPhone, ...”12Whining“July 12, 2007 In the last few weeks Riley seems to have given up his morning ...”11Chafing“July 11, 2007 After our week of vacation during which there was virtually no forward progress ...”10Rhetorical“Theoretically speaking, if JB said to me the other day, "Something smells funny in here ...”09Warm hands, cold bum“July 9, 2007 I forgot to mention in the previous post that while it was more ...”Eating for two (thousand)“July 9, 2007 I occasionally do some freelance writing for a Large Producer of Consumer Goods, ...”05
- Jun27Short break in programming“June 27, 2007 Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your lovely comments! I have ...”26Secondtopus“June 26, 2007 I have no idea how I'm expected to keep it a secret for ...”2524Sound off like you've got a pair“June 24, 2007 For those of you who recommended Beard Papa's in downtown San Francisco, holy ...”20Berber musings“June 20, 2007 We have decided to put carpeting in the new addition, thinking that would ...”181714This week brought to you by the letter I for Introspection“June 14, 2007 There are some very nice things about my office job. There are the ...”131211Fallout“June 11, 2007 (Today's subject is difficult to talk about, and I'm finding it harder than ...”070605Asking the experts“I like to pride myself on my superior Googling abilities, but lately my mad search-engine ...”04In pursuit of heartburn“June 4, 2007 I can't help but notice that despite my Dramatic Declaration of Intent back ...”03
- May3129No buttery, thanks“May 29, 2007 You guys think I'm bad with the zombie nerdery, but you have no ...”26No one updates their blog on a Saturday, for god's sake“May 26, 2007 Let the record show that I disapprove of pretend zombies. I'll be at ...”25The same question I always ask“May 25, 2007 It's Friday already! How is it Friday already? And holy cats, it's a ...”24Lampooned“May 24, 2007 I read the comics section of the newspaper on a daily basis, and ...”22In praise of the flatlands“May 22, 2007 I hate big boobs and I can not lie. Not your boobs, of ...”20181615Allsorts; questions“May 15, 2007 Things I have learned about running so far: • It sounds better to call ...”14Flights of fancy“May 14, 2007 I have a short business trip planned for this week, involving the following ...”13Screw Hallmark“May 13, 2007 The weather didn't cooperate today and it was kind of gray and chilly ...”10Alphabutts and questionable parenting skills“May 10, 2007 I don't think JB quite knows what to do with me when I ...”0908Looking for a soundtrack“May 8, 2007 JB gave me a copy of The Zombie Survival Guide and I cannot ...”070603On my mind“May 3, 2007 Questions for you: Grindhouse or Spiderman 3? In the sidebar: Blogher ads or no-cost 'featured ...”02Getaway cars, idling“May 2, 2007 I feel a little bad for making JB sound like a big clueless ...”01Cheap hotel thorax“May 1, 2007 I was looking at my naked belly in the mirror this morning, because ...”
- Apr29Lustful seaweed wrap fantasies“April 29, 2007 Since reading the comments on my last post, I've been daydreaming about a ...”26Diapering torches and holidays“April 26, 2007 I had a very pleasant morning with Riley today, up until the moment ...”25Mother Talk blog tour: On Becoming Fearless“Today's post will be part of a Mother Talk blog tour discussing Arianna Huffington's On ...”2423Picking up the pace“April 23, 2007 I really appreciate the encouraging advice you guys have shared about running, especially ...”2119Under fire“April 19, 2007 My husband and I are gun owners. More accurately, JB is a gun ...”17Bent“April 17, 2007 This week our remodel was supposed to officially get underway, starting with the ...”16Everybody wants prosthetic foreheads on their real heads“April 16, 2007 Today a coworker asked me if I had lost some weight, and I ...”151312Thoughts of Calgon“April 12, 2007 The Process of Dealing with a Small Child Who Has Dropped An Object ...”10Hurting the ones we love“April 10, 2007 Diapers, wipes, coffee creamer, Kleenex, salsa, cooked shrimp, frozen macaroni and cheese, cottage ...”0905Not really a good use of the publish button“April 5, 2007 I feel compelled to update you on the Mystery Smell. I'm sure it's ...”04Whiffs, haircuts, weekend activities“April 4, 2007 There has been a Mysterious Odor wafting around in my kitchen the last ...”03Spectacularly boring diet update“April 3, 2007 I see by my own handy web journal that I've been doing this ...”
