Hurricane Sandy

Last year we had a hurricane threat - Irene - although there was some damage and flooding, it definitely did not hit as bad as expected.  We had some downed branches in the hood especially in Prospect Park but that was pretty much it.  Today it's Hurricane Sandy - I've never in my life experienced all the MTA not running and bridges (including the Throgs Neck, Tappan Zee, Whitestone, Verazano and Hudson River) and tunnels being closed due to a Hurricane.  We'll pretty much be stranded here since there's no way to get out of NYC.  That's pretty crazy.  We're far from the water, so we should be safe from any flooding that Zone A is experiencing...perhaps we'll get some flying tree branches and power outages...but so far all is ok.  There has already been flooding in Red Hook, Green Point and Battery Park before the center of the hurricane has even reached us.  The FDR is flooded and closed.  There's going to be major water damage.  I saw pictures of NJ and cities near the water, and it looked pretty bad.  Hope everyone survives Sandy unscathed.  I figured I should try and blog before the power goes out.  Most people did not go to work today since the subways were shut down last night.  The ills of working from home is that no inclement weather can stop you from working unless of course the power goes out or there's no internet.  Most people will not be working tomorrow either because the trains are still not in service.  Some people have lost power already...not sure if we have enough provisions/candles to survive without power.  I'm charging up my laptop now for entertainment purposes...This definitely should be interesting. I received an interesting message from our Pediatrician's office which I thought was pretty funny:

Dear Families,

This will be the first time Tribeca Pediatrics has ever closed due to weather conditions. I want to let you know that we are monitoring the situation and will try to re-open our offices as soon as transportation will allow.

In the meantime, our phone lines are open and staffed by receptionists and providers (working remotely from home). We are also planning to extend hours in the coming weeks so that all appointments can be rescheduled conveniently.

Stay safe and be assured that we will do our best to be available to you. On the upside, I look forward to seeing lots of new babies nine months from now!

Cheers,

Michel

Haha -  And on a lighter note, my son has perfected blowing kisses complete with sound effect, "MWAH!"  It's very cute.  He's also perfecting screaming at a very high pitch when he doesn't get what he wants...hmmm not sure how to curve that behavior and encourage the cute ones.

Election Day 2012

I don't normally like to spout politics or stand on a soap box because I don't like stirring the pot, but election day is coming and I just have to say if you are pro-woman, if you are a woman, you should vote for Obama.  Besides the whole binder full of women comment, I mean the only thing Romney said that he would do to help women get equal pay for equal work is get them home in time to make dinner? Come on! Well I'm lucky my hubby cooks dinner most of the time.  Does that mean I don't need to get paid as much as my colleague for doing the same job?  And that whole debate on contraception..Republicans calling that woman promiscuous because she uses birth control. It's called being responsible.  I am a married woman and still use birth control.  Why? Because I'm not ready to have another baby right now.  I am abortion clinic, sure there are plenty of families operating the same way. Why should an employer dictate if that's covered by insurance or not?  If they don't want it covered, then maybe birth control should be over the counter, not a prescription med.  It's a women's right and freedom of choice to use birth control and it's being a responsible citizen because why would you want people to have kids who aren't ready or can't afford it?  There is so much more to say on that topic but I won't right now.  Not to mention, sometimes women are on birth control because of other reasons such as irregular periods or dysmenorrea. I must add that some of the Republicans' stance on rape is outrageous and it would really suck if they cut funding to planned parenthood.  Planned parenthood is not just an abortion clinic.   It provides affordable health care, testing, counseling,  teaches about safe sex and provides affordable birth control for people who need it.  Anyway just had to get that off my chest.

