Monday, December 29, 2003
And so that was Christmas
This Christmas was wonderful. But then it's hard to have a bad christmas when you have two little children to remind you of what it's supposed to be.
It was a relaxed sort of Christmas. Christmas morning was pure magic, with the children very happy and grateful that Santa came through with everything that they'd put on their modest lists.
Later Christmas day we entertained, with my dad and D.'s brother and his kids over for dinner. All was well, and the food was delicious and the mood was light and happy. Best of all, everyone had left by 5:00 and we put the kids to bed early and had a very quiet night by ourselves on the livingroom couch. This after wrapping gifts and stuffing stockings and assembling a games table and eating Santa's cookies and the reindeers' carrots til very late Christmas Eve.
Boxing Day is always the big family day at my mom's, and this year was no exception. It is always fun and crazy and raucous, with a somewhat depressing orgy of gift-opening after the turkey dinner. I don't know exactly why this gets me down every year, but it does. It's just too much stuff, most of which we don't need. I would be so much happier if there were fewer gifts, but every year we try to talk to our mother about it and every year she does the same thing. She likes it, and she keeps saying "someday I won't be here to do this, so let's enjoy it while we can!" I understand that, but I think I'd enjoy it better if we were taking home only one or two well-chosen gifts, rather than a trunk-full of stuff. Call me the anti-consumer.
Having said that, we did receive a few gifts that were sorely needed, like a cordless phone/answering-machine that actually works. We had been in dire straits for about a week before, so that really comes in handy. I also received a beautiful little figure of a pregnant woman. I love that.
And my daughter got the Shania Twain CD. She's pretty damn happy about that.
The next day my daughter and I got to enjoy the very thoughtful Christmas present of tickets to see The Nutcracker ballet at Place des Arts. It was so beautiful. The sets and costumes, the music and romance and fun of the story were all thrilling and a balm for the senses. My daughter thoroughly loved it, and so did I. She is such good company on an outing! She makes everything a delight.
So much activity tired me out, and I was looking forward to taking yesterday just to do nothing but sit around and read my book. That didn't happen, unfortunately, but we had a good day anyway. We got a dinner invitation we couldn't refuse, and had a lovely time. The best part was that we walked there and back, pulling the kids on a sled. It was a gorgeous winter evening; the sky was inky-blue with twinkling stars and a crescent moon, and the world felt a friendly, kindly place.
(We walked because our car is broken, which isn't so good, and bad timing money-wise, but when do these things ever happen at an opportune time?)
This week I'm going to rest. I need it.
This Christmas was wonderful. But then it's hard to have a bad christmas when you have two little children to remind you of what it's supposed to be.
It was a relaxed sort of Christmas. Christmas morning was pure magic, with the children very happy and grateful that Santa came through with everything that they'd put on their modest lists.
Later Christmas day we entertained, with my dad and D.'s brother and his kids over for dinner. All was well, and the food was delicious and the mood was light and happy. Best of all, everyone had left by 5:00 and we put the kids to bed early and had a very quiet night by ourselves on the livingroom couch. This after wrapping gifts and stuffing stockings and assembling a games table and eating Santa's cookies and the reindeers' carrots til very late Christmas Eve.
Boxing Day is always the big family day at my mom's, and this year was no exception. It is always fun and crazy and raucous, with a somewhat depressing orgy of gift-opening after the turkey dinner. I don't know exactly why this gets me down every year, but it does. It's just too much stuff, most of which we don't need. I would be so much happier if there were fewer gifts, but every year we try to talk to our mother about it and every year she does the same thing. She likes it, and she keeps saying "someday I won't be here to do this, so let's enjoy it while we can!" I understand that, but I think I'd enjoy it better if we were taking home only one or two well-chosen gifts, rather than a trunk-full of stuff. Call me the anti-consumer.
Having said that, we did receive a few gifts that were sorely needed, like a cordless phone/answering-machine that actually works. We had been in dire straits for about a week before, so that really comes in handy. I also received a beautiful little figure of a pregnant woman. I love that.
And my daughter got the Shania Twain CD. She's pretty damn happy about that.
The next day my daughter and I got to enjoy the very thoughtful Christmas present of tickets to see The Nutcracker ballet at Place des Arts. It was so beautiful. The sets and costumes, the music and romance and fun of the story were all thrilling and a balm for the senses. My daughter thoroughly loved it, and so did I. She is such good company on an outing! She makes everything a delight.
