ZimWex Family Blog

Not so current.

By now you have probably figured out that if you are reading this blog to stay up on current affairs, well, you are not current.

I am not current.

I still can't find time to read the paper, and very often our hour of Rachel Maddow floats over me as I multi-task away the end of my day.

Which is why I had not seen this until my friend L sent it my way the other day:

The Big Gay Parenting Article

Well, look at that!

Our girls are more likely to be doctors and lawyers.*

Our kids are more likely to work in social justice.

What do you all think about the article?

AZ

*Actually, T and I aren't even gay.  We just did all this so our kids would have a better chance for the medical and legal professions. 

A perfect marriage.

Only rarely do mine and Tanya's interests come together in such perfect harmony.

Watch and enjoy.

If you have no interest in either musical theater or politics, this may not be for you, or it may kindle an interest in one or both!

Have a good weekend, everyone.

AZ

Thinking of Mary Travers today.

So i watched her sing.

AZ

Maine.

Is rocking my world right now..

I know I said this just a few months ago, in my post about Connecticut  but I really feel like when T and I got married in 1997, with the hope that it would someday be legal, we never thought that it really could be legal in five different states just 12 years later.

And now, New Hampshire may pass it later this week as well!

The possibility of New York passing a same sex marriage bill is imminent.

If any of you live in New York and are interested in helping, please check out the Pride Agenda Action Center.

Makes it easy to contact your state legislators and/or to thank Sen. Schumer for his support.

Also, if you want to learn more about what you can do to help your gay friends and family members tie the knot, check out Freedom To Marry.   They have been doing amazing work across the country.

With thanks for your support, today and over the past 12 years.....

AZ

What Spring Looks Like:: 1

My good friends P & M are kind enough to invite me often to Opening Day.

This year the deal was especially sweet as it was the first opener at the Mets'* new Citifield.

Though the Mets did not win, we had a good time in the new spacious and cushy seats.  The view was great, the bathrooms lovely (marble floors!), the cuisine a step above the normal ballpark food: Shake Shack! Blue Smoke! Belgian Fries! Sushi!**

We were cold, but very happy.  And the cast of West Side Story performed....

AZ

*Our New York team (somewhat of default).

Point 1 for the Mets: they are not the Yankees. 

Point 2: P & M's quality seats and frequent invitations.

Point 3: Again, not Yankees.

**I only tried two of these, I swear. I am looking forward to going back and trying some of the others...

And now for a little politics.

I am oh-so-happy once again to be a New Yorker today, as Gov. Paterson introduced a same-sex marriage bill for New York.

Hard to believe that something that less than a decade ago we all thought was too dangerous to even mention...so many meetings talking about how using the "m" word would alienate people....and now here we are.

The clips below made me a little goose-bumpy, esp. Christine Quinn's.

Check them out if you have a moment:

Christine Quinn

Governor Paterson

Things are looking up.

AZ

Losing an hour....

A few results of the switch to Daylight Savings Time*.

1. Jerry was wandering into the kitchen unable to sleep at 11 PM.  

2. When all the children woke up at 6:15 AM this morning, it seemed more humane**, because it now said 7:15 on the clock.

3. I lost an hour of time, which turned out to be the time I might have written a blog entry in. So this is all you get.

AZ

*Or is it FROM Daylight Savings Time? Anyone?

**Despite raging late-night karaoke affair....

Move over, Ben Brantley.

Here comes a theater review.

T and I saw Ruined last night.  Ruined is a play by playwright Lynn Nottage.   I have been told that it is based on Brecht's Mother Courage but I've never seen that, and don't much want to*, so I can't say for sure.

It is about war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the women who have to live through it.  At its center is Mama Nadi (who owns a tavern and whorehouse) and the girls who work for her.  Life for women is bad enough there at this time, that this is considered to be a pretty good/safe gig, compared to the other options.  It is really  extraordinary.

The reasons it is THE play that you all should go and buy your tickets for this year are:

1. The acting- all kinds of good performances

2. The directing- pitch-perfect.

3. The writing-well-crafted.

4. The music-evocative.

5. The story-captivating and important.

6. The hope- even though this is about just about the saddest things in the world, there is a sense of hope and resilience that you leave the theater with.  It is not just a total downer.

So, go!  You will be glad you did. But bring some tissues.

AZ

*Call me crazy. I don't like Brecht.

Some thoughts on Oscar Night.

1.   Long live the musical opening number!

2.  Not so psyched on Penelope Cruz.  Shoulda been Viola.

3. Yay for Milk!! They love the gays.

4. How did my wife know La Maison en Petits Cubes would win? Seems suspicious.

5. I like big boobs, but Sarah Jessica's were ridiculous.

6. Tina Fey is funny.

7. When picking short films, picking the German is not enough anymore. This year there were two, and guess who picked the wrong one...

8. I love movie musicals as much as the next girl*, but really? Beyonce and Hugh Jackman singing Grease?

9. The Man on Wire guy was a breath of fresh air.

10. Finally the cleft palate kids are getting a shout out.

11. Most heartwarming speech of the evening?: Indian Sound Mixing Dude.

12. Lovin' Queen Latifah singing the montage to those no longer with us. She rocks.

13. Go Sean Penn. 

I think I am an easy sell, but I liked 'em.  Bring Back Hugh anytime. I did not, however, win my Oscar Pool.  

AZ

*Actually, much much much more.

On Perry Street.

So although I am now a "blogger"*, I am still completely clueless as to most technological things still have a little bit to learn.  For example, my computer mysteriously "stopped working" this week, at which point I realized how I am a complete addict who has lost the ability to communicate without a computer or handheld device that I use my computer rather frequently.  But I could not decipher the source of my computer woes.  So I sadly made an appointment at the Genius Bar** for Friday.  Only when Tanya came to inspect the mysteriously dead computer did she spot the source of the trouble.  The power cord had completely shredded, as if a small animal had gnawed right through the coating.  Duh.

In addition, often a bit of time passes before I actually upload pictures from my camera to my computer.

This is one of those times.

As I uploaded these pix last night, I saw this picture which I snapped the day after election day.

It made me smile. Big.

AZ

*Okay, that still sounds pretty funny.

**yes, Tanya had to tell me how to do it. What do you want to make out of it?