Interesting. Veddy, veddy interesting...

You know how I like to take quizzes that give me an insight into my psyche, right?

Oh, you didn't know that? Humph. I guess that means you don't really know me very well. Or maybe you forgot that about me. (Shame on you.)

Because it's true. I love to take personality quizzes. They're pretty much my favorite? Why? Because it's amazing to me that answering a few seemingly random questions will compute an answer that's totally dead on.

People fascinate me. (Also, I fascinate myself. Or rather, the accuracy of some quizzes/profiles do.)

Check this site out. It's pretty cool.

And, in case you were wondering, here's what it had to say about me:

For you, creativity is first and foremost a form of expression: it creates a special link between the internal and external worlds. It allows you to get a grasp of your powerful emotions, by moulding them into a physical form. In fact, the most important thing for you is to be able to release your emotions. You need to be able to touch them or look at them in concrete form, and to do that you have to find a way to make them come alive. This is how your desires and anxieties take shape. Keeping things bottled up creates a tension that can only be resolved once you have expressed how you feel. This means you have to be strong enough not to let yourself get swept away by chaotic impulses; if you turn your creative urges on everyday life — making a picnic, singing to the baby, choosing what to wear — you can express yourself while staying rooted in reality. Creativity is principally cathartic. It relieves a deep need, an almost primal, archaic impulse. For you, being creative is about having the power to give form to something you feel, to those deep personal issues that are often raw and disorganised. For these reasons you are usually attracted to art that demands physicality, that allows you to express what’s inside, and that unites spontaneity, strength, freedom, power and movement.

Huh.

Amazing.

How do these quizzes know me so well? I am an emotional girl. Also, making stuff is totally a release for me, it always has been. Whether it's making sugar cookies, scrap-booking, or blogging, I always feel better - more at peace, even if it's just more at peace with my own self - afterwards. I've actually used the word "cathartic" to describe my need to make totally detailed sugar cookies at Christmas, or a lattice topped pie crust, before.

I am, once again, amazed at the accuracy of the one of these little tests. Take it, let me know what you thought about what it had to say about you.

Type-cast?

Yes, I'm afraid he may well be.

Here he is, circa 1983, as Dr. Theodore Glaser in an episode of Scarecrow & Mrs. King.

(Yeah, I know. Awesome quality photo, eh? That's because I took a picture of my TV with my cell phone. ... Ridiculous, the levels I will stoop to. But that's how important it is to me to warn the world about this guy. I had to have physical proof to back up my bad guy theory.)

And here he is, circa 2002, as Adelai Niska in an episode of Firefly.

Okay, okay. So after looking at his history on IMDb, maybe Michael Fairman isn't a totally bad guy. I mean, he's played a lot of roles for me to think it's even possible that he's been the arch-nemesis in all of them. But still... he did play one heck of a creepy villain in two of my all-time favorite TV shows, so I'm kinda stuck thinking he's a bad dude.

Food, glorious food!

I've been singing this song all week. I'm not even kidding you. I've been singing it in my head, in my kitchen, in Jo's kitchen, in my car (gosh, it's good to be able to eat Taco Bell again - don't judge), at work. I'm telling you, this has been the theme song of my life this week.

After 3 months of having Cream of Wheat for at least one meal a day, I'm telling you... I was a little sick of gruel. ... Not that I really think Cream of Wheat is gruel. I actually find it delicious and enjoyable. But it is a little gruel-ish, if you think about it (plus that's a nice visual to go along with the song, you must admit). Anyway, I was beyond ready for solid food.

