“OK let me read that confirmation code back to you. I’ve got M as in Mother, W as in William, T as in Table …” Do people in customer service positions receive training for this phonetic exercise? Or maybe they have a handy chart for … [Read more...]
Nostalgia as Novelty
08.16.12 By 14 Comments
I somehow managed to make and keep dates with friends in high school and college without mobile phones. Meaning, we’d decide a place and time to meet and then would, without texts like: “on my way” or “5 minutes behind.” And without calling … [Read more...]
Compliments & Criticism
08.13.12 By 6 Comments
How are you at taking feedback? If someone were to provide me feedback on receiving feedback I'd score low. When someone says a nice thing about me or my work I make a bad joke to deflect, but it’s pretty obvious what I’m doing and just … [Read more...]
I’m Unique!
06.27.12 By 3 Comments
The following exchange is far more revealing than any in-depth personality analysis will ever be. “What's your Myers-Briggs type?” “Oh, I don’t remember the exact letters or anything but it is definitely the rarest one that hardly anyone … [Read more...]
On Microclimates and Moods
06.20.12 By 4 Comments
Walk through San Francisco and you’ll see a broad interpretation of the weather reflected in the clothing. I pass bare legs and sandals, then heavy boots and wool coats. Tank tops. Scarves. And even standing there in the same weather myself, I … [Read more...]
A Valuable Discomfort
05.10.12 By 2 Comments
I’ve run into several articles lately by women about women that have moved me. Like this one about women in publishing by Roxane Gay. Or this one by Ashley Judd about our culture’s ongoing obsession with discussing women’s physical appearances. … [Read more...]
5 Reasons this List Has 5 Items
04.16.12 By 1 Comment
It is important you know when this list will end. It will end in 4 items. Numbers are soothing (see Sleep Number beds, Rain Man). To one-up the already popular 4 Reasons this List Has 4 Items. Because Pete Cashmore tweets so, that’s … [Read more...]
Life: How Not to Phone It In
03.22.12 By 22 Comments
I don’t use that “there are two kinds of people in the world” construct because there are two kinds of people in the world: those who say “there are two kinds of people in the world” and those who do not. And I do not. Just this twice I’m … [Read more...]
Does Your Condiment Have an Accent?
03.16.12 By Leave a Comment
So far, no one in San Francisco has indicated they hear a Texan accent on me, which is surprising given how drunk I’ve gotten. The first time my friend Andrew, who knows I’m from Texas, was driving me around Palo Alto I asked, “So is this … [Read more...]
50 Words: Just Now…
03.15.12 By Leave a Comment
Those men will sleep on the street; one smiled at me as I passed. I’m eating tiramisu out of a cardboard shell. Real fork. Hint of lemon. It’s good, but not the best I’ve had. Now I’m changing my desktop background from red to black because … [Read more...]
