Bad Mother

I recently finished reading Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman, who is married to Michael Chabon. While reading his book of essays on what it means to be a man, a husband and a father, I found out that she had her own book of essays recently published. I'd never read any of her work before; I'd sort of assumed that her "Mommy-track mysteries" were the work of someone who was trying a new, easier profession and with her husband's connections, they didn't have to be very good and she could still get published.

But in his book, he talked enough about her and her life, and how she was as a partner and a mother that I became curious and decided to give it a try. True, she's nowhere in the same league as he is as a writer. She's certainly intelligent enough (I would hope a Harvard educated attorney, her previous profession, would be a smartie) and she's had her fair share of fodder for essays so the subject matter was fascinating and her honesty was inspiring. He, however, has spent years perfecting his craft and it shows. The intricasies of his language, the depth of detail, the spiraling sentences that envelope you in the story are the work of a true wordsmith.

So I don't know if I related to her book better simply because we're both women, and there's some common experience or not, but I found myself shocked and awed over and over at how familiar the essays were. The stories about self esteem, of impatience with the narrow-mindedness of others, the expectations you have for your children, the freedom you give your children, the instantaneous knowledge that you have finally found your partner, the desire to be home with your child and then the rude awakening that it's not everything you thought it would be, and then the guilt over not being satisfied that you're home with your child, the boredom, the need to connect with others but still maintain your space. So, so many things. I have never, ever wanted to contact a writer before and say "You were writing about ME!" but this time, I had to resist trying to find her e-mail address.

If you're reading this and you're a woman, check it out from the library. I think you might find some common ground and the strength to admit some things about yourself.

TV on DVD

The really great thing about being able to get your favorite TV shows on DVD, is that you can easily consume four or five episodes in an evening, and get enough to hold you over till your next few free hours to consume another four or five more. You can zip through an entire season of pain and pleasure, disappointment and heartache in just a few dedicated nights. Which is what I just did with Season 5 of Grey's Anatomy. With a young one still up and acting like a banshee when the shows are actually on, it's not realy possible to watch them. I'm now catching up and finally getting to see the episodes that everyone was so shocked about months earlier, with George getting hit by a bus and dying in the season finale.

But being a romantic, what I'm most interested in is the instant dynamic between Christina Yang and Major Owen Hunt, played by Sandra Oh and the amazing Kevin McKidd. I loved Rome when it was on HBO and he was incredible as Lucius Vorenus, so it's no surprise that he's managed to breathe new life into what had become a formulaic story.

Now I might have to watch the new season's episode on Hulu. I don't think I can wait for Season 6 to come out on DVD.

The Art of Men

Can I just say, Michael Chabon rocks? I'm reading his new book, Manhood for Amateurs, and his prose is as good as his fiction. Yowza. Every man should read this and every wife who has felt unappreciated, should read this chapter "William & I." No kidding. Get thee to a bookstore now.

Facebook

I gave in and joined Facebook. So there.

Me First

As so often happens with my business, client work comes first. It's why my first company Web site was so deplorable and quickly out-of-date, it's why my second company Web site was too brief and too structured (and then quickly fell out-of-date), and it's why I need to do something about it. Desperately. I have a full project board, just like I always do, and with three Web sites in various stages of completion (waiting on client content or approval) and three more redesigns about to commence, my regular print projects starting soon (and a bevy of printed pieces for Mike) I find myself stopping and redesigning my own.

I've joined some more networking groups lately and ramped up my involvement with LinkedIn, so I'm getting "checked out" a lot more; I cringe when I think that some new contact is looking at my Web site and going, "Oh my..."

I recently started an E-newsletter and designed the template for it with the intention that it would also serve for the template of my site, so I was already halfway there. Well, I've set today aside and it happens today. If you're reading this post, then you've seen the new site. Hope you like it.