observations, humor, and nonsense
I made a timeline. It’s called A Brief History of Lani & Music 😀 I’ve been participating in WP’s Discover Prompts for April and they’ve allowed me to dig in and get creative. Even though I’ve already shared music with PAIRS on Day 9, I knew I wanted to try to create a timeline, a…
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Three new things that I have been doing: 1) Participating in WP’s Discover Prompts I’ve been blogging for ten years (but not all on WP), and I’ve never blogged every day nor have I ever participated in any WP challenges. I’ve tried to, but the timing was never right. Doing this has been more rewarding…
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Social distancing isn’t just the hottest catchphrase, it’s also a new way of life after COVID-19. • My kid can’t beat up your kid anymore. In fact, with these masks on I can’t tell which one is my kid. • Siblings no longer need to draw an invisible line in the backseat of cars, a…
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// The world has slowed down, and I’m not sure we like it. // I live in an apartment in Thailand, so sometimes I smell what other people are cooking. When this happens I shut my windows because it’s often the neighbor deep frying garlic or fish. Now, if I’m frying garlic, I don’t mind…
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What books have taught me (an incomplete list): // The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell – the comfort of solitude // D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths taught me that I could love a book so much that I refused to return it to the library // A book on French cooking taught…
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“Is anybody awake? I’ve got to go to the porta potty.” Kari confessed. We were seniors in college, doing archaeological fieldwork at the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Southwest Colorado. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding.” Sara rolled over. “What time is it?” Kari and Sara were my best friends and our tent…
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It was the morning after Superbowl Sunday. The guys were about to get to their job sites, but they were lingering outside by their trucks with hot cups of coffee, talking about yesterday’s game in pairs or small groups. Usually their trucks would be idling, usually they would be scrambling for their hard hats, tool…
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What are the five best books I’ve read paired with a song? Glad you asked. Challenge accepted. In no particular order (thanks to Jeremy for recommending the first two books), but this was not an easy list because I’ve read many wonderful books. I tried though to think about books that really impressed me. …
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I am a giant tending to my plants on my apartment deck. Sometimes I start the morning by giving my plant children a stern look over. Is everyone okay? Who’s thirsty? I pick up dead or dying leaves. It’s important to make sure your little forest doesn’t have any fires. During this ritual I noticed…
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It was American Thanksgiving, and like many other years, I was far from home. I was living in Eugene, Oregon, working part-time at a non-profit ISP, training to be a Waldorf teacher, and living in a house with a divorcee, Jo, who seemed angry at the world. Her best friend, who also was one of…
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Take me back to Hawaii On Anania Circle Where you could feel the light, laughter, and sun Bouncing off the black pavement, On many afternoon. After long school days We played in the parks, Climbed the walls, trees, and dug into the ground. Across Kamehameha Highway In the enclosure As we wished In the warmth…
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Dear Dangerous Kitchen, We had a lot of laughs, didn’t we? Who would have thought that a song would describe my childhood kitchen? Sure, maybe a heartbreak, a rekindled romance, or a perfect summer’s day, but a kitchen? At this point in my life, I’ve seen a fair share of kitchens, messy, minimalist, modern, but…
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// When I thought of today’s prompt, this photo came to mind. Angkor Wat was much more impressive than I expected, and I deliberately stayed away from looking at photos of the park before visiting because I wanted it to be a new experience. Has anyone else done this with a major tourist attraction?…
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I know I’ve lived in Thailand too long when the first image that comes to mind when I hear the word ‘joke’ is the rice porridge dish that makes for a great breakfast here. You can add a soft boiled egg, green onions, soy sauce, and other bits like ground pork for a sustaining meal.…
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March was a f***ing dickhead, is what it was. Now, to be fair, it started off innocently enough. Oh sure, we were in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, but March is when COVID-19 gained the kind of speed and tenacity that woke up the Western world. It was also when I went to the…
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Once upon a time, there was a king and a queen who desperately wanted a child. It seemed like an eternity, but then one perfect day, the queen became pregnant. During the height of her term, she craved a particular kind of vegetable that happened to be growing in their neighbor’s yard. (Do kings…
