Are You Calling Women Lazy???

The following article summary got my attention in my google reader because it offended me.

Part-time work in the Netherlands has turned from being the prerogative of women with little career ambition into a powerful tool to attract talent in a competitive labor market.

The article "The Female Factor: Working (Part-Time) in the 21st Century" is odd- I find the message hard to pin down as far as what it's saying about women- but it's worth a read.

When I read the summary, I thought, "Really, New York Times? Did you have to say it that way? Just because you work part-time does not necessarily mean you have less career ambition. Balancing work and family life is just smart. Oh, and now that GUYS are working part-time too, suddenly it's the latest, greatest thing and shows ambition?" That line seemed like a bit of a dig to me.

The article focuses on the Netherlands. It's pretty much about flexible working hours, but the info on Dutch gender roles is interesting. The article summary line comes from a couple sentences that have two typos, so part of me wonders if that summary is a result of not-so-thoughtful editing/writing.

Take a look:

But in just a few years, part-time work has ceased being the prerogative of woman with little career ambition, and become a powerful tool to attract and retain talent — male and female — in a competitive Dutch labor market.

Indeed, for a growing group of younger professionals, the appetite for a shorter, a more flexible workweek appears to be spreading, with implications for everything from gender identity to rush-hour traffic.

Did you catch the two typos?

I find the article's message a little confusing. While showing that both men and women in the Netherlands want to work less to spend more time with family, it also cites studies that imply that women- but not men!- are, well, lazy.

According to Ellen de Bruin, the author of “Why Dutch Women Don’t Get Depressed,” Dutch women don’t seem to mind too much. She notes that 96 percent of Dutch part timers tell pollsters they do not want to work more; the Netherlands is that rare country where — even taking housework and child care into account — women work less than men.

Um, ok... I dunno. What do you guys think? If you read the whole article, can you tell me if it's as wander-y as I think it is?

The article is part of a series called the Female Factor, which aims to examine "where women stand in the early 21st century." Click here to read more.

All-Weather Option: Stamford Museum and Nature Center

I love the SMNC! It's one of the few easy things to do with young kids in Stamford. You don't need to plan ahead like if you register for a class, and there is always something to see. (Namely, many types of animals.)

I actually love the SMNC in bad weather. When my sister and her kids were here last February, we had a cold but great outing. The maple sugar shack was already up and rolling, and we had the it almost to ourselves. Going to SMNC in winter is even easy with an infant- just wear them to keep them warm against your body. (I love *babywearing in winter!)

My husband and I took the kid to SMNC on a rainy Saturday morning this November, and we DID have the place to ourselves. "Are you sure it's open?" the husband kept asking, even after we had driven in and parked. "Look, the gate's closed!"
"That's to keep the turkeys in! It's always closed!" I said. "You just open it and walk through!" (He was hoping it was closed because he didn't want to walk around in the drizzle.) I wore the kid, even though he's getting heavy, and we stayed dry under an umbrella. If you are feeling restless, SMNC is a great place to walk around at any time of year.

*Babywearing Tangent (Don't read if you don't care):

This is me babywearing last year. Babywearing in winter is awesome. With the kid against you, you don't have to worry about if he/she is warm or not. You just know, because they're the same temp you are, so you adjust your layers around the kid accordingly. Recently, my sister got me a fancy babywearing vest, so I no longer look like a babywearing hobo with mismatched clothes. (No offense, hobos.)

And this is me babywearing this year, in my fancy new babywearing vest! Marie Claire rated the Peekaru vest as one of their "41 Gifts We Don't Want" but I'd say that writer is misinformed. (With a little research, she's have known that the grey size medium quickly sells out at Metro Minis on the Upper East Side.) I, despite being a babywearing fanatic, also used to think the Peekaru was probably not that useful... until my sister got it for me last month and I was in its cozy heaven of cuteness!!!

If you've babyworn, you know how much easier it is to navigate a crowded place without a stroller. Packed tourist destinations, escalators, stairs, no problem. It's also safer to have them higher up. Last month I had the kid in the stroller in the city- and someone ASHED ON HIS HEAD!!! I promptly put him right into our ERGObaby carrier and wore him for the rest of the night, navigating Times Square and Toys R Us without fear of some idiot dropping a cigarette on him or knocking him in the face with shopping bags.

My city-dwelling sister ordered me the Peekaru the next day, and I wore it the next time I went to see her. We got stared at admiringly all day. I'm serious. No one could resist our adorableness. I felt like a walking ad for the Peekaru.

(Yes, I'm wearing him while pushing a stroller in that photo! I've had hip problems ever since I had him, so if I'm walking 60-70 blocks like I did that day, I bring the stroller in case my hips get tired or sore.)

So, Marie Claire, thank you for bringing the Peekaru to the attention of thousands of people, even if it was to mock it due to your severe ignorance. If even one person discovers the Peekaru from your article, I'm delighted. Click here to read more.

Music from CT Mom, My Voice Problems

I have to share this great video from my blogger friend CT Mom. She lives up near Hartford, but always drives down for the meetups organized by Kevin of Always Home and Uncool. She was part of a flash mob that sang “Hallelujuh” from The Messiah at her local mall.

I have to admit I had a good cry while watching this. I used to be able to sing like this before some devastating voice problems seven years ago. (Geez, was it that long?) I know the word “devastating” is strong, but every activity I loved- except reading and writing- was taken away. I had been singing in the Greenwich Choral Society, a glorious chorus of one hundred, and I loved it. Suddenly my voice completely gave out after a series of Christmas concerts, and I found myself unable to not just sing, but teach, talk at even slightly noisy restaurants, and read a book to my nephews. It was the worst time of my life as my painful speaking voice continued with no resolution. Can you imagine trying to teach without being able to talk? It was a nightmare. I would call my family on the phone, and ask them to talk while I just listened, because every word I spoke hurt.

I saw doctors, had procedures- sinus surgery, endoscopy, cameras put in my throat, a tiny capsule shoved into my esophagus to test for reflux- and nothing helped. The only thing that helped was voice therapy, and I am now only able to teach with a high powered microphone. That mic is the only reason I can live a normal life now. Even with the microphone, my voice still gets tired if I talk as much as I want, and I’ve had to restructure my teaching to protect my voice.

Before I realized I needed the high powered mic system, I tried to make do with a dinky one I bought at Radio Shack, and it wasn’t enough. Teaching was still extremely difficult. It was stressful and depressing to be struggling through the work day, then have to be silent in the evenings to save my voice for another painful day at work. I ended up taking a year off of teaching, and that’s the year I started Stamford Talk. That’s the one good thing that came out of my voice problems. I learned so much about Stamford, met so many great locals, and had fabulous Stamford Talk adventures.