the spiderman weeble

Our anniversary weekend getaway was nice.  My parents took care of the baby while we went off to play.  We flew American which is really the worst.  It seems like they just haven't upgraded since the 80's, including their stewardesses.  There are no tv screens behind the seat in front of you which is a downer.  On the way there, I was forced to watch NBC promos.  On the way home, they actually showed the most recent Spiderman flick but the screen was pretty small and a couple of rows away.  Anyway I decided to read my Anthony Bordain book, "A Cook's Tour" instead.  Pretty good so far but I'm a fan so.. Speaking of Spiderman, the little man is climbing things...lots of things he shouldn't be climbing on, like the vintage dresser which houses our TV..  Last night it looked like he was able to climb up onto the couch by himself while holding on to one of us or our limbs at least.  Today after lunch, I turn around and to my surprise, he's sitting on the couch all by himself.  He was sitting there nonchalantly playing with one of the throw pillows, like it was an ordinary thing.  What?!!  He can now totally get up there on his own and get off of the couch on his own. It's low enough or he's gotten tall enough to swing his leg over the seat and pull himself up and to get off, he turns on to his belly so that his feet dangle off the seat and then he slides back until his feet hit the ground.  Now here comes trouble for sure!!  He likes to walk on the couch and try to grab things off the bookcase that's next to it - not good.  Or reach over the other end and try to play the guitar. He might flip off the couch if he's not careful.  Ugh, this means I am totally going to need eyes in the back of my head now.   It's crazy how nimble and adept he can be to do climb on and off the sofa, but at the same time he's a total weeble.  He keeps tripping over himself head first.  I can't count how many times he's stumbled and has landed flat on his back.  Can't be good for his brain cells.  He sometimes claps his hands or snaps his fingers above his head when there's a song or music that he likes.  My sister's boyfriend noticed how his hands can barely reach over his own head because it's so big.  It doesn't seem overtly large to me but it is true - he can barely reach above his head.  Hopefully he won't weeble off the couch when I'm not on guard.

sick deux

Yesterday I woke up with a sore throat but it went away once i re-hydrated.  Today I woke up with a sore throat and it's still there.  Ugh - I knew I was coming down with something because my eyes started hurting yesterday - a kind of low grade headache that feels like there's a burning behind my eyes.  I know sounds weird but that's what happens to me when I catch a bad cold.  What do you do when you feel ill but already work from home?  Continue working but stay in your pajamas and don't leave the house.  My son still has his runny nose so he's all congested - poor thing.  I think I am catching a different caliber of cold so I can't blame him for passing it on.

The other night was my wedding anniversary.  My sis and her boyfriend were nice enough to babysit for us so we could go out sans baby.  We decided to go to Buddakan which is right near Chelsea Market and right at the edge of the meatpacking district. Being from NY, you get accustomed to the tight cramped spaces that most restaurants accost you with...chairs back to back with the next table, people hitting you as they pass by, waiters accidentally spilling food on you all because of the cramped spaces.  Not this place.  Buddakan is huge, cavernous and dark and it's quite impressive when you walk down the stairs to the dining area with it's high vaulted ceilings, and massive center table.  They also have a lounge on the first floor when you walk in where you can have drinks and eat if you want.  I felt like I had walked into a hotel lobby front desk only it was very dark with mood lighting like a night club.  There were lots of dudes wearing suit jackets and women in work attire.  So it was that kind of place but mixed in with regular folk and tourists. My hubby and I rated this place a 7.5 out of 10.  Wait staff was great..(they dropped one of my buns for my hoisin glazed pork belly and they remembered to bring a replacement one albeit after I had already scarfed everything down because I was starving and they had to make a new one fresh)..ambiance was ok if you like being in a dark subterranean alcove.  I would not say the place is romantic because there is a constant buzz of people and sounds but it looked like it was a popular date night spot - somewhere you take someone to impress them or you're trying to be hip.  I do agree with some of the comments I read on yelp - it is basically overpriced Chinese food - but they have to pay for the real estate and the abundant restaurant staff.  I was impressed with the appetizers.  As I mentioned, I had the hoisin glazed pork belly and it tasted damn good to me.  The pork was served on a bed of coleslaw which had a hint of ginger mixed in.  The steamed buns were hot, soft and slightly sweet - perfect to go with the crunchy slaw.  My hubby tried these carrot dumplings which were literally shaped like baby carrots - orange skin and all..I had a bite and it tasted good to me.  Since my hubby is a vegetarian, I had to eat all the pork by myself, which didn't leave much room for anything else.  But I was impressed with how they twisted and fried our crispy whole fish.  It tasted good, but I felt like the green curry sauce was a bit too sweet.  Anyway I was stuffed to say the least along with eating Tofu with Eggplant & Dried Pineapple (pretty good), Stir Fried Chinese Vegetables (typical) and Vegetable Fried Rice (I felt like the rice was too sweet and left sort of a candy like aftertaste). I was curious to know how crazy and big their kitchen must be because there were so many people dining and the food was just constantly flowing out.  (yes, we were seated right by the kitchen entrance and bathroom - I guess that's what we get for not making a reservation? But it wasn't an inconvenient or bad spot - you just got to see a lot of people passing by.)  It was pricey but I guess every now and then on special occasions, it doesn't hurt to splurge and try out somewhere you haven't been before.