So much activity tired me out, and I was looking forward to taking yesterday just to do nothing but sit around and read my book. That didn't happen, unfortunately, but we had a good day anyway. We got a dinner invitation we couldn't refuse, and had a lovely time. The best part was that we walked there and back, pulling the kids on a sled. It was a gorgeous winter evening; the sky was inky-blue with twinkling stars and a crescent moon, and the world felt a friendly, kindly place.
(We walked because our car is broken, which isn't so good, and bad timing money-wise, but when do these things ever happen at an opportune time?)
This week I'm going to rest. I need it.
Friday, December 19, 2003
Cookies
I'll be doing my Christmas baking this weekend. This is pretty basic, really, just two kinds of cookies and a cranberry pound cake. I'd like to expand my repertoire, but my tastes in Christmas goodies run to the simple, e.g. shortbread, sugar cookies, that type of thing.
Anybody out there got a killer recipe for any kind of Christmas treats? Lemme have it!
Please.
I'll be doing my Christmas baking this weekend. This is pretty basic, really, just two kinds of cookies and a cranberry pound cake. I'd like to expand my repertoire, but my tastes in Christmas goodies run to the simple, e.g. shortbread, sugar cookies, that type of thing.
Anybody out there got a killer recipe for any kind of Christmas treats? Lemme have it!
Please.
Thursday, December 18, 2003
Comedy of Errors
Our city is sooo beautiful today. Everything is covered with snow, and it looks like some kind of fairyland out there.
Listening to the traffic reports this morning, I heard repeated imprecations to please use public transit, because traffic is bad and the roads are dangerous. "Of course" I said to myself "why would anyone want to drive today?"
Then I went out to get to work by public transit. My bus, which only runs once every half-hour, simply didn't come. Not late; just not there at all -- and for the second time this week! Then when I finally did make my way to the metro, it stopped halfway down the line and lost all power. It took me an hour and a half to get to work, a trip which normally takes 40 minutes. Public transit in this city is not reliable, I can say with conviction. But it's still better, and definitely safer, than driving.
This morning was actually kind of strange in a couple of ways. Must be Mercury in retrograde or some such nonsense.
For example, this morning a big truck pulls up in front of our house, from a hole-digging company. We figured they were there because our next-door neighbour, whose driveway is attached to ours, was getting the cap fixed on her water pipe. Then they started sawing a big hole in our driveway. D. went out and asked them what they were doing, and the guy said "putting a cap on your water pipe", so D. told him that it was a mistake, ours has a cap already, it's the neighbour who requested this, and the guy says "There's no cap on your water pipe" while the guy with him is going at it with a jackhammer. Dave says "There is a cap, you just didn't see it". Then the jackhammer guy stops and says "Oh, there's a cap here", and the other guy turns to Dave and says "But it's all bent." Uh -- Well, yeah, cuz you were just attacking it with a jackhammer!
Too funny. My poor neighbour, who's 87, now has to request a new cover for her water pipe, because they put the wrong address on the work order! The upside is that we now have a new stainless-steel cap that is not the least bit bent.
Not to mention the fact that the neighbour told the city about the problem in mid-summer, and the guys only showed up today, on the messiest, snowiest day of the year.
Oy Vey.
Our city is sooo beautiful today. Everything is covered with snow, and it looks like some kind of fairyland out there.
Listening to the traffic reports this morning, I heard repeated imprecations to please use public transit, because traffic is bad and the roads are dangerous. "Of course" I said to myself "why would anyone want to drive today?"
Then I went out to get to work by public transit. My bus, which only runs once every half-hour, simply didn't come. Not late; just not there at all -- and for the second time this week! Then when I finally did make my way to the metro, it stopped halfway down the line and lost all power. It took me an hour and a half to get to work, a trip which normally takes 40 minutes. Public transit in this city is not reliable, I can say with conviction. But it's still better, and definitely safer, than driving.
This morning was actually kind of strange in a couple of ways. Must be Mercury in retrograde or some such nonsense.
