Friday Blog Roundup
Listen, I’m not too proud to admit this: when I was younger, I’d make lists of people before I went somewhere new to remind myself that I would know people there once I arrived. Like before camp–I had to look at the roster and write down the names of everyone I knew who would be there–however peripherally I knew them–and then count up the names on the list and say to myself, “12 people, you know 12 people. So there will be someone you can sit with at the first meal.”
Am I sounding cool yet? Oh, and while you picture the younger Melissa, picture me with huge, frizzy bangs and a penchant for oversized Forenza sweaters.
Having names were sort of like a security blanket. One was good. Two was better in case one decided to ditch me for someone cooler. Three was even better in case two brought her cousin and was hanging out with her and one decided to ditch me for someone cooler. Four was even better than that because…well, you get the idea of the other side of safety in numbers. I’m not really worried about having a posse to stave off an attack. I like having numbers because I know I’ll have someone to sit with during a panel.
Hence why I wanted to know who was at BlogHer. Or in Chicago because it’s all one-and-the-same for going out at night. So here’s who I have from the ALI community:
Bri
Aurelia
Musings of a Fat Chick
Flotsam
Uppercase Woman
Uncommon Misconception
Who Shot My Stork?
Anyone else?
Please delurk. It doesn’t have to be a fancy comment. Here, I’ll throw you a softball: what’s your favourite ice cream flavour. And you can feel free to remain anonymous and use that feature. No need to let the world know that you enjoy mint chocolate chip.
Oooh…mint chocolate chip ice cream right now sounds good.
Saucy Ova had a post how her marriage emerged on the other side of the darkness after a loss. It is a beautiful post, drawing in both sunrise and sunset as she realizes that regardless of how she thought things would go, she is not alone. It is a very moving post and I am thankful that she returned to the blog to tell the end of the story that she began last month.
A Woman My Age had a post about resolving her infertility (yes, it was on Thursday, but I didn’t read it until this week); about showing up even though someone else got the part. About how she feels about her body and how the things we do to our bodies can feel like punishment even if they are moving us towards a goal. She writes: “Those who gain weight have to run and sweat and heave and struggle – that’s punishment. And I was tired of being punished. You’ll run and run and still be last behind the 27 year olds, you’ll lose an inch or two here and there and so what?” Click over to read the post in full.
Welcome to the Dollhouse had a kick-ass post about boundary crossers. I absolutely love this part: “Is the person receiving the judgment supposed to hear the judgment and say, oh, this person on the internet who has no meaning in my life is so right in this judgment of my feelings that I’ll stop feeling this way right now! If the point is to help the writer see an alternative perspective, one can achieve that without invalidating the person’s feelings.” It is specifically why she can handle the boundary crossers on other types of posts and why she has a particularly difficult time writing about open adoption. It is a brilliant post that asks the question: how do we share the story while protecting our hearts at the same time because while some people will benefit from our words, others will try to trash them?
Again, a post technically from last week, but a moving post that deserves attention. Entrusted wrote of the dreams she was having and the sight of a baby bird fallen from its nest as she departed for her beta appointment. It is difficult to reconcile the beautiful feelings from the dreams with the negative beta, and Andrea Jennine writes with such grace that your heart breaks.
And this one by Vacant Uterus just because it was something I would do.
The roundup to the Roundup: Are you going to BlogHer or do you live near Chicago? Please delurk and tell me your favourite ice cream flavour (there is a point to this, I promise). Answer the weekly what if. Final chance to sign up for IComLeavWe. And lots of great blogs to read. Me? I’m about to return to scrapbooking.
92 comments
If I could have someone else dig my piece of jewelry out of the poo and get it professionally cleaned so that NO POO was on it, I'd totally wear it again. But I wouldn't touch it until it was 100%clean
It's very late on a Friday night down here …. sometimes, when I am still on my computer, I see your blog roundup come through and picture you hitting "send", up there in the Americaz, starting your day.
I am coming to BlogHer NEXT year, Mel. So please put me on your list for then. I would never ditch you for somebody cooler. There is nobody cooler.
Ice cream flavour: Hokey Pokey
I've gone through much more figurative shit than literal shit to get to a much-desired treasure. The problem stated wouldn't really be much of a problem for me. I'd probably give the dog a laxative to help it along faster.
I would definitely wear the jewelry again if it was cleaned properly :). I am super sentimental…and apparently gross enough to not care where it once was if it is really important to me.
My favorite flavor is Creamsicle.
