A long time ago, I posted about a camping trip I took with my family. (It was part of a longer post about holidays and other stuff.) Well, over Memorial Day weekend, we decided to take a different kind of camping trip. This time, we went glamping!
We stayed at a place I found on Vrbo, in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Weirdly enough, I had been looking at another place at the same time that we were also interested in (due to the location), but I accidentally reserved this place instead of the other one. It ended up being a happy accident because we all loved it. It was so cozy and rustic, but had lots of amenities, such as a kitchen, TV, bathrooms, etc. There was a fire pit outside, as well. Alexis Rose would have said the cabin was so cute and done her trademark facial expression and hand gestures.
My husband took this picture and dolled it up a bit
After we settled in, we took a walk to a nearby lake. We were the only people at the lake, so it was nice and peaceful. My husband and younger son busied themselves with skipping stones across the lake. The rest of us enjoyed taking pictures and enjoying the scenery.
When we got back to the cabin, we had a cookout over the fire pit, with hot dogs and s'mores. It was a lot of fun. It started raining a bit after we had finished our meal and then we spent the rest of the evening playing Loaded Questions. It was a long game, but we love it and usually come up with a lot of inside jokes each time we play. We stayed up pretty late, but we were able to sleep in a little bit the next morning before we had to pack up.
On the way back home, we stopped in downtown Frederick. It's a nice town with lots of art displays and a river running down the middle. We even saw some ducks. :) It was a gorgeous day out. Only half the people walking around, including us, were wearing masks, but no one bothered anyone else either way.
We had a really nice overnight stay and we already want to do it again!
Since I was offline for the beginning half of the week, I got to read two great LGBTQ young adult novels that I had my eye on for a while: Campby L.C. Rosen and Can't Take That Away by Steven Salvatore. (Synopses of both are courtesy of Amazon.) I think David Rose would love both novels for different reasons. Camp Outland is a safe place for people to be out and express themselves without judgment, just like the town of Schitt's Creek. He'd also love L.C. Rosen's shirt. And Mariah Carey was a huge focus in the latter novel. In any case, I recommend both novels, especially if you are into this genre like I am.
Set in a summer camp, this sweet and sharp screwball comedy set in a summer camp for queer teens examines the nature of toxic masculinity and self-acceptance.
Sixteen-year-old Randy Kapplehoff loves spending the summer at Camp Outland, a camp for queer teens. It's where he met his best friends. It's where he takes to the stage in the big musical. And it's where he fell for Hudson Aaronson-Lim—who's only into straight-acting guys and barely knows not-at-all-straight-acting Randy even exists.
This year, however, it's going to be different. Randy has reinvented himself as 'Del'—buff, masculine, and on the market. Even if it means giving up show tunes, nail polish, and his unicorn bedsheets, he's determined to get Hudson to fall for him.
But as he and Hudson grow closer, Randy has to ask himself: How much is he willing to change for love? And is it really love anyway, if Hudson doesn't know who he truly is?
Even though I am straight, I probably would have had the best time at a place like Camp Outland. It sounded like so much fun and it seemed like everyone fit in in some way or another.
I was actually sad for Randy when he chose not to be in the musical in order to hold the attention and affection from Hudson. I kept wishing he could have his cake and eat it too. However, I also enjoyed his connection with Hudson and how they got to know each other on a deeper level than just being masc. Hudson started to reveal more about himself and the reasons behind why he only liked masc guys. I felt bad for him when I learned about his background. The side characters were a lot of fun too, especially George.
Overall, this was a really good story about being true to yourself, with the Bye Bye Birdie soundtrack playing in the background. (And the unicorn themed nail polish sounded like a lot of fun too.) While this novel seems geared toward young adult audiences, there are some mature scenes to be aware of. I wasn't expecting them, but I didn't mind that they were there either.
An empowering and emotional debut about a genderqueer teen who finds the courage to stand up and speak out for equality when they are discriminated against by their high school administration.
Carey Parker dreams of being a diva, and bringing the house down with song. They can hit every note of all the top pop and Broadway hits. But despite their talent, emotional scars from an incident with a homophobic classmate and their grandmother's spiraling dementia make it harder and harder for Carey to find their voice.
Then Carey meets Cris, a singer/guitarist who makes Carey feel seen for the first time in their life. With the rush of a promising new romantic relationship, Carey finds the confidence to audition for the role of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the school musical, setting off a chain reaction of prejudice by Carey's tormentor and others in the school. It's up to Carey, Cris, and their friends to defend their rights--and they refuse to be silenced.
