Beauty & the Nerd

Colorful art

1) Call Reggie.

2) Check mail for engagment party invite and Kaboodle gift

3) Borrow camera from Paola until your's arrives on Tuesday.

4) Pay storage

5) Your camera was late in arriving and we are already into 11 days into the new year.  Take one picture or each day so you can catch up on your 365 days photo blog.  (Then do one a day for the rest of the year)

6) Work on your book blog and post all of the books you've read the past few months along with your review and links.

7) Bathe the dog for goodness sake!  It looks homeless!!

8) Put all things in Olguita's room in a box

9) Clean out file cabinet

10)  Read 2 chapters of your book

To do for Vanessa

1) Teach her numbers outside on the sidewalk with chaulk

2) Put together menu and grocery list for next weeks meals

3)  Spend 15 minutes teaching Vanessa how to read (keep up the schedule)

4) Look up dora the Explorer templates to make her birthday cake, look up party favors, entertainment, games and party location

5) Take her outdoors to play with her Dora Tricycle

6) Read her a book

7) Video tape her dancing Single Ladies

One year on Halloween, we ran out of candy well before the trick-or-treaters were finished for the night. In an attempt to dissuade them from knocking on our door, we turned the porch light off. When that failed to stop them, we put a sign on the door reading "sorry, no more candy". That didn't work, either. Based on that experience, I am somewhat doubtful that Maryland's plan to keep children away from sex offenders on Halloween will be successful.

Haunted House Blk n Wht

Maryland's Division of Parole and Probation has mailed letters and signs to sex offenders. The signs feature a pumpkin and the words "No Candy at This Residence". The accompanying letter reads, in part, "Halloween provides a rare opportunity for you to demonstrate to your neighbors that you are making a sincere effort to change the direction of your life." It goes on to instruct the recipients to post the sign, stay indoors, turn off their porch lights and refrain from answering the door on Halloween.

I think any effort to keep sex offenders and children away from each other is worth a try. But I can tell you that I already know where the registered sex offenders in my area live. I checked my state's online registry before we made an offer on our house and will check back periodically to see if there are any changes. Do you keep up with your state's sex offender registry?

(I always check my sex offender registry.  I can't believe the people I have found there.  I found my x husbands boss, a man my aunt was dating, and someone from my church that worked at my church!  These jerks are everywhere.  Be careful!  I think this is a great idea.  I hope they use it in more states.)

Oct. 19) - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced Sunday that he will be voting for Sen. Barack Obama, citing the Democrat's "ability to inspire" and the "inclusive nature of his campaign."

Colin Powell

"He has both style and substance. I think he is a transformational figure," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press. 

 

Obama displayed a steadiness. Showed intellectual vigor. He has a definitive way of doing business that will do us well," Powell said.

 

Powell, a retired U.S. general and a Republican, was once seen as a possible presidential candidate himself.

Powell said he questioned Sen. John McCain's judgment in picking Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate because he doesn't think she is ready to be president.  He also said he was disappointed with some of McCain's campaign tactics, such as bringing up Obama's ties to former 1960's radical Bill Ayers. 

 

Powell served as secretary of state under President Bush from 2001 to 2005.

The notion of a Powell endorsement has been rumored for several months.

 

(This story goes on but why bore you?  I simply posted the first part of it because I am amazed that a Republican such as Powelll is no endorsing Obama.  Obama really has broken barriers!)

 

 

 

There are so many of us in this big world of ours, that are ill.  Ill with disorders, illnesses, diseases or whatever your ailment, that people don't understand or can't see because on the outside we look fine.  We aren't bleeding, blushing, no puss, no sores, no hair falling out, no leisons, etc.  But inside something is going on that no one is a witness of other than our pain, our discomfort and worry. 

Often times friends and family may ask what it's like to live day-by-day with out ailments.  It is oftentime so difficult to explain because explaining the condition is different than explaining how it affects us personally even though the two go hand-in-hand. 

I myself have Postpartum Cardiomyopathy and I am a member of a Cardiomyopathy group on Facebook.  Today one of the members passed out a letter written by a young woman where she explain the "Spoon Theory."  As I read it I realized that there is no better way to describe our day-to-day than how this young woman describes it with her Spoon Theory.  So for those of you that have sick family or friends, maybe even a neighbor or a coworker, this if for you...

The Spoon Theory
by Christine Miserandino www.butyoudontlooksick.com

Spoons

My best friend and I were in the diner, talking. As usual, it was very late and we were eating French fries with gravy. Like normal girls our age, we spent a lot of time in the diner while in college, and most of the time we spent talking about boys, music or trivial things, that seemed very important at the time. We never got serious about anything in particular and spent most of our time laughing.

As I went to take some of my medicine with a snack as I usually did, she watched me with an awkward kind of stare, instead of continuing the conversation. She then asked me out of the blue what it felt like to have Lupus and be sick. I was shocked not only because she asked the random question, but also because I assumed she knew all there was to know about Lupus. She came to doctors with me, she saw me walk with a cane, and throw up in the bathroom. She had seen me cry in pain, what else was there to know?