Dinner + Baby

Last night we went out to dinner - 3 couples (including myself), my friend visiting from Miami and another friend, total 8 plus our baby.   We went to a spot called Esperanto on Avenue C in the East Village, a Brazilian/South American joint.  I had never been there before.  I liked the ambiance.  I think they have live Samba music on Saturday nights.  I would have to say the place is not kid friendly since they don't have high chairs available, and goes without saying no changing table in the bathroom.  Good thing we had some bench seating so I was able to corner our son in and feed him as he sat next to me.  He was pretty well behaved but got a little antsy and started crying towards the middle/end because I think he was tired but forcing himself to stay awake or he was completely bored. I'm not sure which.  Since it was quite loud in there, I don't think anyone noticed the screaming baby which was good, but since it was quite loud I also couldn't hear what anyone else was saying especially on the other end of the table.  The hubby took him outside a couple of times to calm him down which helped a bit when he got  really fidgety.  Of course most everyone was late meeting up but there was plenty of space to be seated because we got there so early (6pm).  Good thing it was empty because it was not until an hour later that we actually went to sit down.  It did fill up by the time we left though.  Food was good. The waitress was nice to let us put in an order of  Cod Fish and Potato Cakes for the baby as soon as we sat down, before anyone else had ordered, so we could get the baby some food asap.  They were delicious and perfectly fried balls of goodness.  I also had Carne Asada  which was seasoned nicely and tasted pretty good, served with a side of black beans and rice.  It was still a little chewy for my taste but not inedible.  Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food.  They have a feijoida there that I want to try.  Next time.  Hubby had a vegetarian plate - skewered vegetables which seemed to also be seasoned nicely.  He also ordered some fried yucca which was crispy and tasted awesome.  Overall it was nice to get to gather with people we hadn't seen for some time and have a night out.  Across the street there is a neighborhood garden, and they were having a free concert which was also a nice touch to end the evening.

The pièce de résistance is we got to see my friend's twin baby boys for the first time.  They are 11 weeks old and oh so small and lovely.  Gorgeous babies!  I can't imagine having to care for double at this stage of 2 hour wakings/feedings.  Must be exhausting but still rewarding to see the little smiles on their faces.  I forget that my baby was once that size because in one year they grow so fast.  And to think prior to this, they didn't even exist.  Every time I see a baby, I know the scientific why and how, but it really makes me wonder at this miracle of life.   It seems like they were formed out of nowhere and are now these little precious human beings born with their own personalities, learning and adjusting and becoming part of this crazy old world that we are all a part of, until one day they are the adults and we cease to exist, and the cycle begins all over again. 

broken into pieces

is it my kid only or do lots of kids like to break tissue up into a million little pieces?  i'm not quite sure what the fascination is but he will steal a napkin off the table, or grab a tissue from my bag or wherever and just proceed to rip it up into a nice pile of little messes that i have to pick up all over the place.  i wouldn't mind him doing this (since it doesn't really hurt him or anyone around him and does keep him somewhat occupied if only for a few minutes) if it weren't for the million tiny floating pieces that i have to gather from all around the room.  i guess that gives me some needed exercise and distracts me from sitting on my ass all day typing on the computer. 

