2020-09-20: Last week: apple picking. This week: first attempt at a very easy apple crisp. Unfortunately, I was …
2020-09-15: Had to ask the 12-year-old who Travis Scott is. I’m not nearly as embarrassed by that as I am by the …
2020-09-13: Not a fan of Sweaty Mask Face when picking apples. But one does what one must do for fall.
2020-09-13: Note to self: Get the home office blinds fixed.
2020-09-12: One of the purchases from my first visit to an honest-to-God, brick-and-mortar Catholic bookstore in …
2020-09-04: Labor Day weekend reading.
2020-08-31: Been either too tired, too lazy, or too depressed to post here lately. Or I’ve just forgotten about …
2020-08-31: We almost lost Mark Mothersbaugh of DEVO to COVID-19.
2020-08-22: How MLB.com’s closed captioning reads “2-nothing Sox!”
2020-08-21: I watch White Sox games regularly, and I was still startled when Jason Benetti casually used the …
2020-08-19: NPR declares that the house dress (i.e., caftan, muu-muu) is back. As someone who alternates these …
2020-08-10: The home office goes full-time My company decided not to renew its lease on the suburban site where I’ve worked for the past …
2020-08-09: Our Sunday. (Photo by Frannie)
2020-08-08: Glad I don’t work from home for the Springfield district.
2020-08-06: Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp turned out to be a gateway drug. Now I’m sucked into New Leaf.
2020-08-04: Reason No. 562 why we appear to have adopted the right kitten.
2020-07-31: Deactivated my Twitter account. I’ve already set an alert on my phone 29 days from now to …
2020-07-31: Ever scroll through somebody’s social media feeds and immediately remember why you muted them? …
2020-07-26: Made a convenience store stop during the virtual #PokemonGOFest2020. This is probably as close to a …
2020-07-25: It’s that time of year again. And yes, I still play Pokemon GO. Feel free to friend me on the game …
2020-07-24: It was about 3:30 p.m. when I realized the 12-year-old was still in her pajamas. Please don’t call …
2020-07-23: TIL: Dogs and kittens like Arby’s.
2020-07-21: Top of the list of pet peeves about working from home: dog farts in the home office.
2020-07-21: Matcha green tea lattes are my new late-night work fuel.
2020-07-21: Honestly trying to work here.
2020-07-18: Here’s today’s reminder that cats like boxes.
2020-07-18: The Spousal Unit, on anti-maskers and the far right: “Darwinism isn’t fast enough for me.”
2020-07-16: Happy feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. I received my first brown scapular a year ago at my local …
2020-07-15: And now, it’s time once again for Gratuitous Kitten Photos. (Not shown: the kitten landing on my …
2020-07-14: Kittens sleep a lot. I envy kittens.
2020-07-14: “My argument is that it doesn’t really matter whether Tom Nook is good or evil. What matters …
2020-07-14: Finally trying the dicyclomine prescribed by the gastroenterologist who handled my (sparkling shiny …
2020-07-14: They appear to be getting used to each other.
2020-07-13: The new home office intern still hasn’t learned to fetch my tea or fix the printer yet.
2020-07-10: “Much of the evangelical movement, in aligning itself with Donald Trump, has shown itself to …
2020-07-09: This is a Kitten to Be Named Later. (It actually came with the name Simba, but Frannie is trying out …
2020-07-09: The Nintendo 2DS XL arrived yesterday. Once I picked up a 32GB microSD card, we loaded Pokemon Ultra …
2020-07-06: I get that logistics can be an issue with the large-scale COVID-19 testing that MLB teams have to …
2020-07-05: Deleting the Twitter list I created to follow political feeds. When the first thing you do upon …
2020-07-05: I am in the kind of deeply foul mood that comes with the downhill end of a three-day weekend plus …
2020-07-05: Am I the only person who sees the use of the word “anyways” and hears a barely literate …
2020-07-04: Back inside. Boom show still going on outside. Dogs unhappy. Cat doesn’t like it, either.
2020-07-04: Fourth of July fire at dusk. The fireworks going off all around the neighborhood make it feel like a …
2020-07-04: Celebrated our nation’s birthday by purchasing a Nintendo 2DS XL online. My enjoyment of …
2020-07-04: Mainlining dark mint Tim Tams and waiting for Advil to kick in. (Yes, I’m back to Advil, but …
2020-07-04: The Spousal Unit, explaining why he’ll eat a grapefruit first before having a mango for breakfast: …
2020-07-04: The 12-year-old just used the term “canonically” in a conversation about Animal Crossing. Strangely …
2020-07-03: Trying to organize my nightstand a bit.
2020-07-03: Tried to watch Fox News coverage of “President” Traitorpants’ flyover at Mount Rushmore; 10 minutes …
2020-07-03: Spending a beautiful day off doing some belated spring cleaning before dropping off a bunch of stuff …
2020-07-01: I’m grateful for the role of cellphones in the capture of injustices that must be fought and …
2020-06-30: New owners, old employer, horrible future. There’s a petition going around to save the Chicago …
2020-06-30: Went to our favorite neighborhood breakfast diner for the first time in months; it just reopened …
2020-06-28: Made Spam musubi with way too much sushi rice. Got bread baking in the oven, and potatoes boiling on …
2020-06-27: Weekend routine (mid-pandemic edition) My weekends have fallen into a routine that is neither perfect nor exciting, but it’s …
2020-06-24: A hazy day of recovery I can cross “Have a colonoscopy” off my bucket list now. Good news: My innards are fine. …
2020-06-23: Colonoscopy prep is the worst. I sure as hell better be clean as a whistle in there when this is all …
2020-06-23: How to destroy your Animal Crossing camp without really trying So, I learned the hard way that when you uninstall and reinstall Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, you …
2020-06-23: Since we aren’t traveling much this summer, I decided to try a little container gardening to spruce …
2020-06-22: So, my hospital requires a COVID-19 test before surgeries and other procedures like the colonoscopy …
2020-06-20: Celebrating the Word on our own Looks like Magnificat has ended its free “Celebration of the Word” PDF distribution to …
2020-06-20: Gratuitous Shiny Weedle is my new favorite band name. #PokemonGO
2020-06-19: My long, hellish work week is over. Next up: a 4-day weekend, most of it bracing for Tuesday’s …
2020-06-17: Sigh. At least we finally got her to go outside.
2020-06-15: None of us still blogging do it for clicks. We do it to leave our traces, because it feels good to …
2020-06-15: That KBO cheer song for ESPN’s Karl Ravech has been threading its way through my brain for …
2020-06-14: There is a world of hurt and awfulness out there, but apparently not enough to avoid social media …
2020-06-14: In New Seeds of Contemplation, Thomas Merton says that retreating into solitude should not be used …
2020-06-14: Next read. Already read the intro online, and I look forward to being schooled further.
2020-06-14: A good time for comebacks It somehow seemed appropriate to return to Mass on the feast of Corpus Christi (or the eve of Corpus …
2020-06-14: Tried to spend some time on the deck while C and F went out on a forest preserve jaunt, but (1) it …
2020-06-14: I wasn’t kidding about quality time this weekend with Merton and Day. Found some other worthwhile …
2020-06-12: Hunkering down this weekend to make sense of the world with Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, and the …
2020-06-12: Been a rough week, physically and emotionally, personally and on the job. Tweeted and retweeted a …
2020-06-11: Dreamed I spent half an afternoon deciding where to park in downtown Chicago because I was back to …
2020-06-07: “Donald J. Trump has proved to be the Nosferatu of American politics: heartless, partial to Slavs, …
2020-06-07: Happy to see a Republican with a spine. Thank you, Pierre Delecto. Meanwhile, the sign behind him …
2020-06-07: Awake but angry. Finding it hard to shake my frustration and despair. Over everything.
2020-06-06: Went spelunking in a neglected pantry cabinet this morning. This product won the prize for “Most …
2020-06-05: Good morning.
2020-06-04: The world I want to live in has a big library, a campsite with pizza, and dancing cartoon animals.
2020-06-04: The Onion: “‘This Face Will Be The Last Thing You See Before You Die,’ Says Trump In Healing …
2020-06-04: The Nebraska Expression of Genuine Racial Outrage Exclusivity Zone, or NEGROEZ, is a ten-foot by …
2020-06-04: Spotted on Twitter (per @CarolYMorrise1 on @TheRickWilson’s feed).
2020-06-04: I first learned of the Hmong when I lived in Fresno more than 30 years ago; many settled in the …
2020-06-04: The husband this morning: “I’m sorry. The conservative I was thinking of who turned on Trump was Ann …
2020-06-04: It’s 1:05 a.m. I drank half a Greek coffee frappe so I could stay up to get some work done. …
2020-06-03: Weird to read a story on infighting among Bernie Sanders’ top campaign aides and spotting a familiar …
2020-06-03: Obama will address the nation at 5 p.m. Eastern today. I consider that appointment viewing. Somebody …
2020-06-02: A tiny woke spot in suburbia There’s an anti-racism and anti-police protest in my leafy, suburban, and largely white town. …
2020-06-01: Talked on the phone this morning with my colleague, an African-American woman and mother of three …
2020-05-31: I’ll have what they’re having.
2020-05-31: O/H on the local town’s Facebook “news and comments” page, about folks allegedly …
2020-05-31: My day today. Good thing I can plug the personal laptop into the office monitors. I think I’ve …
2020-05-30: Good morning. Everything hurts. Physically and otherwise.
2020-05-29: Very happy to see this statement on the death of George Floyd from top leaders of the U.S. …
2020-05-29: Our next-door neighbor, a King James Version-only fundamentalist, mows her grass twice a week. When …
2020-05-29: Angry. Horrified. Beginning to lose faith in a lot of things. Trying to find a way to be engaged in …
2020-05-28: “Semi-urgent” colonoscopy scheduled for late next month. (That’s as early as I can get it during …
2020-05-28: “Cackling old sea hag” suits me well.
2020-05-27: I need to find a way to nod off discreetly during video conference calls.
2020-05-27: “More people are more online right now than at any point in human history, and experts say the …
2020-05-26: This is why I can’t hear Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” without thinking about burritos.
2020-05-26: Tired.
2020-05-26: October 11, 1984. Not my best work on the college newspaper. But I enjoyed the opportunity to vent.
2020-05-25: Time to "Do Nothing" -- and rise up against the "attention economy" Reading How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell and enjoying it immensely. …
2020-05-25: There is a Bob Ross feed on Twitch. My holiday weekend is complete.
2020-05-24: An evening fire and a couple of s’mores with family make up for a lot.
2020-05-24: On Day 2 of a three-day holiday weekend. A hot, humid day. A Pokemon Go community day drive through …
2020-05-24: Cramped up this morning. Had a tankard of turmeric tea in an effort to avoid taking Tramadol unless …
2020-05-23: Looks like we have three new neighbors. Had to assure Mama Robin that I wasn’t going to steal them.
2020-05-23: Chris found a bunch of old photos stuck together in the garage. Found this one from the late 1990s …
2020-05-23: “Peale drew throngs of followers, but also sharp criticism from Christians who accused him of …
2020-05-22: I can’t stomach Catholic social media right now. Too many people getting on the “open …
2020-05-22: On a videoconference this last e-learning day, F claimed loudly in a “two truths and a …
2020-05-21: “None of us should spend a moment worrying about what these grown people do. There are better ways …
2020-05-19: If you look closely, our new neighbors appear to have multiplied.