I'm actually not wanting much ice cream lately. But I love Gifford's peanut butter chocolate cookie. It's like the ice cream version of my favorite peanut butter pie. Mmmm.
And as for the jewelry, I'd likely dig it out and take it to a professional cleaner. Grossed out beyond belief the entire time, but hey, I've done similar, and my most sentimental piece of jewelry (a pearl bracelet made for me out of a choker that was my grandmother's) is definitely important enough for me.
I really gave this one a long thought. I think I'd ask someone else to clean it and have the ring redipped in white gold. It would look the same, but there would be a barrier between the metal that touched the poop and the one that is now on my finger.
Looking forward to meeting you, Bri, Aurelia and anyone else who will be in Chicago that weekend next month for Blogher or just because! 🙂
My favorite flavor of ice cream cinnamon! 🙂
When I was in high school my best friend's dog literally ate my "sweet sixteen" birthstone ring! I was over at her house and we were baking something, so I had taken it off and placed it on the bedside table in her bedroom, where her dog apparently found and consumed it. My friend's mom examined the dog's poop everytime afterwards until it came out and then she washed/cleaned it for me. I don't recall what process she used to do so, but I did wear it many times after the incident! 🙂
Well, that was a memory I didn't expect to be thinking about this morning… Nice. 😉 I am craving some cinnamon ice cream right about now too! Yummy… 🙂
I would clean it because I deal with that stuff as part of my job anyway. Just put on gloves and go to town. 😉
I'm thinking the question comes from someone who hasn't dealt with dogs/dog poop/dog vomit very much. Because the stuff I've had to look for to make sure it went through my dog is lengthy. And one of these days I'm going to take a picture of crayon poop because it's just too funny.
I wouldn't remotely have a problem, and I'd clean yours for you too while I was at it.
I'd clean it…I'm a sentimental fool.
I'd clean the jewelry.
Black raspberry with chocolate jimmies.
And can't wait to hear where you're going with this.
I think if you have a dog (or have had dogs) you don't think too much about it, because you're always having to pick the poo up and dispose of it anyway. On top of that, jewelry is usually metal, and can be thoroughly cleaned. Sonicators will get anything off. Fabric, on the other hand, would always retain the poo. I'd get my jewelry and clean it off (or take it somewhere, depending on the state of things) and wear it proudly with a new story attached!
Favorite ice cream flavor: chocolate
I don't live near Chicago – but I will be there in July – unfortunately it will be the weekend before BlogHer.
Ice cream – my favorite is Godiva Belgian Dark Chocolate, and I haven't been able to find it for several years now, a fact which makes me very sad indeed, because no other ice cream outside of Italy has even come close to matching the Godiva goodness.
What if…oh heavens, I'd clean the jewelry off and wear it again. Having cleaning up after far worse things as a former RN, bodily fluids (or solids in this case) don't phase me one bit.
I'm a mint chocolate chip girl too. Especially B.askin R.obbins, it's the best.
And I love your idea re the jewelry, that's even better than cleaning it! But yes, I'd have to figure out some way to wear it again.
My favorite piece of jewelery is a ring that was my grandmother's. I would clean it and wear it. As she is not here to give me another ring that sparkled as I ran my fingers over it while she wore cocktail dresses and I drank Shirley Temples it is irreplacible.
Chocolate. Cookies and Cream or imagine Whirled peace are close seconds but a scoope of plain chocolate ice cream is like comfort food.
Oh, over at Chez Spit we are extremely good at digging through dog poop loooking for eaten things. Never to salvage, but so that we can assure the vet that they have passed through Delta's digestive system. Wouldn't bother me a bit.
Before having a bay I would have barfed a million barf at this "what if". Now, post baby, I'm not so fearful of poo. If there wasn't someone else to clean the jewelry (which would be ideal!), I would do it myself. I would continue to wear it, and always be reminded of its little adventure.
Fave ice cream: cookie dough
Triple chocolate ice cream…. yum… on a diet..damn!
I would put on some gloves, fish it out of the poo, clean it and wear it. I would then have a little smile on my face everytime someone commented on how lovely it was. If only they knew where it had been!!
My favorite ice cream flavor is "girl scout cookie" that they sell at a local mini-mart-type store around here in upstate NY. YUM! It's like mint chocolate chip, fudge, and cookies n cream all mixed together!!
I would DEFINITELY rescue, rinse off, and then thoroughly clean a piece of jewelry that passed through my dog. Poo, especially animal poo, doesn't really gross me out. And! I would volunteer for this task to help out someone else with sentimental jewelry poo excavation as well! 🙂
Two favorites: Black sesame seed and really really good matcha. Don't knock it until you've tried it!
