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Sparks and Butterflies

Sparks and Butterflies
Caffeine from above ~ Coffee from below.... I'd sure like some dull!

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Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Articles

Dear AOL, I Am Not a Freak
2009-07-21 01:27:00
*Note: Some graphic biological information ahead. And another note? I’m ticked and therefore ramble.* Dear AOL, I was reading what passes for your headlines today and saw your article, “Dual-Womb Mother Shocks Doctors.” I had to click. Because I have Uterine Didelphys. Thanks a lot, AOL. You have made me look like a freak. No, I’m not the new mom from the article. I’m one of the thousands (millions?) with this “condition.” It’s a birth defect. And it’s not as uncommon as you may think. Yes, I have two uteruses/uteri. Yes I have two cervices/cervixes. I get to have double the pap smears! Had to have a septum between the cervices removed to end pain for both myself and my husband during “relations.” I also get to have double the hormones, double the blood, double the PMS. (Don’t you want to be in my husband’s shoes now?) I’ve been hospitalized for loss of blood during a normal plain old p...
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What I Am Doing Instead of BlogHer
2009-07-17 21:46:00
I was really disappointed when I realized I couldn’t attend BlogHer this year. I have a business to network about, a blog to network about, things to learn, and friends to drink with see. And when Poe first lost his job (5 months and counting ago,) I thought, “Hey! I can still use our tax refund money to get myself to Chicago!” And then we needed to use that money to live off of, and I realized it’s just not going to be part of my reality this year. And I’m feeling rather… mature about it. If you consider stamping my foot mature. I decided I needed to actually do something instead of being bitter. Enter… The Blogathon! I did the Blogathon three years ago. It was a good experience. Rough – but good. I decided to do it again. And I’m going to need your help. Blogathon is just like the other ‘thons you may have done in school, where you got sponsored so much money per lap/pin etc. On July 25th, I’m goin...