2020-05-19: I love this ESPN story about the American “Santa Grandfather” who became one of the …
2020-05-17: I wasn’t imagining it. All these COVID-19 ads are pretty much all the same.
2020-05-17: Frannie found a robin nesting in our shrubbery.
2020-05-17: I want to follow the Lotte Giants, but the broadcasting rights stars haven’t aligned with …
2020-05-17: I love that now that I’m following a Korean YouTube feed for baseball, I’m getting a ton …
2020-05-16: A Muslim video game developer finds community during Ramadan in Animal Crossing: “For Ismail, …
2020-05-16: The lilacs are blooming in the backyard. And they smell amazing.
2020-05-16: Someday, I will get out of the house and take photos of other things besides my kid and her dog.
2020-05-15: Had a tough time getting to sleep last night. Odd, since I usually sleep well during storms like the …
2020-05-14: Yes, we’re all in this together, we’re all hunkering down, we’re all facing down challenges but …
2020-05-12: My frame of mind, one Wikipedia definition at a time I started searching for “ambivalence” in Wikipedia (where I found these definitions) and …
2020-05-10: Slept in. Woke up to a custom-made Mom’s Day fortune cookie and Animal Crossing figurine made by …
2020-05-09: Tony Gwynn would have turned 60 years old today. Tim Kurkjian of ESPN writes about the Hall of Fame …
2020-05-09: “The bitter terms of our racial contract” The coronavirus epidemic has rendered the racial contract visible in multiple ways. Once the …
2020-05-09: Finding restoration in “No Reservations” When I went on maternity leave 12 years ago, my sister introduced me to this travel show she watched …
2020-05-09: Takeaways from two doctors in two follow-ups to last week’s ER visit: Follow up with a …
2020-05-08: When Animal Crossing and my appreciation for pro sports collide.
2020-05-07: Ah, the sweet, sweet sound of the lawn Nazi next door mowing her grass for the second time this …
2020-05-06: Austin Kleon is one of my favorite people on the Interwebs. Here’s one reason why: “Not …
2020-05-05: I’ve lost count of how many allegedly indestructible chew toys we’ve seen in the past six months.
2020-05-05: The upshot of this McSweeney’s list, “Unfollow, Unfriend, or Block: A Pandemic …
2020-05-05: Got the replay of the KBO opening day matchup (NC vs Samsung) on the ESPN app while I fight off some …
2020-05-04: Apparently it takes being hopped up on painkillers to finally win a round of Cards Against Humanity …
2020-05-04: Annoyed that I ordered Marvin Gaye stamps and got John Lennon stamps instead. Not that I necessarily …
2020-05-04: “Just as the initial coronavirus outbreak caught hospitals unprepared, the country’s mental health …
2020-05-04: “I’m not O.C.D., but I love routine. I get less depressed with routine. … That makes me feel …
2020-05-04: It’s official: ESPN will broadcast Korean baseball games starting at 1 a.m. ET Tuesday! Time …
2020-05-04: It's been a weekend ER visit with CT scan and – hooray – new painkillers. Lots of Kindle reading between …
2020-05-03: A highlight of my weekend that didn’t involve a CT scan and painkillers.
2020-05-02: Spent a lovely spring afternoon at the local emergency room trying to get to the bottom of my recent …
2020-05-02: A murder hornet? Now 2020 is just showing off.
2020-05-02: Things I’ve ordered that are supposed to arrive this week: 3 face masks 2 sets of postage stamps A …
2020-05-01: The tween insisted on making the dough for tomorrow’s bread before bedtime.
2020-05-01: I did this week’s big household grocery run. I used to enjoy grocery runs. Now they’re stressful and …
2020-05-01: Reasons why I mute or unfollow people on social media: Excessive political zeal. Excessive …
2020-05-01: I’m not sure I agree with Jason Kottke’s thought that 1984 was “perhaps mass pop …
2020-04-30: I only checked news sites once today. And it felt great.
2020-04-30: A problem I never thought I’d have to deal with: ordering face masks from several different …
2020-04-29: Former Chargers coach Harland Svare has died. I only remember him because my father spit out his …
2020-04-29: Finally sent a letter and check in the mail that was long overdue. It marks the end of an era from …
2020-04-28: Under my desk—also known as Winslow’s personal thunderstorm bunker.
2020-04-28: I always appreciate it when people of color tell woke white people to calm the f–k down. Case …
2020-04-28: Finally, an outlet for all my sonnets about Chalupa Supremes.
2020-04-28: There’s a Facebook group dedicated to “news and comments” about our town. The …
2020-04-28: “The Gathering of the Juggalos’ collapse conjures something else—the crisis’s disruption of …
2020-04-27: The latest retail shortage: sympathy cards. “It makes me sick in my heart, every order that comes …
2020-04-27: Illinois has had its governance problems, yes. But pointing them out the way the …
2020-04-27: Slowly going insane.
2020-04-26: The Animal Crossing camper is starting to look too much like my real-life environs.
2020-04-26: More from today’s South Side drive.
2020-04-26: This weekend’s Sunday drive sent us southbound on Lake Shore Drive.
2020-04-26: Winter has turned into a fine car dog.
2020-04-25: “Facebook and Instagram are a conversation. They are for others. A journal is for you. You deserve a …
2020-04-25: Appreciate that a tween’s boredom can remind me that we need a new oven mitt.
2020-04-25: Lockdown living.
2020-04-25: Whiling away some time during #PokemonGOCommunityDay at home.
2020-04-24: Finally listening to the Minutemen’s “Double Nickels on the Dime” in its entirety …
2020-04-24: “You can ‘reopen’ the country all you want. You cannot force people to act as …
2020-04-23: I am enjoying the dress-up options in this game. #AnimalCrossing #PocketCamp #luchadorable
2020-04-23: One bit of fallout from this coronavirus business: My Facebook activity is starting to rise. Not by …
2020-04-23: Unexpected brush with greatness, c. 1998 A friend on Facebook shared a story where he and a mutual friend of ours ran into Willie Mays at a …
2020-04-23: I just ate a whole bag of dark chocolate Reese’s peanut butter cups. The dark chocolate makes …
2020-04-22: The husband was reading through a list of “band names completely transformed by one letter.” For …
2020-04-22: I’m all about the whole stay-the-f—k-home thing. But I think I’m officially tired of TV shows where …
2020-04-22: Pulled on my rattiest shoes to run a quick errand. It dawned on me that I used this opportunity to …
2020-04-22: X released its debut, “Los Angeles,” 40 years ago. And 40 years later, its original …
2020-04-22: I don’t even know what day it is anymore. Or what hour of the day it is, for that matter.
2020-04-21: I just ate a Pop-Tart for dessert. I can’t tell if this is Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory.
2020-04-21: My alma mater charges ahead with plans to go virtual in the fall.
2020-04-21: All I want to do today is read about comic actress Maya Rudolph’s obsession with Prince. And …
2020-04-20: God bless this nun who’s just trying to keep our Lord’s spot tidy during live-streamed Adoration …
2020-04-19: The Washington Post reports: “Patients with heart attacks, strokes and even appendicitis vanish from …
2020-04-19: More Sunday drive pix from Chicago. Sad to see some things, like the plight of the homeless, not …
2020-04-19: On a beautiful Midwest afternoon, I felt well enough to join the family for an old-fashioned Sunday …
2020-04-19: Weekend mood.
2020-04-18: Be patient and tough; one day this pain will be useful to you. ~ Ovid, quoted in How Lovely the …
2020-04-17: I look forward to a day when a brief dry cough won’t fling me into spasms of anxiety.
2020-04-16: I guess I’d better work from home tomorrow.
2020-04-14: Mood.
2020-04-14: Called in sick. Dodged an emergency room visit despite abdominal pain that reminded me of my …
2020-04-14: Après moi, le déluge! is the watchword of every capitalist and of every capitalist nation. Karl Marx …
2020-04-13: First stab at naan was so laughable, I didn’t even try to mark the occasion with a photo. …
2020-04-13: A vodka and ginger ale for John Prine Been thinking about John Prine a lot since reports surfaced that he had contracted COVID-19. I saw …
2020-04-13: Eastertide lunch: ham and egg salad with Japanese mayo, hot sandwich peppers, and brown mustard on …
2020-04-13: Sad to see the namesake shop featured in the documentary California Typewriter has shut down.
2020-04-12: And in other news, BTS has a favorite florist.
2020-04-12: Outside of YouTube and a printout of the Liturgy of the Word, this is as close as I got to Mass …
2020-04-12: I’ve run out of parchment paper and suddenly the world feels like it’s about to end. #CoronaBaking …
2020-04-12: It’s probably no coincidence that as I pulled out of the driveway for a therapeutic drive alone, …
2020-04-12: “Transition times” matter A self-care epiphany from this New York Times piece: ”Finding places where you can have space for …
2020-04-12: The tween and the big dog (and Chris) hit the backyard for a little egg hunting. Except for two …
2020-04-11: Time to feel things. And get help. A pandemic has a tendency to get you thinking about the things that are really important. Like human …
2020-04-11: Okay, we thought these were hideous plague eggs — until we caught the last instruction to rinse them …
2020-04-11: I imagine people are tired of bread-related posts everywhere. (Including and especially mine.) But …
2020-04-11: Made myself a couple of Spam and egg sandwiches with leftover canned biscuits this morning. Grilled …
2020-04-11: “The pandemic itself feels like one long Holy Saturday, where we live in the liminal space between …
2020-04-10: My first attempt at a crumpet using discarded starter tasted vaguely like a dense whole wheat …
2020-04-10: The young epilepsy patient who helped inspire the use of CBD for health treatments has died. Her …
2020-04-09: Aw. RIP, Mad magazine caricaturist Mort Drucker.
2020-04-09: Also apropos of Tom Lehrer’s birthday today – as well as this time in history – …
2020-04-09: It’s Tom Lehrer’s 92nd birthday today. Chicago Tribune columnist Phil Rosenthal tweeted …
2020-04-09: During my time at my first newspaper job, in Fresno, I held a “Twin Peaks” party. …
2020-04-09: Still calling it the “Chinese Virus” or “Wuhan Virus”? Have I got news for …
2020-04-09: Greta Watch, days 3 (post-feeding) and 4 (16 hours later). #SourdoughStarter
2020-04-09: One of the most annoying parts of my day, Coronavirus Quarantine Edition: being a dog valet and …
2020-04-08: I’ve started quarantining in “Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.”
2020-04-07: When the correction needs a correction. (Funny thing is, the actual New York Times article got …
2020-04-07: Crap. John Prine didn’t make it. I was fortunate enough to see him twice in the 1990s when he opened …
2020-04-07: “GRADES K-5: 1-A. Students will learn not to ask for a snack every five minutes, or in the …
2020-04-07: Listening to this new online-only show from Henry Rollins, “The Cool Quarantine,” and am …
2020-04-07: I wish we were close enough to Chicago to frequent Drag Queen Drive-Thru.
2020-04-07: Seems more eerie than normal to hear the monthly tornado siren testing this morning.
2020-04-07: And so it begins. It’s not “New Horizons” — “Fortnite for moms” — but I’m fine with …
2020-04-06: My friend, my sourdough starter Meet my new friend, Greta Carbo. Like the rest of Shut-In America, apparently, I’m attempting to …
2020-04-06: Plan: Home-baked wheat bread, green salad, and pasta aglio e olio for dinner. Reality: I was so …
2020-04-05: The work station doubles this morning as a focal point for the Mass readings and morning prayer. …
2020-04-04: A biologist provides a way to make your own yeast for baking. But I’m still trying to figure …
2020-04-03: Yay processed food?
