In October 1955, William Roe set out alone into the mountains of British Columbia. He had no idea that before the afternoon was over, he would find himself sitting only feet away from a creature he could neither comfortably call human nor animal and that the experience would remain with him strongly enough that he... Continue Reading →
The Day I Became a Permanent Fixture at Winners
I went into the changeroom with exactly three shirts and the kind of optimism usually found in people who haven't yet been betrayed by retail architecture. This was supposed to take five minutes. Try on shirt. Look in mirror. Question every decision I've made since 1997. Put shirt back on hanger. Leave. Simple. The first... Continue Reading →
The Cottage Weekend: Because Apparently I Needed to Relax
I decided to go to the cottage for the weekend because I needed to “get away from it all.” You know. Relax. Recharge. Reconnect with nature. Nature, as it turns out, had not been consulted about this arrangement. I packed Friday morning with the confidence of someone preparing for a casual two-day getaway and the... Continue Reading →
The Little Things We Carry for Each Other
It had been one of those mornings when everyone seemed to be in a hurry. Cars rushed through the intersection, people hurried along the sidewalk staring at their phones, and the little coffee shop on the corner had a line nearly to the door. In the middle of it all, an elderly man named Arthur... Continue Reading →
The Forecast Said “Showers.” The Sky Said “Drown Her.”
It started with one tiny raindrop. Just one. It landed directly on my forehead as I stepped outside, which I chose to interpret as Mother Nature affectionately booping me on the head. “Aw,” I thought. “A little rain.” That was adorable. Ten minutes later, Mother Nature was apparently trying to drown me. The weather forecast... Continue Reading →
The Day the Rain Brought Something Good
It had been raining since before sunrise. Not the dramatic kind of rain with thunder and lightning that at least gave you something interesting to watch. This was the slow, grey, miserable kind - the sort that made the sky look permanently stuck at 4:30 in the afternoon. Maggie stood at the kitchen window in... Continue Reading →
Coffee, Chaos & Questionable Footwear: Just Another Normal Morning
I woke up Wednesday morning with absolutely no intention of achieving greatness. I wasn’t going to exercise. I wasn’t going to meditate. I wasn’t going to journal about gratitude while drinking lemon water and watching the sunrise. No, my goal was much more realistic. Coffee. Pants. Survive. I felt this was an achievable three-step program.... Continue Reading →
The Footprints in the Snow: The 1951 Yeti Mystery
High in the Himalayas in 1951, a group of experienced mountaineers stumbled upon something that would become one of the most famous mysteries in the history of cryptozoology. They weren't searching for the Yeti. They were looking for a way up Mount Everest. British explorer Eric Shipton was leading a reconnaissance expedition into the remote... Continue Reading →
I Finally Got My Life Together… It Lasted 75 Minutes
At 7:03 on Monday morning, I made a terrible decision. I decided to get my life together. I’d seen one of those inspirational posts the night before. You know the ones. Some suspiciously cheerful woman was sitting cross-legged on a perfectly white bed holding a cup of tea while sunlight gently streamed through the window.... Continue Reading →
I Had a To-Do List. The Universe Had Other Plans
I woke up one morning with confidence. That was my first mistake. I stretched, looked around, and thought, You know what? Today I'm going to get things done. Somewhere, the universe spit out its coffee. I had a whole plan. Laundry. Cleaning. Groceries. Yard work. Maybe even organize that one cupboard where I've been throwing... Continue Reading →