I try not to think about what I still can’t do- sing, go to loud events, talk as much as I want. After the benefit thrown by Stamford Notes, it took 6 weeks to recover from the vocal strain that I should have recognized was happening, but I wanted so badly to enjoy the company. I take that experience as a reminder that if I want to do my job and still be able to read to and sing with my kid, I can’t go to happy hours. It’s a bummer. I skipped my staff holiday party this year because I was afraid I’d strain my voice. It’s still a fact of my life that I have to carefully choose when and where I talk, but I owe it to my family and my students to keep my voice healthy. That sucks, because I really, really love socializing, and I've had to give a lot of that up. Thank God I have writing as an outlet for my bounty of opinions.

CT Mom's video reminded me of how much I loved making music with other people. I don't think I'll ever be able to sing again in a chorus while I'm teaching. (I did sing with the Stamford Chorale during the year I took off. It went pretty well.) I’m busy with the kid now, and happy teaching, so I feel OK about not singing. I satisfy my singing urges with the amazing Music Together class taught by Christine in Greenwich. I'm completely addicted to it.

This article points out that 10 percent of teachers leave the field because of voice problems. When I was struggling, I didn’t know about all of the high tech options that would have literally changed my life. If you know any teacher with these problems, please tell them to ask their school for a mic system. Redcat system is pretty good. My school is currently trying out a few Redcats. The Vocalight system I use is better, but it's harder to install, and I believe it's a bit more expensive. Click here to read more.

Driving Conditions Not Great

I found the roads surprisingly poor yesterday.

When I first got in my car at 10 am, a medium size four door sedan, I thought, Hey, the main roads are pretty good! Then I got to the Bull's Head intersection. Part of the turn lane on High Ridge to Cold Spring was blocked, so after getting into the lane, you had to get back out. The two lane Cold Spring (the little section by the two banks and the new unopened CVS, I mean) was just one lane. Turning right up onto Long Ridge was OK at 10 am, but making the same turn at 5pm, my car really slid in the slush that was now turning to ice. My friend, driving on Long Ridge at 10 am, hit an icy patch, lost control, and slid into a snow bank. She was fine, but two strangers had to dig her out.

Weather Underground warns us, as of 3:28 am Wednesday, "Melting snow that occured yesterday will lead to patchy areas of black ice on untreated roadways and sidewalks with temperatures at or slightly below freezing. Locally hazardous travel conditions will be possible. Motorists are urged to exercise caution while driving early this morning."

Doesn't that mean we are going to keep having black ice until all the snow melts away? Anyway, keep driving carefully.

I hope roads will be treated better today. That section of Long Ridge- the little uphill bit by the new CVS- probably should have had more sand. Click here to read more.

I Don't Want to Hate Norwalk

... but they are making it so hard.

A parking ticket that I got on Saturday November 20 for $25, that I forgot to pay until today- just a month later- is up to $100. ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS! HOW IS THAT LEGAL???

Me to husband: "I'm never going to Norwalk again."
Husband: "Remember that when we find our cheaper place there."

We had gone to the Norwalk Aquarium, then had dinner. I guess I didn't read the street signs carefully enough and didn't realize I had to pay the meters. What an amateur move. I am kicking myself for that.

I'm trying to shake this off and take it as another reminder to keep better organized, but it's hard to give up that money without feeling bitter.

Other reasons I hate Norwalk:

The year I lived there, the commute home from Stamford/Greenwich was a nightmare. I'd sometimes leave at 3:15 and it would still take 45 minutes. I only managed to stay sane by listening to podcast after podcast. That was a long year. We got out of Norwalk as soon as possible.

Actually, the commute is the only other reason I hate Norwalk, besides the extortion-like parking ticket policies, but those are two pretty big reasons.

Norwalk, you have so much potential, but you make me so angry sometimes. Click here to read more.

I Voted!

The kid and I voted at the bumcrack of dawn. It went very quickly but I was upset not to get the snazzy sticker. I made my own so I can feel superior to my coworkers all day.

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Urgent Re: Turkey

I liked the urgent, imperative, slightly aggressive sign at Mrs. Green's Natural Market.

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Dangerous Intersection at Train Station

There's an interesting discussion on the Advocate 411 blog about a car striking a pedestrian near the train station. Evidently the pedestrian was starting to cross the entrance ramp to 95, but was in a spot where there is no sidewalk OR crosswalk, and a car hit him. The pedestrian did not have the light to cross and was issued a ticket (after sustaining a severe head injury). What's clear from the discussion is that even if the pedestrian had had the light, it's still risky to cross there, because people are trying to zip onto the highway ramp.

I do not understand why there's even a crosswalk there. Why don't the pedestrians just cross at the light that's right in front of RBS? See photo above of that crosswalk, and click on the image to see it larger. Yeah, it's less convenient, but it's safer for everyone. In the photo, the I-95 entrance ramp is just past the tree.

An inconvenient crosswalk, though, does encourage jaywalking. I see that all over Stamford, actually, and I saw it at the intersection by the train station last Tuesday, which was a grey, rainy day. I watched a pedestrian (in a suit) dash across the road (not at a crosswalk), and thought to myself, "These people are NOT as visible as they think they are!" I'm not really sure what the solution is, but I'm sure Stamford has someone on staff who IS supposed to figure that stuff out.

It's human nature to rush around, often unaware of others, and that's why accidents happen. My husband has talked about riding his bike to the train station and I have told him, "Absolutely not." I add, "When I no longer care if you live or die, I'll let you know. Then you can ride your bike to the train station." Click here to read more.

Alpen Pantry's Candy Cigarettes: Totally Uncool

I snapped this photo last summer at Alpen Pantry, a great little deli in Old Greenwich. I was pretty horrified to realize that candy cigarettes are legal. I mean, they're just candy- how do you ban candy- but I think it's in poor taste to sell them. Cigarettes are a very unhealthy habit, and any thing that makes it easier for kids to play at smoking is just- well, yuck. I doubt adults are buying these candy cigarettes.

So listen- candy cigarettes exist. Alpen Pantry, that doesn't mean you should sell them.

Sure, I had candy cigarettes when I was younger, but I feel like with we as a society should know better now. Click here to read more.

Quattro Pazzi on Bedford: Very Good!

A friend posted on my wall yesterday that he saw me and my husband on a rerun Kitchen Nightmares, Stamford edition. That episode was filmed over two and half years ago at the since bankrupted Sabatiello’s on Bedford… geez, time flies!

When the husband and I were brainstorming places to eat dinner tonight, and he suggested “the place that used to be Sabatiello’s,” I said sure, even though I had no idea what restaurant it now was. “Whatever it is, I can blog about it,” I said.

