Parent-teacher conferences are as unsettling as being attacked on a city street by a flock of geese overdosed on Ex-Lax. You hope you don’t get hit with something you weren’t expecting. When our son brought home a crumpled-up reminder note about his upcoming parent-teacher conference, my husband said to me, “Should we be concerned?” “Nah,” I said with a laugh. “We’ve got nothing to fear. Our little guy’s fun loving, smart, and inquisitive. He’s right on track.” I was certain his bubbly kindergarten teacher would load on the compliments with a flash of her professionally whitened teeth and say, “Your son is fabulous. A model student.” This will be a piece of cake. I prepared a … [Read more...]
Don’t Forget the Duct Tape – Dad’s Guide to Fixing Things
June 13, 2013 By 8 Comments
In honor of dads everywhere, I’m dedicating this article to duct tape, the frugal man’s best friend. Some of my fondest memories involved my father’s ingenious approach to fixing things with duct tape. He used it to stretch the lifespan of shoes, pants, appliances, automobiles, toys, tools, and furniture. I remember when he customized his old slippers with Duct Tape, extending their lifespan another decade. King of the Duct Tape My father visited from out-of-town when the kids were toddlers to offer support when my husband traveled. Before my husband left, he warned, “Don’t let your father fiddle with our stuff. He tries to fix it all with Super Glue and Duct Tape.” “Sure. I’ll keep him … [Read more...]
Crap My Mother Sends
November 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment
If you’re like me, when it comes to emptying boxes after a move, I’m a regular whirlwind. To unpack crap means stuff everything into closets and drawers as swift as Apple develops a new iPhone. But this time around, I regarded the boxes and thought to myself, “Why do I keep moving this junk around? What the hell is in these boxes anyway?” I tackled the kitchen boxes first. As I unwrapped, it became clear that I have too much useless crap and made a pile called, “To Be Identified Later.” That evening, I reexamined the heap and realized that all the items had one thing in common, gifts from my mother over the last 22 years, since my wedding day. Congratulations! You’ve just won a new … [Read more...]
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