Blog
Love’s Brevity Day
Yo, people! There are a few hours left to buy a Valentine’s Day card created by Hallmark’s Valentine’s Day Creative Writing Team. The card will probably cost $5 especially if it has a lot of sparkles but gentle reminder: Square shaped cards require extra postage so even if you love the sparkles, don’t buy them…
Double Exposure
Are you familiar with asymmetrical friendships? Loathsome, aren’t they? Let me give you an example: A friend calls. The conversation takes off and after the “how are you?,” I ask “so how are things?” The friend responds, “Never mind about me. Let’s talk about you.” So I talk about me. And then I ask a…
Guaranteed Good Chat
Not long ago a friend introduced me to someone she felt I should know. After sending a little background on the woman’s talents and interests, she concluded the email with (“GGC.”) GGC? I immediately wrote back and asked her to clarify. “Simple,” she said. “The woman is a Guaranteed Good Chat.” I knew exactly what…
Post’d-it
Everyday I open my cupboard (I once took a flight to London and they announced on the loudspeaker, “The larder is open all night.” (Don’t you love the words larder and cupboard? So quaint.) Ah yes, where was I? Everyday I open the cupboard and there’s a yellow Post-it note scotch-taped to a shelf (Post-It…
The Compliment Log
Tell the truth: Do you get enough compliments? You don’t, right? The whole day goes by and nobody says a kind word about your style, your work, even your parking skills (that’s right, I will compliment someone after they’ve squeezed their car into a tight spot). Sad. (Not about telling someone about their parking. Sad…
Procrastinate With Panache
Do you procrastinate? I do. Staring at a blank screen day after day is anxiety-provoking. Rather than berate myself, I procrastinate with panache. Here is a recent diary entry on how to accomplish nothing: 1. Do not wake up earlier than 7:30 a.m. Many writers say they’ll write from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. when…
The Resolution Trap
I told you about the New Year’s Eve party where we had to call an ambulance for one of the attendees? Evidently the woman had made big resolutions that year: Find a long-term relationship. Get promoted to a senior level job. Lose 10 pounds. Bike across America. Yada yada. She had a few drinks and…
(Clueless) Small Talk
Three days and counting before you walk into a holiday party and step into the spotlight (or a minefield). There are those who can start a conversation with a venetian blind (that would be me). Then there are those who would prefer to drink themselves into a stupor rather than make inane chit chat (sorry…
Starring “Venus”
Her posture is perfect. Impeccably groomed, she greets everyone with an easy smile. Quite knowledgeable, she will always share her opinion about that day’s performance (“the soprano keeps missing the high C”). Her name is Venus and she is the ladies’ room attendant on the Grand Tier at the Metropolitan Opera. Whenever I hear someone…
Smarty Pants
Oh how I loathe to admit it. But I must acknowledge I’ve made mistakes. And I own them. I’ve become a smarty pants. Desperate as I am to quit behaving like a know-it-all I’ve taken a drastic measure: I’ve written the letters “M.B.” on my left palm with a black Sharpie pen. “M.B” for mute…
