Friday, December 9, 2011
Have you ever been with your family over the holidays, when all of a sudden, you revert to a much younger age? Maybe your parents or siblings say or do something that used to drive you nuts, and you find yourself becoming a resentful teenager. Or perhaps you slip back to your five-year-old self, trying [...]
Thursday, October 27, 2011
One of my favorite quotes is, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Many of us get stuck in patterns of thoughts and behaviors that prevent us from getting where we want to be in life. For example, I would very much like to get married [...]
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
In my graduate school library, there’s a really old, unreliable elevator. It’s so slow that it often takes a full ten minutes to get from the third floor to the first. Sometimes, it doesn’t come at all. As a joke, we nicknamed it “Godot,” referring to a Samuel Beckett play about two men waiting endlessly. [...]
Saturday, June 11, 2011
“I want an Oompa Loompa, and I want it NOW!” screams little Veruca Salt to her father in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While I dislike her spoiled brat character, I can certainly relate to
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
I was visiting a quaint, historical city with my friend Suzanne, who had just slept over 10 hours that night. Although she had managed to control the urge to check her Blackberry for most of our
Monday, March 7, 2011
“Oh my God, I have to have it!” I laughed, as the woman at the market stall showed me her husband’s latest creation. Holding a camera made out of a flattened beer can, she pushed the button, and a
Saturday, January 29, 2011
As Valentine’s Day approaches, many people start to feel pressured or anxious. Those in couples often resent the huge price mark-ups and the imperative to do something romantic whether they’re in the
Monday, December 13, 2010
Plucky and freckled, my neighbor Lana is a young Irish gal who’s always making wisecracks and is quick to lend a helping hand. Lana grew up poor, raised by a quirky single mom whom she says dated men
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
As I sat watching the victory parade for the San Francisco Giants, it hit me strongly how tribal we still are. Today, our tribes may be those with the same skin color, religion, economic level, or
Sunday, October 17, 2010
I’m a big fan of social media, but I must say, some of what’s out there seems like a bunch of meaningless malarkey. Do I really want to hear about people’s delayed flights or whether or not they
Saturday, October 16, 2010
I got a notice in the mail the other day that it was time to service my car. When I called the garage, the office manager asked, “Are you calling to schedule routine service or major maintenance?” “I have no idea,” I replied. After looking up my records, she confirmed, “Looks like your car has [...]
Thursday, September 23, 2010
As the woman from my health plan abruptly cut me off and put me on hold for the fourth time, I thought to myself, “Seriously?” While normally, I’m a very patient, laid-back person, two things can