I started to ramble on about pills, and aches and pains, but she kept pursuing, and didn't seem satisfied with my answers. I was a little surprised as being my roommate in college and friend for years; I thought she already knew the medical definition of Lupus. Then she looked at me with a face every sick person knows well, the face of pure curiosity about something no one healthy can truly understand. She asked what it felt like, not physically, but what it felt like to be me, to be sick.

As I tried to gain my composure, I glanced around the table for help or guidance, or at least stall for time to think. I was trying to find the right words. How do I answer a question I never was able to answer for myself? How do I explain every detail of every day being effected, and give the emotions a sick person goes through with clarity. I could have given up, cracked a joke like I usually do, and changed the subject, but I remember thinking if I don’t try to explain this, how could I ever expect her to understand. If I can’t explain this to my best friend, how could I explain my world to anyone else? I had to at least try.

At that moment, the spoon theory was born. I quickly grabbed every spoon on the table; hell I grabbed spoons off of the other tables. I looked at her in the eyes and said “Here you go, you have Lupus”. She looked at me slightly confused, as anyone would when they are being handed a bouquet of spoons. The cold metal spoons clanked in my hands, as I grouped them together and shoved them into her hands.
I explained that the difference in being sick and being healthy is having to make choices or to consciously think about things when the rest of the world doesn’t have to. The healthy have the luxury of a life without choices, a gift most people take for granted.

Most people start the day with unlimited amount of possibilities, and energy to do whatever they desire, especially young people. For the most part, they do not need to worry about the effects of their actions. So for my explanation, I used spoons to convey this point. I wanted something for her to actually hold, for me to then take away, since most people who get sick feel a “loss” of a life they once knew. If I was in control of taking away the spoons, then she would know what it feels like to have someone or something else, in this case Lupus, being in control.

She grabbed the spoons with excitement. She didn’t understand what I was doing, but she is always up for a good time, so I guess she thought I was cracking a joke of some kind like I usually do when talking about touchy topics. Little did she know how serious I would become?

I asked her to count her spoons. She asked why, and I explained that when you are healthy you expect to have a never-ending supply of "spoons". But when you have to now plan your day, you need to know exactly how many “spoons” you are starting with. It doesn’t guarantee that you might not lose some along the way, but at least it helps to know where you are starting. She counted out 12 spoons. She laughed and said she wanted more. I said no, and I knew right away that this little game would work, when she looked disappointed, and we hadn't even started yet. I’ve wanted more "spoons" for years and haven’t found a way yet to get more, why should she? I also told her to always be conscious of how many she had, and not to drop them because she can never forget she has Lupus.

I asked her to list off the tasks of her day, including the most simple. As, she rattled off daily chores, or just fun things to do; I explained how each one would cost her a spoon. When she jumped right into getting ready for work as her first task of the morning, I cut her off and took away a spoon. I practically jumped down her throat. I said " No! You don’t just get up. You have to crack open your eyes, and then realize you are late. You didn’t sleep well the night before. You have to crawl out of bed, and then you have to make your self something to eat before you can do anything else, because if you don’t, you can't take your medicine, and if you don’t take your medicine you might as well give up all your spoons for today and tomorrow too." I quickly took away a spoon and she realized she hasn’t even gotten dressed yet. Showering cost her spoon, just for washing her hair and shaving her legs. Reaching high and low that early in the morning could actually cost more than one spoon, but I figured I would give her a break; I didn’t want to scare her right away. Getting dressed was worth another spoon. I stopped her and broke down every task to show her how every little detail needs to be thought about. You cannot simply just throw clothes on when you are sick. I explained that I have to see what clothes I can physically put on, if my hands hurt that day buttons are out of the question. If I have bruises that day, I need to wear long sleeves, and if I have a fever I need a sweater to stay warm and so on. If my hair is falling out I need to spend more time to look presentable, and then you need to factor in another 5 minutes for feeling badly that it took you 2 hours to do all this.

I think she was starting to understand when she theoretically didn’t even get to work, and she was left with 6 spoons. I then explained to her that she needed to choose the rest of her day wisely, since when your “spoons” are gone, they are gone. Sometimes you can borrow against tomorrow’s "spoons", but just think how hard tomorrow will be with less "spoons". I also needed to explain that a person who is sick always lives with the looming thought that tomorrow may be the day that a cold comes, or an infection, or any number of things that could be very dangerous. So you do not want to run low on "spoons", because you never know when you truly will need them. I didn’t want to depress her, but I needed to be realistic, and unfortunately being prepared for the worst is part of a real day for me.

We went through the rest of the day, and she slowly learned that skipping lunch would cost her a spoon, as well as standing on a train, or even typing at her computer too long. She was forced to make choices and think about things differently. Hypothetically, she had to choose not to run errands, so that she could eat dinner that night.

When we got to the end of her pretend day, she said she was hungry. I summarized that she had to eat dinner but she only had one spoon left. If she cooked, she wouldn’t have enough energy to clean the pots. If she went out for dinner, she might be too tired to drive home safely. Then I also explained, that I didn’t even bother to add into this game, that she was so nauseous, that cooking was probably out of the question anyway. So she decided to make soup, it was easy. I then said it is only 7pm, you have the rest of the night but maybe end up with one spoon, so you can do something fun, or clean your apartment, or do chores, but you can’t do it all.

