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Getting Better

Monday, January 20, 2014 / 6:30 AM
Wayne drove a dark red Toyota that so obviously had seen better days. You often heard the car before you saw it, whether it was because the engine was backfiring or because Wayne had some top 40 song blasting on the stereo--and sure enough, there he was: pulling up into the usual handicapped spot at the front of the store. Wayne made a...

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Around the Corner

Sunday, January 12, 2014 / 8:00 AM
"People are always telling you that change is a good thing. But all they're really saying is that something you didn't want to happen at all has happened. My store is closing this week. I own a store, did I ever tell you that? It's a lovely store, and in a week it will be something really depressing, like a Baby Gap. Soon,...

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'T' is for 'Traci'

Friday, January 10, 2014 / 6:00 PM
"'T' is for 'Traci.'" My father picked up a square stuffed tiger and handed it to me as a baby on an early shopping trip. If it weren't for the triangular stripes on his face and the black 'T' on his stomach, he would be mistaken for an oddly-colored mouse. My parents laughed at how strange the toy looked, but I wouldn't let...

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Redux: Glitter Hair Barbie.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 / 4:00 PM
Note: When I began writing about losing my hair as a child, I was surprised at how many detailed memories I had locked away in my brain. I think I got that ability from my mother (that, and my nose, apparently).This is a new draft of an excerpt that I've shared online in the past. Writing is, after all, re-writing...right? * * *...

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Roots Before Coat Racks

Tuesday, January 7, 2014 / 10:00 AM
I bought a coat rack. This is a big deal for me. I've been terrified of buying furniture since moving to the east coast. When I was in college, it didn't seem like that big of a deal. We bought cheap items at IKEA or off of Craigslist, and my boss at one of my jobs gave me a couch for free she...

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Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Monday, January 6, 2014 / 4:00 PM
Whenever I lost a tooth, the Tooth Fairy generously left a dollar and a note on my Spottie Dottie stationary under my pillow. The notes were simple ("Wow!" and "Cool!") and I never thought my parents were behind it--not unlike Santa Claus, who I figured out fairly early on did not actually come down the chimney to leave gifts in the stockings. I...

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Asteroids vs. Comets

Friday, January 3, 2014 / 9:00 AM
We'll get to the point someday where I don't need to tell you about the time I got on a bus with two suitcases and no place to live and ended up in Manhattan on a Tuesday afternoon--I promise. Here's the one thing you should know about me: I'm terrible at being spontaneous. I'm terrible at doing anything without a plan, really, which...

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An Open Jar

Thursday, January 2, 2014 / 6:30 AM
I mentioned before that I started filling a jar with positive thoughts last year in hopes I would stuff it so full with paper that it would explode with joy when I opened it to read in 2014. Of course, as I also mentioned, I was terrible last year at finishing personal projects. I'm one of those people who buy journals and diaries...

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