My auntie in Rockwall, Texas, sent me this photo of my cousin Jacob's new baby girl taking her first steps. Her name is Corey and I've never met her, which makes me sad that our family lives so far away from each other. But I'm sure grateful for the technologies,… Read full post »

Today, I met Andy Potts, a world-class triathlete who competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics and finished seventh in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, in October.

I picked him up at the airport to take him to a photo shoot because he'll be on the cover of… Read full post »

Man, I feel like a woman.

I don't know why, but when I get highlights in my hair, I feel like a million bucks. I think I even feel skinnier, though that's clearly an illusion. But I always walk out of the salon flipping my hair around like a Breck shampoo commercial.… Read full post »

**The photos below are not for the faint of heart. If you get queasy seeing icky animal stuff, you are forewarned.**

I am a retired veterinary nurse and worked for about 14 years in veterinary hospitals before making a career change. I've seen some doozy cases of dogs getting themselves in… Read full post »

Yesterday, a good friend from college called to tell me that he is out of a job. He's a reporter for the Bristol Press in Connecticut and not only is the paper laying off everyone, it is folding.

The Bristol Press is more than 100 years old, my reporter friend said.… Read full post »

There is some confusion within our HOA about whether repairing damage to a unit caused by a flaw in the foundation or slab is the responsibility of the homeowner or the association. 

Case in point: large, widening cracks appearing in the walls surrounding and adjacent to the fireplace have been… Read full post »

Every year, I know the holidays are coming by looking at a very special plant in my backyard. I inherited the Christmas cactus from a colleague who was moving away. I'd never seen one before and it's unusually flat-shaped segments look alien. It was severely overgrown, wilted and full o… Read full post »

10,000 gallons of vinegar ... that's how much vinegar I estimate I've gone through in all the years of owning a dog, cats and now, a potty-training toddler. The amount of peed-on rugs, carpet pads and linoleum isn't even measurable anymore. That's a test of true love, you know, wh… Read full post »

  In the throws of Southern California rush hour traffic, I took this photo from inside my car with my phone. (At the risk of a few "shame on yous," I'll admit I was in motion but it was the only way I could snap the photo before it got… Read full post »

Growing up, the unusual spelling of my name made receiving anything printed, embroidered or painted with my name on it super special. I didn't care if it was a Christmas ornament or my first bike ... if it had my name on it it was… Read full post »

Don't you want to be a NASCAR driver? Or a veterinarian? I asked the toddler about halloween costume possibilities. Cindebrella's a princess, mama. I'm a princess. I wanna be Cindebrella, the toddler replied.

The pink syndrome strikes early despite efforts to clothe them in the&… Read full post »

My cat recently was seen by a veterinary ophthalmologist at a huge specialty clinic. 

The medical care and patient care was fine, but they sure don't cater to the clients, which I find to be an important component of health care, unique to veterinary medicine.

The wait time I experienced on… Read full post »

Take a good long look at the onion that cost me $1.82. Seriously. 

Gas prices have fallen dramatically in San Diego County, Calif., from more than $4.50 a few months ago to $2.62 (as of yesterday at Costco). For commuters like me that's welcome bulk to our pocketbooks. 

Now I… Read full post »

Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its warning about certain varieties of candy made in China that may contain the contaminant melamine.

(Remember the Menu Foods pet food recalls last year and the recent infant formula scare in China?)

The Web site MomsRisin… Read full post »

I'm not old enough to remember layaway. By the time I started buying my own stuff, credit cards were in vogue. Plus, there was a social stigma attached to layaway: it was for low-income people or for those who lived beyond their means.

Apparently, the layaway demographic has changed. Now… Read full post »

Will mothers ever learn to respect toddlers and their mischievous ways?

As I finished up the dishes in the downstairs kitchen, the 2.5-year old, who is upstairs, finds the bag of nail polish and acetone. Just like mama does, I'm sure she thought, I want to paint my teenails. I hear… Read full post »

There are those who are private; those who are social;  and some, like me, are privately social with a lot to say and not sure who to say it to.

It's only recently that blogs have held my interest; I'm a magazine girl first, an NPR fan second and a… Read full post »

I voted yesterday, as a permanent absentee voter, and one ballot measure really took time for me to think over. I'm aware that I live in California--a pioneer state--what California does, so does the rest of the country. So I feel a particular burden to make an informed decision. This si… Read full post »

Today was a great day in the annals of California Homeowner's Assn. successes. With a lot of preparation and planning, a group of homeowners, in a community suffering financially, worked together to clean up a 100 yards of overgrown green space and creek bed that runs through the center of the c… Read full post »