2020-04-03: We were able to score some face masks this afternoon from our next-door neighbor, whose …
2020-04-03: Dreamed last night that I wandered outside to go grocery shopping and found a giant stack of face …
2020-04-03: Cards Against Humanity has put out a family edition beta to print out. Very excited to try this over …
2020-04-01: “Before Covid-19, my continuing Pokémon Go habit was just a mild embarrassment. … Now …
2020-04-01: “Think that burrito from Friday is still any good?” …
2020-03-31: I look forward to hearing Dolly Parton read “Llama Llama Red Pajama.”
2020-03-31: “A cardiologist who was pulled over for speeding on a Minnesota interstate said she was deeply …
2020-03-30: So sad to see children’s author Tomie dePaola has died. Requiescat in pace.
2020-03-30: “Mom, the dog is licking my foot!” #ThingsYouHearDuringElearningThatDontComeUpAtSchool
2020-03-29: Quarantine loaf No. 4. (Didn’t clean off all the Dutch oven char from the previous loaf.) The …
2020-03-29: “In the midst of the worst domestic crisis in memory, Trump is acting like a petulant child. …
2020-03-29: Inspired by @agilelisa’s popovers post and tried our own. They were a bit well-done and didn’t “pop …
2020-03-29: So delighted to see my Roman Catholic parish offering video of Sunday Mass now. (It’s offered …
2020-03-29: “People are panic-buying chickens like they did toilet paper.”
2020-03-29: Wow, profit-hungry Corporate America. You suck.
2020-03-28: This is real. And it is spectacular.
2020-03-28: The prolific birth control delivery ads on the local sports network these days are about as …
2020-03-28: Sigh. Throwing my Lenten break from Instagram out the window. Going into, what, Week 2 of the …
2020-03-28: This provided a much-needed laugh today: Sales of tops are up — but not pants. Blame the spike in …
2020-03-28: I’m not on Reddit much (my tween asked me to post her Animal Crossing art there, so I was just …
2020-03-28: The 12-year-old’s wardrobe mashup of “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” and Pokemon “eeveelutions” is …
2020-03-28: First coronavirus sheltering in place, now strong storms and a tornado watch. I don’t have enough …
2020-03-28: Giving up the ghost: Not easy to do In this time of disconnection from the world, I’ve been taking inventory of my friendships …
2020-03-27: Since the Pokemon Go event we planned to attend in St. Louis was postponed, the game’s creators …
2020-03-27: My colleague’s kids in Upstate New York are producing a weekly newspaper during their quarantine …
2020-03-27: My kid’s middle school put out an Instagram video with virtual sticky notes from teachers and …
2020-03-26: Waffle Houses are closing. Ergo, we’re screwed.
2020-03-26: Please stop telling me to make this time count There’s plenty to be anxious about these days. Am I going to catch this virus? Do I have it …
2020-03-26: Watching the tail end of Mark Buehrle’s 2009 perfect game, now on YouTube, just in time for …
2020-03-26: Couldn’t get myself out of bed this morning. No fever or anything. Just stomach discomfort, fatigue, …
2020-03-25: My midday off: Wrapping birthday gifts with Christmas paper because that’s all I could find …
2020-03-25: It’s Tween Birthday Week here at the Shut-In House: McDonald’s hash browns for …
2020-03-25: Nice to surface just long enough to get my kid a birthday cake and have the supermarket folks tell …
2020-03-25: From @millinerd in The New York Times (!) on this Feast of the Annunciation: “God became human once, …
2020-03-24: Keeping the 3 days off I requested for F’s 12th birthday tomorrow and a trip to St. Louis and …
2020-03-24: Ah. It’s totally not just me. “The coronavirus has created the perfect environment for a surge in …
2020-03-24: For the uninitiated and/or non-Chicagoans, Jeppson’s Malort is a wormwood liqueur that …
2020-03-23: The Scottish Festival & Highland Games in suburban Chicago this summer has been canceled. Damn. …
2020-03-23: Our first quarantine-era bread loaf! (Photo taken before I broke through the crust with my finger in …
2020-03-22: Margaret Sullivan in the Washington Post: The White House coronavirus briefings “have become a daily …
2020-03-21: The stay-at-home order in Illinois doesn’t seem that much worse than what I’ve already …
2020-03-21: On the Catholic blog: Confession in the age of coronavirus.
2020-03-21: My Ten: Favorite things I can't live without I’m a sucker for a light regular feature. The New York Times’ Sunday Routine is an …
2020-03-21: This morning’s caffeine source. Delighted that the diet version of this has landed north at last.
2020-03-20: Listening to SiriusXM’s MLB channel play the 1962 NL tiebreaker game 3 between the Giants and …
2020-03-20: I had scheduled a retreat today, but I backed out of it. Kept my day off from work. Loaded the kid …
2020-03-19: This woman is my hero: “Maybe this is the perfect time to call a timeout on the academic …
2020-03-19: From the National Institutes for Health director, Dr. Francis Collins: “To Beat COVID-19, …
2020-03-19: Digital thinking, kind of, still infuses the tween’s analog activities.
2020-03-19: Going easy on the kid during this first week off school; e-learning doesn’t start until the week of …
2020-03-19: Trying to tamp down my news consumption these days for my mental health. The Washington Post is a …
2020-03-18: “2020 Census field operations will be suspended for two weeks until April 1, 2020.”
2020-03-18: Social distancing? A cloistered Franciscan nun has advice for that.
2020-03-17: The “silent spreader” element of this whole viral thing is what alarms me the most.
2020-03-16: I didn’t realize that being a loner was a Gen-X thing. I wasn’t even a latchkey kid, but …
2020-03-16: Had to take my car to the dealership for a fix and maintenance this morning. I’ve lost count of how …
2020-03-16: It’s just past 2 a.m. and I’ve spent the past few hours trying to self-soothe with late-night comedy …
2020-03-15: Spring break week times two We caved and got an early birthday gift for the tween when we bought the download for the Pokemon …
2020-03-15: Maybe it’s a good thing I left Southern California more than 20 years ago: “Angelenos …
2020-03-15: I admit I was wary of voting another billionaire in office two years ago, but Illinois Gov. J.B. …
2020-03-15: Glad we did the early voting thing before the Illinois primary on Tuesday. Looks like other area …
2020-03-14: Followed along with the vigil Mass live-streamed this afternoon from Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. …
2020-03-14: Oh, I guess we’re good for a while. Anybody got any canned bean recipes?
2020-03-14: In line with Austin Kleon’s recommendation of news produced for kids, here’s a great …
2020-03-14: ”…there is not a standard definition of what symptoms are associated with {mild, …
2020-03-14: Supporting your local business in this self-quarantine age We called our local breakfast hangout to make sure it was still open. It was. So, we headed over. …
2020-03-14: ”…despite arriving with a pages-long résumé, Nickel Creek is still popularly thought of …
2020-03-14: “Ice is part of what makes the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes. It provides us with a sense of …
2020-03-14: This morning’s powerful headline.
2020-03-14: There are terrible takes, and then there are especially terrible right-wing takes on coronavirus.
2020-03-13: An abundance of caution At the moment, we are a two-parish family living among three dioceses: I attend Roman Catholic Mass …
2020-03-13: Working from home officially mandatory for me. School district had an “emergency late-start …
2020-03-13: I got some groceries, some peanut butter, to last a couple of days So, the husband and I hit two separate Walmarts on the way home from our respective workplaces and …
2020-03-13: Grateful for kind colleagues who encourage birthday celebrations well after one’s actual birthday.
2020-03-11: One benefit from all this pandemic business, if you like the stuff (and I do): Lobster prices are …
2020-03-11: Addicted to coronavirus news? “When there is a lot of ambiguity and a lot of uncertainty, people are …
2020-03-11: You know this coronavirus business is serious when Chicago postpones its St. Patrick’s Day …
2020-03-11: Always alarming when a new purchase comes in the mail with this sticker on it.
2020-03-09: So, if Ohio State suspends face-to-face instruction because of coronavirus, does that mean we now …
2020-03-09: “The boss has made it clear, he likes to see his people fight, and he wants the news to be good,” …
2020-03-09: I have desperately, and seriously, been trying to give up schadenfreude for Lent. But given the news …
2020-03-09: Aw. I miss The Onion’s “Diamond Joe” Biden. But I get why Diamond Joe had to die.
2020-03-09: Welp, I suspected this month’s Pokemon GO event in St. Louis would be postponed. Now …
2020-03-09: “Every corner, you’re going to see a White Sox hat. Black and white, man — it’s the most neutral hat …
2020-03-08: David Leonhardt in The New York Times: “By designing campaign strategies for the America they want, …
2020-03-08: Welcome to my sandbox As is his wont, a former colleague of mine likes to create Facebook posts noting birthdays of people …
2020-03-08: “If you are struggling with health anxiety in the midst of all the coverage of coronavirus, …
2020-03-08: Birthday loukoumades, maple bacon edition. Would have been tastier if there was bacon in the batter, …
2020-03-08: Best birthday card ever, Pokemon Edition. Or heck, just ever.
2020-03-07: “…in our defense, the supposed ‘discoverers’ offered us a really great deal on Obama’s golden …
2020-03-06: The mailing in front arrived two days after Bloomberg left the race. I may need to create some sort …
2020-03-06: I’m not a massive Frank Zappa fan, and I only listened to this album for the first time …
2020-03-06: On the Catholic blog: St. Ephraim, Schmemann, and Lent. Shout-out to my Orthodox friends as Great …
2020-03-05: Elizabeth Warren on ending her 2020 presidential campaign: “If you say, ‘Yeah, there was sexism in …
2020-03-05: This just in, on why the Dems are still not the party of Ocasio-Cortez: “…political …
2020-03-05: Quote of the day, coronavirus edition: “You can’t bring criminal charges for being a bonehead.”
2020-03-04: Hey, White Sox fans: Time to get jacked up with a rally cry for the ages. Thanks, Dallas Keuchel’s …
2020-03-04: Want a break from politics and the coronavirus? Here’s coverage of a llama in a tux crashing a …
2020-03-04: Happy to see Dorothy Day continue to draw attention with a new biography. Interestingly, reviewer …
2020-03-04: After reading about how people are stupidly avoiding Chinese restaurants because of a fear of …
2020-03-03: I check out news in Canada because I consider it a reasonably sane country. But then once in a …
2020-03-03: So, I guess this means I need to receive the Eucharist in the hand for the time being?
2020-03-03: I kinda get why more schools are ditching the A-to-F grade scale in favor of standards-based …
2020-03-03: No, this is not an endorsement. But in case you’re wondering why Bernie Sanders has gained …
2020-03-03: Dear Mike Bloomberg: Please stop clogging my mailbox with your propaganda on a near-daily basis. …
2020-03-01: “We are going to survive, and when we do, we’ll really be glad to have those canned tomatoes and …
2020-03-01: When your favorite supper club doubles as a biker haunt.
2020-03-01: “Dispelling myths about friars (no, they’re not like cloistered monks) was a bonus to his primary …
2020-03-01: Sorry to see Mayor Pete bailing out of the presidential race. I was a big fan until he went all …
2020-03-01: Wow. I didn’t realize Sergio Mendes is still alive.
