h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My X was many things, many of them not particularly conducive to a good marriage, but he never, ever made me feel like following my dreams made me a bad mother.

[]

The only one to ever be negative about my ability to work and be a mom is, well, me. Well, sometimes my MIL casts aspersions, but I've got her beat hands-down in the Amy-bashing department. Yay, me?

OK, so the fact that both girls are such a delight to be around gives me some slack, though Gracie's young enough that anything short of super-obvious-horribleness wouldn't make much of a dent in her sunniness. Or teething, but even I can't blame me for that!

Morning!

Off to read the backlog...

Sorry to hear about Annie's passing

Getting ready for a weekend in London with teenage daughter: Legally Blonde the musical tonight with my law-student best friend, followed by cocktails at The American Bar in The Savoy, shopping tomorrow to include Harrods and the Trafalgar Square tree, ice-skating on Sunday at the Tower of London, and a mosey round Covent Garden.

Must pack...

*sidles back in behind the potted plant after having helped himself to a slice of birthday cake*

Ah ha! So the mysterious stranger is male!

Just deleted some comments about working parents until I can marshal my thoughts in a more coherent manner...

Double standards. And sexism. Harrrumph to that.

I read recently of a woman who, having worked hard for her PhD, had herself down as Dr X Bloggs on her credit cards, etc.
She was in a shop and was told by the female (!) sales assistant that she couldn't use her husband's card to pay for the item

Sky clearing up, temperature dropping.

Ah yes, mean to say nice intro and hi to MC!

Mornin All

Overcast and cool.

When I get my doctorate, I'm planning on making everyone call me Dr. MRÉfor a week. I'll get sick of it soon enough.

I'm glad, though, that that shop assistant didn't say that to meÉI'd be in jail for assault. That's just ridiculous!

Hmm...eyes up the Blue Hairy Pants, kicks local hamsters for staying in bed and not letting me get on-line earlier. Scans the far horizons for latecomers...scan....scan

Agreed - that is truly ridiculous! The ways that societal prejudices still rear their heads are quite astonishing and rather depressing.

Titania, here the sky cleared last night and the temperature dropped. Boy did I notice it walking to the train and work this morning. Then I found the previous train had been cancelled and so it was more packed than usual. Never mind. I'm in a good mood, I'm taking the afternoon off work, browsing round the christmas markets and stuff in the city. This evening me and MC are off to a gig, over a big hill and down to a small town to see a band. That'll be fun

I agree - my wife gets quite upset about people's reactions when they find out that she works full time...

<BB<

Sad news about Annie, Hyp.

The general attitudes towards working parents seem very inconsistent to me. The tabloids seem to believe that married parents should work less and spend more time with their kids, but single parents should go and get jobs and stop sponging of the state.

Mrs SG V has the upper hand, education-wise chez nous - Ph.D. vs my mere M.Sc. AND she'll probably end up higher on the career ladder thing, too. All of which is a) fabulously fine with both of us and b) less of a big issue in Denmark I guess - though we sadly still haven't quite caught up to realising that the girlies of course should be paid the same for the same work.

We once gave some dear friend of ours presents for their wedding. Just to stir things up, we'd written "Mr and Mrs Civil Engineer Michael XYZ" on the card We almost had to run (temporarily) from the reception when the bride saw it . I made up for it with a warm speech during dinner.

Those sorts of double standards make me seethe. And take me back thirty years to when my ex-nurse mother used to tell my career-deciding sister that "medicine is no job for a woman"! Being the contrary family we are this ensured my sister headed straight for medical school (which she hated and soon left but that's besides the point). I thought times had changed but clearly not in some people's eyes.

Today is a cold blue-sky day in the Peak District and I shall be off to do some allotment digging shortly. As soon as the ground thaws a bit...

MC

The times, they are a-changin', but it takes time - not everyone in society changes or sees the need to change, alas.

I had always intended to be a stay-at-home father as my wife earns more than I do, but at the moment we just can't afford to lose my wage.

<BB<

Why can't I see the 9DXth in My Space? I have to keep nipping back to 9CXth and it's getting chilly in there. Plus the little wormhole thingy to get from one convo to the other is making me dizzy.