The Beat Goes On

6th July 2009

The axe will fall this week and I can only hope that my neck is not cleaved with it. I’m talking lay-offs, of course, for those of you fortunate to be unfamiliar with such terms. I’m cautiously semi-optimistic that my job won’t be among them, but in journalism these days, the axe swings wide and one must always be wary. I’m busy making Plan Bs and Cs and will probably be a little on edge this week until the cuts are announced, so bear with me. Good chi gladly accepted.

In other, more uplifting news, I’m going to be an aunt again! And twice over to boot! My brother and his wife are expecting in mid-December and we just learned over the weekend that my in-laws are expecting their third child in January. This will be the first grandchild on my side of the family, so it’s an especially exciting time for us. Neither couple have any definite names in mind, although my brother and his wife are tossing around Nevalee for a girl and Chase for a boy. I’ve never really wanted children, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a slew of names ready in the event of a Contraceptive Oops. I like Olivia (Livvie for short) for a girl or Gillian. Perhaps my most favorite girl’s name though is Ragen — for the favored daughter in King Lear, not the president, and it’s also a combination of mine and my sister’s names (Megan + Rachel). I don’t have many boy’s names in mind namely because I can’t see us as ever having and raising a boy-child, but after our friend’s death last week, I think that Cary would be a fine name for a boy. What are your favorite baby names?

The past week’s happenings remind me yet again of the give-and-take regenerative nature of life. I absolutely love my job and am worried sick at the prospect of losing it, but past experience has taught me that losing my job isn’t the end of the world and that it may actually be an opportunity to explore something else I might find just as or even more fulfilling. And while we learned last weekend of the death of a beloved friend, this past weekend we learned of the creation of new life, one we will cherish all the more because of our loss. As Cary himself might say, the beat goes on.

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This entry was posted on Monday, July 6th, 2009 at 1:01 pm and is filed under Administrative, Personal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1 On July 6th, 2009, Elizabeth said:

Congrats to your family!

Like you, I have no intention of having children, but I do have fave names, just in case.

Faith Cherie
Mila Grace

David

posted on July 6th, 2009 at 1:32 pm

2 On July 6th, 2009, Charlotte said:

Congrats on being an aunt again! Sending you good thoughts concerning the job thing.

posted on July 6th, 2009 at 2:08 pm

3 On July 6th, 2009, Rachel2 said:

Congrats on being an aunt again! YAAAAAY! And, hopefully, you won’t have to worry about the axe coming your way. But, it’s definitely a smart thing to come up with Plan B’s and C’s JUST in case!

HUGS to you!

And yes, the beat goes on.

posted on July 6th, 2009 at 2:26 pm

4 On July 6th, 2009, Jean said:

I always loved the name “Brice” for a boy. ~smiles~

posted on July 6th, 2009 at 3:02 pm

5 On July 6th, 2009, spoonfork38 said:

I don’t know about chi, so I’ll just send good employment vibes!

Congratulations on your pending aunt-hood!

posted on July 6th, 2009 at 3:07 pm

6 On July 6th, 2009, Bluefish said:

Congratulations – Being an aunt is the best! But I think the favored daughter in King Lear is Cordelia. Regan is one of the nasty two, though not as hideously awful as her sister Goneril. All three come to bad ends, though, so be warned.

OTOH I have a co-worker named Reagan, who is quite lovely and has never once tried to cut social services or install an anti-ballistic missile shield at home or office. May consider ketchup a vegetable though.

posted on July 6th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

7 On July 6th, 2009, Rachel said:

@Bluefish: You’re right! I fully concede my Shakespeare shortcomings. I was an English major until we got to Melville and I realized I couldn’t stomach the upcoming year of Shakespeare.

posted on July 6th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

8 On July 6th, 2009, Alyssa (The 39 year-old) said:

Congratulations, Auntie!!!!!
(I was gonna chime in with the whole Cordelia thing, too! And, to continue my dorkiness, Shakespeare was never meant to be read. He actually never even put complete scripts of his plays together, just gave the actors their parts. So, yeah, sitting and reading Shakespeare is like having root canal!)

posted on July 6th, 2009 at 5:20 pm

9 On July 6th, 2009, Nicole said:

Wishing you good luck with the round of layoffs. My husband got the chop in his company’s latest round, and it sucks mightily. We’re working through it and trying to trust that all will work out.

As for favorite baby names, well, I used them for my kids. (Connery for a boy and Emerson for a girl.)

posted on July 6th, 2009 at 5:54 pm

10 On July 6th, 2009, Rachel2 said:

@Nicole: Emerson for a girl? I hadn’t heard of Emerson as a girl’s name. I know a boy named Emerson… Which is why I ask!

Yay, happy times!

posted on July 6th, 2009 at 9:23 pm

11 On July 6th, 2009, Jackie said:

You forgot about Ragen from The Exorcist.

12 On July 7th, 2009, mamaV said:

Hi Rachel (finally spelling your name right!):

Although it doesn’t seem like it…losing your job can be the worst thing and the best thing all in one. I went through it a year an a half ago, which pushed me to finally have the guts to start my own business. I am now happily working as a Consultant, calling my own shots, and thrilled that I finally landed here.

One day at a time…and if you believe things happen for a reason, hang on to that thought.

mV

PS Will you be at BlogHer? I am speaking with a body image panel on Friday 24th 1:15 and I would love to meet you!!

posted on July 7th, 2009 at 9:10 am

13 On July 7th, 2009, Aleksiina said:

Congrats! I intend to be the “cool aunt” forever myself since I have no desire whatsoever for offspring of my own. As for good names, I never really thought about it but if the occasion arises, I hope I can be as creative as my mother:D My name is Alexina, and the ones of my four younger siblings go as follows: Bérénice, Juliette, Whillem and Simone. Not the most common names around but all very beautiful:D

posted on July 7th, 2009 at 1:07 pm

14 On July 7th, 2009, Melissa said:

Great news, congrats tot the family.

My fav names for a girl were always names like Ciara, Kate or Emily.

My favorite boys name is of course the name I gave my son which is Hayden (which could be used as a girls name too!)
as well I like the name Isaac.

posted on July 7th, 2009 at 7:54 pm

15 On July 8th, 2009, How many appendages can I cross? » The-F-Word.org said: