ok i think i have feelings for maureen mccormick

she's a survivor (hi maureen! love ya! txt me!)

you know, marsh brady? but the grown up version. maureen, not marsha.

i just finished her memoir, “here’s the story: surviving marcia brady and finding my true voice” [i'm reading memoirs like crazy lately as i put the finishing touches on my BFBP (Big Fat Book Proposal) for my own memoir], and i must say, the woman has been thru a lot. like, a LOT.

i must admit: i got the book (from the library; hello, i’m laid off. the pratt library system is my  supercool new hangout and if you see me there pls say hi) mostly to read about sex between bradys (ok, not ”mostly,” that’s actually why i got it. oh please, don’t even. i know you want to know and i’m not telling) and the like. scandalous stuff. and while there is a fair share of sexual tension between maureen and barry williams (greg brady)–which, again, i must admit was extremely fun to read–most of the book doesn’t really deal w/her brady bunch years.

first off, i had no idea she was addicted to cocaine the way she was! holy crap did that woman do a lot of cocaine! i can’t even believe she’s still standing. depression runs bigtime in her family, too, so that was a big issue. there’s lots of other stuff, but yeah, she triumphs over everything. 

i love stories of triumph. i mean, who doesn’t? anyway, i was kind of feeling feelings for her as the book went on, and after i read about how much she loved going to this strip joint (with a couple male co-stars of a movie she was in; she was already in her late 40s at this pt and a mom) the deal was pretty much sealed. maureen: you so crazy! love that.

in other news, we arrived in butler, pee-ay this evening for holly’s grandma’s surprise 80th bday party (shhhhhhhhh) sat. night. the trees have all changed here, and it just smells so good: like fallen leaves and burning wood. and it’s so quiet. and trust me, after last night (i’ll have to tell you in a future posting), i am enjoying the quiet. i really am. i need to unwind, and this trip has come not a moment too soon.

ahhhh, fall!

when summer finally comes to an end, it’s like i can’t believe i made it thru. the heat. the humidity (oy, the humidity). the bright sun. constantly. beating down. on my. bangs. (bangs? brow. brow, i mean, brow. haha.) at least in the baltimore/dc area, it’s like i’m in a state of perpetual sweating from may thru september. this is THE main reason i chose november for our wedding. golden sun! crunchy leaves! and most importantly, coolness. cold, even. bring it, baby! this is MY season. this is it right here. fall.

oh fall, magical fall. so many feelings bubble up in me around this time of year. i think no matter how old you are, fall always seems to get one nostalgic for the start of the school year. pink erasers (mmm! they always smelled sooo good to me). fresh notebooks. new pencils (that you couldn’t get sharp enough for the first day of class). the creak of brand new folders as you opened them for the very first time and the gentle whoosh they made as you flipped thru them in your new binder. (and the crrrrrrrruuuuunch of that trapper keeper velcro back in the day!)  seeing friends you hadn’t seen all summer (as if the summer was so long!) and how much everyone had changed over the summer, omG! crispy new jeans you couldn’t wait to break in, and clean, white sneakers you stared at under your desk as the clock inched near recess (when you could finally try them out and magically run faster).

ah, fall. for us jews, the start of a new year. a fresh start. suddenly i’m counting down the days til my birthday in early october (yes, even as i inch towards 30; that would be 11 days, not counting today, yikes!). so much excitement, so much to look forward to. i still feel as excited for fall as i did when i was a kid. some ppl dread this time of year b/c, as the sun wanes, the days shorten and the leaves fall, they see it as the end–the end of the warmth, the end of green. but to me, it’s a brand new beginning. it’s like i come alive again. i can’t wait to pull on a hoodie and step on crunchy leaves! welcome, fall! i am your biggest fan.