I'm really really proud of her and very happy for her. She was working retail during the holidays, and while that's bad for anyone, it's a particularly bad deal for R.

Also, I brag about L and her stuff a lot. R deserves her shiny time!

Yay for Daisy's sis! What a cool job.

For that matter, I found myself here in a way that I never would have been able to in Michigan.

I felt that way in NYC. As ita said, I also felt unnotable there -- I mean, it's NYC, there's no way *I'm* going to stand out. But raising three kids there takes a kind of money we're not likely to see in this lifetime. My dream is that when they're all out of the house, Stephen and I can move back there.

Wait, who am I kidding? My dream is that if we win the lottery we can get a little studio there now, and I could escape from time to time.

I am now alone in my office.

All by myself.

t turns music waaaaaaaay up

t starts dancing

Congrats to DJ's sister!

I think LA can be a great place to raise kids, though I agree that it depends on location, school system, family, etc. It also depends on what you love and what you want for your kids. I don't blame Aimee for not wanting to keep Em here, and I'm sure she wouldn't blame me if I made a different decision for my (hypothetical, non-existent) child.

Our area of Pasadena is super kid-friendly and has good public schools, so I wouldn't balk at raising one there. There's also tons of scholarship money out there in case I ever wanted to send a kidlet to an indpendent school, which is good since I definitely couldn't afford to pay for one myself.

I, like ita, have come to peace with not owning, at least for now. I seem to have done the whole homeowner thing backwards. I owned two different places before I was 30, and now I don't own anything. What's wrong with this picture?

Granted, if someone would just give me billions of dollars with which to do as I pleased, none of this would be a problem.

I'm sure she wouldn't blame me if I made a different decision for my (hypothetical, non-existent) child.

Sure I would. I am Judgey McPassing Judgementerstein.

starts dancing

Naked?

Why, oh why did I book such a late flight home? We finished the work that had to be done today and I still have 2 hours before I have to be at the airport.

Not gonna talk real estate and housing rental...I can't afford where I live and yet I can't imagine living anywhere else.

Not yet.

But there is a lot of booze in my boss' office!

Well fine, Ms...I'm sorry, JUDGE...McPassing Judgementerstein! t sticks out tongue

Plllbbbtttt.

Psst, Jessica, I remember that you didn't like Sweeney Todd very much, but you really should see Company before it goes away.

I doubt it'll happen, sadly -- the next month is going to be one giant ball of crazy, and then we have to learn how to pay off a mortgage...