Saturday, March 30, 2019

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Sneakers


Drying in the sun.



Scented



At a friend's place last week, I got a whiff of dried eucalyptus. In the way that only sense memory can make you instantly time travel, I was eleven-years-old and riding my bike down the path to the beach by my house. Other aromas of childhood pull me back to damp foggy mornings, fireplaces burning, and wet cement near a chlorinated pool.

I wondered what smells will bring Bob back to this time and place. The only thing I could think of? Dog pee. Levi has a small incontinence problem when he gets excited and I can never seem to get the smell fully removed from our living room. Maybe the ick smell of our air conditioning system at the beginning of the season? I had to dig deeper. I took the issue to my friend Karen who suggested the smells of baking and Thanksgiving. Then I came up with freshly cut grass on a baseball field. The sweet smell of the jacaranda trees that line the streets in our neighborhood. Cinnamon Christmas candles.

I will ask Bob when he's a grown up.



Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Pitching



It was a cold night in the stands, but I was still a little sad when the game ended. I love watching this guy play.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Timing


I had forgotten about this and found it today in my jacket pocket, at just the right time.


A Little Spring


Another Thing I Made

Today I walked outside and took a deep breath. It finally smells like springtime.


Sunday, March 24, 2019

Smacksy Sunday Links



Midlife minimalism explained. 

This analogy perfectly explains how grief changes over time.

I love Dave Ramsey - this explains his money method simply.

A phonetic map of the human mouth.

The real life gardens of earthly delights.

The quest to acquire the oldest, most expensive book on the planet.

And a panda trying to get on a hammock.

Happy Sunday.


Friday, March 22, 2019

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Accurate



Some might say it seems like all we've got going on around here is baseball and sleeping dogs. Some might be correct.

Monday, March 18, 2019

Monday Night Mood


Tonight's game was next door to a horse stable. We could hear the horses whinnying now and then during the game. Excellent.

Friday, March 15, 2019

The Blue Chair


Welcome to my new office. The old chair was shredding and never comfortable. Enter this beauty. This is where the magic is now happening. Back in the olden days when I worked in TV, I was incorporated. The name of my inc was Blue Chair, named so after an Elvis Costello song of the same name. And now, today, I have my first actual blue chair. I think I'm in love.





Tuesday, March 12, 2019

A Little Advice


My friend Nancy Davis Kho just celebrated the 50th episode of her phenomenal podcast, Midlife Mixtape. I had the pleasure of dishing out a teensy bit of advice today on her anniversary episode that asks the question, what advice would you give to younger people? Click on Midlife Mixtape to listen.


Monday, March 11, 2019

Gimme a Minute


I was driving home after dropping Bob at baseball practice. Looked in the rearview mirror, and saw a saturated orange and pick sunset blazing behind me. I pulled a u-turn and headed to a place I knew I'd be able to see it clearly. I was stuck in a lane behind a '68 Volkswagon Beetle with a missing break light for five blocks. Then I was caught at the commuter train crossing for-almost-ever. I could see the sunset slipping away. I begged it to wait for me. Maybe it heard me, because when I finally came to a stop at the overlook, this tiny sliver that was left winked at me once, then disappeared. Worth the wait.





Thursday, March 7, 2019

Thursday Morning Schedule


You may recall, Levi has not historically enjoyed Thursday mornings when the gardener comes. Our current way of surviving this weekly shaking and panic inducing crisis of loud yard machinery, looks like this: I make sure to be home on Thursdays between 9:30am - 11:00am. When the gardener arrives, the dogs are loaded into the bedroom. Teddy is fine on the floor. Levi hops up on the bed. I hold the flappy part of Levi's ears down to his head to cut the sound and while doing so, give him a little noggin massage. We continue this until Mr. Jerry, our beloved gardener, has driven away.

I think Levi secretly looks forward to Thursday mornings now.






Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Buddy


Someone doesn't like thunder/lightning/rainstorm situations.



Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Big Brown Eyes


I will give him pretty much anything he wants. Can you blame me? No you can not.


Monday, March 4, 2019

Me, Molly and Mary Jane


When my friend Molly Campbell was visiting from Dayton, Ohio last month, we had a spectacular  adventure. I am sending you to the piece Molly wrote about the whole thing. Enjoy.