Our house on 69th Street in Urbandale, Iowa, had a big bump in the backyard. It’s where my grandfather built a fall-out shelter that connected to our basement. It was during the Cold War, and thoughts of atomic bombs being dropped on us was enough to motivate him to save his daughter and five of… Continue reading Bomb Shelter Blues
Category: OCD
Living with OCD
I always knew I was different in the way I perceived the world. Instead of needing to do classic hand washing or constantly worrying about germs, I had other weird rituals, like never leaving the house without a Kleenex and needing to have a regular routine. I married a last-minute, no plan, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of… Continue reading Living with OCD
A Good Little Shopper
(re-run) If you think this post is going to be about how I scour the racks at Nordstrom’s for the best deals of the season, it’s not. If you think it’s about how I maximize double coupons at the grocery store, I don’t. What it is about is how I can find the deals for… Continue reading A Good Little Shopper
Creepy Crawlers and my Sixth Grade Status
In 6th grade, my friends all got one teacher, and I got the other. I was put into a classroom with the kids who would grow up to be the popular ones that dominated high school. They were intimidating, even at the age of eleven or twelve. Connie Green had many matching sweater sets to… Continue reading Creepy Crawlers and my Sixth Grade Status
T is for Trusting your Gut
The news the other night reported how many people have died taking selfies. At Yosemite, by the ocean, in a college bell tower, anywhere and everywhere. What I don’t get is, didn’t they know how stupid they were being? Did they think they had a guardian angel? Did the selfie arm in the air throw… Continue reading T is for Trusting your Gut
A Good Little Shopper
If you think this post is going to be about how I scour the racks at Nordstrom’s for the best deals of the season, it’s not. If you think it’s about how I maximize double coupons at the grocery store, I don’t. What it is about is how I can find the deals for myself… Continue reading A Good Little Shopper
OCD and Me
I often dream about finding a public bathroom to use right before I wake up. It’s because I have to pee. Two nights ago I dreamed I was in a crowded restaurant and when I went into the bathroom, there were tables in there with groups of women seated around them. I stood at the… Continue reading OCD and Me
Let it Rain
If you live in California, this is the time of year that you pray for rain. With no precipitation since May, the hills are bone dry, so brown they are white. I hiked the hills yesterday. Not one green sprout of anything could be found anywhere. The trees are green, but that is all. When… Continue reading Let it Rain
The Moon Landing and a Funeral
The day we landed on the moon, my parents took the family to a picnic/fishing spot at the Des Moines reservoir. I was going into high school in the fall, so it was a dorky thing to do on a Sunday, but hey? I couldn’t drive yet, and the food was always good on a… Continue reading The Moon Landing and a Funeral
T is for Trusting your Gut
The news the other night reported how many people have died taking selfies. At Yosemite, by the ocean, in a college bell tower, anywhere and everywhere. What I don’t get is, didn’t they know how stupid they were being? Did they think they had a guardian angel? Did the selfie arm in the air throw… Continue reading T is for Trusting your Gut
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 