sustainable systems & storytelling
I have a love/hate affair with the desert. I've lived all my life in Arizona and, after my first trip to forested mountains at age nine, declared that I'd be moving to the Rocky Mountains as soon as I turn eighteen. That deadline has long since passed, and I'm still surrounded by spectrum of dull... Continue Reading →
Throughout this year, I've felt as if I'm trapped in a black hole, neither here nor there. It's dark and lonely, and I feel disoriented. I can't turn back, and I can't seem to feel my way forward. Yet, I keep thinking back to my college days, when an English professor explained that, biologically speaking,... Continue Reading →
Birthdays are often a time for reflection, contemplation, and reviving small hopes. For me, that is particularly true. But this year, my birthday passed through silently. There's just too much uncertainty to settle into a start of looking back or looking forward. Looking back, I have a year of recovering from mold illness. Plus $18,000... Continue Reading →
Well, it's been a few weeks. So, here's a series of random thoughts that I don't necessarily have the bandwidth to dig into. We're still out of our home, the HOA's insurance agent is dragging us along, and our lawyer is getting ready to pounce. It feels like we're been in limbo for the last... Continue Reading →
It’s my understanding that the true warrior not only knows how to handle himself physically, but also understands the mental and moral aspects of the conflicts he finds himself in. He knows when to fight and when not too, and spends his time refining his skills and educating himself in new areas. The true warrior... Continue Reading →
Have you ever found a product that you absolutely love, only to discover that it is soon discontinued? Or worse, the brand no longer even exists? Several years ago, I saw some down camping booties at REI and commented that they looked so cozy! I was dealing with endocrine dysregulation, so my feet were always... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit my best friend. She and her family live across town, so it's trickier to coordinate, but always such a cherished time. I helped her wrap dumplings, we ate together, and we caught up after a two-month hiatus. She showed me pictures of their daughter at the beach with... Continue Reading →
The weather in Phoenix is beginning to cool. The 110 degree days are easing into the low-90s, and it's a welcomed change. I've always loved autumn, despite the lack of changing trees and sweating profusely while trick-or-treating most years. This year is no different. Yet, in some way I've yet to decipher, it does feel... Continue Reading →
It began years ago. I was ten. My parents had taken me and my brother to the children’s theatre to see Puss in Boots. It was a great show. I loved it. My mom even bought me a plush Puss with removable boots. I couldn’t have been happier, or so I thought. I ate my […]... Continue Reading →
I begrudgingly signed up for online dating on a Sunday. I wanted to try it so I could knock it all I wanted. Good guys are hard to come by, dating sucks and I needed an excuse to give up. Within hours of signing up, I had received dozens of messages, mostly “hii beutiful” and […]... Continue Reading →
Within the first few months of dating, my boyfriend and I were discussing growing up in Valley of the Sun, when I happened to mention the magical day in December 1998 when it snowed in downtown Phoenix. I had just exited the Children's Theater with my family and was running up and down the steps... Continue Reading →
Hello, dear readers! It's been a hot minute. Life has been a whirlwind this past week. And I anticipate the same for the month to come. My partner went to Memphis for a graduate school interview. Everything went well, the interviewers were impressed, the current students seemed happy, and it seems like a great fit.... Continue Reading →
I always cringe when I hear my friends say that they will start saving for retirement when they make more money. I don’t know about you, but my expenses seem to continually increase in proportion to my income. There will always be car repairs, wedding gifts, expensive medical tests, flooded toilets, and nifty gadgets. We […]... Continue Reading →
While driving with my boyfriend the other day, we encountered a half-dozen idiots on the road. Within a five minute stretch, we were almost hit by a series of street racers flying by at 110 miles per hour, cut off twice, and flipped off by a crazy dog lady for, presumably, going only 15 miles... Continue Reading →
Twelve years ago, I recall trying on clothes at Ann Taylor Loft and noticed that my usual size small was swimming on me. Hmm. I sized down and then kicked myself for not owning a scale. My existing clothes fit the same, so I was fairly certain that I hadn't lost weight. Since that time,... Continue Reading →
existential ergonomics 
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