Author: Steve Ainslie

Back in high school, there were several girls who I had significant crushes on who, even then, I knew would be a terrible match for me. They were dumb. Or crass. Or had many boyfriends. Or partied too much. Or something else, that I knew would never work. And yet, I’d think about them a…

Recently, IVF treatment, surrogacy and other fertility treatments have been a topic of conversation on podcasts I follow. Although I have absolutely no intention (nor opportunity) of having a baby, I am curious. I wondered about things like: I’ve listened to fertility doctors, women in their 30s who have frozen their eggs or their embryos,…

The host of the Solo podcast often derides the idea that having a committed romantic partner “completes someone.” He posits that people are complete as individuals and that the notion of needing partner to be made whole is a fairy tale. Unlike him and many others in the Solo community, I had a long, happy…

My neighbors had a second baby over the Thanksgiving Weekend and I couldn’t be happier for them. I’ve watched them raise their first kid from his baby days to today – now nearly 5 years later. They are loving, doting parents. They are tightly connected with both of their families – frequently spending time with…

I swam at a nearby Lifetime Fitness Club on Thanksgiving Day using a free guest pass from my neighbor. The facility was amazing. It is massive with bright multistory glass alcoves. It has mirrors, marble and tiles worthy of some of the nicest resorts I’ve ever visited. It had 2 indoor pools, 2 outdoor pools…

In addition to the price of groceries, utilities, gas and many staples, I am now seeing that just about everything I buy has increased in price over the past year. I don’t believe it is “just inflation”. Like I’ve said before, if you follow the money, it is clear that companies are taking advantage of…

My 90 year old girlfriend told me when I walk with my dogs past her home each morning, her Ring doorbell captures us on video and sends her an alert. At the grocery store, I am being recorded in the aisles, at the checkout counter and when I enter and leave. When I swam at…

One of my friends, like myself, is a guy who does a fair amount amount of DIY projects. He’s a self-taught jack-of-all-trades who has cobbled together a wider skill set than my own. In addition to being able to handle basic plumbing, electrical, drywall patching, painting and minor repairs, he’s also learned how to weld,…

My water heater replacement did not go as smoothly as I had hoped. The plumber arrived around 2PM, checked everything out and got to work immediately. Around 5:30 PM, he called me over to show me that a vent pipe elbow he was connecting to was broken. He explained that he could not use it…

I had plans for my entire day and the entire Thanksgiving holiday weekend mapped out in my head to get me through it with minimal inconvenience and fuss. I confirmed where and when I could swim when my regular pool was closed. I hit the grocery store Monday morning to avoid the onslaught of amateur…