Is there a reason things happen?

Often, something small will happen and I realize later it was the catalyst behind something really big. Or I’ll make some decision that I will swear later was a  bad one, only to eventually understand it led me somewhere I needed to discover. Yesterday, I ran out of gas on my way to work, and I’m going to assume my stupid decision not to fill up the night before will eventually bring about something good.

I’m starting this blog as an excuse to continue procrastinating

I am a journalist who works for a major newspaper chain that, like all newspaper chains, is struggling with transforming changes within our industry and a terrible U.S. economy on top of that. This week I am on an unpaid furlough, which I thought would be miserable but is turning out to be quite inspiring.

I've spent much of the week on this bench, finishing "2666" and drinking white wine.

I promised myself I would spend this week being the kind of mother who reads to the class and eats in the cafeteria. (It’s Wednesday, and I’ve already done both of those things. I’ve also bought her some socks at Target, cooked dinner each night, planted seeds in my container garden, replenished the bird feeders, made blueberry pies, killed a bottle of wine on an old friend’s patio, and wandered around the stacks at Borders.)