For example, this morning a big truck pulls up in front of our house, from a hole-digging company. We figured they were there because our next-door neighbour, whose driveway is attached to ours, was getting the cap fixed on her water pipe. Then they started sawing a big hole in our driveway. D. went out and asked them what they were doing, and the guy said "putting a cap on your water pipe", so D. told him that it was a mistake, ours has a cap already, it's the neighbour who requested this, and the guy says "There's no cap on your water pipe" while the guy with him is going at it with a jackhammer. Dave says "There is a cap, you just didn't see it". Then the jackhammer guy stops and says "Oh, there's a cap here", and the other guy turns to Dave and says "But it's all bent." Uh -- Well, yeah, cuz you were just attacking it with a jackhammer!
Too funny. My poor neighbour, who's 87, now has to request a new cover for her water pipe, because they put the wrong address on the work order! The upside is that we now have a new stainless-steel cap that is not the least bit bent.
Not to mention the fact that the neighbour told the city about the problem in mid-summer, and the guys only showed up today, on the messiest, snowiest day of the year.
Oy Vey.
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Snnk
Paraphrase of a funny line from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart:
In this already-familiar footage, officials check Saddam Hussein for head lice and take DNA samples. Later they officially declared him a member of the "Need-a-Baath Party".
Paraphrase of a funny line from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart:
In this already-familiar footage, officials check Saddam Hussein for head lice and take DNA samples. Later they officially declared him a member of the "Need-a-Baath Party".
Aieeee!
Couldn't resist reading a review of Return of the King this morning. EEEEEE!
I've got butterflies in my tummy thinking about it -- or maybe that's a baby. Anyway... EEEE!
Couldn't resist reading a review of Return of the King this morning. EEEEEE!
I've got butterflies in my tummy thinking about it -- or maybe that's a baby. Anyway... EEEE!
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Survivor
I watched every episode of the most recent Survivor series, I'm half-ashamed to say. I'm not ashamed that I like reality TV (not all of it!), because I think that it's entertaining and revealing of human nature in a way that most TV fiction is not. I think that most people who "hate" reality TV are being unnecessarily snobby about something that they haven't really evaluated.
Certainly Survivor has some things going for it. It is consistently surprising, even to the most jaded viewer; and it explores human interaction, albeit in a controlled and edited context, in a way that proves endlessly interesting to someone like me, who likes to study human nature and personality.
But it is running into problems. The contestants are far too aware, from watching the previous series, of what they are supposed to do to win. What they never seem to realize is that there is absolutely no formula for winning this game, as the winners consistently prove. What we see most of the time is strategy, which is not nearly as interesting as relationships and human failings.
Another problem is that the contestants get less and less likeable with each series. With the exception of Rupert, a shining jewel among stones, just about everybody on this series was thoroughly horrible or stupid. The final four were all so boring and terrible, you couldn't want any of them to win. In the final two, the "nice" one was so dumb and lacking in undertanding that you wanted to shake her and tell her to go home, and the other was thoroughly venal, vindictive and vengeful, not to mention incapable of any physical or mental feats of "strength".
My advice to Mark Burnett, Survivor's producer? Find people who will bring a moral quotient into the game, who believe in friendship and honour and doing what's right (note: a Boy Scout uniform is no guarantee of this). Some really intelligent, educated, even wise, people might help. (note: Computer Programmer does not equal intelligent. Sorry) Is it possible to find such people among those who would abase themselves on Television for a slim chance of money? Hmmm...maybe not.
I can't wait for the next series of Amazing Race!
I watched every episode of the most recent Survivor series, I'm half-ashamed to say. I'm not ashamed that I like reality TV (not all of it!), because I think that it's entertaining and revealing of human nature in a way that most TV fiction is not. I think that most people who "hate" reality TV are being unnecessarily snobby about something that they haven't really evaluated.
Certainly Survivor has some things going for it. It is consistently surprising, even to the most jaded viewer; and it explores human interaction, albeit in a controlled and edited context, in a way that proves endlessly interesting to someone like me, who likes to study human nature and personality.
But it is running into problems. The contestants are far too aware, from watching the previous series, of what they are supposed to do to win. What they never seem to realize is that there is absolutely no formula for winning this game, as the winners consistently prove. What we see most of the time is strategy, which is not nearly as interesting as relationships and human failings.
Another problem is that the contestants get less and less likeable with each series. With the exception of Rupert, a shining jewel among stones, just about everybody on this series was thoroughly horrible or stupid. The final four were all so boring and terrible, you couldn't want any of them to win. In the final two, the "nice" one was so dumb and lacking in undertanding that you wanted to shake her and tell her to go home, and the other was thoroughly venal, vindictive and vengeful, not to mention incapable of any physical or mental feats of "strength".
