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Feb 5

The latest: I’m the war of head vs. heart.

I haven’t written an update in almost a month because I’m stuck in that January-February slump. Though I’ve been pretty quiet about my new position as a volunteer greeter at the Art Institute of Chicago, it’s definitely a bright spot in my every-other-Friday. It’s an honor and a privilege to have such a responsibility at one of my favorite spots in the city, even if I’m grumbling during the long, cold walk to the bus stop. I can’t think of a better reason to get dressed (in something other than pajamas or workout gear) and put on makeup.

The Chicago Auto Show kicks off in a few days and I’m busy prepping a bunch of pieces for a couple of new clients, so let’s get down to business.

I wrote two profiles for the St. Michael’s College alumni magazine, which was an absolute pleasure, a challenge, and a nice change of pace. One piece was about two of the college’s priests’ approaches to preaching; the other, about a senior varsity volleyball player, stand-up comic, and all-around fun and funny girl. I’ve been pleasantly surprised that this piece has gotten more attention on social media than anything else I’ve written in recent memory.

When it comes to U.S. News & World Report, oh, I’m way behind! I took a look at the best all-wheel drive vehicles for winter, compared Subaru’s Forester and Outback, and provided some tire-buying advice. I also wrote an overview of the upcoming Mercedes G-Class redesign (which I can’t wait to see this week) and updated my overview of the redesigned Chevy Silverado. Finally, I did a ton of math to rank all 50 states by how much it costs to own a car.

For HowStuffWorks, I had some fun with Pantone’s Color of the Year and talked to an expert on sexism and sports.

More to come in the next few weeks, including some work for those new clients I mentioned. Thanks to Death Cab for the song lyric. If you guys could come back to Chicago, that would be delightful, thanks!

Jan 13

The latest: Every silver lining’s got a touch of grey.

It’s hard to be optimistic, upbeat and productive when I am literally chilled to the very bone. I’m faking it as hard as I possibly can with healthy food, good workouts, and Pantone Color of the Year nail polish. So, here are the fruits of my labor for the last couple of weeks.

For HowStuffWorks, I wrote about solo adventure traveling for women (shout out to Maui Surfer Girls), the economics of airline loyalty programs, fuel-saving stop-start technology, and how you can lose your driver’s license for reasons unrelated to driving.

At U.S. News & World Report, you can see my rundowns of the best three-row SUVs and the best luxury car brands.

Also, I finally have my ID badge for my volunteer position at the Art Institute of Chicago. You have until March 4 to check out the Rodin exhibit, which I highly recommend.

Thanks to my dad’s favorite band and the soundtrack of my childhood for the song lyric.

Dec 31

The latest: I open my mouth and out pops something spiteful.

I’ve had so much work that I’ve put off this update for so long that it seems only fitting to do a year-end wrap-up of sorts. But I don’t want to. I’m usually not the type to be shy about New Year’s Resolutions and self-improvement projects, but this year feels different. Let’s keep it simple. Here’s what I’ve been working on.

I followed up my Cars of 2019 Motor1 piece with a list of vehicles scheduled for 2020. At HowStuffWorks, I talked about the use of music to drive sales in retail and why it’s a terrible idea to let your pets loose in your car. For U.S. News, I contributed an overview of the best deals on this year’s best vehicle brands, compared two top-selling full size pickup trucks, put together a list of vehicles with Android Auto, and advised buyers on the best vehicles for winter driving.

More in the works for 2018, including some projects I totally expected to be done with by now.

Thanks to General Public for the song lyric.

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