2020-03-01: February photoblogging challenge, Day 30: VISION. Aaaaand that’ll do it for this challenge. …
2020-02-29: News consumption sanity: There's steps for that I live with a lot of panic. Not just because I have lifelong issues with mild anxiety, but because I …
2020-02-29: On COVID-19, sick leave, and medical costs in this country: “… the consequences of …
2020-02-29: Why do so many pet cats sport furry white feet? Blame domestication.
2020-02-29: “… a Lenten fast is not meant to be something belabored or even shown to the outside world. …
2020-02-29: February photoblogging challenge, Day 29: LEAP. A Labor Day out; Kenosha, Wisconsin, 2016.
2020-02-28: This is the food I grew up with, before turo-turo joints became a thing: “The multisensory …
2020-02-28: February photoblogging challenge, Day 28: BELOW. Being on a plane descending into San Diego — with …
2020-02-28: On the Catholic blog: A widowed friend finds “acknowledgement and rest” in the crucified …
2020-02-27: Honestly, there’s no shame in reading graphic novels.
2020-02-27: February photoblogging challenge, Day 27: TOGETHER.
2020-02-26: I missed the Naked Cowboy reference in last night’s debate. The Washington Post was kind …
2020-02-26: February photoblogging challenge, Day 26: ESCAPE.
2020-02-25: Paczki Day! Waited almost an hour for these, even though I preordered (but didn’t prepay — will do …
2020-02-25: February photoblogging challenge, Day 25: HURDLE.
2020-02-24: February photoblogging challenge, Day 24: DOUBLE.
2020-02-23: Overheard during the Cubs-Dodgers rebroadcast: “The Padres, sooner or later, are going to be really …
2020-02-23: On the Catholic blog: Pride in the name of Lent? Find more at rosa-mystica.cc.
2020-02-23: Dog paczki procured: two each of chicken, peanut butter, and Boston (terrier) cream (yogurt, goat …
2020-02-23: Looking for my first few February photoblogging challenge entries on the blog? Find them here.
2020-02-23: February photoblogging challenge, Day 23: STATION. Summer at the book fair; Chicago, Illinois, circa …
2020-02-22: So, apparently the new Marquee Sports Network hasn’t figured out how to align its audio with its …
2020-02-22: February photoblogging challenge, Day 22: SPECTACLE. At least this passes for a spectacle at our …
2020-02-21: “As part of a far-reaching social media strategy, the Bloomberg campaign has hired hundreds of …
2020-02-21: This has been the longest short work week ever.
2020-02-21: ”‘Eh,’ that classic Canadian expression … is the northern lights of this …
2020-02-21: Paczki order (the kind for human consumption, not the dog stuff I ordered earlier this week) placed …
2020-02-21: February photoblogging challenge, Day 21: PROGRESS. According to my daughter (this might have been …
2020-02-20: RIP, Nurse Kellye: “I think I was in every scene, because I put myself in every scene and nobody …
2020-02-20: “A company led mainly by Democrats … repeatedly has tilted rightward to deliver …
2020-02-20: February photoblogging challenge, Day 20: SCALE. As in, image perhaps NOT to scale. (At this point, …
2020-02-19: I don’t know whether Bloomberg is electable. But so far, he doesn’t seem terribly likable.
2020-02-19: I have placed my order for dog paczki before Paczki Day arrives on Tuesday. If you are in the …
2020-02-19: “An email to local media from P.U.T.I.N., an acronym for Pigeons United To Interfere Now …
2020-02-19: ”…since his acquittal two weeks ago, analysts say, the president has taken a series of …
2020-02-19: February photoblogging challenge, Day 19: SPACE. (Insert sophomoric humor here.) #mbfeb
2020-02-18: C and I were recounting a visit to a Catholic shrine in Paris that I barely remembered, though there …
2020-02-18: Tonight’s TV viewing choices: yet more Democratic presidential town halls or women’s biathlon. I’m …
2020-02-18: When it comes to technology, go Amish Author Jeff Smith explores the Amish approach to technology, which is much more nuanced and …
2020-02-18: February photoblogging challenge, Day 18: OPPOSE. My daughter was 8 when she created her first …
2020-02-17: I appreciate the fact that The New York Times will publish a perfectly good obit even though its …
2020-02-17: It’s Michael Jordan’s birthday. Is that why I have the day off today?
2020-02-17: There was a guest at Mass this morning. The priest felt compelled to insist that it wasn’t the Holy …
2020-02-17: February photoblogging challenge, getting an early start on Day 17: COOL. As in one of the coolest …
2020-02-16: Familial ties through food porn My sister loves YouTube. Having cut the cable cord a few years ago, she turns to it as her primary …
2020-02-16: February photoblogging challenge, Day 16: REST. #mbfeb
2020-02-15: Three-day weekends are generally not made for congestion and head colds. Except in my world. 🤧
2020-02-15: “Trump did not specify which of the 11 species of badger he especially wanted to …
2020-02-15: On the Catholic blog: Memento mori, friends. In other news, you’ll find random theological …
2020-02-15: I was a contractor for 5 years; before that, I spent more than 2 decades in the news industry. Three …
2020-02-15: February photoblogging challenge, Day 15: BALANCE. (It’s probably not been obvious at times, but a …
2020-02-14: February photoblogging challenge, Day 14: WARMTH. #mbfeb
2020-02-13: Farm boy makes good in the big city I love a good obituary – or at least an obit that makes me feel good. Here’s one from …
2020-02-13: Because I am too lazy to reboot my limited coding knowledge or acquire more – and because life …
2020-02-13: I’m sure they’re nice pups, but standard poodles at dog shows make me cringe. That said, …
2020-02-13: “It’s funny to see the Sanders 2020 campaign as the fulfillment of Ron Paul’s dream, yet here …
2020-02-13: Fascinating piece here on the debate over female deacons in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern …
2020-02-13: February photoblogging challenge, Day 13: RISE. As in, “Watch my sister’s kitten rise to the …
2020-02-12: “Anyone can write a long book. The grace of brevity is much more dearly bought.”
2020-02-12: TODAY! This makes me happy. And it almost makes up for the crap weather predicted for later this …
2020-02-12: February photoblogging challenge, Day 12: ATTACHMENT. #mbfeb
2020-02-11: Perhaps the mice and roaches who shared our newsroom back in the day will enjoy the new luxe condo …
2020-02-11: Jonathan V. Last in The Bulwark, quoting a friend on Trump and Trumpism: “Like a preacher with …
2020-02-11: Posting this from Alan Jacobs (@ayjay) on Twitter. Brilliant.
2020-02-11: "Let’s bring the tomboy back, without taming her" Lisa Selin Davis, writing in her New York Times op-ed piece, “Bring Back the Tomboys,” …
2020-02-11: February photoblogging challenge, Day 11: PLAIN. As in plain water, on a plane. Somehow, I found …
2020-02-11: I can’t believe I overlooked this bit of political reporting from a year ago. But what about the …
2020-02-10: “… increasingly unhinged U.S. centrists announced Monday their plan to round up the nation’s …
2020-02-10: BBC News: “The CDC points to a wide variety of driving forces behind suicide … But it …
2020-02-10: The husband has to wear a tie for the job he started last week. He decided that if he has to, so …
2020-02-10: February photoblogging challenge, Day 10: SIGN. #mbfeb
2020-02-09: I think I just saw a hockey player spit out a tooth. For some reason, that makes me feel better …
2020-02-09: I had to hear a stemwinder of a homily this morning that tried at length, and unsuccessfully, to …
2020-02-09: “For someone who is progressive on most issues, this decision doesn’t come easy.” I feel …
2020-02-09: Bonus post! More for the February photoblogging challenge, Day 9: LULL. Because you can never have …
2020-02-09: February photoblogging challenge, Day 9: LULL.
2020-02-08: Another reason I still have a Twitter account: Out of Context Beavis and Butthead.
2020-02-08: Example No. 2,694 of why my husband doesn’t trust me with grocery runs.
2020-02-08: February photoblogging challenge, Day 8: CONTRAST.
2020-02-07: Bonus image for the February photoblogging challenge, Day 7: ABOVE.
2020-02-07: The BBC on cyberloafing: “… is it possible to establish exactly how much time spent …
2020-02-07: If this happens, does this mean I’d run into presidential candidates at Portillo’s or …
2020-02-07: In The Onion, sometimes just a headline and a photo are all you need.
2020-02-07: February photoblogging challenge, Day 7: ABOVE. (I’ll probably have a bonus shot for this one today. …
2020-02-06: Rough morning at the home office. Making up for it with leftovers. This, friends, is what people in …
2020-02-06: Latest headline from the WashPost: “President lashes out at Democrats as ‘corrupt people’ at …
2020-02-06: February photoblogging challenge, Day 6: PLANT.
2020-02-05: Michael Pollan: “(Caffeine is) so pervasive that it’s easy to overlook the fact that to be …
2020-02-05: February photoblogging challenge, Day 5: HIDE.
2020-02-04: The Onion: “DNC Offers Startup $500 Million To Develop Pencil That Can Accurately Record …
2020-02-04: February photoblogging challenge, Day 4: SPOT. (Sorry. Best I could do from my photo stockpile.)
2020-02-03: Bonus February photoblogging challenge entry! Day 3: REFLECT. (I knew I downloaded this from my …
2020-02-03: I’ve set up a category on the old blog where the February photoblogging challenge posts can be …
2020-02-03: February photoblogging challenge, Day 3: REFLECT.
2020-02-02: We adopted Winter last Super Bowl Sunday. We are celebrating appropriately.
2020-02-02: Seeing a stray lightning bolt logo and players I once cheered for (Seau, Winslow) in the 100 …
2020-02-02: February photoblogging challenge, Day 2: SIGHT — that is, a sight for sore, winter-weary eyes in the …
2020-02-02: I’m a day late in getting my stuff together for #InCoWriMo (or #LetterMo). Let me know if you want a …
2020-02-02: After creating two politics-related posts in the past 24 hours, it’s time for me to cleanse the …
2020-02-02: “Getting rid of Trump means taking seriously ‘shit-life syndrome’—and its resulting misery, which …
2020-02-01: “It is challenging to explain how Trump’s policies are Christian. It is far easier to label his …
2020-02-01: Now I know why InCoWriMo sounded familiar but not quite what I did a couple of years ago. I went the …
2020-02-01: Giving this February photoblogging challenge a whirl. Happy February! Day 1: OPEN.
2020-01-31: Between the impeachment hearings and coronavirus, I’ve grown weary enough of the world to do a lot …
2020-01-31: Of course I’m posting this on my phone (but I print it out to read, like our ancestors did): “Screen …
2020-01-31: Inés Sainz, reporter, Mexico’s TV Azteca Deportes: “This Super Bowl is going to be very …
2020-01-31: ”… the Christian faith is far too often subordinated to ideology, to tribalism, to …
2020-01-31: One reason I stay on Twitter: Too many people I like remain there. Case in point: Lin Brehmer, my …
2020-01-30: I’m pretty sure the writer of this enormous Washington Post thinkpiece on Iowa is trying way too …
2020-01-30: Been trying not to get panicky about all this coronavirus business, even with a panicky email from …
2020-01-30: Bliss in a cup This “turmeric bliss” tea (not to be confused with the Tazo Tea variety of the same name) has been a …
2020-01-30: InCoWriMo! I did this a few years ago, and I’m itching to do it again (except I didn’t …
2020-01-30: Another reason I want my campaign contribution back.
