Follow Clairest

When people tell you that your child will be your "everything" I sometimes wish they'd been more candid -- or I had better capability to realize -- that, at least in the beginning, they may be your only thing.

With a new little baby many things have gone by the wayside including: showers on Sundays; The Daily Show & The Colbert Report; looking at myself in the mirror before I go out the door; dinners that are any more complex than two ingredients; and blogging.

I've barely managed a post once or twice a month. As someone who's kept a diary fairly constantly since I received a pink paisley fabric-covered journal for Christmas in fifth grade, I miss it. Maybe you have missed me too?

So, I invite you to follw me over to micro-blogging at tumblr. I am hopeful that this version of clairest will still allow the outlet, even if it's just a photo from my phone or a brief thought.

But let's be patient with this experiment.

LOL

This made me laugh out loud, and sometimes I wish I had this guy over my shoulder too... in meetings, on public transportation.

One Thing To Know About Snow

To the guy on the shuttle bus tonight who rolled his eyes at me when I commented to a friend, "Yes, lake effect snow is really a problem on the east side of lakes, like in Indiana," please read this: "Winds accompanying Arctic air masses generally blow from a west or northwest direction, causing lake effect snow to fall on the east or southeast side of lakes."
Next time you want to give a superior and smug, "you don't know what you're talking about" look, please make sure you know what you are talking about! Or at least make sure I don't see your little smirk.
That is all.

Worth It

Remember how I spent the last few days of my pregnancy cobbling together a mobile to go over Calvin's changing table? Well, I think it may have been one of the most worthwhile activities I did to prepare for baby. Childbirth class was also helpful, of course.

Calvin *loves* that darn thing. Some days, when nothing is working to assuage him, we just put him on the changing pad and he delights in the mobile. Sometimes for longer than a half hour! Turn down your volume before you play this video, particularly if you are at work, as Calvin has learned how to squeal.

Maybe (if time permits) this might be a fun next addition to the ceiling, via Say Yes to Hoboken.Though I think I might need to know "when to say when" with the nursery decorating.

The Time Has Come

All of the things that I'd hoped we get from The Jetsons in my lifetime flying cars was my number one wish. As someone who's now older and has a house to keep clean, Rosie the Housecleaning Robot is my most practical desire. (Sorry Roomba, while you are helpful with cat hair, your capabilities are still far behind! Rosie would be so helpful to have around.)But instead what we got is video phone calls. Particularly with our recent acquisition of iPhone 4S' with "Facetime" Jason and I are literally seeing a lot more of our distant friends.

It was funny to dial my sister (on her husband's iPhone) and see her quickly pull her hair out of its ponytail and give it a quick tousle as we greeted each other. I know I spent a few minutes of every holiday Skype call trying to inconspicuously fix my hair when I spied a stray curl in the mini video box. On really bad days I used Calvin's large head as my camouflage - he's who everyone really wants to see anyway, right?

It makes me wish that with the video phone calls we could have each gotten the Jane Jetson morning phone mask. I'm sure this was on Steve Jobs' list because even I remembered it from my young days watching cartoons.

Good Listen: The Taj

It's rare these days that I get to listen to any radio story altogether at once*, but this one was worth going back to the NPR website for a listen: Heroes of Mumbai's Taj Hotel, detailing the heroic altruism of the staff of Mumbai's Taj Hotel during the terror attacks of 2003.It rung very true from our stay at the hotel, where service was extraordinary. And this story reflects that it was an enduring trait, even in their worst crisis. The story also tells you about how business and branding matter.

*I realize now that this story is only nine minutes long, which tells you what life with an infant is like in terms of attention span and personal time!

Let There Be Light Longer

I am waiting for the blanket of clouds that will cover Chicago for the next three months to arrive. The day will get grey and I will wonder why we can't just keep the Christmas lights up until April. December seems to early to put them up and January too soon to take them down. I will need some cheeriness and blinking display on my walks home in late February.