Tag: people
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The Problem with Your Good Intentions
Well, I meant well. Recently a friend of mine was getting ready to celebrate a milestone birthday. This friend is awesome. She’s just so good at knowing what to say to you and how to care for you and which kind of munchy snack to bring when you’re feeling blue. And so, a group of…
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The Unexpected Lesson from Six Legs on Southwest
So last week was a Southwest Airlines extravaganza. We began the first of six legs at the start of the week, flying up to northern California for work, then back home to San Diego. Two days later, a presentation brought us to Providence, RI and back (plus a layover each way). Let me say now…
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Why You Must Consider the Other Option
Recently I needed a favor. I was working on a new project, and I was stuck. Really stuck. I needed advice on how to “unstick” from someone who’d been there. And I knew who that perfect someone was. Martha Martha was awesome. She’d done something similar to what I was trying to do and she’d…
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The Big Small Talk Mistake
“You get to do the conversation if this one is chatty.” These are actual words I said to Hubby as we awaited our Lyft Driver at 4:45AM last week. We were about to fly out of town and were ready to roll. All we needed was to get to the airport. Which is when we…
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The Two Letters that Can Ruin Any Relationship
So I came across an interesting nugget the other day. It was about a favorite actor and performer of mine: Nathan Lane. Even if you’re not as smitten by Nathan as I am, chances are you’ll still be somewhat compelled by one of his first official gigs: delivering singing telegrams. Even more compelling? The reason…
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The Single Word to Make Your New Year Better
Recently, my house was bugging me. Actually, it was just a part of my house. A relatively small part. The closet. The thing was cluttered with stuff…kind of. Now, some readers may recall that the Maloney family was involved in a move just a few months ago. You also might recall it was a biiiiiiit…
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The Pesky Mind Game You Don’t Know You’re Playing on Yourself
Last week I went to see the new Star Trek movie. On a Wednesday. In the middle of the afternoon. It was lots of fun, even though we didn’t take the whole things as seriously as…other couples. While I’m not a big Star Trek fan, it turns out that Hubbie is. And partnerships are about…compromise.…
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How to Actually Do the Thing that Scares the Bejesus Out of You
So those of you who regularly read this blog will know that I can be a bit of a joke-cracker. It seems there are some days when I can’t get a sentence out without some kind of cheeky quip thrown in. Sometimes it’s almost like a tic I can’t control. I’ve also been known to…
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The Three Letters That Change Everything
So here’s a bit of random Deirdre trivia for you (which, I promise, will lead to a greater point). I can’t cook. I’m not a good chopper, I’m not good at putting flavors together, and I’m impatient…which means I hike up the oven temperature to save time, leading to messes like this: I’ve staked my…
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The Happiness Ratio
I recently found myself chatting with a woman I hadn’t met before. She was working a whole lot of hours. She had several kids. She didn’t sleep much. At all. I was overwhelmed just listening to her, and asked if it was all worth it, if she was happy. She turned the question around and…
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Life Lessons from the Buffet Line
There’s a special place in my heart for a special place near my house. Hubbie and I visit it regularly…as in, at least once a week. It’s that awesome. It’s Souplantation. And it makes me Souper happy. If you don’t know Souplantation (also known as Sweet Tomatoes in certain areas), it’s one of those soup/salad/lots-of-other-stuff…
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Bruises, Batteries and Beauty: Life Lessons from One Long Night
I recently found myself on a mountain in the middle of the night. Again. Unlike the last time, this event wasn’t quite so…traumatic. Though this adventure, dubbed Ladies Night by the boot camp that created it, certainly had some special nuances. Behold…the numbers: 29 female participants 12 hours (7pm to 7am. As in overnight.) 3…