When we moved to Charlottesville in 1998, the famed Downtown Mall was a pleasant place to visit. You could sit on a bench, enjoy the view and not spend any money unless you wanted to. Then suddenly there was nowhere to sit. Where there had once been... »
The IRS, going all green and paperless, is trying to encourage us to "e-file." Indeed, the IRS website claims that there is a free e-filing option for everyone. This is true, but the fine print says: Free File companies have their own eligibility cri... »
Among the many things accomplished on Momentous Monday was taking Grace to the DMV for her learner's permit exam, which she passed. She is the first of my children to be motivated to learn to drive. Indeed, Ian and Brigid still do not have their drive... »
Charlottesville Half Marathon + opening day of downtown farmer's market + holiday weekend = Patience nearly weeping with frustration in traffic on Water St.on Saturday. Particularly heinous: the city's placement of the orange cones blocking traffic f... »
There's a set of women's clothing retailers that market their wares to sporty women who, if the catalogs can be believed, are kayaking one minute, rock climbing the next and then jetting off to Nepal for a little yoga. That is so not my style, but the... »
And so it came to pass that Monday morning, at a time I had fully expected to be getting ready for work, I was sitting in the lobby of a hotel in Queens, idly watching a prostitute conclude some sort of business with the front desk staff while Jon smok... »
A little while back, I posted a somewhat panicky entry about a mysterious hissing noise coming from underneath my kitchen sink and how I’d used Google to diagnose it as a leaky pipe which would involve tearing up of floors and demolishing of walls. Th... »
My job is taking up a lot of my mental energy right now and then I spent last night doing a rough draft of our tax return and filling out the FAFSA for Brigid, with the result that I found myself trolling anthropologie this morning looking for somethin... »
Company Pickles Our dear, dear friends came to visit us last weekend and besides their delightful company, they graced us with a jar of pickles, made by their aunt. They were labeled Company Pickles. Having special, extra-delicious pickles for guests... »
"Richmond is toilet," or so I told my children last summer when we moved Brigid there for school. Calm down, I meant "toilet" in the nicest possible way, and anyway, I was being facetious. I'm actually very fond of Richmond. It's the closest real ci... »
I've always felt that even years were luckier than odd ones, so I feel optimistic about 2012. Twelve is a happy number, whatever the Mayans say. 2011 was not a great year and I hope the dark cloud that has been sitting over Jon and me will lift. This... »
And so it came to pass that another Christmas happened in which we did our annual Christmas pyramid, a tradition that dates all the way back to 2004 or thereabouts. Here is this year's movie, which you should watch if only to hear my sister's famous la... »
I can't resist a good literary meme. I got this one from Mad Housewife.1. What author do you own the most books by?Barbara Pym, if I discount books that belong to the same series.2. What book do you own the most copies of? None right now, but I used t... »
I don't read much holiday themed literature, but here is a list of my favorites, such as it is. Most of these are children's books. The Doll's Christmas by Tasha Tudor. I have always been in love with Tasha Tudor's illustrations and I love this sweet... »
I'm finding it difficult to accept that the stock of Christmas tree stands in local stores sells out every year. A Christmas tree stand is a durable item, so I can't understand why, at this time of year, everybody rushes out to buy one. Don't most pe... »
