My seven-year-old has been congested and coughing for a few days now. This morning when he complained that his chest hurt, I called to see if I could get him in to see the doctor. Surprisingly, we were able to get an appointment right away. A few hours later, we were in the examination room….
The Amazing Monarch Butterfly
Many people have heard about the great migrations Monarch butterflies undergo each winter. But I had no idea what they did the rest of the year. It turns out that entire generations live and die before we see the next wave of migrants sweep through California. The Monarchs that we see during the winter migrations…
Training to be a cage-fighter, er, writer
Among the lush pickings of memorable lines from the 2004 movie Napoleon Dynamite, one of the best is Kip’s to his brother: “Napoleon, don’t be jealous that I’ve been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I’m training to be a cage-fighter.” (Video from Hulu, if you’re rusty on the scene,…
Cybertherapy
My boyfriend always tells me video games are good for his mental health. I guess now I have to take him seriously. On November 23, The New York Times Science Times ran an article about research on the therapeutic benefits of virtual interaction. The central idea: “scientists have established a principle that is fundamental to…
Countdown
In less than 100 days, my husband will be on his way home from Afghanistan. I didn’t say anything to the kids, because it just reminds them that he’s gone. And of course, there is always the possibility that the plan will change. Still, it’s a milestone, so for just this one day, I’m letting…
Ten Jargon Poems
One day in the late 1980s, my friend S’mores and I were thrashing a rad quarter-pipe (skateboarding) at his house in the suburbs of Houston. S’mores’ Dad, responsible for a fleet of company cars, was reading about cleaning up spilled oil. He had put a research report titled “Enhanced Biodegradation of Aliphatic and Aromatic Hydrocarbons…
Faking flight
Yesterday, my boyfriend and I went to the iFly Indoor Skydiving Vertical Wind Tunnel in the East Bay for his birthday. I was a little nervous on our way there, but it turned out to be pretty easy and a lot of fun. After a quick lesson on body position, visitors get suited up in…
Enjoyment, Fear and Confidence – Zinsser’s take
photo © 2008 hojusaram | more info (via: Wylio) I was reading the closing chapters of Zinsser’s “On Writing Well”. Zinsser has an uncanny knack of pointing out things that I hadn’t thought of before, but that seem obvious once he says them. His chapter on “Enjoyment, Fear and Confidence” is full of good advice….
Crab pot corrosion control
We went on a class outing to the Santa Cruz Harbor last week. Our goal: Find crab fishermen and learn about their catch during the first two weeks of crab season. Biggie, a friendly sport fisherman in the bait shop, declared himself our teacher and gave us a lesson about the features of a crab pot….
The science of a flaky crust
I love pie, both the baking and the eating of it. I also love pumpkin, and so Thanksgiving always provide a wonderful opportunity to combine my two loves into one glorious dish. This morning, I happily pulled out my pumpkin-pie-making ingredients and started the preparation process. I use vegetable shortening in my pie crusts. It…