trying times

It's been a difficult few days. I've been both glued to, and disgusted by the news. Everyone keeps asking me what I think about Palin. In a nutshell, she's not qualified to be vice-president OR president, and putting an unqualified, and now scandal-ridden woman up for the job hurts all women. So does crying "sexism" everytime someone asks a legitimate question about her qualifications.

And... New Orleans. Some people are saying they won't evacuate next time because they think officials overreacted. This distresses me, of course.

I love New Orleans. Every time I've been, I've been made to feel like part of someone's family. I've been to Mardi Gras, when I took Jeff there for his surprise 30th birthday trip. We returned the next year with our 8 month old for Tulane graduation. And last year I went for a work conference.

During Katrina, all I could think of was, where were the people who helped me carry my stroller on a streetcar, who ooh-ed and aah-ed over my baby at the convention center when she wouldn't stop babbling at graduation. They were warm and helpful and kind unlike people in other tourist cities (yeah, I'm looking at you San Francisco).

Those were the people who were proud of their home and wanted other people to enjoy it. Those were the people that were screwed over after Katrina.

When I went back last year, I was told on multiple occasions, "Thank you for coming! Please come back!" They would ask me what I was there for. I would tell them a work conference, but I was too embarrassed to say who I worked for; the same people who didn't come in August of 2005.

And now, another evacuation. More kids displaced and insecure, more schools closed. I cannot tell you how disruptive these storms are on the children's lives. The schools of Louisiana have not fared well with the children of Louisiana. I won't go into it now.

Hold these people in your prayers, and help them out when you can.

Friday Brain Dump

Back at work today, counting the hours 'til I hopefully get a nice message from my boss's boss's boss about how we work so hard, we should just go home early.

Felt better yesterday afternoon, and took advantage of some time to go to my favorite store by myself - Target. Ahhhhhhh.... I did stock up on some cold supplies for the kids, and got CARDED for buying kids' cough syrup. The cute checker boy apologized profusely for asking my age. I felt rather cougar-ish telling him, while he's blushing and I'm thinking, "you're cute." Yeah, obvious I felt better, hm?

Speaking of my children, here are some things I never want to hear my 3 year old say again:
"Ew, Daddy, don't LICK mommy."
"Maggie, look at my balancing trick." (after I just walked out of the room and knew she was on a rocking horse. Like any good mother, I just ignored her.)

We're looking forward to a long weekend. J is going mountain biking in the morning, and I told the girls I'd take them to the Y if they had a good day today (mama just needs to workout).

Here's a random poll for the day: Recommend a book for me and/or Jeff. I just finished John Adams, and my coworker is trying to get me to read Truman. Can't do that, yet. I like non-fiction, but would not mind venturing out. Plus, we're going to Mexico in 30 days, so I need to get books for that.

Sick again

I'm sick again. J says "you're always sick" and I usually object to that, but I think he may be right. I used to have perfect attendance in grade school. I never got sick. But once I had kids, I started getting sick more often. My dad blames the kids - he calls them "Typhoid Mary" - and the germs they bring home from day care. Maybe pregnancy permanently altered my immune system. Recently, I've been reading / listening to some self-improvement books / podcasts. One that really hit home the week before last was saying that women don't deal with their stress, so it manifests as illness. I think this rings true and is probably why J doesn't get sick as much. I love him, and he's a great dad, but he doesn't internalize stress like I do. He's not constantly second guessing himself, his choice to work, his handle on work/life balance, etc.

I do everything I should to deal with it all; exercise, yoga, meditation, healthy diet. I try to go out with friends and indulge in a nice drink or two. I get a decent amount of sleep every night (more than J) and I take my multi-vitamin and herbs. So maybe I just have a sucky immune system.

Anyway, I went ahead and went to work this morning, only to be told literally, as soon as I got off the train, to "go home!" by a coworker. By 10 I'd heard it several more times, and finally my friend Emily said, "maybe what your body needs is to lay down and sleep today." She's so smart I had to listen to her, so I came home at lunch. When I got home, our house cleaner was here. I felt so bad, I said hi, then went straight to my bed and slept. WHen I woke up, she was gone.

Even while I'm trying to give myself permission to relax and recover, I'm still worrying about whether I can make up the workout I missed today. I am going to Mexico in a month, after all. Maybe I'll be able to relax then.

Something that made me smile....

The speech was great and I was teary, of course, over the whole mother - daughter - daughters - daddy - husband stories that somehow, so resemble my own, except of course the Southside / Princeton / Harvard journey or the husband gonna be President aspect. How can we NOT have this woman in our White House? This is the very best that America can accomplish.

To make you smile

I was surfing youtube the other day to find a decent recording of Bruce Robison's Lifeline, which has been a favorite song of mine this summer. I found this video, which should make you smile. I love the dancing, plus, watch the little girl and her dad as they go around.

I am Alice and here is the rabbit hole

Definition of Bureaucracy:

Being assigned to do a project by the boss. Then being told to fill out a form requesting that the boss approve my already-assigned project. The boss has to get approval from headquarters. My already- submitted form stated that I will be using a headquarters-approved policy document that is found on headquarters' webpage. The boss requesting that I attach an electronic copy of the approved document to my form so that headquarters can approve the use of the already-approved document in the already-assigned project.

Just a little plastic surgery and I too could be an idiot

The DMN very kindly printed another column of mine yesterday and everyone at work found out about it. My colleague T introduced it in an e-mail as my “debut.” I’ve been writing for the paper for…. 5 years now? But I’ve kept it quiet at work because my employer has rules about employees publishing. Since I am very careful not to cross THE LINE that they do not want me to cross, I didn’t make a big deal about exercising my other 1st Amendment rights. A few friends knew, but not the whole office. When the link was e-mailed around, a lot of colleagues were graciously complimentary, which is nice, of course. Then one stopped me yesterday afternoon:

Coworker: Your column was SO GOOD! You missed your calling!

Me: Thank you.

C: No, seriously, you should have been a journalist.

Me: I don’t think I’d want to be a journalist, but thank you, that’s nice of you.

C: Ok, well not a journalist, but a legal analyst, like those people on tv!

Me: That would be great. I’d be happy to just get paid for writing, but those people are idiots, so I’m sure I could do that, too.

C: I mean, you’re prettier than Greta VanSusteren. You could do that.

Me: Um, thanks?

C: You just do your hair, and maybe get some work done, you’d be better than Greta VanSusteren.

Me: [starting to laugh uncontrollably]

C: Or you could be Dan Abrams!

Me: [trying to keep a straight face] Well, since he’s an idiot, I hope so.

C: You could totally do that!

Me: Thank you, I, um, have to go get water. [laughing to keep from crying]

Seriously. Greta VanFreaking Susteren or Dan “The Plaintiffs are upset about what the Defendant did to them” Abrams. There are no words, right?

I'm back baby!

I missed my blog. I've been fired up over some things lately, and need an outlet before I dip into my stash of Percoset. It was my goal this year to get a domain, so that may still be forthcoming. In the meantime, hope you enjoy hearing about my crazy life.