Moving on to far, far more trivial things, i.e. my life.
There’s so much going on right now, and sometimes you think you’re not stressed about it but your body tells you that you are wrong. My body is telling me this in the form of a hideous fever that won’t quit and night sweats that crept all the way through the mattress onto the floor. No, really.
Because my brain is foggy and I’m nauseated (someone once informed me that it’s “nauseated” and not “nauseous” and that important life lesson that I didn’t bother to double-check has stuck with me for life), and because I feel as though I may barf on my laptop screen at any given moment, this is a post of random, cloudy thoughts. Do enjoy!
And yeah, I was all “I’m quitting blogging,” and now that I have no time to write, it’s like, “Wah, I miss blogging.” I am Goldilocks without the porridge and the bears and the Big Bad Wolf.
Except the Big Bad Wolf messed around with Little Red Riding Hood, actually.
I think.
OK, that’s how this is going to go today. Yikes. Let’s go with a list. That’s always better, because adding numbers to things brings clarity.
1. Remember when I resisted joining Instagram for so long? Now it’s my favorite social medium. (Follow along! @AliOnTheRun1) For the most part I find it to be prettier and more intriguing than Twitter, and less complainy and braggy than Facebook. There are still too many hashtags everywhere, though. Aren’t those over yet?
2. I hated The Fault in our Stars. Haaaated. I cannot for the life of me figure out why people found that book so compelling, what about it made people cry and why it’s being made into a forced tearjerker of a movie. It’s so not My Sister’s Keeper, which I loved and will sometimes watch when it’s on TV to torture myself. But OK, a visit to my past: When I was younger, I was obsessed with these Lurlene McDaniel novels which were all about young people with cancer or some other terminal illness, and they pretty much always died at the end of the book. Why do those books exist for young adults and why did I love them so much? I don’t know. I’ve always been a masochist, I guess. One of the books was, I kid you not, called Baby Alicia is Dying. The word “die” or “death” is in the majority of the book titles. Let me tell you, TFIOS does not even hold a candle to those classics. I think. I read them when I was like 14, so my literary preferences may have changed since then, but I doubt it.
3. Literary preferences = The Baby-sitters Club, always and forever.
Stacey was my favorite. She was so chic and NYC and she made diabetes seem so cool, right? I also really liked Dawn, because I’ve always been into blondes, but I had a sneaking suspicion that both she and her ditzy-ass “Oops, I left my pocketbook in the refrigerator again!” mom were on drugs, and I wasn’t down with that. Which BSC-er was your favorite? If you say Mallory, it’s game over for you.
3.a) I wrote a fan letter to Ann M. Martin once. She “wrote back” and I was thrilled. I still have the letter. I don’t think she really wrote it.
3.b) Ann M. Martin definitely didn’t write that letter, and therefore she ruined my childhood. But since I’m just realizing this now, it’s OK, and I will come to terms with it by Thursday. Of next week.
3.c) Never have I ever…read Chapter 2 of a BSC book because oh my goddddddd why does Chapter 2 always have to be the same?
4. I’ve never been to Trader Joe’s. People lose their shit for Trader Joe’s. Bloggers write entire posts about the groceries that you can get just at Trader Joe’s. But people say the ones in NYC are really crowded, so it’s on my “do not enter” list.
5. I immediately discredit anything that is written in Comic Sans.
6. I wish I liked juice more. It’s fine, but it’s definitely not something I crave.
I pretty much only crave water. Sometimes milk. Sometimes chocolate milk. I see these girls being like “post-22-miler reward!” and it’s a picture of an F-ing smoothie. Then I’m over here in my pajamas like, “post-‘Parenthood’ marathon reward!” and it’s me with a plate of Eggs Benedict and a side of bacon and all of Brian’s hash browns and the French fries the guy at the table next to me left on his plate. I just don’t crave healthy food 92% of the time, and that’s unfortunate. (A childhood of loving Hamburger Helper and Velveeta Shells and Cheese is maybe the reason I have unrelenting Crohn’s.)
7. When I wake up in the morning, I can bend down and not just touch my toes, but put my hands flat on the ground. I love yoga. Look at how it’s changing my life! Thanks, B.