We tossed the kid in the car and parked behind Bedford Street. We strolled up and I said, “Oh! Quattro Pazzi! This should be good.” We’d been to the Quattro Pazzi in Fairfield a few years ago, and it was a nice, simple Italian place with quality food.
“Are you sure?” the husband said. “This place looks kind of nice. You sure he (the kid) will be ok?”
“Yeah! If he’s terrible, we’ll leave.”

The Stamford branch of Quattro Pazzi lived up to my expectations from the very beginning, when the host and hostess didn’t look pissed that we were bringing a toddler into the restaurant. Actually, several people greeted us enthusiastically, which made me feel kind of like a celebrity, but I think I’m used to mediocre service. So many restaurants almost seem annoyed that you’re there (even if you’re not toting a toddler/baby). We truly had excellent service all evening. The downstairs was full by 6:45, and there was a big birthday party upstairs. It seems that Quattro Pazzi might be a great place for that big corner building on Bedford.

We placed our order right away, just in case the kid went crazy. Our salads were delish- Caesar for the husband, arugula with roasted beets and a goat cheese croquette for me- and the entrees were good as well. The husband got steak with gnocchi in a gorgonzola cream sauce. I got orechiette with meatballs, mostly so I could share with the kid. He devoured the meatballs. The food came out at perfect intervals: not too fast, not too slow.

While we were eating our salads, a lady who was leaving stopped by our table to compliment us on how cute and well-mannered our kid was. That made me feel good, because we always make an enormous effort to keep our kid happy and therefore quiet. The fact that others notice makes me realize that all of my frantic entertaining and redirecting is worth the effort.

Related Posts:

--February 20, 2008-- Gordon Ramsey, Cleavage, Me, and a Kitchen Nightmare in Stamford

--November 16, 2008-- Sabatiello's Kitchen Nightmares DeBriefing

--December 10, 2008--Sabatiello's is Closed: What Should Replace It?

Click here to read more.

Harvest Festival: Room for Improvement

I think the Stamford Museum and Nature Center is the best place for kids in Stamford, but I was disappointed in the Harvest Festival.
By the time I got there at 2:30, they were out of cider and cider donuts, which were pretty much the only reason I went. On top of that, I had to pay 5 bucks for the event (for non-members it was $10). The kid and I didn't do anything except look at the animals. I wasn't interested in face-painting, food or story-telling.
I am taking this as a learning experience to get there EARLY next year. It started at 11. I'll be in the parking lot at 10:45 at the LATEST! I was trying to avoid the crowd, and full parking lots, but now I realize that you have to leap into the fray if you expect to get anything good in Fairfield County. Lesson learned.
Still, I hope next year the planners will recognize that at a family event, some people will arrive later because of nap schedules, and perhaps reserve some of the goodies for the later shift!

At least it was a beautiful day, the kid was well-behaved, and I ran into like 6 of my friends (who also missed out on cider and donuts).

They also ran out of popcorn, which I didn't notice, but my friend's kid was not happy about that. Click here to read more.

Last Meal at Bennett's

Wow, just read on Lunch Break Chronicles that Bennett's is closing. The husband and ate there a month ago during Bedford Arts and Crafts. My cosmo was AWESOME. One of our steaks was overdone and one was underdone, but after the cosmo, and because my parents and sister were babysittng the kid, I totally didn't care. My husband and I traded and I ate the overdone one (with delicious sauce). The appetizer and dessert were good.

Anyway, bye, Bennett's, place where the Dalai Lama once ate! Click here to read more.

Funny Article

What a great article from the Stamford Advocate online. (Might not be so funny if you know the guy.) I'll format it later. Here's the headline:

Cops: Naked man tossed $9,271 into river

And the article:
STRATFORD -- A 62-year-old Bridgeport man was committed for psychiatric evaluation after police found him naked throwing thousands of dollars into the marsh near the grounds of the Shakespeare theater.

Police responded to a resident complaint that a nude man with a goatee was throwing rocks at his dog on the theater grounds around 12:28 p.m. Tuesday.

When police arrived on the scene, the man ran along Shore Road and jumped into the marshland of the Housatonic River, according to Police Capt. Kenneth Bakalar. He then began throwing hundreds of bills into the water around him, Bakalar said.

Police fished out $9,271 of what appears to be the man's own money, Bakalar said.

Later, when asked why he was nude, the man stated a tornado had blown off his clothes, police said.

The man was then committed to St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport for evaluation.

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Harvest Festival Next Month at SMNC

My calendar is already marked for the Stamford Museum and Nature Center's Oct. 17 Harvest Festival. Pumpkin picking, hay ride, face painting, storytelling, apple cider and doughnuts... sounds pretty fantastic. Rain or shine, $5 members, $10 non, 11am-4pm.

I am a huge fan of the nature center. The only thing it's missing is a hose near the exit to wash the duck poop off your shoes and stroller wheels.

Geez, Oct. 17 is in only 3 weeks. Time flies.

PS Know why I am able to actually get a blog post up today? 'Cause I'm taking the day off work for the kid's 18 month well visit, and the little hellion is sleeping in. Nah, he's not a hellion, he's actually an angel, but I can't think of another short word that means "lots of energy, spins in circles for fun, really doesn't sleep as much as I had the impression that kids were supposed to sleep." Click here to read more.

Arts and Crafts on Bedford...

was nice!
Not that crowded as far as shoppers, but people were eating up a storm from 6-8 when we were there. I saw two moms I know from Stamford Hospital Moms Group (cue "It's a Small World After All"). The arts and crafts were pretty typical, but of good quality. There was some nice jewelry. The husband and I had dinner at Bennett's. Excellent service and decent food. My cosmo was EXCELLENT.

This is the first time I've ever made this event. I forget why. The people watching was very good. Lots of kids, lots of small dogs. The end. Click here to read more.

Cans and Cocktails Charity Happy Hour

I love cocktails, and I love blogging, so this is the perfect charity event for me... please join us in two weeks for this wonderful event organized by Stamford blogger Stamford Notes!

Ever wonder who is behind some of your favorite Stamford blogs? Come meet them over drinks and raise a glass to Stamford!

On Wednesday, September 29th starting at 5:30pm, join up for “Cans and Cocktails” at Chinese Mirch, 35 Atlantic Street in Stamford. Each blog will sponsor a cocktail, and each cocktail helps fight hunger in our community. All profits from the event benefit the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County.

The event is co-sponsored by:
- Stamford Notes
- We Can't Stop

With support from:
- Stamford Talk
- Streets of Stamford
- The Lunch Break Chronicles
- CT Bites
- Blog Stamford
- Always Home and Uncool
- PeculiarBliss

Chinese Mirch is also donating 10% of food sales from Monday, September 27th through Thursday, September 30th to the food bank. There will be specialty Stamford souvenirs created just for this event. For extra good karma, bring a few cans of food to donate.

