This may sound like an insult, but “The Avengers” is about as good as it could reasonably be expected to be. It’s a big summer movie, it’s got a huge cast, and it’s essentially serving as a sequel for about four different movies. There are a lot of story lines that have to be worked […]
Posted inPluck
Crappy Mother’s Day, xo Time Magazine
Are You Mom Enough? Are you kidding me? Excuse me, what I meant to say is ARE YOU F*&#ING KIDDING ME!? You’re, like, profoundly bad at giving presents, Time. This just really sums it up, doesn’t it? The way the mainstream media talks about motherhood? Imaginary so-called “Mommy Wars” designed to turn valid personal choices into fake […]
Posted inEssays Archive
That One Time When My Mom Was a Lesbian
My parents divorced when I was 5. Afterwards, my mother fell in love with, and moved in with a woman. Needless to say, things changed quite a bit, and I haven’t ever written about it publicly. I was in elementary school when the phrase, “That’s so gay,” came to fruition. I remember kids saying it, […]
Posted inPluck
Missing/in Progress
I read this great piece over at Ask Moxie today, and deeply identified with it. I am so grateful to be experiencing progress right now – a realization that after a preceding 2+ year stretch of stagnation always brings a smile to my face. One of the things that shocked me after my daughter was born was a sense […]
Posted inPluck
You also used to be a child. Too bad now you’re just an asshole.
Yesterday, Teddy and I went to Target to pick up a few things we needed. While I was perusing down an aisle, a little girl, maybe about 2 or so, started crying – wailing, really. She was throwing some kind of temper tantrum. It was not a pleasant sound. Despite her mother’s attempts to console […]
Posted inPluck
Mama Multiple Personality Syndrome
This week, I had a dream that woke me up in a cold-sweat. I was in our apartment, when a rattling wind swept down the hall. It set into motion two identical baby swings that sat nearby, the seats rocking to and fro by themselves. Then, the two televisions that dreamily appeared in my living […]
Posted inPluck
1,001 ways to feel like a failure (a.k.a. motherhood)
It started with pacifiers. I was researching them, trying to figure out if the plastic ones I inherited from my sister are potentially harmful for Teddy. I came across this – Perils of the Pacifier. Here’s the part where I started to bang my head on the table: Probably the most important reason not to use a […]
Posted inReviews
‘The Five-Year Engagement’ is a rom-com that gets it right
“The Five Year Engagement” is that rare romantic comedy where the characters actually seem like real people. They make dumb mistakes and they interact with each other in a way that feels real, if a lot funnier than real life. The two leads manage to seem like two people who really would be in love. […]
Posted inPluck
My TV, My Toddler
As I type this, my 2 year old daughter is enjoying her daily TV time. Well, not tv exactly, but a DVD – one of around 20 selections we stock here at the Joynt Sandberg abode. Today’s selection is Ratatouille. We’ve got an extensive collection of Charlie Brown’s various holiday adventures, The Muppet Show, and […]
Posted inColumns Archive
Pigpen’s Girlfriend
Dear Vered, How do I tell my loving boyfriend that I hate his apartment? He’s a great guy in so many ways — if a little rough around the edges — but his place is disgusting. It isn’t just the milk crates for furniture, it’s filthy. The one time I slept over, I didn’t even […]