8. I don’t understand “The Cloud.” I realize maybe that makes me stupid or just not at all clued in, but last night I cried actual tears over not understanding what iTunes was telling me when it told me to just go to The Cloud to find my missing music. I am not a Care Bear (sadly). Speak English to me, world. Slow it down.
9. Exactly one year after booking my flight to Hawaii — that I never got to take — I finally used my credit and re-booked a flight for a random time this December. I’m hoping I can get healthy by then. I don’t think I can emotionally handle another failed attempt on this topic.
10. Yesterday, I was registered for a race. A running race. A relay running race. You’ll note the phrasing here: “I was registered,” which means I did not register myself. Brian signed us up for a duathlon relay. I’ll do the running portions (a 1.2-mile section and a 3.1-mile section) and he’ll handle the cycling (13.3 miles on “rolling terrain”).
The race is the first weekend in May. I’m hoping I can get moderately healthy by then and not have to make 18 bathroom stops. And if not by then, definitely by December.
11. This is not me:
Everyone sees this picture on Pinterest and sends it to me. It’s not me. I wish, though. She’s quite cute and mighty skinny.
12. If this happens to your phone…
…it’s done. Just suck it up and get yourself a new one.
13. I have a new neighbor. Her name is Riley.
So that’s life lately. Or a bit of it, at least. Check back later this week for another update, because I’m going to post twice in one week.
Maybe.
No, really. I am. See you then!
AND DON’T FORGET TO SHARE: Which hot lady is your favorite BSC member? Kristy, the bossy one? Claudia, the idiot who would wear belts as hats and call it “trendy” and who hid candy in her bedroom and was obsessed with her old grandma, Mimi? Perhaps you’re more of a Mary-Anne? Prude. Or, if you’re only 11 and like ballet, maybe you like Jessi best. Click the Wikipedia link above if you need references. It’s amazing and thorough.
And PLEASE, someone tell me that you, too, read the Lurlene McDaniel death novels. Come onnnnn, I can’t be the only one.
87 Responses
Stacey and Dawn were my favourites – I actually watched the first season of BSC on Netflix a little while ago, it was pretty much the greatest thing ever.
And after reading The Fault in Our Stars (also hated it, fyi) I was trying to remember WHO wrote the books I loved when I was little – so thank you for bringing Lurlene McDaniels back into my life.
Loved this post – multiple times I was like, YES. and glad you’re still blogging, however frequent it may be. Good luck on the duathlon, sounds fun!
Omg I liked Kristy best (because I was bossy) and dawn… And I did think Claudia was cool because she always had candy around… But I was sooo annoyed when the movie came out and Kristy didn’t look anything like now I wanted her to look.
Ps. Did you ever read the Sleepover Friends? It was from the 80s I think and I remember finding them at the library and just being obsessed.
This blog made me laugh, I loved BSG and the cancer books and also hated fault in our starts, my book club wants to disown me 🙂 I always loved Dawn, she had long blonde hair and was so carefree, but I probably related more to Kristi. Thanks for the great blog, gave me a good smile!
Ummm, my favourite was KAREN from Babysitter’s Little Sister series. BOOYAH. Only here would I brag about that. Also, can’t wait to hear all about the race with Brian. Sounds fun!!
I LOVED Lurlene McDaniel’s books! My favorite ones were about leukemia…and now I’m a cancer researcher…not sure if the two are related. So glad someone else read them, too!!
I have to go find these depressing books now! Who doesn’t love a good cry?? Dawn was my favorite BSC member. This NYC girl wanted to be California cool. Good luck with your race. And you can do it-post twice this week!!!!
Also – as someone who was directly affected by the Marathon last year, your first paragraph was beautifully said <3
So I really loved The Fault in our Stars so I can’t agree with you there, but I cannot, for the absolute life of me, figure out “The Cloud” either and I secretly have a massive hatred for it.. Glad to see I’m not the only one with phone back-up issues. 🙂
xo Marie
Chocolate & Wine
I read your blog through Feedly and so your pictures weren’t lining up exactly with your comments. So when I got to your “This is not me” section, I couldn’t figure out which picture you were talking about. Wow she could totally be your twin.
I love lists too…They just seem to make things easier (especially getting my thoughts down sometimes)
1-Thanks to you I am now obsessed with the Baby-Sitters Club wiki and have shared it with several friends. I have had the conversation about who my favourite was at least 3 times this week-Jessi was mine because she was a dancer and so was I!
