Mom Likes Me Best! Happy Hour Friday

It's Friday! There are many happy events to share with you for Happy Hour today....


I got a job! I'm no longer a deadbeat! Once again, someone is actually going to pay me real money to play with little kids. Works for me! The only downside is that it takes away from valuable blogging time. And I'm sure I'll be totally wiped out next week... teaching the wee ones is one of the most physically exhausting jobs there is. But, for this Friday, the fact that I'll be back doing what I love makes me very happy!

I got a lovely blog award from a lovely lady... the one and only Ms. Eolist Petite.

Thank you Ms. Petite!

And since I get to pass this award along to some other lovely bloggers, I'd like to take this opportunity to award it to these lovely bloggers with truly lovely blog sites:

Spudballo over at Chez Spud with her lovely photos
Nancy at Body in Balance who will help you find balance in your life

Michelle, who pretends to be a Surly Writer, but is actually quiet lovely

Mom also likes me best this week! Mine was the winning entry in Kirsten's caption contest this past week over at The Soccer Mom Files. Here's my winning entry:

Register now for our parenting classes. Satisfaction guaranteed or your ammo back.

Did you like it... huh? Huh? Here's what I won:

Now I get to be the blog sheriff for the week! Yay! That means you all have to do everything I tell you to do for the entire week! (Isn't that how this award works, Kirsten? Or should I just save time and send myself to my room now?)


Please be sure to stop by and say howdy to Otin and RxBambi and see who else is participating in Happy Hour Friday this week!

I'm Diggin' It!

How did it get to be Friday already? And what am I happy about? I may have to dig deep for this one.

Let's see:

~I was thrilled that it wasn't my naked butt being dragged alongside a train.

~I was delighted to see so many friends at the Willow Manor Ball this week.

~I was encouraged to see so many people embrace the Climate Change theme for Blog Action Day.

~I was pleased to see the return of Nanodance, (who had gone missing for a while,) even if she did go all topical on my ass.

~I was intrigued by the whole TweetDeck concept, which I'm still trying to figure out.

and

~I was (and still am) happy to have made the acquaintance of some interesting new bloggy folks. Go check them out and have a great weekend!

The Thought Bubbles of Robbie Munn

Any friend of iDifficult, Indigo & Eolist Petite...

Kacklin' with KaLynn

Another 50-something adventurer.

Jayne, an eclectic writer who's in her own world.

Where nothing is sacred!

You're Looking Fabulous, Dahling!

This week Happy Hour Friday is a "two-fer."
In addition to my regular post I'm includig a Pay it Forward Post.
Please be sure to read both and pass it on! Thanks! You'll be glad you did!

A while back I got this fortune in my fortune cookie widget:

Happy events will take place shortly in your home.

(Did you hear that, Otin? Perfect for Happy Hour Friday!)

Now, I'm too old for any "blessed events," so what could this mean? Then the answer came to me...

It was an award from Phillipia! She was the first person to follow my blog who didn't actually know me and owe me a favor. (Hah! Fooled her!) And after all this time not only has she remained a follower, she thinks I'm fabulous! What a happy day! I'm overflowing with joy at the moment because my fortune came true! Now I truly believe in the fortune cookie widget.

As with many bloggy awards, there are rules and regulations attached. To wit: I have to list 5 of my obsessions. (Being somewhat OC, it should be easy to come up with something.) And I have to pass it forward to 5 more fabulous bloggers (who don't already have this accolade.)

So, as to the obsessions:

1. I have to do a crossword puzzle before going to sleep at night. OCD! OCD! *points finger* I used to read in bed but had to give that up after years of staying up all night reading... just one more paragraph... just one more page... just one more chapter... just have to finish the book. *yawn*

2. Blankets... I love blankets! From the time I was a baby I've loved blankets. I have them all over my house and like nothing more than to curl up with one while I'm reading a book, watching TV or blogging. (At the moment I'm wrapped up in one of my favorite fleece blankets.) In fact, I love them so much I knit blankets for special people for special occasions. Vlad, who is 6'6" tall, loves that I custom knit his blankets so his feet aren't sticking out the bottom all the time.

