Week #2: Nerds!

“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” If only the internet were around in 1983. I’m in the back row of the biggest house at Tri-County Cassinelli Square Cinemas.  In the dim light cascading from the front of the theater, my friend Kim and I as stare intently at the screen in front of us, as to not miss a beat.  The short advertisement for the tasty concessions complete, the movie previews have come to an end; we hit record/play on our mini tape recorder and whisper intently into the…

Week #3: The Batman Shelf

Over the summer, I bought a Batman shelf.  An actual three foot wide, stark black metal shelf, carefully fashioned into the shape of the legendary Batman bat logo.  I had been eyeing it at Pottery Barn Kids for years – yes, years.  I pondered purchasing it several times, but something always stopped me.  It wasn’t cheap, so to buy it seemed an excessive and unneeded purchase.  Also, I wasn’t quite sure where one hangs a Batman shelf if they don’t have a little boy’s room in their home plan; so that was…

Week #4: It’s Not Whether You Win or Lose…

This year I did two brackets for NCAA tournament.  The first one wasn’t a very likely outcome, but my superstitious nature made me choose what I hoped would happen, rather than what I thought would happen.  Whether or not I believed a team could win was less important than the ramifications of not choosing a team that meant something.  If I didn’t choose my home city and first college, Cincinnati, to go all the way, I feel I would have hexed them; and, the moment they stopped moving forward in the bracket, it would be all my fault…

Week #5: Caftans & Big Sunglasses

A swimming pool can bring about many memories; in my book of memories mostly a lot of festive family fun!  My grandmother had a pool and my cousins and I spent what seems like every day of the summer three months in and around Gigi’s pool.  There was nothing better than the anticipation of our occasional poolside lunches ordered from Burger Chef or running down the back kitchen steps with Popsicles and Eskimo Pies dripping down our fingers.  Her backyard was a childhood dream come true and every day brought something new:  Swimming lessons from cousin Doug (a Cincinnati…

Week #6: Just Driving Through

I was driving home from work the other day, windows down, wind in my hair, eyes on the road and a song in my heart.  Well, a song on my iPod, actually; and, blaring through my speakers.  Before I knew it, my arms were off the steering wheel and outstretched while pausing at a traffic light, “you have to believe we are magic, nothin’ can stand in our way…”  Yes, it was XANADU and I belted out the lyrics, my heart & soul behind every word, not caring if anyone was watching me because I slightly imagined I was Olivia…