Additional information available at www.stamfordnotes.com and www.wecantstop.com. Please email stamfordnotes@gmail.com to RSVP. Hope to see you there!

Click here to read more.

Coalhouse Rocking the Pumpkin Beer

We had a fabulous dinner at Coalhouse Pizza tonight. You may know that I am pretty obsessed with pumpkin-related food, so the fact that Coalhouse had a Pumpkin Ale by Southern Tier Brewing Co only augmented what would have been a very good meal any way. I got the mac and cheese with broccoli rabe and sausage (delish!). The husband got the BBQ Sandwich. He loved it. And when I say he's picky, I'm not exaggerating. I'll be getting that BBQ Sandwich next time.

The kid ate almost all of his meatballs. At 9.75, NOT a great kid's price, but it's Kobe beef and I suppose relatively healthy, so I'll pay ten bucks as opposed to 6 or 7 for something not fried. I asked for a half portion, and the waitress acted like I was speaking Martian, but, well, the kid did eat almost all of it so... touche, waitress, touche!

Coalhouse was full of people who were obviously enjoying their food (and beer and wine). The chopped salad (love it!) towered on the plates of the people at the next table. My toddler passed the time waiting for entrees by drawing with the crayons that Coalhouse provided (thank God). It was a nice easy evening.

Coalhouse doesn't deliver, but that's OK for us since we live pretty close. We do takeout a lot.

Incidentally, I drove almost the ENTIRE LENGTH of the Southern Tier (of New York) last weekend for a friend's wedding. That's route 17/86. It was a gorgeous, gorgeous drive, the most beautiful I've taken in a while, and that made the over 7 hour drive bearable! It's almost to Lake Erie. I'm still somewhat in shock that I drove there Saturday morning and returned Sunday afternoon. Just one of the many reasons I'm finding it hard to keep up with blogging!

PS I had my first pumpkin spice latte of the season at the Stamford Mall yesterday! Click here to read more.

Pet Peeve: Train Station Pickup

Here I am waiting in the road since the south side parking spaces were full, and the measly north waiting area is full too. My sister's train is a couple minutes late. What a mess.

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Faces Around Stamford

I like Advocate reporter Elizabeth Kim's blog post about her "The Way We Live" series. The series looks at housing in Stamford. In the blog post, she gives the background to the article she wrote recently. The article features a security guard at the Tully Center who lives in one of the city's mixed-income housing developments; what's cool is that I totally recognized the guy from a visit I made to Tully last week. (LOVE the Tully Center.)

My world is getting small. At the grocery store yesterday, I ran into THREE different mom-baby pairs I know- two from random playground trips, and one a coworker/friend. At that same grocery store, I ran into Streets of Stamford a few weeks ago, and before that, Mrs. Streets of Stamford and Baby SOS!

This is why I must always brush my teeth before I go out and always be on my best behavior.

Oh- and in the article, you can see photos (including the one above) by Dru Nadler, who did an awesome job photographing my wedding 3 years ago. Did you know Dru does weddings? She's fabulous. Relaxed but no-nonsense. The perfect person to have around on your wedding day. Big Dru Nadler fan here. Click here to read more.

Music: Refugee All-Stars in Fairfield Saturday

This is nice mellow music, made by the Sierra Leonian refugees portrayed in the (devastating) documentary, Refugee All-Stars. These men have been through an awful civil war- imagine the most heinous crimes you can think of, and it happened to them- and still made music to entertain others in the camps. If you are free, it's worth a trip up to Fairfield.
Buy tickets for this Saturday's show here or see a trailer for the documentary on the Refugee All Stars' website. The documentary is great- I recommend it.



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Being "That Parent"

You know how you sometimes see parents do stuff you think YOU'D never do? Like letting a kid play a video game at dinner? Or letting your kid scream at the library? Or, letting a kid run amok, ripping stuff off shelves, while you chat with your friend?
Now, I'm not necessarily saying I've done those things, but I did have a moment last weekend when I saw a couple looking at my family as if we were "those horrifying people." It does involve letting my baby play an iPhone app at dinner, but let me give you some background.

In early August the toddler and I flew to California to visit my sister, just me and him, with- horrors- a layover. With the thought of seven hours in a plane, and an hour layover, I armed myself with all the things I could to keep him busy: food, drink, books, stuffed animal, and iPhone apps. Most parents do videos, but I didn't want to deal with bringing a laptop for that, since I didn't want to have to put it in and out of the backpack at security. I already had to deal with kid and carseat, so I figured I could make the iPhone work.

One of the apps I got for him is Talking Tom- a cat that repeats what you say. You can also knock him out if you poke him in the face repeatedly. Well, since my kid only says like 15 words, he preferred to mostly knock the cat out. Oh- and shriek at it. The app was a moderate success on the plane- I had to limit his time with it because of the shrieking, plus I was a little freaked out by how addicted to it he (and my sister's older 3 kids- yes she now has 5 kids age 7 and under) became.

So, cut to last weekend. We were out for what we thought would be a quick dinner. The kid, as usual, was doing great, snacking and being pretty quiet. Something weird happened to our order, though, and our entrees took 45 minutes to arrive. The kid had been in the stroller for a while, then in his dinner seat for an hour, and was getting restless and fussy. I didn't want to get him out of his seat because he's way too active and crazy to let walk around a non-baby safe area, so to calm him down, I gave him the drug- I mean, iPhone. He immediately became deliriously happy and started punching Talking Tom in the face. I noticed the lady across from me turning to look at my kid, then turning back toward her date, and then they both looked back at us. It was an "Oh my god" look, rather than a "Oh how cute and funny" look. I could totally see that she saw us as "those awful people that let their kids play video games." And even worse, a very young kid.

I feel a little bad about that, but then I think, "Whatever." I don't see how you can expect kids (and active boy toddlers) to do ridiculous things like ride in a plane for 7 plus hours, or sit in a in a seat or stroller for almost two hours, without doing something equally ridiculous like letting them play with your iPhone. It's hard to live a balanced life as a parent without doing a little crappy parenting here and there.

By the way, the flights turned out well. On the way out he slept a lot since he'd woken up at 3am to make a 6:45 flight- and on the way back, not only did we have new iPhone videos of him and his cousins to watch, he'd also learned from his cousins how to jump off stuff, so he spent several minutes jumping off the armrest into his seat. Our flight home landed at- ugh- 11pm, and although he was crabby, he spent, no joke, 30 of the last minutes quietly buckling and unbuckling our ERGObaby carrier. The kid's a champ. Click here to read more.

