Category Archives: Writings

Love, Jaclynn

Evelyn’s made a friend from Louisiana, which feels fitting, since we’re staying at Port Orleans, a Mardi Gras, bayou-themed resort. It’s lush here, with all sorts of palm trees, sword ferns, and old man’s beard flowing like gray, woolly scarves from the trees. We’re at the pool, a short football throw from our room. It’sContinue reading “Magic Eve Night”

I love staying in Airbnbs. They inspire me. The flickering solar light hung on a post, the purple-and-mustard painted pallets, the cartoon alpaca bedsheets—all swirl in my mind as potential additions to our home’s décor. I also love their garden. It’s wild but managed, and the cute butterfly signage makes me think the current greenContinue reading “Spit Happens”

Holy cannoli, I’m on vacation. I mean, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. I had my last session of the week, so technically I’ve transitioned to the end of the workday—with a mild panic that I won’t cross all the i’s, dot the t’s, and will somehow get everything mixed up. With that said, I’llContinue reading “Pre-Check Check”

Ever on the hunt for LPs at dirt-cheap—or even “here, just take this”—prices, Dave and I dug into the website Millions of Records. We were pleasantly surprised to snag seven records, most priced under $5, including a Disney’s Encanto soundtrack for Evelyn. The Easter egg hunt of finding new, lovely records to spin is never-ending—andContinue reading “So Long, Farewell…Almost”

Dang it, guys. I’ve done it again—left this until the last minute so I have to rush. It’s my couch time, and something about sharing an extra-large bag of Boomchickapop sweet and salty kettle corn with Dave, laughing about a spam email from an extra-large-breasted woman with poor grammar, is a nice wind-down for theContinue reading “It’s Not a Tumor”

I feel subpar. The measurement comes from a shadowy figure that jumps out at me while I’m doing the most ordinary things—gardening, laundry, work tasks. It’s always there, ready to assess, to grade, to find me lacking. My nervous system feels shot. It lives just a quarter inch beneath the surface, never fully settling. AlwaysContinue reading “One Stroke Under Par”

I fit the pieces together like a puzzle—the hidden drawing, the tear falling from its eye, the upside-down “u” frown for a mouth, and Evelyn barely looking at her drawing while saying the words “I hate it.” It all lands in me at once, bringing misty eyes and a complex feeling: Evelyn is maturing. It’sContinue reading ““Draw Me Duck””

During the ups and downs and in-betweens of my 3.1-mile run today, I found myself fascinated by the mental stages I fall in and out of. The raw brutality of my emotions carves holes through the veils in my mind—lighting fireworks, throwing full-on parties in there. And then, just like that, the movie flips. AContinue reading “Stages of a Run”

Potential recruits for professional sports teams are often streamed live as they await the call. You’ve seen the videos—I’ve seen the videos—the whole family perched on the edge of the couch. And then the news hits: they leap to their feet, hugging, drinks spilling, dollar signs flooding the room with that million-dollar contract. Awaiting thisContinue reading “Waiting For the Call”