S returns from her work trip abroad on Sunday -- none too soon. The little man is doing a pretty good number on me. Don't get me wrong, I'm holding my own, I might even be winning, but he's wearing me down in the process -- Pyrrhic victories. The in-laws are really helping, but there is only so much they can do -- or more to the point, only so much he'll let them do. For example, he absolutely will not let them change his diaper (and heaven forbid he start using the toilet consistently) nor will he let them dress him. So baths and bedtimes are almost entirely on me. I'm just doing a lot more child-rearing than usual. It breaks down like this: When S is here we split it more or less 50-50; if you catch either or us on the wrong day each of us will argue we do way more, but objectively, it's pretty much down the middle. When I'm alone, obviously it's 100% on me, and when the in-laws are here, it's about 60-40. Now, that 40% is very much appreciated, but its not 50% -- that's all.
Also, he gets too much iPad and too much junk food when Ava and Thatha are in town. I don't say anything because it's one of those things where its better to let them do it their way than to risk coming off unappreciative. However, I do think it's strange that my in-laws don't like him going outside when it's windy, but have no problem letting him stare at the iPad while eating chocolate chip cookies. Well, to be fair, they probably do have a problem with it, but it's the only way they can keep him in line sometimes. Plus, when it's 6:00 a.m., and I want to sleep for another hour or two, it's not like I'm protesting when my mother in-law puts on Curious George so that he will leave me alone.
Another thing I don't like is that my in-laws want me to take them to a store every weekend. Last week it was the Indian grocer; this week it's Costco. These place aren't very close and they are madhouses on the weekends. If you factor everything in -- D.C. traffic, parking, lines, etc. -- you're looking at a solid two-hour trip. They don't really get that I structure my entire life specifically to avoid doing things like this. But, like I said, S is coming back tomorrow, and also like I said, I'm very appreciative for their help, so ... I'm just venting. I mean, if you can't vent on your own blog with a readership in the low double digits (at best), then where can you vent?
In other news, I'm feeling pretty good because I just finished a book I've been working on. I found a publisher and everything. Yeah, that publisher is me, but still ... I'm not expecting to sell many copies. But I didn't write it to try to make money. (I did not quit my day job.) I wrote it because I wanted to do something creative and because it was fun. That last part -- fun -- gets short shrift sometimes, I think, but it's important. It's what keeps me going during those moments of self-doubt. Whenever the question comes up in my brain (and it inevitably comes from time to time), "Why am I spending so much time on this? Who's going to actually read this? What's the point?" The answer can always be: Because you enjoy it! I mean, writing is just the flip side of reading and nobody ever questions why they read. It's the same thing with crossword puzzles. I like making them more than I like solving them. So even if they never get published, it's not anymore a waste of time than is doing the puzzle everyday.
With all that said, I still do want as many people to read my book as possible, and I'm contemplating different ways to best market it. I'm guessing my marketing campaign will be pretty weak because I don't really know how to do that, and I specifically don't enjoy things like that. I did however buy some cheap ad space on a popular baseball website, so we shall see. (Also, big thanks to BJ for getting somebody at his website to agree to review it.) At a minimum I would like to make back the $300 I spent on the cover (and a big thanks to LB for the back cover photo), so if you want to buy a copy, by all means, please do. Just search my name on Amazon or click here. And if you like baseball, you can even read it after you buy it! One thing that's nice about my book is that it's a series of short vignettes, so it doesn't take much commitment to start it. It's meant to be read a few paragraphs at a time. It's a great bathroom book for a baseball fan. And if you think I wrote it that way because I don't yet have the skills to put together a full, cohesive narrative, then you are absolutely right.
In other other news, it's March Madness! This first weekend is up there on my "Favorite Sport's Weekends of the Year" list. In fact, it might be my very favorite. It's either the first rounds of March Madness or the open weekend of the NFL season. Although this year, I might have to throw in golf's U.S. Open, as well, since it's being played in my home town -- my real home town, not Tacoma or Seattle, which I sometimes claim for simplicity.
