Category: The Daily Grind

Garden-variety musings

Bad Manners

My mother didn’t raise me up to be so rude. Scornfully examining a friend’s rather scraggly Christmas tree tonight, I asked, “Is that—” “Yes, it’s fake.” “Boy, if *I* were fake, I’d sure look better than that.” This is how I reward someone for a delicious dinner and great company. Esmeralda moved in this morning. Here’s how her room looked before I left to take Lulu back to college. Esmeralda’s and Lulu’s farewell embrace… After […]

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Crabby Blogger

Toomuchtodo. Goingalittlenuts. WhyamIdoingthis, then? This is my 1.5-year-old great-nephew. Favorite quote of the day: Mitra, the beautiful Iranian woman who rips the hair off my face, was talking about how some people choose to enlarge and contract various body parts by medical means. When she alluded to certain anatomical regions, I didn’t believe her and told her so. She froze in amazement, mid-rip, and chided, “YOU don’t watch the Surgery Channel?!” Favorite party today: Anna’s […]

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The Heat Is On

I just looked at my plane reservations and realized I’m leaving a day sooner than I thought. I’m also leaving from a different airport. In my rising hysteria at trying to get everything done before I leave, I’m having trouble prioritizing: spend time with Lulu since I won’t see her for six weeks, or meet work deadlines? Tough either/or choices. Exercise, or eat? Pay bills, or go buy groceries? Start to get ready for my […]

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Drako the Dragon

I’m turning into a crabby old lady like my third-grade teacher, Drako the Dragon, who was a doughy mass of white except for dark, dark eye bags. Lately I look like her, eyewise. I’ll tell you about her later, if you ask. I don’t know why she was so nasty, but I know one thing that always sets me off: when I have to spend a bunch of time on the phone following up on […]

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