Giveaway Reminder!
2009-07-07 22:23:00
*I’m still working on the site redesign – so that’s where my blogging time is going at the moment. Can’t be helped. I’m not a designer or a coder, so I’m doing bits at a time all by myself. Like the header? ALL BY MY LONESOME! You haven’t any idea how much swearing was involved. The last day to enter the Capri-Sun Sunrise $250 Visa Giftcard Giveaway on Butterviews is tomorrow! I won’t be taking comments after Midnight 7/9 Pacific, so be sure to get your entry in. Oh, and don’t comment here for the giveaway – it won’t count. But anything else is A-OK.
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Redesign – Results May Vary
2009-06-29 23:10:00
The blog might visually look messy for a bit. A bit may mean today, or for a week, or a month. I’m doing a little housecleaning and changing up the design a little bit. But because of my poor-i-tude… I’m doing it all myself. Which can totally mean that I break it. Bear with me.
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Scientology – Article You Must Read
2009-06-25 16:42:00
As an update to my last post – while nothing has changed and I’m still not hearing from God, it was a relief to write it all down. I always feel better once I write it all out. Thanks to a couple of sleeping pills, I was able to get two full night’s sleep, so I feel better physically. We’ll live through it… We always do. God’s will will be shown, it always is. One’s spiritual walk ebbs and flows. I just hope it starts flowing again soon. Now. I want to talk about something. I’m going to do it carefully. I have no wish for legal ramifications. I have a long religious testimony – this isn’t about that, and how I came to Christianity. But during that time, I did an inordinate amount of research on religions, their tenets, their beliefs. It was a time of searching. Some people find themselves by hiking through Tibet… I do hours and hours and hours of research on my own without the help of others. 1) Resea...
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Scientology - Article You Must Read
2009-06-25 16:42:00
As an update to my last post - while nothing has changed and I’m still not hearing from God, it was a relief to write it all down. I always feel better once I write it all out. Thanks to a couple of sleeping pills, I was able to get two full night’s sleep, so I feel better physically. We’ll live through it… We always do. God’s will will be shown, it always is. One’s spiritual walk ebbs and flows. I just hope it starts flowing again soon. Now. I want to talk about something. I’m going to do it carefully. I have no wish for legal ramifications. I have a long religious testimony - this isn’t about that, and how I came to Christianity. But during that time, I did an inordinate amount of research on religions, their tenets, their beliefs. It was a time of searching. Some people find themselves by hiking through Tibet… I do hours and hours and hours of research on my own without the help of others. 1) Research is a ski...
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Warning: Whining Ahead
2009-06-23 11:54:00
The stress is starting to manifest in physical ways. I’ve been sick for a couple of weeks, which I think is finally on the mend. I’m at the cough stage. Having 2 babies in 2 years did a permanent number on my bladder. It’s not pretty coupled with wracking cough spasms. I’m broken out all over. I’ve had an acne problem since entering my 30’s (as well as gray hair - it’s wrong to have both), but on my face. It’s all over my body now. The worst, by far, is the sleeplessness. As I write this, it’s 2:22am. I went to bed at 1am. I tossed and turned and just decided to get up and write. Maybe venting will give some relief to my mind. Normal (which hasn’t been for months now) is going to bed between 10-11. I have no trouble sleeping once I get there - but I cannot turn my mind off at all when I get into bed. I have a meeting at 9:30. This day will suck. Plus, I have an event to attend which I’ll be writing abo...
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Warning: Whining Ahead
2009-06-23 11:54:00
The stress is starting to manifest in physical ways. I’ve been sick for a couple of weeks, which I think is finally on the mend. I’m at the cough stage. Having 2 babies in 2 years did a permanent number on my bladder. It’s not pretty coupled with wracking cough spasms. I’m broken out all over. I’ve had an acne problem since entering my 30’s (as well as gray hair – it’s wrong to have both), but on my face. It’s all over my body now. The worst, by far, is the sleeplessness. As I write this, it’s 2:22am. I went to bed at 1am. I tossed and turned and just decided to get up and write. Maybe venting will give some relief to my mind. Normal (which hasn’t been for months now) is going to bed between 10-11. I have no trouble sleeping once I get there – but I cannot turn my mind off at all when I get into bed. I have a meeting at 9:30. This day will suck. Plus, I have an event to attend which I’ll be...
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Look – Shiny!
2009-06-15 23:20:00
I’m still rather sick, and definitely not with it on my daily routine. So, to kill time, I’m going through my bookmarks, ’cause I can do that without a lot of thinking. I wanted to share this video with you. Maybe you’ve seen it – it was uploaded two years ago – but I just found it, and it’s amazing. If you haven’t seen it, watch it the whole way through. There are some plot twists, and considering it’s a home video of wild animals, you’d think that is a strange statement. But it’s true. It’s not embeddable – so go watch Battle at Kruger.
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Look - Shiny!
2009-06-15 23:20:00
I’m still rather sick, and definitely not with it on my daily routine. So, to kill time, I’m going through my bookmarks, ’cause I can do that without a lot of thinking. I wanted to share this video with you. Maybe you’ve seen it - it was uploaded two years ago - but I just found it, and it’s amazing. If you haven’t seen it, watch it the whole way through. There are some plot twists, and considering it’s a home video of wild animals, you’d think that is a strange statement. But it’s true. It’s not embeddable - so go watch Battle at Kruger.
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Sniffle
2009-06-12 19:40:00
I’m taking a short break from the internet (blog, twitter, email) etc. I’m sick as a dog with a nasty cold. See you all next week sometime.

Don’t Rattle a Mama Bear’s Cage
2009-06-11 21:03:00
Rather than go through the whole spiel, I’m going to copy an email with identifiers edited. Suffice it to say that we have been dealing with this issue for MONTHS. In those months, poor Joseph has been going downhill. And it might not have been necessary. from: Michele {email} to Dr. Therapist {email} cc Poe {email}, Dr. District date Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 11:49 AM subject Regarding Joseph {last name} Hi Dr. Therapist, Please feel free to forward this email to any administrative personnel who handle such things. I’ve also CC’d my husband and Dr. District with our school district. I write, in all honesty, with some frustration. Skipping details, the point is that everyone involved in Joseph’s case felt that consulting with a psychiatrist, and investigating if medication for anxiety (or anything else) might be appropriate at this stage for Joseph. When the subject was broached, in was basically shut down by {Big Therapy Center}, because it wasn’t par...
More About: Mama , Cage , Bear

