Author Archives
from Susan Narjala
From the Outside Looking In
Wow, these squirrels are as big as cats in India. That was one of my first reactions when I came to America as an eager grad student in the early 2000s. Everything was bigger, brighter and faster.
I hadn't stepped foot outside India before then. But I knew all about American culture - what was cable ...
8 Surprising Reasons I’m Not Skinny
I exercise. I've done Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred at least 30 times. I've not emerged shredded.
Maybe I shouldn't have spread those 30 workouts over, say, 365 days. Really, though, Jillian should be more accurate about this shredding business.
Soon, spring cleaning will edge out my already non-existent workout routine. I'm one of those who gets an endorphin rush ...
The Grasshopper Syndrome
We’ve all been there. That uncomfortable, sometimes even threatening place, where we feel insignificant, insecure and downright invisible. Maybe it’s an interview for a job where you feel underqualified. Maybe it’s as innocuous as a party where you don’t know a soul and everyone else looks like they stepped off Page 3 of the local ...
Mama Mama, Valentine Drama (inspired by the Llama Llama series ;))
There's love in the air - or so it's been said,
But for mommies out there, hearts fill with dread.
Get on Pinterest for the perfect Valentine pun,
Need a nap, but have to make a candy run.
This year we'll make our very own cards,
On occasion, mommies too can be bards.
Our cards will say: "There's no one Elsa like ...
Why a Trip to the DMV is Just What the Doctor Ordered
The DMV has been regularly cast as a black hole which sucks the prime years out of you. There are reports that they make you wait for so long the next day's stubble starts growing in (if you're a guy that is... generally speaking, of course).
But it behooves me to speak up for the department responsible ...
What I learned from a cooking class (that has nothing to do with food)
Recently, I signed up for a Thai cooking class hosted at a friend’s house. I needed a break from the routine, not to mention Thai takeout was taking out a sizeable chunk of our budget. So I figured, “Why not?”
Fifteen moms gathered at a friend’s place. More precisely, fifteen white moms being taught Thai cooking by ...
When you’re thankful for a root canal
This morning I got on the scales like I do every morning. And the blessed thing registered that I was two pounds heavier. For once, I didn't swear off chocolate, processed food and every calorie that ever lived for the rest of my life. I was just happy to be doing something routine.
The last few days have been boderline ...
Warning: Birthday Party Ahead
The things we do for our offspring.
Like last morning, I sloshed my way through an Oregon downpour for the sole purpose of buying a Hot Wheels track for the kid's friend's birthday party. It was after my workout - I was in my sweats, my eyeliner had streaked down my face and I smelled like a bouquet of ...
Mommy Marketing 101
"What's for dinner tonight?"
"Rice and chicken curry."
"Ooohhh nooo."
The sighs, pouts and slumped shoulders that accompany said conversation are Oscar worthy.
Drama comes a leetle too easy to some folk these days - especially when they're under four feet tall and their chief concerns in life revolve around ... nothing.
It seems that the more I labor over meals, the ...
MEET SUSAN