Sports in Small Spaces

See this worn patch of grass in front of this apartment building?

It’s worn because the dudes who live there use it for sport.

The building is on the busy corner of Forest and Strawberry Hill, and the patch of grass is on Forest.

Once, I passed by and two of them had out a football. I wanted to take a photo but my husband for some reason wouldn’t let me.
He said that one time, he passed by and they were playing beer pong.
Beer pong, I can see, but I was curious what type of football they were going to be able to do in such a small area.

In any case, I think it’s great they are making the most of their outdoor space.
Be sure to be on the lookout for these guys, and let me know what sport you see them try next!
Bowling maybe? Bocce? Click here to read more.

Breastfed in the Park

The Breastfeeding in the Park event went great. We gathered at 11, sat around and ate and chatted, latched on the babes at noon, talked to the news crew and reporters, chased the toddlers around and oohed and aahed at the littler babies, then cleaned up. I saw some old, good friends and made some new ones, which is always awesome. We had 25 babies/children nursing, and many more people came to show their support.

Mad props to my fave store Giggle, and to my beloved Stamford Hospital lactation consultants, for showing up to support.

Something one of the reporters said made me realize that some people think La Leche League is about pressuring moms to breastfeed. It's not. It's about supporting moms who want to breastfeed- because believe me, we need support (my husband asked me to elaborate: many things can challenge the breastfeeding relationship- painful latches that need to be corrected, decreased supply after an illness of baby or mom, preemie having trouble nursing, the stress of pumping at work, being given a really crappy place to pump at work, bad advice from others). The mission statement says it all: "Our Mission is to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother."

Speaking for myself, I do not feel it is my business how any other individual mother feeds her kid; rather, I want to be able to feed mine how I want, and the support and advocacy of La Leche League makes that possible. LLL is how I knew exactly what my pumping rights at work were, and how I know that I don't have to automatically believe my pediatrician when he tells me that age one is a good time to wean, or that after age one, you can't count breastmilk toward their nutrition or calorie needs. (How is that even logical?)

LLL, as far as I can see, is not about guilt-tripping parents who use formula (as the News 12 reporter Gillian Neff seemed to be trying really hard to make it seem in her 5pm segment- more on that later), but about educating society in general about breastfeeding, and thereby making it easier for women who want to breastfeed to do so. Nursing in public is one easy way to show that breastfeeding is a normal, natural, non-freaky act. I know that for me, seeing my sister nurse gave me the idea that it was a good thing to do- other than that, I'd never seen another person nurse a kid. I do not care if individual people breastfeed or use formula- plenty of my best mom friends do both. I do want people to know though, that nursing can be a very cool thing, and to try it if you're interested, and to get help if you need it from LLL or Stamford Hospital lactation (not your pediatrician, for goodness' sake, not your coworker or sister- get real help, and it's free!!!).

I probably used to have a stereotype of LLL as a bunch of hippies who are sticking their nose in people's business, pressuring them to breastfeed and trash-talking parents who formula-feed. I am sure there are some people in the organization like that, but not in this chapter. And anyone who acts like that is not following the philosophy of LLL in a positive way. LLL is about helping moms and babies, and that's why I am so pleased to be a part of it.

Plus I've just met some really cool people through it.
Click here to read more.

Windshield Spam

You know how it's illegal to spam people via email? Illegal to send emails about your product unless the person has signed up? Well, shouldn't that same idea apply to your CAR WINDSHIELD?

I forget where I was- maybe the Newfield CVS, maybe the Super Stop and Shop, but after I crammed the crabby baby into his carseat under the blazing hot sun, I got inside to the blessed cool air of the car and put it in drive... only to see a FLIER under my passenger side window.

Yeah. I really feel like stopping my car and walking ALL THE WAY AROUND THE OTHER SIDE OF MY CAR IN ONE HUNDRED DEGREE HEAT to dislodge a piece of paper about which I likely have NO interest.

Well, turns out I have a great interest in the product- FOOD- so I'm actually MORE likely to remember that it was Myrna's who put the flier there, and more likely to NOT go to that restaurant, so as to not support the annoying practice of putting fliers under people's windshields.

At a certain point, it's a safety issue. I should not have to stop my car on the side of the road to remove a flier, nor should I have to drive with the distraction of a piece of paper fluttering along in front of me.

Myrna's, cut it out!

OK actually I am looking at the flier- JUST THE COVER, I refuse to open it!- and it's kinda making my mouth water for falafel. Click here to read more.

Hope St: Way Too Exciting

Boy, Hope Street keeps busy with car crashes, robberies, and power loss more than I can keep track of.
Actually, I do sorta keep track. My two friends who live off Hope St are constantly posting on facebook about how they've lost power due to weather or a car smashing into a power pole.
Via the Stamford Advocate, I read today about a guy robbing a Mexican restaurant then holding police at bay while threatening to kill himself, and I've read in the past year about a couple of bank robberies.
Hope St, bring it down a notch!

I've posted in the past about how Stillwater was in the headlines too much; Hope St appears now to be seeking some negative attention for herself. Tsk tsk.

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Breastfeeding in the Park: Why Not?

If you are breastfeeding your baby/kid, come join us for Breastfeeding in the Park on Tuesday Aug 3 and help set a record for most people breastfeeding in CT at one time. (I know, sorta random, but why not. People set records for like, most people standing in a soup pot.) The event is part of World Breastfeeding Week and is sponsored by La Leche League of Stamford/Greenwich, which is an awesome organization that I'm a part of. The actual record-setting will be at noon at Kosciuzsko (I really have no idea how to spell this but I refuse to spell check it because my grandpa was born in Kosciusko Mississippi and I know the Stamford park has one extra letter) Park, but people will be hanging out at 11. Suggested donation of 1$ to benefit LLL of Greenwich/Stamford.

Please spread the word if you know any nursing moms!

The park is pretty easy to find; just go down Wash Blvd, past the train station, and keep driving straight until you drive straight into the park. Don't miss the sign like I did and turn left like a bonehead. Click here to read more.

O'Neil Medley, Rest in Peace

I was so sad to realize that the Stamford man I'd heard was killed in a motorcycle accident on Rt. 7 was actually a trainer at my gym from 1998-2002. I went there a lot, so I saw him a lot. When I saw the picture below, and realized who he was, I felt awful.

The Greenwich Time article tells about O'Neil Medley's career as a coach and teacher at GA. There's another article in the Greenwich Post.

I just have to include this CT Post file photo of O'Neil- I like the earnest expression on his face.

O'Neil was always very, very nice, and I feel terribly that he had to die like that.

