Ass backwards. If there were two words to define my “career”, ass backwards would definitely be them. I started my path into digital media and blogging as a means to an end. A decade ago I started a cottage industry business called Best Tools for Schools with a friend. With little to no room for marketing budget, someone at a trade show suggested we promote ourselves on Twitter. With my face scrunched up, and totally confused as to what I was even doing, I opened up a Twitter account and …
Going Back to School at 50 – There is no Deadline for Learning
I'm going back to school at 50. Let's file this under, "Words I never thought I'd utter" for $400 Alex. Like most things in my life over the last year or so though, I've come to accept that it's best to follow my instinct and chase what my heart wants. In this case in particular, I've never been more eager to embrace something in my entire life. Divorce has been like a tsunami for me. The ground beneath me shook violently, followed by a temporary and deceptive calm as the water pulled …
The Worst Age for Girls is 14, and the End of Reason
My youngest daughter turns fifteen in 21 days, 22 hours, 16 minutes and 41 seconds. I know this because I have been counting down the days for a little over six months now. It is with keen anticipation that I look forward to saying, "Good riddance 14, don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!" because if there's an "official" worst age for girls, 14 is it. I may not have reams of laboratory data to back up my claim that fourteen is the worst age for girls, but I do have field …
Into the Great Wide Open – Skydiving Into Life’s Next Chapter
This was supposed to be an article about skydiving in Ottawa but as often happens, the story I intend to write and the story that gets written is often wildly different. And oh my god, doesn’t that last sentence just sum up the last twenty years of my life. So, apologies in advance if you came here to learn about skydiving in Ottawa, because this is actually about skydiving into a life. I recently published a list of 50 things I wanted to conquer in honour of my upcoming 50th and you …
Tinder is a Dumpster Fire, Save Yourself the Download
Ugh, the dating scene. Of all the places I want to be right now, dating is ranked just above colonoscopies and root canals. I am completely and utterly apathetic about love and relationships at the moment, which means there is no better time to do a deep dive into Tinder. My cynicism is high and my caring is low. With nothing but time on my hands for about a week, I threw a pity party for one and wallowed in bed with potato chips and Tinder. I am here to tell you ladies that while it …