Save the Cat: when bad luck turns to good

Save the Cat: when bad luck turns to good
Because I dunked my car’s cellphone charger in my cup of coffee, I saved a cat. Really. It’s weird how life works sometimes, when you think you’ve done something so totally stupid and spend the next twenty-minutes lamenting, in that, Why do these episodes of idiocy only happen to me? tone of voice. And then,... Read more »
By Kim Strickland,
October 5, 2013 at 11:24 am • 

Chicago Speed Camera at Challenger Park(ing Lot): to keep the kids safe?

Chicago Speed Camera at Challenger Park(ing Lot): to keep the kids safe?
Thank goodness the 1100 block of West Irving Park Road will soon have a speed camera to keep all the children who frequent Challenger Park safe—when they park their cars. Because Challenger Park is a parking lot. (Chicago speed camera locations, according to the Chicago Tribune) What’s that you say, there’s a park across the... Read more »
By Kim Strickland,
September 24, 2013 at 1:50 pm • 

Chicago Bears: I’ll never watch you play again

Chicago Bears: I’ll never watch you play again
Dear Chicago Bears, I’m so sorry.  I absolutely can’t watch you play one more minute this season. It’s not you. It’s me. I’m the jinx. I’m the curse set upon you whenever I lay my eyes upon the television to watch a game. Last night? I joined the game toward the end of the second... Read more »
By Kim Strickland,
September 23, 2013 at 2:39 pm • 
Advertisement:

Transitioning to Vibram Running Shoes: The Conclusion? I didn't

Transitioning to Vibram Running Shoes: The Conclusion? I didn't
I really, really wanted to like running in Vibram running shoes. I suppose this made me biased from the start of my little experiment here, but, over a year after I started, I no longer run in them. They did, however, change my running form. I think for the better. Now, I’m a solid mid-to... Read more »
By Kim Strickland,
September 9, 2013 at 5:41 pm • 

That Vision Problem: when you just can't see past the flattery

That Vision Problem: when you just can't see past the flattery
When I needed to buy my first pair of real glasses, you know, prescription lenses, and not the kind they sell in the dollar bin at Target, which I had been surviving on for the last ten years in a fit of denial combined with general cheapskatedness, I went to the eyeglass store  eyeglasses store  the... Read more »
By Kim Strickland,
August 28, 2013 at 8:55 pm • 

Friday Air and Water Show Practice and why it's better at my house

Friday Air and Water Show Practice and why it's better at my house
One of the best kept secrets in Chicago is the Friday practice day for the air and water show. The air show is performed, pretty much as it will be on Saturday and Sunday, but without the crowds and traffic or the radio play by play. Although yesterday, one wise guy was playing the theme... Read more »
By Kim Strickland,
August 16, 2013 at 9:31 am • 
Advertisement:

LinkedIn Endorsements don’t mean a thing, but they’re still kinda fun to play with

LinkedIn Endorsements don’t mean a thing, but they’re still kinda fun to play with
                    Recently on LinkedIn, I’ve received several endorsements for short story writing. The last short story I wrote, if I say so myself, was pretty darn good. The only problem is, I wrote it in high school over thirty-years ago and none of the people who... Read more »
By Kim Strickland,
August 6, 2013 at 10:33 am • 

A City Mom advocates airplane window anarchy

A City Mom advocates airplane window anarchy
So much of our lives are spent in front of screens these days: computer screens and phone screens and tablet screens, even our books are now appearing on screens. Don’t get me wrong, I love my screens (shameless self-promotion of my latest book available on a screen) as much as anyone, but sometimes I just... Read more »
By Kim Strickland,
July 26, 2013 at 11:10 am • 

Summer Brain Drain: It can happen to your kids, too

Summer Brain Drain: It can happen to your kids, too
Summer Brain drain is a very real and worrisome phenomenon. And I hear it can happen to my kids, too. This is terrible news. Because while I look forward to the lazy languid days of summer, I really dislike the idea of brain drainage. It will mean just one more mess for mom to clean... Read more »
By Kim Strickland,
July 11, 2013 at 9:21 am • 
Advertisement:

A barbershop is no place for tears: Al's closes its doors for good

A barbershop is no place for tears: Al's closes its doors for good
Al’s Barbershop on Grace Street has closed its doors and I am heartbroken. Al’s was one of my favorite places in this city, and not just because it was mostly always quiet there. Al Soehn and his barbershop represent everything that’s right about Chicago and its neighborhoods. A good man running a good business, beloved... Read more »
By Kim Strickland,
July 4, 2013 at 1:41 pm •