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171st Friday Blog Roundup

One time, when they were renovating one of the satellite offices of my fertility clinic, I had to have my blood drawn in the doctor’s office with my arm across his desk.  The nurse drew my blood while my arm rested on some memos, open folders, telephone message slips, and his desk calendar.  That was my most non-traditional blood draw until this week.

The periodontist needed to draw blood before the surgery, but all he had was the normal dental chair.  So he had me drape my arm across his lap so he could stick in the needle.  Except my stumpy little arm ended right at his crotch.  So I literally have my fist resting up there and the periodontist–who is seemingly oblivious to this–keeps telling me to “pump it!  Pump it harder!”

Oral surgery with full release.

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After a long hiatus from blogging, Josh has decided to start back up his original blog, though at a new url.  This is incredibly helpful for me because now I don’t have to listen to him whine on and on about his feelings at 11 p.m.  He can just tell it to you and leave me to watch the Daily Show in peace.

Oh…wait…that’s me.

But if you do want a 360 degree version of our lives, please head over and start reading Not-for-Profit Dad.  He is very funny and very cute.  I have tried to convince him that we should do a once-in-awhile he said/she said post on a pre-chosen topic.  He doesn’t think this will be interesting.  I disagree.  What are your thoughts?  And what should we both state our side on first?

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The Weekly What If: I was reading the year-end issue of People Magazine (don’t judge) and Robert Pattinson had a quote about the girls who scream and fall down when they see him.  And of course, Daniel Radcliffe has experienced the same phenomenon though for different reasons.  People scream for “Edward” because they think he’s sexy and they scream for “Harry Potter” because they find him lovable.  If you were a celebrity, would you rather have people screaming when they see you because they think you’re sexy, or because they think you’re lovable?

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I got very behind on reading blogs in the here and now due to the Creme and I had to declare bankruptcy this week and start over with a clean slate on Reader.  I realize that this means that I missed leaving comments during Delurking Week.  So I guess it shall remain a mystery.  Am I there?  Am I not?  Sorry, it’s the trade-off for the Creme blurbs.

Reading into the past was sort of like that Gedanken experiment with the light clock where the astronaut is aging slowly and everyone back on earth is old.  I came back from space this week, taking a break from the Creme because I’ve been moving through the blurbs at a good clip, to realize that life went on while I was mentally back in your past.

But here are a few things I read…

By which I mean, and now, the blogs…

Mrs. Spit has a post about the stuff she’s not talking about.  It’s a post about blogging, about setting that internal line in the sand and not crossing it no matter how tempting or how intertwined your story is with the other person.  But this post is about more than that–it’s about why we do or don’t feel comfortable revealing certain aspects of ourselves, and what happens to our writing when there are enormous things going on in our lives, but we can’t write about them.  It was just a very interesting read.

Busted Plumbing as a two-part post, mediating the tense ground that grows between the giver and receiver of a pregnancy announcement.  She does so without judgment, giving space to admit that no one is perfect and we’ve all broken the social contract at some point.  This it about attempting to create a situation where everyone’s needs can be partially filled, though everyone’s needs might not be fully satiated.

Feh, it was technically from the week before, but I read it this week since I’m late on everything.  Love, Hope, and Faith has a beautiful post about deciding not to pursue adoption again.  It is heartbreaking when the reason is financial, and Christy admits that she can’t really wrap her mind around this decision right now.  I love this post for its blunt honesty.

Mama Said Know You Out has a post about her son’s teacher having a miscarriage and how this event opens up a conversation with her son about her own history.  I was particularly struck by the principal’s advice not to talk to the teacher about the loss and thankful that Yo-Yo Mama is in a unique position to help her son be supportive of others.

