So, a wee bitty update by way of Flickr.

B is coming up on 21 months old, and is well and truly a toddler. The talking is crazy, the running, jumping, shrieking, laughing and constant motion keep me moving along with her all day.

She is a joy to be around, and we have a ton of fun together. We started a dance class(i.e. teacher plays music on a boombox and toddlers hang out with their moms) and she enjoyed it. She loves to dance, in fact, I think she wanted to do more dancing and less Ring Around the Rosie. Put in some Ani or Indian pop and she dances up a storm!

She is such fun, and I love being with her.

More soon!

50,165 words.

I wrote most of a novel. :)

Most you say? Yep, I have about 1/3 of the story left to write. That, however, is for December.

I actually finished on Tuesday, but have been basking in not having to write every morning. LOL

I am pretty pleased, it is a story. It is fiction, and it is all mine.

You all have heard about the writer's strike, but most folks haven't heard about the IATSE Local One strike.

Broadway is dark. The stagehands are on strike. Why? Well the producers seem to think there are too many of them getting paid for nothing. Any techie who has worked a show where the director/producers wants the scene change to happen in 3 seconds, but didn't want to pay to have the 46 crew members that would take, knows where the "not working" line of BS comes from.

The producers want some pretty sweeping changes. But, they are also refusing to negotiate. The producers have saved up $20 million dollars for this confrontation, and they are planning on holding out.

Local One members aren't working. Actor's Equity members aren't working. None of them are getting paid except for the producers who have this savings fund. Hmmm...sound fishy yet? If they don't get back to work soon AEA is going to have to do something, and it will likely be put pressure on IATSE to cave.

Published on the AEA website was this list of facts & myths about the strike:

November 15, 2007
MYTH
The Stagehands are striking because they want to preserve
"featherbedding."
FACT
If you follow the League's logic about "featherbedding," they
could say swings and understudies fall into that category.
They're at the theatre but not working on stage.
("Featherbedding" is an epithet or charge employers always
make against Union workers when they want to cut jobs. The
term itself refers to workers who supposedly get paid and
don't work). Why are these negotiated, accepted business
practices suddenly "featherbedding?"

MYTH
The Stagehands on strike are making $150,000 to $200,000
a year.
FACT
A Local One member who works 52 weeks a year will
average $67,500 plus benefits. Most extra money comes
from working beyond their regular work week.

MYTH
The union requires producers to pay for a full hour of work to
cover a ten-minute mopping call.
FACT
The mopping usually take 40 minutes. The Stagehand who
mops cannot work while Stagehands pre-set shows and
dancers warm up. For safety, the floor is mopped and tracks
for automated scenery are vacuumed during what would
otherwise be the Stagehands' meal hour.

MYTH
Local One requires flymen on all shows, even when the show
has no fly cues.
FACT
In 1995, Local One agreed to give up flymen on dramatic
shows. In the last six years, only two Broadway musicals
have employed flymen with no cues. The flyman also serves
as a lifeguard when many tons of scenery are hung within six
inches of each other. 200-300 intensely hot lighting
instruments hang in aging and often poorly maintained
theatres. All the firefighting equipment are in the fly space.
Should a fire occur, the flyman is responsible for protecting
the flies and the workers below. If there is no flyman, how
long will it take for someone to get up to the equipment?

MYTH
The League prepared a strike fund knowing that the
Stagehands would give them problems.
FACT
Since 2003 the League has been taking money out of every
ticket sold in order to build a $20 million defense fund. Given
that Local One has never struck Broadway in over a century,
what were they preparing for?

MYTH
Local One requires ridiculous and unnecessary staffing
minimums.
FACT
Staffing minimums have been agreed to in negotiation after
negotiation. The Stagehands have demonstrated they're
willing to change staffing requirements but the League wants
more. Sweeping changes to a contract can't be done in one
Negotiation.

MYTH
Pre-show checks can be done the night before.
FACT
Pre-show checks must be done immediately prior to the
performance for safety issues to confirm that no damage has
occurred overnight. For Actors, this is a safety issue.

MYTH
The League came to the Stagehands with honor, respect, and
good faith, and the greedy Stagehands have walked out on
them.
FACT
The employers continually attack the Stagehands in the
media. They don't treat the Stagehands with honor and
respect. Instead of continuing negotiations in October, the
League walked out and unilaterally imposed non-negotiated
work rules. That's usually seen as a declaration of war on a
Union. The stagehands went to work under these rules and
kept pressing to re-open negotiations which began again on
November 7th. See Next Fact.