My advice to Mark Burnett, Survivor's producer? Find people who will bring a moral quotient into the game, who believe in friendship and honour and doing what's right (note: a Boy Scout uniform is no guarantee of this). Some really intelligent, educated, even wise, people might help. (note: Computer Programmer does not equal intelligent. Sorry) Is it possible to find such people among those who would abase themselves on Television for a slim chance of money? Hmmm...maybe not.
I can't wait for the next series of Amazing Race!
Monday, December 15, 2003
Snow Day!
God, snow makes me happy; unreasonably, giddily elated with the sheer beauty and fun of it. It transforms the world around me, turning it into a playground in white.
On the weekend we put up our outdoor lights and the decorations inside, including the tree. As we finished up the tree yesterday, darkness and snow began to fall. We ordered pizza and then dressed up in our snow suits and went for a walk through the park and looked at the lights in our neighbourhood. Everything was still and silent, except for the sound of my children laughing and the toboggan sizzing across the snow.
Happy anniversary D.! Do you think the anniversary of our first kiss might have something to do with the fact that I love this time of year so much?
Fall in love in the winter if you can. You'll always feel happy in the snow.
God, snow makes me happy; unreasonably, giddily elated with the sheer beauty and fun of it. It transforms the world around me, turning it into a playground in white.
On the weekend we put up our outdoor lights and the decorations inside, including the tree. As we finished up the tree yesterday, darkness and snow began to fall. We ordered pizza and then dressed up in our snow suits and went for a walk through the park and looked at the lights in our neighbourhood. Everything was still and silent, except for the sound of my children laughing and the toboggan sizzing across the snow.
Happy anniversary D.! Do you think the anniversary of our first kiss might have something to do with the fact that I love this time of year so much?
Fall in love in the winter if you can. You'll always feel happy in the snow.
Friday, December 12, 2003
Friday
We woke up this morning to a cold, dark house. Well, we pretty much always wake up to a cold dark house, but today it was colder because the power had been out since about 2:00 am. It was kind of fun, having breakfast by candlelight wearing sweaters and tuques. D. got out a little camping stove thingy and made me a coffee over it, which is very sweet if you ask me.
So it wasn't so hard to come into work today, where it is warm and I could get a toasted bagel and warm drinks whenever I please. Plus I'm leaving early because we have friends coming over for supper. D. has made Tiramisu for dessert. (Did I marry a fabulous guy or what?) Oh yeah, the power came back on later in the morning.
I have to make a bunch of calls to persuade famous people to do something they probably won't want to do, and I'm procrastinating like crazy. I want the famous people to like me, not dread the sound of my voice on the telephone! I'm not feeling very persuasive today either, though I am feeling very positive and surprisingly social. So maybe I should do it today; maybe the stars are aligned in my favour or some such jive.
Okay, I'm a do it! Later dudes!
We woke up this morning to a cold, dark house. Well, we pretty much always wake up to a cold dark house, but today it was colder because the power had been out since about 2:00 am. It was kind of fun, having breakfast by candlelight wearing sweaters and tuques. D. got out a little camping stove thingy and made me a coffee over it, which is very sweet if you ask me.
So it wasn't so hard to come into work today, where it is warm and I could get a toasted bagel and warm drinks whenever I please. Plus I'm leaving early because we have friends coming over for supper. D. has made Tiramisu for dessert. (Did I marry a fabulous guy or what?) Oh yeah, the power came back on later in the morning.
I have to make a bunch of calls to persuade famous people to do something they probably won't want to do, and I'm procrastinating like crazy. I want the famous people to like me, not dread the sound of my voice on the telephone! I'm not feeling very persuasive today either, though I am feeling very positive and surprisingly social. So maybe I should do it today; maybe the stars are aligned in my favour or some such jive.
Okay, I'm a do it! Later dudes!
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Better
Headache's gone, thankyouverymuch.
Yesterday I really felt the baby moving around for the first time. I'd had flutterings before, but they were so faint I couldn't be sure of what they were. But yesterday, and during the night (they woke me up!) I could feel very obvious movements, with my hand on my belly. I woke up my husband to put his hand on my belly too. It's so exciting! It really feels like a stronger connection once you feel it moving, like it's a real little entity in there, one that you are going to meet one day soon.
