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Friday Blog Roundup

Updated at 8:53 p.m.:

Still pouring drinks at the Virtual Lushary, albeit slowly. If you still haven’t gotten your order, it will come today. A life lesson: free bars sometimes don’t have great service… But we always go heavy on the imaginary alcohol.

Meanwhile, the book tour voting booth has closed and the results have been tallied. These next tours are not set in stone in the sense that if another great book comes along and everyone wants to read it, we can shift things about or if an author says that they can participate in a tour of their book but they are only free in the moment, we can move things around.

These books received the most votes so I placed them in a non-fiction/fiction order. Just to reiterate: these are not set in immovable type, but I wanted to get out this list so you could put yourself down on waiting lists at the library or feel solid ordering these from Amazon (or like Beagle’s traveling book, if people wanted to share a copy, they could read ahead and have enough time to pass it along). The next few tours go as follows:

Tour 5: The Kid by Dan Savage
Tour 6: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Tour 7: Inconceivable by Julia Indichova
Tour 8: Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman
Tour 9: Happiness Sold Separately by Lolly Winston

Which takes us into the winter. Wow. Winter feels very far away right now especially with the general muggy weather and the ceremonial breaking out of the flip flops.

Interesting new thoughts are springing up on blogs as well. I missed a few posts towards the end of last week and I’ve included them here because it’s my roundup and I can break the rules. As they say, it’s good to be the queen. Actually, it really sucks to be the Queen or to be any stirrup queen. I set up a date with the new hematologist for the beginning of June. When I made the appointment, the nurse agreed that he’d want me on Lovenox. And the needlephobe in me awakened. She had been dormant for a bit. She’s pretty good with denial. But Needlephobe Mel roared into action once I made that appointment.

I really hate injections.

And blood draws.

And as Es eloquently said this week, it seems most unfair that in a process that is pretty damn painful and uncomfortable regardless (pregnancy and delivery), that the pain and discomfort should be front-loaded and back-loaded for some.

So enough of my bitching about needles.

First of all, how freakin’ cool is this? And this? (hint: click on the hyperlinked text)

I missed Lisa P’s birthday last week. The title of her blog–More Than My Share–has never been more apt–she is definitely DEFINITELY getting more than her share right now. In the middle of trying to get pregnant, she has had another setback since she has recently started chemo. Her birthday, this small date on the calendar, sparked a post thinking through choices. And I loved the final line: “I just hate these reminders that come via dates on a calendar.” You can still stop by her blog and wish her a belated birthday.

Hopeful to Hateful in 28 Days
has a great post this week chronicling the thought process during the two week wait–from “wheew, I did everything I could” to “fuck–I have to do that again next month?” Head over and read the whole post. I especially love Dr. Jaded and Mrs. Hope!

Trisomymommy has a great post (okay, okay, so it was technically last Thursday) about this past FET cycle which worked–she is currently pregnant. Unlike her first go at IVF where she did everything “right,” this time around, she had a more relaxed cycle–sipping her coffee and having a transfer on Friday the 13th. It has a bittersweet ending: “I’m happy but not celebrating. I’ve long since passed out of the blissful naiveté that allows me to assume that being pregnant means having a baby. It is merely a prerequisite, necessary but not sufficient. Still, I’m hopeful.” May it be an easy pregnancy and delivery, Trisomymommy.

On the topic of bittersweet posts, Artblog has a post where she talks about infertility and loss as she tries not to talk about infertility and loss on Healing Arts. It is a brave, heartbreaking post and I cannot even do it justice with words over here. Please go over and not only read it for yourself, but send Artblog some comfort. Her heart is really hurting.

Lastly, it would not be a pre-Mother’s Day blog roundup without a post that discusses this weekend. Andrea-Jennine has a post on Entrusted about her retrieval this weekend and the many reasons they want it on Sunday rather than Monday. Though I am not Christian, I really loved the end of her post and think it applies to many women (though change the ending to reflect your own religion): “And this Mother’s Day, I ask you to remember those for whom the day is painful – those who don’t or can’t have children, those who have lost their moms, those who are estranged from their moms, and so on. I know those ladies (myself included) will need the comfort of Christ this weekend.” Sending good thoughts to everyone–those who are celebrating for the first time or celebrating through tears or waiting to celebrate in the future.