- Mar3129282726Stress relievers“March 26, 2007 I've started recording "Inhale", the Oxygen channel yoga show with relaxed-and-groovy instructor Steve ...”24Somewhere else, far away . . .“March 24, 2007 Thanks in part to some of your suggestions, we went with 300 on ...”22This and that“March 22, 2007 MUSIC Andrew Bird's new album is out, and it's wonderful. I could listen to ...”212018151312110908Crude offerings“March 8, 2007 We have powder rooms rather than multi-stall bathrooms at Workplace, which is usually ...”060402And the kitchen sink“March 2, 2007 Thanks to clickety-clicking around on Flickr, I am currently obsessed with the notion ...”01
- Feb27... even if it means me taking a chubby, I will suck it up“February 27, 2007 Pardon the post title, we've been making our way through Season 3 of ...”26Unclean! Unclean!“February 26, 2007 When we lost power in the December wind storm (the storm for which ...”22201915141311A little more conversation“February 11, 2007 JB has returned to our happy household and once again Riley's starry-eyed gaze ...”08Assorted ass taffy“February 8, 2007 I've been feeling slightly panicked all week long because I had this freelance ...”0504Inertia and dairy products“February 4, 2007 I don't think I've lost any weight so far on the It's Not ...”022nd verse, same as the first“February 2, 2007 Well, I had this notion of occasionally posting some music that's currently in ...”01
- Jan31Spoon-feeding and Corgies“January 31, 2007 This morning I watched the Today Show segment featuring Melissa of Suburban Bliss, ...”302825242221Bad hair day, Stockstock, Paaaaarliaments“January 21, 2007 My hair has reached the stage where it's been far too long since ...”191817I wasted naptime writing this instead of cleaning“January 17, 2007 Lately, I am finding more value in the days I stay home with ...”15131210090704Pre-show jitters“January 4, 2007 I've bitched before about the poor timing of Macworld, but this year it ...”0302Heaven“January 2, 2007 JB's grandmother isn't expected to live much longer. She's in an assisted care ...”
- 2006
- Dec312006 in exciting meme format“Here's a list of those of you who posted your own answers to the Year ...”29Kicking buckets and whistling in the dark“December 29, 2006 When JB's brother Joe was in high school, his class held a career-focused ...”2620Preparing for festivus“December 20, 2006 We still don't have Comcast back online at home, so we are deNIED ...”19181412Only a moment to spare, typey typey publish“December 12, 2006 Every time I read another news article on James Kim I feel myself ...”1007050403Good PR, bad PR; I'm the guy with the gun“December 3, 2006 I wrote a post on Workplace's blog last week that seems to have ...”01Wahmbulance“December 1, 2006 It's probably kind of awful to make a video of your child for ...”
