“Klara, why do I love you so much?” I exclaim rhetorically.

“Klara beautiful,” she explains in a tone of somebody who is forced to speak the patently obvious.

“Essentially, we are far more discriminating in our 30s than we were in our 20s, which is both a blessing and a curse. We know more about what we want and what we won’t tolerate — but to a point where almost no one is good enough. I find myself having thoughts like, ‘I could never date him, he wears V-necks.’ Or, ‘He was nice, but he sleeps in a mezzanine bed.’

What this person is describing is an onset of sexual dysfunction. And yes, of course, it hits women just as much as men. This shouldn’t be romanticized or ideologized. Very simply, she needs a doctor.

The linked article is highly stupid and I don’t recommend. I just wanted to point out yet another example of woeful sexual ignorance people think it’s cute to exhibit.

Small regional banks are so much better than the huge monsters like Bank of America or Chase.

I’ve been trying to open an account for my professional organization of which I am treasurer. We don’t move large amounts of money, we conduct just half a dozen transactions a year, our membership fee is $20, but BofAm was treating me like they suspected I was a drug lord. They wanted mountains of paperwork. I provided all of it. Then they wanted letterhead, which we don’t even have. Then they wanted me to go on a conference call with a Business Specialist in Florida, the local banker, and the president of the organization. I wondered why we don’t ask the President of the US to be on the call just to make it even more fun.

After struggling with them for a month (!), I came to my senses, went to a small regional bank, talked to a live human being in person, and had everything done in under an hour.

And it was the same thing for our mortgage. We had first gone to BofAm who treated us like total undesirables, although we had great credit scores and a good down payment. But they just couldn’t get over N being a recent immigrant. So we went to the local bank where the bank’s owner met us, showed us pictures of his grandkids, and assured us that if we ever encountered any financial trouble and had difficulty coming up with a payment, we just had to talk to him and we’ll figure out what to do. And it’s been fantastic ever since.

Indeed, if the White House suggested tonight that ending chain migration was a nonnegotiable component of immigration reform, Democrats made clear that it’s not a price they’re willing to pay—even for a path to citizenship for the “Dreamers.”

Why???? Why would they do that? There is literally no explanation other than that they want to keep the Dreamers in the current state of fear and uncertainty because they can be used for a multitude of purposes this way. As citizens, though, they serve no useful purpose and will probably vote for those who legalized them.

Also, Hillary is giving outlandishly tone-deaf and ridiculous explanations for why she didn’t fire yet another sexual harasser in her entourage. I have no idea why she thinks she needs to give any explanations at all. Retire, Hillary! It’s time. Let us who supported you remember you with fondness as somebody who fought but lost and not as somebody who was weirdly dedicated to justifying her reputation of a total hypocrite.

Klara refers to coffee as “hallelujah coffee.”

“Drink hallelujah coffee, mommy,” she commands, and everybody at the coffee shop collapses with laughter.

One brand I absolutely detest is Annie’s (“organic” soups, pastas, etc.) Whenever I bought anything from this brand, I’ve literally had to throw it away because it’s uneatable. Yesterday I was so rushed (as I always am on Tuesdays) that I made Annie’s mac and cheese for Klara. And even though she loves pasta, she didn’t even try this one after the first bite. It even looks sad. And the memory of their horrible pea soup will haunt me forever.

I don’t know how the brand manages to sell what is obviously low-quality product at a premium price.

So we all know that business circles are very sexist. If it’s not an old boys’ club, then it’s something even worse, a little boy club. These are the young businessmen who believe they are all super duper progressive and pro-women but who are physiologically incapable of processing the information that a woman in their professional circle can be anything but a secretary. They come into the office where a female business owner is sitting at her desk and start bumping around corners in search of the real boss because they can’t conceive of a woman being one. We all know this, so I don’t want to drone on about the painfully obvious.

But here is an interesting observation. If we take Canada, male entrepreneurs from one region stand out in terms of extreme sexism even in this already sexist environment. That region is Quebec. And that’s very very sad.

“What’s your little girl’s name?”

“Klara.”

“Oh, like in the Nutcracker? Is that why you brought her to the ballet school?”

I know Masha is in the ballet. But what does the name Klara have to do with it?

Klara is the youngest kid in the ballet class but she’s the best at following directions. She sits there very quietly, observing everything, and then does exactly what the teacher asks. I’m not sure it’s a good sign.

OK, so folks, need advice here. As I said before, Klara’s second birthday party is at the kids’ gym on a Sunday from 10 am to noon. There will be treats for kids (applesauce, berries, etc) and a birthday cake. Am I supposed to provide food for adults who will be there with the kids? If so, then what kind? I’m so confused about it that I have started having nightmares about crowds of angry adults expecting food and finding no nourishment at the party. What would you do?

Suggestions for toddler snacks are also welcome.

As you can probably understand, I was an extremely unpopular kid, so the anxieties of “what if nobody comes and if they do, what if they hate me” variety besiege me.