I Know This Boy

We have a new intern at work.

His manager stopped by to introduce him, and he seemed like your textbook nerdy guy. He was a bit over-dressed, very awkward, and very nervous. He shook my hand and the first little frission of awareness went up my spine. Don't most people look you in the eye when they shake your hand? He looked at his hand, instead. He greeted my coworker and I exactly the same way, almost as though he were reading from a script.

A scripted response.

Is Your Business Running Smoothly? Thank An Administrative Professional!

National Administrative Professional's Day is upon us, and since it's inception in 1952, it's been the hope of everyone like me who sits at the desk in front of the important door (or behind the reception desk, or next to the projector and the laptop in the big meeting room, or in the car running a bazillion errands for the department) that you'll remember who does the nitty gritty grudge work around the office.

Poetry Corner

Keeping Up With The Populars

It was Saturday morning, and my daughter was packing for a sleepover at a new friend's house. Phone numbers and parent's names had been exchanged, and her brother David and I were looking forward to a quiet movie night with just the two of us.

I had a load of freshly washed laundry in a basket under my arm as I stopped outside the door to her room.
"Anna, do you need a pair of jeans for tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Mom, where's my Hollister shirt?" She asked, pulling things randomly from her dresser drawer and tossing them in a heap on the floor.
"It should be in there. Don't you have two?"
"Yes, and I need one for tomorrow. And I need to change before I go over, but I want to wear an Aeropostale shirt."

The Stories Of Friends

I had dinner last night with an old friend. I just snickered out loud as I wrote that - Linda is older than me, and I love to tease her about it. She’s only got twelve years years on me, but I play it up as much as I can. Years ago, when I was showing off the ultrasound pictures of my first child, Linda was bemoaning the fact that ultrasounds weren’t standard procedure when she had her girls. I reminded her that back then, doctors probably couldn’t generate ultrasound waves by banging the rocks together in her cave.

I know, I’m a good friend like that.

Out Of The Blue

I got the mail out of the mailbox when I got home yesterday, and began sifting through the junk mail right away. I've found that if I don't sort over the trash can first thing, I get a built-up pile of catalogs, flyers and assorted envelopes that looks like the leaning tower of Pisa on my countertop.

So I stood over the trash can, ripping up credit card offers and sorting through local coupons, and I almost threw away an offer for a carpet cleaning service. I actually need to use that in the near future, so I picked it off the top of the trash pile, and noticed that the reverse side of it had one of those missing kids ads. I always try to give those a glance. You never know, right?

No, you never know.

The Red-Eyed Monster

I think I've turned a corner in getting over my divorce. Suddenly, after months and months (OK, two+ years) of dormancy, my libido has suddenly woken up.

With a vengeance.

It is hungry. It is wild. And it demands satisfaction. NOW.

Pod People

I had both kids' parent-teacher conferences this week and was informed that my children are prompt, well-mannered, respectful of other people's property and always clean up after themselves.

I can only come to one conclusion.

There are mutant "pods" in a janitor closet somewhere at each school, and each morning, alien clones take the place of my children. This explains why they're attacking each other, throwing clothing and toys around and screeching at me all night, after being confined in a janitor closet all day.

Single Working Mom, No Resources

I had my daughter's parent teacher conference last night. We got lucky, and were chosen for one of the few evening slots in the schedule. Still, in order to make the 5pm conference, I had to leave work an hour early, arrange for coverage of whatever needed to be done, deduct the time from my vacation/sick time, and work through lunch to make sure things that needed to be completed before I left got finished.

Then I listened to the teacher tell me how amazing my kid is - which I already know, but love to hear over and over again - and it was all great until he dropped the bombshell.

Never Doubt The Power Of Music

Things That Irk Me

Why do celebrities do hair color commercials?

Do they honestly think we'll believe that they're covering their gray or getting that lustrous shade of auburn wearing plastic gloves, hovering over a bathroom sink with a box in their hand? Not likely. They ought to show D-list celebrities. Has-beens who are so far down on their luck, they probably are coloring their hair in the sink. At least until they get paid for making a commercial about hair color, and then they'll be visiting their stylist again.

World Autism Day

He's eight. He good at playing Wii games. He loves to eat bacon. Just like so many other kids his age. But unlike those kids, my son has to work every day to accomodate the world he lives in.

According to the newest batch of statistics, Autism has increased 78% in the United States alone. What used to be a 1/110 ratio is now a 1/88 ratio - with one out of every fifty-six boys now being identified as belonging on the autism spectrum.