cactus i.v.

By ATARI JAY
dearatari(at)gmail.com
Have you ever loved someone, but thought you could love someone else more? You’re certainly not alone. In a hypothetical situation: I have been dating this boy, “John,” for long enough to develop a serious connection. Things are great; we might even be in love. But there’s someone else. He might be the […]

We have a little reprise for those of you aching for a sex and relationships column.
Original columnist Atari Jay makes a cameo on Wednesday.
For those of you who need some S&R guidance, you’re in luck. And maybe if you beg her, she’ll guest a little more until she’s back on staff full time.
Love and cacti,
LISA […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
I have found that many people come to me for advice. It’s been like this for my whole life, from relationships to family to what should I wear?  I have been told that there is something comforting from obtaining another person’s advice. Some of my friends come to me for advice — even if […]

By LISA SOKOLOWSKI
cactusiv(at)gmail.com
I’m a Pete Wentz fan. Everyone knows that. If you know me, you know my affinity for the Fall Out Boy bassist. You know who else is a fan of his: Ashlee Simpson.
It’s funny. A few years ago, Ashlee wasn’t on anyone’s radar. She wasn’t even Jessica Simpson’s little sister. No one even […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4u(at)gmail.com
In all relationships, without trust there is nothing to fight for; there is no foundation to build on and there is no security to call home. I am easily broken by trust. In my life I have been overly open with the people I love, allowing them to know my […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
Oh Tim, not another drama. If you read my last article you know all too well about my buddy Tim. He is the relationship over-thinker with an unneeded insecurity when it comes to the opposite sex. I could probably write about his woes and stresses for weeks, but I try very hard to refrain […]

By Melody
mymelody4u(at)gmail.com
Recently, I introduced a former co-worker of mine to one of my best guy friends. Last year, proved to be my best match-making year and I wanted to squeeze one in before the New Year. From the minute they met it was an instant connection. Every time our group went out they spent most […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
Dear Melody,
My best friend and her boyfriend sleep in the same room as their 1-year-old and 6-year-old sons. They are very sexually activate. When is it time for them to stop having sex in front of the kids?
Sincerely,
Questioning Friend
Dear Questioning Friend,
Wow, even for me this is interesting. I understand […]

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By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
Hey J-
So I think this is going to be the last email from me to you this year… funny huh? We are actually gonna be ringing in the new year together… think about all the changes from last year to now….wow
Are you happier now?
What would you like to do this coming year to make […]

By Melody
MyMelody4u(at)gmail.com
Dear Melody-
I have been going out with my boyfriend for about a year. Most of the time it’s great but his mom seems to make comments to push my buttons. She goes out of her way to bring up all these past girls he has dated and tells me about every crush he has […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4u(at)gmail.com
Whether it’s tabloid conversations or about people we know, we all have that little itch inside of us that urges us to share information. Men and women talk, this is not subject to just one gender. But when does the need to share conflict with the secrets in a relationship? Do we need to […]

By JEREMY VAN CISE
jerv23325(at)yahoo.com
As I’m writing this, I should be watching the waves crash past me as I dredge towards the Bahamas aboard a fun filled cruise. However, things don’t always go as planned. The 28th of November is my anniversary, and this year a new anniversary was born. Not only is it the anniversary […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4u(at)gmail.com
Erin and I were emailing back and forth trying to plan a dinner for the guys. We talked about meal plans and how the day was going. In the year we have known each other, we have become really close so there is almost no topic that is taboo. We started to crack jokes […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
This is supposed to be the time of year for family, a time where, without reservation, you show the one you love how much they mean to you. Now that’s not to say that all the other days of the year you are supposed to be cruel or inattentive, however this is the time […]

By Melody
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
When you are in a relationship, you sometimes have to be cautious of what you say. You may be totally head over heels in love with that person, but sometimes words can get in the way and make the person question your motives.
This past weekend a group of my friends went to a bar […]

