Author Archives: Jaclynn Loibl

An itch on my arm, a tickle behind my ear—words come to mind, and they get their scratch on the page. “Hold on,” I tell them, like a parent rummaging their purse to a kid wanting ice cream. Still, they persist. “I’ll get to you, but later,” I say, though I encourage them to stickContinue reading “Lights, Camera, Action”

“You know how Vegas doesn’t seem to be slowing down?” is an image I bring to people’s minds when teaching about how drawn we are to intermittent rewards. This past week, an individual in my office desperately wanted to understand why they cheated on their partner and struggled to stop. “I love the sneakiness, theContinue reading “Vegas Jedi Tricks”

“Why is it 65 degrees in here?” At three degrees under the minimum temperature on the thermostat, the question uttered by Dave wasn’t just a query. It felt like a threat. You see, about two years ago, right around this chilly time, our heat pump stopped. The still-valid warranty was a financial relief, but dealingContinue reading “Free Chilly Willy”

Since my mind can’t juggle writing anything else, I’ll be providing a two-birds-one-stone play-by-play of the season finale of The Golden Bachelor live on TV. Gary is currently in Costa Rica, a place I’ve been and appreciate. According to him, “I have two great women; Teresa and Leslie.” At 70, Gary is the first seniorContinue reading “Golden Bachelor Finale”

With a ten-client load, the day was light and fun but challenging food-wise. “Head on up; I’ll meet you there,” I said to my 3 pm appointment as I opened the office kitchen’s microwave. I slammed a piece of breaded chicken in it with two slices of Havarti on top until it melted, then ranContinue reading “I’m the Bestest”

I am the queen of procrastination. Yet, as Her Royal Highness, I too very well know the drawbacks that come with setting something to the side. So, TikTok, texting, and a desire to finish my book must wait, I need to write. Unknowing what will be deleted in the final edit is interesting. At theContinue reading “The Longest Goobye”

Post-dentist visit I spy the space where my old tooth’s molar once was, and in its place is a semi-crooked, and oddly colored rock-looking temporary tooth. It’ll take a couple weeks to make the permanent crown, but this temporary fix feels off, like that little tag when buying a new shirt. Along the edge ofContinue reading “Numb and Number”

My mind is blank. A train somewhere to the south is bellowing its horn. How quiet it is out here, except for that. I’ve never been on an Amtrak; does looking out the window make one dizzy and nauseous? Just thinking about it made my eyes shift to the right side of the room, imaginingContinue reading “Four Eyes Fantasies”

The stubborn mule acts like tightness in my chest; no part of me wants to have a long, pointy needle pierce deep into my soft and fragile gums or hear and feel the jackhammer inside my head. I don’t want the vibrations of a WWF wrestling match inside my inner cavities. A crown at theContinue reading “A Season of Sitting”