hootenannie

At the Denver airport last night, I heaved my suitcase onto the scale at the ticket counter, and cast a furtive glance at the damage: 56 pounds. For the first time ever, I was going to incite an overweight charge. But wait!  Could this be my lucky day?  The ticket man hasn’t seen the number…

I’ve been bouncing in and out of Denver this summer – it seems like I haven’t been home for more than 3-4 days at a time before I’m packing up and heading out to the next destination.  Admittedly, I am the world’s worst packer, and always wind up packing way too much or way too…

What did I [climb]: Pike’s Peak – all by myself, and SO FAST.  Seriously, I hope this doesn’t come off as all braggy-face of me, but I scampered up the entire mountain, and barely broke a sweat. Sir Edmund Hillary?  How about Sir ANNIE PARSONS. What did I [burn]: the backs of my calves.  Why…

Friendships forged in fire can never be broken.  When you experience horrors side-by-side, the bond is forever.  When you see things that no human should ever have to see, experience atrocities that will never be spoken of again, and somehow live to tell the tale – that is what authentic, everlasting camaraderie is made of….

– your hair just needs to be cut?  Immediately?  Because all of a sudden, and without warning, you are Morticia? – you wear the black racerback tank with the rainbow graphic eagle on the front?  Because it’s so awesome? – you eat breakfast at an oatmeal cart?  Because this is Portland? – you hear a…

Check out what I made! She’s a beaut. I’ve always wanted to learn how to roll my own sushi, and being in Portland – a city of the aquatic variety – last night was my chance.  My friend and co-worker Molly took me to a place called Hipcooks, where we spent three hours learning the…

What a place, huh? Last night, I zig-zagged the downtown streets on foot, taking in the sights and sounds of Stumptown.  Seattle may be my first love – but I have a warm, fuzzy fondness for her hippie kid sister. Eventually, I wandered into Powell’s Books (how could I not?), and spent way, way too…

My cavities are spreading like kudzu in Alabama – this we’ve discussed. Last week, I went back for round 2 with the dentist – a dentist, I might mention, whose last name rhymes with “feral.”  Actually, that’s how you pronounce it, too – “feral.”  Spelled a bit differently, but enough to put me on edge,…

In junior high youth group, we would occasionally sit in an awkward circle where each person was supposed to take a turn praying out loud.  When it was your turn, if you didn’t want to pray, you would squeeze the hand of the person sitting next to you. Skip, please. Well, that’s what Friday just…

Micah: Auntie Oonis, I know that you want to get married and have kids someday. Annie: Who told you that? Micah: Grandma. Annie: Oh.  Well, she’s right. Micah: Why aren’t you married yet? [Because God is just busy building some lucky man’s character, bank account, and biceps.] Annie: I don’t know, buddy. Micah: Well, if…