A week before, I had moved to Hollywood from freezing Michigan. The bikini-clad shoppers and Elvis impersonators on Hollywood Boulevard were a welcome sight at the end of my three-day drive south. I moved into an apartment three blocks from the Kodak Theater on Hollywood Boulevard and I was chomping at the bit to get out and explore this fascinating place.First I’d need the right shoes. All the shoes I’d owned in Michigan were black, leather, and snow proof. I knew exactly what I wanted: A moderate heel, just enough that I could wear them with jeans and look sexy but nothing that I couldn’t outrun street thugs in. Nothing black, more of a nude color to accommodate the beach feel of L.A. No ankle straps to call attention to my cankles, no pointy toes to further elongate my size 10 feet, and no big price to call my husband’s attention to our bank account. So I set out for the Hollywood and Highland mall. Read the rest of this article »

I’ve always sworn I would never have a Barbie in my home. The idea of their fierce anatomy infiltrating my PG toy box made me cringe. What would I be teaching my daughter if I gave her these dishy dames to play dress-up with? A friend gave us the book “Barbie Rapunzel” a few months ago and I made sure to stash it in the back of a closet at my house.

I wasn’t taking any chances. Read the rest of this article »

I just got my copy of the “2008 Writer’s Market” reference manual. I’m trying to find markets to submit essays for publication and thought I could find some good leads in it. The section on magazines was particularly encouraging. There is a market for everything. Along with the magazine contact information, they offer Editor tips to be published. Here are a few I loved:

“Coonhound Bloodlines”: From the editorial staff, “Writers must retain the ‘slang’ particular to dog people and to our readers—many of whom are from the South.” Reading between the lines here, be careful not to use multi-syllabic words. They just wouldn’t understand. Read the rest of this article »

Thanks to pregnancy, my body refuses to fall asleep until three a.m. When this first started happening a few weeks ago I just lay in bed for four to five hours cursing and praying alternately for sleep to overcome me. But I’ve finally accepted this inconvenient development and have turned to late night TV. Read the rest of this article »

It’s all my fault. Reap what you sow, they say. For once, “they” are right.

We had a relatively sugar-free home for Penny’s first two years of life. We never served dessert after meals, snacked on cheese and pretzels, and had her convinced that tofu was the most spectacular food in the world. Then I began potty training. Read the rest of this article »