Picking battles, or scabs

So it seems like the newsagent misread my thoughts from yesterday. I was expressing dislike for the Herald Sun, not Fairfax, but somehow I ended up with one copy of the Weekly Crimes and none of the Age.  Somewhere I'm sure there is a dissatisfied customer expecting a copy of the sun, but instead ending up with a broadsheet and likely bemoaning the lack of Bolt.

Due to today being a work away from home day, disorganisation won as usual and in the rush to get out of the house to childcare, there was no time to rectify the situation effectively, so I bought a copy of the Age. And the Australian. And the local paper. (And the Sun, but you won't tell, will you? It's a guilty secret, kind of like picking a scab. You know it hurts, but you keep going back). The shop assistant did comment that I was going to be doing a lot of reading. I should have known that it was optimistic to get through that much information, but I have started to feel that facebook being my only source of news might be giving me a bit of a one sided view of the world (or is Febfast really the number one news item in current media?).

I am taking heart in at least getting to read the Age and the local, but decided that two further spins on conservatism were more than I could take. I'm still claiming my high moral ground, but really as usual it is more due to my overestimation of the amount of minutes in an hour, hours in a day etc etc.

Note food stain in centre - can't even blame the baby for that one....

So we'll discount the local, cause the little fish and I didn't appear today (we're much more Friday edition type of people, surely, with the whole party weekend vibe and all), although their coverage of the closure of local kinders etc probably win out today. At least we weren't cut for a kitten up a tree.

That left me with the Age. And about 5 mins of reading time before work started for the day. Thank goodness for speed reading - I promise when you're waiting for me, it's not just cause I'm in my office writing blogs, or reading the paper, or checking facey - that at least I can guarantee 'cause apart from the fact it is a banned site, I get no mobile service, so I'm pretty much detached from the 'real' world for 2 days a week.

It was disappointing today to get to the article about discrimination in the workplace.
Apparently we had all better "get used to juggling work and motherhood, like every other working mother". For all those non-mothers out there, we are pretty used to juggling. Constantly and kind of in a style like the vaguely irritating circus performers on the Wiggles, with wobbly heads and eternally cheerful smiles definitely optional extras. Occasionally we drop a ball or two, but you know what? some of the time it is just due to a lack of coordination unrelated to being a parent, but I'm pretty sure if you had a cheer squad in the background, rather than sniping, it would make going on with the show a more attractive option.

I took heart in the fact that all this happened in 2002, and in 10 years a lot has changed. It wasn't that long before that when I was told in a university exam that I got bonus points for wearing a skirt (my legs were better then...) and just a bit longer still when in Agriculture classes in school I was informed that I should go back to the kitchen with the other girls. I'd like to think now that I'd be better at standing up for myself  (I'm useless in the kitchen and my husband cooks - take that Mr Ag teacher!) but sometimes I wonder if the real changes are only surface deep.

I'm a bit sick of fighting the outside world (there are enough arguments at home really, mostly ending in one-sided food fights) so my advice for today is to pick your battles and if all else fails, just throw a juggling ball at someone. Not your child obviously, or a Wiggle - you'd probably get lynched.


In other news from today.... 

I'm not doing Febfast. I may try and drink less on weekdays in support for all those smarter than me. I give no promises about the weekends.

My drawing ability with crayons doesn't equal art.

He's laughing at me, not with me

Breakfast makes me nicer. So does sleep. Neither were in abundance today.

I really can't juggle.

Single parents rock. I am on my own for the week and seriously cannot get my **** together. I don't know how you do it. Tips welcome.

I'm going to take the lead of @fatmumslim and try and make my photo a day challenge a bit more challenging (although the lack of a camera at present is probably enough of a challenge). Please join in - I like other people's pics more than mine!

Here's day 1.....

The world isn't such a bad place sometimes...

My version of multi-tasking involves writing blogs in the backyard (and staring aimlessly at the sky) while the little fish plays. Risky venture, especially given previous back yard escapades (refer to lack of camera above).

I'm married to a journalist. I should probably stop bagging the press.....