When we bought it fifteen years ago, the realtor kindly referred to our home as having a lot of “deferred maintenance.” In Southern California speak, this meant, “Honey, it’s a tear down.” We didn’t care. The house is on three acres of land, ten minutes from the beach—absolutely perfect for three rambunctious children, the four… Continue reading I Am Gullible
Category: General Observations
The Adventures of Dad, Continued
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ve probably figured out that my father is one tough old bird. He was my grandmother’s first born son, and was yanked forcibly from his mother’s womb a month prematurely via a forceps delivery after her water broke. As a result, his left brachial plexus was… Continue reading The Adventures of Dad, Continued
All Creatures Great and Small
“He prayeth best who loveth best, all things great and small. For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge A guest blog, tonight, from my friend Jackie Widen. I find I really don’t like people who don’t love animals. There, I said it. … Continue reading All Creatures Great and Small
Other People’s Money
I love to shop with other people’s money. My father and I spent the weekend shopping to outfit his new apartment. After living with me since January, when he was hit with the double whammy of my mother’s death and his own need for open heart surgery, he is ready both physically and emotionally, to… Continue reading Other People’s Money
I Want To Be Daenerys Targaryen
I used to want to be Lara Croft, of Lara Croft Tomb Raider fame. The sight of Angelina Jolie swinging from the rafters of the Croft Mansion in a black catsuit, and capturing the heart of Gerard Butler was more than I could stand. I even named a deerhound in her honor, Caerwicce’s Lady Croft,… Continue reading I Want To Be Daenerys Targaryen
What Is It With Kitchens?
The original title of this blog piece was CLEANING OUT THE KITCHEN. I started it before I went to Colorado to clean out my mother’s house, and specifically her kitchen. It began: You know those old circus acts where a tiny car pulls up on the stage and then people and dogs start coming out… Continue reading What Is It With Kitchens?
The Road Warrior
Those who know me know that I am no stranger to traffic school. My last session, in January, had to do with a disagreement with a camera perched on top of a traffic signal on my way home from work. I said, “The light was yellow.” Unfortunately the camera disagreed. Bad news, good news—that self… Continue reading The Road Warrior
I Had a Brother
Sometimes it’s the little things that trigger the memories. A few weeks ago, when those young women who had been abducted in Cleveland were found, almost by accident, my father said to me, “I don’t believe this story. It’s impossible that these women could be locked up for all those years and no one ever… Continue reading I Had a Brother
Weights and Measures
The sudden illness of a colleague is always a shocking surprise. As physicians, we are trained from an early age to ignore our own infirmities in the service of others. Apart from my three C-sections, I have been extremely fortunate in terms of my own health—I can count the number of sick days I’ve taken… Continue reading Weights and Measures
The Wisdom of Youth
In the spring of our freshman year at Yale, my roommates and I were shocked to open the Sunday New York Times, so fashionable at brunch in the dining halls, and see an article written by one of our very own classmates in the Times Magazine. Called “An Eighteen Year Old Looks Back on Life,”(http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/09/13/specials/maynard-mag.html)… Continue reading The Wisdom of Youth