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Animal Encounters
Wensleydale has had a rough time this winter. His arthritis is acting up. He had some teeth pulled. And once the snow came he started peeing in a corner of the kitchen rather than asking to go out in the cold. He’ll be 16 years old in March, which for Yorkshire terriers (the internet tells me), is the equivalent of 80 human years. The site only went up to 17 which made my heart stutter. I had to google “oldest Yorkie” to get some sense of what I could hope for. I found this article about a 26 year old Yorkie who died in a dog attack, which was helpful…
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Bad Trip
Not that long ago, I often traveled for work. This was when I was single and lived alone. Traveling for work became routine after a while. I would even say I got to the point where I enjoyed traveling solo. I remember one conference in particular. It was in San Diego and I didn’t know anyone at the conference or in the city, but I explored and found fun things to do. I even blew off the “networking” session of the conference because I saw a sandwich board advertising, “One Night Only: John Cleese Live!” It was a great choice; he was hilarious! I just wish I would have bought…
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Insight
I’m at a conference in Austin for the weekend. Yesterday, I got back to my room to discover that the caps for my contact tray were no where to be found. I can only assume the maid thought they were trash? Bottle caps, maybe? My fault for leaving them on the counter, like I do at home? Anyway, they were gone. Rather than sleep in my contacts for the next three nights I MacGyvered a solution, using the baggie I packed for my unchecked liquids. I used to think that traveling for work sounded so glamorous. Then you do it… and you face the consequences of dry contacts (or blindness)…
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Cougar Town
On return from a work trip, I was waiting to disembark my plane in Salt Lake City, standing up beneath the overhead bins because I am short and I can. Suddenly, this tall blonde guy in a bright blue Brigham Young University hat, standing in the aisle and leaning on the seat two rows in front of me, caught my eye. He gave me a smile and a wink. I smiled back and then dropped my gaze to peer out the window. He was young and attractive and I admit that I was fractionally flattered, despite the air of a college sophomore “will-flirt-with-anything-that-moves-because-I-am-so-over-powered-by-hormones-that-they-are-shooting-out-the-ends-of-my-hair” that he distinctly had about him. “Step…
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Weekend in Zion
At The Desert Pearl Hotel in Springdale, Utah Ethan (age 5): The sink in our room is so short! I had to bend over to use it!!! Me: What sink? What are you talking about? Ethan: The one in the bathroom. Me: Right next to the toilet? Ethan: Yeah! Me: That is not a sink. It’s a bidet. Ethan: What’s that? (Pause) Matt: It’s European. Me: Only it’s for when you’re-a-poopin’. Ethan: WHAT? Matt: It’s a sink for your bum. Ethan: 😐 End scene. (Photo: Zion National Park – Mt. Carmel Highway Scenic Drive)
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Sisters in Seattle
I went to Seattle for a few days to visit my sister Andrea and meet my brand new nephew who arrived too soon – at just 25 weeks – over the New Year’s weekend. I flew up to help out while her hubby was traveling for work. Mostly I went to give my five year old nephew some attention. Also I talked Andrea’s ear off. (I really need to call her more.) I also cooked a little. I loaded the dishwasher once. I barely helped at all, truth be told. I always think I’ll be more helpful when I’m projecting the future in my mind then when I get into…
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Nervous Tick
In the summer of 1999, Jules and Demetria and I were on a long road trip through the Louisiana and Texas. I had never been to the South before and I found it quite mysterious. I had never experienced humidity before, for one thing. And the bugs down there are mind-blowing. I remember being astonished by the number and size of the bugs I saw, but mostly I was amazed by the sound. We have crickets in Utah and they sing quietly on warm nights. The crickets they have in the South are something else, entirely. I honestly don’t know how anyone in Texas gets a good night’s sleep in…
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Momento Rock
“Oh that rock? I was staying in this boutique hotel in Los Angeles and, in addition to the mini-bar, they had this shelf full of weird merchandise. I thought it was amusing, but I wasn’t interested. That is, until I saw that rock. Maybe because it was so ordinary… It reminded me of all the rocks from my childhood, adolescence, young adulthood and middle adulthood. It was twenty dollars but I just HAD to have it.” Said no one, ever [I hope].
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À Bientôt
I’m off! My bag is full of black t-shirts, jeans, and… for some reason… an entire box of tea. Don’t know why that seemed so important last night, but it is in. Wish me bon chance!