An overview of why some choose the “no kids” lifestyle — DISCLAIMER: Those physically unable to produce children who may feel frustration, depression, or anxiety may want to skip this blog. It does NOT intentionally ignore the infertile, but was written merely to give fertile people a starting point in their decision-making process. Why choose to not be a parent? The…

All Protagonist POV, All the Time — (Disclaimer: The word “plotline” may have different meanings in different literary contexts. In this blog post, I use it to refer to the experiences of the hero.) If you’re like me, you love having options. We have uncountable choices when buying cars, going to restaurants, and selecting video entertainment for…

The world is full of mind-boggling variety — Topics deemed “superficial” or “oddball” by typical societal thinking have as much right to get some limelight as any other topics. Writers are advised to “write what you know.” That’s all well and good, but what you know may not be the same topics mainstream media churns out daily. So…

An unknown song cover of a band you don’t listen to could ignite old memories — Now and then, I find myself enveloped in the lonely embrace of those quiet, early-morning hours, hunkered down in front of my blazing monitor. I’m tired, but I can’t let this go. Not yet. A single tune has effortlessly led my curious soul into the endless Internet labyrinth. The song…

The magical draw of the most divisive candy in the world — There’s no candy corn middle ground. You either love it or hate it. Nay-sayer friends have described it as an overly sweetened ball of wax. They wouldn’t eat a single candy corn if it was the last food on earth. Others love the chewy, sugary texture and the cool color…

Not every blogging session will break the sound barrier — What would you call a productive activity in your daily life? Surviving an eight-hour workday? Chauffeuring the kids to activities? Completing 30 push-ups? Making a meal? Cleaning the cat’s litterbox? Getting out of bed? It’s different for everyone. They’re all productive actions to varying degrees. Now let’s drill down to…

Payments and parcels and blunders, oh my! — It was a comedy of technical errors. I needed to send a check from a trust account to my niece’s college to pay for her semester tuition (thousands of dollars). Easy-peasy, right? Sure, on a typical day. But this day was about to get as weird as one could imagine. Payment …

“Let merriment abound!” — Whether you’ve ever experienced Shakespeare, seen the musical “Camelot” (or its spoofy cousin “Spamalot”), or studied medieval history, you should consider attending a Renaissance festival. Not just any Renaissance festival, but a high-quality fest with an excellent track record. The second largest Renaissance festival in the U.S. is the family-friendly…

Savory sounds from Spotify. As usual, your results may vary. — Music is like spice — life’s better when you can enjoy more than one type. I’ve recently added to my Spotify library to give myself more variety during my “in-office” days. Many are songs I hadn’t heard in decades, sprinkled with a few more current compositions that rock my world…