2-Oh those tear jerking books by Lurlene McDaniel…I read them to, why were they so popular?!
3-Seriously…the cloud?! Where does my stuff go? I don’t get it either!
4- I am uber jealous of your new neighbour!!!!!
5-This post made me smile on a day when I wasn’t feeling much like smiling…THANK YOU once again Ali!
Maryanne was definitely my favorite. I still don’t know why.
As a Bostonian, I appreciate your first paragraph. It’s a tough week.
AND, I don’t know if you even want book suggestions but: Sloane Crosley.
Oh my days, I had completely forgotten about the BSC books! We had them in the UK too. I liked Stacey the best too and I loved the specials as they were a bigger book 🙂
I also loved Nancy Drew and Judy Blume, although the girl in the pistachio prescription used to freak me out with her weird fingers!!
I actually laughed out loud about your care bear comment. I got a new Ipod nano for my birthday and completely going nuts with I tunes. I had thought my music was on my Ipod, turns out it wasn’t! So frustrating.
Your blog makes me smile so much, your energy and love for life are so inspiring. Thank you.
I so hope you’re better for your holiday in December. I just had my first holiday in 3 years, it was amazing, but hard going – Mr Crohn invited himself along. Take it easy, have a good Easter 🙂
So glad I’m not the only idiot that doesn’t understand the frickin’ iCloud kingdom. Frustration at it’s finest. Also…..I’m completely addicted to running, have been for years but I hate healthy food and rarely eat anything that’s decent. I’ve worked on this for years but just don’t like fruit, veggies etc. Cheers to Velveeta Shells!!!!!!
The plot isn’t why people like Fault in Our Stars (at least not why anyone over 16 did). It’s the writing and the understanding smart teenage kids, instead of writing down to them, that makes it beloved.
I’m typing on my iPad, so this will be quick. I freaking loved the lurlene McDaniel books. In fact, I may have to get some from amazon to make me feel better about my own life! And I was obsessed with Claudia- thank god I never had children in high school, because Claudia was definitely a front runner for a girls name! Ps-a girl from my beach club was Maryann in the bsc movies-true story
While I’m totally on board with your BSC obsession (Super Specials galore!), I have to say that I LOVED TFIOS and cried/laughed through the entire thing. I find John Green so witty, and I just loved the characters and the dialogue and the entire thing, no matter how unrealistic it may be!
I loved those Lurlene McDanieks books, my dad started refusing to bring my sister & I to the bookstore because we always wanted one of those books. Although I also really loved the book, Say Goodnight, Gracie.
I also read the Lurlene McDaniels books! My mom bought them for me. No idea why I loved them, especially since I hate going to the doctor and needles and medicine. As for the BSC, I loved Dawn and Claudia the best, and I wished that they wouldn’t include Jessie and Mallory – I thought they were so lame for being younger and not being able to babysit alone. ha!
Hahahaha I almost laughed absurdly loud multiple times while reading this post. My coworkers think I’m crazy. ANYWAY, I really did like Mary Ann after she got the makeover. Because I wanted Logan to be my boyfriend. Why the hate for Mallory??
I’ve always secretly known we would be besties.
I read Lurlene McDaniels books. Why? I don’t know.
I, too, refuse to read anything written in Comic Sans. It goes in the trash. Immediately. It makes me gag a little bit….. Really….
My favorite BSC characters- Dawn and Mary Anne. I can’t help it!
I hope you feel better and have fun with Brian during the duathlon!
I have never ever heard of Lurlene McDaniel and I don’t feel like I missed out. I was also a Nancy Drew/SVH girl – in fact, everything I know about America, I learned from the Wakefield Twins. And moving to the Bay Area was NOTHING like Sweet Valley, it was heartbreaking.
You DID miss out, Cathryn. You really did. Look at all the fans!!!
Mallory was the worst. Why was she even around? Wasn’t she like a “junior sitter,” too?
I favored Kristy because she was a tomboy and I was in that same phase. Stacy was a close second because of your aforementioned reason. So glamorous, so grown-up.
My friends and I started our own babysitter’s club because we were just that obsessed. I think we had all of one gig…and all 4 of us babysat the child at once. And I think my mom arranged it. Good times.