Hot Cross Buns
2009-06-09 21:53:00
I just got home from a concert of Joseph’s 3rd grade class. Three classes, playing their recorders. I suppose less is more in describing that one. Heh. I’ll be uploading videos onto my YouTube account today maybe. We’ll see. Or maybe Vimeo. Last time I tried YouTube, it hated me. I won’t post it here though - I just want the final product in the clouds as well as on my hard drive. Got a ton of photos to go through as well - need to picnic and flickr those. We still haven’t heard from Poe’s job prospect. They did call and tell him that they haven’t forgotten him, they’re just still thinking about it (they would be adding a whole department just for him.) Understandable. But itchy. El Dinero es nunca. No Money. Going to use a credit card for groceries this week. We don’t use credit anymore, so you know we’re desperate. But, God provides. Faith. I’m trying to. I keep trying to refocus my thoughts on God...
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Monday Catch All
2009-06-08 15:00:00
Just the Monday Catch Up on my other gigs: I did a book review on a book called Emergency by Neil Strauss. The Capri-Sun $250 gift card giveaway is still going strong until 7/8.

Quotables
2009-06-02 15:00:00
“Know, first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.” —Epictetus “Easier said than done.” —Me

Pins and Needles
2009-06-01 19:13:00
Oy. Poe is up for a job. This is GOOD. He had a pre-interview over the phone. Went well. Went in for an actual interview. Went great. Now they’ve asked for a portfolio - anything that can be sent at all? You see Poe had his portfolio of personal drawings stolen. And all his work for companies has been company intellectual property. So, we cobbled some stuff together and sent it (along with the explanation.) In addition we found some online galleries with the locations clearly labeled so Poe knew what was HIS previous work, and we were able to pass that on as well. I think they really want him. But they’ve never gone into this computer thing before, they’ve only done hand drawn. And the software as well as other components are about $10,000. That does not include the cost of Poe himself. So, I think they’re trying to justify the cost of going this route in the first place, not to mention Poe himself. ARG! Worst is, we still don’t know any...
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My husband should be sainted
2009-05-28 07:15:00
Today we got one of those phone calls. The kind that usually come in the middle of the night scaring you half to death. Apparently my dad fell, and was asking for Poe to come help him. OK, fine. So, Poe went to help. Apparently he had fallen outside while working. Badly. Seriously hit his head (blood,) arm (more blood,) knees (even more blood,) - oh and his arm hurt. Like too much. Poe decided he was going to the hospital. And my father said yes. Coming from a man who treats cuts that absolutely should be sutured with crazy glue, this meant it was serious. Poe called me to let me know what was going on. Of course, I gave him the litany - ID, medical card, medications and dosages - and then made sure my mother didn’t need me there. My dad takes care of her - from food to meds to testing her blood glucose. She said she was fine and would call me if necessary. I was on kid duty, with another pickup coming and the homework. While that sounds banal while my father was ...
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Monday Updates
2009-05-18 15:00:00
So, it’s Monday , which means it’s time to update you on ME around the web. You already know about this one. But I’m mentioning it anyway because HELLO! I was on CNN. Article up at Special Needs Bliss, Advocate - Enough Said. A bit of a rant, cleaned up for non-personal blogness. Another article up at Special Needs Bliss, How to Find Special Needs Programs. The $250 Giftcard Giveaway for Capri-Sun Sunrise is still going strong over at Butterviews! The deadline isn’t until July, so be sure to enter if you haven’t already.
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An Ode to My Husband
2009-05-15 18:45:00
Our wedding anniversary was last month. I never wrote a post - to say it has been weird and crazy around here is an understatement. We’ve been married 11 years. We made it past a decade! Lots of pictures, past the jump. This man is the love of my life. He makes me mad. He makes me crazy. He makes me love. He made me a mom. He makes me laugh. He’s man enough to wear duckie pajamas. Out. In public. He loves his kid enough to help out at baseball. Every game. Every practice. This man makes this very serious woman be silly too. This man doesn’t bat an eyelash when I go and do things like this. We were so very young. We didn’t know what we were doing, or what we were getting ourselves into. Or really what being a grownup even meant. But we knew for certain, without a doubt, that we were meant to be together. I love you. I always will. I think I have since I was born.
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Tragic
2009-05-12 02:25:00
I am no photographer. I’m just not. However, I like documenting certain things in my life, for our family, and also for this journal. Hence, a digital camera is particularly useful. You know… Birthday cakes as well as that strange man running down the street in the leopard underwear. Alas, at Joseph’s last baseball game, I managed to kick over my soda straight into my bag. Straight into a pocket in said bag. The said bag is made of something waterproof, and I therefore made a lake of soda in that one pocket. The one holding both my digital camera, as well as Poe’s cell phone. The phone is dead as a doornail dead. His account was up for an upgrade, though, and we replaced it with a minor fee. The camera, my friends, is also dead. I have no idea when I’ll have the funds to replace it, considering our current situation. And to add insult to injury, I’ve misplaced our Flip. I know it’s here somewhere. With movies from our beach tri...
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CNN Interview: Mothers as Breadwinners
2009-05-10 08:50:00
And I didn’t say “Dude” once! Embedded video from CNN Video
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Watch me on CNN
2009-05-09 03:21:00
Update: Now will be at 12:10/3:10 As I type this, I’m so nervous my hands are sweating. I will be on CNN tomorrow. Tomorrow. As in… Tomorrow. I’ll be on satellite with Fredricka Whitfield (CNN Weekend afternoon anchor) and Suzanne Riss from Working Mother Magazine. The gist of the story is the challenges and benefits of working from home, and also turning into the breadwinner of the family (since Poe lost his job.) I got a broadcast from Hire My Mom, and answered it. And this came of it. Wow. SO. Tomorrow, Saturday, May 9th at 12:15 pacific, 3:15 eastern. Wish me luck. And hopes that I don’t choke, get the hiccups or talk like a valley girl. And that I don’t make a complete ass out of myself. It’s a big coup for Vineyard, and I don’t want to screw that up. If you have advice - PLEASE SHARE IT. HALP NEEDED. AND PERHAPS XANAX.
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Paperwork Schmaperwork
2009-05-06 22:50:00
Red tape sucks. Bureaucracy sucks. Add special needs, parents, and other acronyms like IEP and AB3632 to the mix, and it’s frankly mind boggling. Perturbing. Chap burning. Joseph’s therapist came to see Poe and I. At our house. Sans Joseph. May I repeat - HOUSE CALL. Which is exactly what she should have done. There was some miscommunication in terms of Joseph’s care - instructions that left Poe and I’s cartoon characters with little “WTF?!” over our heads. She needed to clean up the mess. I understand everything much better now. Let me correct that statement. I knew EXACTLY what was going on, and I just had it confirmed. M.O.N.E.Y. Speaks volumes when comparing, “Of course we’ll get you in for a consult” and, “We no longer meet the standard of care for this patient.” Standard of care my ass. BUT. Once I usher along the people who need to take care of proper paperwork, we’ll be all set, I think. ...

