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March 2011 - All The Single Girlfriends

Spring Cleaning: Busting Tradition...

Mar 31, 2011 by

Spring Cleaning: Busting Tradition

I hate to clean. And it’s that time of year again when millions of women participate in the annual rite of Spring Cleaning. Handed down from mothers to daughters, this tradition is steeped in the symbolism of beginning anew after a long winter, where the entire house gets cleaned, sorted and rearranged from top to bottom. I’ve always envied men who seemed to be exempt from this tradition, although I have witnessed a husband or two in their garages, reorganizing their manly tools, getting their farm toys ready for yard work, dusting off the barbecue and perhaps even washing the car. My mom is one of those women who loves to clean and, even though she’s in her 80’s now, she still looks forward to spring cleaning every year. I remember witnessing her version...

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Mid-Life Sampler Platter

Mar 30, 2011 by

Mid-Life Sampler Platter

I got in my car the other day and the tripometer read ‘26.2’ and I thought to myself “This must be a sign that I should register for a marathon.” I later realized that it was probably not the universe telling me to train for a marathon, but rather my car telling me that if I really feel the need to travel 26.2 miles, I should do it while seated and at a speed of 60-70 MPH, not on foot at 5 MPH.   That’s the problem with signs.  If you read them wrong, you may wind up doing something stupid, like running, or calling an ex. I hate running.  Not that you can really call what I do ‘running’.  It’s more of a ‘wog’.  Not really walking, but slower than jogging.  For some reason...

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Say It Loud: I’m a Nerd and I’m Proud...

Mar 29, 2011 by

Say It Loud: I’m a Nerd and I’m Proud

Hi, I’m JaneA, and I’m a completely unapologetic nerd. I embody pretty much every one the hallmarks of classic nerditude: I read science fiction and fantasy novels, I play Dungeons & Dragons, I can recite entire Monty Python skits from memory, I love cats more than I love most people, and I spend entirely too many hours in front of a computer. When I look back, I see that I’ve been a nerd since my earliest days. I was reading when I was three years old. In school I liked class time better than recess because I just loved to learn. I spent my summer vacations reading books by the dozens, I was crazy about superheroes, and I preferred Legos and Lincoln Logs to Barbies and princess outfits. I created my first computer animation,...

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Talking About The “A Word” – Aging...

Mar 28, 2011 by

Talking About The “A Word” – Aging

Can we start to talk about getting older with each other? I love that this blog is for single women over 40. I love reading about the realities of dating over 40 and about the challenges of approaching 60.  I especially appreciate the fact that the women on this blog represent different generations. Before retiring at the end of 2010, I delivered numerous sessions about generational differences in the workplace. I know a lot about how differently the four generations view their work, relationships and lives. (And just in case you need reminding, those four generations are: 1.Traditionalists, born between 1925 and 1945 2. Boomers, born between 1945 and 1965 3. Generation X, born between 1965and 1980 4. Millenials or Generation Y, born between 1980 and 200. (The dates might be a bit different...

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Adam’s Ribs?

Mar 25, 2011 by

Adam’s Ribs?

Now that we’ve crossed into spring and the weather seems to be easing it’s grip on winter, my mind turns outdoor entertaining.  One of my favorite things to make on the grill are dry-rub ribs. First you need a great combination of spices for your dry rub.  Here are my favorites to include: ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, white pepper, brown sugar. I combine equal amounts of the spices in a large bowl and then add about 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  Make sure you mix it really well. Next you need ribs.  It’s important to choose good quality ribs.  Personally, I prefer pork ribs, but you can use beef if you like.  Look at both sides of the ribs, you want to...

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Why Life is Like Leftovers

Mar 25, 2011 by

Why Life is Like Leftovers

Sometimes it’s better the next day…other times not. Sometimes it’s worse (and how’s that for a cheery “be your best self” affirmation? 😉 There seems to be a universal law re trying new recipes.  The more you make of something, the more likely you’ll hate it – and when you live alone, that’s a LOT of regret…and guilt.  But, I’ve slowly learn to let.it.go.  Really. Out it goes and I continue on my journey to the light. Used to, I’d let the big ol’ pile of blech sit in the fridge, reproaching me for waste, every time I opened the door.  I couldn’t bring myself to eat the stuff, but I couldn’t throw it away either (Can’t we all hear our Moms right now?  Starving children in China, etc.)  Then, after the ghastly concoction...