I rarely see her emotional, so when I saw her upset I knew maybe I was getting through to her. I didn’t want my friend to be upset, but at the same time I was happy to think finally maybe someone understood me a little bit. She had tears in her eyes and asked quietly “Christine, How do you do it? Do you really do this everyday?” I explained that some days were worse then others; some days I have more spoons then most. But I can never make it go away and I can’t forget about it, I always have to think about it. I handed her a spoon I had been holding in reserve. I said simply, “I have learned to live life with an extra spoon in my pocket, in reserve. You need to always be prepared”

Its hard, the hardest thing I ever had to learn is to slow down, and not do everything. I fight this to this day. I hate feeling left out, having to choose to stay home, or to not get things done that I want to. I wanted her to feel that frustration. I wanted her to understand, that everything everyone else does comes so easy, but for me it is one hundred little jobs in one. I need to think about the weather, my temperature that day, and the whole day's plans before I can attack any one given thing. When other people can simply do things, I have to attack it and make a plan like I am strategizing a war. It is in that lifestyle, the difference between being sick and healthy. It is the beautiful ability to not think and just do. I miss that freedom. I miss never having to count "spoons".

After we were emotional and talked about this for a little while longer, I sensed she was sad. Maybe she finally understood. Maybe she realized that she never could truly and honestly say she understands. But at least now she might not complain so much when I can't go out for dinner some nights, or when I never seem to make it to her house and she always has to drive to mine. I gave her a hug when we walked out of the diner. I had the one spoon in my hand and I said “Don’t worry. I see this as a blessing. I have been forced to think about everything I do. Do you know how many spoons people waste everyday? I don’t have room for wasted time, or wasted “spoons” and I chose to spend this time with you.”

Ever since this night, I have used the spoon theory to explain my life to many people. In fact, my family and friends refer to spoons all the time. It has been a code word for what I can and cannot do. Once people understand the spoon theory they seem to understand me better, but I also think they live their life a little differently too. I think it isn’t just good for understanding Lupus, but anyone dealing with any disability or illness. Hopefully, they don’t take so much for granted or their life in general. I give a piece of myself, in every sense of the word when I do anything. It has become an inside joke. I have become famous for saying to people jokingly that they should feel special when I spend time with them, because they have one of my "spoons".

© 2003 by Christine Miserandino Butyoudontlooksick.com

NEW YORK (Oct. 18) -- Gasoline prices continued to slip, tumbling below $3 a gallon for the first time in nearly nine months, according to a daily survey of credit card swipes released Saturday. 

Gasoline

The average price of unleaded regular fell to $2.99 a gallon, down four and nine-tenths of a cent, according to the Daily Fuel Gauge Report issued by motorist group AAA. Prices have fallen 30 cents in the last week and 84.4 cents, or 22%, in the last 30 days.

Let me say that I just had to post this because I wanted to make a point about how politics works.  How it isn't about caring but about votes and who is ahead in the poles.  I know it's this way for all politicians, no matter what they say, BUT Mccain is a real ass for this, and this article proves the extent of how much of a jerk he is.  When I read it I couldn't believe it because even though I am not a republican I respect the party and I had admiration for McCain.  Not to say this has taken all admiration away, but my respect for him has definitely gone down.

I don't know how many of you have children but those of you that do, and are informed parents, you have probably read, studied and done extensive research on children's vaccines.  Only to find that there seems to be a correlation between the MMR vaccine and autism.  I myself know 9 couples who had children and out of the 9, only 3 didn't get autism after this vaccine.  Thats enough research for me to know I am not risking my child to it. 

Jenny Mccarthy just like many other mothers and parents (including the couples that I know and mentioned above that now have children with autism), all say that there children were fun loving, eager to learn and progressing fabulously until they turned 2 or three...right after the MMR vaccine was given to them.  These parents all swear that the change was almost immediate, but somehow doctors and pharmaceautical companies ignore what the parents see and continue giving these vaccines to children. 

Jenny McCarthy has been a big advocate for children with autism and fought this mess all the way to the white house.  If you read below you will see that she was going to meet Mccain...and if you read further you will see what a disappointment this man is for parents and children alike. 

Jenny McCarthy Finds Autism Cure

(Oct. 17) - Jenny McCarthy claims she helped her son, Evan, recover from autism. She tells Usmagazine.com that by giving her son a strict no wheat-and-dairy-free diet, she says her son has recovered and no longer shows the major signs of autism.

 

McCarthy claimed the MMR vaccine was to blame for her son's diagnosis with autism and has since become a strong advocate for autism awareness. Her claims that autism is curable has become a controversial subject, which she focuses on in her newest book, 'Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds.' She says she wants to bring hope to families and give them more options than doctors are currently providing.

 

Jenny McCarthy

Oct. 17) - Warren Buffett wants the world to know that it's time to get greedy right now, as fear sends stock prices plunging across the globe.

Warren_Buffett