"Begun in 1990, the Blah Blah Firm has undergone several incantations to attain its present form today." Found on a website that shall remain unnamed because it's a client and I try not to piss off clients. Really, I do.
What kinds of spells do you think they used? Were they simply shape shifting or truly morphing from one form to another? All this witchcraft - how very Harry Potterish of them. This kind of word misuse drives me nuts. (It's INCARNATIONS, you idiots! INCARNATIONS!) I don't care how good these people are at what they do. If they can't bother to have someone competent proofread their website, I don't want to work with them.
(Watch - despite my use of spell check and my own proofreading, I've probably misspelled or misused several words! That would be so ironical, wouldn't it?)
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
"Everyone must leave New Orleans"
Devastating. I haven't been watching the news coverage of Katrina - mostly because I just generally don't watch the news, too depressing. But I woke up this morning and saw the Tribune headline - 80% of New Orleans underwater. That is so hard to fathom. Where are they going to put everyone? How in the world are they going to get all those people out of the Superdome?
I'm going to donate something to the American Red Cross but I'm waiting to hear if our company will double their usual matching. My heart and my prayers go out to all the people impacted by this disaster.
I'm going to donate something to the American Red Cross but I'm waiting to hear if our company will double their usual matching. My heart and my prayers go out to all the people impacted by this disaster.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Another promotion!
Wow - I'm moving up in the world again. I have now been promoted to Flippery Fish status in the TTLB Ecosystem. In truth, I have absolutely no idea what it means but I can always use a boost to the ol' self-esteem, however dubious.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Take that spammers!
I figured out how I can prevent comment spam with word verification. I don't know if I missed it before or if it's new but either way, no more comment spam! Yippee! But I'll kinda miss those bizzaro comments like - "Hey, nice blog. I'll definitely bookmark it! I'm thinking about starting a blog to discuss vacuum cleaners and the political persecution of Chuckie Cheese. Come take a look and let me know what you think."
On another note, the weather here is beautiful! Relatively cool with very little humidity. Do I want to be at the office? Why no. But thanks for asking. The good news is that I have no meetings today so I can sit here and work, work, work my little fanny off and try to leave early. Maybe M-Girl and I will eat our dinner on the veranda. Ok, we don't have a veranda. But doesn't "veranda" (said with a slight Mrs. Howell accent) sound better than "balcony" (said with a nasally Chicago accent)? I think so.
And for all you Gen X young'uns out there who don't know who Mrs. Howell is or for the rest of us baby boomers who need a refresher, check this out.
And more good news! I've gone from a Lowly Insect to a Slimy Mollusc on the TTLB Ecosystem. I couldn't be more excited.
On another note, the weather here is beautiful! Relatively cool with very little humidity. Do I want to be at the office? Why no. But thanks for asking. The good news is that I have no meetings today so I can sit here and work, work, work my little fanny off and try to leave early. Maybe M-Girl and I will eat our dinner on the veranda. Ok, we don't have a veranda. But doesn't "veranda" (said with a slight Mrs. Howell accent) sound better than "balcony" (said with a nasally Chicago accent)? I think so.
And for all you Gen X young'uns out there who don't know who Mrs. Howell is or for the rest of us baby boomers who need a refresher, check this out.
And more good news! I've gone from a Lowly Insect to a Slimy Mollusc on the TTLB Ecosystem. I couldn't be more excited.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
M-Girl's first sleepover
My baby's growing up! She's having her first sleepover tonight. She's over at her friend Super Boy's house. She had a playdate with him this afternoon and I joined them for dinner tonight. The two of them begged me to let M-Girl sleepover. I know them well, she's comfortable at their house and they don't live far so I was ok with it. I also didn't leave until they were in bed. Super Boy's dad told M-Girl that if she had any worries during the night and wanted to go home, he and Super Boy would bring her home, no questions asked. Super Boy's dad is a nice guy.
A little over a year ago M-Girl and A-Girl stayed with friends in L.A. while Big D and I were at a business function for a couple of days in Santa Barbara. But M-Girl was with her sister which, I think, made it easy for her.
She's only five but she's quite independent for her age. I'm not worried about her - I guess I'm more worried about myself. I have the whole house to myself now for the first time in . . . forever. I feel like I should do something special. Let's see . . . what to do.
I know! I'm going to sleep!!!
A little over a year ago M-Girl and A-Girl stayed with friends in L.A. while Big D and I were at a business function for a couple of days in Santa Barbara. But M-Girl was with her sister which, I think, made it easy for her.
She's only five but she's quite independent for her age. I'm not worried about her - I guess I'm more worried about myself. I have the whole house to myself now for the first time in . . . forever. I feel like I should do something special. Let's see . . . what to do.
I know! I'm going to sleep!!!
Friday, August 19, 2005
Shopping under the influence
I had one drink with dinner and this is what happens. I should not be allowed to take such a cute child shopping when I am in a weakened state. I swear - we were just going to Marshall's to get her some new undies. That's it. So how did I walk out of there with two packages of undies, a set of socks, two pairs of shoes and this blanket? I am so weak.
So many thoughts, so little time
Today I had lots of thoughts about things to write but I had no time to write. Now that I have a little time, I can't think of anything to write about! Truth be told, I don't actually have any time to write, what I'm really doing is procrastinating. I was about to leave the office with time to spare so that I could stop at Jewel to buy some food. But I hate the thought of grocery shopping so I decided to blog about it instead of doing it.
