My good friend Samantha calling to tell me that she is still doing well, and that today she and her hubby discovered that in about five months they will be new parents to a little girl they have every intention of (loving like a crazy, yes and) naming Jocelyn Gold.
The baby-making news was not a [...]

My phone starts to vibrate itself across my desk, and I snatch it just before it can shimmy its way right off the end and onto the floor. I see her name light up the screen and realize that we’ve been playing one awesome game of phone tag ever since I fly home from Alabama. [...]

Today was SPF: Deuces Edition, (and no we are not talking about poo, although that could have potentially crossed my degenerate mind) brought to us by our ever dual and creative host Kristine. But before we get to the pictures, a story about my ridiculousness, and thus a tie-in to the above title.
Whenever I go [...]

I returned home tonight after spending this past weekend in Portland visiting the lovely and talented Hans.

See? She is lovely! And talented! And savvy with the simultaneous balloon-holding and driving skills, as she is so clearly demonstrating in that picture. Sidenote: Moments after the taking of this paticular photograph I would be crowned [...]

Kristine is celebrating being (slightly) older today! Older is wiser! Older is fun! Older is closer to such perks as Senior Citizen discounts!
Per her birthday request here are two things of which I am “cyber-gifting” her:
1. A magical, whimsical broch, which, when worn will grant the wearer immunity from taxes, computer (and actual) viruses, [...]

Last night while re-organizing the all-consuming Hall Closet, I re-discovered an old metal coffee can stuffed to the brim with fancily-folded notes inked by seventh and eighth graders eleven years ago. Seventh and eigth graders who happened to be (and still remain, except for the grounded part) (rather verbose, boy-crazy, perpetually grounded) friends of mine. [...]

Cayly, texting me an awesomely hilarious self-portrait snapped with her new phone during her trek back to Portland, complete with an audio clip of her saying “hellloooo” in her best Look At How Fun and Ridiculous This Is voice.
Hans, I heart you.
Love,
Frans

A little textual encouragement for the recent Operation: 5k(erri needs to be able to run 3.1 miles in less than a month. Without passing out.), received yesterday from a future lavender farmer/children’s book author/David Gray stalker:
Quick! Run faster! Jim West is behind you and he has the lustful eye.
(For those who may have missed the [...]

Today is National Punctuation Day! A day delegated specifically to allow one (and all!) to celebrate punctuation! Let us all leap for joy and use an abundance of exclamation points!
I am a huge nerd, yes.
But even a bigger nerd than I is Cayly, who informed me that it was National Punctuation Day! while simultaneously opening [...]

Cayly is one of my most favorite people on this planet.
To me she will be forever synonymous with late-night study sessions and poetry assignments, answering machine recordings boasting German names and accents, strolling 23rd Street in Portland, laughing until my side hurts, banter about dysfunctional relationships, Sandra Cisneros, and conversations in and around and while [...]