I don’t have any kids (or personally funny kid stories), but I love following James Breakwell (@XplodingUnicorn) on Twitter. He has 4 daughters, and his kid quotes are often hilarious.

I have been in this desperate, bleak place. Things are better now. I hope they get better for you, too. Let yourself get through the holidays and see what the new year brings. You never know. In the meantime, I send hugs and good wishes.

Commiseration: My asthma’s been terrible and (at $400/mo) I cannot afford the medication that makes it SO much better. Ugh!

Just here to wish you and your beloved husband peace.

Secoded re: Chris Messina.

I’m rewatching the first (and, sadly, only) season of “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.” If you haven’t seen the 2010 HBO adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith’s charming novels produced by Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack, do yourself the favor and check it out. It’s joyful and beautiful. Jill Scott, Anika Noni…

We do—and here in norther NJ we even get to elect a new governor. Goodbye, Chris Christie.

Not sure about the Network series, but I liked Margaret Atwood’s book on which “Alias Grace” is based. Can’t wait to watch.

I can’t wait until “The Alienist” starts in January. I read the book twice.

This may sound weird, but I would say to splurge on very small things*—like a new lip gloss now and then or a fancy coffee or dessert from time to time. When I do this, I feel less deprived and have fewer problems laying off the big ticket items (like, say, a new coat or a new set of dishes). When I treat myself to…

Hmm...I’m 46 and I’ve never had one. I was going to go a few years ago, but then I got laid off and lost my health insurance. Then I was teaching and never had time. Maybe next year...

Well, I made a gallery wall, but I don’t have a pic. It looks great, though.

OMG, Mini Pie is so adorable. 

I’ve got to disagree. Reese Witherspoon wears yellow. Blake Lively wears yellow. Elizabeth Banks wears yellow. Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson wear yellow. Judy Woodruff wears yellow on PBS Newshour. Yellow can be pretty on blondes.

Mortgage interest is the only thing that’s saved me the last 12 years. Fuck this new bill.

Oryx and Crake would be really hard to get right. The impact of the novel is in not knowing what’s being described to you—the slow unveiling of it all. That would be hard to achieve visually, since you’d have to set the film story in time and place. Having it told to us bit by bit (by an unreliable narrator) is…

I don’t know...if I married an Olympian, I would be proud of their feats as well. Rhythmic gymnastics is no joke.

Post trauma = after trauma. I’d say rape or sexual assault/sex abuse could most definitely be considered “trauma,” so I don’t see why experiencing PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) should surprise anyone.

FINALLY. Yay! And when Singer falls, maybe David Geffen will too?

I actually think it’s easier with the help of a (blank) map. Maybe it’s because my brother and I had a puzzle made up of state shapes when we were kids. I could also do it with pencil and paper. Out loud would be harder since I never learned the memory song.