The Glass is Always Half-Empty and Half-Full

Things that are annoying me right now

• Anyone catch Cindy Brady on the Today Show the other day? She was promoting her new book, a thoughtful and in-depth treatise (I’m being sarcastic) on the ill-fated nine-episode run of the 70s non-classic Brady Bunch Variety Hour. And, in explaining why she wrote the book, she conjured up the Holocaust. Here is the quote: Susan Olsen: “…he wanted me to write something on the webs site and I did sorta liken the show to the Holocaust and he wanted me to do a little bit more of that…” Yes, she compared the Brady Bunch Variety Hour to the Holocaust. It’s been days and I am still seething over this and shocked that no one in the media has jumped on it. I Google “Susan Olsen Holocaust comment” and nothing comes up. What the hell? Please tell me if I am overreacting. But I find that sort of comment sickening and uneducated and insensitive. And since no one has said anything then let the record reflect that I think Susan Olsen is beyond wrong.

• I hate when newscasters make banter with weatherman and feign indignation at the weather forecast, pretending it is the weatherman’s fault. This has become so trite and predictable. On a news note, I also don’t like when the newscasters make inside jokes with one another. Everything they say to each other smacks of sexual innuendo.

• Who is the real father of Michael Jackson’s kids? That would be Michael Jackson. DNA does not a parent make. But can we stop equating parenthood to strands of DNA. I don’t care who supplied the DNA for Jackson’s kids and I suspect, Jackson didn’t care either. They are his kids. Why is the press still talking about this?! Should they be talking about insensitive Susan Olsen’s comment?

Things that aren’t annoying me right now:

• We are heading up to Northampton on Saturday. I cannot wait to get out of the city and breath fresh air and see trees and do the things we do every time we go there. Our just-married friends are coming up too so it will be fun to share the weekend. And on Monday, we are going on our annual apple-picking trip, which means I need to start researching apple recipes.

• I am 40 percent through (percentage compliments of Kindle) Middlesex and loving it. So you all can start saying I told you so. I could use a family tree to keep things straight, though.

• It really feels like fall and I love it. You can feel that crispness in the air. It won’t be long till the leaves change colors and the air is really chilled and the sweaters come out. Having leaf-peeping weekends to look forward to really help me get through the looong weeks.

Pictured above, Avery. She really looks like Nicole’s mini-me. This picture was taken after her first bee sting! (It was on her finger.) She is not allergic, thank goodness. And below that, Avery and her frousins (friend-cousins) bird-watching. Avery still has her mullet tail!