By JORDAN HATHAWAY
partygal23(at)aol.com
Why it is the ones who that don’t really have a chance are the ones who have the guts to say something?
On my daily walk to Dunkin’ Donuts to get my morning coffee before heading into work, I walk past the toothless man selling newspapers who says good morning to me every morning.
As […]

By MELODY
My boyfriend and I were driving back from a party at my brothers’. He lives in Stony Point, New York, and I live in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, which is a 35 to 40 minute drive. When we take these long rides, it gives us time to talk about anything that’s on our minds. […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
I am always broke. I budget money worse than the homeless. Many of my relationship fights have been about how I can’t afford to do anything fun and exciting because I don’t have the funds. Does money really make the world go ’round or could it in fact be the root of all evil?
Let’s […]

By MELODY
MyMeloday4U(at)gmail.com
This week I’m going on a rant. It’ll probably be offensive to those who fit the following profile, so I’ll apologize now. Not for what I am going to say, but apologize for the behaviors that some woman can express.
I am a woman, and I feel I’m a pretty normal one. On a regular […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
Last week I asked a guy some questions regarding life and relationships. For anyone that read it, I’m sure you were amazed by the ranting honesty. I apologize if he offended anyone, but that’s how he is — bluntly honest.
This week I took the same questions and brought them to a girlfriend. She is […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
I wanted to take this week and interview a man about relationships. I selected a friend of mine that has been with his girlfriend for about eight months. He is 29 and very outspoken. I figured he would give it to me straight and not sugarcoat anything.
I know not all men will answer the […]

I watched him wipe his tears, and I couldn’t help but smile.
That sounds like the opening sentence for a vindictive romance novel, but it’s just the opposite, really.
Recently, my friend was the groom in a wedding, and I watched him more than the bride because, to be honest, I had never met the bride before […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
Now that the colder months are approaching, the adult league softball season has, for the most part, come to an end. Last Saturday night, my boyfriend and I were at home playing chess and relaxing. {[I know not a popular way to spend a Saturday night, but given our hectic schedules finding a night […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
The other day, I told my boyfriend that if I could chose, this time in American history would not be the one I would prefer to have lived during. It seems like yesterday that the horrible events of 911 shattered so many lives and shocked the nation.
My parents can recall where they were when […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
Recently, as you may have read in my last article, I have been forced into cohabitation with my boyfriend. This is something I have done in past relationships with obvious failure as I have a new boyfriend. Living with a significant other is an art I have yet to master and is an idea […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
Recently, my entire life has been turned upside down — hence the disappearance from this column. This life experience has forced me to face some harsh realities and misdirected beliefs I had once embedded in my mind as facts.
I have always grown up believing that family is all you can rely on. All my […]

By LISA SOKOLOWSKI
cactusiv(at)gmail.com
In 1990, Firehouse wrote a popular ballad called Love of a Lifetime. I’m sure you’ve heard it. It’s a popular wedding song and a hit on any radio station that flourishes on sappy love songs.
But it’s all a lie.
It was written by Leverty and Snare, and I don’t know anything about them. They […]

By MICHELLE RICCARDI
mia8263(at)gmail.com
Roxy’s sex and relationship article embarrassed me a little. I’m not a full blown “‘Tanya,” but I have had my stupid situations where I know my friends have felt helpless and annoyed with me.
In my case, I was never searching for Mr. Right; it was always Mr. Better Than Him. I had my […]

By ROXY RETAIL
cactusiv(at)gmail.com
I know this girl. Let’s call her Tanya because, well, it’s the first name that came into my head, and we should always change names to protect the innocent (but, honestly, there isn’t anyone innocent in this story — unless you count the fact that it started out with “I”).
Tanya’s a slut. I’m […]

By MELODY
MyMelody4U(at)gmail.com
Sometimes there is the struggle between what our head says is right and what our heart wants. With each of these struggles, we need to make a compromise on which to follow. There is always a disappointment, but as long as you follow what in the long run is best for you, there cannot […]