3. I must have comfy clothes. Soft, well-worn, loose clothing is integral to my happiness. I can't wear new clothes until all the tags have been ripped out and until they have been thoroughly washed to remove any lingering dyes or chemicals. I rarely wear "girl clothes" unless absolutely necessary. (Like, say for job interviews.) So yes... I definitely dress like a cat lady. Important note: Comfy clothes should never be ironed.

4. My drug of choice is Dr. Pepper. While I talk a good line about drinking mass quantities of liquor, my true obsession is Dr. Pepper. And not that diet kind that Quirky likes. *icky face* I need pure, unadulterated Dr. Pepper. In other words, if I'm going to sin, I'm going to sin boldly!

5. I'm obsessed with teaching. Although I'm currently "between jobs," when I am working I put my heart and soul into it. I love transforming my room with the kids into a magical world that reflects whatever topic we're studying. I don't do anything half-way when I'm teaching. Which is why I'm a Connoisseur of Crap and why my house is a jumble of artifacts, books, costumes, etc. My obsession is also the reason why I decided to bag the Director's job to go back into the classroom.

So, now that I've completed the obsessions requirement, allow me to acquaint you with the award:

(This looks just like Hickory the Wonder Dog and me as we go for our morning constitutional.)

Now for the 5 bloggers who are even more fabulous:

Trodo: in memory of Sam

Skye: whose granola will soon become an obsession for bloggers everywhere

Nanodance: with whom I've spent many happy ours obsessing about things

Pearl: whose blog has become one of my daily obsessions

The Peach Tart: who has become a role model as well as a daily "must read"

Now go check out these fabulous women! And don't forget to say "Hey!" to Phillipia, who looks fabulous in her Carmen Miranda habit.

Pay it Forward... It will make it a Happy Friday!

This week Happy Hour Friday is a "two-fer." 

In addition to my regular post I'm including a Pay it Forward Post,

so please be sure to read both and pass it on!  Thanks!  You'll be glad you did!

It's time once again for Happy Hour Friday!

(Go check out Otin to see who else is participating this week.)

As part of today's Happy Hour Friday, please take a moment to pay it forward by reading this post from Kevin at Always Home and Uncool. So many obscure diseases don't get the attention and financial support for a cure that they should because people just plain don't know about them. I know this one was new to me. (Be sure to click on the links and visit Kevin to show your support.)

Kevin of Always Home and Uncool has asked a whole slew of blogs to post this as part of his effort to raise awareness in the blogosphere of juvenile myositis, a rare autoimmune disease his daughter was diagnosed with on this day seven years ago. The day also happens to be his wife's birthday. 

*

Our pediatrician admitted it early on.

The rash on our 2-year-old daughter's cheeks, joints and legs was something he'd never seen before.

The next doctor wouldn't admit to not knowing.

He rattled off the names of several skins conditions -- none of them seemingly worth his time or bedside manner -- then quickly prescribed antibiotics and showed us the door.

The third doctor admitted she didn't know much.

The biopsy of the chunk of skin she had removed from our daughter's knee showed signs of an "allergic reaction" even though we had ruled out every allergy source -- obvious and otherwise -- that we could.

The fourth doctor had barely closed the door behind her when, looking at the limp blonde cherub in my lap, she admitted she had seen this before. At least one too many times before.

She brought in a gaggle of med students. She pointed out each of thephysical symptoms in our daughter:

The rash across her face and temples resembling the silhouette of a butterfly.

The purple-brown spots and smears, called heliotrope, on her eyelids.

The reddish alligator-like skin, known as Gottron papules, covering the knuckles of her hands.

The onset of crippling muscle weakness in her legs and upper body.

She then had an assistant bring in a handful of pages photocopied from an old medical textbook. She handed them to my wife, whose birthday it happened to be that day.

That was seven years ago -- Oct. 2, 2002 -- the day our daughter was found to have juvenile dermatomyositis, one of a family of rare autoimmune diseases that can have debilitating and even fatal consequences when not treated quickly and effectively.

Our daughter's first year with the disease consisted of surgical procedures, intravenous infusions, staph infections, pulmonary treatments and worry. Her muscles were too weak for her to walk or swallow solid food for several months. When not in the hospital, she sat on our living room couch, propped up by pillows so she wouldn't tip over, as medicine or nourishment dripped from a bag into her body.

