Alex

One grandpa who was a naval officer turned lawyer but always also a sailor, which you can see by him wistfully staring off at sea while on a boat he traded lawyer-ing for time on.

Other grandpa, ALSO in the navy but only for the duration of WWII and he never left the New York harbor. May have even been the Coast Guard? Honestly can’t remember. Became a cab driver and then a cheesecake baker.

Ya know what, they were both in the Navy, excuse me.

They were both “rugged” in that the whole family is still dealing with the ramifications of neither of them ever wanting to talk about “feelings.” You know. That old chestnut.

One of them was a cab driver turned cheesecake baker from Brooklyn. The other was a navy officer turned lawyer from The Bronx who used to ride under trains into the Catskills. Both had amazing hair.

Me, 13, looking wistfully at a colorful throw pill with an embroidered toucan and teal tassles on it, priced at $39.99: "That's class."

I don't know if this is because I grew up lower middle class or what, but when I was a kid, my idea of success was a home that was furnished by only World Market goods.

😌 I 😌 just don’t 😌 think 😌 we need 😌 to settle for 😌 politicians with 😌 Nazi tattoos 😌

We always knew this was your destiny. Congratulations!!

Welp, there goes that!

5 year old: "I pretended to be in the blue zone today and dropped a pretend ice cream cone!"
Me: "Oh! Were you acting?"
5 year old: "No, not acting! Pretend!"

Can you go undercover on this

Using my tax money to shoot down more of my tax money? That's the American Dream, babyyyy!

Oil pastel drawing of an avocado on a pink background with additional scribbles brought to you by my five year old

Two children’s drawings of ~ an avocado ~ that my five year old did

Did you know that instead of bombing other countries for no reason, you could simply draw an oil pastel avocado with your family?

With my money, no less! When I can’t even afford to buy a house! No thank you!

Look, I just don’t think one country gets to be “Sheriff of the World” and have carte blanche to go into other countries and just bomb the fuck out of them, ok?

Email preview of a marketing email referencing the latest war as a way of selling consumer goods

Which part of end stage capitalism is “marketing emails from consumer products hawking goods based on the US entering another illegal war” because—

A printed phot of me in an MTV homage tv shirt in front of neon lights taken by a professional badass named Bridgette

New headshot, y/n?

Me after both my dermatologist and dentist say “but you’re so young,” even though I’m turning 39 in April

I’m serious, go create something or watch something silly or beautiful or I dunno, rewatch the US women’s hockey team, do anything else.

Here’s the thing: instead of watching the SOTU tonight, you can just paint a picture of fruit.

Blood orange oil painting on an easel

The five year old was just put on his bus and I’m allowed to listen to music again in my own home, so time to share my latest painting! A blood orange with messy perspective but fun colors! Whoo!

I JUST——

Sigh, I knew feeling even the slightest bit patriotic was a MISTAKE

US Men’s Hockey Team milk shake duck-ed within hours of their win, just absolutely predictable and unhinged at the same time.

ok the problem is the internet is the tv in my home and i’m gonna need that hail mary for the small fry once he becomes TRULY feral.

One thing worth noting: the five year old did also take a few minutes to disappear behind his window curtain and announce “oh wow, it’s really coming down out there” like a very knowledgeable boomer grandpa.

Outside view of the blizzard happening in Brooklyn through a window framed by hanging plant silhouettes.

Happy “locked in an apartment with a feral five year old as a blizzard takes over the city so you’re really appreciative of the few quiet minutes you get to mutter ‘oof, really coming down out there’ while staring out the window” day to all those who celebrate

(Had to get the whole family outside for “winter sport” before we’re shoved inside for a blizzard and god help us, remote schooling a kindergartener, soooo)

Canopus Lake covered in snow and ice at Fahnestock State Park, my husband there for scale

A few metal boats covered in snow, leaning against each other near what would normally be the lake coast

Me standing like a goof on Canopus Lake beach, taking a photo

Wooded snowy wonderland at Fahnestock Winter Park

Did you know you can just go up to Fahnestock State Park and rent snowshoes and meander about the sweet sweet winter landscapes of the Hudson Valley?

Omg