It’s a chilly winter morning. Dark storm clouds cover the sun, and the street is silent. This is the kind of day where I usually find an excuse to stay home.

“Why are we even walking today? It’s so gray outside,” my son complains, dragging his feet across the pavement.

“Because we care about ourselves and our bodies enough to take a walk each morning,” I respond, stopping to zip up my son’s coat.

“Is that better?” I ask. He nods.

We continue walking, and my son sings a ’90s hit as we make our way up the steep street. …

I’ve been crying a lot lately. I’ve always been the emotional type, but this year has been extra hard on me.

Back in May, my three kids completed preschool, kindergarten, and 8th grade. This triggered some sort of emotional breakdown where I realized that I was just a few months away from spending 40 hours a week in an empty home.

I don’t know what to do with that much freedom.

I can join a book club, have coffee with friends, take college courses on campus rather than online, work outside of the home…I can do anything as long as I do it between 8:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. each day. I can write articles without tuning out the 327th viewing of Trolls or my son’s best Dave Grohl impression. …

I have nearly 50,000 page views on News Break after just 2 weeks. I published my first article on December 21, 2020. Today is January 5th, 2021.

I’m not allowed to discuss the specifics of my own contract, but I must meet clearly defined quotas each month if I want a guaranteed flat rate payment. I’ve met — and exceeded — all of the requirements of my contract so far, so things are going well.

Here’s my link if you’d like to follow me on News Break:

Please share your own links in the comments so I can follow you too. I’d also love to hear how you’re doing on News Break and what you think about the site. …

Like many of you, I’ve jumped on the News Break bandwagon. I’m doing okay so far, but it’s only been a few days.

I read a lot of articles about the site before I joined, including multiple pieces on Medium. Tara Blair Ball has some great advice on navigating the ins and outs of News Break:

I recommend reading Tara’s post if you’re thinking about joining the platform. It’s very helpful.

Want to follow my work on News Break? You can find me here:

Don’t worry, though. I’m not abandoning Medium just yet — or ever, really. I love connecting with the readers and writers here, and I’ve met some incredible people during my time on this platform. …

Nobody should have to go hungry, but unfortunately, many people do. Approximately 55 million Americans confess that it’s hard for them to afford food, and 1 out of 6 people regularly experience hunger due to food insecurity or scarcity.

Lack of food can make you physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted. You may find it difficult to hold down a job, maintain relationships, or perform everyday tasks when you’re hungry. Over time, you may even develop chronic health problems from vitamin deficiencies.

I don’t want that to happen to any of you, so check out the resources below if you need food. …

Gallbladder attacks often mimic other medical issues. This makes it difficult to determine the true source of digestive discomfort for doctors as well as patients. Many people mistakenly assume they are experiencing the symptoms of GERD, LPR, ulcers, or even pregnancy when a gallbladder attack occurs.

The gallbladder is a tiny pear-shaped organ located on the right side of your body, behind your liver and just below your rib cage. Its job is to store bile until you eat, then secrete it during the digestion process.

Sometimes bile hardens before it travels through the digestive system. When this happens, gallstones can form in your bile ducts. Duct blockage from gallstones can cause numerous issues, from frat-worthy belching episodes to excruciating abdominal pain. You may notice this happens after you eat too much food or have a meal rich in dairy, oil, or fat. …

It started with an email.

There was nothing special about the message. It wasn’t overly interesting, excessively friendly, or anything else that would have triggered my mental caution button.

It was just an email.

I still had Myspace, although I didn’t use it often. When I saw I had an email from somebody named Triple C, I browsed my account to see if anything rang a bell. Lots of people used nicknames online, and my email address was listed on my profile.

“Hey Missy, what’s up?”, the email read. “I’m having a party with some old friends. Can you come?”

I realized Triple C was a guy I used to work with named Cameron— 7 years ago. …

Don’t leave your keys in the ignition when Robert Berger is in town. In December 2018, the New York man confessed he stole a Lexus. Just 6 months later, Berger admitted he tried stealing a pickup truck.

Not surprisingly, prosecutors weren’t impressed by Berger’s crimes. A hearing was scheduled for both cases on October 22, 2019 to determine sentencing. Prior to this hearing, the Lexus theft was classified as possession of stolen property in the fourth degree. The truck incident was classified as attempted grand larceny in the third degree.

Things weren’t looking good for the New York felon. Terrified at the prospect of facing time behind bars, Berger came up with a brilliant plan: He’d fake his own death. …