Category Archives: life as we know it

The City as Spectacle

“What strange phenomena we find in a great city, all we need to do is stroll about with our eyes open.”

In early April I found myself at a mid-level hotel in mid-town Manhattan. My husband, Jon, was busy helping his mom with some projects and my son, Aaron, had virtual meetings with his college advisor and some studying to do on his spring break. The reason for our visit was to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday. But the party wasn’t until Saturday night. I had eight days stretching before me.

I’m no wide-eyed tourist. I lived in New York for seven years before moving to San Francisco. I know how to hold my bag close to my body, stride confidently through the ever-changing zigzag of crosswalks with their walk and don’t walk signs and construction tunnels, and not gawk at tall buildings or store windows. I had no plans to see Broadway musicals or visit 30 Rock.

But with an inner clock still set to California time and many of the sights within walking distance, I became a hybrid visitor: in the city but not of it…

Bike Clubbing, or Tales of a ‘B’ to ‘C’ Rider

In October 2020 when the local bike shop said it would cost more to repair my 25 year old mountain bike than it was worth, my husband Jon convinced me to trade it in for a sleek red Trek Domane road bike. Growing up, my dad had a bike store and I always rode aContinue reading “Bike Clubbing, or Tales of a ‘B’ to ‘C’ Rider”

Happy Spring! Or, Writing and Riding into 2021! Or, Lisa’s 30-day Yoga Challenge in only 54 Days!

As the ball dropped on the despicable 2020, and 2021 hoisted itself up to its new, exalted place, I resolved to say YES to new opportunities that presented themselves. So, I leaned in and signed up for multiple classes, communities, and new ventures that spanned the first quarter of the year. Did I kind ofContinue reading “Happy Spring! Or, Writing and Riding into 2021! Or, Lisa’s 30-day Yoga Challenge in only 54 Days!”

Dog Blog #3: Invitation to a Cat

Ruby’s first guest blog of the new year. With a little help from Lisa. They call me Ruby. Ruby the dog. They yell, “Ruby, Ruby!” And I come. Sometimes I come. Sometimes I stay where I am because I don’t feel like it. Sometimes I go outside and hide behind the bush. I don’t knowContinue reading “Dog Blog #3: Invitation to a Cat”

Dog Blog #2

I was just glancing at my NaNoWriMo files. I am a Winner! My goal for National Novel Writing Month was 50,000 words and ten short story drafts in the 30 days of November. I completed 50,000 words and drafted fourteen short stories. What I didn’t realize was that my intrepid Springer Spaniel, Ruby Penn, draftedContinue reading “Dog Blog #2”

SHUT UP!!!

Tuesday mornings at 10:00 I have a sacred duty to yell at a bunch of people to SHUT UP! But don’t worry—it’s sanctioned! I co-host a Shut Up & Write group through the California Writers Club. We used to sit around a table at a real café with the whirrr of the coffee machines andContinue reading “SHUT UP!!!”

Michelle Obama Is My Birthday Twin

I share a birthday with a lot of famous people: Jim Carey, Betty White, Muhammad Ali, Benjamin Franklin, Zooey Deschanel, Maury Povich, Kid Rock, James Earl Jones, and Eartha Kitt. We were all born January 17th. Pretty cool, right? But the one that really counts for me is Michelle Obama. Michelle and I were born the exact same cold winter day: I entered the world a month early in the middle of a snowstorm in Syracuse, NY (My mom liked to say it was the last time I was early anywhere), and Michelle made her debut several hundred miles away on the south side of Chicago. The future FLOTUS and I were birthday twins.

Dog Blog #1: Letters from a Dog

My dog, Ruby, received a letter in the mail. My niece Zooey picked Ruby to be her pen pal, and asked what kind of treats Ruby wanted when she saw her next, and if she would like to play fetch. Zooey is in second grade and wrote a very nice letter. Though I had lotsContinue reading “Dog Blog #1: Letters from a Dog”

Crowing From the Darkness

I’ve done my best to keep a positive outlook throughout this COVID-19 pandemic, stay safe, and follow the rules to keep everyone else safe. When the first shelter-in-place order came down from Sacramento March 19, those first weeks were surreal. Back then we thought it would be a short-term thing, we’d lick it, and moveContinue reading “Crowing From the Darkness”