This is what they used to call "The Quickening", and I thought I had read somewhere that it was believed that the soul entered the baby at this time. Don't quote me on that, but I like the idea. It makes sense to me, because, as I said, I really feel like it's a real little person in there now, whereas before I couldn't connect with it that way.
It's all so fun. I'm so glad I'm doing this all again. I would have been sad never to do it again. I wasn't ready to give up the pregnancy, newborn, new-mother thing just yet. After this one? Most defini-probably!
Headache's gone, thankyouverymuch.
Yesterday I really felt the baby moving around for the first time. I'd had flutterings before, but they were so faint I couldn't be sure of what they were. But yesterday, and during the night (they woke me up!) I could feel very obvious movements, with my hand on my belly. I woke up my husband to put his hand on my belly too. It's so exciting! It really feels like a stronger connection once you feel it moving, like it's a real little entity in there, one that you are going to meet one day soon.
This is what they used to call "The Quickening", and I thought I had read somewhere that it was believed that the soul entered the baby at this time. Don't quote me on that, but I like the idea. It makes sense to me, because, as I said, I really feel like it's a real little person in there now, whereas before I couldn't connect with it that way.
It's all so fun. I'm so glad I'm doing this all again. I would have been sad never to do it again. I wasn't ready to give up the pregnancy, newborn, new-mother thing just yet. After this one? Most defini-probably!
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Not Good
Bad, bad headache. Started on Monday evening and hasn't let up since. Too hard to think, write, work, blog, anything.
Bad, bad headache. Started on Monday evening and hasn't let up since. Too hard to think, write, work, blog, anything.
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
A Blogger to Let
I love words, and I especially love etymologies of words. The funny thing is, I like figuring words and their origins out for myself more than I like looking them up. This is probably because I don't have an Oxford Dictionary, but I also like the thrill of putting two and two together.
At lunch recently, a couple of colleagues and I were wondering about the origin of the word "hack", used to describe a taxi but also a less-than-credible writer or artist. At the time I said that the taxi origin is probably the "Hackney Coach" used as a means of conveyance in the 17/18th C. But that didn't tell us how the other meaning came about.
Well, in reading Samuel Johnson's biography of Richard Savage I stumbled across what might be the origin of that usage. Richard Savage (18C playwright and poet) wrote a pamphlet called "An Author to Let" about a fictional "prostitute" writer named Iscariot Hackney. This writer was willing to write anything for anyone for money.
So the author to let is named after the carriage or coach that you can hire (like a cab). It's entirely possible that Savage wasn't the first to use Hackney to impute disreputability (is that a word?) to an artist and his motives. But I thought it was fun to find this out in my own reading when we had just discussed it recently.
Sometimes it pays to go back and read those books you were supposed to read in university! You can certainly enjoy them more when you read them at your leisure.
I love words, and I especially love etymologies of words. The funny thing is, I like figuring words and their origins out for myself more than I like looking them up. This is probably because I don't have an Oxford Dictionary, but I also like the thrill of putting two and two together.
At lunch recently, a couple of colleagues and I were wondering about the origin of the word "hack", used to describe a taxi but also a less-than-credible writer or artist. At the time I said that the taxi origin is probably the "Hackney Coach" used as a means of conveyance in the 17/18th C. But that didn't tell us how the other meaning came about.
Well, in reading Samuel Johnson's biography of Richard Savage I stumbled across what might be the origin of that usage. Richard Savage (18C playwright and poet) wrote a pamphlet called "An Author to Let" about a fictional "prostitute" writer named Iscariot Hackney. This writer was willing to write anything for anyone for money.
So the author to let is named after the carriage or coach that you can hire (like a cab). It's entirely possible that Savage wasn't the first to use Hackney to impute disreputability (is that a word?) to an artist and his motives. But I thought it was fun to find this out in my own reading when we had just discussed it recently.
Sometimes it pays to go back and read those books you were supposed to read in university! You can certainly enjoy them more when you read them at your leisure.
Monday, December 08, 2003
The social whirl.
The Christmas socializing season has officially begun. Besides the office party I went to lunch with my sisters and my mother and my dear friend whose birthday we were celebrating.
It was all fun, and it is always good to see my sisters. We see each other fairly frequently for family gatherings and we all get along pretty well. It wasn't always this way, though, believe me! We've had some pretty rock 'n' roll holidays in the past! I don't miss that. I guess we've mellowed as we've aged.
