Work

Yes, boys and girls, Today's Distraction is an old-fashioned, punch-in-at-4 a.m.-punch-out-at-noon job. Which I am very grateful for. I'm filling in this week on the Bobby Mitchell Show with Chuck Gaidica on 104.3 WOMC (and thank God they don't make me say that whole title every time I do a traffic report) and I'm working with some lovely gentlemen and get to see some old friends and coworkers again so it's alllllllllll good.

I was going to say "however" but there really is no "however." Sure, my marathon training and my reality TV watching time have suffered, but so what? I'll find a way to work them back in. Other people do it, right? Maybe not at the same time. Maybe you CAN'T Keep Up With The Kardashians (I really only wrote that because of the alliteration, I would NEVER watch that show) and attempt to train for a marathon at the same time. Especially when you're (ahem) over 40. Maybe I won't be able to keep up my amazing ability to make dinner AND the next day's lunches AT THE SAME TIME. Maybe this job won't last longer than this week. Whatever happens, I'm good. Sure, I may be a little more sleepy and a little more flabby and not up to speed on which Housewife isn't speaking to the other Housewives but I'll bounce back. I'm still (ahem) young.

Though if you really want me to remember something make sure I write it down. Otherwise......gone.

Post-partum crap

I just read this essay about male post-partum depression http://www.newsweek.com/id/192463 and I'm still trying to figure out if I think this guy is just selfish, or if he's a little too in touch with his feminine side, or if I'm just a bitch.

It reminds me of years ago, when I was working in radio, and one of my male co-hosts brings up the topic of male menopause. So I let him go on and on for a while about how hard it is and how the men need this and that and should be treated gently and get time off of work and then I finally say what I'm pretty sure 90% of our audience is thinking (and our audience was like 90% women) "Tell you what; when you carry the kids around then you can HAVE menopause. And though I haven't experienced it myself, from what I understand it's not all that fun and not something you guys should be trying to take over."

OK, maybe I am a bitch.

(When we got off the air this guy LOST IT and yelled at me "I just wanted to have a f**king conversation about menopause WITHOUT bringing up women!" Yeah, I know.)

Aren't things like post-partum depression and menopause controlled by hormones? It's been a while since I had a science class and I get that girls aren't 100% estrogen and boys aren't 100% testosterone and there's a lot of gray area but, in this guys' case at least, why not just call it what it really is: mourning for the loss of his former life.

You know why? THAT sounds too selfish.

And I think that some guys (not necessarily this guy, I never said that!) think women use post-partum depression and various other medically-named things to get out of stuff. They think we feel a little sad and slap a medical-sounding name on it so we can get away with more. Or less. Like lying in bed after you've had a baby and the laundry is piling up and the dirt is piling up and people keep showing up and you just can't face them is a FANTASTIC way to spend the day.

And maybe this guy really did have post-partum depression. Female hormones are strong enough to make an entire sorority house menstruate at the same time; pulling one unsuspecting guy into post-partum depression was probably a piece of cake.