In 2012, I started a new tradition for the National Day of Remembrance. I had visited the National September 11 Memorial when I was in Manhattan for BlogHer ’12, and was extremely moved by the experience (massive understatement). It occurred to me that, rather than passively watch the televised tributes and read what the rest of the internet had to say about 9/11, each year I would involve myself by actively remembering and learning about a couple of the victims of that terrible day. Diane Marie Urban was 50 years old and worked at the New York State Department of Taxation. She was widely known for saying exactly what she…
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Up Close And Personal
Yesterday I was walking south on Michigan Avenue from Tribune Tower so I could meet a friend at the Cultural Center. As I approached Lake Street, I glanced upward (as I often do; I’m always looking for photo opportunities!) and noticed a mural on the side of a building that I had never seen before. That’s pretty amazing since I have walked by that corner approximately twenty five bajillion times in my life. Anyway. I saw this mural, and I could tell that it was vibrant in color but couldn’t see the whole thing due to the fact that the adjacent building was blocking most of it from where I…
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I Still Miss Google Reader But…
Back in the day, I used to keep up with my favorite blogs (all 150+ of them) on Google Reader. Come to think of it, back in the day I had time to read all 150+ of my favorite blogs. Wow. Anyway… I loved opening up my reader every day and catching up with everybody. If I had a busy streak and was unable to read blogs, it was fine because they were all there waiting for me when I returned. In what can perhaps over-dramatically be described as a crushing blow to me, Google Reader went away for some strange reason last summer and left me flailing. There was…
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Calling In The Expert
You may or may not have noticed that I am outnumbered in my house, gender-wise. I’m fine with it, though. I may not have a daughter of my own but I have lots of friends who have girls and I totally glom onto them whether they like it or not. (I think they do: I’m a pretty awesome pseudo-aunt if I do say so myself.) I treasure the relationships that I have with my friends’ kids (girls and boys!) and love to create opportunities to interact with them as the spectacular individuals they are and not just because they happen to be the offspring of my friends. When I was…
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Pet Names
Alternate names I have for Roxie, in no particular order: 1. Sissy 2. Mama 3. Mamacita (I don’t know; it just came out one day and stuck) 4. Beebs 5. Baby 6. My Baby 7. Babes 8. Sweets 9. Siouxsie (yes, as in “and the Banshees”) 10. Bougie-Bougie (shut up) 11. Mooshie 12. Mooshie-Booshie Alternate names Jim has for Roxie, in no particular order: 1. Nothing I can list here because this is a family blog. He DOES call her those special names with love, which I guess explains why the second he walks in the door, she drops me and my “Bougie-Bougies” like a hot potato and makes a…