I have to admit that I don't much feel like socializing this year. I think it must be the hormones from the pregnancy. I just have a very low tolerance for and interest in most of the conversations in which I find myself involved. This really says nothing about the company, because I normally enjoy my family and friends. it's just me.
I think I might try to lay low this Christmas season, just so as not to be a wet blanket thrown on every party. I hate to be the Eeyore in the bunch, walking around with a deflated balloon, metaphorically speaking.
The Christmas socializing season has officially begun. Besides the office party I went to lunch with my sisters and my mother and my dear friend whose birthday we were celebrating.
It was all fun, and it is always good to see my sisters. We see each other fairly frequently for family gatherings and we all get along pretty well. It wasn't always this way, though, believe me! We've had some pretty rock 'n' roll holidays in the past! I don't miss that. I guess we've mellowed as we've aged.
I have to admit that I don't much feel like socializing this year. I think it must be the hormones from the pregnancy. I just have a very low tolerance for and interest in most of the conversations in which I find myself involved. This really says nothing about the company, because I normally enjoy my family and friends. it's just me.
I think I might try to lay low this Christmas season, just so as not to be a wet blanket thrown on every party. I hate to be the Eeyore in the bunch, walking around with a deflated balloon, metaphorically speaking.
Saturday, December 06, 2003
I give it a 7 out of 10
The party was good! The food was great, for a Christmas party; the place was funky and had good ventilation (important for non-smokers); everyone looked fabulous and most of my favourite people were there. There was a very funny blooper reel for a bit of entertainment and a raffle that didn't last too long this year. Not bad at all, though we left around 11:00 because things were getting boring. That's because we weren't drinking though, not because the party itself was bad.
All in all, a very successful office party. Worth getting out of my housecoat for!
The party was good! The food was great, for a Christmas party; the place was funky and had good ventilation (important for non-smokers); everyone looked fabulous and most of my favourite people were there. There was a very funny blooper reel for a bit of entertainment and a raffle that didn't last too long this year. Not bad at all, though we left around 11:00 because things were getting boring. That's because we weren't drinking though, not because the party itself was bad.
All in all, a very successful office party. Worth getting out of my housecoat for!
Friday, December 05, 2003
Par-tay?
Office Christmas party tonight! My belief that these things are going to get better shows that I am either an eternal optimist or a complete nincompoop. Every year the party sucks and we complain throughout January and vow we're not gonna take it next year. Yet every year (this will be my fourth in this place!) I get unreasonably excited about it, given past experience.
Fingers crossed yet again! At least this year it's on St-Laurent, so if it blows we can grab a gang and go somewhere better...
Office Christmas party tonight! My belief that these things are going to get better shows that I am either an eternal optimist or a complete nincompoop. Every year the party sucks and we complain throughout January and vow we're not gonna take it next year. Yet every year (this will be my fourth in this place!) I get unreasonably excited about it, given past experience.
Fingers crossed yet again! At least this year it's on St-Laurent, so if it blows we can grab a gang and go somewhere better...
Thursday, December 04, 2003
Up with Men!
I see in the National Post that a research group is undertaking a 5-year study into the role of fathers in the family today. The article mentions the fact that fathers are portrayed in popular culture as incompetent and juvenile. I couldn't agree more. I get so mad at portrayals of men in general, and husbands/fathers in particular, in the media. Think of that stupid toilet paper commerical where some fat dude is staring at shelves of different brands of TP in the grocery store and the singing voice says: "Remember what your wife told you...yeah, that one..." How insulting to men.
I think there's something more pernicious about these portrayals of men than the fact that it might make them feel bad about themselves. It reinforces stereotypes that are limiting for both sexes. If my husband thinks he can't do the shopping (he doesn't think that, BTW), and I think that he can't either, then who has to do it?
I was just thinking last night, actually, when I was zipping through the sitcoms in search of something worthwhile, that so many sitcoms at the moment portray awful marriage relationships. "My Wife and Kids", "According to Jim" and the super-popular "Everybody Loves Raymond" all portray the bumbling yet manipulative (lying) husband and the too-good but nagging wife, and all they seem to do is argue. Why is this? The men of my acquaintance are nothing like this, though even in real life it seems that we tend to buy into the idea of the shallow, stupid man and the superior and thus overworked woman. I must admit that I sometimes believe it myself.