MYTH
The Stagehands walked away from the table.
FACT
Local One stayed to negotiate until 2 a.m. in the morning on
Thursday, November 8, only to be told that the League was
"too tired" to start at 9:30 in the morning. Thursday night, the
League negotiators felt that preparing for the opening night
party of "Young Frankenstein" was a bigger priority than
negotiating. The League also reneged on compromises that
had already been agreed upon, undermining the entire
negotiating process. The producers knew that their final
offer would result in a strike.

MYTH
The producers and theatre owners have tried to negotiate
with the stagehands in good faith.
FACT
The producers imposed their work rules on the Stagehands
without a negotiated agreement. The Stagehands worked
under these rules for 19 days before finally resorting to a
strike.

MYTH
Stagehands have successfully worked under the new work
rules.
FACT
Not so! Most shows tried and could not implement many of
the League's new rules due to safety issues.

MYTH
Union members are expected to fall into step with the
Stagehands without good reason.
FACT
The new business paradigm sought by the League will hit the
actors next. During this time of incredible success in our
industry, we cannot support the massive cuts the producers
have sought from the Stagehands. If the League succeeds in
the wholesale dismantling of the stagehand contract, our
contract will be next.


I just want to meet the person who thinks a stagehand make $200K/ year. HA!

wordcount widgets


That would be where.

As always I post mostly over at:

Simply, Happily Living

and

Knit Spiral

Well, I guess I should post a wee bit over here....

What's been up?
Um, sickness, and busyness and stress and, and, and....

You know, the norm.

Things are fine, we are running along, but life is busy, crazy, and I often forget to update here. I do update the knitting blog and the family blog though. And I do read my friend's page. :) So, I know what's going on with all of yoU! :D

1.Actor
2.Director of Photography
3.Teacher Assistant
4.Director
5.Early Childhood Educator
6.Musician
7.Comedian
8.Casting Director
9.Composer
10. Special Effects Technician

(1) Go to http://www.careercruising.com/. (2) Put in Username: nycareers, Password: landmark. (3) Take their "Career Matchmaker" questions. (4) Post the top ten results.

Well, my actual chosen profession is a cross between 1 and 4...but they didn't have stage manager as an option. 16 & 17 for me were Set Designer and Sound Tech - which were the other parts of my degree. So yeah, not bad.

Got a bill in the mail the other day.

Just a return address, in Colorado. No business name or anything.

It turned out to be the bill for my cryo-preservation for my remaining two embryos. $350 they would like from us.

They gave a couple of other options if we didn't want them stored any longer. I sort of glazed over at those though.

I truly don't know what to do - well, not that we have a spare $350 currently anyway. My first thought is to save them, my second thought is "why?", and my third though is confusion.

Let me explain. They do represent a possibility of getting pregnant again via FET. So, for that reason, saving them seems like a logical choice.

However, with two B class embryos on ice - the likelihood of having even on that would result in a pregnancy survive the thaw is 50% or less. So, for that reason, why?

And then the confusion sets in.

Part of me really hopes (and is desperately clinging to that hope) that I can just get pregnant naturally this next time. I know that statistically it is unlikely, but I really hope that this is what happens. Getting my period back has really made that hope resurge.

Part of me still has the mindset of, "I will do anything to get pregnant!" And then there's the part that does not want to do another IVF. At all. And lastly, there is the part that is truly, honestly happy with just Brigit.

I find myself some days not wanting another child. Some days being just thrilled with what B and I have now, and not wanting to factor in another little one, with a whole new set of needs. B and I have a wonderful relationship - even on the rough days. She is part of me.

I told myself that if the IVF worked, I would be happy with whatever happened - one, or two babies, only having the one ever, getting pregnant on my own. And really, I feel that way. Whatever happens, happens. I have my B, and that is all I ever needed. ('scuse me while I cry....) My fabulous, wonderful, sparkling, fascinating, smart, glorious Brigit. I am happy.

I would love to be pregnant again. I would love to have another baby. I do have a great desire for B to have siblings. Especially since my sister doesn't want kids, we aren't sure about Gary's sister or brother - neither of them are there yet. And I find it remarkably sad that she might be the only kid. No siblings or cousins. In fact, that is sadder than I usually care to think about.

For that reason, there is a desire to have another child.

But not for a while. I want B older, I don't want to have to navigate sibling rivalry pre-talking. I want to be able to have conversations with B about what she is thinking. I want her to be into her sibling, not see them as a threat. So, really I am not even thinking about the possibility until she is four or so.

