He’d managed to get his dirty clothes washed. Finally. But it took a phone call to his grandparents who live about an hour away. I imagine my son convincing his grandfather to fetch him, driving from their small town to the big city, and then back to their home for a family weekend of discussion […]
Can We Ever Truly Know Our Parents?
It’s Father’s Day. The first thing I did when I woke was go straight to the small framed Polaroid of my dad and me, taken on the last day I saw him. Father’s Day, nearly 25 years ago. There are a handful of other images tucked away. But that one, of the two of us, […]
Where everyone knows your name
Cheers Bar It was afternoon. Late. I had to get out of the house. See people. Something different. Anything. And it was Friday. I had been chicken a week earlier. Unable to talk myself into an elegant bar just 20 yards in front of me. I wasn’t going to be chicken again, but I needed […]
Opposites Attract
It isn’t just about romantic relationships, though these are the most obvious examples. Opposites attract, and often thrive. Consider the couples you know – their physical or behavioral differences. Their widely divergent backgrounds. Now think about the facets of your own personality that you like the most, along with the traits you love in others […]
Miles to go before you sleep? (Wunderkind on “Work of Art”)
You snooze, you lose? When artist Miles Mendenhall is sleep-deprived, apparently he has a tough time of it. In this week’s episode of Bravo TV’s Work of Art, he sleeps through a critical part of the challenge – time during which the contestants are to salvage material from an appliance graveyard, with which to make […]
Guerrilla Artist, Guerrilla Writer
Guerrilla Artist By her own words, artist Lavanna Martin stares at people. At times she refers to herself as a “Guerrilla Artist,” setting up in one of several local coffee shops in Austin, Texas. A possible subject of interest catches her attention, and she creates a quick portrait – a sketch or painting – achieving […]
Real Drama: Real Housewives NY Reunion Recap
I would say “I couldn’t help myself,” but I don’t care for that expression. I could chalk it up to needing to stay plugged into pop culture as a selfless act of serious journalism, but I don’t think you’d buy it. Instead, I’ll cop to my addiction to Real Housewives of New York City, and […]
Tangled Torsos, Lively Libido?
Tantalizing touch Troubles at work, struggles in your personal life, health concerns – all add to a lagging libido, nudging the desire for desire to drop off the edge of our daily diaries. And wouldn’t we be so much better off if we could rally our feral forces, and indulge in some quality coupling? For […]
Father’s Day Gifts (Good, Better, Best)
Good gifts Digital SLRs. Flat panel TVs. Exotic watches. Cordless drills, wrench sets, any kind of tools. Grills, golf clubs, silk ties. These are good gifts, aren’t they? Maybe even fabulous gifts? This used to be the lexicon of my month of June – whatever the latest and greatest gifts might be – for the […]
Books, files, clothes, shoes: My life in the closet
It’s Saturday morning. I’m sipping coffee in the living room. Pouting. Glaring at two red chairs heaped with files and books and mail. I’m trying to will the mess away. So far, not so good. . . Nearby is an 8-pack of paper towels, a 12-pack of toilet paper, along with my sandals, my kid’s […]