Archive for December, 2009

family

Am I evil, or what?


Here’s my idea of a good time:

My daughter has been getting up extra-early these days and heading straight for the Christmas tree to see if there are any interesting additions underneath it. Until last night, it was empty under there. Nothing but pine needles.

I believe she thinks that she is actually “sneaking” downstairs to the tree, but the child is as soft-footed as an elephant. It’s kind of cute though because you can tell she’s a bit disappointed when she finds nothing, but she doesn’t want to seem greedy so she acts like she hasn’t noticed.

So this morning she does her usual 5:30 am wakeup to check-out the tree situation. And what does she find? Lots of gifts! 

Woohooo! Presents under the tree! Lots of presents!

But wait … they are all unlabeled.

But worse … they’re all — every single one of them!– in Gymboree boxes.

Gah! CLOTHING! That’s what I’m getting for Christmas??? Clothing! What the. I was nice to my little brother all year long and all that’s here is CLOTHING!

[note: The Gymboree boxes are actually filled with Pokemon paraphernalia. I'm evil, but I'm not THAT evil.]


living
media

I’m in love with a gay man


I’ve tried to get him out of my head. But I just can’t.

It’s been months now that I have gone to bed, and then allowed myself the luxury of letting my thoughts drift off towards him and his life. Sure, my husband thinks I am going to bed earlier than usual, but hey, winter’s here and it makes a girl tired.

The thing is … he’s gay. I’m spending hours upon hours loving someone who will never love me back. I know, I’m surely not the only girl who’s ever fallen for a gay man.

The gay man can be known to frequent the gym, keep his body looking mighty young and tanned, wax hairs that were nature’s idea of a cruel joke and dress in clothes that were bought within this decade. It’s all just too much for a girl sometimes.

But the man I love? Hmm … let’s see … he’s lazy, out of shape, wears second-hand clothes, and chain-smokes to ward off his OCD. And that’s just what he admits to. Goodness only knows what his real flaws are.

Here’s a photo of him.

David-small

Uh, yeah. He’s got a monkey on his shoulder. Only a love-crazed woman would swoon over a man with a damn monkey on his shoulder!

But, you see…. this is David Sedaris. THE David Sedaris.

The same David Sedaris that I wrote about here after reading his book When You Are Engulfed in Flames. And then I also made you read excerpts from his books here too. Since then, I’ve savoured the stories in four of his books, with no plans of stopping anytime soon. And in case you think it’s only my bloggy friends that I am forcing Sedaris on, I’ve also coerced “real-life” friends to buy his books — even my mother has not been spared. (Although, to her credit — or discredit I should say – she said she thought his work was ”just stupid.” Just stupid! Can you believe that?! Sheesh.)

So, there, that’s it. Now I’ve gotten it off my chest. I’m in love with a man named David Sedaris. Who is already happily partnered off with a man named Hugh.

Okay, so perhaps I’m not entirely in love with him. But I am sooo in love with the notion of him. His ability to turn a phrase, to pick a choice word … it just leaves me in awe. This must be how teen-aged girls feel about a boy-band singer. They’d swear they’re in love too, despite never having met the kid on stage with makeup covering his zits.

I picture David (we’re on a first-name basis, of course) all messy-haired with raggedy slippers on, sitting at an old, heavy wooden desk in his country home in France. As he looks out the window into the night, he pauses to ponder a word or two while drawing on his cigarette, and then continues to write.


living
family

LeapFrog Toy Review: AlphaPet Explorer


The AlphaPet Explorer Toy Test

alphapet explorer

LeapFrog age guide: 2-6 years
Price point: Approx $25

The result? None of the children who tested this toy with me took any kind of lasting interest in the AlphaPet Explorer. Although the concept of the toy seems well-founded, it just doesn’t seem to execute. We found the games too complex and the buttons too small for children up to 3 years of age, and for over-3 set, the toy seemed too “baby-ish” or below their developmental stage.

So, if you’re in the market for one last Christmas gift, I’d suggest skipping the Alphapet Explorer. You can read the detailed reviews as well as my alternative recommendations for toys in this price range and age range here.


living
family

Daily madness


So, what’s up with you guys? Are you caught up in holiday parties, or credit card bills that have skyrocketed, or any good gossip? Come on, help a girl out …

As you know, I’ve started a new contract. Usually, I work on a whole bunch of small contracts all at once and juggle them about. In other words, I’m used to multi-tasking like a mad woman, then sometimes looking at the clock at 3pm and wondering if there is anything in the cupboard worth munching on for lunch while taking a 5 minute break at the kitchen counter. Then I go back to doing this until my daughter gets off the bus. All the while wearing flannel pants of course (yes, Ken, you ARE missing out).

But now. Well, I’m on-site now. So you already know what happened to my flannel-pant-wearing days. But also, the network here does not allow me to check my regular email. It’s been a really twitchy few days for me … my hubby always says I’m addicted to my email and I never disagreed with him, I just didn’t realize how painful it was to be without it. I mean, even in Cuba, I managed to check on my email once a day. 

Also, I’m not really part of a team. So, I basically have no interruptions all day. No phone, no email, no colleagues stopping by to chit chat. At first, this level of focus on a singular task kind of threw me off. (That combined with the twitchy-ness.) But now? Wow, after less than a week, I think I’ve really grown fond of life without multi-tasking.

The research says it’s far more productive not to multi-task. And of course, the research is likely right but it’s so rare to have the ability NOT to multi-task, isn’t it? How often do we get a chance to work while not scheduling children’s dentist appointments, mentally preparing a grocery list or figuring out what is an appropriate teacher’s gift? Well, I’m getting into it now. And it really is amazing how productive I’ve been as a result.

I’m not fully there though yet. So I took a wander over to some of my favourite blogs on my coffee break. This post from XUP actually had me almost spitting my coffee out onto the computer screen — in a combination of horror and laughter. It provides a handy-dandy list of topics to discuss over Christmas dinner.  Here’s a sampler so you can see what I mean:  ”Go around the table and ask everyone if they had to have sex with a member of the family who it would be. Make note of those who don’t squirm or don’t have to think about their answer.”

So, that’s what’s up with me. Work, coffee, a good blog post from XUP. You? Do you have a method for dealing with the madness of multi-tasking? Or Christmas family dinner conversations for that matter?


living
media

Should I change my name to Julian?


If I want to be a successful writer, then yes, maybe I should.

James Chartrand of Men with Pens – an extremely successful writer and blogger — has “outed” himself as a woman. A single mom, to be specific.

Why would a 30-something Canadian feel the need to adopt a male pen name? It’s explained in this Copyblogger guest post “Why James Chartrand Wears Women’s Underpants.” It’s definitely worth a read. Especially if you think feminism is an antiquated term.

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