Back to the Boards...

After 3 days off we get back on stage tonight for BABY. Only 3 shows left for those of you who haven't checked it out. In the interim I got fed up with myself and got back on the treadmill and now I am a bit sore. It's a good sore. Tonight I shall try to re-capture the rhythms of the show and deliver the same product to this audience as I have to the others. I am praying that I remembered all my costumes pieces (we took some home for washing) as I would like to be dressed correctly in all my scenes.

I spent most of today on Pharmacy-Payroll stuff. Things that I have neglected a bit because of being busy. I feel very productive and hope that I can find a way to be like that more frequently so I don't feel like I am playing catch-up all the time. I get frustrated at the CRA telephone system that will take a minimum of 10 minutes on hold to get through, or else you will be bounced to a busy signal 5 times in a row after pressing '2'. Finally I got my questions answered and my documents in an envelope. Feels good. Now all we need to do is find more part-time help for both the Pharmacy and the Front Store. Anyone out there looking?

Being More Comfortable in my own Skin...

Today was one of Gibby's Preschool days. While he was in class I sat with a couple of other mothers in the lobby chatting about this and that. They each had a younger child with them (around 6 mo- 9 mo) and the topic came up of 'going back to work'. Both spoke about it as though it was unavoidable and I got the impression that it was for different reasons, none of which were a desire to actually be at work. Both mothers cited financial reasons and one of them also cited the fear of losing seniority. I know this is one of the things that frustrates me. Not that I can't be home. Because I can. It is because it has become a luxury to be able to stay home. A few months ago, my sister sent me an article about daycare funding which summed it up for me... "Fund the Child". If the money follows the child, then people could determine more freely how to provide care for their children. By putting the funding solely into daycare, it leaves little option for those who might be 'on the cusp' of affording to stay home. I want more choice and I want social acceptability to come with all the choices. If, as a society, we only put dollars towards one choice then we are saying that that is the only choice with value. Personally, I think it might even be one of the least valuable choices for the children.

Fringe on the Horizon...

Last night we had the first read-thru for Cinderella, the Fringe show I am in. I play the Fairy Godmother. It is very cute and funny and I think it will be good for the kids. The style is Oscar Wilde so I am in heaven. I love the Wilde! My character is quite "Lady Bracknell" so that is fun! The rest of the cast seems nice. There is a definite range in age, but the range makes sense for the roles so I do not feel like a dinosaur. I am looking forward to working with Linette again. I had so much fun with her during Steel Magnolias.

Me, the stay at home mom....

A conversation happened this weekend that made me think about what I am as defined by what I do... I am a stay at home mom. I know why I am. I know that my reasons are my own and I know that as far as I can see it is the best for me, my kids and my family. I am also a fabulous person, intelligent, talented, gifted in many ways and I do not feel that I am wasting my life by being at home, but every so often I talk to someone and I can tell that they think less of me because of my staying home with my kids. I can tell that they have an idea about 'the kind of person' that stays home with their kids. Now, in the conversation this weekend, this was not how I was treated. We weren't even talking about me, but I keep coming back to it in my head and I wonder how many people would stay home if they didn't feel they would be judged and de-valued because they chose to do that.

And then I think... do I judge people who chose to go to work and put their kids in daycare? Probably. I don't want to be that 'judgy' person, but if I am honest, I probably do. But I know a lot of that is because I am paying for part of their daycare with my taxes and no one subsidizes my staying home to care for my kids.

Juggling Act

I am currently in the little break between weekends of "Baby". If you haven't seen it, come out. It is a pretty good show and although I am not in much, I think we will give you a fun night out. Only 3 shows left, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Tonight, I am going to the first rehearsal for Cinderella, the Fringe show I am in. If I didn't have that I would have had a rehearsal for the One Act I am Assistant Directing at Walterdale. I may drop by there after the Cinderella rehearsal ends just to see where it is at. I have been away from it for a week and a half because of "Baby" so I am interested in seeing what has happened with it. I am looking forward to when it settles into just one thing.

Anyhow, I did want to say that I got back on the Treadmill today. These shows really screw up my working out because I find myself craving sleep more than working out so I let it lapse. However, a lot of the dressing room talk has brought up fitness and fatness and then i watched Biggest Loser Australia last night and I figured I had to get back on. Even if I can't make it to the YMCA at 9 AM, I can certainly climb on the treadmill at 10 AM. It was tough, but I know it will get better.

Parking Lot Rage

Deep Breath....

So I just got back from the bank. The bank is at Westmount Mall which happens to have the stupidest parking lot right now because of the construction. It's tight. I know that. I park further away from the door than I'd like because I need to find a spot with enough room to get Gibson in and out. Fine. I do that. Then, after we are done our business in the Mall we return to find a different car parked on the driver's side (also the side that Gibson goes in) that is parked much closer than the previous vehicle was. The driver and a couple of his friends are standing on the far side of the car smoking and chatting. I unload my groceries into the trunk and open the back door to get Gibson in. It's tight. There is no way I can get him in without my door touching the car. It would have been physically impossible. As it was it was hard to do. I am fuming because this happens all the time and it is my number one pet peeve. Once I couldn't even open my door more than an inch and I had to put Gibson in Ollie's seat (not the right kind for his age), climb over the console to get into the driver's seat (not pretty when you are my size) and drive to another parking stall so I could get Gib in the right seat. THEN, the guy comes over and says "Can you stop touching my car with your door, Ma'am?" WTF! I lost it and shrieked "I HAVE TO GET MY KID IN!". He sensed my potential for totally losing it and backed off. I buckled up Gibson and then slammed the car door and yelled at him. "YOU PARKED AFTER ME! NEXT TIME DON'T WEDGE THE DRIVER NEXT TO YOU IN!" And then I got in my car and slammed the door and drove off fuming, probably an unsafe driver for about 30 seconds as I fumed.

I am not proud... but part of me really wanted to slap him and then call up his mother and slap her for raising an idiot...

Long Weeks

We own our own business. It is a small Independent Pharmacy in the McKernan area. It is basically a two person operation, meaning that if you have a Pharmacist and a front store person on, you can manage quite well. We had a couple of P/T Pharmacists at the beginning. One went on maternity leave and one quit for another job. We went over 6 months with just Mark working the 6 days of the store. I started to go crazy. Then we got another P/T Pharmacist in January. At the end of April he left for medical reasons with plans to return. We had another P/T start training. He trained for 2 1/2 days and then put his back out at the gym. He is still waiting to feel no pain. I am going crazy again. it is the combination of no down time and doing a show at the same time and I am going to lose it. Meanwhile, Oliver is getting in trouble at school so he has lost DS (Gameboy) and Computer privileges so that adds to my workload. Also, Gibson is band aid obsessed and has yet another chest infection type of illness. I sure hope one of those P/T guys comes back to work soon.