Just a girl who walks dogs and hangs out in cemeteries. Stay feral, y'all.
Julie had planned everything. And when she said everything, she meant everything. The venue was booked. The tables were arranged. Decorations were ready. Food was scheduled. Music was organized. There were lists, backup lists, and one particularly impressive spreadsheet that Julie was considering framing after the event. Wednesday morning, she looked at everything she'd prepared... Continue Reading →
It was supposed to be a civilized dinner party. That was mistake number one. There were six of us, a table full of food, three dogs strategically positioned beneath the chairs, and one cat pretending she was far too sophisticated to participate in anything so common as begging. She sat on the windowsill with her... Continue Reading →
For generations, people living among the rugged mountains and remote ranches of northwestern Mexico told stories about a cat that didn't quite fit with the animals they already knew. They knew the jaguar. They knew the puma. And they knew the onza. The creature was said to roam the mountains of Sinaloa and the surrounding... Continue Reading →
My alarm went off at 6:30 Monday morning, and for approximately twelve beautiful seconds, I didn't know what day it was. Then I remembered. Monday. The weekly reminder that apparently society expects me to participate. I hit snooze because I believe strongly in setting achievable goals. Nine minutes later, the alarm went off again. I... Continue Reading →
I would like to begin by saying that I have an excellent memory. Unfortunately, I have forgotten all the evidence supporting this claim. My problems started yesterday morning when I couldn’t find my phone. This was concerning because I had literally just been using it. I checked the kitchen counter. Nothing. I checked the couch.... Continue Reading →
There are weeks when you wake up refreshed, organized and ready to embrace all the beautiful possibilities life has to offer. And then there are weeks when you sit in your car talking to your phone while several dogs breathe directly onto the back of your head and you realize this is apparently your life... Continue Reading →
Friday afternoon began with the kind of optimism that, in retrospect, should have been considered a warning sign. It was 2:47pm. The weekend was so close I could practically smell sweatpants and poor decisions. I had exactly three things left to accomplish: finish one small task, stop at the grocery store and go home. That... Continue Reading →
It started with a loose cabinet handle. That was it. One tiny, slightly wobbly handle on one perfectly functional kitchen cabinet. A normal person would have tightened the screw and continued living a peaceful life. I am apparently not a normal person. Saturday morning, I grabbed a screwdriver and announced, “This will take two minutes.”... Continue Reading →
High on a hill overlooking the town of Junee, New South Wales, stands an imposing Victorian mansion known as Monte Cristo Homestead. Its balconies look out over the countryside, its rooms are filled with reminders of another century, and for decades its halls have carried stories of footsteps, voices, apparitions and strange lights appearing where... Continue Reading →
I went to the grocery store at 7:03am for one reason and one reason only: there would be no people. This wasn't a shopping trip. This was a tactical operation. I had calculated everything. Tuesday morning. Barely daylight. Most reasonable humans would either be sleeping, getting ready for work, or standing half-conscious in their kitchens... Continue Reading →
