In the middle of grading my community college students’ papers, I read the following excerpt from student’s essay aloud to The Boy: Once the US, as big as we are, starts taking oil from Alaska and other countries… The Boy just laughed and said: Perhaps we should educate that student about Seward’s Folly.
Etc
Sometimes You’ve Just Gotta…
…Have a little fun “Beck-ifying” things for giveaways. Nothing says Brand like a well-produced sticker on a trade-appropriate item. A Fun Friday project!
Unexpected Blessing
The ticket machine at the train station cheated me out of a quarter change two weeks ago. I’ve been irritated about this for two weeks. Silly, I know. True nevertheless. So imagine my surprise this morning when I bought my ticket and the very same ticket machine gave me two quarters in change, instead of […]
Sign You’ve Grown Up
When I was 28, my frequently driven long-distance routes were marked by stops with clean bathrooms and fountain drinks. Now that I'm 41, my frequently driven long-distances routes are marked by stops with clean bathrooms and Starbucks.
Job Seekers: Here’s Your Sign
We are busy at the office. Flat-out, slap-down busy – mostly because we are short-staffed. I’m in the midst of trying to hire a super person to come and work for me (if you know of any super people, please let me know!). In the meantime, I’m being overwhelmed with resumes from hopeful job seekers. […]
How Did This Happen?
I just realized the other day that I’ve gone from being a woman that drives – a lot – to being a woman that is driven. When The Boy and I worked close to each other, we commuted together – every day, for nearly 7 years. My office was further away, so I would drive […]
Useful Tip
When refilling your water cup from your water storage jug (because you sit so far away from both the kitchen and the water fountain), use extreme caution. Do not pour in haste. Do not pour next to important paperwork. Do not pour next to your computer keyboard. Do not pour without a stack of paper towels […]
A Living Example
The security guard in my office building lobby never smiles. At least, I’ve never seen him smile. I’m determined to change that. You should feel sorry for him. Every morning, I greet him with a huge smile and a chipper Good morning! only to have my efforts returned with a monotone Morning and a near-scowl. […]
A Great Mystery
It’s not every day that you come home to a package. And it’s really not every day that you come home to a package when you haven’t ordered anything. What we have here, my friends, is a mystery. Inside? A lovely selection of books for writers. In The Boy’s words: Well, this looks like the […]
The Can Conundrum
When I was a child, my parents constantly corrected me when I asked "Can I…?" Their response to that question was "I don't know. Can you?" That was their way of prompting me to ask properly: "May I…?" Irritating, funny (at times) – and effective. Now instead of mentally battling Can vs May, I find […]