Citrus Cactus and the Case of the Mysterious Atlas

[citrus_cactus]

So, I randomly went home last weekend (eh, not so random-- parents' birthdays, you know). OMG, I had really been missing Colorado. The dry air, the altitude... even though Saturday was a bit cold and rainy, Sunday was very much my idea of a Perfect Fall Day: warm and sunny (but not too warm), great for a grilling outdoors and taking the Samoyeds

Comments

[lelenmargyle]

So cooool! I actually have no idea what it's like to be close with extended family members. My parents were always very sheltering...But I have to trust that they had good reasons for that. (I can certainly see how each of them is a black sheep within their own families, and I've realized that I have quite literally nothing but genes in common with my dad's side of the family, so...yeah. I kept my name 'cuz I respect my dad for working hard and breaking the cycle (going to college lol), I guess

[citrus_cactus]

Yeah, I think I can understand that. It might help that my immediate family on both sides (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and one cousin) is quite small and we all lived in the same city while I was growing up-- but then again, I was never as close with my mom's side of the family, so maybe it was a combination of having things in common with my dad's side and this sense of history/pride in the family's origins that caused me to gravitate that way! Aaaand then I think about my parents' personalities and the way I was raised, and I realize that the apple didn't really fall far from the tree (for better or for worse...) XD

[lelenmargyle]

I think that's a nice thing! I'm certainly like my parents in a lot of ways. I'm grateful that I'm a generation removed from having to "break out." (My mother's parents were both college educated, but there were other kinds of instability on that side.) They "done did good," as far as I'm concerned. (I *would* say that, since the result is me. B

[lelenmargyle]

Oh dang, I think Chicago might be the Hufflepuff of major U.S. cities. XD

[citrus_cactus]

LOL!! Now I'm trying to sort all the major US cities into houses. What have you done?? Thanks a lot (also: it's really hard, I have to give up now) XD;;;

But! I remembered what I was going to say. That article you linked! Ah, good for you, Japan. Me and the husb' were actually just having a conversation about the deplorable state of paid leave in this country. Every *other* developed country seems to be on-board with more generous vacation and maternity leave options than any company (that we've ever applied to) are willing to offer. Boo. Boo, I say! At least my old company offered two weeks of paternity leave for my male co-workers... that was at least somewhat progressive of them.