So, yeah. Letter through me for a bit of a loop.

I am so glad you decided to go to the Zoo with your kiddo today! You seemed to be genuinely having an awesome time. However, a couple things I would really like if you could do for next time. If you could not whisk past me and my toddler with your stroller in one hand and your cigarette in the other, then stand at the doorway of an exhibit (an enclosed space) and fill it up with smoke that I then have to walk through, with my baby, that would be awesome. 'Cause see, I *quit* smoking so I wouldn't have lungs that resembled an ashtray, and so I could stop flinging those pesky butts everywhere I went, and truthfully, if I wanted my daughter inhaling that shite, I would give her her own smoke.

And secondly, and this is minor, and well, slightly petty...but those white short shorts you were wearing? Yeah, underwear is still a good idea. White fabric is pretty much see through and not wearing underwear, well, you may be avoiding panty lines, but that is about all you managed to avoid people seeing. And without underwear, they do climb up your butt crack in a rather unattractive manner, which of course, I only noticed when you rushed past me to smoke.

So, if you could see to those two things, I think the Zoo going experience would really go to the next level. Thanks so much!

Adina

Wacky.

It has been one year, 11 months and two weeks since my last period.
My daughter is 14 months old as of today.
I still nurse around the clock.

I am kind of pleased that my period has returned. There was a part of me waiting and worrying about when it would, if it would, if I would find myself three years down the road with no period, and not pregnant and back in the doctor's office to get something to start it all up again.

I feel vaguely hopeful that it has decided to start on it's own, while I am still nursing.

Who knows if it means anything, or nothing. But it is something.

To continue the discussion we were having in her comments about parenting or the lack thereof in today's society....

Watching my family (my dad mostly) struggle to find what he wanted to be when he grew up, and finding similar strife in my own life I started to look at the conditions that contributed to this. Prior generations didn't have this problem, or if they did - it certainly wasn't as well documented.

So, our grandparents grew up during the Great Depression. And then most of them went to either WWII, or Korea. When they returned home, there was an "era of great prosperity", as one of my textbooks put it.

Prior to these events, life was pretty dang simple. College was not so much of an issue - in fact, if most kids made it out of high school they were doing pretty well. But you got a job, got married and were settled in a job, with a family by your mid 20s at the VERY latest.

So, enter the depression, school was put on the back burner for a lot of kids and they worked - same end result - family, job, settled early.

WWII comes along and the men go off to fight, the women go to work and things are put off. School, getting married, having children.

Along with that comes this time of economic boom. And these folks who were kids during the depression, who had to work from an early age, determine to give their kids everything they didn't have. So their children can do better than they did, have more, be more, do more. Leave it to Beaver is born. LOL

And with a relatively peaceful world scene these kids start going to school - high school diplomas are expected now, and college is becoming the norm. Now kids are in their early 20s before they even start heading toward a job (now being called a career) and a family. They have longer to be kids, longer to have their parents support them, which most parent are doing because of the desire to give their kids what they didn't get.

Combine that with the Vietnam war, the 60s and the social upheaval of people bucking the norm and you have an entire generation of people who not only radically changed the civil rights scene in the US, but also changed the way families work. From extended families in one house, to small nuclear units. From getting a job and settling down early to finding yourself and having a career before you have a family.

That was my parents generation...

They also wanted to provide more for us than they had. Which they did. The divorce rate is higher, and people change careers multiple times in a lifetime. There is a huge technology boom and more gadgets than anyone knows what to do with.

My dad sometimes still seems to not know what he wants to be when he grows up. No one ever forced him to make the choice. No one ever forced me to. I was in college until I was 27. I didn't start my family until I was 31 (not all my fault). That is a full decade later than my mother. But it was seen as perfectly acceptable, and okay that my folks were helping me out with money until then. My sister graduated on time and is getting married at 26, almost 27. She too got help long past her teens from my folks.

This need to provide a better life for our kids has become a bit of a monster. While we are providing them with so many more opportunities, we are also giving them more options than they can possibly parse through. In some ways, the "you can be whatever you want" thing makes it much harder to decide what you want. (Of course, coupled with the current state of public education and the dumbing down of our kids in school makes finding one's calling nigh on impossible IMO) Kids now usually don't want for much, they have more than they can use, and don't know what to do with what they do have.

