The weird, stupid, thrill of walking past a muddy, cruddy yard I’ve seen a million times, but the never-ending construction project got around to fencing the yard a couple of months ago, and this time the gate was open.

On my way home from Mommy’s Afternoon Out at a Bar, and okay, the nice young couple walking the other way got to the book box before I did. And as I walk past she’s kneeling down and saying “Oh, should we take it? It’s a storytelling board game! It’s both of our things!” And otoh this is […]

I know that humanity has observed this before, but really: The Moon! It’s making things bright tonight and it’s pretty nifty!

#everythingistwrriblebut Tonight when I told The Bruin it was ten minutes before bed, she wanted to sit out on the porch with me looking at the full moon. We heard a train whistle, an owl, and the campanile from up on campus. She was surprised at the brightness, so we talked about reflected […]

During our binary counting exercise I was confused why they were so disappointed that we stopped at 64. You don't know what annoying is until you have heard a bunch of fifth graders saying "one zero zero zero zero one one!" over and over 😐 damn meme should come with hazard pay for math teachers.

There are good-enough reasons why it happens, but every time I do it, I’m a little amused at the ridiculousness of walking The Bruin to school, walking home, and then driving right past her school on my way to the grocery store.

Really enjoyed Wake Up, Dead Man! Clever, well-constructed, funny, fair, heartfelt film. Also, I super appreciated how [very lightest of spoilers incoming. . . ] Rian Johnson put Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd on a reading list towards the beginning of the movie to let suspicious fucks […]

Anyone who says differently is operating a bakery. https://tech.lgbt/@Natasha_Jay/115645458035599015

My 2yo is now calling the Bay Bridge the “Gay Bridge” so I have to see how long I can keep from someone teaching him differently.

I gotta say, this is a little more aggressive than I expected from Long Life Vegi House.

I’m basically just grateful that somebody set an introduction to media literacy and political awareness to music, with dancing and bright colors and a story that engages at just my child’s level, in a way that she experiences as a fun treat, rather than yet another lecture from her parents.

The Bruin is 6 and *loves* all the princess trope stuff. Wicked both critiques and serves it in spades, from a place of love. It’s the kind of thing I really enjoy in my horror movies, but for her. Are the reviewers right about the pacing? Probably! Do I mind? Not until she does, which isn’t […]

Wicked reminds me of Andor. Someone with a confident grasp of their medium going “Look over here, guys! I’ve made exactly the fun you’re hoping for! You’re welcome!. . . and while I have your attention, here’s a quick primer on the nation’s descent into fascism. . . ” I’ve always been more of […]

I helped by correctly identifying Nanny McPhee as a movie The Bruin would enjoy. JB is helping by actually lying on the couch watching it with her. Also I made coffee.

The US government is now investigating duly elected Democratic Senators for reminding military servicepeople that they should follow the law. Let’s be real. This isn’t only about threatening Mark Kelly with court martial. It’s to remind those serving to be loyal to a fascist tyrant.

Man, I have never walked with such moral righteousness, and I probably never will again, as when I’m walking my kindergartener to school and back.

“Pretend that I’m a nocturnal girl, and so to stay up that late at night, I’m probably a fairy.” “Yeah, probably. And pretend you can type on a computer keyboard.”

The Bruin’s class gets Roman myths once a week. Today she was telling me about Pandora “. . . and next week we get to find out what’s in her box!” “You guys don’t know what’s in her box? Do you know anything about it at all, like if it’s good or bad?” “No!” And, just, OMFG it’s now! That time […]

Turns out that what I really want in a bar is lots of trans-inclusive & anti-fascist graffiti, ‘90s alternative radio on the sound system, a dude alternately air-drumming along and playing with his baby on the other side of the patio, and a reason/lack of guilt to be here drinking at a little […]

“I know Mary Poppins did, but I feel like other people over time also would have given her tuppence.”

Eating breakfast in a place that’s obviously mostly a nighttime bar. Two TVs are showing NBA commentary, one is showing NBA highlights and interviews, and one is showing news coverage of NBA players getting arrested by the FBI for organized gambling. 🤦‍♀️

The Bruin is learning to distinguish lowercase b and d. I do not understand the logic that says b is the one with the ballerina butt, but ballerinas and butts are probably her two favorite things right now, and what’s important to me is that it’s working.

Also: if you work for ICE, even if you’re not one of the ones arresting citizens or tackling 15-year-olds or zip-tying kids together and segregating them by race, you’re part of the mechanism making it happen, and you should suffer long-term social and post-regime-change consequences.

Blessed are the frogs, for they keep making authoritarians look incredibly stupid

One of the nice things about parenting these days is that I can be supportive just by agreeing, for example, that yes it would be sort of weird if there were monkey guards all over.

