The Smell of My Own Poop

There's nothing like a raging crap to make mind and body one. - Don DeLillo

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Sunday Service: No Exceptions

Sunday Service: No Exceptions

In my travels, I sometimes encounter physical evidence of what is possible.

Here, at the Reformed Church of Saugerties, I stumbled onto a contrast of colors, the red, white, and blue that hearkens an oft-perverted patriotism.

They are juxtaposed with a message so simple and practical, that its absence in our daily lives forms a gaping and devastating sinkhole in our collective humanity:

#LoveThyNe…

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The Safety of Pajamas

The Safety of Pajamas

You see, one of the reasons I didn’t have children is that I couldn’t abide by the lurking potential for disappointment.

Not mine.

My child’s.

We grow up with lots of adages and folksy sayings, like as the crow flies or you can’t catch flies with honey. First of all, I don’t know any crows, so can’t determine the veracity of that statement at any point. Secondly, who wants flies?

But the one that…

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People Are Monsters. Or am I?

People Are Monsters. Or am I?

People are basically just monsters hiding behind the thin veneer of social convention.

Superstore (2015) s03e15 Episode Script

I don’t know if that’s true.

But, watching the news, sometimes it feels true.

I’m generally a cynical, sarcastic person. I’m pretty quick with a smart-alecky quip, and have been known to upset people, friends and strangers alike, because it’s hard (for many) to discern…

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One drink, two drinks...

One drink, two drinks…

Remember when I decided I would commit to day-drinking as a way to get my groove back? It wasn’t a terrible plan. It just wasn’t a great plan.

Not terrible, in that I went out and had met other people, caught up with old friends, and explored new places. And I did have a good time.

Not a great plan in that I learned I had to be much more sensitive, nay, intuitive, regarding my body and my wallet.

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I Went to the Woods and...

I Went to the Woods and…

…realized I’ve been in “the City” too long.

  …awoke to quiet, punctuated only by leaves rustling and birds chirping

  …didn’t feel stifled by the summer heat; rather, I learned how to live comfortably with it.

  …happily lived in community, sharing the bounty we worked for.

  …imagined a simpler life.

  …then wondered, “What if the simpler life came with just a few amenities?”

  ….then…

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Wading in the Moist Warmth of Humanity

Wading in the Moist Warmth of Humanity

Shake your head, or mock me if you will, but today I’ll be marching with about 10,000 New Yorkers in near 100 degree weather because I’m the daughter of an #immigrant and #FamiliesBelongTogether.

I’ll consider it a privilege to wade in that moist warmth of humanity, as I have faith and I would like to be lifted up in what I know will be the spirited and purpose-driven collective human tsunami of…

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Not for Us to Say

Not for Us to Say

The last 96 hours or so have resounded with a desperate, heartbroken, furious chorus.

I get it. So much tragedy in such a short period of time. People are hurt, and confused, and sympathetic to some sense of collective loss. Many are angry.

Sure, I understand if they’re angry at a cruel world that gleefully tears people down in unflinchingly public ways, and wondering if we have contributed to…

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Inspiration: In Search of, In Spite of

Inspiration: In Search of, In Spite of

Despite the strong words in my comeback post, it’s been weeks since I’ve wanted to click on the WordPress link on my desktop.

Not for a lack of trying. Just an uneasy feeling of “What do I have to say today?” Which then got me thinking about what my blog is / could be about. Which landed me squarely back to “What do I have to say today?”

I’ve never been the diarist – cataloguing the ins and outs…

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I'm a daydrink believer...

I’m a daydrink believer…

I wasn’t sure if part of my inspirational dry spelling slash disrememberance from the blogosphereweb was just a factor of focusing on the new jib, or a possibly perhaps perchance because a matter of fact I just wasn’t having any fun any more.

So, I decided to ficus on the having funs part. It’s not quite roller coaster up and down riding season yet, so I thought I would go verrry very slow. With…

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I can't be a 'nice' person; or why I need to return to blogging.

I can’t be a ‘nice’ person; or why I need to return to blogging.

I’ve just passed my 1-year anniversary at this job. One that I’m extremely proud to have, that I’m grateful for on the daily – not just in the happy-to-be-employed way. But mostly in the wow-I-get-to-do-this kind of way. (Though I am happy to be employed.)

But, I stopped blogging because I was focused on work. I worked a lot. I also thought that blogging would be detrimental to my job (I work, in…

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A good time was had by all...

A good time was had by all…

I don’t throw many parties. But when I do, they’re often pretty memorable. Here’s a friend’s review of last year’s holiday party, to illustrate: . This review was written on a page from my Poo Log. Doesn’t everyone keep one in the bathroom? Humorous and handy. Click on photo to purchase your own.  

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It's not getting better, is it?

It’s not getting better, is it?

Final thoughts. Was 2016 really the worst? Courtesy of The Awkward Yeti’s Instagram (click for source) Hmm. The above was a from post I had started in January 2017. I decided not to post it because I didn’t want to be defeatist. I didn’t want to play into the apocalyptic narrative that was going around. 2017 has come and gone. This is me today: Courtesy of Reddit (click on photo for source). [I…

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Communion

I will not forgo human connection for the sake of ambition, or misplaced sense of importance. I vow to be kind to strangers. I vow to be patient with co-workers. I vow to be a better neighbor. I vow to connect with people – in real life. I will not give in to the baser instincts of despair and rage. I can’t afford to. Too many people are alone out there. Maybe we can find just one. Maybe we can…

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Community Input Welcome

Growing up in the 1970s in the comforting, privileged embrace of middle class anonymity, you sort of got the idea that we lived in a sharing world. Be nice. Be kind. Everyone is your friend.   I almost feel guilty for being nostalgic for this time that history and society has taught me wasn’t the same for everyone. Today’s sharing…

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Democracy or bust!

Recently, I took a certification class to be a poll worker. You know those folks, the people who operate polling places where barely 1 out of 4 New Yorkers can be harangued to visit once, god forbid twice a year. You know, the people without whom democracy would crumble. (Click on image for source.) I really wasn’t sure what to expect, especially after the opening, where one of the instructors…

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Life, liberty, and hotdogs

As we go about our day today – whether in celebration, pride, disregard, or indifference – consider that which is acknowledged today is not yet complete, and requires that we unite to work for its realization:  “Equality is the soul of liberty; there is, in fact, no liberty without it.”- Frances Wright *** I know this makes me a freak or something, but I used to think there was nothing worse than…

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Why aren't I blogging more?

Why aren’t I blogging more?

I usually anchor my posts with an image. In fact, most of my posts are inspired by actual images, or something that an image embodies for me. But I haven’t posted in weeks. More than a month, even. And at least once a week since then, I’ve asked myself the question: Why aren’t I blogging? Am I just not inspired anymore? Yes, in the last month and a half, I’ve started a new job – surely one of the…

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