I’m sure this is already obvious to all parties, but I’m finding that getting involved with new friends is a lot like navigating a new romantic relationship. You meet someone — maybe at a party, or at work, or maybe you were introduced by a mutual friend — and you seem to hit it off. [...]

@import url(/erinmak/style/poll.css); OK, the results of the inaugural poll: Bay Area 12 37.5% London (why not?) 8 25.0% Boston 6 18.8% Houston 6 18.8% Hell 0 0.0% Hmm, inconclusive at best… What this says to me is that we will never be completely happy living anywhere. I’ve decided, then, that I need to create my [...]

So, moving back to Houston isn’t exactly turning out as planned. We’re only 13 miles outside of Houston, but that’s enough to feel like we’re way out in the middle of nowhere. My commute has begun to be 45 minutes each way, routinely, because we live in one of the most rapidly expanding suburbs of [...]

I have all these ideas for blog entries swimming around, but stuff will have to be really quiet for me to pull out a stock column. I mean, I’ll give you one of my percolating ideas when nothing’s happened lately. But when things keep making me mad, you’re going to hear about them instead. They’re [...]

I love driving when I’m angry. In fact, it’s about the only thing I want to do when I’m angry. I love gunning it out on the highway, driving a stick, just sort of feeling the road sliding past. Very soothing. [Just for the record, I was right.] I’m also very soothed by Hetty Wainthropp, [...]

I’m still pondering my time in L.A. It was pretty amazing and not like anyplace I’d ever been before. Let the record show, too, that I was quite skeptical as I flew in. As I landed, I was formulating a description in my mind about how L.A. was the mutant bastard child of a bizarre [...]

I was in L.A. this weekend for work, throwing one party and planning the next. This was my first trip to L.A., and my work scouting locations for the next event this fall made it a really good one. I was “required” to check out the Four Seasons, the Regent Beverly Wilshire and the Renaissance [...]

I apologize if the overt religiosity of the last entry offended anyone. I know some of you are uncomfortable with that sort of thing. It’s just what was on my mind last night, and I was feeling pensive (def=in need of a Pensieve). To make up for it, I’m going to tell you three interesting [...]

I went to Shabbat services for the first time in over three years tonight. It was a very strange experience, maybe because it still seemed very familiar. A lot has changed in my life since I stopped going to services, perhaps the most important bit being that I’m not sure I believe in God anymore. [...]

So, I took this little survey thing that Ingrid forwarded me where you fill in information about yourself and forward it to your friends. Where were you born? What’s your favorite ice cream? Do you have any tattoos? There’s this one question on there, though, that’s “How much do you love your job?” I answered [...]