For those who tried Guess-That-Blogger last weekend…

Co-winners of the blog guessing contest? Megan with six and Tina with five. I designed this lovely little question mark icon for your blogs… If people didn’t find it too annoying, I’d like to do the Friday Blog Roundup like that once a month or so. We can come up with more exciting prizes. Bahamaventions and the like. Or if people found it too annoying, I can stick with the same format as above. Your thoughts?

I know, I know, DD, I still have to make my icon for the Friday Blog Roundup. What should it be? What says, “I was in the Friday Blog Roundup” in so far
as pictures I can draw in Microsoft Paint?

Update:
I’m flipping the tour order because Ayelet Waldman can participate in the tour of Love and Other Impossible Pursuits. So it now falls after Dan Savage’s book as tour #6 and The Handmaid’s Tale is #8. Hope no one minds–I just think it’s fun when you get to hear the author’s reaction/thoughts/ideas.

0 comments

1 ms. c { 05.11.07 at 7:37 am }

I’m happy that you had a “ceremony” to bring your flip flops out. We must celebrate all the good things in life!
Thanks for the roundup, I now have my reading cut out for me today.
And… Ihave some ideas for the roundup icon….

2 Tina { 05.11.07 at 8:40 am }

Wow! I came in second! Who knew, since I really don’t get to post comments as often as I would like!

Yeah on celebrating the small things in life! We need those joys!

3 andrea_jennine { 05.11.07 at 9:44 am }

Wow, I’m honored to make it into the round-up! Thanks, Mel!

4 MLO { 05.11.07 at 10:46 am }

What did I start? I may have to post an oblique post on curses and superstitions and how to rid oneself of these on my public blog. (And then provide a way for those of you in this [infertility] blogosphere to get to my Private Journey blog section if you want.)

Blessings All!

MLO

5 Amy { 05.11.07 at 12:55 pm }

Thanks Mel. In that case keep the Cuervo 1800’s (you can make ’em doubles with none of that salt & lemon crap either) and Bud chasers coming!!! And, while I’m at it, think I’ll light up a virtual Marlboro to complete the experience. It’s been ten years since I smoked the real thing.

No blog for me . . . yet. I did try once, but all it turned out to be was one big whine with no cheese to make it sharp and palpable.

Raising my extremely large shot glass in a toast to all and a special hi to all the Amys here too!

6 megan { 05.11.07 at 2:30 pm }

sweet! i’m a winner! 🙂 thanks, Mel! happy to see dan savage is next on the list!

7 Erin { 05.11.07 at 3:42 pm }

Hey Mel, Just responding to a question you asked on my blog – Rightette is producing absolutamente nada. No chance of catching up, because there’s no horse in the race. Boo! Thanks for stopping by, though and thanks for the margarita. So tasty!

8 Summer { 05.11.07 at 4:07 pm }

I’ve never used Microsoft Paint so I don’t know what is or isn’t do-able. But how about a picture of a calendar with a lasso around Fridays for the Friday Blog Roundup? Or maybe the “picture” can just be the days of the week with a lasso around Friday.

9 pink { 05.11.07 at 5:54 pm }

Going through 11 years of estrangement from my father, I definitely understand the bittersweet nature of certain holidays. With that I wish all of those wanting to be mothers, wanting to be new mothers again, or those missing their mothers–through estrangement, distance, or death–a day of peace and calm.

10 Michell { 05.12.07 at 10:41 am }

Good luck with the hematologist and shots. I know it won’t make you feel better really but at least the Lovenox has really small needles. I need to find some of those books on that list and read them. They sound good.

11 May { 05.12.07 at 11:58 am }

I’m having real trouble posting comments at the moment. I write great big long rambly ones, and then the Internet eats them. Mean old internets.

I’m a bit of a needle-phobe myslef, and yet nevertheless forced myself to give blood for years. How did that happen? I don’t know, the same instinct that makes me climb church spires/ Eiffel tower/ stand on top of cliffs, I think. The’I will not be defeated by this, of all things’ instinct. Funnily enough, it doesn’t work for my fear of slugs.

12 Sunny { 05.12.07 at 1:18 pm }

I loved the new idea for Friday Blog Roundup. Way fun! I also love the icon idea but I have nothing to add right now to help be creative!

Oh you were in my dream the other night. I am so mad that I didn’t email you that morning with the details. Nothing huge or earth shattering but I don’t remember a dang thing now!

I hope the shots are WAY easier than you remember. If not, you know me, take a shot of tequila before. It solves all problems! I should change the name of my blog to something with Tequila in it!

(c) 2006 Melissa S. Ford
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