I'm Going to Call it Winsome Overall

The past few days have been win a little, lose a little, in constant rotation:

I went to a new friend's going away party, she's leaving at the end of the month. Lose. 

At said party I mostly talked to people I already know and like. During our conversations we came up with many brilliant ideas, including but not limited to, a strip club that only serves pizza called Pizza Ass. Also many great outfit ideas for raisins were mentioned. Win. 

At the end of the night I came home, ate a quesadilla, and fell asleep on the sofa until 7AM. Lose. 

Saturday I was editing Episode Two of Hot Air, which is funny. Win. 

I was un-showered, in slippers, reluctant to be upright, and not in my house. Lose. 

Sarah made me a Bloody Mary. Win. 

Later that night I met up with my Platonic Life Partner. Win. 

We had to wait in line to get into a neighborhood bar. Lose. 

Once inside it was pleasantly at capacity. Win. 

We both ordered the same $8 cocktail that tasted like Robitussin with egg whites. Lose.

We walked next door to a friend's birthday party. Win. 

I had to leave before the good DJ because of an early morning bris in the suburbs. Lose. 

I heard someone say, "Moheled again." Win. 

I woke up after four hours of sleep. Lose. 

Saw a text message that the bris was postponed so I went back to bed. Win.

Later found out it is because the little dude is sick. Lose. 

Watched the play-off game at the bar that is my equivalent of "Cheers" where there was a potluck starring chili. Win. 

I live in Chicago so the bar was full of Bears fans. Lose. 

Packer Win...win. 

I was hanging out with two dudes who give me shit constantly. Lose. 

I actually really like them and it reminded me that I miss hanging out with dude friends. Win. 

We drank really good bourbon. Win. 

When you start drinking at 2:00, 10:00 seems like a perfectly normal time to call it quits. Win. 

Baby I Know, The First Cut is the Deepest

I'll be the first to admit that some of my past ideas have had some flaws. For example an empire built on the phrase I coined, "Blerg is the new Aack" which caters to funny, single, women by referencing our leaders Liz Lemon and Cathy (note, ironic funny only). Also a list of the most awkward Ikea furniture names is pretty short lived, but the idea of buying a bookshelf called the qüeef still makes me laugh. I will never concede that the quiz show "My Golden
Moment" in which you have to pick the activity taken from the day or week, depending on how elderly you keep it, is the most Golden Girls-esque. Feel free to answer: What is my Golden Moment? 
A) Finding the "perfect" cardigan B) Attending a 78-year-old's karaoke birthday party on a Saturday night C) Successfully repairing your favorite pair of Hush Puppy loafers. 

A few months ago two of my friends and I decided to start a podcast because we realized that our interactions with each other already sounded like a show. We crack ourselves up and often when we spend time with other people they seem to think we are amusing. A lot of really brilliant, funny, talented people I know have great ideas but never do anything about them because they can't get past the voices of self-doubt to get to a point of self-promotion. I certainly have struggled with the hang-up of believing that no one else will be interested and aborting my ideas before they see the light of day. This is referenced in the first episode of the podcast, but after a theorizing about the origins of SNL which I imagine started with Lorne Michaels saying to a friend, "Hey, I've got a great idea for a comedy show." That is not to say that we think that we just created something on par with SNL (when it's a good season), but that everything starts with a crazy little idea and my new motto is that I don't mess around with good ideas anymore.  

After much hilarious work, we finally uploaded our first episode of Hot Air. We will have shows every other week so check back for Episode Two very soon. 

 Hot Air babes, photo by Martha Williams

That's What She Said

This afternoon my friend Sarah said (actually wrote on Facebook) this about me, "See Mer is bringing what I like to call a real 'battery' to the table. Both positive and negative vibes. Her life is a joke, but she is prepared to make us laugh about it. Like a little AAA." I recently and frequently describe myself as being unflappable, because for the most part I am. I don't let most shit bother me. 90% of the time I think that people are well-intentioned but very weird. Conversely, it is very, very hard to ever get me to the point of being described as "giddy." I don't like to stray too far from even-keeled, it's like camping for me, I've done it but it's a pretty uncomfortable experience. I am rarely in a bad mood, but today I was. My emotional septic tank was backed up and work, life, and pretty much everything else I encountered in the world was blowing up like a shit fountain. Stupid world. Stupid everyone. 


I work for a Jewish Community Center that is full of children. My role can be succinctly described as the aunt of the building. I live in the office but I get to visit kids, make jokes, hold babies, and then wave goodbye when they start crying. During the height of my shitty mood I walked down the hallway and saw my co-worker's son. He starting running from one end of the hall down toward me. I knelt down and he gave me a huge hug, I picked him up and he laid his head on my shoulder. Then he popped back up and said "Cameltoe." Bad mood blown to pieces. 


For as long as I can remember I have used humor to deal with just about everything in my life. If I'm nervous, uncomfortable, flirting, or feel really at ease I am making jokes most of the time, and if it's not out loud just believe me that it is like a sitcom in my brain 24/7. I'm not saying that every situation and every moment needs to be funny or fun, because that's completely irrational. What I am saying is that it helps to be able to find the funny in anything when you need it. In case of emergency, tell a poop story.