Remember when coffee shops were the bohemian or introvert hangouts? Thanks to Starbucks and the $5 cup of coffee, the scene is a place to, well, be seen AND heard. It’s everyone’s hangout. More like a 50s malt shop than a setting for poetry readings. I miss the introspective and muted atmosphere. Last week I [...]
…we did spend a good part of our income on household help. I don’t regret that at all. Baby-sitters allowed me to preserve my sanity, to the extent that I have it. I always had at least three hours in the morning to write. I couldn’t have given up writing. I think I could have [...]
It is 2006 and I have everything. My husband is making professional athlete money as an executive at a hedge fund. We have three healthy, beautiful, active, children. We recently moved into a spacious and impressive home. I am getting to know people by throwing dinner parties for my husband’s co-workers and attending neighborhood Bunco [...]
These are not my children. Never too early to start a technology addiction... I can’t reach my kids. And I think I know why. They have the attention spans of minnows. I can’t say that only children have this problem. We adults are just as bad with our iPhones and web browsing. Hell, I [...]
I get a little wiggy when it comes to packed schedules and excessive togetherness. I mentioned my fear of non-stop kid chaos during school breaks in Thoughts for the Thoughtful and An Introvert Prepares for Summer Parenting. I spoke of a deep need for meaningful accomplishment in A Room of One’s Own. More than anything [...]
I once held a friend’s hair back as she vomited at a sleepover. My friend, Laura, was not truly wanted at the party (and knew it) but the popular-girl hostess had been forced by her mother to invite her. The whole night had been awkward as Laura danced for the queen bee and her sidekick. While playing charades [...]