24/7

There is a two person whirlpool tub attached to our bedroom. The Partner and I exploit this ultimate form of decadence on a weekly basis. Since last night was St. Valentine's special evening, we were inspired by Chinese food take-out and the exchange of romance-themed card stock to take things to the next level by soaking in the jet stream while talking only about sex. The discussion was guided by the book I've been reading called " Sex Detox: Recharge Desire. Revitalize Intimacy. Rejuvenate Your Love Life " by Ian Kerner, Ph.D. I signed up to review it for the Parent Bloggers Network because it was about sex. I'm easy like that. The premise of Sex Detox is that most struggling relationships or faltering dating-lives (the book is divided into separate detox regimens for couples and singles) can benefit from stepping back from the action and taking time to assess the whole picture--not just where you are sexually now, but how you got there. The workbook-like exer...

Just to prove to you all that I do not take myself too seriously, I am linking to a segment heard on WBUR (the Boston NPR affiliate) this morning about the book I wrote as part of a new publishing venture called One True Romance . OTR is marketed toward engaged couples looking to record their courtship for posterity by commissioning a professional author to write about it in romance novel style. The publishers have amassed a stable of writers, but I was the first filly out of the gate as I penned the inaugural book in the series. If you click on the Real Audio link on the WBUR Web site , you can hear NPR's coverage in the form of a thinly veiled satire on the sappiness of today's holiday. I alternated between cringe and guffaw as I gave it a listen myself. While I want to say that the overall tone of the book is not as schmaltzy as the artfully chosen excerpts would have you believe, that might just be my pride talking. Let's put it this way: while I find it a little stra...

Earlier in the winter, I kept telling The Partner that I need new windshield wiper blades. "These things suck," I said, time and time again. My ever-patient husband would remind me on each occasion that it was not the wipers that sucked--it was the New England winters. There are certain times and places where windshields just aren't meant to be seen out of. November through March in Connecticut is one such example. Then I received a delivery of Prestone Washer Fluid Booster (de-icer additive) to review for the Parent Bloggers Network . The packaging promised that the product would "quickly remove light ice and frost and help to repel build-up of dirt and salt from road spray as you drive. Also helps prevent dangerous re-freeze from forming on your windshield." I smiled and nodded. That's what I do when I'm not paying much attention, or when I don't believe a thing someone is saying. While working on one of my car's myriad problems, The Partner...