tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:03:31 +0000http://www.sophiadembling.com/home.htmnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)Blogger339125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-1701887944626535585Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:58:00 +00002009-10-11T15:03:31.236-05:00alzheimer's support groupsaudette rackleycenter for brainhealthdementiacongnitve sciencealzheimer's diseaseuniversity of texas at dallasI learned so much while working with Audette Rackley, of The Center for BrainHealth on the book I Can Still Laugh: Stories of Inspiration and Hope from Individuals Living with Alzheimer's. The 13 individuals with dementia whom we profiled, and their caregivers, were warm and friendly, smart and determined, open-hearted and unforgettable.The book profiles members of the Stark Club, an interventionhttp://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/10/alzheimers-and-other-forms-of-dementia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-4915132855882044727Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:51:00 +00002009-10-01T08:55:51.099-05:00travelcatsfriendshipbooksanthologieswritingToday is release day for the latest anthology to which I contributed. Here, I get to say what I never got to say to a former friend who dumped me.If you're interested, I also contributed to this anthology, compiled by the same editor:Ah heck, let's go for broke. I'm in this, too:So start that holiday shopping early! http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/10/ps-what-i-didnt-say.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-671683275018835663Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:35:00 +00002009-09-30T18:43:34.535-05:00trucksfictiontravel in americaspiral jettainterstateswritingHere's a new post for you, though it's an old story.I've been thinking about this short story, written when I was in my 20s, because of the story about which I wrote this blog post, for The Introvert's Corner, my Psychology Today blog. Life imitates fiction. Like the character in this story, the author of Spiral Jetta thought she would find romance and poetry in a roadside bar but ended up http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/09/trucks-short-story.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-6204827773993981783Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:40:00 +00002009-09-29T14:48:57.610-05:00I don't know when I first published this. I do know that we got a new DVD player and are free of that damn remote.----Today’s topic for discussion is design.Not cool design. Bad design. Specifically, bad industrial design—the kind of design that makes you aware of design, since unless industrial design is intrusive, we barely notice it.I will start with bad design as it relates to my morning http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/09/on-bad-design.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-1336353464918534324Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:06:00 +00002009-09-13T22:43:32.299-05:00dillard'sadvertisingfashionIt's kinda like the old you, minus accessories. Not so exciting, really.It's been a long time since I mocked Dillard's. But this one touched my heart. http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/09/new-you.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-4263414487417043715Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:49:00 +00002009-09-10T15:04:13.539-05:00beatlesjim lauderdalebarry manilowshowboatmusicmandy barnettjames taylorsimon and garfunklesteve earlebilly joelbette midlerFirst published November 15, 2007--A friend sent me a video clip of The Beatles singing "‘Til There Was You" (quick--what Broadway musical is that song from?) and it got me thinking about a live performance of "This Boy" we have on a Beatles documentary. The first time I watched it, I melted right off the couch. A young friend was visiting at the time and laughed at me and at my very special http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/09/love-songs-i-love.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-4822472376166053220Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:17:00 +00002009-09-08T09:20:21.970-05:00memoirC.B.G.B.1970sRamonesTuff DartsMax's Kansas CityAllman BrothersRocky Horror Picture ShowdiaryTalking Headsnew york citylaughing dogsFirst published 5/9/07If only I’d known then how cool my life was, I’d have taken better notes.I kept a diary every night from the time I was 12 years old until I was 28. I’ve been rereading my diaries from the 1970s, when I was a teenager in New York City. While many of the entries are hilarious in the way of adolescent profundities and trauma, they also are a microcosm of a time and place.Some http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/09/my-life-circa-1970s.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-409462040410663868Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:29:00 +00002009-09-02T15:37:27.078-05:00memoirhairstylistswhiningcommunicationOriginally posted September 29, 2006----“It’s like you have a sign on you that says, ‘Tell me about it,’” Tom marveled.Something about me attracts people with way too much to say. I went to a new hairdresser yesterday. He was a lovely young man who did a great job on my hair. However, his monologue started the minute I sat in his chair and didn’t stop until I fled the salon two and a half hours http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/09/please-protect-me-from-motormouths.