2020-01-29: Regrets. During this political cycle, I've had a few. I was dumb enough to contribute to one presidential candidate who washed out early after …
2020-01-28: I’m not much of a basketball fan, but the untimely deaths of Kobe Bryant and his daughter saddened …
2020-01-25: Posting this here for my reference; I’ll revisit this, with my self-indulgent answers, in a later …
2020-01-25: Content moderators at Facebook and Twitter “are being asked to sign forms stating they …
2020-01-25: Time to cleanse the palate after too many political posts this morning. “A Navajo baby’s …
2020-01-25: The Democrats, led by the Bernie bros, eat their own Are the Bernie bros descending into Trump cult tactics? Apparently, according to this Washington …
2020-01-25: ”… there are already, in my view, worrisome signals that (today’s new left) are …
2020-01-25: “(Louisiana state Rep. Katrina) Jackson’s presence at the event was a reminder of the importance of …
2020-01-23: I’ve never read anything by novelist Charles Yu. (I’m more of a nonfiction reader.) But …
2020-01-23: “More than three in five Americans are lonely, with more and more people reporting feeling …
2020-01-22: "Bloody Vikings!" Terry Jones, RIP Woke up to the news that Terry Jones had died. He was Monty Python’s Spam waitress, the mother …
2020-01-21: Robin Abcarian: “Almost everything he wrote in his MLK proclamation was at odds with who he …
2020-01-21: “I used to fantasize about fitting punishments for … morning people, but in the last …
2020-01-21: I am pretty sure there’s twice as many unread work emails waiting for me. And because I’ve been …
2020-01-20: Brought this 1970s kitchen artifact from my childhood back from California and got some fresh Tang …
2020-01-20: Day off. (And yes, yay MLK, friends.) Blogging a lot this morning. Now it’s time to lie down …
2020-01-20: How to be a friend in the wake of a cancer diagnosis Recently, I learned that a former colleague of mine – the graphic designer in the office next …
2020-01-20: I generally ignore most celebrity culture these days, but I will say that for this alone, I heart …
2020-01-20: Insert "ex-CAThedra" joke here A writer at Museum Hack explores whether Pope Gregory IX ordered “a medieval purge of black …
2020-01-20: Deleted my Politics list on Twitter. Been so sucked into it in recent weeks, and it has depressed me …
2020-01-19: Incredibly sad to see Philip Rivers is moving his family out of San Diego permanently. I get the …
2020-01-19: Proud of my long erstwhile colleagues who are speaking up as another death by a thousand cuts looms …
2020-01-19: “Adults with high-pressured jobs are telling us they’re using Lego to disconnect from the …
2020-01-18: “What stands out about our era in particular is a distinct kind of institutional dereliction — a …
2020-01-18: There are worse things in life than wrapping pills in cheese and hand-feeding them to the dog. At …
2020-01-18: And now that I’m back home and annoyed with winter, it’s time to make monkey bread with the tween.
2020-01-18: Went out this past week for Filipino food with my sister and aunt: putong, bibingka, tocino and egg, …
2020-01-18: There’s a supermarket in my hometown that offers an odd mashup of Middle Eastern and Mexican food. …
2020-01-18: Now that I’m frozen shut inside my home for much of the day, I can post foodie snapshots of my short …
2020-01-17: Home late after 4 days in San Diego to spend time with family. Reserved taxi flaked on me, so I …
2020-01-16: Traveling with a doped-up Shih tzu on the flight home. Wish I had what it’s having. I hate flying.
2020-01-16: Heading home after a last-minute short trip to see family. The Pokemon buddy is trying to board a …
2020-01-15: I have a cat. I like cats. That said, I will still read a story with the headline “Compelling new …
2020-01-15: “I find myself moving away from my originally more simplistic approach of setting hard time limits …
2020-01-15: So far as I can tell, all contemporary pop country songs involve picking up chicks in cutoffs at a …
2020-01-13: “‘Poodle is the worst dog to spin,’ Ms. Furrer said of the notoriously difficult matted curls. ‘I …
2020-01-13: Happy New Year, air travelers leaving Chicago.
2020-01-12: When the usher lady cheerfully tells me that they sing the “fun music” at this Mass, it’s clearly …
2020-01-11: "He didn't want to be like everyone else. He just wanted to be Neil." “He was in many ways like an outsider — the guy who was often different from everyone else. …
2020-01-11: Someone has wandered into the home office as I clean it. She clearly disapproves of its disheveled …
2020-01-10: Yeah, I know, eating out twice in one day. We’re usually pretty good about dining at home. But with …
2020-01-10: When you have a day off work on a meatless Friday, Indo-Pakistani food is necessary.
2020-01-10: I generally am trying to avoid political posts, but I really am enjoying pushing this guy off a …
2020-01-10: “Ms. Wurtzel … was well cast to serve as a face for a generation that the news media …
2020-01-09: “Give me a Sandwich and a Douchebag, and there is nothing I cannot do!” #RIPBuckHenry
2020-01-09: My list of go-to sites varies from week to week, but the (relatively) new Far Side site is becoming …
2020-01-09: My sources say no, your tween children do not wish to be seen in public with you. Cannot predict now …
2020-01-08: A New York Times graphic artist got to count squirrels in Central Park. I want that gig.
2020-01-08: The YouTuber known as PewDiePie is on record as calling Twitter a “cesspool.” And true …
2020-01-07: “The paper’s claim to fame is that (Mark) Twain once wrote there while hiding out from the …
2020-01-07: The Washington Post asks: “Can Shane Claiborne’s progressive version of evangelical …
2020-01-06: News we can use: “The microgrid would make the power grid more resilient to storms — and …
2020-01-06: Printing out to read after I put my phone away for the night: “Why kids need a strong network of …
2020-01-06: Breaking Jimmy Buffett Lifestyle News Taffy Brodesser-Akner is back with another entertaining profile (her last one was this great piece …
2020-01-05: “For those of us who spend all day at a desk, Dr. Rosner said, it’s best to drink only when we feel …
2020-01-04: Per the Post site: “They’re not synonymous with Midwestern, white or conservative. They care about …
2020-01-03: Finally registered at my local Roman Catholic parish tonight. Genuinely tickled that the only parish …
2020-01-03: “Soleimani posted memes antagonizing Trump on social media” (Washington Post) Just a …
2020-01-03: I first tried Old Style – a bit of Chicago in a frosty plastic cup – on a hot day at …
2020-01-03: Just bought the kid a video game involving a goose that terrorizes a village. I think I’ll …
2020-01-02: Here’s some great advice from The New York Times, whether you’re in New York or some …
2020-01-02: My 3 Words: Healing, Perseverance, and Silence Been thinking about Chris Brogan’s recommendation to come up with three words to guide their …
2020-01-01: This Linda Ronstadt documentary on CNN is reminding me, somehow, of this “Plow King” ad from “The …
2020-01-01: Watching the CNN documentary on Linda Ronstadt and appreciating the fact that she was my first rock …
2020-01-01: Happy New Year, folks. May it be less skittish than a Lab mix hearing celebratory gunfire in the …
2019-12-31: Logged off work early — just in time to set up new DIY monitor shelving for the home office. Whee.
2019-12-31: Between Joe Biden telling miners to learn to code and Mike Bloomberg vowing to turn the White House …
2019-12-31: “Rare video shows a puffin using a tool to scratch an itch” (Washington Post) Yes, democracy dies in …
2019-12-29: Considering Chris Brogan’s “My 3 Words” approach to prepare for the coming year. It seems simple: …
2019-12-29: “California is at a crossroads” “For all its forward-thinking companies and liberal social and environmental policies, the state has …
2019-12-28: “Jason Mendelson said his father’s death on Christmas — a day that he was strongly associated …
2019-12-27: ESPN2 is now showing the 2018 Classic Tetris World Championship. This makes the national spelling …
2019-12-27: “Don Imus, who spent more than half a century in radio and television skating along the edge of …
2019-12-27: “The pope says priests should be where the people are. … And to those who might say that God …
2019-07-28: Maureen Dowd: “The politics of purism makes people stupid. And nasty.”
2019-07-27: Just saw “The Lion King.” Spoiler alert: Beyoncé kills all the hyenas.
2019-07-26: “It has come to a point where you can rely on the Philippines for all sorts of things: trolls, click …
2019-07-25: “Trump has ‘unleashed something that’s always been just barely beneath the surface for …
2019-07-25: Frannie to the puppy, while making herself nachos: “Have some cheese, buddy. Because we all need …
2019-07-23: Finally, a national publication recognizes this. “Chicago’s Real Signature Pizza Is Crispy, Crunchy, …
2019-07-15: The New York Times has produced a fun seven-or-fewer-degrees-of-separation look at the B-52s’ …
2019-07-15: Having grown up in Southern California hearing about a fancy L.A. hotel with his name, I keep …
2019-07-14: I suppose I could go back where I came from. But San Diego is so expensive these days.
2019-07-12: I love Chicago. And you go, Alligator Bob!
2019-07-09: Those of us who are second-generation Americans can relate to Julian Castro being unable to speak …
2019-07-09: I swear I thought Ross Perot was already dead.
2019-07-06: “There’s a very high cost to our politics for celebrating the Trump style, but what is most …
2019-07-04: So depressing to see the rumors appear to be true, especially a few months after the husband got the …
2019-07-03: Spent a half-hour in a dentist’s chair having a tooth screwed in and watching …
2019-04-15: “I’ve found that real life, face-to-face, hug-to-hug contact offers more bang for my buck than …
2019-04-15: KJ Dell’Antonia: “I came to a simple conclusion about getting the reactions of friends, family and …
2019-04-11: Been a while since I was last on Micro.blog. Allow me to reacclimate myself here with a photo of a …
2019-03-29: The Beatles’ “Help” is being used in a Google ad. I need a drink.
2019-03-27: “A good dog does not lick people’s pants.” — Frannie, age 11, to her exuberant puppy
2019-03-21: A rough day at work that’s not over yet. I will take this time for an extended break with Ichiro …
2019-03-21: A Deadspin commenter on Ichiro’s inevitable induction into the Hall of Fame, presuming the entire …
2019-03-21: This passing of the torch during Ichiro Suzuki’s final game as a major leaguer reminds me that …
2019-03-20: I’ve been on Micro.blog/Twitter sporadically lately, so forgive me if someone has posted this …
2019-03-17: I really hadn’t planned on driving around the block a few times in tears with “Misirlou” and “Mr. …
2019-03-16: Windshield this morning. Bright and sunny, but a bit frosty.
2019-03-10: I guess the auto parts business is trying to diversify.
2019-03-09: Vegan friends: So, when are nuts and berries not vegan?
2019-03-09: When you wake up with a glimmer of wisdom and hope after a dismal day, celebrate with breakfast, …
2019-03-08: You know it’s a lousy day when the Google doodle wishing you a happy birthday feels more heartfelt …
2019-03-08: Best birthday gift ever: a notebook filled with artwork by my sister, who has been making cards and …
2019-03-07: I wish Pico Iyer was on Micro.blog. From Twitter: ”’Attention,’ Simone Weil noted, ‘is the rarest …
2019-03-06: Repenting in the age of iPhones and instant gratification (America Media) Lent is the moment — or …
2019-03-05: Starbucks is launching a drink with Ariana Grande. Sadly, it will not be called the Ariana Grande, …
2019-03-05: Last paczki-themed photos for a while, especially since today is Fat Tuesday and we’ll be done with …
2019-03-05: Outside the bakery where the line was 20 deep for quality paczki: “Oh please, oh please, oh please — …
2019-03-03: It’s almost Lent, and all I can think about is how much I want to give up on my church home and move …
2019-03-03: Our annual haul of dog paczki. Two of each—coconut, sweet potato, peanut butter, and chicken—but I …
2019-03-02: Neat to see lots of people here talking about digital spring cleaning. It’s inspiring—and given that …
2019-03-01: Puppies are tiring.
