Driving in the Dark

A few evenings ago, when my broken and surgically repaired elbow had healed sufficiently to be able to turn the steering wheel, and I had already driven my car to physical therapy two days before without a problem, I still asked Tony to drive me to my next PT appointment,…

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Green Happy Place

“I’m always afraid my first swim of every season,” a veteran triathlete told me at my second open water swim practice with a local triathlon club. More than a few good swimmers and determined triathletes told me stories of feeling fear or even having panic attacks in open water. A…

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Let the Dog Bark Part 2: Operant Conditioning Outcomes

Yes, I did let the dog bark and bark…. and the results? First, a clash of philosophies, then a little behavioral science, and then I’ll reveal the outcome. My boyfriend called my training technique “tough love,” his euphemism for animal cruelty. He couldn’t even bear to stick around the nights I  ignored Pixie’s piteous bark-whining to be let…

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