In our household's division of labor, my hubby has taken on the role of designated grocery shopper. He's actually the designated shopper for pretty much everything except clothes for the kids and make up products for me. The reason for this is simple. He's a great shopper and I'm not. He makes good decisions - knows a good price when he sees it, is efficient when he shops and rarely makes impulse buys. I, on the other hand, tend to wander around the grocery store consumed by aimless indecision, dreaming about elaborate meals involving exotic things like eggplant and cous cous that I will never actually make (and my kids would probably never eat). I am also the queen of the impulse buy (those Double Stuff Oreos are really hard to pass up). So, after twelve years with Big D, I am unaccustomed to grocery shopping and feeling great dread about the three to five months ahead of me during which I will need to do the shopping.
Ok, I am being a bit over-dramatic. I know that if I'm really petrified of actually going to the store (or if I get really lazy about it), I can use Peapod. And I'm not really petrified anyway. The truth is, I'm lazy. I don't feel like going to the store and - more importantly - I don't feel like cooking dinner. So M-Girl and I are going out to dinner tonight - probably to California Pizza Kitchen. I have a special birthday coupon they sent for M-Girl and I could use a margarita. And the M-Girl looooves eating out. So, there you have it. I've blogged myself into staying away from Jewel (at least for today) and eating out. I think I like this blogging thing!
In our household's division of labor, my hubby has taken on the role of designated grocery shopper. He's actually the designated shopper for pretty much everything except clothes for the kids and make up products for me. The reason for this is simple. He's a great shopper and I'm not. He makes good decisions - knows a good price when he sees it, is efficient when he shops and rarely makes impulse buys. I, on the other hand, tend to wander around the grocery store consumed by aimless indecision, dreaming about elaborate meals involving exotic things like eggplant and cous cous that I will never actually make (and my kids would probably never eat). I am also the queen of the impulse buy (those Double Stuff Oreos are really hard to pass up). So, after twelve years with Big D, I am unaccustomed to grocery shopping and feeling great dread about the three to five months ahead of me during which I will need to do the shopping.
Ok, I am being a bit over-dramatic. I know that if I'm really petrified of actually going to the store (or if I get really lazy about it), I can use Peapod. And I'm not really petrified anyway. The truth is, I'm lazy. I don't feel like going to the store and - more importantly - I don't feel like cooking dinner. So M-Girl and I are going out to dinner tonight - probably to California Pizza Kitchen. I have a special birthday coupon they sent for M-Girl and I could use a margarita. And the M-Girl looooves eating out. So, there you have it. I've blogged myself into staying away from Jewel (at least for today) and eating out. I think I like this blogging thing!
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Totally cool
I am sitting at my computer in Chicago watching A-Girl sitting in her hotel room in Hong Kong. She's making faces at herself mostly and also blowing kisses a lot. We talked for awhile through Skype and Big D even brought his computer with the camera over to the window so I could see the view from their room. I love technology! We just have our webcams on now so we can see each other and we're IM'ing when we have something to say. It's almost as if they were home, but not really. Technology can't replace a good old, in person family hug. But these webcams sure are cool!
They made it to Hong Kong!
They got to Nagoya, Japan around 6:30pm and were able to get on a cargo plane (!) from Nagoya to Hong Kong at 10:30 pm. So they made it to Hong Kong without having to go through customs in Japan in order to sleep a few hours and then get back to the airport with a gillion pounds of luggage.
I was able to speak to them through Skype, a great free program that allows you to make free phone calls anywhere in the world via your computer). Other than a pretty significant delay, it was like they were next door. They sound like they're in good spirits.
A-Girl has rehearsals for their performance during the Miss Hong Kong pageant on Friday starting at 5 and again most of the day Saturday so the work starts right away. She's really excited. Big D has her writing about her experiences and feelings - once we get a website up and running, they'll put it all online.
The house was so quiet last night and this morning. School doesn't start for a few weeks and camp is over so there's no mad rush to get ready in the morning. I got up and did yoga for about half an hour (which is about all I could take given how out of shape I am). I was actually ready to go to work when the babysitter arrived, which is not something that happens often. It probably had something to do with the fact that M-Girl slept late. We'll see what happens once I have to get the little non-morning person out of bed and ready for school on time!
I was able to speak to them through Skype, a great free program that allows you to make free phone calls anywhere in the world via your computer). Other than a pretty significant delay, it was like they were next door. They sound like they're in good spirits.
A-Girl has rehearsals for their performance during the Miss Hong Kong pageant on Friday starting at 5 and again most of the day Saturday so the work starts right away. She's really excited. Big D has her writing about her experiences and feelings - once we get a website up and running, they'll put it all online.
The house was so quiet last night and this morning. School doesn't start for a few weeks and camp is over so there's no mad rush to get ready in the morning. I got up and did yoga for about half an hour (which is about all I could take given how out of shape I am). I was actually ready to go to work when the babysitter arrived, which is not something that happens often. It probably had something to do with the fact that M-Girl slept late. We'll see what happens once I have to get the little non-morning person out of bed and ready for school on time!
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
And they're off . . .
Just a quick note to say that A-Girl and Big D left for Asia this morning. Actually, they are now sitting at O'Hare Airport waiting for their flight which has been significantly delayed. It was originally scheduled to leave at 12:40 p.m. but was delayed until 2:45 p.m. Then it got delayed until 3:30 p.m. They will miss their connecting flight from Nagoya, Japan to Hong Kong and, just to make matters worse, their connecting flight was the last of the night. They will have to stay overnight in Japan and fly out the next morning.
