This is the follow-up post on how to throw a kick-but Harry Potter birthday party (we did this when my daughter, Elfie, turned nine). Part One describes all the prep work. It's really not as scary as it sounds... So this post is meant to walk you through the actual execution of the party. Basically [...]

I found this short movie last night. Don't ask me how I found it or where. I was in an Ambien stupor at the time and have no recollection of how it got on my computer. When I woke up and saw it on one of my tabs, I suddenly had a flashback that I'm [...]

Sorry for the radio silence (or or internet silence -- whatever they call it in blogging). I'm not dead. Although over the last week, there were a couple of times I sorta kinda wished I was. Ah chronic pain. Where would I be without you... Anyway, I thought I should catch everyone up on some [...]

Every once in a while, your kid says something that lets you know you're not totally screwing it up. We were watching TV tonight, and mine said, in sort of a "Wow, would you check out the view from the top of this Mount Everest place" voice:"I love this commercial. It makes me feel like [...]

Photo by PartlySunnyTime for a Jasper update. Since we got our puppy five weeks ago, he's gained about nine pounds and weighs almost half as much as Elfie. The little fluff ball I used to be able to tote around like a clutch purse is more like an unruly sack of potatoes. He's no longer a [...]

I thought about doing a somewhat serious post today about Memorial Day and the need for increased veterans' services, but if you're not a heartless jerk, you probably already know that. And the thing is, I've had a sort of exhausting week, so I think I'll just hit the easy button and write about the [...]

Ah, Mother's Day. You started out so well. Jasper, the puppy, miraculously slept most of the night. Tenzin, the husband, got up with the dog and let me sleep in. Then around 8:30, Elfie, the 7-year-old, brought me breakfast in bed. True, Tenzin made French toast with expired eggs and there's a 50/50 chance I'll [...]

There are so many parodies online that sometimes it's hard to tell when something's real. At least it is for me. I get a little case of the gullible's every once in a while.Anyway, when I saw this website that my husband's co-worker sent to him, I couldn't believe it was real: Dollar Shave Club. [...]

So I got this video from a good buddy who was wondering if the person in it was a friend of mine. S-he. . . is not. But it was a fair question (given my suburban home, Japanese cars, and propensity to shop at Whole Foods). And while I haven't dislocated joints in order to [...]