Hello, storm chasers! Welcome to Friday Open Thread, a place to turn off the weather reports and chase our passions together and also a space to chat and hang and share what’s going on in our lives. Help yourself to some coffee or tea or hot chocolate. Pull up a pillow cushion in this cozy little nook and let’s chill out, ok?
Look, I know the weather outside is frightful.
But the fire in the Hogwart’s library is so delightful.
Life is feeling pretty intense right now for a lot of us. I found myself typing things into my work calendar in ALL CAPS on Monday this week, like subconsciously text-screaming about my life. My day job, working for the New York ACLU, feels pretty awesome and important right now, but it also feels fucking impossible. Like, how are we going to stay on top of this all?
Every day, I’m hearing from people who are scared and every day I’m working my ass off trying to get something, anything done that might help protect our rights. It’s dark days and everyone at my office is overwhelmed.
In an effort to take a needed break, I had lunch with my former boss from Planned Parenthood on Tuesday. She reminded me that Trump’s tactic here is to do so many things so fast that we all become dazed and exhausted and so broken down that we become complacent. So, with that reminder ringing in my head, let’s talk about other stuff here today in the interest of not letting Trump burn us out.
Like, I’m down to talk about U.S. politics if you want to, but what I’d really like to hear about your life outside of that, what’s new and exciting, what you’re working on, what you’re reading or making or trying for the first time, how you’re making time for yourself (or struggling to), if you’re watching the Super Bowl this weekend, pics of your craft projects and pets and family and whatever you ate for breakfast.
As for me, I’m just past the five-month mark of life as a human/dino parent. It’s going so fast! I can’t believe how much she’s changed already. Parenting has gotten a little easier as she gets older and can start to do more things, play more ways, and express herself vocally. She wants to engage with the big beautiful world, all the time.
Having a childcare schedule that allows Waffle and me to share responsibilities around our opposite work shifts means that I can’t do as much outside of 9-5 hours as I used to. It’s forced me to go home at a reasonable time most days. I have to focus on caring for this little human instead of going to every rally every day. It’s changed how my activism looks, but it’s forced me to prioritize family time over work/resistance time — something I’ve been notoriously unsuccessful at in the past.
I’m still squeezing in a lot of work (between day job 9-5, writing for Autostraddle, and teaching a college class). I’m just prioritizing my parenting responsibilities now. It feels busy in a different way. Most nights, by 6:00 PM, I’m on the couch playing with Remi instead of still sucked into my inbox.
Speaking of being on the couch by 6:00 PM, I’m thrilled that both Steven Universe and Adventure Time aired new episodes this week and both with so much new canon material! (OK, so I saw the Steven Bomb episodes already when they early-released them, so I’m technically re-watching them.) Both series are doing some freakin’ great stuff that I don’t want to spoil for y’all if you haven’t seen it, but I’d love to chat about it if you have! I preferred “Stakes” to “Islands,” but I’m relishing in finally getting the long-awaited Finn backstory and Susan Strong’s sweet, tragic origin story. It’s resonating on some awkwardly personal level with me as a transracial adoptee.
Speaking of personal awkwardness, I recently tried to repair something for Waffle with a sewing machine my mom refurbished for me about a decade ago. I was really confident that I remembered how to use a sewing machine. So confident. Waffle raised a dubious eyebrow, but he brought the sewing machine down from the attic. After thoroughly removing the shroud of dust and grime, I spent about 30 arduous minutes trying to thread the damn needle. Turns out, no, I do not know how to operate a sewing machine. In fact, I don’t even know how to attach the needle or wind the thread. DIY/crafting/making continues to be NOT MY THING. My mom is a master crafter, but I just didn’t pick it up from her, as much as she tried to instill it in me.
Speaking of my mom, she’s going to watch Baby T. Rex for a couple days in March so Waffle and I can have some grown-up childfree time. We’re going to our favorite place in NYC for the weekend. Waffle scored on-stage seating tickets for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 on Broadway. I’m confident it’s going to be this year’s Hamilton at the Tony’s. If weird off-off theatre gone mainstream Broadway is your thing, check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIO5PCaZhEM
Oh, and bonus, Josh Groban is off the night we’re going, so we get to see the original Pierre. No hate to Groban, who has been getting rave reviews. I’m just more interested in seeing the original Pierre who is also the composer, Dave Malloy. OK, enough #theatrenerd.
So now you go! Tell me what’s up! I can’t wait to see your pics and read your words and chat about life, the good, the bad, and the weird! Hit me with your real real reals!
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