That wouldn't be so bad but they have six heavy suitcases, two heavy backpacks and an American Girl doll. (They'll be gone for three to five months - they need a lot of stuff!) Big D can't carry all of that himself and A-Girl isn't big enough to be much help. American Airlines told him that they won't check the bags through to the next day's flight so he has to get the bags and somehow get them to the hotel and get them back to the airport the next morning. And then get them to the hotel in Hong Kong.
On top of that, on Friday afternoon, A-Girl has a rehearsal in Hong Kong for their performance at the Miss Hong Kong Pageant on Saturday. We're hoping that A-Girl will make it to Hong Kong before the rehearsal starts. They do have another rehearsal scheduled for Saturday morning but it's too bad that she won't have been in Hong Kong overnight so she could start Friday fresh and ready for rehearsal. Instead she'll be flying in from Japan at the last minute.
I'm confident that it will all work out in the end but I feel bad that Big D has to go through all this stress to get there. On the bright side, they will be sitting in business class all the way to Japan so they'll have plenty of leg room, snacks and entertainment. Hopefully, they'll be able to get some sleep!
It was so hard to say goodbye - I sobbed while they got in the cab. A-Girl was talking about the mixed feelings she has going away - she's excited and happy but she's also sad and scared. I totally know how she feels! I know it will be a great experience for her. I only wish I could share more of it first hand.
On another note, M-Girl is doing better and eating a little bit more each day. Her voice still sounds a little funny but hopefully that will get better as she heals. She had a tough night last night knowing that Big D and A-Girl were leaving today but she's off at Navy Pier with her favorite babysitter so she's doing ok. I think the next couple of days will be difficult for her as she realizes that A-Girl and Daddy aren't coming back right away. I need to find a way to help her through the tough times without spoiling her (or myself).
That wouldn't be so bad but they have six heavy suitcases, two heavy backpacks and an American Girl doll. (They'll be gone for three to five months - they need a lot of stuff!) Big D can't carry all of that himself and A-Girl isn't big enough to be much help. American Airlines told him that they won't check the bags through to the next day's flight so he has to get the bags and somehow get them to the hotel and get them back to the airport the next morning. And then get them to the hotel in Hong Kong.
On top of that, on Friday afternoon, A-Girl has a rehearsal in Hong Kong for their performance at the Miss Hong Kong Pageant on Saturday. We're hoping that A-Girl will make it to Hong Kong before the rehearsal starts. They do have another rehearsal scheduled for Saturday morning but it's too bad that she won't have been in Hong Kong overnight so she could start Friday fresh and ready for rehearsal. Instead she'll be flying in from Japan at the last minute.
I'm confident that it will all work out in the end but I feel bad that Big D has to go through all this stress to get there. On the bright side, they will be sitting in business class all the way to Japan so they'll have plenty of leg room, snacks and entertainment. Hopefully, they'll be able to get some sleep!
It was so hard to say goodbye - I sobbed while they got in the cab. A-Girl was talking about the mixed feelings she has going away - she's excited and happy but she's also sad and scared. I totally know how she feels! I know it will be a great experience for her. I only wish I could share more of it first hand.
On another note, M-Girl is doing better and eating a little bit more each day. Her voice still sounds a little funny but hopefully that will get better as she heals. She had a tough night last night knowing that Big D and A-Girl were leaving today but she's off at Navy Pier with her favorite babysitter so she's doing ok. I think the next couple of days will be difficult for her as she realizes that A-Girl and Daddy aren't coming back right away. I need to find a way to help her through the tough times without spoiling her (or myself).
Sunday, August 14, 2005
The party's over . . .
Yesterday we had a going away party for A-Girl and Big D. This is the first time we've really entertained at our "new" apartment. We moved in a year ago so by "new" I mean that we haven't fully unpacked yet. So yesterday we ran around like maniacs unpacking boxes, cleaning and decluttering before the guests came. It was a little nuts. Ok, it was a lot nuts.
But the party turned out great - there were about 40 adults and 30 or so kids. We had the kids on the 12th floor swimming and eating pizza in the party room while most of the adults were up in our apartment eating good food and drinking. We had three lifeguards/babysitters at the pool to watch the little buggers while the adults had fun. Then we had this guy come to entertain us. He's a really funny magician and self-described "balloonatic." He performs at Navy Pier and other places around Chicago so definitely check him out if you're in town.
So now we're all completely exhausted but we still need to get A-Girl and Big D packed and ready to go by Wednesday morning. M-Girl's still healing - it's slow going but she's doing better every day. I am actually going to attempt to go to work tomorrow so we'll see how that goes. Even though I've been at work for the last couple of weeks, I haven't really been there, you know? I'm hoping that I can get into some kind of routine once they leave. It's the anticipation and all the planning and preparation that's exhausting. And there's still lots to do . . .
But the party turned out great - there were about 40 adults and 30 or so kids. We had the kids on the 12th floor swimming and eating pizza in the party room while most of the adults were up in our apartment eating good food and drinking. We had three lifeguards/babysitters at the pool to watch the little buggers while the adults had fun. Then we had this guy come to entertain us. He's a really funny magician and self-described "balloonatic." He performs at Navy Pier and other places around Chicago so definitely check him out if you're in town.
So now we're all completely exhausted but we still need to get A-Girl and Big D packed and ready to go by Wednesday morning. M-Girl's still healing - it's slow going but she's doing better every day. I am actually going to attempt to go to work tomorrow so we'll see how that goes. Even though I've been at work for the last couple of weeks, I haven't really been there, you know? I'm hoping that I can get into some kind of routine once they leave. It's the anticipation and all the planning and preparation that's exhausting. And there's still lots to do . . .
