December 2001


Time out

December 30, 2001

i am coughing hysterically and it just won’t stop. i’ve been sick for almost two weeks now. it makes me so sad and achey and cranky, too. i suppose it’s partly my fault; i have not really taken a good chunk of time to rest until today. it’s been so much go-go-go with my two […]

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Family ties

December 26, 2001

and just like that, christmas is over. the last few packages thought to be lost in the holiday rush were spotted in a cubby hole outside the front gate. they sit in a crumpled bag, waiting to be wrapped. a few branches hang sadly because they were never fully clothed. the christmas carols have been […]

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vacation, all i ever wanted

December 19, 2001

today is wednesday, but it is my friday. actually, it’s my last day before vacation, and i feel like i should be going to a classroom party with fruit punch and star-shaped cookies and play games like heads-up 7-up and simon says until the school bell rings. two and a half weeks to stay up […]

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Excuse me, Elsa

December 13, 2001

it was elsa’s birthday today and she drank one too many shots. she spilled and tripped and slurred her words all the way to our table. all i wanted was a slice of apple streudel and a glass of water but i lost her to more birthday singing and drinking and floating. when it was […]

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Welcome home


my brother’s feet will touch the los angeles pavement within the hour, the first time in three years. i can’t be at the airport to greet him, but i know he will call from my dad’s car and he will ask in his dutch-tinged english when he can come over and i will smile heart […]

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Earthquake

December 12, 2001

she had a voice like an aggressive, british miss piggy. it shook the table. she towered over the restaurant on her way out, nearly tripping over her black boots. –lunchtime at a ramen house

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Get festive


i thank my mom for never dressing me up in holiday clothing: sweaters emblazoned with christmas trees, earrings the shape of lightbulbs, socks that spread a message of christmas cheer. i’ve got spirit, yes i do, but i do not need to wear it on my sleeve, or head, or feet. tonight, i am cutting […]

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All I want for Christmas

December 9, 2001

i know what i want this christmas, and it can’t be wrapped in paper or tied in bows. i want a hug from my grandma. i want a christmas tree short enough that i can reach the top by standing on my tiptoes. i want to laugh so hard i have to hold my stomach […]

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Shiny and new

December 6, 2001

i am, of course, okay. the shaky feeling has subsided, and my car window is shiny new. everyone rushed to my rescue today, in thoughts and words and action, and i am so grateful i know so many beautiful people. (you know who you are, i hope. i’ve told you once but if i need […]

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Shattered

December 5, 2001

there is broken glass everywhere, and i don’t even know how to begin to clean it up. i want to pretend it is not there. i want to crawl back into bed and wake up at 7:30 like i do every other day. i want it to be every other day. somebody broke into my […]

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Vicodin dreams


my mouth is a tea cup and i’ve got a string dangling out of the corner of my mouth. but that’s what the instructions said, right? yes. i read them at least five times, and clearly it said: “if there is excessive bleeding after a period of six hours, place a dry tea bag on […]

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Better than okay

December 4, 2001

sometimes, i wonder how loud the mouse clicks really are. can you hear them in the bathroom if the water is running? or in the dining room if you are on the phone? what about outside while taking out the trash? can you hear me? does it matter? oh, my room is getting cold, again. […]

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Santa

December 2, 2001

i saw santa riding shotgun in a metallic grey lincoln. he wasn’t wearing his hat. –imperial highway, by the brea mall

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We are not crazy

December 1, 2001

is it, we ask ourselves, a blessing or a curse to pay such close attention to detail and be able to let our imaginations run wild?

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  • I'm Christine, and this is a slice of my life—a sweet, rich, wildly indulgent slice that would taste really good with a scoop of Breyers vanilla bean ice cream. Read more >>


  • I run a darling, friendly, little graphic design studio.
    I look on the bright side.
    I take photos. Lots of photos.
    I wish on stars and on websites.


  • I built my first web site 7 years ago and got 15 seconds of fame. (It changed my life.)
    I launched, then relaunched, an online magazine.
    I admitted to several embarrassing crushes.
    I consumed more bacon than any human should and lived to tell the tales.






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