TheMommyBlog

Oh, hi!

I'm in New York. Did I mention that? Um, yeah.

I'll be here a couple of times in the next two weeks, finished (flambéed, if you will) with a trip to Chicago. I know! First I don't leave my house for months, aside from school runs, and all of a sudden I'm Jetty Jane. It's a burden, this dual life of nonprofit work and motherhood. I just can't be caged.

What's really exciting about today in NY and Chicago next month is that I'll get to reprieve my role among foundation grants managers, ex officio. It's been like a delicious game of Groundhog Day-like tag with my former profession—first I AM one for twelve years, then I come to the meetings as a vendor, and now here I am as a grantee and presenter. I don't care how it keeps happening—I'm just happy to see my peeps.

And the capper? I've been asked to sit on a panel at a national meeting (that's Chicago) to talk about Life After Grants Management. Ahahahahahaha! Whew! That's genius. Although I'm not sure they meant MY life after grants management—it might be better to hear about applying those particular, hard-won skills to another career setting and not about having a two-year crisis, writing like a mental patient, glamming it up as a mommy blogger, and chasing three school-aged children around. Thank goodness I got back into this line of work, because if I can go from here to there and back again, a marmot could do it. The Powers That Be keep steering me back in this direction, and it feels right. My heart belongs to grants management. If I can't bring about world peace, perhaps I can help make it easier for GMs to get through the work day. Someday, I hope to be sainted.

I wish Phil could be here, though. It doesn't feel right to be all the way out here so close to his family without him, especially as we may be dining at Asia de Cuba tonight, his friends and family hangout each holiday season, and mine every chance I get. And I wish I didn't have to miss my daughter's first parent-teacher conference, but at least I'll get to see her first report card tomorrow night.

And now it is time to go back to bed. I have to be up in three hours to grab coffee with everyone before a day of meetings. I love time zones, especially crossing them West to East. I always feel so pretty with the dry skin, water retention, and dark circles under my eyes.