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Another quick update on M-Girl
She's doing a little better today but she hasn't eaten much in the last few days. Pretty much all she's managed to eat is ice cream and milk shakes from McDonald's. Big D and I really try to keep the kids' sugar intake at a low to moderate level so giving her ice cream every day is not something we feel very good about.
Although I hate to accuse my kids of being Machiavellian, she may be taking advantage of the fact that we get a bit soft when our kids aren't feeling well. She's no dummy - she's figured out that we aren't going to force her to eat anything in particular right now. Our babysitter managed to get her to eat some yogurt and cottage cheese yesterday by having M-Girl take two bites and then letting her play for a little while before having her take two more bites. Good thing our babysitter has a level of patience that I don't possess.
The other thing that's hard is keeping her from being too active. She's supposed to be taking it easy right now but at certain times of the day, she's got so much energy that it's hard to keeping from bouncing around (literally - she doesn't walk, she bounces and jumps - we should start calling her Tigger). I tried to explain to her that she has scabs in her throat and if she's too active, they could open up and start bleeding. And if that happens, she might have to go to the hospital - graphic, I know but she's one of those kids that picks at her scabs, she understands what I'm saying. She nodded her head and said "Ok, mommy." And the next thing I know, she's doing wind sprints up and down the hallway!
A-Girl's having a hard time with the situation because she really wants more of my attention before she leaves for Asia. She's going to be gone for at least three months and although I'll see her when M-Girl and I visit in October, that's still two months that we'll be away from each other. We've never been apart more than a few days at a time. I'm sure it will be hard on both of us. The last few days, she's felt like M-Girl was getting all of my attention and she's not entirely wrong about that.
It's another one of those situations where I feel stretched in too many directions. There are so many things I should be spending time on and I'm not spending enough time on any of them. There's the kids, Big D, my work, cleaning the house, preparing for a going away party on Saturday, helping Big D and A-Girl get ready to go, the usual care and feeding of the house and the family. This list doesn't really give a sense of the sheer volume of things that need to be done and the significant lack of time in which to do them. Big D hasn't slept enough in weeks, he wakes up in the middle of the night and starts working. I sleep but then I feel guilty about it - not the most effective reaction, is it?
However, this afternoon I am getting a massage, facial and haircut. Tomorrow morning I'm getting my highlights touched up. So I have a bunch of things to feel guilty about. Oops, I mean I'm taking care of myself and that's good, right? Also, it makes Big D feel good because I'm taking care of myself and using gift certificates (for today's pampering) that we've had lying around for over a year. Ok, I gotta get back to work now. The overwhelming desire to procrastinate is being taken over by the overwhelming guilt caused by not getting any work done.
Although I hate to accuse my kids of being Machiavellian, she may be taking advantage of the fact that we get a bit soft when our kids aren't feeling well. She's no dummy - she's figured out that we aren't going to force her to eat anything in particular right now. Our babysitter managed to get her to eat some yogurt and cottage cheese yesterday by having M-Girl take two bites and then letting her play for a little while before having her take two more bites. Good thing our babysitter has a level of patience that I don't possess.
The other thing that's hard is keeping her from being too active. She's supposed to be taking it easy right now but at certain times of the day, she's got so much energy that it's hard to keeping from bouncing around (literally - she doesn't walk, she bounces and jumps - we should start calling her Tigger). I tried to explain to her that she has scabs in her throat and if she's too active, they could open up and start bleeding. And if that happens, she might have to go to the hospital - graphic, I know but she's one of those kids that picks at her scabs, she understands what I'm saying. She nodded her head and said "Ok, mommy." And the next thing I know, she's doing wind sprints up and down the hallway!
A-Girl's having a hard time with the situation because she really wants more of my attention before she leaves for Asia. She's going to be gone for at least three months and although I'll see her when M-Girl and I visit in October, that's still two months that we'll be away from each other. We've never been apart more than a few days at a time. I'm sure it will be hard on both of us. The last few days, she's felt like M-Girl was getting all of my attention and she's not entirely wrong about that.
It's another one of those situations where I feel stretched in too many directions. There are so many things I should be spending time on and I'm not spending enough time on any of them. There's the kids, Big D, my work, cleaning the house, preparing for a going away party on Saturday, helping Big D and A-Girl get ready to go, the usual care and feeding of the house and the family. This list doesn't really give a sense of the sheer volume of things that need to be done and the significant lack of time in which to do them. Big D hasn't slept enough in weeks, he wakes up in the middle of the night and starts working. I sleep but then I feel guilty about it - not the most effective reaction, is it?
However, this afternoon I am getting a massage, facial and haircut. Tomorrow morning I'm getting my highlights touched up. So I have a bunch of things to feel guilty about. Oops, I mean I'm taking care of myself and that's good, right? Also, it makes Big D feel good because I'm taking care of myself and using gift certificates (for today's pampering) that we've had lying around for over a year. Ok, I gotta get back to work now. The overwhelming desire to procrastinate is being taken over by the overwhelming guilt caused by not getting any work done.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Update on M-Girl
She's doing better today although she woke up with a low-grade fever. She slept with me again last night but made it through the whole night without any Tylenol for pain, which is good. She's a tough kid.
Yesterday, she didn't eat much. I gave her some Tylenol in the afternoon which apparently didn't sit well with her relatively empty stomach. The poor thing tossed her cookies in our bed. I got her in the bath which really helped her feel better. I cleaned off the bed as quickly and thoroughly as I could. Apparently I didn't do a good enough job, because the last thing M-Girl said to me before she fell asleep was "Mom, the bed smells a little like throw up." Unfortunately, she was right. I loved our pillow top mattress until now - that sucker soaks in puke like nobody's business.
