I’ve worked in and around politics now for almost thirty years, and let me take a few minutes to share with you what I’ve learned during that time.

Nothing!

I’ve learned nothing. And with that big nothing, here is my “take” on Mike Duggan, his quixotic run for governor as an Independent, and his surprise announcement last week that his run was over.

When I sat down to begin this blog post, Google Docs prompted me to “Start writing with Gemini”. Artificial intelligence has officially taken over. And it’s definitely here to stay. 

What began as a fairly routine trip home from California quickly became a deranged, multi-airport travel saga involving canceled flights, missing bags, airport-floor sleep and the realization that flying in America may now just be extra bad all the time. For now and forever.

As a mom, I’ve started to realize something about Mother’s Day: Most of it isn’t actually designed for moms. Every year, Mother’s Day is supposed to be about “celebrating mom,” but for many of us, it still ends up looking a lot like regular motherhood — just with flowers and brunch reservations added in.

From 1965 to today, my family’s history in Michigan has been defined by a simple, recurring theme: a quiet dedication to getting the job done.

Welcome to the time of year where everything is uncomfortable.

If you’re not sure on a topic, it’s OK to keep your mouth shut. If subject matter experts are discussing a policy approach, it’s alright to listen and learn. Truth is, they’ll probably even respect you more for it.

For this week’s “Good Thing from Last Week,” I wrote down two names: Jimmy Rosselli and Griffin Wright. And if I were you, I’d write them down, too, because they will be names you hear from again.

Since I’m a chronically online member of Gen Z, I spend a lot of time on TikTok. So I thought I would try to influence you to follow my favorite influencers.

I’ve been meaning to watch Mad Men for years. It’s one of my dad’s favorite shows, though I don’t usually follow his TV recommendations since they tend to involve a lot more sci-fi or Vikings than I’m interested in. But once I started studying public relations, the idea of a show about the advertising industry suddenly felt a lot more relevant. When it finally became available to stream again in December 2025, I decided it was time to see what all the hype was about.

Not an Olympics post—just an aggressively opinionated honeymoon recap comparing Norway vs. Finland on cost, food, people, and landscape (spoiler: the answer might be “both”).

I didn’t set out to start a “conspiracy” podcast. I’ve just always loved anything involving time travel, glitches in the matrix, déjà vu — anything that makes you question whether reality is as stable as we assume. I couldn’t find a podcast that focused only on that niche. So I made one.

After nearly 30 years in the Lansing area, my family is heading back to het moederland: Holland, Michigan. We’re ready for wooden shoes and windmills, tulips and traditions—and yes, three meals a day at Russ’. I’ll keep working remotely, just with more lake-effect optimism. What we’re not excited about is the move itself.

But I don’t want to wear a ribbon.

Finally! It only took about 40 years, but my middle school, smart-ass, TV-obsessed self was right. Reading books can be hazardous to your health!

Park your walkers, friends, and I will lay out my case.