I’ve been meaning to do more travel writing, and not just because I heard you can cadge free trips for doing so. Many great writers of the world (Hemingway, Shakespeare, Napoleon) got free trips to far off places and wrote about them for fun and profit. Why not me? Just to show … [Read more...]

As a general rule, parents need to supply their kids only 5 basic things: food, clothing, shelter, lots of love, and quick access to the potty. Most days this isn't as easy as it sounds. The middle-aged clerk at the outlet store today clearly has not brought her best game. She … [Read more...]

You win, car in front of me in traffic sporting the decal with the precocious little boy urinating on a rival logo. You win. I can’t compete with you. In fact, I have given up. If not for this immense traffic jam caused by an accident or an overturned watermelon truck or just … [Read more...]

Shh, listen! Do you hear dry carpets? I am finally ready to say these words, after a year and a half (possibly more) of working on it: My son is potty trained! Hallelujah! Good old fashioned “potty training” has evolved into the politically correct “potty learning” in the … [Read more...]

Don't tell me the morning of, that you have a trip and need a home lunch, just grab the jar of peanut butter, a spoon and can of Vienna sausage. Next time give me some notice. There was a time that I was meticulous about laundry. Now I don't even bother to separate the clothes. … [Read more...]