Our dog died and nothing else has seemed to matter as much ever since — aka where I’ve been for three months — I haven’t been getting anything done since election day. Like, nothing. I’m an extrovert, someone who derives a lot of my energy, creativity, and joy from socializing with others, and the pandemic had already squished my characteristic joie de vivre into a pebble before last November’s election night, triggering anxiety…

It’s not ‘good,’ but it’s good, you know? — We were a Hut family, meaning that Pizza Hut was the chain pizza chain we preferred and which I treasured as the world’s greatest treat. I dunked on Domino’s and Little Caesar’s lovers and they dunked right back on me. Regardless of family affinity, many of us shared fond memories…

Sarah Miller’s tribute to her dog is stuck in my head even though it’s a song with no tune — I just feel so warm and happy whenever I read along to this song-poem by the writer Sarah Miller, whose funny, frank, smart personal-plus essays are decade-defining. She writes brilliantly on Winona Ryder’s Forever Sweater, maxi dresses, The Best Abortion Ever, the emptiness of Nancy Meyers kitchens, and now WINDOWBEAR!

Say ‘peanut butter’! — Important news of the day: Inventor Simone Giertz built her dog Scraps a backyard photobooth that is operated by a paw pedal. That’s right folks, you heard me, a paw pedal. This is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen a lot of cute stuff in…

When there are just so many things that do, we gotta start sharing the un-sucky with each other — It’s been easy to get overwhelmed with bad news in recent months, and while it’s important to stay informed and active, it’s also important to give that overstimulated brain a bit of a break. …

No animals need be harmed to make your… —

How many times do they have to ask? — I was recently delighted when I came across a series of tweets from @gisel_ysbryd describing her creative new solution to an issue many cat lovers may find relatable: a cat that’s neediest when you’re working hard on your laptop. I knew one such cat — Irwin, pictured above, my truest…