2019-03-01: It’s hard to be roommates with an awkward four-legged toddler.
2019-02-28: Valid question.
2019-02-28: Good morning.
2019-02-27: A little Cowbell Zen. (garciabuxton.com)
2019-02-27: Is 52 and 11 months old too early to retire? Asking for a friend. :|
2019-02-24: Took a look at the Oscars in time to see one of the few nominees I actually watched, the animated …
2019-02-24: A rare photo that doesn’t involve either the puppy chewing on the cat or the cat getting the puppy …
2019-02-24: Dilemma: Tune into red carpet coverage of the Oscars, or continue to listen to the Brewers radio …
2019-02-24: I’m spending too damn much on the dogs.
2019-02-24: You know it’s horribly windy when your glasses get blown off your face.
2019-02-24: We’re supposed to get significantly high winds tonight in the Chicago area through Sunday night. …
2019-02-23: I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: As much as I love the White Sox, listening to Ed …
2019-02-23: Went to the local Pakistani grocer and found these. Haven’t had Aeros since our last Canada trip. A …
2019-02-23: Before cleaning the kitchen, set up the first cut daffodils of the season. Priorities, people.
2019-02-23: If this is in The Onion today, it must be spring training.
2019-02-23: Reading: Do Not Disturb: How I Ditched My Phone and Unbroke My Brain (NY Times) ”Mostly, I became …
2019-02-22: Listening to spring training baseball on the MLB app. Phillies-Rays. I don’t really care about …
2019-02-21: Teenagers Say Depression and Anxiety Are Major Issues Among Their Peers (N.Y. Times) “Fewer …
2019-02-19: A nice find. I don’t drink a ton at home, and some days this is just enough. Quality stuff, too.
2019-02-18: The New York Times Cooking app is peddling heresy.
2019-02-17: “The clown is kind of creepy.” — Frannie, 10, watching Bozo the Clown clips from the 1960s on WGN-TV
2019-02-17: Still unwell from this morning, but we still managed to crank out our first attempt at simple …
2019-02-17: Not feeling well, so F and I stayed home from church this morning. We’re going over the Gospel …
2019-02-16: So, I decided this morning to scope out what kind of poop-scooping apparatus is out on the market …
2019-02-16: “Do we really want to live in a culture like this? Where no one has the room to grow or change or …
2019-02-16: “Whether Democratic or Republican, liberal or conservative, right, left, center, blue or red — …
2019-02-16: ‘Word Jazz’ Creator And Host Ken Nordine Dies (WBEZ) ”In a 2000 interview with Nordine, WBEZ’s …
2019-02-14: Happy Valentine’s Day.
2019-02-13: Reading: Westminster Dog Show: King Continues Reign of Terriers (N.Y. Times; huge H/T to @macgenie) …
2019-02-12: Because poor Winslow needs some love with the puppy overwhelming the household lately, here’s a …
2019-02-12: May be the best thing I’ve seen on social media all day, from @chrchcurmudgeon on Twitter.
2019-02-12: Ice thief.
2019-02-11: A bit of a splurge today. These appear to live up to the hype, though I suspect I will need to use a …
2019-02-11: Very rough Sunday involving the puppy and the kid. Unable to catch up on work as I had planned. …
2019-02-10: Stuff we’ve caught the new dog trying to eat this weekend: Orange crayon Plastic toy part …
2019-02-10: Sunday reading. Pitchers and catchers report Feb. 12 for both Chicago teams. Thank God.
2019-02-09: Reading: Why I’m obsessed with reading books about writing in notebooks (Washington Post) ”In an …
2019-02-09: Winslow continues to hide behind the sheer living room curtain away from the puppy, haunting us all …
2019-02-08: Singing a song about taking a dump to the tune of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony does not appear to help …
2019-02-08: “What’s that in your mouth?” “What are you eating? Don’t eat …
2019-02-06: Reading: This typewriter repairman was told computers were king. Twenty years later, he’s still in …
2019-02-05: Baby’s first destroyed charge cord. (Fortunately, it wasn’t plugged in at the time.)
2019-02-05: One nice thing about potty training a puppy this time of year: Frozen dog poop is a lot easier to …
2019-02-03: Puppies make a lot of noise when they’re getting acclimated. We love our new guy, but those 1- and …
2019-02-02: The 10-year-old insisted on turning on the television to see if Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. …
2019-01-31: I appreciated Stephen Colbert’s extended shoutout to Chicago last night. But it sparked a …
2019-01-31: For those of you who asked me to review the iPhone XR when I first got it: I miss the smaller size …
2019-01-29: Reading: GoFundMe CEO: One-Third of Site’s Fundraisers Are to Cover Medical Costs (Time)
2019-01-29: You know it’s gonna be bad in Chicago when Lou Malnati’s closes early.
2019-01-29: Welp, school officially canceled tomorrow. (Band practice already canceled this afternoon.) My …
2019-01-29: Reading: The Rise of Anxiety Baking (The Atlantic) I was stress-baking half the time at my first job …
2019-01-28: “Lincoln Park Zoo will close early Tuesday at 3 p.m. and will remain closed Wednesday, but the …
2019-01-28: Reading: Chicago Will Be Colder Than Mount Everest, Antarctica, And Siberia On Wednesday (CBS 2 …
2019-01-28: School canceled today. The tree outside our bedroom window tells us maybe a foot or so fell …
2019-01-27: Okay, things could change between now and Wednesday. But I’m not liking the looks of this.
2019-01-27: Kamala Harris is to the left of me on an issue or two, but I thought she gave a powerful speech in …
2019-01-27: When life gives you overripe bananas, make banana bread (with, if you’re lucky, chocolate chips).
2019-01-26: Husband: “When Ann Coulter’s got her panties in a wad, then all is right with the world.”
2019-01-26: Okay, so all this TiddlyWiki talk has gotten to me. Does it have to be self-hosted, or are there …
2019-01-26: Reading: Why Scotland Loves Haggis (BBC Travel) We attend the local Highland Games west of Chicago …
2019-01-26: Reading: Why Are Young People Pretending to Love Work? (N.Y. Times) “Welcome to hustle culture. It …
2019-01-26: I am having a lengthy text conversation with my sister about animal farts. Technology was made for …
2019-01-24: I miss having more than one dog for nights like this.
2019-01-24: Reading: Sorry, Sweethearts: America’s most popular Valentine’s Day candy won’t be on shelves this …
2019-01-23: Related to the previous WashPost link: Social media is rotting democracy from within (Vox)
2019-01-23: Reading: Around the globe, Trump’s style is inspiring imitators and unleashing dark impulses …
2019-01-22: Backyard rush hour.
2019-01-21: Reading: Stop Trusting Viral Videos (The Atlantic) “… the fact that those visceral …
2019-01-20: Today’s “Nancy” strip is a prime example of the freshened comic’s brilliance. “Fourth wall,” indeed.
2019-01-20: Reading: Olivia Jaimes, the Mysterious Cartoonist Behind ‘Nancy,’ Gives Rare Interview (Vulture) The …
2019-01-20: Sage advice from yet another guy I wish was on Micro.blog.
2019-01-20: Reading: The Media Wildly Mischaracterized That Video of Covington Catholic Students Confronting a …
2019-01-19: When you have extra dough after the initial apple cake for church, bake a smaller cake with what’s …
2019-01-19: Reading: ‘It was getting ugly’: Native American drummer speaks on the MAGA-hat wearing teens who …
2019-01-19: Relieved to see the bags of apples we picked last fall remained pretty fresh while hanging from the …
2019-01-19: Reading: The End of Microsoft’s Windows Phone Is Here (Fortune) It’s been barely on life …
2019-01-19: Two more cookie sheets to go. A nice way for F and me to warm up the house on a snow day.
2019-01-18: Reading: Waiting for a Shutdown to End in Disaster (The Atlantic) ”…a grim but growing …
2019-01-18: Reading: This is the telegram MLK sent Malcolm X’s wife after her husband’s …
2019-01-18: And yet the snow hasn’t even started.
2019-01-17: Say what you will about the evil of Twitter, but it’s deeply heartening to see poetry bubble …
2019-01-17: Alexis Madrigal: “There isn’t some global corporate conspiracy to get you to post a photo of …
2019-01-17: Some days, I miss working in news. Some days, I don’t.
2019-01-17: So utterly sad to see this: Beloved Poet Mary Oliver, Who Believed Poetry ‘Mustn’t Be …
2019-01-17: Reading: Sorry I Forgot Your Birthday, I’ve Stopped Checking Facebook (Wall Street Journal; …
2019-01-16: Reading: Here’s why we need to stop celebrating ‘superparents’ (Washington Post) Never mind the data …
2019-01-16: Reading: Conan O’Brien Wants You to Know That Nothing Matters and You’re Going to Die …
2019-01-16: Dreamed last night that I was moving my family to Sacramento so I could take a newspaper job. Nobody …
2019-01-15: Billy Idol is headlining this year’s Ribfest in Naperville, Illinois. I can’t decide if this makes …
2019-01-15: Proud to announce that Our Tween the Percussionist is on to a new instrument: the cowbell. …
2019-01-14: Totally digging this Samurai Jesus take on the miracle at Cana.
2019-01-13: It’s cold.
2019-01-13: Chargers-Pats game on, muted. Remembering that (1) I generally haven’t missed football, (2) I don’t …
2019-01-12: Reading: In San Diego, a Quandary Over the (L.A.) Chargers (New York Times) National media picks up …
2019-01-12: Reading: What’s the last song you want to hear before you die? (Washington Post) Need to think about …
2019-01-12: And so ends another Pokemon Go Community Day with the tween. Evolved one of the scores of Totodiles …
2019-01-12: Reading: Social media addicts ‘have same personality traits’ as drug addicts …
2019-01-12: Reading: Don’t Reply to Your Emails: The Case for Inbox Infinity (The Atlantic) I thought I was just …
2019-01-11: Reading: Trump’s Typos Reveal His Lack of Fitness for the Presidency (The Atlantic) ”Nearly every …
2019-01-11: Reading: The astonishing effects of the shutdown, in 8 charts (Vox)
2019-01-11: Another dinner in the books at the Golden Pheasant. (Elmhurst, Illinois)
2019-01-11: Can’t decide what’s worse: the 10-year-old practicing the cymbals or the husband playing the “Baby …
2019-01-11: Friday Five: “The epidemic of distraction” … and the Pips. (garciabuxton.com)
2019-01-10: Reading: Millennials Don’t Have a Monopoly on Burnout (New Republic) As a Gen Xer who has lost count …
2019-01-10: Reading: The Death of the Sick Day (The New York Times) The shifting definition and expanding …
2019-01-09: Reading: Smartphone users warned to be careful of the Antichrist (BBC) ”Every time you use your …
2019-01-08: Reading: ‘Voice of the forest’: George the snail, last of his kind, dies at age 14 …
2019-01-07: Sifting through old photos. I believe F was in second grade when she tried to explain feline visual …
2019-01-07: Reading: What’s behind the confidence of the incompetent? This suddenly popular psychological …
2019-01-07: Reading: Opus Dei paid $977,000 to settle sexual misconduct claim against prominent Catholic priest …
2019-01-07: My Micro Monday recommendation (first one in a while): @MissPidge, a fine artist, serial …
2019-01-06: Totally want one of these “It’s an honor just to be Asian” T-shirts.