I CANNOT STOP LAUGHING AT THIS COMMENT. Holy shit. The last part, specifically. Four people babysitting one kid. And was the mom home, just in the other room? IT’S FINE, BECKY AND I DID THE SAME THING.
I loved BSC books – even the super specials and mysteries. I also loved Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High, and the Alice books. I identified with Kristy (Type-A, bossy) but secretly wanted to be Stacy.
Also, I am totally jealous that you can put your hands on the floor. My hamstrings would die if I tried that.
Ok I very rarely comment on blogs…but as I read this I was like “I read Baby Alicia is Dying too!!!” I used to read all those Lurlene McDaniel books, and then I read one about some girl with cancer during church and it was very descriptive (she had a lot of, um, bleeding) and I got dizzy and nauseated (see what I did there?!) and I never read them again! And my favorite babysitter was Stacey too.
I am pretty sure I’ve never read one single BBC book. I was more of a Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley High girl. I’m also old as dirt. OH AND: I don’t get the TJs obsession either. I’ve been a handful of times, but it annoys the sheet out of me bc it doesn’t fulfill all of my grocery needs. For example: they don’t carry Chobani or Tide or good toilet paper and they don’t have fresh sliced turkey from the deli (which I take to work as a sammie on a nice lil Hawaiian roll). Then to top it all off are the LINES. NO THANKS.
I’ve never read Nancy Drew. And I’m afraid of your cats. So I guess we have nothing in common.
Hi Ali!
I’ve read your blog for quite some time and felt like I needed to tell you how much comic relief you bring to my life! I have UC and relate to a lot of the things you are going through…though not as severe. Really hope you get better soon.
Lurlene McDaniel was my go-to author and I was just thinking the other day why I subjected to myself to such sad books! Something about them was good!
Take care!
Dawn was my absolute fave. I appreciated her role as “Alternate.” In the real world, if the pres isn’t able to make the meeting, the VP would have stepped in – but not in BSC! Like me, she was adaptable, and capable of serving in any role (that’s resume shit!). Also, the SUPER SUMMER books were the jam. And of course I read Lurlene McDaniels as well <3
Oh hey! I also loved Lurlene McD books and now I feel less like a sicko for that. Thanks! BSC- I was shy and loved to read and Logan was hot, so I thought I was a Mary Ann. Now I know that being a blonde and a NYer, I’m obvs Stacy. Sam was probably hotter, too.
That Pinterest model looks exactly like you. Holy sh*t.
Miss you, darling! xoxo
OMG! I was obsessed with Lurlene McDaniel and multiple times in my adult life l have brought these books up and people have NO CLUE what I’m referring to. I think I read every single book. I also have for a long time believed I will get cancer because I had a weird obsession with these books. The Dawn series was my favorite.
Additionally…why would ANYONE read the 2nd chapter of BSC books?! Just awful. I actually blame these books on my lack of desire to read descriptive paragraphs in any book ever, even when I’m highly enjoying the book overall.
Last comment: my boss, at a highly regarded university who is our international contact with other universities, has comic sans as their default email setting. Please try to top that lack of confidence.
Thank you for understanding everything about me. BFFL.
Yes to Lurlene McDaniel – serious tear jerker yet I always picked them up. I was a Sweet Valley High all the way through but I do appreciate a bit of BSC.
Did you read the BSC “prequel” that came up a few years ago?
Congrats on registering for the race! Good stuff!
I don’t think I caught the prequel. ON IT.
Hi Ali! So glad to see you in my blog reader again 🙂 And happy to hear I will be seeing you more too! I’ve never read any of the books you mentioned (sorry) but I had to tell you that picture of you and your friend gave me a pretty good laugh!! Thanks for the smile today.
I loved those Lurlene McDaniel books too, but I too couldn’t tell you what I found so appealing about reading about teenagers dying. And BSC was my FAVE series (followed closely by Sweet Valley High). Did you know there was a short-lived TV show based on the books? It’s on Netflix if you’re curious. Just a word of warning: the theme song WILL get stuck in your head.
Where are you in your Parenthood viewing??
