• Restaurant similar to that frequented by DC widow blog writer Marjorie Brimley
    What Not to Say

    Where’s Your Husband?

    You can get the best huevos rancheros in Austin, Texas.  Though I’m not a native-born Texan, I’ve spent big chunks of my life with my family in this great town.  So when I get the chance for a meal out, I do it.  A few days ago, on a weekend downtown by myself, I wandered into a restaurant specializing in Oaxacan cuisine and asked the waiter what he recommended for my brunch.  His answer:  huevos rancheros. We got to chatting after that.  I asked him about how they make their amazing sauces, and he told me more about the history of the restaurant.  Then, as conversations sometimes do, we turned…

  • Marjorie Brimley and Tommy before becoming a widow
    Things That Suck

    Frozen

    I was dropping off Tommy at a play date the other day with a friend. The mother, my friend, had invited a few kids over, and as I turned around, I saw one of Tommy’s classmates with her dad. He looked at me, trying to place me. Our mutual friend said, “Oh, I’m sure you know Tommy’s mom.” He froze. I stood there awkwardly, balancing my youngest kid on my hip. “I’m Marjorie,” I said to him. “I think we met at the parent social but it’s great to see you again.” He fumbled through some sort of greeting, but it didn’t matter. I’d seen him freeze, and I knew…