Yesterday, she didn't eat much. I gave her some Tylenol in the afternoon which apparently didn't sit well with her relatively empty stomach. The poor thing tossed her cookies in our bed. I got her in the bath which really helped her feel better. I cleaned off the bed as quickly and thoroughly as I could. Apparently I didn't do a good enough job, because the last thing M-Girl said to me before she fell asleep was "Mom, the bed smells a little like throw up." Unfortunately, she was right. I loved our pillow top mattress until now - that sucker soaks in puke like nobody's business.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
M-Girl's surgery
M-Girl had her tonsils removed yesterday. She also had her adenoids removed (again) and tubes put in her ears (again). She got through the surgery really well and we were home last night. This is a tough morning for her, though. It's so sad to see your baby in pain and not be able to do much about it. I'm supposed to be giving her Tylenol with codeine every few hours. It was really fun having to wake her in the middle of the night to give her medicine that makes her gag. But the nurse said that if you go too long before you give them pain medication, the pain can get so bad that you can't get them to take the medication and they stop drinking fluids, which is bad. This morning I had to give her antibiotics and ear drops. The ear drops are really uncomfortable for her and - oh goody - we get to do them three times a day for five days.
Now we'll spend the next 14 days trying to figure out how to get her to eat soft foods that are relatively healthy. She informed me that she does not like jello unless it has "toppings" (meaning Cool Whip). She doesn't like oatmeal and isn't a big fan of scrambled eggs. She loves yogurt but we're a little concerned about giving her too much dairy since she's kind of phlegmy as it is. She also loves ice cream - 'natch. It appears that if we offer to let her have ice cream if she eats something healthier first, she's willing to compromise. And that's a good sign.
Now we'll spend the next 14 days trying to figure out how to get her to eat soft foods that are relatively healthy. She informed me that she does not like jello unless it has "toppings" (meaning Cool Whip). She doesn't like oatmeal and isn't a big fan of scrambled eggs. She loves yogurt but we're a little concerned about giving her too much dairy since she's kind of phlegmy as it is. She also loves ice cream - 'natch. It appears that if we offer to let her have ice cream if she eats something healthier first, she's willing to compromise. And that's a good sign.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Help me, please.
I'm trying to decipher the care label on some "squishy" pillows I bought for the kids. Apparently, the Japanese have a separate standard for care labels. . I'm pretty sure I can wash this in a front loading machine in cool water but I can't figure out what the last one means. Given the gazillion things I should be doing right now, deciphering the label on a pillow should be at the bottom of my list, right? Please put me out of my misery and help me figure out how to clean these puppies. Much appreciated!
Dancing in the streets
One of the activities at summer camp was a dance class where each age group was taught a different dance or two. It was run by a young woman who is starting her own dance studio in the city. The little ones did a dance to Hard Knock Life (with a cute middle section that had them dancing to some rap music) and the older ones did a dance to Car Wash and Switch. Yeah, I didn't know what Switch was either. The tune is catchy but the only word I understood was "switch." Go figure.
Anyway, today there is a Children's Art Fair one block from our house in the "Cathedral District." At noon, they had the kids do their dances. Dave brought his new toy - a video camera with a wide angle lens and got some cute footage. It's a beautiful day, in the shade, but we were sitting in the very hot sun and, I swear, my eyeballs were melting.
Now I'm going to Marshall's with A-Girl to do some clothes shopping. There's a big sale and there aren't many things I like better than a big sale. My motto - "Never buy retail." Ok, I think I stole that from someone but I can't remember who.
Anyway, today there is a Children's Art Fair one block from our house in the "Cathedral District." At noon, they had the kids do their dances. Dave brought his new toy - a video camera with a wide angle lens and got some cute footage. It's a beautiful day, in the shade, but we were sitting in the very hot sun and, I swear, my eyeballs were melting.
Now I'm going to Marshall's with A-Girl to do some clothes shopping. There's a big sale and there aren't many things I like better than a big sale. My motto - "Never buy retail." Ok, I think I stole that from someone but I can't remember who.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Happiness #3
Living in the city makes me happy.
There's a good energy here in Chicago. The entire lake front belongs to the public. We have Lincoln Park, Grant Park and Millennium Park. I love the theaters and museums (although I don't get to the museums as much as I'd like). I can walk to work. If I take a cab, I can be at work in five minutes, which is handy when I oversleep. And, I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to catch a train to get to work by 9:00am. If there's something going on at the kids' school, I can go there during the day without having to take a whole day off like my suburban colleagues. We don't have a lawn to mow! We have two big movie theaters within waling distance and all the shopping you can stand. There are tons of great restaurants. Most of the time, the massive amounts of tourists walking around our neighborhood don't bother me.
There is one thing about the tourists that I can't understand - why in the world would anyone wait over an hour for a table at Giordano's? I mean, it's good pizza and all (it's the only kind we order in) but seriously - waiting over sixty minutes to eat pizza? Eating at Hard Rock Cafe or Rain Forest Cafe makes more sense than that. And I really can't understand why anyone would eat at either place with all the other fabulous and interesting places to eat. But I digress.
Other things in the city that make me happy: Good street performers, the great landscaping along Michigan Avenue, Buckingham Fountain. Did I mention that we don't have a lawn to mow? I like that.