You can read his obituary here. I just realized his wake ended a few minutes ago, and his funeral is tomorrow morning.

Goodbye O'Neil.

Click here to read more.

SBC Rocks the Kids' Menu!

Kudos to SBC for their great kids' menu. They offer the usual burger and chicken fingers, as well as salmon and numerous other options, WITH a veggie, mashed potatoes or fries, fruit cup, drink AND dessert- all for 6-7 bucks. Spectacular!

With prices and healthy options like that, I can order what I want without worrying if the kid can eat it too.

It was also very quiet on a Friday night at 6.

Thanks to Ryan for the great service.

Next on my list to try is Riviera Maya, whose outside patio was almost full at 7. I saw what I am pretty sure was sangria that I'm dying to try! Click here to read more.

Brian Cashman (Who?) at Darien Starbucks

My friend just tweeted that she saw Brian Cashman at the Darien Starbucks and I thought I'd share.

I had to google the dude. Evidently he is a Yankees exec. I do the OPPOSITE of following baseball, so don't count on me for spotting baseball figures around town! Click here to read more.

LeBron Inside Scoop from Neil Vigdor on Twitter

I'm trying to keep up with Greenwich LeBron mania while my maniacal toddler runs around the living room, eating tissues and tickling my neck with a toy boat. I'm relying on Greenwich Time reporter Neil Vigdor, via twitter. I love that he is sharing rumors, like LeBron's entourage is at Polpo. I adore gossip.
If you don't tweet, you can still see his twitter stuff on the Greenwich Time website.
Thanks Neil! Click here to read more.

LeBron Victim of Friend's Inconvenient Wedding?

Well, Carmelo Anthony's wedding IS this weekend, so perhaps LeBron is up here for that... But the wedding isn't until Saturday-I'm thinking Knicks, people! Why else would he be out here so early?
If he were going to Miami, wouldn't he just make that announcement from Ohio?

You know, Greenwich still makes no sense.

Maybe LeBron and Carmelo are BFFs and LeBron HAS to be here for all the pre-wedding festivities. You know how people get with their weddings, forcing their friends to make all kinds of crazy travel plans through guilt trips and threats. Why else would LBJ make his announcement in such a random location?

That has to be it.

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LeBron in Greenwich: Big Fat HUH???

This news is bigger than Bieber, people!

I just saw on Twitter, and then on the Greenwich Time front page, that LeBron will be announcing tomorrow night, from the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club, where he'll play next year.

HUH? was my first reaction. But then I read on the NY Daily News that the Knick's training center is in Greenburg NY. So if LeBron is going to the Knicks, the Greenwich announcement makes more sense. I mean why would he come to Greenwich to announce that he's going to Chicago or Miami?

(Update, 5 min later: My friend says LeBron is in town for a wedding. Don't ask me how he knows that, but this friend seems to always know stuff.)

I care very little about pro b-ball, but I really like LeBron. He was so funny when he hosted SNL a couple of years ago. If you're funny, and can match up with the pros on SNL, you're cool in my book.

The NY Daily News article has a lot of info on the hubbub at the Boys and Girls Club; it's worth a read. Click here to read more.

Justin Bieber's Mom Hearts Greenwich!

OMGeeeeee I am seeeeeeriously freaking out, people!

Justin Bieber in Old Greenwich!?!?

I quote my favorite local celeb gossip columnist, Susie Costaregni, whose name I can now proudly spell correctly:
Scene ... Justin Bieber, the 16-year-old Canadian pop star, was seen water-skiing around Greenwich Harbor and at Darlene's Heavenly Desires Chocolates and Ice Cream on Sound Beach Avenue in Old Greenwich with his mother Pattie Mallette and manager, Scott "Scooter" Braun. Were they house-hunting? Rumor is Bieber wants to buy his mom a house.

Yes, I DO think they were house-hunting! OG is super cute, plus it's right by the train- perfect for Bieber's Mom to go in to the city to see her teeny bopper star son. And perfect for Justin to zip out and do some water-skiing. Or even kayaking.

If you don't know who Justin Bieber is, that's because you don't teach tweens like I do. I know FAR more about Justin Bieber than I ever expected to. I'm OK with that, but I'm not ok with his music. It's terrible. You may have heard Justin's horrifyingly annoying song, "And I said Baby, Baby, oooh Baby Baby" or something like that. It's just awful.

I'd like Justin Bieber's Mom to move into Greenwich. I don't want to meet Justin Bieber, but a lot of my students do, so this would make them happy, and I'd like that. Click here to read more.

RBS Gas

Remember when there was a gas station on this corner- Mobil, right- ten years ago? My, how times have changed.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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Coyotes Rampaging in Rye

It's kind of freaky that coyotes have attacked kids twice in Rye- kids who were playing in their own backyards.

An animal expert on the news said not to run from a coyote and not to curl up into a ball- you should kick it or throw something at it to teach it to fear you. He said the problem is that coyotes have lost their fear of humans.

If the coyotes I've seen in Greenwich- one trotting leisurely down a sidewalk- are any indication, coyotes losing their fear is certainly a problem.

Consider yourself warned!

I have a surprising number of posts on this blog about coyotes.

My first was when I talked about Kathie Lee Gifford, coyotes in Greenwich, and a coyote spotted off High Ridge in Stamford.

My second was about another coyote sighting and another pet doggie killed.

My third coyote post was where I grilled the pilot of my small airplane taking me from Memphis to Tupelo on the "fox" he'd seen on the runway- he eventually admitted it was a coyote.

There might be another coyote post somewhere, but I'm going to use my precious free time during baby's nap to get my life organized! Click here to read more.

Infiltrating the Greenwich Croquet Club

I stumbled upon the most amazing thing yesterday: REAL CROQUET.


We were leaving Bruce Park Playground in Greenwich, and rather than hop directly on the highway to go back to Stamford, I drove through Bruce Park to show it to my visiting sister and parents. Once we spotted the fancy green lawn and people in fancy white clothes playing what looked to be a very serious match, I pulled over to investigate.

“Is this a croquet league?” I asked a lady sitting off to the side.

I ended up doing an impromptu interview with the woman, Donna Dixon, who, in addition to being one of the top women croquet players in the US (she’s from Houston), was a great source of info.

She told me that some of the players were from California and Canada, and that the croquet match was run by the Greenwich Croquet Club. There are other tournaments in Locust Valley NY, Palm Beach FL, and California, but the Greenwich Invitational is known as being on of the best, both player-wise and for the social aspect.

“Where’s the wine?” I asked. Donna looked at me bemusedly, and I realized I was insulting her sport. “Oh- I guess you wouldn’t drink during a match, but I expected to see people sipping white wine at something like this.”