- Nov2927Did she just say snausage?“November 27, 2006 It snowed like hell last night and at first I was thinking how ...”2621Upswing“November 21, 2006 Riley has been talking, talking, talking lately. He seems to have many important ...”181615Thin“November 15, 2006 Did anyone else watch the documentary Thin on HBO last night? Man, I ...”14Comparitive difficulties“November 14, 2006 Here is an odd realization I had recently: my office job is currently ...”09Ferries, not ferry boats“November 9, 2006 I really enjoyed reading your last great thing comments (I now have a ...”08Dispatch from PukeVille“November 8, 2006 Riley appears to have some kind of stomach bug. I never thought ...”06Bumps in the road“November 6, 2006 Riley seems to have entered a new and charming stage of toddlerdom that ...”05Yes, it's been kind of a slow Sunday, why?“A conversation held while driving through the rain on the way to Starbucks today: Riley, from ...”Sunday afternoon movie roundup“November 5, 2006 If you're wondering whether that Borat movie is worth seeing, from my personal ...”02
- Oct30Mobility is a fearsome thing“October 30, 2006 Well, I didn't have a chance to ask you what your weekend plans ...”2824A festive outing“October 24, 2006 I had a doctor's appointment this morning, for which I arrived promptly on ...”2319Hoteliers“October 19, 2006 To those of you who commented on my last post, thank you so ...”17This complicated life“October 17, 2006 Hey, let's talk about abortion and religion! (Wait, where are you going?) Two things: 1. JB ...”1513All skate“Honest to god song lyrics heard this morning through the shower as JB serenaded Riley: "Don't ...”12Blawgs; ba ba“October 12, 2006 I am disturbed by how quickly the weeks fly by; I feel like ...”100904Pavilions and huts“October 4, 2006 Years ago, I was trying to set up a lunch date with an ...”03
- Sep28Fancy underwear dancin'“September 28, 2006 Not only was Riley nearly rash-free this morning, but he also ate an ...”2726Housecleaning and sea lions“September 26, 2006 Once upon a time, Workplace provided a biweekly housecleaning service as a benefit. ...”242221Life obscured and lovely“September 21, 2006 I changed my work schedule slightly so that starting next week I'll be ...”20171615Fiction Friday #2“I don't know if I'll keep up this little routine, but I'm enjoying the challenge ...”141211That was the goose“September 11, 2006 Today was one of my days at home with Riley, and although I ...”1008Storytime“September 8, 2006 I am declaring today Fiction Friday here at sundrymourning.com, for no particular reason ...”07Music to my ears“September 7, 2006 The sound of a baby crying is, I suppose, biologically designed to bore ...”06Crikey, he was a beaut“September 6, 2006 I've been listening to a lot of really good music lately, thanks to ...”0501
- Aug31Year of marvel“August 31, 2006 At first his eyes were blue-grey, although it was hard to tell. They ...”30282624Ugly“August 24, 2006 First: a can of Budweiser, stolen from my grandparents' refrigerator and consumed while ...”2221201817Made with crushed minerals from...the *earth*!“Annoyingly-Spelled "Escentuals" Makeup Update: (Because I offer only the best in heart-pounding journal content. No need ...”16Purchase potential“August 16, 2006 Well, I hardly know how I'll find time to update this website when ...”1513110908How to have a good week“August 8, 2006 I walked out my front door this morning and locked it securely behind ...”0603Oh big ol' jet airliner...don't carry me too far away“August 3, 2006 I was in a crappy mood this morning as I drove to work. ...”0201
- Jul31272523201817161412111008
- Jun302827Arterial byways“July 27, 2006 "...perhaps that all parents should merit some kind of respect, whether or not ...”25222013Menudo!“June 13, 2006 Updates here will be few and far between this week as my home ...”1007Houston, we have a problem....a *sexy* problem“June 7, 2006 So hey, you may be thinking, whatever happened with the KY Sensual Mist ...”06050401
- May31292723Curses, foiled“I was looking through the collection of short, crappy video files I've taken since Riley's ...”211918Poit, and other deep thoughts“May 18, 2006 I read Dooce's recent entry with great interest, because the subject of when ...”1615...oh my“May 15, 2006 I just picked up Dog from the kennel and right now she is ...”141110A term almost as appealing as mommyblogging“May 10, 2006 I recently received an email that read "Demand a CEASEFIRE in the 'Mommy ...”09Today, this morning“May 9, 2006 There was a spider in my bathroom when I went to take a ...”080605040301
- Apr302726252421My thrilling weekend plans: hookers and blow!“April 21, 2006 JB's brother Joe is a somewhat recent homeowner and this weekend he's adding ...”19181715141312100604030201
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