Mailbag Monday! Toilets and Stop Signs

Welcome to the first ever installment of “Mailbag Monday!” I thought it would be fun, on Mondays, to discuss topics or answer questions on anything. ANYTHING. One question or one topic a week, but for this week, I decided I would do two because they are both SUCH good questions and also, because they’re the…

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Mother’s Day

Every once in a while I do a NO BOYS ALLOWED post. This is one of those posts:

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Why the Jews?

When I was a kid, my dad once told me that there are many, many people who don’t like Jews. I didn’t understand. Where I grew up, it seemed like everyone liked Jews. It was harmonious. It was happy. I don’t remember one minute of anti-Semitism. But the world outside of my suburban incubator, that’s the world my dad was…

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Cell Phone Etiquette Rant

The other day I was walking out of a restaurant with my mom and two young daughters when we ran into a good friend and her little dog. The girls were all over the dog and my mom was all about my friend, so I figured it was OK to answer a text from my husband. Was that rude? Yes.…

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The Thing About Play Dates…

The term “play date” has always been of interest to me. There aren’t many like it in the English language. It’s really the only term I can think of that is filled with formality, necessity and stupidity all at the same time.

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Don’t Be A Tease

Everyone is teasing me lately, and I don’t like it one bit. I was out for dinner recently and when the server went over the specials, I picked one that sounded dee-lish. I was very excited for my dinner because I look forward to my feeding time much in the same way a hippo does. When…

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10 Things No One Gives A Crap About On Facebook

  10 Things No One Gives A Crap About On Facebook 1. You‘re scrolling through your Facebook News Feed and you come to my status. It says: I’m at the movies! Would you care? No, you would not. No one does. How about this one: I’m at the movies with Eminem! You might care a little bit, but now I’m just bragging (and lying).…

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On Turning 40

I turned forty last week. That used to seem so old to me. Forty. I don’t feel old though. At least not in the head I don’t. It’s not like I woke up on my fortieth birthday and instantly started referring to The Salon as The Beauty Shop; I didn’t grab a Redbook, throw on a housecoat and…

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Ode To Prednisone

A Little Poem…

I have lower back pain, and although I try to deal
It makes for a rough day and I miss shoes with a heel.

Look at that, time for another pill
I’m starting to look like Ryan O’Neal.

I think that I am no longer making sense
Time to put this stupid poem to rest.

For my back discomfort I blame my dad
It’s a problem he always had.

If it’s in the genes, then I have no fear
for my kid from China–she’s probably in the clear.

You know what? That’s so not fair
She already has great hair.

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Are We Closing The Book On Bookstores?

The movie You’ve Got Mail (1998) was primarily about love blooming over the internet even though the lead characters were business rivals in real life. It also explored the demise of the independent book store at a time when “mega” bookstores were first starting to take over. It’s a solid example of art imitating life. Borders and Barnes & Noble bookstores were popping up all over the place, king kong’ing many (if not all) of the small, local bookstores that stood in their way.

I remember getting angry as Meg Ryan’s character walked through the “Fox Books” super bookstore. It was a big store and, to me, uninviting. Sure, it boasted nice discounts, fancy coffee drinks and more variety, but it lacked the charm and warmth of “The Shop Around The Corner.“ I pointed at that “Fox Books“ and thought to myself: You big bully bookstores! You just wait. You’ll get yours one day!

Well, I think that day is here.

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