An old colleague used to say that about many of the speeches we'd hear (at Commencement, at Convocation, on Class Day, or our school's equivalent). She's right: all too often people go on for too damn long. She wanted to edit out the fluff, cutting to the chase. Big Pharma feels the same thing about...

Have you ever had a conversation with someone, either in person, on the phone or via e-mail/im, where you just know it's not going well? Where they are clearly taking offense where none is meant? Where they're in such a bad place mentally/emotionally that your comment about not liking a book/movie/p...

A very close friend of mine spent last weekend with the Landmark Forum. While there, she learned to unpack the stories she had been telling herself about her life, the things that were causing breakdowns in communications and preventing her from getting on with things. Now, I don't believe you need ...

Made it through the week - five days of Book Fair (Sunday through Thursday), teaching, dealing with staffing issues, working on book orders and insurance claims, etc.. The budget is due and I've got to think about next year's needs and reconcile this month's report. Somehow, Fridays are always the w...

I've been mulling this for a while, particularly since my life underwent Big Changes recently. I'm not one of those "oooh, let's change things" types, I'm more of a nester. For me, bliss is having my little family around me, snuggled into my bed or a comfy couch in front of the fire. I even have pro...

This year I decided not to make resolutions, but to set goals. Less chance of failing and feeling bad because of it, right? The goals are the general ones we all set: to lose weight, to take care of myself better, etc.. I want to have a less cluttered life, so that's a goal. I need to stop feeling s...