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Goats and The City

Mar 25, 2011 by

Goats and The City

  I got to milk goats!  I got to milk goats! Really!  I did!  Eight of my friends and I spent a sunny morning last week with The Goat Cheese Lady, learning to make cheese.  The Goat Cheese Lady, also known as Lindsey, lives right here in Colorado Springs with her lovely family and a small herd of backyard goats. Goats make charming companions, a fact we discovered when they let us milk them and even hold their newborn babies without complaining.  A goat even joined a conversation I was having with a preteen friend.  I turned to this goat and said, “Oh, hello!” and my politeness brought my friend delight as only a ten year old can express it.  Ten year old boys can be very charming too. The family also has backyard...

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In Praise of Green

Mar 25, 2011 by

In Praise of Green

Back when I was working 60-hour weeks in the corporate world and my friends were stay-at-home moms, we were nevertheless included in “buffets”, to which everyone was expected to contribute a dish. The phone call usually went something like this, “We know you are working and don’t have time to cook, so why don’t you just bring a veggie platter?” Right!  Have you ever tried to peel carrots and slice celery for 40!  It takes a lot more time than anything I ever cook. Alternatively, I would hear “We know you’re busy, why don’t you just bring a plain green salad?” Now I recognize that the hostess really does want something simple and green to complete the meal, but I also know that my friends will be working all day preparing their gourmet specialties...

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In West Hollywood, CA: Palihouse Courtyard Brasserie...

Mar 25, 2011 by

In West Hollywood, CA: Palihouse Courtyard Brasserie

Tucked uniquely away in a little nape of West Hollywood, and surprisingly very close to Melrose and Sunset, The Palihouse is a boutique hotel with a French grace and LA feel.   It is a Tablet hotel and they are well versed in chic! For instance, when I checked in on FourSquare there was a tip left by Demi Moore mentioning that the courtyard was a great place to hold a breakfast meeting – and that is exactly where we found ourselves at brunch and I was told her favourite table! Their chef, Mike Bryant, comes from rural Virginia where he developed his love for farm fresh ingredients while learning his way around the kitchen from his French mother. His mother did an excellent job! The Palihouse Courtyard Brasserie features and amazing brunch that would...

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A Soul in Cat’s Clothing

Mar 24, 2011 by

A Soul in Cat’s Clothing

Spot the Cat is not doing well.  Spot is one of three cats who made the journey across the country with me after my husband died.  I call our little family “Bonnie and the Traveling Cats” because we all had to go.  We all had to change. Did you know cats can get heart disease?  Spot has it and it makes his little chest fill up with fluid.  He can’t breathe well.  I watch him try to carry on his normal feline activities while his chest heaves, trying to bring in enough air.  He is uncomfortable.  I can take him to the veterinary internal medicine specialist to have the fluid drained, but it scares him half to death and his chest fills right back up.  He is not getting better. How do I know...

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“You” As A Digital Brand...

Mar 23, 2011 by

“You” As A Digital Brand

Recently I was re organizing my home office. Er .. ok, I was moving piles of papers to make my desk seem less cluttered. I came across an article that someone had sent me in 1997.. don’t even ask Girlfriend! I don’t remember who sent it to but I saved it because at the time the concept intrigued me. It was Tom Peter’s The Brand Called You which you can find at Fast Company online. As the fates, would have it soon after reading it I was “right-sized” or “down-sized” or whatever the politically correct term was at the time. I was fired from my  job with the Georgia Lottery Company. Peter’s idea that a company would want to hire “more than a resume” was radical 14 years ago. He talked about managing our...

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Thinking…About Boxes and New Clothes...

Mar 22, 2011 by

Thinking…About Boxes and New Clothes

This morning I was thinking.  Honest!  I was lying in bed and a kitten was curled up on my stomach purring her heart out.  I didn’t have the heart to disturb her so I lay there with nothing to do but think. I thought about thinking and the different ways people think.  Most people think—except for the ones who call about subscribing to the newspaper.  When I tell them I get the paper seven days a week they invariably ask, “what about Sunday?” Perhaps they live in a parallel universe with eight-day weeks, but I doubt it.  I think they live in a parallel universe that tells them to read the script without deviation.  Which makes them like most people – linear thinkers. While there are admittedly a few linear thinkers in my circle,...

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