2019-01-06: Finally lying down after falling off our porch earlier this afternoon. Didn’t hit my head, …
2019-01-06: Reading: Confessions of a conflicted Chargers fan (NBC San Diego) Written last month, even more …
2019-01-05: I attend an Episcopal church that is more Catholic than most Roman churches I know. Yet my holiest …
2019-01-05: Reading: Hundreds of TSA screeners, working without pay, calling out sick at major airports (CNN)
2019-01-05: The husband cleaned up his side of the bed and unearthed some old Frannie reading. He decided to …
2019-01-04: Reading: Depression in girls linked to higher use of social media (Guardian)
2019-01-03: “Bohemian Rhapsody” (which I still want to see while it’s in theaters) is …
2019-01-02: ”… you can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery …
2019-01-02: Reading: Why You Should Start a Blog in 2019 (Tedium). (H/T @tones on Micro.blog!)
2019-01-02: Try to top that achievement, folks.
2019-01-01: A gift from a friend on the feast of Mary, Mother of God.
2018-12-30: Watching the National College Cornhole Championships on ESPN2. When do pitchers and catchers report …
2018-12-30: Reading: Malware attack disrupts delivery of L.A. Times and Tribune papers across the U.S. (L.A. …
2018-12-30: Playing with the Carrot weather app’s location game and admiring its attention to detail.
2018-12-29: New year, new notebook system. I loved a lot about my old standard-sized traveler’s notebook, except …
2018-12-27: Slow work day. Sifting through the 1,120 titles in my Amazon Kindle content stash. Now that Frannie …
2018-12-26: Watching “Stop Making Sense” on Amazon Prime because I feel like reliving the soundtrack of college …
2018-12-26: Reading: Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88 (New York Times) So utterly sad …
2018-12-26: Just took up @manton on his holiday special and sent out a handful of invitations to check out …
2018-12-26: Reading: Why Do Jews Eat Chinese Food on Christmas? (Forward) I love this. I’m Catholic and I …
2018-12-24: … sleep in heavenly peace. Merry Christmas. (St. Paul’s Parish, Riverside, Illinois)
2018-12-24: I’ve read about the origin of NORAD’s tracking of Santa Claus, but this is a …
2018-12-24: Jeff Jarvis provides a nuanced take on the Facebook-or-not-to-Facebook dialogue out there now. H/T …
2018-12-23: Presents wrapped. Four pans of fudge created, with at least two more to go before tomorrow night. I …
2018-12-22: Reading: Benefits of Having a Child on the Autism Spectrum (The Mighty) This reminds me that I have …
2018-12-22: Spent most of my afternoon lying down in a dark room and wondering why flu shots don’t always fend …
2018-12-22: Fell asleep with “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me” streaming on a random public radio station and …
2018-12-22: Leftover snapshot from the week: Sawa’s Old Warsaw, Broadview, Illinois.
2018-12-22: Reading: 15 Things You Need to Know If Your Child Is an Introvert (Psychology Today) (Testing the …
2018-12-21: [Dodgers trade Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood to Reds for Homer …
2018-12-21: Dear iPhone autocorrect, The pickled Italian pepper relish I put on sandwiches is spelled …
2018-12-21: Pro tip: The best time to remember that cabbage makes you gassy is before you decide on the Polish …
2018-12-20: Reading: The Fresno Bee and the war on local news (GQ). The Bee was my first full-time newspaper gig …
2018-12-18: The maple fudge was a success, albeit more grainy than I would like. (It’s supposed to be …
2018-12-17: Vacation done. The anxiety dreams over the weekend reminded me. Back to the grind this morning.
2018-12-16: Christmas at the Marytown dining hall. (A leftover snapshot during last week’s retreat.)
2018-12-16: Making maple fudge should not leave me exhausted and needing to lie down.
2018-12-14: NOMO app comparison: Contax T3 simulator versus Lomo simulator. (The Lomo version has the faux date …
2018-12-14: Came home from my retreat this afternoon and found this in the mail.
2018-12-12: One can hope: “What Happens When Facebook Goes the Way of MySpace?” (New York Times)
2018-12-08: Finally done with work. Time to leave it behind for a week off, split between a visit from family …
2018-12-08: But I prefer my milk gluten-free. 😕
2018-12-06: Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks is dead of a heart attack; he was 63. Damn, I feel old.
2018-12-05: Futile repair attempts for my old iPhone 6S sucked up half my workday; two-factor authentication …
2018-12-03: Square-inch pieces of juice box packaging + cheap glitter pens from Target + a bold black Pilot G2 = …
2018-12-01: Me: “Looks like Air Force One is gonna carry Bush’s casket to Washington.” …
2018-11-25: School canceled tomorrow. That “Yay” I heard in the next room was not unexpected.
2018-11-25: Aaaand we’ve now a blizzard warning in DuPage County. Whee.
2018-11-25: Coming up at the top of the hour on the Weather Channel: “Dead of Winter: The Donner Party.” …
2018-11-25: Blizzard warning! It’s a thing just west of here. (We just have a “winter storm warning.” Also …
2018-11-24: Experienced my first service—a funeral, sadly—in an African-American Baptist church. Blown away by …
2018-11-23: The funniest thing about this (to me, anyway) is the option to hide the packaging that reveals …
2018-11-23: Time for my traditional Day of Avoidance. Staying away from retail and opting to clean up the home …
2018-11-21: Dog, shaved. Note the turkey theme on the collar. And Petco wasn’t open yet, so it was too early to …
2018-11-21: Retrieved the dog from his quarterly shave at the groomer’s. My reward of a Starbucks tall …
2018-11-20: Despite my flu shot last month, I’m feeling fluish these past few days (tremendous fatigue, …
2018-11-15: Let’s see: Get ahead of my workload tonight or pass out after a week of “getting ahead of my …
2018-11-15: The ultimate purpose of social media really should be to post old video of David Letterman sharing a …
2018-11-10: Breakfast with friends, lunch with friends, Pokemon Go Community Day wandering with family. Doesn’t …
2018-11-08: “Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat are no longer adding new users in the United States.” …
2018-11-07: Always happy to feed the neighborhood wildlife.
2018-11-06: I was hoping for a distraction from politics today, but this isn’t what I had in mind. Sad to …
2018-11-06: It’s important.
2018-11-01: Winslow likes toys that aren’t his.
2018-10-31: “So, all this stuff about black cats being bad is pretty much cat racism.” — F. Buxton, age 10
2018-10-31: I was never into Halloween as a kid. And nothing against those who celebrate, but I’m a little …
2018-10-30: I, too, once thought the Internet would make people smarter and better informed. Kara Swisher: I …
2018-10-29: “Silence is God’s first language. Everything else is a poor translation.” Rev. Thomas Keating, …
2018-10-28: I’m no Dodgers fan, but I applaud Rich Hill for speaking up: “The focus, in my opinion, …
2018-10-24: Husband just asked whether she’ll be buried in a Pyrex casket. Dorcas Reilly, Creator of the …
2018-10-24: So sorry to see this. Sometimes his paraphrase of the Bible, The Message, made me wince after being …
2018-10-18: Yeah. It’s been a work day.
2018-10-16: “Despite a long-standing and well-crafted reputation for being the nicest place on the …
2018-10-13: Playing with filters over an early dinner.
2018-10-13: A lovely day for apple picking in Woodstock, Illinois.
2018-10-13: “The three teams that are left besides us have all been there, done that. We haven’t been …
2018-10-12: I may or may not have felt a snowflake on my person as I checked the mail just now.
2018-10-12: Sometimes this place feels like group therapy for social media recovery. It’s had an effect: …
2018-10-11: Oh, today was downright breathtaking in its craptasticness. And if that’s not a word, then dammit, …
2018-10-11: So, the husband crossed the border into Wisconsin on his rounds yesterday. We’re ready to root …
2018-10-09: Guessing that what I’m feeling right now, as a native of San Diego and former NFL fan, is how …
2018-10-09: It did my heart good to see this in the Times on this crummy morning. Except for the …
2018-10-08: I really didn’t need to read this before bedtime. Smartphone robot finger lets devices crawl …
2018-10-08: Also, the podcast episode serves as my de facto Micro Monday recommendation of @ayjay, whose …
2018-10-08: Had a great time talking to @macgenie for the latest Micro Monday podcast. She made the whole …
2018-10-08: Bookmarking this long read for later. Welcome to my world as an editor. From inboxing to thought …
2018-10-07: Interesting side effect (I hesitate to say “benefit”) of watching the Dodgers-Braves game: seeing …
2018-10-07: In a rare moment, I just tweeted. The only time I tweet nowadays is at my 10-year-old’s behest to …
2018-10-07: Wrote my first letter on the new typewriter. I’ve missed you, snail mail.
2018-10-06: Buttercream and butterscotch flavors swirled together. No actual beer was harmed in the production …
2018-10-06: Time to take a backhoe to the home office and clear out space for the new typewriter. Pray for me.
2018-10-06: Analysis: Senators representing less than half the U.S. are about to confirm a nominee opposed by …
2018-10-05: Happy to know F can keep herself occupied when I’m in the middle of something. Behold, the “doughnut …
2018-10-05: F is home from school today (“institute day” for teachers). I’m in my office on a …
2018-10-05: I didn’t have time to clear off the kitchen table for this, but I don’t care. Just installed a new …
2018-10-04: Oh, listening to Uecker shill Usinger’s sausages and Leinenkugel beer in October at Miller …
2018-10-04: Really nice to listen to Bob Uecker call a ballgame in October. Since both Chicago teams are out, …
2018-10-04: Dentist has the SiriusXM ‘70s channel. It’s playing the Bay City Rollers cover of “I Only Want to Be …
2018-10-04: It’s an I-just-ate-two-breakfast-sandwiches-and-there-goes-my-fast kind of morning.
2018-10-03: This is my third notice in 15 minutes. Somebody make it stop.
2018-10-02: Just bought two typewriter ribbons and a used (yeah, like I’d find one new out there) Royal …
2018-09-29: Another Saturday, another morning of listening to “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” repeatedly, …
2018-09-29: It seems really wrong — and certainly inconvenient — to love sleep more than anybody else in my …
2018-09-28: I don’t have the stomach for social media conversing at the moment. Meanwhile, I’m just …
2018-09-27: Close to wrapping up another nonstop work week. Tonight is the first night this week I get to go to …
2018-09-26: I was in high school and college in the 1980s. I didn’t learn until 10 years ago how much …
2018-09-26: “The pancakes are cold because I took too long to select an Instagram filter. I will eat them …
2018-09-26: Weird how coworkers who complain of childish behavior in the workplace are often the coworkers who …
2018-09-25: “There are many things that would be lost if we slowly lose the cognitive patience to immerse …
2018-09-25: One word, according to this writer: Stoics. (Paging @paulcraig901.) Catastrophe overload? Read …
2018-09-24: The only thing that really compels me to post on Twitter and Facebook these days: a daughter’s pride …
2018-09-24: In lieu of homework, F and I made shimmery golden slime, which looks much more shimmery and golden …
2018-09-24: “… other newbies include: aquafaba, beatdown, zomboid, twerk, sheeple, wayback, bokeh, …
2018-09-23: My friend Gayle has a sweet sideline as a dog sitter. Frannie and I got to hang with her and her two …
2018-09-23: It’s a new frontier in homiletics when the priest uses the word “frenemy” in a sermon.