Told in alternating chapters with identifying pronouns, debut author Steven Salvatore's Can't Take That Away conducts a powerful, uplifting anthem, a swoony romance, and an affirmation of self-identity that will ignite the activist in all of us.
The first thing that drew me to this novel was that they were going to perform Wicked. However, it was a captivating story throughout with a great soundtrack to go along with it. (The playlist is in the back of the book.)
Carey had to put up with a lot between dealing with a horrible bully to having a rude and homophobic teacher getting in their face and misgendering them on purpose. They also were watching their beloved grandma slowly fade away from dementia and one of their best friends has barely spoken to them since they came out.
However, Carey had the attentions of a really cute boy and the support of another fun and interesting best friend. They also made a new friend and instant ally. And they had an amazing singing voice that I most definitely envied.
Then everything came together to make Carey's romantic and school life that much more complicated. I love what Carey and their friends did in response. I don't want to say anything more as to not spoil it.
I don't often cast young adult novels as it's too hard to find actors to fit these roles, but if this novel had been published ten years ago, Chris Colfer would have totally played Carey to perfection.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
One of my favorite book bloggers, Jenny at Book Coffee Happy, did these 20 questions and invited her readers to do the same. Challenge accepted!
20 Questions Book Tag
1. How many books are too many books in a series? I don't keep up with a series if I know there are a lot of books to follow. If it's something I started a while ago and enjoyed, then I will stick with it, like the Shopaholic series.
2. How do you feel about cliffhangers? I enjoy them, as long as I know there will be a follow up story!
3. Hardback or Paperback? Either. I also love my Kindle.
4. Favorite book? She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb will always be my answer to this question!
5. Least favorite book? Please refer to this list.
6. Love triangles, yes or no?
Given that I love them on my favorite TV shows, the same works for books.
7. The most recent book you just couldn’t finish? The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar (for book club). It was dragging too much.
8. A book you’re currently reading? Half Life by Jillian Cantor and Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
9. Last book you recommended to someone? When am I NOT recommending books to someone?!? I recently reviewed Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around by Camille Pagan and was recommending that. I also recommended The Last Flight by Julie Clark to Jenny.
10. Oldest book you’ve read? Jenny and I have something in common here: The Catcher in the Rye. I've probably read older books, but this was my favorite of the classics we had to read in high school. I actually read it before I was assigned to, so I got the pleasure of reading it twice. Unfortunately, my son doesn't share my enthusiasm for it.
11. Newest book you’ve read? A lot of the books I read are new because they are ARCs for book reviews. Oddly enough (if you read Jenny's post, you'll see why), The Seven Day Switch publishes in July, so that's really new!
12. Favorite author? I like too many to pick just one. High up on the list are Wally Lamb and Jodi Picoult. I've met them both at book signings (at the same location on different days) and they are so kind and down-to-earth.
Meeting Wally Lamb in 2013
Meeting Jodi Picoult in 2012
13. Buying books or borrowing books? Both, along with getting most from publishers in exchange for honest reviews.
14. A book you dislike that everyone else seems to love? Another thing Jenny and I can agree on: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. There were some interesting parts, but it was underwhelming overall. Listening to it as an audiobook didn't help matters.
Side note: There should be a question to ask which book you love that everyone else seems to dislike. I know Anxious People by Fredrik Backman would win that award. I do know people who love it, but sooooo many people on Facebook just hate on it for some reason. And I know I was the only one in my book club who loved Me Before You and Tell the Wolves I'm Home.
16. A book you can always reread? I don't reread books. I have no time for that. When I was a kid and even through my teen years, I would reread books. I remember reading Deenie, Blubber, and Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume, along with Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary. Later on, it was V.C. Andrews books, such as Heaven, Flowers in the Attic, and My Sweet Audrina.
17. Can you read while listening to music? Sometimes, if it's relaxing enough music. Although I did recently read while my kids were listening to Hamilton really loud in the car while we were waiting to see the orthodontist.
18. One POV or multiple POVs? I'm fine either way, but I sometimes enjoy a variety of character perspectives more.
19. Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days? Depends on the book and how much time I have. Usually over Shabbat and other religious holidays, I can start and finish a book in one day.