Anyway, every year my office does a March Madness pool, about 15 people, or so. It's not a traditional office pool; you rank teams instead of filling out a bracket. It's a lot more skill-based the way we do it. I'm currently in the lead and if I win, it would be my third in a row (out of only four times total). In the 16 years they have done it, nobody except me has ever won back-to-back and only one person has won three times total, so a victory would bring me some serious office cred. I'm joking -- but only kind of. It's supposed to be for fun -- and it is -- but it's a tiny bit competitive too. The winner gets a little trophy that's displayed in our office. I've been bragging about how I have an almost unbeatable ranking algorithm (Nate Silver!), and so if I back that up, then people at my office (including my bosses) think I'm smart. And if my people at my office (including my bosses) think I'm smart, then that can only mean good things for me.
I love the tournament because I can monitor the games online and then if they get interesting I can watch the ending. Well, this afternoon I won't be able to do that because I'll be at Costco. But usually I can.
Alright that's all I got. Until next time ...
Also, he gets too much iPad and too much junk food when Ava and Thatha are in town. I don't say anything because it's one of those things where its better to let them do it their way than to risk coming off unappreciative. However, I do think it's strange that my in-laws don't like him going outside when it's windy, but have no problem letting him stare at the iPad while eating chocolate chip cookies. Well, to be fair, they probably do have a problem with it, but it's the only way they can keep him in line sometimes. Plus, when it's 6:00 a.m., and I want to sleep for another hour or two, it's not like I'm protesting when my mother in-law puts on Curious George so that he will leave me alone.
Another thing I don't like is that my in-laws want me to take them to a store every weekend. Last week it was the Indian grocer; this week it's Costco. These place aren't very close and they are madhouses on the weekends. If you factor everything in -- D.C. traffic, parking, lines, etc. -- you're looking at a solid two-hour trip. They don't really get that I structure my entire life specifically to avoid doing things like this. But, like I said, S is coming back tomorrow, and also like I said, I'm very appreciative for their help, so ... I'm just venting. I mean, if you can't vent on your own blog with a readership in the low double digits (at best), then where can you vent?
[This is one of my son's new favorites: "I wanna watch 'Clippard' the big red dog."]
With all that said, I still do want as many people to read my book as possible, and I'm contemplating different ways to best market it. I'm guessing my marketing campaign will be pretty weak because I don't really know how to do that, and I specifically don't enjoy things like that. I did however buy some cheap ad space on a popular baseball website, so we shall see. (Also, big thanks to BJ for getting somebody at his website to agree to review it.) At a minimum I would like to make back the $300 I spent on the cover (and a big thanks to LB for the back cover photo), so if you want to buy a copy, by all means, please do. Just search my name on Amazon or click here. And if you like baseball, you can even read it after you buy it! One thing that's nice about my book is that it's a series of short vignettes, so it doesn't take much commitment to start it. It's meant to be read a few paragraphs at a time. It's a great bathroom book for a baseball fan. And if you think I wrote it that way because I don't yet have the skills to put together a full, cohesive narrative, then you are absolutely right.
In other other news, it's March Madness! This first weekend is up there on my "Favorite Sport's Weekends of the Year" list. In fact, it might be my very favorite. It's either the first rounds of March Madness or the open weekend of the NFL season. Although this year, I might have to throw in golf's U.S. Open, as well, since it's being played in my home town -- my real home town, not Tacoma or Seattle, which I sometimes claim for simplicity.
Anyway, every year my office does a March Madness pool, about 15 people, or so. It's not a traditional office pool; you rank teams instead of filling out a bracket. It's a lot more skill-based the way we do it. I'm currently in the lead and if I win, it would be my third in a row (out of only four times total). In the 16 years they have done it, nobody except me has ever won back-to-back and only one person has won three times total, so a victory would bring me some serious office cred. I'm joking -- but only kind of. It's supposed to be for fun -- and it is -- but it's a tiny bit competitive too. The winner gets a little trophy that's displayed in our office. I've been bragging about how I have an almost unbeatable ranking algorithm (Nate Silver!), and so if I back that up, then people at my office (including my bosses) think I'm smart. And if my people at my office (including my bosses) think I'm smart, then that can only mean good things for me.
I love the tournament because I can monitor the games online and then if they get interesting I can watch the ending. Well, this afternoon I won't be able to do that because I'll be at Costco. But usually I can.
[I Googled "March Madness" and this is the first action shot that appeared. It is a pretty cool one.]
Alright that's all I got. Until next time ...
No comments:
Post a Comment