Odds and Ends
2009-05-04 23:45:00
I realize that I’m not very prolific as of late. That’s because nothing is happening that seems worth mentioning. And I’m tired. And my husband is still unemployed. And Joseph’s mental care is taking a toll that I just do not want to get into at the moment. And everyone’s going to die from Mexican Swine H1N1 flu! I’m just floundering a bit. And how many times can one say “did laundry, did dishes, picked up kids, Poe still unemployed”? I don’t want to be boring and have no pressing urge to be heard. Yes, there’s stuff going on with Joseph, but I find it so emotionally draining that I simply don’t want to rehash it again - even for my own journal. That said… Here’s a point to other things I’ve done in the last week. The contest for the $250 Visa gift card is till going! I have a post up at Blissfully Domestic - Adaptive Clothing. Don’t give up on me.
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$250 Visa Card Giveaway
2009-04-30 17:55:00
Hi all - just a quick blurb… To send you somewhere else. Capri-Sun Sunrise is giving away a $250 giftcard on my review site. So don’t enter here! Click over to the entry to enter. You’ll have to work in your comment. I want to know your morning “issues.” And Good Luck!
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Love Gets Annoyed
2009-04-23 21:49:00
Poe and I have been sniping. Or maybe just I have been sniping. When couples are together for a long time, they learn everything about each other. We recently celebrated our 11th anniversary. That’s a long time. And I’ve discovered something. Normally, I am very good about keeping completely menial gripes to myself. Certain things just don’t matter, and there’s no reason to bring them up. Like socks balled up in the dirty clothes. It bugs me. Before, I was always able to just let it go. Who cares? Why pick a fight over socks of all things? But now? It’s becoming a lot harder not to gripe. And the reason is simple. He’s always here. We’re always together. We do everything together. 24/7. All of this togetherness is driving me up a freakin’ wall. We’re trying to find him a job. That’s a totally different issue - market’s horrible, and we’re doing the best we can. But on the other hand, it&rsquo...
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More articles from this author:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7