I picked my sister up in downtown Vancouver for our drive to downtown Seattle. As we navigated a couple of blocks downtown, in our hometown, we saw some terrible drivers – truly awful. Think: there’s a green light, but to these guys it did not mean “go”. “It’s like every cluck in the country is…
I don’t like when people say “First world problems” dismissively. I get it: sometimes, people complain about ridiculous things, and it’s fun to make fun of them. I do it too. I like to reference the Mugatu Latte scene from the first Zoolander when I do it, but not always. Sometimes something like this will…
The other day, I bit into something with some ground pepper, and managed to bite down on what must have been a quarter of a peppercorn. As it crushed in my mouth, it tasted so green: violently, vibrantly green. I think very little about spices: I like curry sometimes, and always garlic, but don’t pay…
It’s pool weekend, Vancouverites. This weekend, our pools opened. It’s been marked in my calendar for weeks, with an exclamation mark – though I didn’t need to put it there. Because I have the date memorized. Saturday of the May Long Weekend. Now, some of you may be thinking: “What? The pools are open year…
I love the friendship between Chester and Lucas. Whales are so smart and cool! This woman wrote a letter to her mom for Mother’s Day. The writer and I don’t have a lot in common (I cannot imagine having the audacity to be upset with my mother for not coming to a bake sale), but I…
I recently finished reading Eula Biss’ award-winning On Immunity: An Inoculation. A confession: at one point, I bought only expensive dairy products at Whole Foods because I was skeptical of our local dairy industry. I thought, if I paid more for my yoghurt, the cows would be treated better. I also thought: “It can’t be good for me,…
This is the post I wrote before an encounter at the Winners changeroom: The book I just finished (more on that tomorrow) has me thinking about science. I am not a scientist, but I see the appeal. I think of Neil deGrasse Tyson: “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not…
If you’re a dog-lover, you know: there’s no love quite like the love between human and dog. I love my family; I love my friends; but I love my dog. When I’m alone or cold or lonely, he’s right there, wanting food and belly-scratches, and needing to go out. And I’m not exaggerating when I…
Most of my clothing is highly practical. Flat shoes, sturdy trousers. Some of it is less so – silk blouses or shifts I try to keep brilliantly white. Only a couple of items are in my closet because I love them: I saw them and I thought: “That is so pretty!” and now wait, sometimes…
That’s right, I said it: DIVORCE. D-I-V-O-R-C-E. When we were getting married, “divorce” was like a dirty word. The prospect was terrifying. Still. I joked, as we were getting married, about how passion and reason did not always coexist. How could either of us possibly vow to become one with another person, until our lives…
