Yesterday

Yesterday New York experienced Seven-weather. As in Seven, the very grim movie starring Pitt, Morgan and Paltrow

Have also been watching The night of lately and yes, that kind of cheery weather and setting.

So anyways the whole city seemed bleak. Really bleak.
I had an hour before picking kids up from school, too little time to get any real writing done, too much to just sit and stare.

Walked up to Fresh cosmetics on union square to see if I could get a sample of some night cream I wanted to try.

Was offered a little pampering session by a young man with beautiful skin and thought "why not?".
He went on an on about the various products he was about to use and after applying them to my skin he exclaimed "look! so refreshed" and I just couldn't stop laughing and then he laughed too cause it was such an apparent lie, a charade being acted out by the two of us.

Me  - november gray, tired, mom of 3 in Seven-weather and him a young male with dreams of Hollywood.

So refreshed!

not really.

then took off to pick up niki and on the way saw a young man on a bench surrounded by paramedics in no hurry what so ever. The paramedics were putting on gloves. The young did nothing. He looked strange. In fact, he looked dead.

he looked like a character from game of thrones. so strange to have seen so few dead people that when I see one for real, my only analogy is from a tv-series re-enacting death. his face had that bluish dead pallor.

felt so so sad. so so sad for young man on bench surrounded by people in no hurry. HURRY! I wanted to scream. I think it was an overdose, but what do I know? but that's what it seemed like. the opiate epidemic is everywhere here now.

thought about his parents getting the phone call.

then went to get my own child

it was a horrible day.

Dear Spanx

Dear Spanx, I love the following USP to sell shapewear:

• Back seam ensures no uni-butt

Uni-butt. I love it. Perhaps that's what I really want. 

Dear fellow haters of treadmills

I don't really like running but I like what it does to my mood. So thanks for making treadmills so I can just run off some anger/sadness.

Lately have even laughed on treadmill because I've started to watch Better Things while running.
I highly recommend this combination.

people have accused me of stealing Marcus and Martinus unknown triplet

we try to give him a chance to dance and sing too

book for that person in your life who loves women and trees

Yes, I am one of those persons in your life but as you can see, I already have this book. 

ps. as you can see, it's also a great concealer for a rosacea outbreak.

Bonus pic from Lidingö:

Vanja turned 15

and Anders mom was here to visit.

Joel

I wrote a kids book where the main character was HEAVILY based on my son Joel. 

Here's the character description I wrote for the illustrator. I'm only blogging it cause I want to save it somewhere where I can find it again.

----

He has blonde unruly quite longish hair and eyes that are the color of coca cola.

He finds shirts and dressy clothes confining. He doesn’t feel like himself when he’s wearing “nice clothes”. He starts to walk all stiff and weird and can’t wait to get out of the dressy clothes. He’s really miserable in his Sunday finest.

He loves to run, jump, climb  - be physically active but most of all he likes to play soccer. Or basketball. Or just play with a ball.

He’s very loving and protective of his younger sister, which is surprising since she’s so often really, really annoying.

If he’s grumpy, it’s for one main reason – that he’s hungry. Otherwise he’s in quite a good mood, but often impatient especially if he has to sit still without a book or a game.

He’ll read anything, anywhere. He gets really lost in reading.

He’s very stubborn. So stubborn it will drive you up the wall.

He talks with a lisp which kind of softens the blow that his beyond-his years vocabulary would give if he didn’t.

He has absolutely no respect for authority.

He can focus really well.

He thinks a lot. A lot. And he will look you straight in the eye and tell you what he thinks and he’ll have reason for thinking what he does.

Perhaps because he can be so serious, his laughter is contagious and surprisingly carefree and melodic. It’s beautiful, like the sounds of the first birds returning in spring.

Likewise   - because he can be so serious and focused, his sudden (but frequent) expressions of love are so true and strong you’re taken off guard.

Since he was little (perhaps because of all his reading,) he’s been giving scientifically convincing backing to the most ridiculous statements. He’s never short for a reply. Ever.

When we asked him how a specific dinosaur might have sounded, he replied:

"His head was so small it was hard to hear him at all".

such a horrible day

Everything feels horrific and planet of the apes-y.
As I perceive it, New York is right now a city in shock. 

So deeply troubled about the outcome of the election.