Before Brian became my husband, he was my forever boyfriend. No, he was not my high school sweetheart, but I did meet him when I was still in college. So, he robbed/saved me from regaling you with horrific dating stories, of scrambling around trying to find a date for some holiday party or another. But I do have one.
I was 18, had just moved out from under my parents roof, and I had my first real, honest-to-goodness boyfriend. A Frenchmen we’ll call M. With a penchant for fast-talking, heavy black framed glasses, and a haircut like Tin Tin, M was the man of my post-adolescent dreams. We met on the subway, and a romance was quickly born. We lasted a handful of months, one of which was December, that month of candy canes, egg nog, and holiday parties.
I brought M home with me [...]

The year is just about coming to a close. Yes, I realize we have just over two months to go, but a girl must plan accordingly. The year of no more food taboos is winding down; and I must say it has been a successful one. So successful in fact, I am finding it difficult to find foods that I do not like, or at the very least, don’t eat. So when I was at the market, and I saw a pile of fresh dates, a fruit that had typically been a foe, I decided to give them a try.
In the past, dates had been a bit much for me– too sticky, too cloyingly sweet. And that is saying something from a girl who thinks dessert after every meal, including breakfast, is appropriate. But I was desperate, not only for a new task to [...]