“Sure, I like cheeseburgers,” the random hostess replied to my mother, smiling, as my mom exited the breakfast bar. .
This might have seemed the perfect, polite response to an inquiry if my mother had actually asked about her menu-choice preferences, but that wasn’t the case
If my affinity for the male “species” didn’t start at birth, it began soon thereafter. My mother loves to tell childhood stories about it.
While my sisters cried like banshees whenever my mom left the house, I pitched a fit until my father took me along with him to construction sites, my building blocks in tow.
Photo credit: Fabienne from morguefile.com
While my sisters joined my mother and other visiting wives in the kitchen during football season, I plunked myself down in the middle of the living room with the men, watched the games, and “sneaked” sips of my dad’s Budweiser. Continue reading
We’re all called to action at some point, right? Whether it be assisting someone with car trouble, helping an old lady cross the street, or performing the Heimlich maneuver on a stranger (e.g. Bill Murray Groundhog’s Day style), most of us hope to be ready to help when crises arise.
I call that “action-hero syndrome,” and boy, do I suffer from it.
Perhaps it’s because, as a child of the 80s, I watched too many movies (Cloak & Dagger and The Goonies) and TV shows (The Bionic Woman and Charlie’s Angels), or may be it’s just generational hubris? Continue reading
Several years back, I decided to date a younger man – and by younger I mean 10+ years my junior. Adding to the awkwardness of my could-be-boyfriend choice was the fact that I worked with him.
My friends and I dubbed him “New Kid on the Block” when he first caught my attention. For months, the two of us flirted, he poked and prodded around the dating edges, and I agonized over whether I should give him the signal to proceed. Continue reading
After two days of organizing, cleaning and other do-it-yourself projects around the house, I couldn’t help but remember this photo I snapped on a city bus in Gainesville, Fla. I think I could officially be this sign maker’s muse, much to the dismay of the folks I encountered at Pier 1 and Lowe’s while stocking up on supplies. Continue reading
Glass of wine and remote in hand, I lounged on my couch unwinding from an intense day at work. I’d been assigned to a project with one of the senior leaders in our company, and my brain felt drained from hours-long strategy sessions about the appropriate communications plan for a highly contentious issue. Continue reading
Two weeks ago today, Awkward Laughter crossed a milestone – 1,000 followers. Yippee!
I celebrated like any self-professed nerd would; I geeked out on stats. But my efforts to Excel-erise them got sidetracked when I noticed the crazy list of words and phrases folks used to find this site. Continue reading
Have you ever been in a meeting in which they ask participants to go around the room and state: what’s your name and some fun fact about you?
I have, and it’s caused heart palpitations! Continue reading
Picture this. I stood on the floor of the concert hall dancing along with The Avett Brothers as they performed on stage 30 feet in front of me. Surrounded by friends who love them as much as I do, I didn’t hesitate to sing butcher their songs like any good horrible guest band member would.
Continue reading
If bad blogging Karma exists, I’ve caught it.
Last month, I posted The Perils of Un-drunk Dialing, in which I poked fun at an ex-coworker for being less-than-adept in her use of voice mail and warned against misplaced drunk and sober texts, calls, etc.
Awkward Laughter 