Goodbyes are tough

Most things in life seem to come and go in waves. At some point we are meeting lots of new people. At some point we have friends nearby. At some point everyone realizes change is needed and moves a little closer to their goals, but a little farther from one another. At some point you…

Tomorrow we’re going to the rodeo!

Let me back up a little. Mary moved in in August, from the faraway, almost mythical land of Idaho. Idaho, which is filled with nature and the wild and livestock and cowboys and indians. Most notably for Mary, were the cowboys and their horses and bulls. You see, Mary wants to become a bull rider, or…

5K II

On Saturday I ran another 5K. The last time I did that was two years ago, and I'd been building up to it for a while. While practicing and training for it, I'd decided that after the race I had no need to ever run again. No need and no desire. That part still holds…

Off to the Nunnery

The day before yesterday my sister Gabrielle got the news she had been waiting for, quite literally for years. Gabrielle is moving to Switzerland in August to join a small convent of traditional nuns. Gabrielle... my sister. My friend. My Gabrielle. We have known this was coming for some time, if I'm being honest. I've…

Part 1: It began in Orlando

I think that what I miss the most is the simplicity of life. It wasn't easy, no, it never felt easy. But it sure did feel simple. And it felt right. You didn't have to worry about what you'd wear or where you'd go or what you'd eat or who you'd see or what sort of place you'd sleep in...

November 13th

There are only five more days of school before we have NINE days away from school, away from kids, away from reality. So what's going on this week? I've decided that on Friday we're having a quiz in quite literally every subject. That means no classroom instruction, and that's the point. Before a vacation is…

November 11th

Life changes in the most mysterious ways.  Some people have nothing and then one day their dreams come true. Some people are super happy for other people but are also super selfish and either want what the newly happy person has, or want them not to have it so the newly happy person sticks around…

November 7th

So my BFF Jill ...uh I mean Phil... is 12 days from her birthday and it's time for some brainstorming. What do you get a 24 year old who has one child, one days from being born, and ...I don't even know? It's strange to think of gifts for a person, even one you know…

November 5th

I'm on Skype with my sister but she went to the bathroom. The smoke alarm in my apartment just went off because my roommate Christopher is trying to cook himself some hot dogs. We turned the air conditioner off this morning and have all the windows and doors open letting the not-quite-cool-but-at-least-not-hot-breeze in. I think…

Thoughts On a Monday

Are you ready for a brief stream of consciousness on a Monday in between conferences? Are you sure? Ooookay. Here we go! Today and the next two days are for Parent/Teacher Conferences. I didn't prepare at all, but I'm not worried. It's reassuring knowing that I do my job well enough that I could have…