Author Archives: mathdreads
Survival Skills 101: Axe Throwing
I’d been looking forward to this event for weeks. So, when the Meetup host cancelled the event the day before, I didn’t miss a beat. I called the venue. Turns out, I didn’t need a reservation and the price was the same, regardless of whether I was part of a group or solo. I showed … Continue reading
Only for Snow Bunnies
I knew this day would come. Enough snow dropped to cancel my plans for Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, but since I telecommute, I missed nary a day from work. In the long run, that’s a good thing since I’d much rather use my PTO for actual vacation and appointments. I’m so used to exercising that … Continue reading
2025 MLK DAY: Embracing Joy
For the past few decades, I’d signed off on every email with “Cheers.” This year, I set the intention for the year. Embrace Joy. There are those who believe that EVERYTHING that happens in one’s life is a choice. That position is as unrealistic as NOTHING is a choice. Between being omnipotent and a perpetual … Continue reading
“Hot” Yoga in the Dark
For two hours, the electrical grid malfunctioned in the county. Just in time to attend my Sunday morning hot yoga class. Before leaving for class, I asked my father’s caregiver to help me carry our generator out of the garage. Even though Dad had a fully charged portable oxygen machine, I erred on the side … Continue reading
Best Wishes in the Batman Universe
As soon as I heard the 2024 presidential election results, one of my conclusions was that, as things unfolded, the most “you can’t make this shit up” chaos would reign. The closest approximation to such a reality that I found was the Batman Multiverses. Since I’m not a time nor dimension traveler, I’m considering the … Continue reading
Austinite Reunion at a Winery
After months of planning, one of my Austinite friends and I met up at a halfway point in Elizabethtown, NC. Although he and his partner had recently purchased a plot of land in VA, they transformed a bus into a mobile tiny home and drove to a quiet beach in NC for the winter. My … Continue reading
Christmas Dinner Party in the Suburbs
On Monday before Christmas Day, I gifted my family the nonmaterialistic event I’d written, directed and produced. I even hired a performer to help bring the event to life. https://vimeo.com/user122780576/download/1042690204/0a7e7c8674
Working the Eves*
The biggest gift I gave myself was end-of-the-year PTO. Last year was the first time since resigning as a classroom teacher that I had a paid Christmas/Kwanzaa/New Year’s vacation. I wanted to recreate that luxury of vacation time this year. Last year, Christmas was on a Monday, so there was no issue about working either … Continue reading
Reluctant Christmas Event Producer
Continuing my newfound tradition of non materialistic Christmas gifts for my family, I brainstormed what to do before Thanksgiving. The coordination of anything I plan always has several parameters, which greatly narrow down my choice of activities. So, I’m not overwhelmed by many possibilities, but threading the needle proves to be very challenging. The first … Continue reading
Baking It Easy
As usual, too many leftovers, including leftover ingredients after Thanksgiving. For the second year in a row, I had too much cream cheese frosting after dressing my red velvet cupcakes. Last year I made cream cheese frosting cookies, which were OK, but I wanted to go a different route this year. First thing that came … Continue reading