We - the potato eatin' mick and I - are setting out for Boston in the morning. We'll drive up the east coast as briskly as possible, not too fast, but fast enough since we know that better photo opps are waiting for us in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. We'll probably go there first. (Acadia National Park in Maine is, from what I see and hear, ( Read more... )

It's not often that I can out-gross Carls, but yesterday, I managed to make her flinch ( Read more... )

Lots of things going on, lately ( Read more... )

Mari is the only friend I've ever had whose path has crossed mine on four different continents. We met in Argentina as exchange students, and our chemistry was instantaneous. I don't remember exactly where and how I met her; probably at a party or on the university bus. We had other friends in common, but there was a natural ease with her. ( Read more... )

Not far from my apartment in Nagoya was a little eatery called CoCo Ichi. It was the Japanese curry version of Waffle House. Small booths lined one wall, while round padded barstools circled the grill. I sometimes convinced Andy to go with me, and we'd sit and talk about whatever crossed our minds while we waited on breaded chicken cutlets to be ( Read more... )

I'm sick at home today - a rarity. I sometimes go in later if working after-hours is inevitable on some other day of the week, but to call in "sick" for the whole day is not like me. And when I do, I like to make sure I'm good 'n' afflicted with, like, telltale signs. Today, though, I can't make sense of what ails me. My temperature skyrocketed ( Read more... )

A co-worker approached me a few weeks ago with a request for help. She and a few other ladies were planning a bridal shower for the daughter of a dear friend, and she wanted to know if I'd be interested in putting together a recipe book for the bride-to-be. I accepted the commission and finished the project a few days ago. The final version is ( Read more... )

Taking photos of kids always reminds me of how intrepid and miraculous they really are.

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Ross became a freshman the last year that I taught. He was in my homeroom, but even if I had stayed, I would never have taught him. He took Latin and not Spanish. I forgave him for that since he made me laugh so much. He was very melodramatic, but not to the point of being thespian material. Ross would've never mocked his real life dramas by ( Read more... )

Pauline Roothman, Senior Vice President of Customer Relations ( Read more... )