The cool Honolulu morning air gets me thinking a lot, especially on the days where I get to talk to my husband in the morning. For instance, this morning I was thinking about how much I love him– and uh….. how much I love Weezer’s new song.

I turned to him and told him that I’d had the biggest crush on Rivers Cuomo, the lead singer of Weezer.

He just smiled his “humoring you” smirk and went back to driving.

It was then that I realized that he looks a little like Rivers Cuomo. Only, I think, cuter.

We always talk about many things– mostly rants and litanies of complaints and jokes at other people’s expenses. I really like just talking about stuff like that…. it’s peaceful and relaxing, and a little like the relief that comes when you know you don’t have to button the top button after Thanksgiving meal because you’re among people who will barely bat an eyelash should you forget, get up, and see your pants end up around your ankles.

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And so, we come to family.
I’m watching NBC right now, and the Duggars just came on TV.

For having had SIXTEEN children, Mrs. Duggar looks…. well…

Okay. Her hair is horrid, but she looks AMAZING.
Happy. Fulfilled. Glowing. And with porcelain skin, tinged with rose.

I don’t really agree very much with their “children are a blessing” approach to life, but I must say that if it’s working for anyone, it’s for them. I mean….. compared to Katie Couric’s orange face condescendingly talking to her, Michelle Duggar looked like one of those turn-of-the-century heroines (if you could get past the bad 80s bangs, that is) whose cup could not be brimming over more.

I find it weird, and strangely comforting really, that there are people like them– and specifically people like the Duggars raising children like those. All the children smiled brightly for the camera (perhaps they’d been told they’d be punished if they didn’t stay still and smile, but YOU try taunting most 12 or 13 year olds with that line and see how far it takes you). None squirmed, except for the one-year old whom Papa Duggar promptly passed on to one of his elder girls. She calmly held him and let him squirm a little more, matter-of-factly. These children were either sedated or that’s how they’ve been raised. Maybe they are a little too indoctrinated in the love of Christ, but…….. somehow I’m having a problem seeing how that’s bad here. I am torn: part of me feels that having so many “blessings” is weird and selfish and I find myself thinking about poor Mrs. Duggar’s overstretched vaginal walls and cringing…. but another part really sees this family in a good light. They are a strong family. Maybe they know something we don’t? Maybe they are truly happy, and beyond judgment. And they are raising good people without government assistance to speak of, and without any real dysfunction apparent, and truly fulfilling their own Christian ideals.

I need a moment while I beat the nausea back down. Pardon me.

The announcement before the interview started gushed about how the Duggars could field two baseball teams amongst themselves.

But what a polite baseball game they’d have.