“Well, some of the younger players were drinking beer in the afternoon while they were playing yesterday, but we save that for later!”

Thank you Donna, for being so willing to talk to me!

You can see more of my photos after the jump. Or, click here to see last year's Greenwich Invitational photos for some good closeups of what the wickets look like.

You can also read this article about the tournament from the Greenwich Time (or it newstimes? I can't keep track of who owns what paper), or see the Greenwich Time's short blog entry about it. There's also a United States Croquet Association website.






Click here to read more.

Celeb Gossip: Near Napa Sightings 'n Awkward Stuff

I LOVE "The Dish" by Susie Costaregni. I hope I am spelling her name right. I refuse to spellcheck it, because if an excellent speller like me can't get your name right, well, there is something wrong with your name.

First cool tidbit from Susie:

Scene ... Actor Michael Douglas, his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and their two children, son Dylan and daughter Carys, who are renting a home in Bedford, N.Y., were seen last Sunday night in downtown Stamford near Napa & Co. Zeta-Jones won a Tony Award last week for Best Actress in a Musical for her role of Desiree in "A Little Night Music" on Broadway.

What the hey! Why couldn't I have spotted them? I wonder what they were doing. Were they at Napa and Co?

Second tidbit:

Scene ... Riverside residents and TV personalities Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford and son Cody were recently seen having dinner at Terra Ristorante on Greenwich Avenue. On the other side of the restaurant were TV personalities Regis and Joy Philbin, who came in for dinner but left shortly after being seated.

Toooootally awkward. I love it. I love awkward stuff.

Oh and also? Is Terra really that great? I've been there once and it was OK... but that was for lunch. Maybe for dinner, with the wine flowing, it's a beautiful romantic little space. Because really, the appeal of Italian food, no matter how good... is the wine that goes with it!

Click here to read more.

Laura Linney Blocks Off Long Ridge...

For her Showtime series "The Big C" (C as in cancer) filming in Stamford.

And I'm totally ok with it even though it was tooootally the evening rush hour!

Tuesday, as I was picking up the kid from daycare, the light at Roxbury and Long Ridge was blocked by cops. I figured it was an accident, knowing how fast people drive on that road, but a friend told me via a comment on the blog that she had actually seen a blond woman being filmed in a car that was on a flatbed truck and that it was probably Laura Linney... cool!

So this is a probably, not definitely Laura Linney, but I bet it's right, because none of the characters in the Kevin movie are blond.

Plus Suzy what's her name from the Advocate gossip column said Laura Linney was spotted at- where else?- Napa recently!

I don't want to trash talk Laura Linney in case I actually get to meet her in my set stalking this summer, so I'm just gonna say I could not STAND her character in Love, Actually, which is otherwise the best chick flick/Christmas movie ever. Click here to read more.

Stamford Police Publicly Endorse Glenn Beck: I Wish I Were Joking

I read on the Advocate's 411 blog that SPD chose Glenn Beck to speak at their Officer of the Year ceremony. What's even more absurd is their stated reason why. Keep reading.

I don't know much about Glenn Beck, but here's what Wikipedia says:

In response to the president's remarks on the Henry Louis Gates controversy, Beck argued that President Barack Obama has repeatedly shown "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture," saying "I'm not saying he doesn't like white people. I'm saying he has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist."

Here's what the SPD has to say about why they chose him as a speaker:

Sgt. Joseph Kennedy, president of the Stamford Police Association, said the choice of Beck as a keynote speaker makes the awards ceremony appeal to a broader base of people, and also his membership.

“Most police officers are conservative by nature,” Kennedy said. “I can’t say everyone is a Republican but we seem to have more conservative views when it comes to global issues.”

“We know from people we’ve spoken to and from hearing Beck in the past, he has a good appreciation for law enforcement,” Kennedy said.

THAT MAKES NO SENSE. Police are civil servants, just like teachers. I keep my political views out of the classroom (my students don't have the choice to avoid me), and my police should keep their political views out of my face (I don't have the choice to pick and choose who protects me and my fellow Stamfordites). When you have chosen, like teachers and police officers have, to serve a community, you also give up a little bit of how much of your politics you can express. That's because to do your job well, you have to have the full respect of the community, and to do that, you need to not publicly endorse people who many people find terribly offensive.

I believe the police have a responsibility to portray themselves as fair-minded, caring people. Having Beck as a speaker suggests that he's their role model, and I prefer to think my police aspire to a higher model of balanced thinking- don't they need that to make good decisions in their daily task of protecting us? I hope the SPD cares enough about its reputation enough to cancel this guy's speaking engagement.

I'm gonna have to give this whole situation a big Stamford Talk "DUH."

Click read more to see excerpts of Advocate readers’ comments that prove that the SPD’s choice of speaker offends the community:

geez with all the problems in the Stamford Police Department–A cop slugging a woman in the face, another showing photos of his genitals and not too long ago another buying fenced goods perhaps the SPA would find someone less controversial and dare i say progressive. The recent problems are a sign of arrogance

I served the City of Stamford for 32 years as a police officer and lived and raised my family in this beautiful City my children attended and graduated from Stamford Public Schools and very proud of it….not in my wildest dreams would I be a part to honoring the officer of the year by bringing a racist, anti-social bigot individual as guest speaker. The Stamford Police Association is sending the multicultural community of Stamford the WRONG message….but, then again what else is new. Shame on you SPA.

No matter how you slice it, this does not make the STP look good. They are a professional organization. They should not be promoting a speaker who is perceived as a divisive political demagogue by a significant percent of the population that they serve. It is bad community relations, and makes them look very unprofessional. It is an uneeded public distraction to any good work they do.

Click here to read more.

John C. Reilly Mentions Stamford Karaoke on Daily Show!

I was pleasantly surprised last night during dinner (I wasn't feeling good so was letting John Stewart entertain the toddler) to see John C. Reilly stroll onto the show... and shocked when he mentioned doing karaoke in Stamford CT. It seems like he likes Stamford, if you ask me! Maybe the karaoke crowd was cool, like they let him do his thing and didn't act like a bunch of dorks.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
John C. Reilly
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

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Butterfield 8 Stamford: Date Night, Bacon

Whoa. On News 12, I just saw the chef at Butterfield 8 and he said they have macaroni and cheese... with jalapeno and bacon. I am so there!!!!
(Is this a good time to mention that my friend's friends make Bakon Vodka? Random, but they do, out of Seattle, where I visited last summer before the ill-fated California leg of the trip where the baby puked for a week straight and I had to syringe-feed him around the clock for several days, find a pediatrician, and go to the ER twice.)

The chef, Masekela Jones, also said they have date night Thurs- 50 bucks for appetizer, entrees and dessert, PLUS a bottle of wine. I am also- SO THERE.

