http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/lisa_scottoline RSS Feed for Inq Col Lisa Scottoline en-us Sun, 19 Feb 2012 08:01:00 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/lisa_scottoline/20120219_Chick_Wit__Best_to_be_nobody_s_passenger.html I have often said that there are many pleasures to being single, and among them is that you get to be in the driver's seat. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/lisa_scottoline/20120212_Chick_Wit__The_MRI__Mother_Mary_in_a_tight_spot.html Mother Mary tells me on the phone that they're building giant red condominiums across the street from her house. "Really?" I ask her, confused. Her street is a small, quiet backstreet, the last of its kind in South Beach. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/lisa_scottoline/20120205_Chick_Wit__Collecting_gadgets_that_collect_dust.html The salesman told me a snowblower would change my life, but so far it hasn't. What a snow job. Because it only snowed once thus far, for two whole inches. I'm not complaining, but that snowfall cost me $300 an inch. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/lisa_scottoline/20120122_Chick_Wit__Humility_and_help_in_the_hospital.html Getting sick teaches many lessons. And before I begin, let me say I know that having foot surgery isn't even being that sick, and certainly not as sick as many people. But it's what I'm working with now, and it taught me several lessons, which I'm about to inflict on you. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/lisa_scottoline/20120115_Chick_Wit__Never_too_late_to_refeather_an_empty_nest.html I've been nesting like crazy lately, which is funny, considering that I have no eggs left. I can't explain this, but I'm betting that I'm not the only Mama Bird who looked around her empty nest and realized that it needed curtains. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/lisa_scottoline/20120108_Chick_Wit__Finding_a_blessing_in_a_bunion.html I know I've written about my feet before, but changes are afoot. Sorry. To begin, my feet barely look human anymore. My soles have thickened to an elephant's hide, and my toenails have turned to horn, curved and yellowing. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/lisa_scottoline/20120101_Online_buying_delivers_a_holiday_lesson.html Whoever coined the phrase "and many happy returns" never tried online shopping. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/lisa_scottoline/20111225_Chick_Wit__You_can_never_buy_a_Christmas_gift_for_this_mother.html I cheaped out on Mother Mary for Christmas. I didn't mean to, actually. What really happened was that I gave up. I surrendered. You can't buy present for Mother Mary without a fistfight. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/lisa_scottoline/20111218_Chick_Wit__A_little_eggnog_-_and_holiday_cheer.html I love the holidays, because it's the time of the year when we all think about others. We have no choice. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/lisa_scottoline/20111211_Chick_Wit__Let_there_be_peace_on_Kepler-22b.html Did you hear that we're all getting a great gift for the holidays? A new planet! Scientists at NASA have just discovered a planet outside our solar system that is very similar to Earth. They named it Kepler-22b, and it's hanging out there in space like a supersize blue-and-green Christmas ball.