Walked The Bruin to school in very light drizzle. For 3 or so blocks there was a big, bright rainbow we could see when we crossed the street, and she ran ahead grinning to see if it would be there around the next corner. Even the slightly jaded middle schoolers walking the other way smiled at […]

Earthquake! Woke us right up!

I have ordered the Bluey DVDs. If JB asks I will swear they’re for The Bruin now that we’re cancelling Disney +. And while I was on the website, I grabbed Green Room, Siege, Women Talking, and Kneecap for myself. My feelings are clearly in a place!

JB and I were going to wait for a better cause célèbre than Jimmy Kimmel. JB and I are the only parents in our streaming login sharing group. But the friend whose name it was in decided to cancel. And there’s no way at all I’m going to criticize her for it or make a new account right now. I […]

Anyway, muscular Black men can be vulnerable, not every victim of cinematic Satanists has to be Mia Farrow, and Him is a satisfying movie, made for people who aren’t completely naive to horror film conventions, that deserves better than it’s getting.

Him hasn’t been getting great reviews, and I honestly only went because JB’s been out of town for a week and I was taking my chance to avoid the emotional demands of a slightly awkward playdate. This is undeserved! I don’t think Him would’ve lit up Fantastic Fest back when I was going, but it […]

They tried marketing Him like it’s got Final Destination vibes, and that’s not it at all. It’s gothic meets Satanism, but the ingenue is a Black college quarterback instead of an English governess. I really enjoyed it! I think lots of people would.

It’s been a while since I had one where my guesses turned out so staircase-shaped! Wordle 1,551 5/6 ⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨 🟩⬛⬛🟨⬛ 🟩🟩⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Pleased to report that wearing an old Sleater-Kinney shirt in public once again causes occasional smiles and moments of connection because someone likes the same band I do. For a while it meant being randomly and publicly being held responsible for Portlandia references. I never watched […]

Hats off for Jon Green, an Iowa official, who is not taking the knee to fascists, dead or alive. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jon-green-kim-reynolds-charlie-kirk_n_68c5c5c1e4b0254a6c64463a #uspol

Two train whistles at once in opposite directions and it’s great!

Sitting here feeling good about the local theater where The Bruin is about to get out of her first drama class because there’s a Black Lives Matter flag above the door. And remembering back when that was fairly mainstream and milquetoast, which is when they probably put it up, and the even […]

I am admittedly just dawdling out here until after I’m sure The Bruin is in bed, but I’m sitting here on a rock in the greenway park as the dusk falls, watching the neighborhood walk by, and it just couldn’t be nicer.

People of my vague ge

The Bruin was completely uninvolved in the bouncy house interior getting wet & slippery, which was important to me. But by gum, she sure has been the most committed to keeping it wet since that particular rubicon fell.

It’s hot, we’ve had an off-and-on series of houseguests (all of whom I truly love, but still) for going on three weeks now, and I’m intensely socially awkward at the best of times. I don’t at all want to be at this block party. But it’s nice. Somebody made a nice set of local trivia & getting […]

Now someone, presumably a child, is playing Hot Cross Buns really badly over and over on the recorder. It’s far enough away to be charming.

Somebody walked by down on the sidewalk, and all I heard of their conversation was: “No, I think it’s great that you’re walking around outside, but if you’re *fucking other people* when you’re walking around outside, that’s going to be really hard for me.”

It is an obvious marketing stunt, and maybe a little crass. But that’s appropriate to the film, and it turns out I can be pandered to! This is okay with me! I was a maybe for the Toxic Avenger remake, and their buying & canceling medical debt makes me genuinely more likely to go.

The fucking cognitive dissonance between trying to manage a positive life experience for my kid who’s just starting kindergarten, and fucking World Events right now, I fucking tell you what.

Actively stopped myself from hopping off the bus near her school to go look around, actively stopped myself from taking the bus all the way to Children’s Fairyland, actively stopped myself from getting lunch alone at the burger place I don’t really like, but The Bruin does. #firstdayofkindergarten

The Bruin, whose anxiety about kindergarten starting is overflowing into everything else she’s ever worried about, even the stuff she’s mostly past (bees! mummies! getting left behind on the bus!), fell asleep amazingly quickly tonight. It was a low-key day, too. Poor kid.

Watched The Bruin & her friend giggle and run around a little nearby municipal beach for a couple hours. It was supposed to be a quick stop on our way to a different outing, but they just went & went and didn’t need anything besides the sand and the freedom.

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with The Bruin on the next to last Sunday before kindergarten (Can’t go this Sunday without missing the class potluck) was everything I wanted it to be.

There are excited international families with giant, rolling suitcases. There are dads in polo shirts wearing their don’t-call-them-purses in front and staying alert for Predators. There are far more young ladies walking around downtown in white corsets of one kind or another than could […]