Though he’ll always be remembered as the Pulitzer Prize winning author, whose memoir Angela’s Ashes spent over 100 weeks on the bestseller list, Frank McCourt, was primarily, a teacher. For over 30 years, he taught in the New York City school district, and though I first came to know him… Read full post »

Dr. Ruth Westheimer does. Remember her? The German sex psychologist who said the words “penis” and “vagina” all over the airways in the 80s? I dug up a column of hers from April 18, 1987 in the Chicago-Sun Times. She told a reader there is “absolutely such a thing as lov… Read full post »

Even though I'm on a dating hiatus (and cultivating inner peace), the jury in my head is still out on whether this should be a permanent state of being or a temporary state of bliss.

A post by Divorceland inspired me to pose the question: Do men want to be pursued… Read full post »

They took the back roads in a Chevy Impala, arriving mid-weekend for what would turnout to be one of the most memorable music festivals in history.

Little did they know they too would become a part of that history, lovers huddled standing under a blanket in a sea of mud, sleeping bodies… Read full post »

The hardest part was seeing the big yellow truck parked out front. I knew he was going; it was time. We discussed it; this wasn’t a surprise.

But the sight of the truck, knowing it was for my house, would be filled with his things…it was only then I understood he was… Read full post »

They’re all older than me. Walter by many years (like, almost 50 years-- who's not dead but dying), Michael a handful, and Farrah in between.

Farrah’s death today at 62, is the hardest hitting, since it’s she whose hair and body had the biggest impact on my way-younger self. It&rsq… Read full post »

No! Go away Robert Palmer, you sorry excuse for a band (ok, I like them). I will NOT face it. I will not admit that after my divorce I was certain (certain!) I would meet my one true love (any minute, any date now! c'mom, step on up!)

Nope. You and… Read full post »

This is the 3rd, maybe the 4th -- I’m losing track -- layoff in the past year at my newspaper. The layoff gods have been good to me, and were again once more. I’m happy to say I still have a job, I remain among the employed, still a working journalist.… Read full post »

At first, news of the big FBI round-up of corrupt politico types didn't interest me a lot, except to see if I knew anyone on the list, and what local news angle could be uncovered.

Pablo Neruda (1904-1973), whose real name is Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto, was born on 12 July, 1904, in the town of Parral in Chile. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971.

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Wanda Oughton lived with about 150 cats in a 12 room mansion at the end of a cul-de-sac, the kind of upscale neighborhood where people know each other only if they go out of their way.

The houses are spread far apart by rolling green lawns, and it’s a long walk… Read full post »

Of course when I got married I thought I was marrying my one and only soul mate. I had a young girl's notion that things happen for a reason and everything unfolds the way it's supposed to.

Fast forward a decade or two, and boy, did things turn out differently… Read full post »

(hahahahahahaha)

segue into ….

There was a small girl with cropped hair in kindergarten who shared her cheese doodles with me everyday. Doesn’t sound monumental. But it was. cheese doodles was, and remain my favorite snack. And my mother, for whatever reason (maybe because I never though… Read full post »

Esquire magazine is rather brilliant and I make it a point to not only subscribe, but get its e-newletters and Tweets. (And they get my Tweets, which really makes me feel rather cool.)

My subscription to Esquire has puzzled some people, because it is, after all, a magazine for… Read full post »

I don’t do conflict. In fact, I do everything to avoid it and that might perhaps be why I have a lot of friends and few enemies – maybe no enemies. I’ve never raised a fist, rarely raise my voice and when I’m angry I might sigh or grunt, but in… Read full post »

 Marriage statistics -- that's how I first came to know Brian b. He wrote about how his marriage was just another stat. And I recall thinking "join the club." And I've been reading about what's on his mind ever since.

So here are some random (and I do mean random!) questions I th… Read full post »

There were some tears around the office yesterday and it’s hard not to feel guilty today that I have a cool new title. While I was restructured in, a lot of people were shown the door, smart editors with long histories and much to offer.

It doesn’t seem fair that it… Read full post »

It’s kind of sad when the start of a quarter signals a memo from corporate. No need for a rumor mill – though it’s there nonetheless – history’s been the indicator, and the numbers don’t lie. And just as Tuesday always follows Wednesday and July follows June, the 3… Read full post »

There’s not a subject I ponder more than relationships. Not just between men and women – though that’s been my area of obsession since I first read “Betsy and the Boys” at age 6 or so -- but all relationships.

I think about the confused dynamic between parents and childr… Read full post »

When I first started dating after my divorce, I really had such a good time, I wondered why anyone would want a relationship. Why did I ever get married? What was I thinking? There are men everywhere, conversations waiting to happen, all those first kisses. How much fun is this?

I… Read full post »

Sure, it looks like an ordinary frog. But this one is the about 2-pounds, the size of a frying pan, tastes like chicken, sounds like a howling dog and has a roundtrip plane ticket to Sweden.

No kidding. Scientists are airlifting dozens of these chicken frogs off the Montserrat… Read full post »

There's really nothing worse than working Memorial Day weekend. Well, yes, of course there is. But let's pretend there's nothing worse.

So you're stuck working. Your work will consist of editing stories about  -- you guessed it -- Memorial Day parades! What fun! I know. I’m grateful to our… Read full post »

It only would've been better if it played out in the lunch room. Of course, we would've had to toss notes across a long folding table or whisper behind smelly bathroom stalls. But the message would've been the same: he's cheating on you.

Gasp!

How sad to discover the midlife dating… Read full post »

Except the part about them being being for sale.

Of course I'll never sell them. They'll alway be among the rest of her things (hundreds of tiny hair clips, clothes in various colors, textures and sizes, so many photo albums, too many memories). Everything nestled in a wicker trunk behind… Read full post »

Shrimp dinner in-hand, my coat still on, the hijacker known only by the code name Boss, opens his mouth and utters the phrase that causes grown-ups to stick their fingers in their ears and sing. “tra la la la” (What’s that? Did you say something?)

“Can we see you a minute?&rdq… Read full post »