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Hiya! I’m back again for another Changing Seasons photo challenge, hosted by Su. How is everybody? I hope the month of love treated you right! For most of February I wasn’t myself because I lost the momentum that I had in January. I’m also fairly certain I’m pre-menopausal (fun!), so I can’t be sure how…
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Hi, my name’s Lumberjack Dan, and I’m here to help you fellas get your balls in a row. Whether you’re at the starting gate (you’ve decided to move in with your long term girlfriend) or have been running the track nonstop (married with kids), I’ve got the answers to your needs. But first, some qualifications.…
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Chiang Mai, Thailand has been touted as the “Rose of the North”. It’s the Hail Mary pass for tourists, English teachers, digital nomads, and barefoot hippies. But in recent years, it has changed a great deal which is causing a bit of a commotion. First of all, I’ve written about CM a lot: (2017) Chiang…
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Welcome back for another monthly recap/photo challenge, thanks to Su. I hope this post finds you well. January was an unusual month because I traveled, got to spend time with old friends, and enjoyed a better work-life balance. Although, I’m hoping to commit to the latter for the rest of the year. Rayong…
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Not only are we more politically divided than ever, we are in regards to our diets as well. There’s the Keto Diet (high fat, low carbs), the Dubrow Diet (intermittent fasting), the Carnivore/Paleo Diet (meat only, or mostly meat), the Mediterranean Diet (healthy fats and whole grains), the Flexitarian (mostly veg, with meat when you…
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What a year, eh? Holy cannoli, I don’t want to do that again. I’m recapping the 2019 year of blog posts, and looking back through photos from a decade of living abroad. Whoa. January 2019 started off with taking a look at my relationship with money. I’m proud that I posted it, cause, you…
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What a month. What a year. 2019 was a hard working year, and December was no exception. The first half of the month was all about finishing up work, getting our scholarship kids graduated, and wishing the holiday break would hurry up and get here already. But now that I’m in the middle of my…
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You can’t get out of these. You’ve already tried. You’ve bailed before, Haley’s birthday, Tom and Peter’s housewarming, your grandma’s 90th, so you’re stuck. You’ve ranted and raved to your stuffed animal collection (family), drank it off but stopped after two glasses of wine (wuss), and passed out in a fear-induced stupor (typical).
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When I first started working in Thailand back in 2010, I remember listening to a casual debate among my fellow teachers whether or not the Thai diet was a healthy one. Upon first glance it certainly appears so, as meals were smaller (farangs would joke about ordering two plates of food), and the people were…
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This month I’ve decided I’m celebrating 10 years of consistent blogging which coincides with how many years I’ve lived abroad. Technically, I should have made a fuss in late August, but like so many milestones, I forgot. My first post was called Ground Control. I reflect on how often I have to look at the…
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I am left-handed. Although, my younger brother was originally left-handed, he was corrected in grade school. He likes to joke that he’s been robbed of his true self as a result. But since he ended up in the U.S. military, I think that being right-handed served him better. It turns out that being left-handed makes…
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Hello, lovelies! It’s another month of participating in Su’s “The Changing Seasons” photo challenge. Head over to her blog for the details.
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Eating out in Thailand requires a bit of patience, and knowledge regarding how things work (or don’t).
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Believe it or not ‘why is it so hard for Asians to love themselves’ was a search term that I found on my blog one morning. I’m usually amused or curious what folks are looking for, and I don’t make it a habit to turn them into blog posts (see exception), but this one piqued…
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Hello again! I’m back for another monthly photo recap hosted by Su at Zimmerbitch. Click on over for the guidelines.
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// Own the Bowl Haircut – Why should childhood trauma still haunt you? Bring a bowl to the salon and tell them to do it. Bonus points if you are a woman or you do it at home. Post on social media. #iamthebowl
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After July, August felt like I had something to prove. I plowed into teaching and writing projects as if all my New Year’s Resolutions depended on only this month. So, naturally, I got sick. It’s okay, I’ll live… (*flings herself on to the bed face down, and starts howling*)
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If my mental math isn’t failing me, I’ve been teaching for about 12 years, which means I haven’t had the good sense to hook, reel, and catch a ‘sugar daddy’. Nor have I been able to launch my misplaced passion for writing into any lucrative side hustle or ‘cash cow’.
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Hello all y’all! I’m participating in The Changing Seasons Challenge which is basically a monthly recap that I heard about through Sarah, who got it from Su.
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