And I live in Chicago, but won't be at Blogher.
Hi Mel, guess I'm delurking b/c I haven't commented in forever and am not one of the 'cool' kids. I'm still here, still reading!! And my fav flavor of ice cream is rocky road 🙂
~I would have the jewelry professionally cleaned and then keep it stored somewhere in a special box. I definitely would not wear it like in the movie Marley & me. I would totally take that person up on buying me a replacement.
~My favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate peanut butter cup….yum.
Cinnamon ice cream, definitely.
purely decadent turtle trails vegan soy ice cream.. YUM.
and yes, i would get the jewelery out of the poo.. ew. i have 4 dogs, 2 cats, 2 guinea pigs and a parrot.. poop is everywhere! i'm used to it.
Poo doesn't really freak me out. I'd take it to a jeweler and have it professionally cleaned, and then go about my business. And if it was my dog, then I'd be grateful that they were okay. If it was someone elses dog… well, lets just say it wouldn't be welcome for a long long time.
As far as ice cream… any! I LOVE LOVE LOVE ice cream!! If I had to pick, I'd go with strawberry with chocolate sprinkles.
I would retrieve, but put on rubber gloves first. ; ) And THOROUGHLY clean & disinfect afterwards.
I'm not in or near Chicago & won't be at BlogHer 🙁 but will be waiting for the reports!
Favourite ice cream: Baskin Robbins' Gold Medal Ribbon. I also used to love soft-serve peppermint stick. Yum.
P.S. You know I'm a scrapbooker too?
I am not a jewelry wearer. I think maybe jewelry, for people who love it, is a mix of a favorite piece of art and a contact lens. I would throw away the contact lens. I would wash the art.
I enjoy Cherry Garcia
I clean the jewelry!
Mint chocolate chip is my favorite ice cream.
Not going to BlogHer :-(.
Would totally wear the jewelery again after it was cleaned.
Fave flavor: Moosetracks or Edy's french silk light right now
I live in Chicagoland but won't be around that weekend… our anniversary is the 23rd! Boo, I would have been thrilled to meet up.
I'm pretty sure that Alexa from Flotsam is going to BlogHer.
Mint chocolate chip is my favorite of all time, but at ColdStone, I always get the Peanut Butter Cup Perfection with Sweet Cream ice cream instead of Chocolate ice cream. Yum!
I'd clean it. Probably have it sit in ammonia or vinegar for a day or so, but I'd clean it.
I was gonna say, we go from ice cream to dog poo??? Man. What a way to throw me.
Mint chocolate chip is one of my favorites. But only if it's doused in hot fudge and whipped cream because that's what I used to get when we won our softball games.
Right now, I'm in love with Haagen Das Mayan Chocolate. It's like love. Love in my mouth.
With the jewelry and dog poo? Gawd. I don't know. I really don't. I mean, I'm not sure I have THAT much attachment to anything. Maybe my wedding ring. But all the crevices and whatnot in that ring… going through a dog… poo… (*shudders*)
I just don't know.
I have been a lurker until now because I didn't have my own IF blog…since I just started on I figured I should delurk.
Favorite Icecream: Homemade Coconut
Poo Jewelry: I would totally still wear it after a little bleach.
Although I'm struggling to answer both the ice cream and dog feces questions in the same comment, I'll persevere.
Ice cream: The cookie dough chunks out of cookie dough ice cream. (I'm not a huge ice cream fan, but if you would have let me vote on ice cream in some other form without so unreasonably restricting me to just the boring flavor question (SMILE) I'd have voted on an chocolate ice cream soda.
Dog Poo: I'm very sentimental, so poo or no poo, I'd clean it and wear it. I probably would boil it first, but truthfully, considering that I always wear the same two rings for the last 30 years, you couldn't imagine where they have already been. Dog poo probably isn't the worst.
I would clean the jewelry absurdly well before wearing, but I would definitely wear it again. This hasn't ever happened thank goodness, despite the two large and mischief-filled dogs who live with me!
Favorite ice cream flavor: vanilla or cookies and cream
Favorite gelato flavor: honey lavender
For me wedding rings I would dig through poo! Not sure if I own another piece of jewelry that means so much to me.
Favorite ice cream is peanut butter and chocolate. Yum!
What if: I would totally dig out the ring I am currently wearing. It is my mother's stone (she died 5 years ago) and a beautiful setting that my DH had it placed into so it has a ton of sentimental value and I'd definitely dig through some poo to get it.