Somewhere in the mass of technology, more money, giving your kids better than you had the whole idea of family got lost. The idea that it was the most important thing got lost. Commitment to making a family work. The new idea that you could leave behind whatever wasn't working for you did a number on family, responsibility. Our parents were the first generation to have a choice like that.

To take it a step further - you can look at gen x (i am on the tail end of that) or gen Y or whatever they are calling this generation, and see that they have always had a level of prosperity present in their lives, a level of comfort that no generation has ever had in the history of the country. Things that our parents indulge in because they are cool and something they didn't have growing up are expected and the norm for the generation that is coming of age now.

So you have combined with well meaning parents of the 50s and 60s, and some baby boomers that never quite grew up, a societal problem of some very entitled, privileged kids with little to no responsibility to anyone but themselves, who stay kids well into their 20s and later.

So there you go - my long rambly theory about delayed adolescence, and post WWII kids.

Forgive the slight disconnectedness of that....typing with one hand

Okay, so for all my sympathy/empathy for Britney Spears...turns out I have NONE for Paris Hilton.

Now, she did something illegal. She got jail time. Which surprised the heck out of me frankly. She got released after three days to go be on house arrest. Figures. Unspecified "medical condition". Uh huh, it's called "not wanting to be in jail."

Anyway...

So, I just read that the judge brought her back into court and said, no, back to jail with you.

And she freaked right the fuck out and screamed.

Okay, jail is no fun, in fact in certain situations it is probably hell on earth. But for 45 days, as a celebrity, with an ass load of money, and adoring fans, I am thinking it is probably going to be liveable. Not fun, and it shouldn't be, but certainly survivable.

And not meriting screaming, or whispering "I love you" to your parents in the courtroom like you are about to be senteced to life.

Jebus.

Guess what sunshine, you break the law, chances are you are going to go to jail. YOu do it repeatedly, while on parole, and you are probably going to go to jail. Time to put on your big girl panties and own it. You fucked up, and now you have to do your very tiny 45 days in jail. Then you are done, you get to go home to your giant house, with your giant amount of money and live your life. Your jail time isn't ever going to keep you from getting a job, or cause you to lose your house, or your kids or anything else for that matter. You will never have to worry about anything when you get out because you didn't have to worry about anything when you went in. 45 days isn't going to mean bills don't get paid, or rent is late, or you worrying about your pets. Pretty much *nothing* is going to change for you, other than having a fun little story about "this one time...in jail..." So, suck it up, sunshine. Have some grace, own your mistake and just do the time. Jebus, Martha Stewart could manage that much.

Describe me in one word.... just one single word. Here's how to play:

1. Type my one word in the comments section.
2. C&P this to your own blog or forward it to your friends and see what people say about you when limited to one word!

I would like to talk to you today about your car. On the side of the steering wheel, there is a stick. No, not the one that makes the wipers go, you seem to have figured that one out. The other one. The one that makes a light blink and causes clicking sounds. Yeah, that one! The one you should be using when you change lanes, or turn. The one I am sure every single god-damn car you have ever owned has had. The one I am absolutely fucking positive you had to utilize in order to pass your driver's test. That one. Yeah, if you could use that from now on when you change lanes in front of me and my baby girl on the freeway, I would greatly appreciate it. In fact, if you could use that every time you change lanes, or turn, that would be great.

Thank you for you cooperation and attention to this matter.

Adina



P.S. If you could also make sure there is actually enough room to change lanes, that would rock! But I know that is tough, and my brakes work so well, I enjoy slamming them on in traffic.


(SIX, yes folks, SIX people cut me off with no signal on the 10 minute drive to work today.WTF?!)

To all the mamas who read, Happy Mother's Day.

To the mamas whose babies haven't joined them yet, Happy Mother's Day.

To the mamas who are still desperately trying, I know today sucks, I know. Happy Mother's Day from someone who has been where you are. Keep hoping, keep trying.

To all the mamas who are having a rough time being mama right now, Happy Mother's Day. Your babe appreciates you.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you. :-D

I may or may not have talked about this here before...but currently the house is beginning our mapping. :-D

Treasure Mapping

New moon started today, and you have until Friday to finish it up.:-) If nothing else it is a great exercise in figuring out what the hell you really do want! Plus, collages are fun!

Answer in comments.:D

1. Can you cook?

2. What was your dream growing up?

3. What talent do you wish you had?

4. Favorite place?

5. Favorite vegetable?

6. What was the last book you read?

7. What zodiac sign are you?

8. Any tattoos and/or piercings?

9. Worst habit?

10. Do we know each other outside of lj?

11. What is your favorite sport?

12. Negative or optimistic attitude?

13. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?