There are differences between the genders, thank god. Why have we gone from valuing men's abilities over women's to valuing women's over men's? The stereotypes operate as traps for both genders, no matter which way the balance tips.
I see in the National Post that a research group is undertaking a 5-year study into the role of fathers in the family today. The article mentions the fact that fathers are portrayed in popular culture as incompetent and juvenile. I couldn't agree more. I get so mad at portrayals of men in general, and husbands/fathers in particular, in the media. Think of that stupid toilet paper commerical where some fat dude is staring at shelves of different brands of TP in the grocery store and the singing voice says: "Remember what your wife told you...yeah, that one..." How insulting to men.
I think there's something more pernicious about these portrayals of men than the fact that it might make them feel bad about themselves. It reinforces stereotypes that are limiting for both sexes. If my husband thinks he can't do the shopping (he doesn't think that, BTW), and I think that he can't either, then who has to do it?
I was just thinking last night, actually, when I was zipping through the sitcoms in search of something worthwhile, that so many sitcoms at the moment portray awful marriage relationships. "My Wife and Kids", "According to Jim" and the super-popular "Everybody Loves Raymond" all portray the bumbling yet manipulative (lying) husband and the too-good but nagging wife, and all they seem to do is argue. Why is this? The men of my acquaintance are nothing like this, though even in real life it seems that we tend to buy into the idea of the shallow, stupid man and the superior and thus overworked woman. I must admit that I sometimes believe it myself.
There are differences between the genders, thank god. Why have we gone from valuing men's abilities over women's to valuing women's over men's? The stereotypes operate as traps for both genders, no matter which way the balance tips.
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
Goodbye Robert
I've been reading Boswell's Life of Johnson, and it makes me wish that I had more of a social life, particularly one that centres on what Boswell calls "conversation". This is more than just talking. It's discussion that elicits polite argument and debate, as well as wit.
The closest thing to this in my life is our crossword time around the lunch table here at work. The people who work here are very intelligent, even intellectual, people who are mostly very funny as well. You might say that we have a cast of characters here, many of whom join together at lunch to do the crossword in one of the big papers. The crossword clues allow us to go off in so many different directions. You never know what ribald story or philosophical speculation might arise from a simple word. It reminds me of Johnson's conversations because it is almost competitive in spirit, with everyone hoping to shine and make the others laugh and think and yes, admire their intellect!
One of the stalwarts of our crossword lunches is leaving. He got a great job in Toronto, and we are all very sad to see him go. He is a total character, with a caustic wit and an acid tongue and a truly gentle and generous heart. He is one of my favourite people these days, the kind of person I want to show off to others as my friend. I know we'll still see him occasionally, but everyone here will miss him terribly. He would have been right at home in a room with Samuel Johnson, and I wish him happiness and good conversation wherever he goes.
I've been reading Boswell's Life of Johnson, and it makes me wish that I had more of a social life, particularly one that centres on what Boswell calls "conversation". This is more than just talking. It's discussion that elicits polite argument and debate, as well as wit.
The closest thing to this in my life is our crossword time around the lunch table here at work. The people who work here are very intelligent, even intellectual, people who are mostly very funny as well. You might say that we have a cast of characters here, many of whom join together at lunch to do the crossword in one of the big papers. The crossword clues allow us to go off in so many different directions. You never know what ribald story or philosophical speculation might arise from a simple word. It reminds me of Johnson's conversations because it is almost competitive in spirit, with everyone hoping to shine and make the others laugh and think and yes, admire their intellect!
One of the stalwarts of our crossword lunches is leaving. He got a great job in Toronto, and we are all very sad to see him go. He is a total character, with a caustic wit and an acid tongue and a truly gentle and generous heart. He is one of my favourite people these days, the kind of person I want to show off to others as my friend. I know we'll still see him occasionally, but everyone here will miss him terribly. He would have been right at home in a room with Samuel Johnson, and I wish him happiness and good conversation wherever he goes.
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
Happy thoughts
Just got in to work, and I'm in a good mood. This despite the biting winds and bitter cold outside. Why am I in such a good mood? Well, my morning at home was sweet, as is usually the case. But the reason I feel particularly good is that several people smiled at me during my morning commute.
