Holiday shopping is in full swing! Since I put way more stock in personal recommendations (and Wirecutter reviews) than pay-to-play gift guides, I want to share a list of things that I actually use and love in case you see something that might work for whoever’s on your list. Home…
The 4-hour, 270-mile drive from Durham to Sylva has two acts. Act I, from Durham to our lunch and bathroom stop in Hickory, is fast-paced, heavily-trafficked, and goes through Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Statesville. The mountains come into view soon after Act II begins and quickly becomes a beautiful drive through the mountains….
A few years ago, my late father-in-law, Jim, started doing something new. Whenever he would introduce me—to his friends, neighbors, the front desk and maintenance people at his and my mother-in-law’s apartment on the Jersey shore—he would introduce me as his daughter. At first, I would correct him, adding “in…
I found the photo above the other day. From left to right, we have “Brother” John (family by choice), my maternal grandmother (AKA Bomma), that’s me in the middle, my great uncle Johnny (Bomma’s brother), and Johnny’s wife, Lyn. We’re in Yosemite National Park on a day trip from Fresno,…
It seems like everyone’s getting laid off right now. Last year and the year before, too. I’ve been laid off before. Early in my career, most of my roles were grant-funded, and that was just part of the gig. If the grant got renewed or a new one came in…
Even though my neighborhood doesn’t have sidewalks, it’s very pedestrian-friendly and I go for lots of walks. When I’m out, there are always others out and about doing the same by themselves, in groups, with dogs (and dog-like cats) and/or children in tow, at fast paces, at slow paces, birdwatching,…
Over the last year or so, I’ve been jotting down life truths I’ve learned—many the hard way—in an email draft as I’ve thought of them. Since my 39th birthday (actual 39th, not “39th”) is fast approaching, I figured I’d share what I’ve collected so far. It’d be awesome if my…
We did it again! We made it through another year! I found myself comparing 2023 to 2019 a lot this year, probably because it was the first one to resemble life before the pandemic started. 2019 was a really good year for me: I traveled to the beach, the mountains,…
The alarm went off at 4:01am (every minute counts, amiright?) to get ready for an early flight to Phoenix to visit my family. (Richie and I decided years ago not to travel for the holidays, so we try to get to Phoenix in between Thanksgiving and Christmas to do festive…
Energy can be contagious. I remember a strategy from public speaking classes and teaching: when you start presenting, match the energy in the room. If you want to change it, gradually get to the energy level you want as you present. I’m not sure if this is still considered a good…
