I had such a satisfying small one this week. Maggie (bless her heart) reported our house for its illegal structures, which her house also has. We blew off the Department of Buildings letters because we are tired and burned out and really? was this real? Yes, it was real. We got a summons for a… Continue reading Small victories are still very nice

It’s been a month and more since I’ve written. I have been to France and back and I survived. It was a highly disturbing visit for reasons that I cannot explain but that are both compelling and ongoing. About a week ago I began enjoying my job again. The vibe is nice and the days… Continue reading Checking in

I want to be praised to the ever-loving skies for the work I am doing. I really feel that I am doing the work where I see it and it’s getting me down. So I made a list of all the work I am trying to do: Here’s the work I haven’t done yet and… Continue reading Another tiny break from the work (doing the work)

The new phase began Monday evening, when Maggie planted herself on her stoop to smoke, swig beer, dig in her yard, and say aggressive hellos to anyone walking past, including us. What changed? She lost the house in the divorce and is being forced to sell, with a deadline of November. What type of deadline?… Continue reading The worm has turned and this new phase is super wormy

I got on the scale this morning, after a wonderful yoga class where I felt my body work correctly and I sweated far more than anyone else in the class. Like wet spots on my mat and I can’t wear glasses in these classes because they fog up and I can’t see. I weigh more… Continue reading Summer feelings

The despair is thick in the air today, although I didn’t go outside. The smoke from the burning Canadian forests is blowing through New York and it is wild. This happened in Paonia, Colorado, one summer when I brought Wyatt back for a week during the pandemic. There were forest fires around us and we… Continue reading Hazy day and not in a good way

What a lovely weekend! The weather was off the hook and we had literally no plans. I felt ashamed and thrilled about this and carefully made time to berate myself for being a zombie but it was a wonderful weekend. I read some great books, did some Zumba and yoga and had an excellent chat… Continue reading Potemkin party in the alley

This is the invitation. We were not invited We had seen this piece of paper on her social media and maybe out on the block, but it blew into our yard and Calvin brought it inside. I don’t think we’re going. Who will go? I’m wondering if the movers with the moving truck that is… Continue reading Maggie is having a party

This Maggie business is starting to feel like a project, rather than a life sentence of crazy-mean adjacency. I live a triggering life. Would that topic–the Triggered Life: What I learned by living next door to a full-time trigger”–be of interest? Would it make a good Ted Talk? Does anyone care about Ted Talks anymore?… Continue reading This project is taking a little turn