My grandfather’s favorite phrase was, “Who died and named you God?” I find myself going back to this phrase a lot these days. The number of people who open their mouths, assuming what they have to say is relevant and unquestionable, has increased exponentially in the last few years. Is there a difference? I…

An American scientist finagled a British Title, and Now we Have Baked Alaska — I’m a messy cook, throwing ingredients all over myself and sometimes on the floor. Imagine me in the chemistry lab. I was a terror, spilling hydrochloric acid over the bench and hurling boiling sludge to the ceiling. It’s a good thing I’m not into making desserts. I love creme brulee…

I’ve wondered about this for some time. A few top reasons people say they hate their boss are: No empathy. Blaming everyone else but never themselves. Using fear to motivate. Taking credit for their team’s achievements. Favoring certain team members over others. Every one of these reasons is the mark…

Let’s embrace chaos. — One of my fondest memories from childhood is enjoying homemade elderberry pie. My Dad, a fantastic pie maker, indulged us regularly in the summer with pies filled with almost black chewy berries sweetened with sugar. We moved west when I was about eight. Oh, how I missed elderberry pie. Within…

One of the things my partner and I have in common is our love of spicy food. A girlfriend introduced me to spicy food over twenty years ago. It’s been on my list ever since; my partner grew up with it. I vary the ways I add heat to the…

Having a sick fur baby is MUCH harder than it seems — JJ’s cancer had returned, and our regular vet suggested a board-certified surgeon. The tumor sits on his leg above the joints and muscles. It’s impossible to remove the entire tumor without damaging his leg. The surgeon is part of a specialty vet service that includes an oncologist and doggie internal…

Women love children and painting their nails, and men like war. Pink is for girls, and blue is for boys. I, a woman, don’t like children, don’t paint my nails, and hate the color pink! Where do we get this bullshit? Social constructs. …

Eddy, the part lab/part something smaller than a lab, slobbers over his handler as he waits impatiently for his turn. Once instructed to go, he scrambles over the ramp, leaps over the jump, and gallops through the tunnel as fast as his stubby legs will go. …

I walked to the car, opened the trunk, and felt someone staring at me. Alarmed, I swiveled and locked eyes with one of the neighborhood crows. Creepy and crow go together. Our neighborhood crows are an ever-present force. Attempting to drive eagles and other raptors out of the neighborhood. …