14. Worst thing to ever happen to you?

15. Tell me one weird fact about you:

16. Do you have any pets?

17. Do you know how to do the macarena?

18. What time is it where you are now?

19. Do you think clowns are cute or scary?

20. If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?

21. Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?

22. What color eyes do you prefer

23. Ever been arrested?

24. If you won $10,000 dollars today, what would you do with it?

25. What kind of bubble gum do you prefer to chew?

26. What's your favorite bar to hang at?

27. Do you believe in ghosts?

28. Favorite thing to do in your spare time?

29. Do you swear a lot?

30. Biggest pet peeve?

31. In one word, how would you describe yourself

32. Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?

Ok……

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
ONE.
Word.

(Not as easy as you might think.)

1. Where is your cell phone? chair
2. Describe your boyfriend/girlfriend/S.O.? fabulous
3. Your hair? brown
4. Your mother? mom
5. Your father? tall
6. Your favorite item? ring
7. Your dream last night? sci-fi
8. Your favorite drink? water
9. Your dream car? subway
10. The room you are in? bedroom
11. Your ex? asshole
12. Your fear? ending
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? home
14. Who did you hang out with last night? husband
15. What you’re not? stylish
16. The last thing you did? tv
17. What are you wearing? jammies
18. Your favorite book? fantasy
19. The last thing you ate? burrito
20. Your life? cool
21. Your mood? interested
22. Your friends? smart
23. What are you thinking about right now? earth
24. Your car? honda
25. What are you doing at the moment? tv
26. Your summer? busy
27. Your relationship status? married
28. What is on your tv? discovery
29. When is the last time you laughed? tonight
30. Last time you cried? week?
31. School? CU
Copy.
Paste.
Answer.
Questions.
In.
ONE.
Word

I find people fascinating. People of all ages, all walks of life. What some people see and some don't, how people respond to the same situation so differently.

I have never really utilized the whole networking aspect of LJ. I came here because i wanted an online journal, and the small friends list I do have is people I have met along the way. I never went to seek out old friends or anything. I was here to write, to get out the traumadrama of what I was going through.

Sooo, I never really got the whole MySpace phenom either. I had a page, which I made just to check it out, see how it worked and so on. But I had actually forgotten my password after I made it, and that was that. I mean, how many frackin blogs can one person really have, after all?

And then someone asked to be added as a friend. Someone I hadn't talked to in a while, from college. And so I went, found my password, logged in and approved them.

And discovered many, many, many of my old friends.

Very odd.

Some of these people I haven't talked to in years. Most only a year or so. Our lives have diverged rather greatly, things have happened, changed and now I live in a completely different city.

It is cool to see what they are up to. But I also find that actually contacting them comes with varied results. Some people are excited and happy to chat back and forth via email. Some are rather reticent and grudgingly parse out minute details of what is going on with them. Both of these groups (strangely) add me as a friend. Then there is the group tht simply ignores me. For whatever reason, don't respond, don't add me as a friend.

Fascinating what a couple of years brings to a relationship of any sort, really.

I spent far too much time on MySpace and wandered through people's blogs, looked at pictures, checked up on people I haven't seen but wondered about. And I was struck by the angst, the dissatisfaction, the need to find something I saw in many. Granted some of the drama was well earned by things that have befallen some of these people, and for that I fully support their need to get it all out, whatever the medium.

However, I recognized myself in some of those posts. Well, myself of 5 years ago...not myself now. And that suprised me. The angst, drama, anger, sadness, whatever that fueled a good portion of my life has mostly gone. This blog is boring as fuck now. Because I am simply happy. At first I didn't know when that had happened, when things stopped being such a giant, all about me, stress-fest. And then I smacked my head (shoulda had a v-8) and realized that it has slowly been falling away in pieces.

We moved to Oregon. We got pregnant. We bought a house. We had a baby. And voila...happy. No more angsty blog posts. No more raging at the world.

Fascinating.

Some people that know me may know that I am a rather ardent Melissa Etheridge fan. Like, belonged to the fan club, got preferred seating at concerts, have every CD and a good portion of tour t-shirts kind of ardent.

So, I kind of feel like squealing and jumping up and down...

Melissa Etheridge just won an Oscar!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YIPPEE!!!!

*and* she thanked her wife. How fracking cool is that?! :-D Her wife who just had twins I might add.

Just had to share. hee.