Banji Ganchrow
Bio
Self-proclaimed writer, masters in social work. Has driven 3 sons to 22 baseball stadiums. Hopes, because of this, they will never put her in a nursing home.
Stories (45/0)
Holy Crap I'm 40: Chanukah Presents Edition
Things start to change at 40. Your boobs aren't where they used to be, your knees start to make noises they didn't before. You want to sleep late, but you can't because you need to pee. All really fun stuff. But as I have started to physically decline, my role as a mom remains the same. So I still need the same energy, the same enthusiasm and the same zest for parenting. Nope, not so much. I am happy that they still are alive at the end of the day. Truth be told, the reality is somewhere in the middle of those two scenarios, but I do try almost the best that I can.
By Banji Ganchrow7 years ago in Longevity
Holy Crap I'm 40: I Just Can't Win Edition
The one thing that you do learn at 40, is that life is short. Is my life more than halfway over? Would I want to know the answer to that question? Would you? In any event, in the spirit of life being short, I want to do things that will make my kids happy. This is the reason why they have been driven to 22 out of 30 major league baseball stadiums. Happy kids, happy mom. Happy kids, perhaps a mom that doesn't end up drooling in a nursing home with no one coming to visit her. I will do whatever it takes, no matter how extreme. But even if we have the best intentions, it doesn't mean the outcome will be the one we want. A mom can still dream though!
By Banji Ganchrow7 years ago in Longevity
Holy Crap I'm 40: Mother-in-Law Edition
As little girls, some of us dream of getting married. Fairy tales don't help the situation. In fact, the girl who kissed the frog and turned him into a prince really should have done the opposite because it would have been more realistic. Sometimes, the prince that you marry ends up being a frog. Maybe not in the beginning and maybe not always, but at some point in your marriage, the man who you thought was perfect, is really just a frog. And he usually has a mother who is one step worse than a frog.
By Banji Ganchrow7 years ago in Longevity
Holy Crap I'm 40: Baseball Edition
Turning 40 involves incorporating new mantras in order to survive the day. "Don't sweat the small stuff." That is a really good one and it probably applies to all ages. "Don't cry over spilled milk," turns into, "Don't cry over spilled vodka," so it's easier just not to sweat any of the small stuff. Before I even turned 40, my family of boys and I, and their father, would hop in the car for a few days every summer, and drive to Major League Baseball stadiums. Imagine family bonding on steroids, and we didn't get the steroids from any of the baseball players. As my family would scout out for players autographs, I would scout out the stadiums for cocktails and free swag. To each their own.
By Banji Ganchrow7 years ago in Longevity
Marijuana and Breastfeeding
So you want to have a baby. The doctor tells you all of the things you cannot do when you are pregnant. Kind of makes you wonder why you wanted to get pregnant in the first place. I can't drink? I can't smoke? I can't mainline heroin? What exactly did I get myself into?
By Banji Ganchrow7 years ago in Potent
Holy Crap I'm 40: Bar Mitzvah Edition
Turning 40 is a milestone. Granted, it isn't as exciting as turning 100, but if you still haven't entered menopause and men still look at you when you pass them on the street, you are in pretty good shape. Or course I am not speaking of myself..men only look at me on the street after I have bumped into them because I take up too much room, but enough of the self-deprecating humor. I am proud to be 40. With age is supposed to come maturity. Kids, that is crap. If you were immature in your 30s, there is little hope for you in your 40s. Dealing with people never gets easier, especially when they are related to you. And that is where in laws come in. If you don't have them yet, try to marry an orphan. Morbid, but good advice. Trust me. I am 40.
By Banji Ganchrow7 years ago in Longevity
Best Workplace TV Shows of the 1980s
After decades of only having three channels at our disposal, the 1980s introduced us to the miracle known as cable. Networks such as HBO and CNN–for those willing to pay the price–were welcomed additions to many homes. If you weren’t one of the lucky beneficiaries of these cable services, you always knew which neighbor was and you would count on their hospitality to watch your shows. That there was a treasure trove of entertainment sitting right in your living room was a novel and exciting concept, and the breadth of programming has only continued to multiply in the decades since.
By Banji Ganchrow7 years ago in Journal
Best Workplace TV Shows of the 2000s
As the new millennium approached, we were both nervous and excited. It was to be the dawn of a new era, checks needed to start with a 20, and no one new if time would stop when the clock struck midnight. Remember Y2K? Would the computers all go haywire? Locked stores would unlock, vaults would open, nuclear warheads would be launched. NASA was working overtime and no one knew what January 1, 2000 would bring or if it would happen at all. Prince’s classic hit 1999 was played ad nauseum and folks actually did party like it was 1999. And what were we calling this new century? The 2000’s? the zero zero’s? The double o’s? But, alas, the clock kept ticking, all was calm and peaceful, for the time being anyway, and we all had to go back to work. The shows that have graced our screens since this new century have kept us laughing and our minds off of all the things that have gone wrong since the 1 changed to a 2.
By Banji Ganchrow7 years ago in Journal
Best Workplace TV Shows of the 1990s
Welcome to the 90s. You are now somewhere between rotary phones, the Walkman and the invention of all things “i”. For the majority of this decade we were entertained by President Bill Clinton. He became a role model for every man who ever wanted to play the saxophone or commit adultery. If the president could do it, why can’t I? Especially since he, very publicly, got away with it (The adultery, not playing the saxophone). Was life imitating art or vice versa?
By Banji Ganchrow7 years ago in Journal
Holy Crap I'm 40: Juice Cleanse Edition
When you turn 40 and you realize that your life may be half over, you may or may not want to become more health conscious. I am not a nutritionist. In fact, I am nutritionist's nightmare. I believe that if a snack food has the word "fruit" in the name, it should count as a fruit. Makes me popular with the kids, but no so much with any sugar conscious parent. Can't win em all. When the 3 became a 4 in my age, I decided that I should embark on a healthier lifestyle. I had seen an advertisement for a three day juice cleanse. Three days-how hard could it be. Well, now that I am no longer weak and dizzy, I can share the experience with you without passing out.
By Banji Ganchrow7 years ago in Longevity
Holy Crap I'm 40: Aquasize Edition
Turning 40 is an adventure. Everything I have eaten or learned or cried over or loved has taken me to this age. My mother would always say that, "The alternative is worse." Which basically means that if I wasn't turning 40, it would mean that I am dead, so I should be grateful for the new decade I am about to embark on. Things I didn't have to worry about in my teens or 20s are now at the forefront. But I will keep breathing, put a big smile on my cynical face and carry on. After all, 40 is the new 30 and 30 is the new 20, so perhaps, I am still really 16.
By Banji Ganchrow7 years ago in Longevity
How to Avoid Stress During the Holidays
One minute you are at the beach enjoying the sun and the next, the temperature starts to drop, the leaves change colors and, suddenly, you are receiving Christmas catalogues in the mail. And you have yet to eat Thanksgiving dinner. Your head starts to spin as you think about everything you have to do in the next few weeks. Shopping, cooking, lists, shopping, more cooking, inviting family, having to spend time with family... it can be a little overwhelming.
By Banji Ganchrow7 years ago in Longevity