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[TedStriker]

I realize that it was something of a victory, but I'm so pathologically conflict-averse that I'll be pouring a drink to calm myself down once I get home.  Possibly even tequila.

[jay-ell]

my mother also told me to use Aveeno. I will try this. Also, cold showers do help... also hot showers seem to make it itch even more. boo.

Make sure you get the overnight itch relief - regular Aveeno ain't gonna cut it.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I broke out in an itchy rash all over my body. I tried all kinds of creams (including the steroid creams my dermatologist gave me) and the Aveeno overnight stuff was the only thing that brought any amount of relief.

Wow, reason #426 I won't be having any more kids. I'd almost forgotten that one.

[bluemoon72]

Ash reminds me that I have a quote of the day too. I stole it from a friend of LFM.

"People don't get lucky breaks sitting in front of their tvs in their undies."

It came at a time when I needed exactly this reminder to keep me going.

Saw the same post, stole the same line.  Nice.

[miles]

I particularly like the bit where they stated the year she took her Texas A&M degree and noted it was issued before the dude was born.

But really, who got hurt here?*

I mean, other than finding out the kid has peer social development issues there ain't no dead body attached to this deal.

*Since the story didn't mention a motel room stocked with *ahem* gear I'm assuming physically, no one did.

I feel it's important to point out that if it was a 42 year old dude visiting a 16 year old girl, Chris Hansen and crew would be there to meet him instead, online chat transcript in hand, with some very pointed questions. And he wouldn't just be sent home.

In America, at least. I know almost nothing of the laws in Canada, except that murder is illegal, thanks to The Onion. (I couldn't find the link at the Onion's website, but this is pretty faithful to my memory.)

If it's a double standard, then I'm guilty. I imagine that if a 42 year old man tried to hook up with my daughter, I'd slit his throat. If a 42 year old woman made the moves on my son, I'd either be fighting the urge to give him high-fives or question his taste.

[miles]

"People don't get lucky breaks sitting in front of their tvs in their undies."

Oh man, so simple, and yet so profound. And disturbingly relevant to my life. Like, depressingly relevant.

[littlefallsmets]

That quote's from one of my old Utica friends, Brett.

He manages to support children from multiple women as a travelling poet and selling stuff from flea markets on eBay so, like, the dude knows for hustle, yeah.

He is exactly the guy to speak on such matters.

[Doc]

Since I am right now sitting in front of a television in my undies that quote kind of hit close to home. But then I remembered I just had a productive day that was part of taking advantage of a good opportunity so I'm going to go back to feeling awesome about myself.

[wombat]

Indeed, it is OK to sit in front of the TV in a state of less than respectable dress  for an occassional respite from awesomeness.

For me it is not that I have been spending a lot of time at that activity, actually. It's that I have been working hard at stuff with no immediate prospect of success, stuff that isn't going to do anywhere without a lucky break, and was beginning to wonder if I am crazy to keep beating my head against it. But, you know, the thing is that you can be sure you're going to fail if you do nothing. But if you do something, at least you have a chance.

[jay-ell]

I have been surprised at the weird randomness involved in being a professional writer. I pitched a story idea to a local rag back in March and never heard back. In November, they contacted me out of the blue and asked me to write their February cover on a completely different topic. I guess they liked the way I wrote my query but didn't have a use for the article I was trying to sell them. Regardless, it's an opportunity I would never have had if I hadn't put myself on their radar by sending the initial (failed) pitch. 

It's that kind of experience that keeps me going - you never know where the next check is going to come from, so you may as well cast as wide a net as possible and see what happens.

[CortJstr]

This reminds me, Consumerist is looking for writers for anybody who doesn't read that blog. http://consumerist.com/2010/01/so-you-think-you-can-write-for-us.html

[wombat]

Weird randomness has more of an influence on success in all fields than most of us like to think. Sometimes it depresses me that factors like timing and who you know make such a big difference, especially having been the sort of person who had been good at stuff like earning academic degrees, where the path to the goal is pretty clearly defined.

But another way to think of it is that you're just as likely to succeed as anyone else - the lightning is going to hit someone, it might be you.  And even in academia once you get to career level stuff as opposed to just passing classes, it's the same deal. Who you work with, is your research topic fashionable, does the right department have an opening, does the best person to review your article have too much stuff piled on their desk to take it on... matters  more than whether you are smarter than the next guy. There is no place where pure chance doesn't have a huge influence. But even chance can't help you unless you get off the couch, put on your #####, and get out there.

But this morning.... I have my ##### on but dang do I need a vacation.

[wombat]

This reminds me, Consumerist is looking for writers for anybody who doesn't read that blog. http://consumerist.com/2010/01/so-you-think-you-can-write-for-us.html

Ooo, interesting. I keep meaning to read that site and am always forgetting. It would definitely be worth reading all the archives like the good kind of TOUAMB newbie and sending them an application.

[jay-ell]

Cort, that Consumerist gig is tempting, but I am trying not to work more than 12 hours a week right now (until Girlface goes to preschool this fall). So I'm having to pass up applying for all these drool-worthy opportunities because they require more than I can commit to right now. Instead, I'm focusing on one-time pieces for a variety of publications, and some personal projects I'm hoping to finish.

I have to keep reminding myself that my kids will only be small for a little while longer, and I will only be 33 when Girlface goes to school full-time, and I'll be able to focus more on my career after that without having to pay for daycare. My one and only goal between now and then is to build a good portfolio of clips, so that when I have the time to devote to it I'll be in a better position to get work.

[CortJstr]

Cort, that Consumerist gig is tempting, but I am trying not to work more than 12 hours a week right now (until Girlface goes to preschool this fall). So I'm having to pass up applying for all these drool-worthy opportunities because they require more than I can commit to right now. Instead, I'm focusing on one-time pieces for a variety of publications, and some personal projects I'm hoping to finish.

I have to keep reminding myself that my kids will only be small for a little while longer, and I will only be 33 when Girlface goes to school full-time, and I'll be able to focus more on my career after that without having to pay for daycare. My one and only goal between now and then is to build a good portfolio of clips, so that when I have the time to devote to it I'll be in a better position to get work.

Yeah, the time commitment they're asking for sounds like way too much for you, but I thought others here might be interested.

[AugustWest]

I have to keep reminding myself that my kids will only be small for a little while longer, and I will only be 33 when Girlface goes to school full-time, and I'll be able to focus more on my career after that without having to pay for daycare. My one and only goal between now and then is to build a good portfolio of clips, so that when I have the time to devote to it I'll be in a better position to get work.

If you can pull it off financially, then more power to you.  Kid years, especially little kid years, go by really fast.