20. Who do you tag? All my friends who love to read. You know who you are. ;)
Today is my younger son's 13th birthday. In honor of that, I am doing what I did for my older son and sharing my top ten list from the speech I made at his Bar Mitzvah.
Given that we're still in a pandemic, it was an unconventional Bar Mitzvah, but it still worked because it was just right for him. He's more of an introvert and wouldn't have felt comfortable doing everything in front of tons of people at shul. So we have the pandemic to thank for this simpler version of a Bar Mitzvah that was still special to him, to us, and to our family and friends. We just had a small Zoom gathering on the Sunday of what would have been his Bar Mitzvah weekend anyway. We also had his favorite food items throughout the weekend.
Without any further ado...my top 10 list about my 13 year-old:
1. He is a very musical child, but in a different way than his brother. He can sit down at the piano and teach himself how to play complicated pieces that I couldn’t even do with actual lessons when I was his age. He loves to play piano and usually it’s classical or ragtime. However, he will “Rick roll” us sometimes. He also sings really well and was in honors chorus in fifth grade. He even composes music on his computer and it’s really impressive!
2. He is affectionate and loves giving hugs and kisses. Usually kids tend to avoid their parents at this age, but he still wants to cuddle with us.
3. He is a great sibling. Even though he’s in the middle, he finds ways to bond with both his older brother and younger sister. I still remember a time his brother was sad about something and all he had to say was one word to cheer him up. And even though he and his sister tend to fight a lot, I catch them laughing and playing together too. He is even teaching her some new piano skills.
4. He loves to read. I know I said this about his brother too, but it’s true. I love being able to find him books that he will enjoy, as he is a pickier reader than most.
5. He’s really funny. Even though he’s not into theater, he was participating in improv games with his siblings and nailing the humor each time. He also cracks me up in the Passover plays he puts on with his siblings. He loves telling jokes and coming up with puns too. We even have some of our own inside jokes.
6. He’s very smart and does well in school. He’s received star student awards and has consistently been getting As in his classes.
7. He loves animals. The happiest I’ve ever seen him is when he is playing with dogs or petting a cat.
8. He’s really good with technology. He also has a curious mind and likes seeing how things work. He has strong video editing skills and has put together some cool videos in the past.
9. He’s a great conversationalist. As I mentioned earlier, he always has so many questions and I enjoy hearing his thoughts about the way things are in the world.
10. He marches to the beat of his own drum. He’s an individual and doesn’t care what people think of him. He won’t bend to peer pressure either. I mean, he won’t even watch The Princess Bride when I’ve been inviting him to do so all the time. (Is he really my son?) And it’s ironic that his Hebrew birthday is right around Purim because he refuses to wear a costume. Thankfully, photoshop has come to the rescue for our family video this year.
When he was two years old, he would tell everyone “I’m not a baby, I’m a big boy.” His teacher at the time told me how someone said "baby," and he somehow tuned into that word and walked over to tell that person that he’s a big boy. He’s always asserted himself since then and found a way to stand out, even with being the middle child.
It’s nice to be this confident, even at his current age.
My husband and I are celebrating the second of our many wedding anniversaries during the pandemic. The situation makes it hard to have a formal date or anything, but we'll try to make it memorable. This past year has been rather interesting and complex, but I'm glad we have been together through it all. In a normal year, we'd both be at our separate offices and then together in the evenings and on weekends. This past year, there has been a lot of togetherness, but it has only served to bring us even closer together. While I'd normally converse with colleagues around the coffee and tea area, I now do that with my husband in our kitchen.
Like all the other years of our marriage, my husband has made me laugh every day. This year, it feels even more important, as I've relied on that laughter to get me through this pandemic. He has definitely delivered, and then some! Here are a few things that I am okay sharing with everyone (as it is either PG or some readers will appreciate the humor too).
*For my birthday last summer, he made me a video card. He took scenes from Schitt's Creek and dubbed his voice into them to talk about my birthday. His impressions of the voices could have used some work, but he was spot on with David. Then he added a Cameo of Randy Rainbow that he found online and dubbed in my name and age at the appropriate spots.
*Speaking of Schitt's Creek impressions, he does a great job with Bob's jog walk.
*And speaking of people named Bob, he made up this character named Officer Bob and every time I talk about Degrassi, he talks about Officer Bob being on the show and lecturing the kids about doing drugs and stuff.
