tomorrow, my parents will have been married 34 years. this astounds me, if only for the mere fact that thirty four years is almost one and a half times my age. but what astounds me even more is that, after all this time, they are still deeply in love. i know this, not because they […]

a night like this, and i think all i really need is a pot of coffee, an endless stream of good music, watercolors, rubber stamps, a thin black sharpie, double-sided tape, a bundle of twine, a stack of paper and an empty space on the carpet, and i could stay up all night long, for […]

walking into my cubicle this morning, i found a plastic bag filled with dirt sitting beside my keyboard. as if i weren’t cranky enough already, i thought, somebody’s leaving crap on my desk? and what was this person doing at my desk in the first place? and why is today such a horrible god awful […]

it seems to me that if i were to stick just to one thing, i could make it work. a painting, a photograph, a story. any one thing. but my mind leaps from idea to another as if they were rooftops on a warm summer’s night. i am too fickle, i think. i give in […]

i pull into the parking lot and, while i feel there is something very wrong about using a cellphone in such a place, i call my parents to see where they are. “three minutes away,” dad says, “have you already gone inside?” “no,” i say. “why not?” “because i’m scared.” i know i will have […]

i can’t keep my eyes off her, and i know that’s what she wants. i am trying to focus on the band, but my eyes keep roving to left of stage, where she and her guido boyfriend can’t stand still. she’s wearing a black tank top, a studded belt, tight jeans and stilettos. he’s in […]

i have to admit, thursdays are starting to grow on me. there’s corn chowder steaming in a bowl and two slices of rosemary bread with a dab of soft butter. there’s the LA weekly fresh off the press and free postcards for the taking. there’s people watching and artwork analyzing, all against the backdrop of […]

last night i dreamt of espionage and gasoline and car chases and my grandmother and church. it was rather unnerving, and i awoke to the phone ringing, thereby thwarting my efforts to solve these subconscious mysteries. i need closure. and every morning when i wake up, my throat hurts. it has since my trip to […]

my uncle tony died the other day, suddenly and too soon. not only was he an amazing artist, but he was also a kind, generous and compassionate man, and i feel lucky to have known him. he had no children but a wife who was always by his side, and in my memory, there was […]

and we can talk about inspiration and making a difference and changing the world. we can talk about baby steps and helping hands, we can talk about group efforts and great strides, we can talk until we’re blue in the face, but talk only gets you so far. inspiration is the easy part. it’s the […]

outdone. an ice wreath of berries, bunches of gerber daisies and croutons shaped as hearts. martha stewart would have been proud of the fine display. and carrie looked so lovely, like a bonfaide bride-to-be. seriously, it was that glow that you always read about. she was shining. when it came time to give her marriage […]

there was shamrock confetti and green beer and toilet paper streamers dotted with four-leaf clovers. after my friend’s band played, we stood and talked about amusement parks and the house of blues and run-ins with the cops. but the drunken sounds and smoke from the balcony became too much for us, so we retreated to […]

waiting in line, i felt a strange combination of grandma and punkass kid. it had been a while since i’d been to a rock show. “turn around,” said the lady, so i started to spin. shaking her head at me, she growled: “no. i mean, turn around.” “oh, sorry,” i said, turning my back to […]

nobody calls me, i think, but i blink hard and the red light’s still flashing. standing in my cubicle first thing in the morning, sipping my apricot ceylon tea from the paper cup, listening to the noise left on my voicemail. who is it? i have no clue, but i make out bits and pieces […]

in the shuttle on my way to the airport hilton, i sneezed suddenly and loudly, startling everyone around me. the man directly across from me scowled at me, as if he were afraid i would spread my germs on his ugly silk tie. for the next five minutes i tried desperately to sneeze again, so […]

what i have learned since then: taking off is more scary than landing, aloha chips are just as good as thin mints, malaysian cherry is in fact better than egyptian plum, photographs don’t do everything justice, receipt collection is a necessary hassle and it doesn’t matter what coat you bring because you’ll lose it anyway. […]

so, i am sitting in the conference room, sipping my already cold coffee because it’s there and why not, crossing and uncrossing my legs for the hundredth time because i just can’t seem to get comfortable, taking notes furiously because if i don’t keep my hand and brain occupied i am sure i will fall […]

so, i need a haircut but i won’t be able to get it cut until the 17th at the soonest, and we are putting our apartment search on hold because our landlord hasn’t even given us an eviction notice, and it is raining again, i can hear the swishing of something outside my window, and […]

all day long i’d been wanting to be alone and the first moment i had to breathe in silence, i went out. what is it about a cup of coffee, a room filled with strangers and acoustic dronings that makes me feel safe? i sat at the table against the wall, protected by a fortress […]