Yes, I watched all those episodes on Netflix when I was on medical leave. “Say hello to your friends…BABY-SITTERS CLUB! Say hello to the peeeeeople who care.” I’m all caught up in P-hood viewing. Go me. So productive.
I COMPLETELY agree with #5.
OMG to Baby Alicia is Dying. Yup. I was morbid and totally enjoyed those novels.
I was obsessed with BSC and Stacy. Being the dorky brunette that I was she seemed SO COOL. My book collection from my childhood fills boxes and boxes.
Also your yoga feats are inspiring I would love to be bendy – must go more.
And finally, Riley. Looks like the best new neighbor ever.
Oh man, this post killed me. I’m a longtime reader who doesn’t comment much but I had to today! I ALSO loved those Lurlene McDaniel books, I remember my mom being worried about how much I loved these books about kids dying. Favourite title has to be ‘Don’t Die, My Love’ HA. Or ‘Sixteen and Dying’. Also a huge BSC fan, Stacey was my favourite too, but in the movie version it was Mary Ann because I pretty much wanted to be Rachel Leigh Cook (what happened to her?). I hope you keep blogging because I love your posts!
Don’t Die, My Love was my favorite, too. Great choice. Let’s book club it. And the movie was sooooo good. I’m going to host a movie night to watch it. Hope you can come. Bring cheese.
I was obsessed with the Lurlene McDaniel novels when I was in middle school – OBSESSED! I’d hide out in my room and read them cover to cover. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one!
hahah I see that picture on Pinterest all the time and always think of you! Glad I’m not the only one 🙂
So many things I love about this list! First, we were stunning, I mean really, just too cool for words 🙂 Second, why the heck was there not a 3.d) We started our own Baby-Sitters Club!? Remember?? We made business cards and everything! I feel like Meredith and Megan Dann joined us? Seriously, so cool!
I think I always liked Stacy and Dawn…but you know I don’t remember anything from our childhood. Do you remember who I liked??
And yes, why did we read death books?? So horrible. Probably part of the reason I’m terrified of dying now.
You should buy that white dress, so pretty! And yes that looks just like you.
ok, love you, miss you!
THE MOTHERS’ HELPERS CLUB! Yes. Sonya totally hired us, remember? I don’t know if we got paid, but we definitely babysat Bryan and Dino together…while she was in the other room. We were so super helpful. I actually don’t remember who you liked! I’m inclined to say Mary-Anne for some reason, though…
I loved Claudia and Stacey! They were all artsy and cosmopolitan. I used to hide Milk Duds in a fake book in my bedroom, even though I had no reason I would need to hide my candy. I always thought I would move to New York when I grew up.
I also secretly always thought I was actually Mary-Anne. 🙁
First…glad you are still blogging!
Second… I LOVED Lurlene McDaniel books! I think it was because I found them right after my Crohns dx so it made me feel….connected? I don’t know. AND the BSC books… Oh my gosh. I had them alllllll. My favorite was Maryanne. She was ME! Well..only she had Logan. Lol!
Oh my GOD, Ali! I’ve gotten super lazy at commenting but I still read faithfully- and cannot believe you talked about my two all time favorite book series ever. The mere mention of Mimi led me to shed tears thinking of “Claudia and the Sad Goodbye” Was that #26? For some reason that number is in my head. Weird. But Stacy was my favorite. Despise Mallory. Also- the Super Special Editions were my favorite. And the sad morose books…. do you have any I can borrow? I feel the need to torture myself rereading those again. Xo!
Mimi was always like, “Claudia, it’s OK that you’re so dumb and that your sister Janine is going to be a DOCTOR, because you are really trendy and you did a good job turning handbag into a pair of overalls. I am proud of you.” That’s everything that’s wrong with this world, somehow.
I loved the BSC books too….I think Claudia was my favorite but only because I really liked her name. Usually by the end each book I was annoyed with all of them for being so goody goody. But I did read a few of those Lurlene McDaniels books too, they were always in the Scholastic book order thing, and I loved them!
So if you are going to Hawaii in December be prepared to see whales! They migrate back to Hawaii in November and during December I guess you will see them everywhere! We were there in November and never got to see one so now I am totally jealous of you. Maybe I can con the husband into going back in December.
Kristy. I’m a Type – A, too.
