wait for it

Welcome, all those coming over from 826 Michigan's facebook page  or their blog , and all the rest of youse, too!  I'm so glad you're here. Browse around a bit and leave some fingerprints. There's something for everyone, I think-- stuff about boxing, mostly memoir pieces like this one theatre in a homeless shelter, its power demonstrated theatre with prisoners and theatre of the oppressed powerlifting competitions, of which I took part, oddly enough type 1 diabetes, handled with humor  (sometimes) parenting, subversive style my funniest story ever My blog is where my writing ideas, which once went into a tablet to die, get fleshed out into small essays. I like it that way. Visit again soon.

This past week I bought a kitchen mat; a new shower caddy; two blankets for the kids' beds. The cold is coming, and I'm settling. It's a good time to remember those without this luxury; for them, I reprint here an essay of mine published by The Other Journal , recounting a night at the homeless shelter. She’s standing in front of me, pulling her sweatshirt up to reveal a pale, heavy belly. “I think it’s pretty obvious,” she says in response to the pregnancy question on the intake sheet. Kelsey had been driven to the shelter by her father, who held out a twenty, patted her back, and said, “You’re doing what your mother couldn’t.” Leaving a man who beats her. Kelsey was needy. Could she have a locker? Well, no, they’re for long-timers. Could her bag be locked up in my office? If I did that for everyone, it’d get pretty crowded in here. How about some paper and pens? And then: “I’m hungry.” Pregnant, hungry, homeless girl. Of the many scenarios I encounter on my five...

Wow. To keep that air of mystery established a few posts ago, I'm going to make you click through to  here  to see what I'm up to, and to witness the overwhelming support I've been given. There's a deadline Monday at noon--the team member who solicits the most individual donations gets a featured spot on the  826  Twitter and Facebook pages. I'm in a good place, but if you've been meaning to give, now might be the time. Thanks.

After a long, self-imposed, not entirely voluntary hiatus from boxing, I returned to the gym last week. After a good year of going to the gym only when I felt top-notch, up to the task, I stepped foot in there on an off-day, content to accept rusty pivots, hesitant shots. In some ways, boxing felt like riding a bike; knowing how to move was with me all along. Even on an off-day, even with a faulty elbow. For fun, I joined in on a lesson one boxer was giving a beginner, and was questioned by the teacher. "I figure there's always something to learn," I told him. "Naw, Amy, you already a beast." I like that. Namely because I do consider myself a beast, and because I also know he knows my experience is limited. I took it more as "you have the potential to be a beast." Overall the place felt empty; there'd been a robbery a few nights before. Someone took all those sweaty gloves, God knows for what. The bags and computer you understand, bu...

Writing. Me. Robots. What's it all got to do with each other? Read about my new challenge here .

My readers know the efforts I put out to get my family moving . I am happy to report that this summer, we, the Scheers, did move. Even after eating this, at the famous Pat's of Philly, we ran down (and back up) the Rocky steps, and, a couple months later, ran through mud. In between photos, my kids invented the Backyard Olympics and held contests with the neighbors. I didn't do a whole lot of this but instead pushed cars, kayaked, carried my younger son on my back for a half hour, and worked on my 1RM in the deadlift. This is exercise, and recreation. It's nice when the two coincide.

Let me tell you the story of Simon's camera. Usually, for birthdays, we buy a big LEGO set, supplemented by equally desirable books and toys priced a bit less. The kids enjoy this. I wanted more for Simon this year as he turned 12. He'd been showing a real interest and skill in filmmaking, borrowing the camera previously ruled untouchable for the kids and eventually becoming, basically, Simon's camera. That he'd talk about a hobby other than LEGO showed a spark of something I wanted to encourage. That he'd plan out shots for the movie version of a favorite book... that was something new. Funds were limited, but I found a video camera online within our range and asked Simon if he'd mind a present equally big but not LEGO this year. The conversation took a windy road, dead ending when I asked if he wanted to know my idea before agreeing to it. He did. I let him read the specs online. "Waterproof up to 8 feet" did the trick. Now he has a video ...