ziploc.

On Just My Type the other day, Eileen wrote about ziploc bags. Read it. Hysterical. She was wondering if people have as much trouble zipping those “off” brands as the commercials imply.

Of course not, I laughed.

Until this morning, when I reached into the freezer to get the bag of bagels. The bag was open and the bagels were a little worse for the wear.

I guess we need some training sessions around here. Or else I’m going to have to spring for the ziploc brand.

Again, with the computer!

I was away for a few days and the boys were home with Andrew. Today was my first day back, so I was feeling a little generous. I slept in a little. After my coffee, I saw the kids playing on the computer. That’s fine. Later, more. Still fine. I took my mom to the airport (have you ever heard of an August vacation in Las Vegas?).

When I got home, the boys were each in a different room. Max was crying on the floor. Andrew, standing in the kitchen, appeared a wee bit agitated.

Alright. What’s up?

Reed changed the wallpaper on the computer for Max’s profile. Max was mad. Why, Reed? Why? The explanation? Max changed the wallpaper and screensaver on his profile last week. Okay. Progress. Max denied it. Davis couldn’t remember if he did it. OHMY. I laughed out loud and almost fell over. Yeah. Let me know when you remember, Davis.

Well, maybe I do remember, he said.

And the rest is history.

So I turned off the computer for the day. And this is what happened…..

Brian is 45.

My first crush. It was in 1973, I think. Brian Goldstein was the cutest guy I’d ever seen. He had dark brown hair, blue eyes and freckles. For a seventh grader, he was tall. He was funny and smart and…. he took my breath away.

He knew I liked him. He was nice to me and we became friends. Group friends, if you know what I mean. And then he started “dating” Robin McLaughlin. She was tall and cute with a turned up nose. She was one of the few non-Jewish girls in our group of friends. And Brian lit up whenever she was there. And that was great. Until she started liking Benji. But still, Brian was just my friend. Sure, there were boys who liked me. But none was like Brian.

Years later, I went on a date with Brian. It was a little like going out with my brother. There was no hope. And then he met Honey. Seriously, her name was Honey.

I haven’t seen Brian since ninth or tenth grade. I hear he’s married with kids. And 100% bald. And still gorgeous. And I’m sure he’s a lawyer or an accountant or a doctor. And I’m absolutely sure he’s still nice.

For some reason, I will never, ever forget Brian’s birthday. August 3rd, 1961.

Heat.

So we drove to the county seat. We had to go to the surrogate office to do probate for the will. Serious stuff. My friend had to prove she was who she is. We sit there while the woman asks these questions and in the background I hear Bad Bad Leroy Brown and Sweet Caroline and Good Times Never Seemed So Good…. and it didn’t make sense. These people, this place. How can you be finalizing someone’s life’s end while listening to these cheery fricking songs? It was surreal.

And the day and the heat continued on. Despite the songs and the paperwork and the oddness of it all.

We had a great lunch. And for a few minutes, we forgot why I was here and why she was so distraught.

But then, it came rushing back like the hot wind.

Cookie magazine.

Hi all – this is a question for people with kids from a friend of a friend of a friend…. any ideas? It’s for a feature in Cookie magazine, if anything comes to mind, please e-mail Peter this week!

How do you get your kids to share details about their day (and get
answers that go beyond “fine” and “nothing”)?

I’d love to see the answers here, too! And feel free to spread the question widely…

Muffin.

Today, my sister-in-law and I were in a small coffee shop with my boys and my nephew in Bangor, Maine. We took a long time deciding what to order. Reed wanted a chocolate muffin and a Sprite. Max wanted a raspberry lemonade and a brownie. Michele had a cafe au lait. Isaac, my nephew, wanted a raspberry lemonade. Davis hadn’t decided. I wanted a mocha. (no whipped cream, please.) Finally, I was ready to order and some guy ordered a chocolate muffin at the same time I placed my order. Oops. He heard and realized there were only 2 chocolate muffins. Before I had time to even realize what was happening, he changed his order to a blueberry muffin.

Can you imagine that happening in D.C.? I love Maine.