Thursday, October 29, 2009

Straight for Equality



I attended an online seminar for Straight for Equality at work this week. I mainly wanted to support my coworkers who are members of my company's LGTB alliance, but I found it really useful. Particularly around issues of understanding why gay coworkers are not comfortable sharing pieces of their personal life at work. I heard a horrifying story about a straight guy who hung a flier for a LGTB event in his cube and overheard people discussing "fucking faggots" and it reminded me of my own run-in with a bigoted mofo at work a few years back -- a gun-toting NRA member who told me he stopped his subscription to Time magazine because they had a photo of Ellen on the cover. We got into it, but I wonder how many people are comfortable are getting up in some one's face because of mofo bigotry. And I wonder how much of my fuck-you-I've-got-balls attitude would stay in tact if I really felt I was in danger. This makes me alternately depressed and wanting to beat some heads.

So I signed The Pledge. You Should Too. And check out the guide.

Maybe we will take their suggestion and have a I Love Gays party. That's not what they call it, but I reserve the right to edit.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

I Was NOT Raped By My C-Section

The first time I heard the phrase "I was raped by my c-section," I didn't actually take the time to think about how offensive that statement might be to actual survivors of rape. I just thought it sounded stupid and melodramatic. In Childbirth Is Not Burger King. You Can’t Always Have It Your Way., Rachael Larrimore takes these people on. I like the piece. It sums up my feelings nicely.

Then you get to the real crazy in the comments.

There is nothing quite like birth and parenting to bring out the fundamentalist crazies.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Missed Last Week: End Fat Talk

I could use this reminder right now.

A Typical Weekday

Between 5 and 6 am: Get up to feed Zygote

Next two hours: Shower, eat, dress Zygote, play with her a bit, feed cats, feed Zygote again

Between 7:30 and 8: Drive to work, curse traffic on 95. Remember that I promised never to complain about traffic after my hellish commutes in NJ. Think, "fuck that."

8-10: Various cube-dweller related items

10: Pump

10:15 - 12:15: More work. Curse Powerpoint.

12:15 - 12:30: Eat lunch at my desk. Always a packed lunched. Check the New York Times. Get depressed.

12:30 - 1: First panic that I am not going to get done everything that I need to get done.

1: Pump again. Double pump to save time. Try not to stare at the clock.

1:15 - 3:30: Endless conference calls, phone calls, emails, living of the dream.

3:30: Pump again. Count ceiling tiles. Make a mental gratitude list.

3:45 - 5: Mad rush to complete everything.

5: Slink guiltily out the door, convinced that I will be fired for my lack of commitment to work.

5-5:40ish: Commute. Curse Alewife. NPR.

5:45 - 6:30: Play with Zygote.

6:30 - 7:30: Feed Zygote, feed self, dress Zygote for bed. If she has reached the smelling point, we bathe her.

7:30 - 8: Clean up, make tomorrow's lunches, grunt pleasantries at YG.

8: Feed Zygote again.

8:20: Collapse on couch. Converse with husband. Mind numbing t.v. and Internets. Occasional reading. Guilt over not writing or blogging or keeping track of Zygote's various accomplishments in the 500 baby books we have.

10: Bed.

It's kind of exhausting and you'll notice that I don't really do the cooking, and we outsource (heh) our cleaning. Also, my mom is with us this month so there is no rush to get her to daycare in the morning. Yet.

I know that we're going to get it together in time, but I am already feeling the pull between work and family and then wondering how I am going to fit me time (writing, reading, running) in.

Seriously, though, I wouldn't trade it for anything.