I LOVED the BSC books. Stacey and Claudia were my favorites. Do you remember the ‘Super Specials’ where they would go on vacation together? I always wondered why a huge group of my friends didn’t go on vacation together when I was that age. I even got to meet the actors in the tv show because a friend’s parent was a part of the production company. Thanks for bringing this up…I haven’t thought about the BSC in years.
Love to Boston for Monday…I finished my first Boston marathon last year 45 minutes before the ‘event’ occurred. I’ll be thinking of everyone there this year and hope to return someday.
I LOVED the Super Specials because they were so thick. Soooo much quality reading material.
Kristy! Although per Beyonce’s request I’m not going to call her bossy, I’m going to call her forthright. 🙂 I also played softball so that made me feel a kinship with her. I did, however, covet my own phone line in my room, so, go Claudia. And finally, my fav book was the one where Jessi meets this ballet dancer who has an eating disorder and Jessi is all like oh hell no and helps a sister out. A literary triumph!
My favorite babysitter was Mary Ann because hello – she had Logan Bruno. I too received a letter back from Ann M. Martin which I refuse to believe wasn’t crafted by her specially for me, but I did read just the other day that she did not write all of the BSC books, and that there were ghostwriter for a bunch of them. Say what!?! On second thought maybe one of her ghostwriters wrote my letter >:(
Um, Stacey had that hot love affair with her teacher. That’s way better than Logan Bruno. Logan could’ve been cool, but then he joined the BSC and I judged him for that. Why couldn’t he have his own interests? And he was so whipped by Mary-Anne. I bet he pressured her for sex in the later, never-written books.
I don’t juice either or even smoothie. I prefer to eat, chew my nutrients.
Lol about “The Cloud”! ….I don’t get it either.
I read those lurlene McDaniel books too!! And ofcourse all of the bsc books. (Also-you must have read one of the chapter twos, otherwise how would you know they were all the same?!) glad you didn’t stick with that “I’m quitting blogging” thing bc id miss your life updates and random thoughts (yes, even though I don’t comment as much I’m still lurking… You’re welcome.)
1. My favorite childhood book was called “too soon to say goodbye” and it was about a girl with leukemia. I read it so many times I think I still have most of it memorized. So morbid!
2. I work/volunteer at Lyons den! The best, right?
LDPY is my most favorite place. Been going since the night it opened <3
YAY so glad to see you blogging again! I LOVED BSC books when I was younger (heck I’d probably still love them now!!!). I remember being SO annoyed all the time at Mary Ann for crying at everything…..and then I became her. Sigh.
Anyway – I mainly wanted to comment to say I loooooved Lurlene McDaniel books too! Anything to do with death and dying and anything depressing really. What was wrong with us as kids?! To this day my mom won’t read any book I recommend to her because I “only like depressing books”. Sigh. I think I just really liked the idea of people having to deal with the worst case scenario in their life and being able to move on.
I definitely remember ordering Till Death Do Us Part from a Scholastic Book order… obviously followed by the sequel For Better, For Worse, Forever. My favorite was Don’t Die My Love and Somewhere Between Life and Death. I may or may not have been obsessed with every depressing book about death she wrote…
Don’t Die, My Love was my favorite, too! Besties! (I’m getting pretty serious about wanting to start a Lurlene book club now.)
Ali,
I just discovered your blog recently when I was recently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and a friend pointed me to your blog! I’m so sorry to hear that you are still so sick with your Crohn’s, that really sucks 🙁
But I absolutely love your attitude and outlook on life, and am really glad that I found this blog! You are super inspirational, especially to someone who will be dealing with IBD now and is also a fellow runner! 🙂
I am also a fellow BSC fan, I actually went to a book signing and have one of my BSC books signed by Ann M Martin…haha it was one of the best days of my adolescence! My favorite was Stacey too! 🙂
Good luck in your upcoming race! 🙂
I read so many Lurlene McDaniel books! They were my favorite and I told my parents I wanted to be a child oncologist when I grew up. All I wanted to do was volunteer at the Jenny house and hang out with Dawn Rochelle. I sobbed reading those and TFIOS, I guess I just cry easily. 🙂
Also dawn’s mom was high and Maryanne was my favorite! I now collect BSC books from used bookstores because I want my kids to read them!
DAWN ROCHELLE. OMG. I just had a wicked flashback and it was awesome.
