January 29, 2009

grace in small things: thirteen (bitter and crabby version)

I have had an unbelievably hard week, the kind that comes with chest pains and indigestion and a constant sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I have spent the week helping people who have lost their jobs wrap up the last annoying details and helping people who have kept their jobs slog through the survivor guilt.  And I have done my damndest to lose my own job by speaking up for the people who don’t get to say anything about what is happening to them.

I still have a job, amazingly.  I suppose there is some kind of grace in that.

Today is the kind of day when it would be so easy to say screw this, there is no grace in anything and then to crawl under the covers with a with a stiff drink and box of tissues and cry it out.  But I just refuse to do that; it’s like letting the terrorists win.

(I do not work for terrorists.  I’m just being dramatic.  Promise.)

So here is my list for today — because the war against embitterment starts at home.  Or something like that.

1.  Cookstr — every recipe you could ever need, and then some.  Edited by the superfabulous Katie Workman, who made me laugh out loud last night with a long string of emails about the word “fart.”

2. The blogging team at ParentDish, who make me wish that our virtual office was a real office, ideally in a building with a bar in the lobby, especially late on a Friday afternoon.

3. Chris, who fills my afternoons with badly spelled text messages, which is just what I need by about four pm.

4. My husband, who says, “Quit.  Just do it,” and manages to make that a completely supportive and positive suggestion.

5. You all, for sticking with me for 1,000 posts (this post is #1,001! how crazy is that?!?).

Thank you.

Make the world a better place by finding Grace in Small Things.    

January 28, 2009

grace in small things: twelve

1. Friends who say funny things, like “I accidentally started drinking at 2:00″ on days when I really need a laugh.

2. This skirt, which I know I am not supposed to buy but will probably buy anyway because … well, just because.  Shut up.

3. Fresh-squeezed orange juice, from the grocery, because I don’t want to squeeze it, I just want to enjoy it.  Mmm delicious.

4. Having a home office.  I like the living room a lot more now that I don’t work there any more.

5. Tomorrow.  Because it will be better, I am sure.

Make the world a better place by finding Grace in Small Things.   

after all those cupcakes, I will also need to hire Jillian Michaels

When I was in Chicago in November, I spent a day camped out in Danielle’s office, working.  She was such a gracious hostess, especially considering what a pain in the ass I was — first I took over her desk so I could plug my laptop in, and then I had her Googling wines to serve with turkey because I didn’t want to admit to the Internet that I just serve the same damn pinot with EVERYTHING.  And then I talked on the phone while she was working and totally distracted her from doing her job (because it’s hard to work when I’m right there saying, “Okay PRINCESS SPANKY PANTS!” and giggling a lot).

At one point, when I was in the midst of rearranging Danielle’s desk so that I could put my laptop on it, someone came in to ask her a question; she needed to get to her computer but of course she couldn’t because I was under the desk moving plugs around (I need a LOT OF PLUGS, YOU ALL).  I started to apologize, but Danielle just laughed and said, “It’s fine!  You’re the talent! We love you!”

Every once in a while, when I’m having a really crappy day, I think about what it would be like to be The Talent all the time.  How sweet would that be?  Everyone is so nice when you’re The Talent!  And of course they don’t expect much of you, because you’re the TALENT not the BRAINS.

I would like to have a day when I didn’t have to be the brains.  A girl could really go for that.

Of course the real question is what would I demand if I were The Talent?  Because you know, that’s the thing about being The Talent — you get to insist on having things like Evian to wash your hair and only blue M&Ms and a fully stocked bar in your dressing room.

Oooh how great would that be?

Unfortunately, I can’t think of anything crazy to ask for — I mean, I would need coffee, of course, lots of it, with just the EXACT amount of half and half, but that’s an everyday necessity for me, not a special request (even though my husband would insist that YES THAT IS A SPECIAL REQUEST).  I suppose I could ask for cupcakes — those gigantic ones from Sprinkles!  Maybe the Black and Whites, or the Orange, or the Vanilla Milk Chocolate!  So hard to decide!

Oh wait, if I’m The Talent I don’t have to decide.  Excellent.

I think that tomorrow I need to get myself a cupcake to go with my coffee.  I also might need to think harder about what to ask for the next time I get to be The Talent.

Feel free to make suggestions.

January 27, 2009

grace in small things: eleven (Irish Car Bomb version)

We’re still iced in; school and work are canceled AGAIN tomorrow.  Oh, not MY work — that’s NEVER canceled.  In fact, I only got through today’s endless round of phone calls and emails and writing (and possibly a nap, because I got up at FIVE AM to take care of something for WORK) because Wade was here to entertain the children all day.

Which brings me to today’s list.

1. Wade

Wade is sick; he has picked up Charlie’s cold.  I can’t imagine how — I mean, it’s not like we constantly snuggle and kiss the boy.  Oh wait yes we do.  Anyway, they’re both stuffy and sneezy and frankly a helluva lot more cheerful than I would be in their place.  Or really, than I am just in general.

Despite the sick, Wade entertained the boys ALL DAY TODAY, while I was doing whatever it is I do all day (which included not showering or getting dressed until nearly four pm — and even then I just changed my yoga pants for a pair that I hadn’t slept in).  They read stories and drew pictures and played an elaborate game of Dragon Hunters.

Also, he dusted the living room.  God I love that man.

2. My iPhone.

How else could I have climbed into bed this afternoon to snooze work and not have missed a Very Important Work-Related call?  Thank you, Steve Jobs — feel better soon!

3. Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book

My kids love SpongeBob — LOVE. HIM.  And while I’m not opposed to using SpongeBob as a cheap babysitter when, say, one of the kids is sick and has to stay home with me on a day when I have to work, I die a little bit every time the boys ask for one of the many many paperback adaptations available at our local bookstore.  SpongeBob is funny as hell on television, but he does NOT translate well to book form.  Trust me on this.

There is a LOT of crap published in this country (and YES I realize the irony of complaining about bad writing on a BLOG, thankyouverymuch). Kids’ books are especially bad; they are poorly written (I’m looking at you, Stefenie Meyer) and don’t do anything to challenge kids as readers and thinkers.  So when I read that Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book had won a Newbery Medal for the year’s most outstanding contribution to children’s literature, I did a little happy dance.

It was a nerdy happy dance, but still.

I want my kids to read books that challenge them, that make them think — I want them to grow up to be smart readers who choose really excellent books.  This is a good start.

4. Newman’s Own Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Delicious AND philanthropic.  Which justifies my eating nearly the entire jar in one sitting.

5. My brother, who is easily one of the funniest people I follow on Twitter.

Although it is possible that you have to actually know him to get the funny.  But this is my list, so there’s that.  Now how many of you know what an Irish Car Bomb is without Googling?

I thought so.

Make the world a better place by finding Grace in Small Things.