There's a good energy here in Chicago. The entire lake front belongs to the public. We have Lincoln Park, Grant Park and Millennium Park. I love the theaters and museums (although I don't get to the museums as much as I'd like). I can walk to work. If I take a cab, I can be at work in five minutes, which is handy when I oversleep. And, I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to catch a train to get to work by 9:00am. If there's something going on at the kids' school, I can go there during the day without having to take a whole day off like my suburban colleagues. We don't have a lawn to mow! We have two big movie theaters within waling distance and all the shopping you can stand. There are tons of great restaurants. Most of the time, the massive amounts of tourists walking around our neighborhood don't bother me.
There is one thing about the tourists that I can't understand - why in the world would anyone wait over an hour for a table at Giordano's? I mean, it's good pizza and all (it's the only kind we order in) but seriously - waiting over sixty minutes to eat pizza? Eating at Hard Rock Cafe or Rain Forest Cafe makes more sense than that. And I really can't understand why anyone would eat at either place with all the other fabulous and interesting places to eat. But I digress.
Other things in the city that make me happy: Good street performers, the great landscaping along Michigan Avenue, Buckingham Fountain. Did I mention that we don't have a lawn to mow? I like that.
Friday, August 05, 2005
BTTW
Ok - I know Morphing Into Mama isn't the only one curious about what "BTTW" means. So here goes. It's something that little M-Girl has been saying for awhile. She'll say "I love you bigger than the world." Sometimes it's "I love you bigger than the universe." Isn't that sweet? So that's what Dave meant by BTTW.
We are really mushy. Hope not too many of you lost your lunch reading this!
We are really mushy. Hope not too many of you lost your lunch reading this!
Happiness #2
My husband, Big D, makes me happy. He is, with all appropriate deference to James Brown, the hardest working man in America. And most of what he does is for his family and friends.
I love you, honey!
I love you, honey!
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Happiness Challenge
Well, I stumbled on The Happiness Challenge suggested by Pretty Purple Princess and decided it would be a good idea for me to try it out. She suggests that we do one post a day about something that makes us happy. I have so much to be happy about and thankful for and yet I'm a big whiny-pants complainer most of the time. So, here goes on my first Happiness Challenge post:
"Family Hugs" make me happy. We've been doing them since the kids were babies. We pick the girls up, we all hug in a circle and yell "Family Hug!!!" I hope the kids are never too old for Family Hugs.
Family Hugs to all of you today!!!
"Family Hugs" make me happy. We've been doing them since the kids were babies. We pick the girls up, we all hug in a circle and yell "Family Hug!!!" I hope the kids are never too old for Family Hugs.
Family Hugs to all of you today!!!
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Not at all satisfying
Well, I did get to send the email I talked about in my last post but SOMEONE simply didn't get it. He sent me a reply that made no sense at all. Even worse, his reply did not contain the one thing it should have contained - an apology. I know my dear husband will laugh at this coming from me but I'll say it anyway - some people just cannot admit when they are wrong.
I told you so
I love saying "I told you so." Or, more accurately, I love being in the smug position of being able to say those words, even if I don't actually say them. This has to do with a situation at work and only us dorky lawyers who specialize in mutual fund matters would be remotely interested in the details so I won't bore you all to death with them.
Suffice it to say that my (bad) habit of never deleting emails unless I have to has served me well today. I found the smoking gun - a Powerpoint presentation that was sent to someone in April. The other day, while this someone was firmly planted in the saddle of his high horse, he claimed that we hadn't told him that a particular transaction was due to settle in July. He said we told him it would settle "later in the year" (something that was never uttered from my lips).
This someone is from a very big, very important client of ours so he needs to always be right. So I can't say the words I long to say. I will get to forward him the "smoking gun" email that he received in April and I will get to say something like "just wanted to point out that the information was in this presentation that you received . . ." and I will do it as a response to his "high horse" email where he said it was all our fault because we didn't tell them. I have to be nice though, which kinda sucks, but at least I can rub it in, just a little.
Suffice it to say that my (bad) habit of never deleting emails unless I have to has served me well today. I found the smoking gun - a Powerpoint presentation that was sent to someone in April. The other day, while this someone was firmly planted in the saddle of his high horse, he claimed that we hadn't told him that a particular transaction was due to settle in July. He said we told him it would settle "later in the year" (something that was never uttered from my lips).
This someone is from a very big, very important client of ours so he needs to always be right. So I can't say the words I long to say. I will get to forward him the "smoking gun" email that he received in April and I will get to say something like "just wanted to point out that the information was in this presentation that you received . . ." and I will do it as a response to his "high horse" email where he said it was all our fault because we didn't tell them. I have to be nice though, which kinda sucks, but at least I can rub it in, just a little.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Another stage mother post
Christine asked about how A-Girl got into the business and whether the money is good enough to make it worthwhile. I was going to email her an answer but thought that other people might have the same questions so I thought I'd do a post instead.
I hesitated to do this because what I'm going to say here might come off as bragging about my kid. What I want to do is give people an idea about what it takes - in my opinion - for a child to be successful in this business. I have to preface all this by saying that I'm not an expert. A-Girl's been doing this for about two years and I worked in commercial production about 15 years ago. That's the extent of my limited experience.
Ok - here goes. Here are the things that I think have contributed to A-Girl's success:
1) She wants to do this. It has been her idea from the beginning. When she was about three, she started asking us when she was going to be on TV and when she'd get to be in magazines. We thought it was cute but we didn't really take it seriously. Having been in commercial production and not liking certain bullshit aspects of it, I was hesitant to try to get her into the business. It wasn't until she was about five and she still wanted to do it that we finally decided to take her to an agent that specializes in kids. She loves auditioning even when she doesn't get hired. She loves working. We have always told her that she can quit any time she wants.