2018-09-22: Pokémon Go had its monthly Community Day today. We joined the hordes of players wandering through …
2018-09-22: “All God wants of man is a peaceful heart.” — Meister Eckhart The Reinhold Niebuhr monument at …
2018-09-21: Grateful for seasonal cool weather after several hot and humid days. (Hoodie weather! Woo-hoo!) Even …
2018-09-21: Unfortunately, this feels very familiar. And as my daughter enters the tween years, this alarms me …
2018-09-20: Gives new meaning to the term “lobster pot.” Lobster pound owner thinks she has a …
2018-09-20: This appears to dovetail a bit with Ross Douthat’s recent column on conservatism after …
2018-09-19: Random photo: Punta Gorda, FL, March 2006. 📷
2018-09-18: I don’t watch awards shows much, but I have managed to replay the video of Glenn Weiss’ …
2018-09-17: At last, I have reached the Pokémon Go mountaintop.
2018-09-17: ”… for a growing number of users – and mental health experts – the very positivity of …
2018-09-16: Been rooting around Etsy for typewriter ribbons and now I’m jonesing for a second typewriter — one …
2018-09-15: So, we went shopping at a giant Korean supermarket today. And no, I didn’t get the toilet paper. I …
2018-09-15: Yes, You’re Becoming More Introverted With Age (Psychology Today)
2018-09-14: “Other scientific studies honored this year included those highlighting the benefits of using a …
2018-09-14: Trying to shake off its ultra-conservative image, Saudi Arabia launches a new industry: fun (L.A. …
2018-09-14: “Micro.blog … may never reach the heights of Twitter, which might be a good thing. …
2018-09-13: Random photos: Home, July 2015. Hunting for fireflies. I miss the leisurely summer twilight.
2018-09-13: Found out yesterday that our new parish rector still has a flip phone. I found myself envying him. …
2018-09-13: Okay, maybe too late to post for my friends staring down Florence right now, but it’s a good …
2018-09-12: Random photo: Austin, MN, October 2003. We did a Midwestern road trip for our honeymoon, and drove …
2018-09-12: Apparently I’m the only person on Micro.blog who didn’t watch the Apple thing. ;)
2018-09-12: “It was this competition of who’s the happiest. Participating in that is not something I’m …
2018-09-11: It’s the first night since Saturday I don’t have a looming deadline that forces me to work into the …
2018-09-11: Random photo: Shackleford Banks, NC, August 2017. Thinking of my friends in the Carolinas as …
2018-09-11: “Everything Bagel With Cream Cheese And A Tiny American Flag, Eaten With A Fork: You are trying too …
2018-09-11: “Right now I’m watching a lot of Walker, Texas Ranger and turning a lot of Smirnoff into …
2018-09-11: “They are the kinds of places where the public, private and philanthropic sectors can work …
2018-09-10: Random photo: Birch Aquarium, La Jolla, CA, September 2013.
2018-09-09: Random photo: Broadview, IL, June 2016. Had lunch here after church today. Starches and cabbage …
2018-09-08: I always appreciated Major Healey and Howard Borden. Bill Daily, Major Healey in ‘I Dream of …
2018-09-08: Beautiful, gut-wrenching read. “After Teddy died I heard the phrase: you will learn to feel the love …
2018-09-08: Detail that made me laugh out loud: Even Pinterest has banned Alex Jones. Conspiracy Theories Made …
2018-09-07: Long weekend ahead (funeral, work projects, proofreading for a friend), but what I look forward to …
2018-09-07: Bookmarking this for when I get the dreaded update. How to Return to Chrome’s Old Look—and Fix …
2018-09-07: Random photo: Raleigh, NC, August 2017 📷
2018-09-06: Didn’t take long to see my first tweet about Burt Reynolds’ passing with a photo of Tom …
2018-09-06: I guess I’m going to have to find other ways to make myself smarter. (But I love the …
2018-09-06: Random photo: Littleton, NH, July 2017. 📷
2018-09-05: Random photo: Shackleford Banks, NC, August 2017. 📷 (Also, posted this with Sunlit; interesting how …
2018-09-05: 1 in 5 U.S. teachers works a second job to survive. In related news: Teacher pay drops 5% in last …
2018-09-04: It’s been a day. And the work day is still going.
2018-09-04: You know it’s bad when an entire country leaves Twitter. ;)
2018-09-04: Muted all political and religious feeds on Twitter. All I have left are baseball, weather, and dogs. …
2018-09-04: Random photos: San Diego, CA, July 2014. 📷
2018-09-04: I’m more of a dog person, really. But we have a cat who seems to like me. Still filing this …
2018-09-03: We checked out a working farm operated by the county park district today. It’s preserved much of the …
2018-09-03: Best. Idea. Ever. 📷
2018-09-03: Labor Day morning. Me: I forget. We restarting the (intermittent) fasting thing today? C: Are you …
2018-09-03: For my first Micro Monday post, I recommend @eli and @cheri. I’m really enjoying getting to know …
2018-09-02: The Sunday night of a three-day weekend with a Monday holiday is the best night ever.
2018-09-02: Random photo, “Don’t Go Back to …” edition: Rockville, MD, July 2018. 📷
2018-09-02: I deleted Apple News from my phone. I’m free! FREE, I tell you!
2018-09-02: From punishing to pleasurable, how cursive writing is looping back into our hearts (Washington Post)
2018-09-01: Anybody out there have a “morning pages” habit? Do you keep it up in an analog fashion, or do you do …
2018-09-01: Libation on a cloudy evening: Lithuanian honey liqueur and soda water. Tastes faintly like ouzo, but …
2018-09-01: Went to the city for brunch with friends I haven’t seen in years. Almost backed out because I feel …
2018-08-31: Random photo: Rome, ME, June 2018. After a long work week, wishing we were there. 📷
2018-08-30: Three straight late evenings of work at home is enough. Time for a civilized night’s rest. ‘Night.
2018-08-30: So, I had to guess my kid’s favorite color during Curriculum Night. I said “blue, pink, or purple.” …
2018-08-30: This, incidentally, is B.K., short for Bright Lights, Big Kitty. He gets into my occasional photos …
2018-08-30: Okay, now I’m feeling guilty about this whole mousetrap thing. Maybe I’d feel less guilty if we just …
2018-08-30: I just heard the loud “whack” of one of my husband’s mousetraps succeeding. I wish …
2018-08-30: There’s hope for me yet. Why Being Lazy Is Actually Good For You (Time) Survival Of The …
2018-08-29: Deleted a tweet with my use of the phrase “rat-faced she-hyena with ‘80s feathered …
2018-08-29: I don’t necessarily care about this story. I just like the use of the word …
2018-08-29: Is it wrong to look at my screen and audibly tell Facebook that no, I don’t really want more …
2018-08-28: Random photo: Bangor, ME, August 2016. 📷
2018-08-28: ”… there is no greater thrill, as a kid, than looking into the gaping maw of human …
2018-08-28: I love living near a city that holds a CatVideoFest. (Ticket sales benefit local cat charities and …
2018-08-28: “The Hispanic community are Iowans. They have the same values as Iowans. As far as I’m …
2018-08-27: Random photo: Elmhurst, IL, December 2012. 📷 (One of my favorite photos—one that suddenly feels far …
2018-08-27: “Surprising”? The surprising benefits of being an introvert (Time)
2018-08-27: I’ve tried four of these. Added to the bucket list: Head to Texas and try this Big Red stuff. …
2018-08-26: “John McCain, in death, is performing the unifying function that the incumbent president is …
2018-08-26: Went Pokémon hunting this afternoon with the 10-year-old from the comfort of an air-conditioned …
2018-08-26: Happy National Dog Day from Winslow and me. 📷
2018-08-26: Backpack blessed at church today; St. Paul token (top left) and St. Benedict medal attached. The …
2018-08-25: “Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio and television and the internet. To hell …
2018-08-25: Reinhold Niebuhr statue, Elmhurst College. Elmhurst, IL, August 25, 2018. 📷
2018-08-24: I really wanted No. 18 to be Mueller. Who said it: Dorothy Parker or special counsel Robert Mueller? …
2018-08-24: It took 8 years for me to get over leaving my old career. But I got over it. Why you should take …
2018-08-24: So, my husband’s job takes him to grocery stores around the area, and he ended up at a Filipino …
2018-08-24: Random photo: Dearborn Station, Chicago, IL, February 2002. 📷
2018-08-23: In a cranky social media snit, I muted/unfollowed everybody on Twitter/FB except feeds for sports, …
2018-08-23: This is why, after 8 hours of work at a desk — and before dinner, followed by another few hours of …
2018-08-23: Random photo: Preschooler in papier-mâché, Elmhurst, IL, April 2012. 📷
2018-08-23: Adding to the bucket list: a pilgrimage to Ben’s Chili Bowl. Sixty years of D.C. history and …
2018-08-22: Another snack obsession I brought back from Canada, along with “all dressed” potato chips and Tim …
2018-08-22: “Once I filled out all the note cards, I could tell by the depth of the stack that these flash …
2018-08-22: How to raise an optimistic human in a pessimistic world (Common Sense Media)
2018-08-21: Has social-media usage around the world peaked? (Globe & Mail)
2018-08-21: The more I explore and play in this space, the more I realize this is kind of how I hoped Tumblr …
2018-08-21: Random photo: Kenosha, WI, September 2016. 📷
2018-08-21: A testy Anglophile American just accused me of being “provincial” because I called …
2018-08-21: For me, micro blog = outlet. If conversation happens, that’s fine, too.
2018-08-21: Someday, I will be fully caught up on sleep.
2018-08-20: Barack Obama’s summer reading list is everything we need right now (Washington Post)
2018-08-20: Our recent travels included a stop at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. I’m finding a …
2018-08-20: “Belongingness” is an actual word. I’m going to be in the fetal position under my …
2018-08-19: Given my postings thus far, perhaps it goes without saying that one of my favorite subreddits is the …
2018-08-19: Can’t seem to shake exhaustion, head/body aches, and mild nausea. I blame much of my wear and tear …
2018-08-19: U.S. border crossing, Detroit, one week ago: Customs guy: “Where’d you come from?” Husband (for once …
2018-08-19: This was us a week ago, ending a weeklong jaunt through New England, Quebec, and southern Ontario. …
2018-08-19: Napped away most of my Sunday afternoon. I’d like to think I’m too old to feel guilty about that.
2018-08-18: Just saw a reference to this place as the “Indie Web rabbit hole.” Sounds about right. Need to …
2018-08-18: Nothing like coming home after a morning of washing pews and dusting an old church, only to discover …
2018-08-17: Reading: “The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August” by Claire North. Started it at the behest of my …
2018-08-17: It’s my first weekend home in two weeks. Yet I ended up a lot more booked this weekend than I …
2018-08-17: Finally checking out this space. (Blame all the Twitter pitches about it from @ayjay.) Also, Twitter …