Lastly, Bottoms Off and On the Table has a post about how Julia Child processed her infertility, wondering if she was lying when she breezed past it or if Julia Child knows something else about life that keeps her from getting bogged down by unproductive emotions.  Megan writes: “When I live to be eighty plus years old will infertility be merely a paragraph in my life? A footnote?  In a way I am offended by the offhand remarks minimizing the role infertility played in her life, but in a way I find it hopeful.”  I loved this post because I once met an old bird who told me the same thing, and while I was incredulous at the time, this post makes me look back on that conversation and smile.

The roundup to the Roundup: Oral surgery went fine though I’m not looking forward to having parts two and three this year.  Josh is blogging again–what do you think of a he said/she said type feature?  Answer the Weekly What If about being sexy or lovable.  And lots of great blogs to read, even while the Creme is continuously being updated (check the top right sidebar under “Today” for a note each time I update.  I’ve been trying to remember to Twitter it too).

I need about 45 more Creme de la Creme submissions by March 1st to meet the goal.  Go submit your best post of 2009.

23 comments

1 Guera! { 01.15.10 at 7:46 am }

I love the idea of a he said/she said between you and Josh. I am also looking forward to reading his blog for the first time and will be jumping over there as soon as I finish my comment.

2 susy { 01.15.10 at 8:55 am }

I vote yes for he said/she said! And I think you can start w/ “the typical day” at your house or a project you’re both working on. I’d rather have people scream for me b/c I’m loveable. And woohoo for Josh blogging again. Will check it out!

3 loribeth { 01.15.10 at 8:59 am }

I am glad I didn’t have a mouthful of tea when I started reading this post, or it would be all over my computer screen right now.

Love the idea of a he said/she said exchange. : )

I think hearing screams from fans would be flattering no matter what the reason.

I only JUST got my reader back down to zero posts this past week. I don’t think it’s been there since at least early December. I did resort to “read all” on some of the political blogs I read, but I did read all my IF blogs, even though I didn’t have time to leave comments on every post I read.

4 Michelle { 01.15.10 at 9:22 am }

I agree, I think a he said/she said would be great.

5 Mrs. Spit { 01.15.10 at 9:41 am }

Thanks for the shout out. I’m glad I wasn’t boring.

6 a { 01.15.10 at 9:48 am }

I’d love the he said/she said…first topic: the squirrel. 🙂

I’ve always wanted to be sexy, but accepted sometime in my late 20’s that I would only ever be cute. My apologies to all of those people whose head I bit off when they told me I was cute…

7 Kristin { 01.15.10 at 11:06 am }

Funny story about the oral surgery.

And, I think he said/she said posts would be brilliant!

As for being a celebrity, I’d rather have people scream because I was seen as lovable.

8 JuliaS { 01.15.10 at 11:15 am }

I’d rather be lovable. Sexy fades over time (unless you’re Sean Connery) and dessert . . .

9 Palemother { 01.15.10 at 11:40 am }

“I have tried to convince him that we should do a once-in-awhile he said/she said post on a pre-chosen topic. He doesn’t think this will be interesting. I disagree. What are your thoughts?”

That sounds pretty cool to me. I think Josh is underestimating the appeal it would have. It’s natural to be modest. But, yeah, it could be really interesting.

“If you were a celebrity, would you rather have people screaming when they see you because they think you’re sexy, or because they think you’re lovable?”

Feh … sexy or lovable … how to choose? Hmmm. Sexy sounds powerful (good), but I know it could have a terrible downside.

Personally I am so … uh … uncomfortable with certain kinds of attention. I used to cry when the crowd would sing happy birthday to me and at a very young age, I begged my parents not to put me through birthday parties any more. The kind of attention I like … is attention earned … where people really see ~me~. Celebrity attention … is empty calories? You are an object. No thanks? Did I dodge your question?

Thanks for the round up … It’s so nice to have these quality go-to posts for those down-time moments when I want to snack read. And ditto for the Creme … I am about halfway through … yes we are reading!

