My blog has been a bit spastic lately. I’ve changed its appearance several times this week, trying out a variety of looks and styles until settling on this one, and I’ve finally come up with a name. The boring “Amanda Haines” title was simply a placeholder while I waited for something creative to percolate.  It’s [...]

Sometimes, a gal just needs to make a list. Here’s mine.
Things I Love Right Now
• CSI: I tend to run five to seven years behind in movies and TV, and this is a perfect example. I only recently discovered this show and I’m hopelessly addicted. Luckily, it’s in syndication and can be found on almost [...]

This Veterans Day feels harder than any other I can remember. The tragedy at Fort Hood and the spate of shootings in the week since, combined with the loss of so many of our Fort Lewis soldiers since the summer, has made today a difficult day. There have been so many lives lost and families [...]

Most weeks, I shuffle along, get my work done, and feel pretty good about the whole thing. This week, however, I can’t believe it’s only Wednesday. It honestly feels like I’ve done about two weeks worth of work in the past three days, and I’m wiped.
When this happens, I have a surefire solution: sappy movies [...]

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with being a bridesmaid. I love the idea of wearing a floofy dress, walking down an aisle, and serving as a backdrop when someone else makes a dramatic, life-changing commitment to someone else. Unfortunately, I have almost no female friends and, the few I do [...]

We all have crabby days, some of us even have crabby weeks. But, it’s a rare few of us who can live as Endurance Crabs, muttering under our breath, swearing, and generally making unpleasantness a way of life long term.
I’m well on my way.
Here are a few of the things I’ve been grumbling about so [...]

The thing about blogging is that there’s no room for my Type A, perfectionist BS.
I literally have five blog posts on my desktop right now. Five. All are about three paragraphs away from being done. Two are about the wedding I was in two weekends ago. One is about my dogs. One is about my [...]

Any morning that starts with an 8-foot pee trail across my living room from a 16-pound schnauzer puppy (whose only talent is to pee undetected while walking across an entire room) is bound to lead to a day that is more than slightly off.
Today is that day.
After scrubbing up the puppy wee (and tearfully begging [...]

At a trip to the vet yesterday afternoon, I was waiting in the lobby when I overheard the two gals behind the desk having a conversation. The one girl, who was in her early 20s and had a clichéd rockabilly style with blunt dark bangs, heavy eyeliner, and red lipstick, announced that it was Grilled [...]

On a short list of things that are truly cheap and incredibly delicious, Costco’s Polish dog is right up there at the top. At just $1.50, including the drink, it is impossible to resist, even if an hour later I’m doubled over, cursing and grumbling, wishing I’d just had a salad.
Frankly, I know it’s the [...]