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Monthly Archives: June 2018

Thank You For Not Howling At The Wolves

May and June have been hard on my health and my nerves, with the property management company fighting me on mold abatement. But now I’ve signed the lease for our new place, reserved professional movers, begun packing and selling off unneeded stuff. I’ve had a visit with a pulmonary specialist (who agreed it was [...]

Mind How You Go

A Monday birthday in one’s 40s isn’t all that. And that’s all right. There were a few happenings around town last night that would have been more compelling on a Saturday. Instead I enjoyed a quiet dinner with my son and some friends (dinner with three left-handed vegans, now there’s a unique demographic) at Namaste. [...]

Difference is a Teacher

Bittersweet birthday today. I was born on my Dad’s 29th birthday, which I’ve always loved. But we also share our birthday with Anthony Bourdain. He would have been 62 today. Such a bummer. Earlier today my Dad also reminded me that Custer’s Last Stand was on this date. Every year he reminds me of this. [...]

Where Your Mind Wants To Go

Another utterly draining week is coming to a close. Particularly with this news cycle, with caged children and a FLOTUS touring the detention facilities wearing a jacket with the words “I really don’t care do u?” on the back. But also on a personal level. Change is hard. Especially sudden change, and for someone with [...]

Random Act of Happiness

A new week and a fresh start. Woke up early thanks to another burst of prednisone. After walking out the door I realized my outfit is full on Golden Girls tropical loungewear. One of the last times I wore this I was on vacation in Palm Springs. Sign me up for AARP already! It is [...]

Dignity is an Illusion

What ICE is doing - tearing families apart at our borders - is unconscionable and horrific. This is America but it doesn’t have to be. On this Father’s day our local Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) organized a protest. I hope it was well attended. I wanted to join them but my doctor [...]

Change Is The Only Constant

Last Sunday I put on a party to celebrate my son’s high school graduation. Unbeknownst to him I’d put together three 20′ x 30′ posters - all collages of photos from his childhood. Normally he would find this sort of thing incredibly embarrassing. Thankfully he attended several friends’ graduation parties the weekend before his [...]

Pain is Just a Program

This week I’ve been taking Prednisone. For the first time in years. It helps me breathe when my asthma is rough, which I appreciate. But I’m not a fan of its side effects. For me it’s restlessness, moodiness and hunger. It can be far worse for others with possible side effects ranging from “inappropriate happiness” [...]

The Uncertainty of Our Experiences

Breathing is something we all do, right? But since I was a small child it’s been a problem for me. Some of it was medical. I grew up in a house with a heavy smoker parent and was frequently sick. From a very young age I had croup, pneumonia, bronchitis, frequent strep throat and allergy-induced [...]