I just witnessed the magic of mediation.  As always in the best mediations, I didn't do much of anything.  I sat down with people and watched the magic happen.

Got on the #8 bus this evening and a little girl was in her mother's arms, screaming her head off.  She was around 18-24 months old.  She was flailing around and slapped her mother with her hand.  Her mother didn't say anything, but lightly slapped her back, almost playfully.  Great, I thought.  Then they moved and some guy was blocking my view of ( Read more... )

I just finished making Golden Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.   At our office, the custom is for each coworker to take a turn bringing in a birthday cake and card for another coworker.  My boss and I are the only ones who bring homemade stuff.  She made me a terrific apple pie for my ( Read more... )

The short version:  we won.

The long version:  Montgomery County is an affluent, liberal-ish suburban Maryland county adjacent to Washington, D.C.   Bethesda, Rockville, Silver Spring, Takoma Park -- all Montgomery County.  One of my favorite places, the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary, is also in Montgomery County.  Montgomery County is one of three ( Read more... )

 . . . from a dispute resolution professional (that would be me).

People, please:  DO NOT talk trash about the other parent on your MySpace page!  Just stop it, right now.  It will get back to the other parent, and it won't help.  I promise you it won't help.  And I realize you need to confide in someone about what a deadbeat your child's other ( Read more... )

1. Getting off the elevator:  An officer (I didn't notice whether he was county police or sheriff's department) with a German Shepherd Dog on a leash.  The dog was carrying a rubber chew toy in his mouth!  It even had a cord attached, so you could pick it up without touching the dog slobber ( Read more... )

Today at lunch one of the secretaries said she likes Huckabee because he reminds her of Reagan. 

I just woke up from an above-average dream.  I was working with a couple who were trying to adopt a child. They were maybe in their late 40s or early 50s, and they were originally from some Slavic country.  They were trying to adopt a specific child, maybe 10 or 12 years old, and they were running into difficulties.  They  handed me their personal ( Read more... )

Our office's custom for birthdays is that each coworker supplies a card and cake for the person whose birthday is next in the calendar.  My birthday was in September, and the next birthday to come along was my boss's, which is today, so I'm it.

Most folks buy the cake.  The person in charge of my birthday was totally stumped by the prospect of ( Read more... )