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-1245153637616773805Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:46:00 +00002009-08-31T12:49:40.669-05:00travelindiaWorld HumwritingPlease check out my latest story on World Hum, titled The Bucket and the Cup. It's all about how India kicked my traveling ass. http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/08/on-visiting-india.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-7301376420415423527Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:58:00 +00002009-08-27T16:04:48.847-05:00newspapersloveThis one dates to May 2007. I still like it.I am so charmed by this little story of band geeks in love that I had to share.I’m not sure what my favorite part is. That they were first and second chair oboists in their high school concert band. That their first date was dinner at ZuZu and their second was a lecture about Stravinsky (and Kiira, both times, had to be the pursuer). That Barry wowed http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/08/cute-geeks-in-love.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-1931973265025888990Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:42:00 +00002009-08-26T13:45:03.734-05:00introvertspsychologyintroversionbloggingBecause three blogs aren't enough...I'm now blogging about introversion on the Psychology Today website. Please visit, comment, make me look good!The Introverts Corner. http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/08/blogging-introversion-and-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-3362917653319912026Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:22:00 +00002009-08-25T17:32:33.044-05:00philosophyexercisemotivationwritingMy first few years of blogging were on MySpace which, I realize, has become so annoying and impossible to navigate, that those posts have become essentially inaccessible. So I have decided, for my own entertainment and yours, to go back through my MySpace blog archives and revisit some evergreens. It's the lazy gal's blogging, but maybe it will juice me up to find more new stuff to say.We'll http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/08/wisdom.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-7369297605986615416Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:30:00 +00002009-08-23T10:59:08.798-05:00self-promotionfriendshipbookswritingA little shameless self-promotion here ... this is a trailer for an anthology coming out October 1 in which I finally get to say something I never got to say. Other women wrote heartwarming letters to the special women in their lives, but I indulged in a final, satisfying, "fuck you" to one who did me wrong. Because that's what I needed most to say. http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/08/ps-what-i-didnt-say-book.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-2776112962616625433Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:18:00 +00002009-07-31T12:46:38.894-05:00musicroad tripWant to buy any of the road-trip songs from my Flyover America road-trip music post? Here they all are, to preview and download from Amazon.com. Amazon.com Widgets http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/07/road-trip-songs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-4605002676169172845Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:01:00 +00002009-07-09T13:19:37.701-05:00self-promotionblogstravelbloggingtravel in americaAs many of you know, my old Flyover America gig with World Hum succumbed to the economy. But the good news is, Jenna Schnuer and I, with the addition of Matt Villano, have launched Flyover America independently.Y'all know I haven't been a good little blogger here for a while. That's because I've been two-timing you. My energy has been going into Flyover America ... and that is likely to continue,http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/07/flyover-america-hits-road.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-7799669872875676562Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:25:00 +00002009-07-02T08:50:10.108-05:00psychologyfriendshipgripingWhere do you stand on bitching and moaning to friends?Some people staunchly refuse to gripe. I suppose that’s partly temperament. They’re all sunny-side-up 'n' shit. As an enthusiastic griper, I have trouble relating to that. It seems cockeyed to me. And when people reflexively deflect legitimate gripes with some sort of Suzy Sunshine crap, I put a little checkmark next to their names in my head:http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/06/bitching-and-moaning-friend-or-foe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-2438282495348794146Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:01:00 +00002009-07-09T12:26:28.862-05:00researchbird watchingHowdy. Today, we’re talkin’ farm animals.We’ll start with a story I enjoyed in this morning’s paper about a couple of Vermont dairy farmers who changed what they feed their cows, thereby reducing the amount of methane their cows emit via burps. (I guess that whole cow farting thing is overplayed; according to this article, most of the gas actually comes from the front end.)Also according to this http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/06/chicken.