10 Busted Kate { 01.15.10 at 12:33 pm }

Hi Mel and fellow Stirrup Queens! Mel, thank you so much for the shout-out, I much appreciate and am honored it caught your attention. Thank you!!

Second, this is a great question. If saying yes to the “sexy” answer means that I’d be magically transformed into a sex symbol, then I’d go for sex 100%. But under the assumption that I’d look the same as I do now, I think the best I could hope for is lovable. Which is pretty good on its own account.

Finally… Loved Sweet Valley High. Great answer.

11 Lavender Luz { 01.15.10 at 1:00 pm }

That’s a lot of oral focus and body fluids for one chair, lemme tell you.

Yes on the HS/SS.

Loved. Definitely.

12 mrs spock { 01.15.10 at 1:11 pm }

I think a hesaid/she said post would be interesting.

I would prefer to be loved for lovableness instead of sexiness.

13 meghan { 01.15.10 at 1:27 pm }

I would love a he said/she said and I agree with the comment above. The first topic must be the squirrel! I gave Josh’s blog to Mr H because I knew he’d like this writing style and now he is using your oral surgery to try to make me go to the dentist! I knew I kept him out of my blogging world for a reason. Although maybe if he knew it potentially involved my hand pumping the drs crotch he’d back off a little…

Oh…and I’d rather be loved….but I’m needy like that

14 T { 01.15.10 at 3:09 pm }

I think he said/she said would be hilarious!!

15 Yo-yo Mama { 01.15.10 at 5:40 pm }

Thanks, Mel. This one means more than you can know.

16 Battynurse { 01.15.10 at 9:45 pm }

Ok so first off the idea of a periodontist drawing my blood is a bit terrifying. Doctors don’t seem to draw blood very often (at least out of my arm, maybe my check book but not my arm) and I’d be skeptical about letting any of them poke me. Then with the whole pump it thing I probably would have totally burst out laughing.
As far as the what if? I can’t even begin to imagine a world where people went crazy because I was so sexy so I’d have to go with because I was so loveable.

17 Jamie { 01.15.10 at 11:10 pm }

Since this is a fantasy-type question, I’m going to have to go with sexy. Because I can pull off lovable. Sexy, not so much.

I like the idea of a he said/she said! Sort of like old Saturday Night Live Point/Counterpoint?

18 coffeegrl { 01.16.10 at 12:32 am }

How could a he said/she said not be a total winner???!! First topic might be a softie- ease into things. Ideal date? How you met? Favorite book within a genre or topic of material?

19 Baby Smiling In Back Seat { 01.16.10 at 5:48 am }

I’d love a he said/she said. Particularly about division of parenting labor (a.k.a., you hogging all of the diaper changes and baths). Infertility would be good too. Or family-building goals. Or perhaps something less sensitive to start, like Befana.

Lovable.

20 Chris { 01.16.10 at 6:20 pm }

OK, I would totally love to see a he said/she said! With you! And Josh! So, make my day!

And thanks for the shout-out. I’m touched that you thought my rambles were worthy of being shared.

21 Bea { 01.16.10 at 6:29 pm }

I have been reading Josh’s blog. I don’t think I’ve commented yet, but I have read at least half of it out loud to Mr Bea. Probably I should be leaving this comment over there, come to think of it…

Pump it harder. Oh my. I hope you’re feeling recovered.

The pragmatist in me wants to be admired for being lovable. Lovable lasts longer, and seems less likely to attract scary stalker types. But in reality it’s hard to choose.

Bea

22 Sunny { 01.17.10 at 1:07 pm }

I’m going with I’d rather be sexy. But that’s probably because I am farther today from being sexy than I have ever been in my adult life.

23 Jendeis { 01.18.10 at 8:52 pm }

Can’t wait to start reading Josh’s blog!

I know that I’m a whackadoo, but I find HarryPotter both sexy and lovable. Remember, I’m the girl whose perfect man is Waldo. Maybe for me, lovable turns into sexy.

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