Rani Monson

Rani Monson lives in Texas. She's busy trying to: win over her partner's cat, practice yoga in the driveway and figure out humor writing. She's a former newspaper reporter and award-winning journalist with an MBA in marketing and a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University.

Who knew you have to be rich and skinny to ski

Skiing for the First Time at 42

Like a foreign language, I fear learning to snow ski is best when one is young — much younger than I, who at 42, will be conquering the ski mountain for the first time this week. At least that’s the current plan. Skiing for the first time at 42. My family never did the cold-weather…

Have to avoid the ER on New Year's Eve

Avoid the ER on New Year’s Eve if You Want to Celebrate

I didn’t set out to hit the ER on New Year’s Eve. But a year-end visit to the chiropractor included a neck adjustment that sent me to the emergency room. It’s hardly a way to celebrate. I tend to not have the best of luck with medical things. I caught poison ivy in downtown Washington…

I got a boyfriend and gained a bunch of weight

The Boyfriend Effect — 17.2 Pounds

One thing loudly Ho, Ho, Hoing this holiday season — aside from Russia, which is having a daily Christmas affair with our politics — is my weight. My clothes are on a permanent vacation from lack of use because they don’t fit. And I’m not talking about the “oh, I’m feeling bloated” saga. Even my…

Apparently laptops don't like coffee

Don’t Feed Your Laptop Coffee

My holiday season didn’t start off with a bang. It was more a sizzle. In addition to overstuffing my already-full self, I also fed my computer. Coffee. Don’t do it. Don’t feed your laptop coffee. I spend most of my waking life in the digital saddle. It’s how I make a living. I have no…

Halloween costumes aren't for me

Why I Don’t Dress Up for Halloween

By far one of the most underrated parties in Dallas is the annual Oak Lawn Halloween Block Party on Cedar Springs Road. Typically held the Saturday before Halloween, it’s something that makes me proud of Dallas. A festivity bringing together the most diverse crowd I’ve experienced in Texas, spanning age, ethnicity and sexual orientation. There’s…

#NoMakeup to the gym for me

Why I Don’t Wear Makeup to the Gym

Grammy winner Alicia Keys didn’t wear makeup to the MTV Video Music Awards last month. The Twittersphere nearly imploded. World comes to an end. #Bam. The cause of the chaos? Cosmetics. Or lack thereof. #NoMakeup. How dare a celebrity show up on the red carpet with a naked face, lacking the typical two hours of…