Today I turn forty-two. Forty-two. I’m not upset about it. I’m definitely not kicking and screaming into this birthday; I’m just in a little bit of a disbelief situation. I mentioned to a friend in spin class on Wednesday night that I don’t feel “that old”. Forty-two isn’t old, really: it’s the new twenty-two, isn’t it? (ISN’T IT?) It’s just that, as each birthday rolls around (as they tend to do if you’re lucky!), I think about the oh-so-vivid memory I have of me as a much-younger girl in the late 70’s, doing the math on how old I’d be when it was the year 2000. “Thirty-two!” I told my…
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- Childhood Memories, Do I Really Want My Readers To Know This?, I'm Apparently Old., I've Got Mad Skillz, Writing
My Poems, By Melisa
I have given myself a good chuckle AND creeped myself out simultaneously by opening this book for the first time in years, even though it has resided on the bookshelf–mere steps from me–in our family room for absolutely forever. I wrote in this book of poems from May 10, 1978 until February 23, 1981. No, no…don’t be impressed. There are only eleven pages full of poems. The rest of the book? ENTIRELY BLANK. Because I enjoy giving my readers a good laugh and don’t mind making fun for you at my own expense, I will now share some of these works of art with you. Please note the obvious impact…
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The One In Which We Stay Up Way Past Our Bedtime
Originally, tonight was going to be just an average Saturday evening at home. You know: dinner, tv shows or a DVD movie, the news, a few minutes of SNL, and then lights out. (We’re old.) Not anymore. Jim and I have a date tonight. Pretty exciting stuff, sort of. Sort of? Yes. You see, the date doesn’t begin until we would normally already be in our jammies. The older boy and his girlfriend have tickets to see Blue Man Group at 10:00 p.m. Our family LOVES Blue Man Group. Jim and I have seen it so many times I’ve lost count: I think it’s up to five times. Maybe six.…
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Driving Thru An Impromptu Fast Food History Lesson
What is it about teenagers, thinking that their parents were practically born in the Stone Age? It is an unfortunate set of circumstances that led me to have to write, for the second time this week, about another instance in which I am accused of being older than the hills. To make it worse, the accuser wasn’t even one of my own children. Close, though: it was the younger boy’s best friend. I was driving the two of them home from scouts on Monday night, and I decided to stop for Shamrock Shakes for the three of us (plus Jim and the older boy), to celebrate the grand news we…
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Doomed.
I had an awesome conversation this afternoon with the boys. We went out together to run a few errands and, on the way home, passed our local “eat dinner and have drinks in the theater while you watch a movie” place. I mentioned that I’d like to go there sometime (it opened last fall and we haven’t been yet!), and the older boy said, “Yeah, you know, Christopher Lloyd was there recently and they showed ‘Back to the Future’; isn’t that cool?” I told him that celebrities go there all the time to make appearances. For example, Richard Dreyfuss was there a couple of months ago, for a special showing…
- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Blessings, Friends, I'm Apparently Old., My Sister Has Mad Skillz, Proud Moments, We Are An Awesome Couple
The Best Thing Is? It Goes Both Ways.
You have my heartAnd we’ll never be worlds apartMaybe in magazinesBut you’ll still be my star Baby cause in the darkYou can’t see shiny carsAnd that’s when you need me thereWith you I’ll always shareBecause When the sun shines, we’ll shine togetherTold you I’ll be here foreverSaid I’ll always be a friendTook an oath, I’m a stick it out till the end Now that it’s raining more than everKnow that we’ll still have each otherYou can stand under my umbrellaYou can stand under my umbrella (Ella ella, eh eh eh)Under my umbrella(Ella ella, eh eh eh)Under my umbrella(Ella ella, eh eh eh)Under my umbrella(Ella ella, eh eh eh, eh eh…
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Going Balls-Out On His Birthday
When the boys were little, I made them rainbow cakes just as I do these days. The difference back then was that I knew what the cake theme would be for weeks. In some cases, months. (’cause that’s how I roll) Their birthday parties were planned according to a theme down to the very last detail, and I enjoyed every minute of doing it. We had parties in the following themes: rocketships, cars, Blue’s Clues, Magic School Bus, trains, and many more than my aged mind cannot remember at this moment. They were all glorious. As they got older, birthdays didn’t become any less important but, post-Bar Mitzvah, we just…
- Best Thing Ever, Confessions, Family Fun, I'm Apparently Old., Jim Has Mad Skillz, My Kid Has Mad Skillz, We Are An Awesome Couple
When Holidays Collide: Happyfather’sbirthday!
Today is a very special day. Yeah, sure, it’s Father’s Day; everyone knows that. In our house, however, we’re celebrating something in addition: The older boy turns 17 today! WOW! Take a moment and absorb that reality with me. How is it even possible that Jim and I, being so youthful (and great-looking) ourselves, could have a son who is 17? No idea? Me neither. Anyway, this is only the third time that Father’s Day has fallen on the boy’s birthday (including his BIRTHday). The last time was in 1998. To be completely honest, though I have photos in the closet of that birthday, I can’t remember it. Instead, I…
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The Day That It Paid Off To Be Forty
Last week I had a moment when I was so excited to be forty, and I wanted to share it with you. Normally, though I had a bit of angst when I turned the Big 4-0 in November, I don’t even think about my numerical age because I always feel so much younger anyway. It’s just a number and doesn’t really hold much importance. Until Saturday. I took the younger boy out to lunch after his last band concert. We went to a new burger place, a “fast casual” restaurant. Orders are placed at the counter but they give you a number to put on your table; a server delivers…
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Ohhhh…I Thought I Was Posting in the SUBurban Dictionary.
Not to beat a dead horse, but wasn’t it exciting yesterday when Tom, Momo, and Weaselmomma and I totally blunked Nukedad AND I got the word “blunked” into the Urban Dictionary? Totally a banner day. Except for one of the 5,000 phone conversations I had with Weaselmomma, when she started laughing uncontrollably. (That’s actually not unusual for her: she laughs A LOT. Surprised? I didn’t think so.) I said, “What’s so funny?” She said, “Well, you know…the Urban Dictionary is full of street language and such, and here’s a middle-aged Jewish woman getting a word in there.” I said, “I AM NOT middle-aged!!!!!” (Jewish? yes.) And then I thought for…