And that's when things got weird

I’m probably what is considered a classic Type A personality: competitive, ambitious, aggressive, and a bit impatient.   When I set out to tackle a task, I push myself very hard, determined to accomplish my goal. And when someone tells me that something can’t or shouldn’t be done, well that just makes me want to conquer it even more. This has been my mantra since I was very young. It has often worked to my advantage, especially career-wise; however, at times striving for success has nearly driven me to the brink of insanity. This past weekend was one of those times when sheer determination nearly broke me. It all started with what should have been a fairly simple endeavor: furnish my freshly-painted, but rarely-used home office. It’s not a very big room, so all I thought if I found a desk that the rest would easily fall into place. Or so I thought. The quest for a desk wasn’t quite as simple as I planned because … (insert dramatic pause) … I bought it at IKEA. For those who m...

You live in … Lynn?  That question, which I’m often asked, is usually delivered in a tone of disbelief, followed by a puzzled look. My response is always a proud yes. Never am I apologetic or ashamed. And why should I be?  I don’t live in Lynn because I have to. I live here because I choose to.  The majority of my 40 years of life have been spent in this city. I was born, raised and schooled here. After college, I tried out a few different Massachusetts cities before realizing that my hometown had all I needed: the ocean, the woods, housing that was affordable to me, a quick commute into Boston, and most importantly, my family and friends.  Nearly seven years ago, I bought a house off of Lynnfield Street. Not even a change in jobs, which had me driving 70 miles to and from the South Shore every day, could budge me from the city where my roots were now even more firmly planted.  And just this summer, I made my biggest move to Lynn that left just about everyone in...

I have been fighting an epic battle with a woman who keeps littering in my yard. As hard as I’ve been trying, it seems impossible to make any headway with her. I reached out for help dealing with the mess. It came (at a hefty price), but it was only a temporary solution. Within hours, she had come back and left even more chaos in her wake. I’ve discussed her at length with my neighbors, and frankly we are all fed up. I think it’s time we evict her. Mother Nature needs to go. And she needs to take her endless supply of unruly leaves with her. While I love fall and many of the things that come along with the season (e.g. football, food-filled holidays, and the opportunity to start wearing boots and sweaters), I am also a lifelong New Englander; and as such, I’ve honed the art of complaining about the weather -- no matter what the season. Like a weather-obsessed version of Goldilocks, I am able to find something that makes it either too hot, too cold or not just right. In fall...