Posts Categorized: Two Cents

Be a Force for Good: Review a Book Today!

posted on 03/16/2012

I’ve written before about my experience with self-publishing and the changes in the publishing industry. The subject continues to fascinate me as a reader and a writer. The world of books is in flux, to say the least, and readers are presented with an overwhelming array of choices. Hardback and paperback, sure. Familiar authors, yes. […]

I’m almost too embarrassed to tell you this

posted on 08/08/2011

Maybe it’s an occupational hazard (writer + counselor), but I often notice themes emerging in my life and work. Right now one of those themes, especially with my teen and adult female clients, is humiliating experiences. Most often things that might happen, and would be so devastating that the person would never recover. Falling down […]

New Rules for a New Era

posted on 03/15/2011

Alright, people. I realize the modern conveniences of cell phones, e-mail, Caller ID, Facebook, etc. have created some social and professional situations that aren’t covered by the traditional etiquette rules of Emily Post. Somehow I don’t think the ladies who long ago made maps of appropriate forks and wrote the governing regulations on thank-you notes […]

"Mom, I Can’t Sleep"

posted on 01/24/2011

Originally this blog was going to be about how our little monkey didn’t sleep Friday night, and what fun it was trying stay awake and present Saturday morning when we had a crowd at our house for brunch. MLM is getting in a back molar, we think, and he was awake and crying from midnight […]

Dear PTA Lady: A Protest!

posted on 12/17/2010

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week at Monkey’s school. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? I think so. I love teachers. I worked at a school for almost three years and teachers were the majority of my acquaintance. My best friend is a teacher. I know first-hand what a hard and often thankless job it can be. So I […]

How to React When I Refer to Myself as a "Fat Girl"

posted on 10/23/2010

You wouldn’t believe how uncomfortable it makes people. Especially skinny people. We’ll be together in some social situation, talking about whatever (often it’s food or dieting or fitness), and I will make a reference to myself as a fat girl. I often do this in an outrageously self-applauding way. For example when someone compliments me […]

Trying to Get the TV to Babysit, But It Shows Up Late and Talks on the Phone the Whole Time…

posted on 10/18/2010

Don’t use the TV as a babysitter. This is one of those rules I always hear thrown around about parenthood. Actually, come to think of it, I hear it less often as a rule and more often as a derisive example of bad parenting that people desperately want to avoid. It’s usually something like, “I […]

Something Near and Dear to My Heart – And How You Can Help

posted on 10/18/2010

I know everyone is super-busy, but please take a moment out of your day to vote for this very important project. Yes, you do have to register with the Pepsi people, but then you can vote for up to 10 different projects each day (and I’d love it if you’d vote for this project more […]

Watching Men Come up from the Ground

posted on 10/13/2010

Isn’t this just the coolest thing? Right now I’m enjoying MLM’s morning nap and watching the trapped Chilean miners being rescued one by one. You would think that by the twelfth miner, some of the novelty and emotion of seeing this process would have worn off, but it hasn’t. It’s totally amazing to see someone […]

What if Customer Service Representatives Were Honest?

posted on 10/06/2010

CSR: Thank you for calling Comcast/AT&T/Other Big Conglomerate. How may I demean and frustrate you today? ME: Yes, hello. I’m having a problem with my service. CSR: I’m not even a little bit sorry to hear that, ma’am. Actually, I was really enjoying a conversation with the people in the cubicles around me, and you’re […]