Drowning in snot, but still kicking and screaming

I hate missing work, but it turns out, life in the small TV world that I control can go on without me. For once, the person that covers for me was competent enough to take the initiative to look into my well-organized files and binders to figure out how to solve the problems. It was also lucky that there weren't any big ones yesterday.

So, that's what I get for chasing after that little 2 year-old LM. Last Friday we found out he had an ear infection, so those 5 days of wiping snot off of his blueberry-juice-coated face really were little experiments testing the strength of my immune system. Thanks. It wasn't enough that I had that gross yucky tummy bug 2 weeks ago. Flu shot next year for sure. Luckily, NY has free ones and I will just have to get my ass in gear and get one in time.

Last weekend, Pickle and I went uptown to the Jewish Museum to see an Alex Katz exhibit, "Alex Katz Paints Ada." If you didn't spend any time in my studio last year, you might not know that Alex Katz is one of my favorite artists of all time. The simplistic paintings and prints with such attention paid to the decision on what to include, were one of those many influences on the portraiture of my senior show. To be able to see those brush strokes up close, and it was incredible to see that the pieces that I looked to mimic everyday were real, right in front of my eyes. My favorites of his wife throughout the 4 decades were the portraits that depicted a "funny" accessory -- swim cap to fedora- where Ada remained as beautiful as on the cover of a glossy magazine. This is an artist that I admire and even have a copy I painted of his hanging in the apartment. Whoo. What a rush. I could go on and on. I have definitely romanticized the cooky/cartoonish/pop-py/bright colored paintings.

It was also fabulous because on Saturdays the museum is free, we only went to see that exhibit and no other part of the museum, and therefore I didn't get anxious about the big deal of going so far into the city. It wasn't a big deal. It was just one of the like, 3, activities of the day.

Many other things happening on the horizon, too. February was the "designated" month in which I was allowed to get a pet in my new apartment. Once upon a time, the parents said 1 year of living on my own, and the compromise with my girlfriend, for some reason, don't ask me why, was 8 months of living on our own. So, February marks 8 months since graduation. Eight months of taking care of myself. Eight months of living with a significant other and maintaining the most healthy relationship I have been in (and the greatest, easiest, etc...I could gush on and on...) Eight months of independence and therefore, I think, enough time to have enough responsibility to take care of another being.

So some time soon, I will call the Brooklyn "puppy petite" people I found online. They breed pugs. I will call and visit and check out the place and then make a step toward using them or finding some where else (petfinder.com, but they don't have puppies as often). So that is my plan. I only have this week (hopefully) left of babysitting for the LM before they move to NJ. That will give me so much more free time to take care of myself, my Pickle, see friends and family that I have neglected, and think about how I am going to present the idea of the pug puppy to the parents. You see, I technically sold my car upon moving to NY. I made the decision that I did not want it anymore and it would be more of a hassle than a help. I would have chose to keep the car if I were living somewhere else. This car was mine, purchased by my father, but given to me 4 years ago. I made the decision to sell the car. My father did the actual work, but in the end, most of the money from the sale (the sale amount minus the shipping fee to get the thing back to the west coast) was put into my checking account. I elected to put a portion of that into a savings account, which I would not touch and another portion of it would stay in my checking account as "buffer" money. I wouldn't touch it unless absolutely necessary and my paycheck should be on top of that. Yes, I have dipped into the buffer amount. But, not by much. And it was very much due to Christmas. But, I still have that other money in savings which has only gained interest. Here's the kicker. All of this money is in joint accounts with my name and my father's name on them. I don't know why this is. It seems like that money should be mine, but it never really was, and I never did the work, and blah, blah, blah. I think it is more hassle now to get my own bank accounts, but if I really want to purchase this puppy (at about $1,000) plus who knows what) what sort of tactic do I go about in terms of the disapproving parents? Note: for Christmas they got me a fake snoring, battery breathing stuffed pug. They know I want this.

So, here are the options I am considering:

Buy the pug with the money that I have complete access to. Tell them after. Be damn certain that I believe it is rightfully my money.

Propose this as a well-researched business plan. This would make my father happy. This is my mother's suggestion. I will show that without buying shoes, handbags, and jeans for a while, I will have enough money to support this creature. I know all about my company's pet insurance ($12/month pre-tax money out of my paycheck for a $50 co-pay for all vet visits). If I have to go away and put it in a puppy playhouse, that is about $35-40/ day, but chances are that there won't be many times when myself, Pickle, my sister, and my brother-in-law, will all be away.

Also, Pickle and I don't have much vacation time anyway. I am going away in June for my brother's graduation, but she is staying and perfectly happy to take care of our pug.

Send them a cute illustrated story book that features my research, but also shows how much my emotional well-being would be improved by the pug puppy that I have wanted since they told me we were moving out of the city and into the suburbs of Marin Co. (my junior year of high school). This promise also included my own car, which came 3 years later so I shouldn't whine or complain, a swimming pool in the new house (since it would be so "warm" there!) and the said pug puppy.

Those are the options that I have thought of so far. I could also casually mention it on the phone to my mother before or after or very close-to adoption date and argue with her a little bit and not worry about consequences. I mean, really, what are they going to do to me? I'm an adult, right?

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In other news, I really wanted to write something about this article in the NY Times about Fashion in Politics, and specifically, Pelosi's recent "fashion-forward" choices since taking Speaker of the House. This was sent over from my Pickle, and instead of articulating my two-cents, which I just don't feel like doing right now, I will just link it here instead for anyone to read if they wish. I am just too lazy to say much, but I found it interesting and therefore, thought it should be of note. Especially since I know that there are real people besides the usual three people I see in my life, reading my blog! Ha! I love my new site counter!