[Photo taken at L. Woods Tap and Pine Lodge.] It seems to me that married people often hedge when asked what being married is like. They say things like "marriage takes work," and "every marriage is different." When I was single, this answer made me think, "Yeah,...
Photos of our first vacation with our dog (in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin USA). The Brat Stop (pronounced "brawwt stawwp" because "brat" is short for "bratwurst") is a bar, restaurant and cheese shop. It's where Bob and I shared our first meal as husband and wife on our...
One of the odd things about my marriage is how little our work schedules sync up. We don't even have the same days off. I work a regular paper-pushing job with business hours. Bob works in a restaurant that's open 365 days a year (no holidays off) and his days off are...
1. During my battle with bronchitis in the weeks after Thanksgiving, I discovered that our pitbull mix, Ozzie, will stay next to me no matter how much I cough, hack and sweat on him. He's my first dog ever and this is his third month with us. I'm amazed by how this...
It's the article that everyone has blogged about and discussed, and I know I'm about two months late, but I still want to make some notes. If you want a nuanced reading of Kate Bolick's All the Single Ladies, which came out in the November 2011 Atlantic, please go...
Bob stood in the kitchen, getting a drink of water. Ozzie stood in the kitchen, staring at him. Me: So you don't mind him staring at you right now? Bob: Nope. You know why? Me: Why? Bob: Because he's a dog and that's what dogs do. Me: You know what doesn't stare at...
Ozzie, the four-year-old pitbull mix we adopted from a shelter, has now been with us for three and a half weeks. He's fit into our household smoothly with no housetraining, chewing or barking problems. He doesn't get anxious when left alone and is always affectionate...
Thank you for asking. It's been interesting because I'm no animal lover. My husband and his entire family adore dogs, but I see them as clumsy, overenthusiastic creatures that take a lot of work (the dogs, not the family).But there's no turning back now. We brought...
My friends, I give you our new dog, Ozzie. Ozzie is a four-year-old pitbull terrier mix who lived with a family for three years before he went into Orphans of the Storm animal shelter in Deerfield, Illinois USA. The family had two teenagers, another dog and a cat, so...
My reasons to get a dog: Owning a pet has been shown to improve humans' health (physical and mental). My husband and I can definitely use that. Bob loves dogs, was raised with them and has been wanting a dog for a long time. I am finally mature enough, at the age of...
Let's say your name is Chris and you have a friend named Rita. Let's say you see her right outside of your usual coffee shop, while she's carrying her latte out and you’re on your way in for your morning pick-me-up. You say, "Rita, what's up?" She steps out of the way...
Previous post on fatness. Disclaimer: since I've become properly obese, I re-read these old posts and see my body dysmorphia and obsession with food and weight. It's sad to me now. People think this is a nice thing to say and I'm sure it is for most people. I'm sure...
How many people reading this have been the ex-girlfriend, attending the wedding of a former boyfriend? How often does it happen and how much time usually goes by between the end of the former relationship and the wedding? In this case, 18 years. Yes, we kept in touch...
On Mother's Day I appreciate National Public Radio for recognizing the millions of women around the world who don't raise children of their own, but have a big role in the lives of other children, related or unrelated. Take a look at their story on Melanie Notkin...
Last week Bob did some dog-sitting. He loves dogs. I don't love them, but I'm dog-tolerant and knew this would make Bob happy. Coco wasn't very interested in yoga, especially cat pose. She just liked sitting on my mat. Sadly, Coco has gone home now.