2) She works hard and the whole family makes sacrifices. She memorizes and practices lines before auditions and jobs. She takes direction very well - directors like to work with her because she doesn't goof around a lot and get distracted like some kids. She has dealt with eight-hour work days without complaining and without losing her energy level. Big D and I have had to take time off of work in order to take her to jobs and auditions. Luckily our bosses have been understanding and flexible with us. Our babysitters have to be able to drive so they can take her places. Her younger sister has had to go to auditions with her on numerous occasions. My husband left his job in order to take her to Asia. I've compared it to having a child that is an Olympic hopeful - they simply can't do it without the whole family making sacrifices.
3) She can talk to anyone of any age about pretty much anything. She can walk into a room full of strangers and not be nervous (or at least not let her nerves get the best of her). She likes being the center of attention (which is not always a good thing). We sometimes call her the "black hole of attention" because when she's around, she has a way of getting most of the attention. There's something about her that draws people in. She's got lots of personality. She's cute but not gorgeous - she looks like a regular kid, approachable. One producer told me that she's met kids (particularly in L.A.) who, at six or seven, talk to her like they're "working the room." She told me that she likes A-Girl because A-Girl's a real kid who happens to be mature enough to do the work and isn't jaded by the business. (Let's hope it stays that way).
4) She's been lucky. A-Girl has a lot going for her and she works hard but being in the right place at the right time helps. There are tons of cute kids around. Most of the time, it depends on the "look" a director is seeking. It can also depend on which actors they get to play the "mom" and "dad" and "brother." If they hire a blond mom, A-Girl isn't going to get hired. Also, she ended up with the part in Sound of Music, we think, because another girl turned it down. It doesn't mean the other girl is more talented than A-Girl, although she might be. It may have been that the other girl has theater experience and A-Girl doesn't. It could be because the other girl was blond and shorter than A-Girl. In the end, A-Girl's going to Asia and getting the experience, in part, because she was lucky.
So - the things that I think are important for kids in the business is they have to want to do it, they can't be shy or cling to their parents, they need personality, they have to have someone who is willing and able to schlep them around to auditions and jobs and they have to be in the right place at the right time.
By the way, most people in the business will tell you that it's unnecessary to pay thousands of dollars for headshots and "classes" provided by the Barbizons of the world. (I feel like I have to say this because my sis-in-law almost did that with her kids before I talked her out of it). Get a reputable agent (preferably one that's SAG sanctioned) and decent photographs. I think we spent somewhere around $500 for A-Girl's first set of headshots. (That's about $300 for the sitting fee and the rest for printing fees). We didn't get new headshots until A-Girl could pay for them herself!
Doing commercials can be highly lucrative - especially national commercials. A regional commercial that runs for a long time can also be good - A-Girl did a Meijer's commercial about two years ago and it's still running. Catalog modeling does not pay well - it's generally $75 per hour, minus 10% agent fees. The few jobs she's done have only been one hour each. Once we went to the suburbs for a job - we won't do that again. Print modeling (i.e. magazines, billboards etc.) pays ok - there's no union and the agents generally take 20% because collecting the pay sometimes takes more work (because it's non-union) but it's ok. Voice-over work is great - it's fairly easy, the jobs generally take very little time and the pay is good, especially since the time commitment is small. Theater doesn't pay very well but most people in theater will tell you that they don't do it for the money. In the end, A-Girl's Asia tour will likely cost us more than she makes only because Big D's leaving his job. She does get paid, housing for her and Big D is covered and they get a sufficient stipend to pay for food. Mostly we're doing it for the experience, to help her career and because she's so happy doing it.
I struggle to make sure I don't get invested in A-Girl being in show business. I went to a theater camp for ten years. I love musical theater and almost went to college at Bennington to study dance. At one point, I wanted nothing more than to be a movie producer. But I chose a different path for my life and I'm happy with my choices. She has to choose her own path without feeling like I'm living vicariously through her. I try not to behave as if she is a reflection of me. She is her own person and her success is her own (although see point #2 above). I will admit, though, it's really cool seeing my kid on TV!
I hesitated to do this because what I'm going to say here might come off as bragging about my kid. What I want to do is give people an idea about what it takes - in my opinion - for a child to be successful in this business. I have to preface all this by saying that I'm not an expert. A-Girl's been doing this for about two years and I worked in commercial production about 15 years ago. That's the extent of my limited experience.
Ok - here goes. Here are the things that I think have contributed to A-Girl's success:
1) She wants to do this. It has been her idea from the beginning. When she was about three, she started asking us when she was going to be on TV and when she'd get to be in magazines. We thought it was cute but we didn't really take it seriously. Having been in commercial production and not liking certain bullshit aspects of it, I was hesitant to try to get her into the business. It wasn't until she was about five and she still wanted to do it that we finally decided to take her to an agent that specializes in kids. She loves auditioning even when she doesn't get hired. She loves working. We have always told her that she can quit any time she wants.
2) She works hard and the whole family makes sacrifices. She memorizes and practices lines before auditions and jobs. She takes direction very well - directors like to work with her because she doesn't goof around a lot and get distracted like some kids. She has dealt with eight-hour work days without complaining and without losing her energy level. Big D and I have had to take time off of work in order to take her to jobs and auditions. Luckily our bosses have been understanding and flexible with us. Our babysitters have to be able to drive so they can take her places. Her younger sister has had to go to auditions with her on numerous occasions. My husband left his job in order to take her to Asia. I've compared it to having a child that is an Olympic hopeful - they simply can't do it without the whole family making sacrifices.