Ice Cream: Godiva's Chocolate Raspberry Truffle
What if: Hell yeah I would wear it again. GIve me a pair of gloves and some Vick's Vaporub to put under my nose (blocks the stench) and I would dig it out myself.
Your What If is such a grand idea, you not only got a first timer to delurk (although, if I wasn't really lurking, am I delurking…) but to also consider the question seriously. In my home there's no telling what the dog has eaten (BTW, pugs will eat anything).
I actually have dug $1 store toys out of dog poo (OK, once, I did it once), cleaned (and bleached) them thoroughly and sent them back into action, so I would have to say that I would definitely do the same for jewlery, regardless of the offer to replace.
As for the ice cream, I love ice cream, and have different favs based on mood and season. Today, some simple strawberry (the kind with the chunks of strawberry) sounds wonderful, though.
Not technically delurking because I've posted before (that's how it works, right?).
Favorite ice cream flavor: dark chocolate.
Although anything with chocolate and without nuts or anything else hard or crunchy makes me happy (i.e. cookies 'n cream, Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie, chocolate-vanilla swirl).
De-lurking. I would definately clean and wear the jewelery. No problem. And butter crunch is my favorite.
Yeah I'll clean it, but I'll disinfect it, like, overnight or longer…! And, uhm, I think I'll keep the story to myself!!!
Ice cream, mmm, difficult one as I'm not big on ice cream. However, I recall once having the most amazing ice cream: basil & peppercorn. I swear, honestly, it was on the menu, I tried it, and it is to DIE for. The sweet of the creamy white ice cream just somehow blends in a very spring/summery way with the freshness of the basil and the suprise of the pepper. Odd, yes, I know, but hear me: just try it. Both basil & pepper used in quantities that just hint the flavour. 🙂
Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia. But then, I avoid ice cream since my metabolism broke a few years ago. I am certain there are all sorts of amazing flavors that have escaped me and unfortunately, it's better that way. 🙁
As for the jewelry … after a couple of kids (NTM potty training), I am pretty good with the mind over matter drill. I doubt mere poop would deter me from recovering something really valuable. (That is if I couldn't persuade DH to recover it for me. He's even better with the mind-over-matter thing than I am.)
XXOO
Also delurking. I like salted caramel ice cream; I'd wear the jewelry if it was my dog, and thanks for keeping this blog. I love it!
Ben and Jerry's Cake Batter is my absolute favorite!
And I would wear the jewelry again. They have those high powered steam clean things for jewelry now and I figure it would be like new. Or I would just pretend it was new so as not to ever have to think about it being covered in poo. Avoidance, my coping mechanism of choice! 🙂
De-lurking here. (no blog yet, sorry!)
I would clean it (or more likely get the DH to clean it!!) and then wear it again. Maybe take it to the jewelers to have them do extra special cleaning. It would bother me though that it had been through that…
My favorite ice cream has chocolate ice cream with peanut butter swirls. Very picky about this, no peanut butter ice cream, fudge swirls or peanut butter cups. Just swirls of peanut butter in chocolate. Yummm!
And Jill from upstate NY, is girl scout cookie a stewart's flavor? I don't live there anymore but I totally miss their ice cream. That flavor sounds awesome!
Not sure if I've commented before, but I read (and enjoy) the Friday Blog Roundup every week.
I also had a penchant for oversized Forenza sweaters when I was younger! It lasted into college for me, actually. 😉
My favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate & peanut butter. (Several brands make it; my favorites have "stripes" of smooth peanut butter rather than chunks.)
My answer to The Weekly What If:
I first thought of my engagement/wedding rings, which are probably the most sentimental pieces I own, and I also thought of a few pieces of jewelry I inherited from my grandmothers because I have had them longer and they would be more difficult to replace.
No matter which piece I thought of, I would definitely just clean off the dog feces (and also take the piece to a jeweler for a thorough cleaning) rather than allowing someone to buy me a replacement.
To be fair, I live with two >75-lb Golden Retrievers, so I am not unaccustomed to dealing with dog poo. Someone who is not a dog owner might feel differently.
Mint chocolate chip is tasty, but fresh peach is probably my favorite.
I'm a sucker for cookie dough ice cream (thriving inner child, I guess?), but there's a pomegranate & dark chocolate ice cream out there now that's much better than it sounds.
I would use rubber gloves to dunk the jewelry in cleaning solution.
And then I rinse and dry the jewelry and wear it to the ice cream shop to get some Rum Raisin.