Our daughter, Thing 1, Megan, now age 9, remembers little of that today when she dances or sings or plays soccer. All that remain with her are scars, six to be exact, and the array of pills she takes twice a day to help keep the disease at bay.

What would have happened if it took us more than two months and four doctors before we lucked into someone who could piece all the symptoms together? I don't know.

I do know that the fourth doctor, the one who brought in others to see our daughter's condition so they could easily recognize it if they ever had the misfortune to be presented with it again, was a step toward making sure other parents also never have to find out.

That, too, is my purpose today.

It is also my birthday gift to my wife, My Love, Rhonda, for all you have done these past seven years to make others aware of juvenile myositis diseases and help find a cure for them once and for all.

To read more about children and families affected by juvenile myositis diseases, visit Cure JM Foundation atwww.curejm.org.

To make a tax-deductible donation toward JM research, go towww.firstgiving.com/rhondaandkevinmckeeverorwww.curejm.com/team/donations.htm.

*****

Want to participate, but can't contribute? Re-post this on your blog today and leave a comment on Kevin's blog!

Congratulations, Nanodance, LMT! (Happy Hour Friday #3)

Nothing can make me happier at this hour on a Friday morning than the news that my BBFF Nanodance over at Callithump Thunderblog is now a Licensed Massage Therapist!  

Now I can become her palpation slave with impunity since she's all legal and everything.

To celebrate we went over to Cherie's house to raise a glass of wine in Nanodance's honor as we enjoyed soaking in the hot tub.

It was a clear night. The stars were shining.  The wine was flowing. It just doesn't get much better than that.

And see how happy it made her friend, Sondra Stinglash:

Congratulations, Nanodance!  

Fortune Cookie Friday #3 : Don't Mess With Me!

I had great intentions of posting some stuff for Fortune Cookie Friday this week. But then I went over to Nanodance's house to do some blogging with her and she got me distracted by her "comment bombing" mania. She really got out of control... she made me laugh so hard that I started coughing and couldn't stop. I hate when that happens. Then I complained that my computer was being slow, so Nanodance suggested I disable my cookies and she even showed me how to do it and then all of a sudden I started getting all these emails... 562 to be precise. So I spent the next hour going through my emails from the past 2 years, identifying and deleting all the ones that mysteriously got re-sent, which I resented.

Before you know it, we'd gone through a whole bottle of wine and then Vlad was calling me on my cell phone asking what was for dinner and could I stop and bring him something on the way home. I had to mainline a Dr. Pepper so I'd be fit to drive. What a night! Do we know how to have a good time on a Friday night, or what? ("Or what" is the appropriate answer here.) At least since I had such a good time, that can count for Happy Hour Friday!

Anyway, here it is Saturday and I'm now a day behind. No worries, though. As they say, better late than never.


So, one of the fortunes that popped up recently on my fortune cookie widget was:

"You are never bitter, deceptive or petty."

Could've fooled me! You have no idea. I look like a kind, generous, loving person on the outside. But on the inside? Funny thing about those of us who are door mats... while we're busy letting people walk all over us, we are actually building up a whole lot of anger and resentment on the inside. It's like magma churning below the surface of the earth until it finally starts bubbling up and creating pressure. Woe betide the person who gets near us when that all boils over. All of a sudden we explode, pulling the rug out from under all the people who've been walking all over us...

Bitch attack!

Not a pretty sight! Kinda like Detective Mittens when he keeps getting the wrong order from the take out restaurant. You just don't want to be around us when that happens! So, I'm warning you! STAY AWAY!

Stupid fortune cookie!

Happy Hour Friday #2

It's Friday again... which means it's time for Happy Hour Friday!

Otin started Happy Hour Friday to help slide into the weekend on a high note by mentioning some things from the week that may have brought a smile to his face.  

Here are a few things that made me happy this week:

*Vlad is back at college, which makes him happy, which makes me happy!

*I got a very sweet prize from ettarose over at Sanity on the Edge this week!  Thanks, ettarose!  I love you!

*I had a blog party last night with Nanodance and Jewel!

Blogging with friends is awesome.  (I've been so jealous reading all about the BlogCamp fun everybody's been having over at Julochka's house.)  What I've really enjoyed about blogging is getting to know so many fun people.  For all I know, you could all be ax murderers, but at least you do it with passion and a sense of humor!

Now to go get happy hour started...