Laments About Arthritic Adventures

Odd Odds and Ends

Produce Stickers, Matching Manicures, Fat Bear Week

odd odds and ends

It’s mid-October. Time for my seasonal house and office cleaning. That includes a long overdue review of my overflowing e-folder of pending story ideas. As usual, it’s chock full of juicy tidbits that didn’t quite make it to full-blown stories but are too “delicious” to discard without sharing. So, without further delay, here’s a sampling of odd odds and ends. Read more

, ,

Sani-Hut Insanity?

We're on the Outs with the HOA Again

We’ve had a Sani-Hut “parked” in our driveway for the past three weeks. It’s not attractive, I admit, but the workmen installing new windows and a garage door appreciate it. Our neighborhood homeowners association? Less so. Read more

Torn Jeans, Tattoos and Other Taboos

Pity Poor Me

Torn Jeans, Tattoos and Taboos

Growing up, I chafed under three parental fashion edicts — no tattoos, no pierced ears, and no torn jeans with frayed edges or holes. Oh, the life of a suffering teenager! Read more

,

My Kingdom for a Good Night’s Sleep

Still, I am not Inspired to Inspire™. Rivet!

A Good Night's Sleep

My struggles with sleep apnea continue. I got a CPAP machine in the Fall but cannot get acclimated to it. I just came back from an appointment to consider getting the Inspire™ implant (more on that in a moment) and all I can say is: I’m not inspired. So, I’m still exhausted and cranky. My kingdom for a good night’s sleep! Read more

Home Decorating Magazine Addict

A Designing Woman — In My Dreams

Home Decorating Magazine Addict

Each month I haunt the mailbox, eagerly awaiting the latest edition of my favorite home decorating magazine. I thrill flipping through the pages. Yet, even then, my desire isn’t satisfied. Sadly, I’m a home decorating magazine addict, craving more and more. Read more

,

Down with Self-Checkout Machines!

And Smile at Your Supermarket Cashier

Down with Self-checkout

Nobody likes a hater. That is true. But I confess, I’m a red-hot, fumble-fingered hater when it comes to self-checkout machines. I say, “Down with the machines and hear, hear for the cashiers and baggers of the world!” Read more

It was a Bad, No Good, Rotten, Stinky Week

And It Was My Own Fault

It was a rotten week

Oh, what a week! It was, in fact, a no good, rotten, stinky week. I was supposed to be in NYC for the first time since the pandemic. I was supposed to see two Broadway shows. Supposed to see an exhibit of theater memorabilia. Supposed to see one of my best friends. And most important of all, I was supposed to attend my niece’s graduation.

I was supposed to do all that and I couldn’t. The worst part: the reason I couldn’t travel was my own fault. Read more

,

“Real” Men Don’t Do Baths. Really?

Rub-a-dub-dub-dub. No Men in a Tub!

Real Men Don't Do Tubs

Why do women love to take baths and men view them as something akin to waterboarding? This I do not understand. Yet, statistically speaking, it’s so. Most men don’t do baths, viewing them as “girly” and a waste of time.

Now, before you flood my inbox (and my bathroom) with protests to the contrary, Read more

, ,

Nobody Called Me Back

Is Customer Service Dead?

Nobody Called Me Back

Nobody called me back. I am not exaggerating. Not the car “service” people. Not the doctor’s office. And not even our contractor. Is customer service dead? Read more

Online Cremation Services? No Thanks

I'm Doing a Slow Burn Over the Very Idea

direct-to-consumer cremation services

Online dating. Online shopping. “What’s next in the world of online convenience?” you ask. Well, thanks to companies with names like Tulip and Solace, you can send Mom and Dad to that Great Urn in the Sky without budging from your couch and — hold onto your mouse — get their mortal remains sent to you via USPS! Read more

,