Thanksgiving Changes
I remember back in the day when Thanksgiving break approached during school. Like the grammar and high school times. There was a half-day Wednesday, and then we’d drive up to my grandparents, who had a house on a little island…
Category Resilience
Lessons from Francois: Give It a Try To Get By
Back in ‘87 I thought I was the coolest thing in town because I worked at Bennigan’s. You heard me. To this day, Benningan’s birthday song is the only song I’ll sing out loud. The particular Bennigan’s I worked at…
When it’s time to walk away…
I don’t know about you, but this week has been a lot. The heaviness of the news of the destruction from the hurricane is heartbreaking. If you’re into these sorts of things, apparently, there was some sort of astrological chaos…
Trust and Betrayal
I don’t know if you ever forget the first time you got burned hard, by a colleague. Memorial Day, 1998. I’d been managing Uncle Julios, the Tex-Mex restaurant we dubbed the million-dollar taco stand on the corner of North and…
The Good Far Outweighs the Bad
Second semester sophomore year at JMU I pledged a business fraternity. I went ALL IN. Put it this way, when my parents got my grades for the semester, their comment was, “We know we dropped you off on campus…did you…
How to Change your Beliefs: What’s Useful?
Last night I met my two JAX friends for a hang. There were two options: a Downtown Art Walk or adult coloring at a bar. We choose option 2. Now before “adult coloring” can be construed as something it’s not,…
The Fury Files: Too Much Edition
Last night was one of those delayed-plane-sprint-to-the-gate-to-catch-my-connection scenarios. This required two unfortunate events: my having to run, never ideal. Then the thwarting of the million-foot high, one-foot wide escalators at ATL which makes it impossible to walk up or down…
Who gets your energy?
This past week in my session, there was a guy in the back. He was all of the things you might think “a guy in the back” might be. On his phone. Non-responsive to questions. A wiseass when he did…
Taking things personally
“Switch email list to Campaigns.” Those five words have been on my to-do list for approximately eight months. In a phenomenon that probably already has a name, but we’ll call it “Erin-itis” for our purposes, this to-do list item will…
Never Fails: Amy Climer Edition
About 5 months into the start of the Covid pandemic (do I need to specify?) my husband’s car broke down. Perhaps better stated…it died. Up to Subaru heaven. Or wherever ancient Subarus go to rest. Mike and I decided a…