*A while ago, I was cooking and asked for some eggs. He brought them up but added a ping pong ball to the ones he was carrying. Then he told me to catch one of the eggs and threw the ping pong ball at me. It was startling at first, but then really funny. Even more so when he did it to our older son.
*He bought hair clippers a while ago so that we could do home haircuts. Since it was around Passover, he came up with a joke about shaving down the middle of someone's head and calling it the "Red Sea."
*He made some really funny pictures using Photoshop this year, but none are appropriate to post.
*Aside from Schitt's Creek, he really does some great celebrity impressions, especially Nathan Lane and the guy who played Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day. He still does the Milton from Office Space impression really well, along with a few Disney characters and Kermit the Frog. And he's working on Billy Crystal.
*He also does some great song parodies. He did a funny one about Iron Man to the tune of the Spider-Man theme song recently. He's the next Weird Al!
Before I go, here are some pictures from our wedding that I haven't shared before.
When my friend Sara told me to watch Workin' Moms, I was skeptical at first, thinking it would be another sitcom like American Mom. I'm so glad I was wrong about that. I was drawn in from the first episode and couldn't get enough! Initially, I had also worried that I wouldn't be able to relate since my kids are not babies anymore. However, one of the moms has a daughter who starts off close in age to my daughter, even though they have completely different personalities.
For those of you not familiar with this series, it's about these women who are in a playgroup together with their babies and they all have a variety of stressors that come with balancing motherhood and their career. Something always has to give, whether it is their romantic relationships, their friendships, their jobs, etc. Toss in some humor and mature content (do NOT watch when kids are anywhere in the vicinity of your TV) and you're all set!
I didn't know when I started watching this series that I'd be going through withdrawal by the end of season four. The show and characters are so relatable and also quirky. The dialogue is snarky and it just works perfectly for this series. Thankfully, season five is already on CBC and should land on Netflix this spring or early summer. I can't wait!
Workin' Moms has some actors from two of my favorite shows: Degrassi: The Next Generation and Schitt's Creek! Side note in regards to Degrassi, one of the main characters is named Frankie Coyne. It always makes me think of Frankie and Declan from Degrassi getting married. There's also a character named Bianca on both shows.
Degrassi actors who were on Workin' Moms: Paula Brancati (Jane) played a mom and news reporter. Jonas Chernick (Wesley's uncle) played one of Kate's clients. Elisa Moolecherry (Sydney) played someone interested in buying a house. Dayo Ade (BLT from Degrassi High) played the love interest of a side character. Two actors from Degrassi Goes Hollywood were on, as well: Paul Amos (Mick) played a client at Gaze and Mary Ashton (Hailey) played Kate's sister. A few other people from Degrassi on Workin' Moms are Jane's mom, who played a rich woman who was interested in Frankie; Mr. Hollingsworth, who played a client of Kate's; Ms. Dawes, who played the principal of a preschool, and the teacher in France, who played someone Kate was helping.
As for Schitt's Creek actors, I only recognized three, but perhaps there were more that I missed. Richard Waugh (Herb Ertlinger) played a love interest for one of the grandmothers, Tennille Read (Golf Club Manager) played Bianca (a character who comes about in season three), and Vanessa Matsui (Lisa Chung, lawyer for The Blouse Barn) played a lawyer on Workin' Moms, as well.
Jann Arden, whose music I really like, played a small role on the series as well. I had no idea it was her until I checked IMDb. Dan Aykroyd had a guest appearance too!
I'm sharing the season one trailer here and will then discuss some spoilers below that. If you haven't watched the series (seasons one through four) yet, stop at the trailer (and start watching the show, if it interests you). If you have, then keep going!
Thoughts on the main characters:
Kate: There is something utterly relatable about Kate Foster. While I can't say I would be as much of a workaholic as she is, even with my kids being much older than hers, I do appreciate what she wants for herself. And when she experienced a huge betrayal, I felt sadder about it than I usually do when someone has that happen to them. I could just feel the hurt emanating from her. Kate is someone I could easily see becoming friends with, as long as she makes time for the friendship. Since Catherine Reitman is the writer of the show, she fits in some humor about an aspect of her appearance. I can appreciate how Kate is self-conscious about it though. I can relate in some ways, as I also don't like how I smile in pictures.
Anne: Anne Carlson is probably my favorite of all the moms on this show. I love how snarky she is and how she tries to balance being a good mom with laying down the law. She's a good friend to Kate, even when she's getting the short end of the stick. I also love how she took down her nemesis.
