Cause he's adorable?

Cause he's Hot Lunch.

Still have the plague. Spent an hour on a conference call this morning trying to understand a PPT presentation on our new benefits for 2008.

I keep googling like a mad woman for you, Kat.

What about an ad on Craigslist?

I know it's short notice to be checking references and such. But maybe?

I don't know if I can get Friday to take care of Noah, what hours do you need?

If there is a crazy person within about square mile of me, they tend to find me and strike up a conversation. People have witnessed this many times. It's like a superpower, only, well, one that sucks.

Ah, one of the great joys in life is that my invisibility to waiters and hostesses reverses itself in the presence of a muttering schizophrenic homeless person or junkie panhandler. You can watch their heads pop up and turn toward me as I walk by like dogs hearing an ultrasonic whistle.

Matt, we should never travel together, there would be crazy people from other countries hijacking planes to come and talk to us.

Although this pales in comparision to kat's problem, I just found out that I am going to have to answer big boss's phone, two other people's phones, and take care of their calendar's while someone is on maternity leave. I don't even answer my direct boss's phone. I took this job to get out of the phone answering biz. Since I can't answer any questions, can't it just go to voicemail if they are out?

Matt, we should never travel together, there would be crazy people from other countries hijacking planes to come and talk to us.

OTOH, all the rest of us should sync up our schedules with you too so that we can fly in perfect peace.

Mock our pain. Fine.

Kat, I am so sorry that the childcare fell through. Crossing my fingers that it gets resolved soon.

I can be quite gregarious, but within a defined situation. Bars? No problem, I can talk to anyone. Transactions, like chatting with the cashier or taxi driver? Quite easy. Passing each other in the apartment building hallway? A cinch. I don't even mind when people come and talk to me while I'm washing or working on my bike (which happens a lot). But randomly chatting in the street/store/bus? Kind of awkward, unless one or the other has a place to be and it's a short convo.

Kat, vibing you so very hard re childcare. flea is right; if it isn't actually the most stressful part of early parenting, it's definitely the most stressful part that ought to be routine and low-stress.

I'm sure you already have it, but, just in case: UCLA's childcare help page. I used the UCSF childcare helpline after getting totally screwed out of a chunk of maternity leave and needing to find a place for Matilda well ahead of schedule; they were incredibly helpful, with a long and comprehensive list of caregivers with spaces for infants. Be sure to ask the social workers at Grace's hospital, too, as they probably have info (or at least inside lines to the people who do have info) on places that handle high-need infants.

Mostly, I'm just vibing for a solution you can live with, and fast, so it's not hanging over you one second longer than it has to.

And I'd totally join DJ in a rant, but I'm already eyeball-high in work. But I'm positive DJ can ably rant for both of us!