So at the risk of bringing everyone down, I'm having a rough day.  Couple of days.  Actually, make that a couple of weeks.Even if you know me personally, you most likely have no idea that I've been having a rough time.  Because that's what I do.  I just power through.  I take the kids to [...]

I've had one of those weeks where you sort of feel like a really bad traveling carnival -- the kids look at you and think you should be fun, but when in comes down to it, you're actually just a  bunch of thinly spread out rides that need paint, could breakdown at any moment, and [...]

When I was a kid, my mom's side of the family -- all the crazy Polacks -- would get together for Thanksgiving every year.  We'd switch off venues.  Sometimes our place in Nevada, sometimes southern California or the Bay Area.  Any way you cut it, it was pure chaos.  Forty-plus people stuffed into a house [...]

My mom died a year ago today.  I've heard people say this sort of thing a bunch of times, but it still feels like she's just on vacation in Asia or something.  It's like we haven't seen her and she hasn't called for a while, but surely she'll be home soon.Today was actually fine.  We [...]

All things considered, I think I'm holding it together remarkably well.I have a lot on my plate this week.  I actually feel funny complaining because everyone has a lot on their plate this week.  And every week.  I was at yet another kid's birthday party the other day (although this one was quite pleasant due [...]

We're less than two weeks away from the anniversary of my mom's death, and I stupidly (and, yes, incredibly) thought this would only be difficult on the actual day it occurred and not all the days leading up to it.  But then what would I know -- I'm a newbie mourner.My first clue was when [...]

When I was a kid, I loved The Pink Panther Strikes Again with Peter Sellers. It's the one where Inspector Clouseau's loyal assistant, Cato, attacks him whenever possible so that Clouseau can practice warding off assassination attempts. If you haven't seen it, picture really bad martial arts, complete destruction of private property, and a funny [...]

I've been thinking about this weekend for almost a year.It's funny, because I've never been big on holidays or anniversaries or dates marking major milestones. I can't tell you when Tenzin and I had our first kiss. I have to pause to recall the kids' dates of birth. And if we have to celebrate a [...]

We've been watching Life, the behemoth new documentary series about animals, and we just saw the "Mammals" episode. There's a section where a baby elephant gets stuck in a watering hole and her young, inexperienced mother tries to get her out. Things keep getting worse until finally the grandmother comes over, pushes the mother out [...]