They say that conversation is a dying art. I don’t know who “they” are, but they sound boring. “They” did not think before speaking. Because if you think about what you are going to say, you will be far more likely to say something useful. There are a few things that you should consider before […]
Monthly Archives: February 2014
Who is it For? – A Story of Either a Church Sign, or a Time Capsule
This seems a little silly to even me, but one of the things I missed most when we left Baltimore was the sign outside of the church around the corner from our house. I never set foot inside that building, but I saw the sign every day as I drove back and forth to wherever […]
Exponential Exaggeration
Citizens of the English-speaking world! We have a problem! Our hyperbole has gotten so out-of-control that words do not have the same impact that they used to! Back in the day, good meant good, and great meant way, way better than good! But now great just means good.“How are you today?!”“Oh, I’m great, thanks!”No, you […]
Blogging with Siri: let’s see if this works!
I woke up this morning having not written anything for this blog. My children have both been sick recently, and I just haven’t had the chance to get it done. This morning I didn’t have the chance either because we had to go out, so I wondered how I was going to get something written […]
Trapped in the Bog of Eternal Stench
I’m not going to tell you exactly what happened this morning. You don’t need to know. It’s the proverbial T.M.I. that you always hear people talk too much about. Suffice it to say that I woke up in a puddle of circumstances too dire to describe, and I have had to cancel my day in […]
Buying a Car For Your Teenage Six-Year-Old
When you buy an old car at a low price, you know that it is not a long-term investment. My mother, I assume through her vast network of underworld connections, has somehow managed to purchase a continuing string of vehicles for $500 each. These cars are terrible. Sometimes the wheels fall off on the highway […]
You Never Quite Get Over Your First Love (Even When it Ends Badly)
Perhaps it is my father’s fault, for loving so fiercely that I couldn’t help but be caught up in it all. Or maybe it’s just me, and I would have loved the same, with or without him. But my first love, and my eternal true love, was a bright red 1991 Mazda 323. It was […]
The Disappointment of Meeting Expectations
“Meets Expectations.” Is there anything more frustratingly disappointing than that? I mean, at least if something fails to meet the expectations you can feel good about feeling bad, right? But if something does exactly what it is supposed to do, why does that feel like such a let down? Have we been conditioned to want […]
It Runs in the Family
Though I admit the sound was not very good (turn your speakers way up!), you have already heard my daughter sing a little when I posted her version of “Frozen Heart.” I love hearing her sing, and taking after her old Dad (not to discount the good musicianship and musical influences of Tenor Mom!). But […]
Don’t Take Your Kids To Important Negotiations
“Ok, kids!” we said on Saturday morning. “Who wants to go test drive some new cars?!” This was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to either of our children. This made them turn off the TV and put their coats and boots on in a timely fashion. This made them jump up and […]