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-4761494207675098785Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:51:00 +00002009-07-09T12:47:45.276-05:00videophotographypsychologyresearchnostalgiawritingFirst, for no particular reason, here’s a totally random photo from my last trip to Oklahoma. I have a lot of photos. Might as well toss some out there from time to time.OK, so, what’s on my mind today?Well, I’ve had a semi-crappy week and I’m stressed out, so I’ve been watching this awesome interactive music video a lot. It’s a guaranteed stress reducer. Really, go watch it. Use your cursor to http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/06/flotsam-friday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-1960955585091762783Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:59:00 +00002009-06-11T12:16:24.715-05:00memoirdeathclutterI am recently home from three weeks in New York City sorting through my late parents’ possessions with my brother. Wow. I have something to say to all you parents out there: If you have a lot of stuff, as a loving gesture to your children, get rid of some, OK? My parents had a lot of cool stuff but they also had a lot of junk. A lot. See the photo? Multiply it by an eight-room apartment. Where http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/06/burdens-of-stuff.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-2214266452475135546Fri, 08 May 2009 02:22:00 +00002009-05-07T21:51:53.764-05:00dillard'smother's dayadvertisingThis is such a festive time of year! Sunday is Mother’s Day, which means it’s time for the parade of identical, badly dressed Dillard’s MILFS. This year, get your three moms expensive and wildly unflattering “patio dresses.” Nothing says “I love you” like a paisley tent.(Take a little walk down memory lane, through Dillard's posts past.) http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/05/mothers-day-2009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-6947475331305244002Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:05:00 +00002009-04-29T17:02:33.201-05:00introvertstravelpsychologybooksintroversion"I just stumbled on your article 'Confessions of an Introverted Traveler' and I just wanted to tell you how pleased I was to read it. I am in my second year of college and hope to travel extensively after school. I've been scouring the internet reading countless articles, blogs, personal accounts, etc about traveling and a vast majority of them speak of the great experience of meeting people http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/04/five-tips-for-introverted-travelers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-7903188424127915910Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:16:00 +00002009-04-21T11:15:25.017-05:00traveloklahomabird watchingprairie chickensI left my comfort zone this weekend and spent it with a bunch of hard-core birders at the Lesser Prairie Chicken Festival in Woodward, Oklahoma. Because I’m a wee bit of an idiot, I didn’t realize until I’d committed exactly how hard-core the event would be. It was the kind of event where I met people for whom seeing the prairie chickens dance was the culmination of a lifelong dream. No, really. http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/04/doing-prairie-chicken-dance.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-286043002047277815Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:49:00 +00002009-04-13T08:23:07.837-05:00craftstravelslide showhumorJust got home from a road trip through southern New Mexico. Our favorite stop was Truth or Consequences. (Read a little more here.) Not much going on in the little town except hot springs, which is good enough. We loved it.The whole downtown pretty much shuts down on Tuesdays, which is why a thrift store was a highlight of our sightseeing. And I don't mean vintage (though T or C has lots of thosehttp://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/04/gay-goobers-in-sweaters-souvenir.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-1512118106914621165Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:00:00 +00002009-04-12T17:07:17.903-05:00videotravelDozens of people break into choreographed dance at Antwerp's Central Station. You must smile. http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/04/joy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717790273617681922.post-1431202461215942708Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:37:00 +00002009-04-03T13:12:33.817-05:00newspapersadvertisingdallas morning newsYou know I have only the greatest respect and affection for newspapers, for my former employer (well, mixed feelings there, but generally positive), and certainly for the brave souls who go to work each day under the darkening cloud of desperation, layoffs, and now pay cuts. And so it is with deep regret that I am forced to mock this sad, ill-advised in-house ad.These are fine reporters doing a http://www.sophiadembling.com/2009/04/one-sad-bad-ad_03.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sophie)0