I’m glad I’m not the only one. I was so sad when the hairdresser cut her beautiful red hair for the first time.
I was unhealthily obsessed with Lurlene McDaniel — it’s been FAR too long since I’ve thought about her. I now feel the strange urge to revisit the middle school classic “Sixteen and Dying” next time I’m near my parents’ attic.
Oh, and Stacey the treasurer is obviously the best BSC member by far.
SIXTEEN AND DYING. Suuuuch a classic. Must’ve read that one at least 10 times. A week.
I loved Lurlene McDaniel books and I always cried my eyes out and then went right on up to the library to get another one. My parents really wondered what was wrong with me…crying all the time, hanging out alone in my room… Yikes!
Nauseous vs. nauseated is a real thing. I first learned this from Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory of all places. Nauseous = to induce nausea. Nauseated = to feel sick.
I never read either, but when I was rather young, I did enjoy Eric Segal (his name autocorrects to Devaluation!) Doctors, Love Story, etc. Strange
Also if you are looking to visit the greatest place on earth, please visit Hanalei. It is best. The best.
Glad to see you are enjoying blogging again!
I was obsessed with the Lurlene McDaniels books back in the day! My mother still likes to make fun of me for reading almost every one (there were 70, I just looked it up). Why I was so in love with them I don’t know, but I’m glad to hear I wasn’t the only one.
1) I’m glad you’re still blogging.
2) Boston – united and strong
3) Instagram is my favorite social media right now. I’m now following you too.
4) Yay for yoga.
5) XOXO
These are great things. First of all- that picture looks SO much like you. It’s crazy. I sort of don’t believe that it’s not. I don’t really remember all the BSB girls that well (I loved the books though and sorta want to read a few of them again… for old time’s sake) but I know that Claudia wasn’t my favorite.
One of my big pet peeves is people saying “nauseous” when it should be nauseated. Nauseous just shouldn’t be used. haha.
It’s not me. I promise. Her thighs are like, a mile apart. I have proof that mine touch 100% of the time.
Stacey. Obviously. I thought everyone liked Stacey best. I did like Claudia too. I did NOT like Kristy (or Kristi?).
So much to say, so I will follow your lead and do it in list form.
1.i hate chrones and want to kick it in the junk.
2. I’m so sorry you are sick
3. I friggin loved The Bany Sitters club
4. I think I read all 86 thousand books. That woman had a formula and wrote her ass off
5. I was a member of the Baysitters Club. They sent you 3 books a month and a lame prize like stickers or a pen. I kept all the prizes bc I wanted to keep them nice.
5. Inspired by the club, I created my own animal club. Given that I only had a goldfish maybe it was outside my wheelhouse.
6. We collected snails and rolls pollies and called them pets. I saved them in Tupperware with the lid on and could not figure out why they were all dying.
7. I then made everyone pay dues. When the club broke up I kept the money. Club member heather accused me of stealing. I deined it and said she did. We quit being friends.
8. My club friends and I would gallop around the playground like we were riding horses. I’m sure my teachers had lots of questions about my mental state.
9. I was obsessed with Maryanne
I can’t stop laughing about your animal club and your lack of experience for it. Are you still up and running? If so, I’d love to join. I’d make a great Alternate Officer, and I will NOT be a mega-bitch like Heather. You can have my dues, I don’t care.
Favorite BSC member was definitely Stacey, but I was a little obsessed with how Mary Ann got her makeover and then a boyfriend.
I also read those depressing books! Loved them:)
If you change your looks to be more attractive, you will immediately get a man. The BSC books were full of important, self-affirming life lessons. Girl power.
Stacey but if I really HAD to pick I was NANCY DREW. Total Nancy Drew girl all the way. Read a billion of those.
ummm I totally read those Lurlene books in Jr. High! I remember one called I’ll be seeing you and on the cover the guy had his eyes wrapped in bandages.
Dawn was my favorite BSCer and I totally loved hamburger helper as a kid. Still do.
I’ll Be Seeing You: CLASSIC.
Omigosh, I thought I was the only one who read those morose books! I LOVED them. (And now I’ve spent the last 10 minutes looking various ones up on iTunes.) The drama! Glad someone else’s 15-year-old self found those as worth reading.