poor little man.  this week he has caught his first cold.  his nose is just running like a lost freight train without any brakes.  he's sneezing every now and then too.  he doesn't like me wiping his nose either.  he'd rather rub all the goo with his hands and spread it who knows where, or just let it drip down.his face.  no one wonder toddlers are a haven for spreading germs.  gross.  not sure there's much i can do to relieve him from his symptoms.  i'm also not sure where he caught the cold from.  hopefully it will go away soon.

in the past week, i've applied to 2 positions and i got my first rejection notice today.  ha.  i guess the first job i applied for was a bit far fetched since i had no valid work experience in the field but it was worth a try.  you never know unless you try.  it's very nice of them to email a rejection letter so at least you're not left hanging. 

Back on the saddle?

I have the perfect job situation in terms of being able to take care of my child and still have a full time job, working from home.  I don't think there are that many job opportunities that allow you to do that unless you do freelance work, work in design or own your own company.  There are pros and cons to working at home.  On the plus side,you get to work independently with no one literally watching over your shoulder, although obviously you have to perform your job as the people you work with can tell if your doing what needs to be done. You have a lot of freedom that you normally wouldn't have in a bricks and mortar office.  I can run an errand, go to the doctors at whatever time.  I can answer emails in my pajamas.  There's no commute.  I'm always home to accept mail order packages.  And like I said, I have the ability to watch my baby at the same time, which can be a balancing act at times, but it definitely saves on the nanny/daycare expense.  Another plus would be no interoffice politics.  Why? Because I work by myself.  The only politics would be dealt with via email which I think is less of a hassle than when you would have to deal with it face to face on a daily basis.  But sometimes it's hard to separate work from home.  So on the down side, you can end up checking emails at 9PM at night or during dinner time when you should really be spending time with the family.  You don't necessarily feel like you've left the work place and you're headed home since it's all now rolled into one.  Living in a 1 bedroom in NYC, space is limited so I have no formal office - I have a makeshift desk in my kitchen/dining area. I have no daily face-to-face social interaction with coworkers.  I do use the phone and there is lots of email communication but it's not exactly the same as having someone sitting in an office next to you.  But I think the pros outweigh the cons.  Why would I trade my current job in for one where I do need to commute and find a babysitter and make my life more complicated than it needs to be?  Well unfortunately the  financial situation of my current employment is a bit shaky. So in order to protect myself and my family, I think it would be best to at least start looking and see what's out there...You know what they say.. the best time to start looking is when you still have a job, not after you've lost it.  And even if I apply for a position, it doesn't necessarily mean I will actually get asked in for an interview.  It might take a long time before I even get a call back.  It's a little crazy since I haven't been on the job market for a long time.  I'm not even sure what types of jobs to apply for.   Since I've been working with the same people for such a long time, I sometimes feel like I'm betraying my work family.  But if they eventually become unable to pay me my full salary, then how am I supposed to survive, pay rent and care for a baby?  I sometimes wish that I was well off and didn't have to worry about paying the bills, but it's just not the case.  Anyway, shouldn't a job that you put your blood, sweat and tears into provide stability and benefits whether or not you have money in the bank?  I've started looking at companies that I like in the clothing and home decor arenas to see if there are any openings that correlate with my current skills.  Sometimes I wish I was a nurse or something where the jobs always seem to be stable and in demand.  We really were hit hard by the waves of the recession and then the dollar exchange rate.  Not all jobs, like nursing, are as dependent on the market as that.  But then you ask yourself do you need to be practical or do you want to pursue things that you actually enjoy?  I mean having a family, you do need to be somewhat practical.  I can't go off, quit my job and just sell t-shirts on etsy without having some kind of steady income.  So it looks like I have to get back on the job hunt saddle again, and not sure if it's out there but I hope I can find the perfect match.