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My 2017 Christmas haul

Every Christmas, I take inventory of the holiday gifts that my wife gives me. Some people wish for cashmere sweaters, the latest gadget, stylish watches, and jewelry. My hope is often for the least pretentious, most unexpected, quirkiest little gift possible, and she never fails to deliver.  For the past nine years, I’ve been documenting…

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Any gift that includes murder, blood, and betrayal is perfect in my book

I never expect a holiday gift from my students, and when asked what I want, my reply is always the same: “Word hard. Be kind. That would be more than enough for me.” Despite these protestations, I often receive gifts.  This year the class was kind enough to give me my very first pair of…

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My 2016 Christmas haul

Every Christmas, I take inventory of the holiday gifts that my wife gives me. Some people wish for cashmere sweaters, new video game systems, stylish watches, and jewelry. My hope is often for the least pretentious, most unexpected, quirkiest little gift possible, and she never fails to deliver.  For the past seven years, I’ve been…

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The two birthday gifts you should be asking for above all others

My birthday is approaching. My wife often asks me for possible gift ideas, as I can be a difficult person when it comes to presents. I am much more interested in eliminating things from my life than adding to it. The accumulation of stuff does not interest me. In fact, if someone would just agree…

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Cruelest joke of 2015 involved a beautiful new baby and Bill Cosby

One of the best ideas that I heard in all of 2015 was this: When a friend of mine gave birth to her first child, one of her friends sent her a gift. It was a book. This book: Possibly one of the cruelest jokes ever. I plan to spend 2016 desperately seeking opportunities to…

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3 petty bits of nonsense that should never bother you (unless you are equally petty)

1. Friends or relatives who name their baby the same name or a similar name as your child You don’t own the name.You didn’t invent the name.The name is not a reflection of you (even if you’d like to think otherwise).Most important, the kid will never give a damn if someone else shares his or…

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Our little ingrate has grown up. Unfortunately.

As the holidays approach, I’m happy to report that our formerly two year-old ingrate, now three years older, handles less-than-satisfying gift giving situations much better today. It’s good news, but I still love her reaction to this gift as a two year-old. Priceless. 

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Just eliminate gift registries entirely. Also, divorce registries are disgusting.

A recent New York Times piece tracks the rising popularity of gift registries for occasions other than weddings. While it’s hard to count how many exist, registries for not just weddings and showers but birthdays and other events such as housewarmings, holidays and even divorces seem increasingly common, perhaps because of the expansion in digital…

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My 2013 Christmas haul

Another Christmas and another outstanding haul of gifts from my amazing wife, who understands me so well. Some people wish for cashmere sweaters, brand new video game systems, stylish watches and jewelry. My hope is often for the least pretentious, most unexpected, quirkiest little gift possible, and she never fails to deliver.  For the past…

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Seven years of marriage today!

Yesterday was our seventh wedding anniversary. I couldn’t imagine a better day. Best of all, we ended the day in the negative. My anniversary officially kicked off the night before when I arrived home around 11:00 PM from a wedding and discovered that my lawn had been mowed while I was working at a wedding.…

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