• I've Got Mad Skillz,  Jim Has Mad Skillz,  My Kid Has Mad Skillz,  Proud Moments,  Random Thoughts,  Reflections on Parenting

    Transitions, Part One

    August 31, 2011

    Ahh, life. We’re going through all kinds of changes in this house right now. I’m not typically a fan of changes, but I’m learning to roll with them as they come up. The biggest thing happening this week is D’s imminent departure. He’s going back to college on Monday, to begin his sophomore year. When I think about how worried and emotional I was last year, right before he left us for the first time, I smile a little bit. I wish I had known back then, just one tiny little year ago, that even though things were changing, they were staying the same in so many ways. He had…

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  • Shameless Promotion

    Would You Mind Helping Me With A Bit of Housekeeping?

    August 29, 2011

    I’m going to assume that if you decided to keep reading beyond my title, you have agreed to help me. Thank you, and don’t worry: blog housekeeping isn’t very difficult. It’s not like I’m asking you to dust my collectibles or deep-clean the carpets in my actual house. Number One: Favorite Posts List It has occurred to me that new readers of Suburban Scrawl as well as first-time visitors might appreciate a special page within the blog (and accessible via the menu bar at the top) called “Favorite Posts”, and I’d like your help in creating it. Obviously the idea is to come up with a list of posts that…

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  • Roxie

    Does This Dog Look Like A Killer?

    August 28, 2011

    You wouldn’t think so, right? Boy, do I have a story for you. Yesterday, I let Roxie out into our fenced backyard to “do her business”, which is a polite way of saying…well, you know what I’m saying. I made the mistake, it being a lovely summer day and all, of walking away from the family room (where I can keep an eye on her) and getting involved in something else, in another part of the house. The reason that’s a mistake is because Roxie has a problem with not being able to pass up the opportunity to roll in rabbit poo. Usually, on a great summer afternoon, if I…

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  • Confessions,  Do I Really Want My Readers To Know This?,  I've Got Mad Skillz,  My Kid Has Mad Skillz,  Reflections on Parenting

    The Ability To Procrastinate Doesn’t Happen Overnight, You Know…

    August 26, 2011

    Everyone who knows me well can vouch for the fact that one of my greatest skills is the ability to procrastinate. (Case in point: I wanted to write this post about six months ago.) I’m terrible at time management when it comes to projects. That said, don’t believe for a second that I miss deadlines, because I don’t. I might finish what’s due at the very last possible moment before my deadline is up, but I do finish on time. In spite of my chronic procrastination tendencies (I prefer to say that “I work well under pressure”), I am, surprisingly, more organized than the average person. Okay, part of it…

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  • Amazing People,  Working On My Fitness,  Zumba

    So, Three Older Gentlemen Walk Into A Zumba Class…

    August 24, 2011

    They were in their late sixties or early seventies, I’m sure. I didn’t notice them immediately because I dance in the front row, and it wasn’t until we did a pivot step to the back of the room that they came into my line of sight. There is a class for seniors, you see, in the gym right after Zumba is over. The older folks who arrive nice and early (I think that’s most of them!) usually stand outside the door, but today was different. Maybe it was the music. Maybe it was my adorably perky instructor. Maybe it was the desire to just move. Whatever “it” was pulled them…

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  • Chicken in the Car,  How To,  Something That Could Change Your Life

    Ten Things You Should Know If You Want To Publish A Book

    August 23, 2011

    It seems like the number of people who dream of becoming a published author has skyrocketed over the last few years. Of course, it might be the company I keep, but I don’t really think so. I have found for the most part, both in one-on-one conversations and group settings alike, that people have very different ideas about whether their dream of getting published is attainable, how much work is involved in doing so, and all kinds of details in between. I am often asked broad questions like “How did you get your book published?” and “How did you find your publisher?” I am also asked more specific questions like…

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  • Family Fun,  Fun in Chicago

    You’ve Always Dreamed of Helping To Set A Guinness Book World Record, Haven’t You?

    August 22, 2011

    If you have (and you will be in the Chicago area this Sunday August 28), I’ve got just the thing for you. The Tie Bar is inviting you and your whole family (extended family, even!) to come to Wrigley Square at Millennium Park (corner of Randolph/Michigan) to help them set the Guinness Book World Record for the most bow ties tied by a group. (And by “set”, I MEAN “set”. There is no current record on the books for this!) The event will take place at 2:00 p.m. The first 500 people to show up to this Officially Sanctioned Guinness World Records® Event will get a free bow tie. Even…

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  • Random Thoughts

    Pet Peeve #248, Mostly In Run-On Sentences.

    August 21, 2011

    If you were at a reception and you put some cheese and crackers on your plate and then you walked away from the table to go and talk to your friends and while you were talking to your friends you were eating and suddenly one of your crackers fell on the ground… Would you pick it up and dispose of it out of respect for the venue and the people who work there, as well as to show others around you that you not only are aware of what’s going on around you but also that you are a responsible resident of earth who cares about doing the right thing,…

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  • I've Got Mad Skillz,  Proud Moments,  Too Funny To Ignore

    Zeus and the Hanger

    August 18, 2011

    Time flies. It flies so quickly that I just realized I never wrote about the acquisition of J’s first car, six weeks ago. SIX WEEKS AGO. That’s like, four years in blog time. I won’t go into all of the details of the search except to say that J was delightfully open to “almost any car that runs”. This attitude was in massive contrast to his brother’s: when D was looking for his first car, he had things narrowed down to what was nearly impossible to find. Oh, he found it alright, but the annoyance level of everything having to do with that car hunt was high. This house was…

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  • Too Funny To Ignore

    It Would’ve Been A Great Reason To Be Late, And By “Great” I Mean Terrible.

    August 17, 2011

    Yesterday Jim declared he was taking a sick day, so he could try and get a doctor’s appointment and some medication for his raging cough. D took Jim’s car to work, and so I needed Jim to drive me to the salon. I remembered at the last minute that my gas tank was almost empty, so we absolutely had to stop, even though it was going to make me late for my shift. Jim noticed, while pumping the gas, that my tires were low enough that neglecting to fill them with air would be a safety hazard. Bad news when you want to get to work, but the alternative wasn’t…

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