3) She can talk to anyone of any age about pretty much anything. She can walk into a room full of strangers and not be nervous (or at least not let her nerves get the best of her). She likes being the center of attention (which is not always a good thing). We sometimes call her the "black hole of attention" because when she's around, she has a way of getting most of the attention. There's something about her that draws people in. She's got lots of personality. She's cute but not gorgeous - she looks like a regular kid, approachable. One producer told me that she's met kids (particularly in L.A.) who, at six or seven, talk to her like they're "working the room." She told me that she likes A-Girl because A-Girl's a real kid who happens to be mature enough to do the work and isn't jaded by the business. (Let's hope it stays that way).
4) She's been lucky. A-Girl has a lot going for her and she works hard but being in the right place at the right time helps. There are tons of cute kids around. Most of the time, it depends on the "look" a director is seeking. It can also depend on which actors they get to play the "mom" and "dad" and "brother." If they hire a blond mom, A-Girl isn't going to get hired. Also, she ended up with the part in Sound of Music, we think, because another girl turned it down. It doesn't mean the other girl is more talented than A-Girl, although she might be. It may have been that the other girl has theater experience and A-Girl doesn't. It could be because the other girl was blond and shorter than A-Girl. In the end, A-Girl's going to Asia and getting the experience, in part, because she was lucky.
So - the things that I think are important for kids in the business is they have to want to do it, they can't be shy or cling to their parents, they need personality, they have to have someone who is willing and able to schlep them around to auditions and jobs and they have to be in the right place at the right time.
By the way, most people in the business will tell you that it's unnecessary to pay thousands of dollars for headshots and "classes" provided by the Barbizons of the world. (I feel like I have to say this because my sis-in-law almost did that with her kids before I talked her out of it). Get a reputable agent (preferably one that's SAG sanctioned) and decent photographs. I think we spent somewhere around $500 for A-Girl's first set of headshots. (That's about $300 for the sitting fee and the rest for printing fees). We didn't get new headshots until A-Girl could pay for them herself!
Doing commercials can be highly lucrative - especially national commercials. A regional commercial that runs for a long time can also be good - A-Girl did a Meijer's commercial about two years ago and it's still running. Catalog modeling does not pay well - it's generally $75 per hour, minus 10% agent fees. The few jobs she's done have only been one hour each. Once we went to the suburbs for a job - we won't do that again. Print modeling (i.e. magazines, billboards etc.) pays ok - there's no union and the agents generally take 20% because collecting the pay sometimes takes more work (because it's non-union) but it's ok. Voice-over work is great - it's fairly easy, the jobs generally take very little time and the pay is good, especially since the time commitment is small. Theater doesn't pay very well but most people in theater will tell you that they don't do it for the money. In the end, A-Girl's Asia tour will likely cost us more than she makes only because Big D's leaving his job. She does get paid, housing for her and Big D is covered and they get a sufficient stipend to pay for food. Mostly we're doing it for the experience, to help her career and because she's so happy doing it.
I struggle to make sure I don't get invested in A-Girl being in show business. I went to a theater camp for ten years. I love musical theater and almost went to college at Bennington to study dance. At one point, I wanted nothing more than to be a movie producer. But I chose a different path for my life and I'm happy with my choices. She has to choose her own path without feeling like I'm living vicariously through her. I try not to behave as if she is a reflection of me. She is her own person and her success is her own (although see point #2 above). I will admit, though, it's really cool seeing my kid on TV!
Monday, August 01, 2005
Warning - stage mother post!
Just thought I'd let you all know that the Elmer's Glue commercial that A-Girl did in March is finally playing. You'd know it if you saw it - it starts out with her "mom" having a flashback to the 70's remembering how she and her mother did crafts using Elmer's Glue. It jumps to the present where A-Girl asks the mom what she's thinking about and the mom says "I was just thinking that you can't go back to school without your Elmer's Glue" and then they talk about Elmer's new washable purple glue sticks. It's very cute. I know I'm biased, but I think A-Girl did a great job. Credit goes to the fabulous director, Karen Carter and the great teams at SBC Advertising and Elmer's Glue. They were all so great for A-Girl to work with.
(Yes, I know. I'm a disgusting, gushing stage mother but I'm really not brown-nosing. As far as I know, none of those people reads my blog and even if they did, what I say has absolutely no bearing on whether my kid gets hired. I just want my few readers to know that I realize that the cuteness of the ad is not all due to my darling daughter's talent - as fabulous as she is. Plus, I think Karen is great. She's also pretty much the only director that hasn't treated me like I'm a necessary evil on set. And I like that.)
It's hard to express what a thrill it is to see your daughter on television. The other cool thing is that on some channels, they've been playing the Elmer's commercial and her McDonald's commercial back to back. That's pretty cool for a seven year old.
(Yes, I know. I'm a disgusting, gushing stage mother but I'm really not brown-nosing. As far as I know, none of those people reads my blog and even if they did, what I say has absolutely no bearing on whether my kid gets hired. I just want my few readers to know that I realize that the cuteness of the ad is not all due to my darling daughter's talent - as fabulous as she is. Plus, I think Karen is great. She's also pretty much the only director that hasn't treated me like I'm a necessary evil on set. And I like that.)
It's hard to express what a thrill it is to see your daughter on television. The other cool thing is that on some channels, they've been playing the Elmer's commercial and her McDonald's commercial back to back. That's pretty cool for a seven year old.
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