I'm not sure why they smiled, but they weren't just shy, looking-at-the-ground smiles; they were real smiles, like those you would give a friend or acquaintance. I tried not to let paranoia take over and check if I had a snot hanging out of my nose or runny mascara. I think that it was just a case of exuding good energy and getting it back from others. I believe this is the way things work with people.
And it made me feel good and smile at others, so the good energy gets passed along. Ain't that nice?
Try it! Try feeling light of heart and smiling at people you don't know today. Maybe you'll create a karmic chain whose reach you can't even imagine... Who knows, maybe one of them will be a labour union leader who will stop a riot before it starts, because he feels so positive all of a sudden!
Just got in to work, and I'm in a good mood. This despite the biting winds and bitter cold outside. Why am I in such a good mood? Well, my morning at home was sweet, as is usually the case. But the reason I feel particularly good is that several people smiled at me during my morning commute.
I'm not sure why they smiled, but they weren't just shy, looking-at-the-ground smiles; they were real smiles, like those you would give a friend or acquaintance. I tried not to let paranoia take over and check if I had a snot hanging out of my nose or runny mascara. I think that it was just a case of exuding good energy and getting it back from others. I believe this is the way things work with people.
And it made me feel good and smile at others, so the good energy gets passed along. Ain't that nice?
Try it! Try feeling light of heart and smiling at people you don't know today. Maybe you'll create a karmic chain whose reach you can't even imagine... Who knows, maybe one of them will be a labour union leader who will stop a riot before it starts, because he feels so positive all of a sudden!
Monday, December 01, 2003
More movie talk
I'm starting to get itchy about The Return of the King!!! I can't wait to see this one, yet I feel kinda sad that it's going to be the last. At least I'll have the extended DVD version of the whole trilogy to look forward to. Being poor and without a DVD player, I haven't found it too difficult to resist buying the early extended packages, but whenever I hear what's on them I feel left out. I'm definitely expecting the final package for my birthday in May (hint hint)...
I'm definitely a big LOR fan from way back, and looked forward to the films as much as anyone, but I'm not an LOR geek, if you will. I don't know why this is; perhaps it's because none of my close friends or family were into LOR at all, so I never had anyone to talk to about it. The books were always my own solitary pleasure, at least until my husband read them all, then my dad. Now we talk about them a little, but now the films are out, so we tend to talk abut those rather than the books.
Anyway, I still can't believe that someone was able to realize the books for the screen with such success. Peter Jackson has achieved something I thought was impossible.
I finally had a doctor's appointment last Friday and the whole family got to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was so neat! I was relieved because it was the first time for me with this one, and it's a very reassuring thing to hear that watery little **whuh whuh whuh whuh** that tells you everything appears to be working, insofar as we can tell before the ultrasound. The ultrasound will be on Christmas Eve! That was the only appointment I could get before mid-January. I don't mind, but I think it means we won't have our usual Christmas Eve open house. Seeing as nobody ever comes to our Christmas Eve open house, that doesn't seem like such a terrible hardship.
I'm starting to get itchy about The Return of the King!!! I can't wait to see this one, yet I feel kinda sad that it's going to be the last. At least I'll have the extended DVD version of the whole trilogy to look forward to. Being poor and without a DVD player, I haven't found it too difficult to resist buying the early extended packages, but whenever I hear what's on them I feel left out. I'm definitely expecting the final package for my birthday in May (hint hint)...
I'm definitely a big LOR fan from way back, and looked forward to the films as much as anyone, but I'm not an LOR geek, if you will. I don't know why this is; perhaps it's because none of my close friends or family were into LOR at all, so I never had anyone to talk to about it. The books were always my own solitary pleasure, at least until my husband read them all, then my dad. Now we talk about them a little, but now the films are out, so we tend to talk abut those rather than the books.
Anyway, I still can't believe that someone was able to realize the books for the screen with such success. Peter Jackson has achieved something I thought was impossible.
I finally had a doctor's appointment last Friday and the whole family got to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was so neat! I was relieved because it was the first time for me with this one, and it's a very reassuring thing to hear that watery little **whuh whuh whuh whuh** that tells you everything appears to be working, insofar as we can tell before the ultrasound. The ultrasound will be on Christmas Eve! That was the only appointment I could get before mid-January. I don't mind, but I think it means we won't have our usual Christmas Eve open house. Seeing as nobody ever comes to our Christmas Eve open house, that doesn't seem like such a terrible hardship.