Side note: Kate and Anne's friendship reminds me of my relationship with my best friend.
Frankie: It took me a while to warm to Frankie, but then I found her to be easily lovable. And those curls! I like that she represents the LBGTQ faction of the show.
Jenny: Jenny can be cute and charming, but then she's also manipulative and self-serving. I never know which one we're going to get and whether I should like her or not. I found out that the actress who plays her was Evie Cho on Orphan Black. It's been ages since I last saw it, but after seeing pictures, I remember her.
Thoughts on the spouses (or ex-spouses):
Nathan: Even after what he did to Kate, he still finds a way to be likable, so much that I was glad they got back together and found a way to make things work. He complements Kate really well. The fact that the actors are married in real life adds to that chemistry.
Lionel: Initially, I found him annoying, but then he grew on me and became a good support for Anne. I definitely prefer him over her first husband.
Ian: Another one who took some time to grow on me. I like how he became part of the moms group in season two. I also like how good-natured he is. I don't like how Jenny treats him.
Gisselle: I really don't like how she was so unsupportive of Frankie during her post-partum depression and then just ended up wanting a divorce. Even after that, she's rude to Frankie most of the time.
Characters I don't like:
Brad: I hate him and his dick face. It was disturbing how he abused his powers and I'm glad he finally got caught for it. I don't think anything was resolved with that situation since his lawyer put Anne in the hot seat.
Mean Nanny: For what she did to Kate, obviously. But I also couldn't stand how much she was judging Anne. Even if she was good with Alice, her job was to be a nanny, not tell Anne how to live her life.
Sean: I knew he was trouble even before Frankie did. What a scumbag!
Steve Malk: I think he was there to satirize a certain former leader of a certain country, but I still couldn't stand him anyway. I think the fact that the same actor was Mr. Hollingsworth on Degrassi aided in that.
Kate's doctor: He just has the worst bedside manner. She needs to switch doctors!
Characters who annoy me:
Juniper: She was okay in season two, but then she had to show up again in season three with that stupid haircut and a somewhat lower IQ. And screwing Frankie over was the tip of the iceberg. I'm glad she was able to help Bianca, but then she should have just moved on.
Val: She's the playgroup leader, but somehow she seems to glom onto the other moms. She had her somewhat helpful moments and I felt bad for her because her sons were such jerks, but she still annoyed me a lot.
Forrest: He was just embarrassing most of the time. I'm glad Nathan convinced him to drop his lawsuit against Kate, even before his father told him to drop it.
Disappearing characters:
Alicia: She was on during the playgroup scenes and then disappeared in season three. I always wished that she would have more time on screen instead of Jenny. She came off as this perfect mom, so it would be fun to see how flawed she is "behind the scenes."
Sonia: I thought she and Ian were going to be in a committed relationship and then she just disappeared starting in season three. What's up with that?!?
There were so many characters between all four seasons that talking about each one would keep me working on this post forever. I also didn't know where to fit some in, such as Mike, the guy who was helping Kate with her PR business and was really hot, but then turned into a bit of a jerk. Or Rosie, the assistant at Gaze, who later became Kate's assistant. She could be helpful but also really annoying, as well. Just not enough to make it to the annoying list.
If you have made it this far, what are your thoughts on Workin' Moms?
Back in December, I decided to give One Day at a Time a try. I had heard some good things about it and that when it got cancelled, there was such an outcry that it ended up coming back for a bit longer. The first episode just seemed like an episode of any other sitcom and I inquired about whether I should keep watching or not. A few friends convinced me to stick with it and I'm SO glad I did! I have been recommending it ever since and I hope this post will convince you to give it a try too.
Originally I was hesitant to watch because Justina Machado was on Jane the Virgin and I wasn't all that fond of her character. So I was worried she'd be annoying on this show too. I'm glad I was wrong about that! Fun fact: Tony Plana plays Penelope's deceased father. Aside from being the dad on Ugly Betty, he was also Gaby's stepfather on Desperate Housewives and Justina played his new wife. (Originally I thought she played another daughter of his, but I checked online and I was wrong once again.) The only thing I wish for this show is that they let her play her actual age. She's a few years older than me, but started the show playing someone younger than I was in 2017. This isn't 90210 where 30 year-olds need to play teenagers. And Justina looks good for whatever age she is.
