Jul 5Parenting in the U.S.A., Home of the Free, Land of the Brave6.24.2022 I am sitting in a Panera, ignoring my phone as it buzzes with bad news. I don’t know how anyone in here is holding it together. …Parenting4 min read
Feb 3, 2021Birth and Death, Not Like the MoviesBirth — It is not always beautiful. Or peaceful. It is messy and noisy and primal and filled with … a shocking amount of bodily fluids. It is a sudden realization of what a miracle it is that we exist. It is spiritual, even when you convinced yourself you don’t believe in…4 min read
Jan 4, 2021New Year, Same Damn DayI am watching a show on tiny houses as my daughter sleeps on me. A lady is blathering on about out-of-style cabinets vs. money for her wedding dress. …Parenting Advice5 min read
Sep 29, 202030 Days Sober and ‘Just One More’I write this on day 25 of my second annual Sober September. I know what you’re thinking: Do you have a problem? Are you pregnant? Is it lent? No? No. No. A month of sobriety is like a month without sugar or meat for me. I realize I don’t need…Alcohol Addiction6 min read
Sep 21, 2020No One Told Me About the PeeI couldn’t sleep last night. Is it the pandemic? The hazardous smoky air from wildfires that kept all of us inside for a week? …Dogs5 min read
Sep 8, 2020A Love Letter to the AverageMy grandma, the love of my life told me to stop pointing out what I was bad at. You know the conversation, where someone asks you if you’d like to play tennis or go play pub trivia or do axe throwing or anything in which skill assessment is inevitable. This…Writing Life3 min read
Aug 13, 2020It’s a Little Late, Don’t You Think?“I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,” episode five. Michelle McNamara’s book is half-finished. Her daughter needs her. The killer she’s chasing is still out there, which means there is neither justice nor closure for his victims. And she goes to sleep and never wakes up. I see myself in Michelle…Patton Oswalt4 min read
Jun 25, 2020I Should Be Endorsed for These LinkedIn SkillsCan you endorse me for making flawless popcorn on the stove? Or…how about drinking more sparkling water than any human should be capable of? If you look at my LinkedIn, you’ll see a list of professional skills: Social media crisis communications. Blog management. Marketing collateral writer. Subject line poet. But…Careers2 min read
May 9, 2020Just a Mom NowOh god. I am Karen. Or Susan. Or whatever you want to call a late-thirties mom laid off from her “cool” writing job and relegated to stay-at-home mom, the title that conjures images of watching soaps and eating bon bons. …Mothersday6 min read
Mar 18, 2020The Best of Times, The QuarantimesIt’s Seattle, 2020. A virus is spreading and I am out of Clorox wipes. The store doesn’t have children’s Tylenol or toilet paper. We are encouraged only to leave our houses to go the grocery store. The bookstores are closing, the restaurants are closing, and the orange man in charge…Coronavirus3 min read