He said they get their seafood from New Wave Seafood in Stamford so it's always fresh.

This is why I love News 12 for local news. It's such a great idea to have local chefs come in and show off a few dishes.

Ooh- Butterfield 8 also got Best Singles Scene in the Fairfield County Weekly, as well as Best New Bar. See text below, from Butterfield8's press page.

Best of Fairfield Weekly 2010
BEST SINGLES SCENE
Whether it's happy hour or late night, there's always big groups of young women and big groups of young men at Butterfield 8. There's lots of room, so you can roam and mingle, says Doug Newhook, regional manager. On Thursday nights, guys have been known to invite girls they've just met to join them right away for the Date Night special, a shared appetizer, individual appetizer, shared dessert and a bottle of wine for $50.

Best of Fairfield Weekly 2010
Date: 05.14.10
The bartenders are friendly and energetic at Butterfield 8. The bar area is spacious and attractive, with planks of Brazilian chestnut rising seven feet up the wall. Adding to the comfortable feeling are the specials on food and drinks, $3 beers, $4 wine glasses, $5 mixed drinks, and $8 appetizers during the lively happy hour (5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday). The place draws people in their 20s and 30s who work at the corporate headquarters in downtown Stamford. Click here to read more.

Greek Festival This Weekend!

Sounds totally awesome and I am going to try my darnedest to get there. It's on Newfield Ave. Food, alcohol, sounds good to me! I'd say more but I've got a tired punchy baby throwing his milk cup at my laptop! Just threw it so he could fetch, so now I have a second to give you the link to the church's homepage with info about the festival! It's rain or shine. I like that spirit. Click here to read more.

Photos: Tilda Swinton on "Kevin" Movie Set

Thank you to reader Tim, who sent some great photos of the Springdale movie set of "We Need to Talk about Kevin." I can't believe we may see our very own Dairy Inn (which I've never been to) in a movie! And I am dying to know what they used Vinny's for. Tilda's hair looks long in one of the photos, as opposed to the short cut I saw in some movie stills online.



Click read more to see three more photos.




Click here to read more.

More Movie News: JCR on Vinny's Roof

My friend reports via text that her husband reports that John C. Reilly was filming on the roof of Vinny's. He's not sure if JCR is still there, but they are still filming. Sigh. I'm stuck here trying to get a toddler to sleep who's climbing all over the furniture while eating Goldfish.

I cannot believe they chose that humble shopping center for this movie shoot. Pretty cool. Click here to read more.

Stamford Movie News: We Need to Talk About Kevin

I got emails from readers and friends yesterday letting me know that there was "We Need to Talk About Kevin" movie action in Springdale, but I was way too busy with work and baby to post. (OK, I also squeezed a jog in since I'm doing the C25K program with the iPhone app, then friends came over to watch the Bigger Loser finale on TiVo, then baby was of course a raging lunatic until 10pm because he's working on another ear infection and having friends over had him totally wired. In any case, I never sat down at a computer, and Lord knows Blogger makes it IMPOSSIBLE to blog from your iPhone.)

Anyway, here's the scoop, plus timeline:

Tues 730 pm: Kevin of Always Home and Uncool let me know that Tilda Swinton was filming a scene in front of Dairy Inn in the Springdale shopping center about 6:30 p.m. Evidently they had been there all day. Here's a really terrible pic he sent me. Hey, it's better than nothing!

(My phone was actually screwing up that night. I'm bummed I missed his message because I might have headed over there.)

Wed 8am: My friend emailed me this pic of a fake travel store front RIGHT beside Vinny's, the go-to burger place for people with young kids.


Wed 10:30am: a friend posted on facebook that they were filming INSIDE Vinny's! I'll have to ask them about it next time I go there.

Wed 1:25 pm: Kevin let me know that they were still filming out by the Dairy Inn as of 1 p.m. He didn't see Tilde or JCR. They were setting up a shot with a guy in a wheelchair.

Wed 9pm: a reader posted a link yesterday afternoon on my previous post about my botched attempt to stalk the movie set at it's location at Wright Tech, letting me know they were filming inside CVS Springdale.

It really stinks that I have a JOB, or else I could properly stalk this movie and report back to you! You know, like when I first started this blog. That was an idyllic time. Now I have a JOB, which I love, but it keep me really busy. I'm doing a major (and really cool) writing project with my students, so I'm busy at work keeping track of them, and I need to get myself into bathing suit shape for a friend's wedding in late summer- oh and plus there's my BABY, who can now CLIMB ONTO ALMOST ANYTHING, and he's really fast, so virtually nowhere is safe. I'd be OK with that, but I'm afraid he's going to break his arm like one of our baby friends did. I didn't know that babies could like, break their arms.

Looking forward to this summer, when I'll have a little more brain space for blogging, and the baby and I are going to be out and about a lot, so we should be able to have some adventures.

Just 5 more weeks of school left! It's been a great half-year with my students, actually. They've done some excellent writing, and that always makes me very, very happy. Click here to read more.

Whole Foods Darien: Good Stuff, Traffic

I can cheerfully predict that Whole Foods Darien will continue the traffic tradition of Whole Foods Greenwich. At the sneak peek I attended tonight at 5:20 pm, traffic was backed all the way up onto Route 1. Whatever. Whole Foods just means traffic, and we need to accept it. (I was at Whole Foods Columbus Circle in NYC in Saturday, and that was a wreck too. We got Brownie Bites, though, so it was all good.)

Anyway, the baby and I, along with a boatload of other mothers with kids aged 8 and under, perused the Whole Foods Darien, which opens officially on Wednesday. I was most interested in the baby items, since that's my latest obsession. I was happy to see that WFD carries two of my favorite Skip Hop items: the Pronto and the Wipes Case, which is the best wipes case you will EVER lay your hands on. I bought another one today, so now I own two. This way, I don't have to keep switching it from my fancy diaper bag to my Skip Hop backpack when I need a different diaper bag for my different outing purpose (look cute or be hands free). I cannot risk forgetting wipes, because while I CAN wipe snot and food off the kid with my sweater, I certainly do not want to try and change a poopy diaper like that.

If you go check out WFD, so be sure to leave lots of time, so you are not grumpy when you encounter crowds. The parking lot was completely full when I left just before 6pm this evening. All I can say is, they should have built a slightly bigger lot. It is gonna be a mess. I mean that in the nicest way possible.

The event tonight was fun but crowded. I got some freebies on the way out the door, but I'm too tired to post about them. I also ran into two fellow bloggers, which is always awesome.

See more photos after the jump.


One side of deli area.


Check out area.



Wide open area in back of store.



The "Whole Body" aisle.
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