Before I give my reasons for why you should watch this wonderful show, I need to point out that I don't remember watching the original series from the seventies and eighties. I knew Valerie Bertinelli was on it, but that was about it. I ended up reading more about it on Wikipedia and noticed a few things that made their way onto this reboot series. It was also a show about a single mom with two teenagers and they had a landlord named Schneider. What I didn't realize was that Mackenzie Phillips played one of the teenagers and now she's the group therapy leader on this series. (That explains why there was cheering from the laugh track when she first appeared.) The theme song has similar words, but different stylings: 1970s vs. 2017. I also just recently found out that Gloria Estefan sang the new version. In any case, there are a lot of updates to the show, given when it takes place, and I love that about the reboot.
Reasons you should watch One Day at a Time:
*It's so funny. Sitcoms obviously should be funny, but there are some moments that had me laughing for several minutes after they were over and then thinking about them made me laugh again. There also are a lot of great one-liners. They honestly didn't need a laugh track because none of my laughing needed a prompt. I got used to the laugh track after a while and forgot it was there because I was laughing too loud to hear it anyway.
*Great ensemble cast. There are very few shows I say this about. I've said it about Schitt's Creek and Speechless in the past, and am now bestowing this honor upon One Day at a Time. I love how the cast fits together so well and everyone plays off of each other. I almost felt like part of the Alvarez family while watching this show.
*They deal with real life issues. Even though this is a sitcom, there are times when heavier subjects come up, especially around the topic of mental health. It's handled so honestly and sensitively and is worth watching just for those episodes. They also cover immigration, grief, LGBTQ, alcoholism, divorce, etc. I've actually cried a bunch of times from this show. Not as much as Penelope, but still...
*The show focuses on current events since 2017 and I agree with a lot of what they have to say.
*Rita Moreno. There's a reason she has an EGOT and I would love to see this documentary about her. She is just perfect as Penelope's mother Lydia. She has a lot of funny moments and lines, as well as some heartwarming ones.
*Schneider. He comes off as clueless at times, but then he says something really profound to show he just gets what's going on. I love how he's there for comic relief, but also how he's there in some heavier moments, including some of his own. His friendship with Penelope is one of my favorite platonic friendships between a man and woman and I'm so glad they never got involved romantically. I especially love that he got his own romantic subplot and the woman he loves is perfect for him.
*Dr. Berkowitz. He is the character placed there solely for comedic value, but Stephen Tobolowsky (Ned Ryerson from Groundhog Day and Principal Ball on The Goldbergs) does an excellent job with this role. His non-sexual relationship with Lydia is the best. I love how he dotes on her anyway. He's just as much a part of the family as Schneider is.
*The kids. I like that they are teenagers instead of cute little kids with one-liners. Alex and Elena are both interesting to watch, but I wish Alex was utilized as much as Elena throughout the series. They are both really funny too. Alex reminds me of a cross between my two sons.
*Gloria Estefan is on one of the episodes. You have to wait until season three to see it, but it's worth the wait to see her duke it out with Rita Moreno.
*Penelope is shown as a working, single mom trying to find balance in her life while dealing with PTSD and going back to school. Topping that off is pressure from all her mom's expectations. She's definitely relatable in a variety of ways.
*The curtain...which just has a personality of its own somehow. I love how it is used for emphasis during an entry or argument.
*There's just so much love on the show, which is very much needed in this day and age. Even though people fight and get mad at each other, they hug and make up eventually.
Still not convinced? Check out the trailer (then keep reading afterward):
While the first three seasons on Netflix have thirteen episodes each, the fourth season on CBS (which was previously on Pop TV) only has seven episodes. I really wish it had been able to go a full season, but I think the pandemic cut things short. And "this is it" for the show now.
I hope that it will eventually go the route of sitcoms that got a new life 20-plus years later, like Fuller House, Saved by the Bell, and Punky Brewster (coming soon). In 20 years from now, perhaps Penelope will live with Alex or Elena when they are adults with their own kids. Since Fuller House was a gender switch for the adults and kids (from three men and three young girls to three women and three young boys), maybe it would make sense for Alex to be the main focus. Elena could be the landlord since she learned all those skills from Schneider. They'd need someone to fill Dr. B's shoes, but I'm sure there are some good comedic actors who could do so.
If you're also a fan of One Day at a Time, please share your reasons in the comments.