I've been experimenting with food for just over a week now, trying this and that to see how my stomach will react and I'm pleased to tell you that I can handle just about anything these days (as long as I have my friends Pepcid, Gas-X, Tums and Rolaids handy). As we all know I am a lover of making lists, here's a little show-and-tell listing what I've eaten (and rejoiced over) this week:

*Chips and salsa (and what a glorious reunion it was!)
*Tacos (with equal portions of meat, cheese and salsa - delish!)
*Peaches (I literally gave thanks to God that I was able to sneak in on the end of peach season ... you can't beat a good peach!)
*Hawaiian Haystacks (with cheese and tomatoes and green onions - it was a dream come true!)
*Hot fudge milkshake (Bless (my favorite aunt) Cindy for teaching me about the difference in hot fudge and chocolate shakes, lo those many years ago at Ripples.)
*Taco Bell bean burrito, with extra red sauce and sour cream (it was a little bit o' heaven wrapped up in a flour tortilla, I tell you)
*Lemon cake (and the angels sang)
*M&M's. Lots and lots of M&M's.
*Guacamole. Taquitos covered in guacamole.
*Salad Olive Garden's all-you-can-eat salad, to be precise. Oh. My. Word. It was the best thing I've ever eaten in my life.
*Spaghetti (I can't tell you how I've craved spaghetti for the last 3 weeks.)
*Mama Spinato's Fresh Spinach calzone. (If you've never eaten there, go now. I mean, N-O-W. And order this calzone. It will make you swoon. Also, you'll get strong, like Popeye.)
*Texas Sheetcake
*Green beans
*Carrots. Lots and lots of carrots. (I think I may have eaten more carrots than M&M's this week, and that's A LOT.)
*Cucumbers
*Hot wings
*Sonic's Lemon Cream Slush (I can't tell you how happy I was to be able to get in on the half price cream slushes. Delish!)
*Shredded Wheat
*Raspberries
*Goat cheese and crackers

I tell you, it's been a good week. Food is good. I mean, it is so good. I'd remembered that I loved chips and salsa, and I knew I liked spaghetti (A LOT), but when you've gone months and months without the really good stuff, and then you can eat it again... Holy moly, food is good.

So, I have been singing.


Oh, food! Magical food! Wonderful food! Marvelous food! Heavenly food! Beautiful, glorious food!

Amen.

I'm flashing back to the 70's, something fierce

A few days ago I tweeted in something about my bizarrely Dharma Initiave-esque outfit. I had gotten dressed in my room (where there is no mirror, thankyouvermuch) and walked out and laughed out loud when I saw my reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Holy 70's Get-Up, Batman!



Check me out. Yellow/brown/white plaid top, brown corduroy pants, and see that daisy that's pinned to my belt loop? Yeah, that was in my hair. Truly, I was very much a child of the 70's that day. It was pretty hilarious. (So funny, in fact, that I took a picture of my clothes to put on the blog. I'm just that nuts, I guess.)

A few days after my Dharma wannabe outfit, I somehow ended up with Angel hair. (Not the pasta. I'm talking actual Angel hair, as in Charlie's Angels. Specifically Jaclyn Smith aka Kelly.)



As I spent hours (literally, hours) in the bathroom as a preteen, dipping my head and then throwing my head back and tossing my hair, trying to capture "the look", you can imagine how excited I was when I accidentally ended up with Kelly's hairdo on Sunday.

Glory be and hallelujah, my hair FINALLY looked like Kelly's! Who cares if the show started in 1976 and it took me until 2010 to get the look? Not me, that's who.

I soooo have Angel hair now. Watch out world, next thing you know I'll be punching people out like I'm the bionic chickadee.

Help!

I've ... well, slumped, for lack of a better word ... and I can't get up!

Yeah, I'm not even kidding.

I slouched too much on my couch while yet again getting some quality TV time in with my friend hulu.com, and now I'm stuck.

Painfully and hopelessly stuck.

I kid you not.

Here's how it happened. I started watching Glee online. I was tired. I started in a sitting-up-cross-legged position, but as the episode wore on, I uncrossed my legs and slumped down a little into my couch. (Don't judge. My couch cushions are very pillow-like and this is a comfy way to sit.) Then I commenced watching episode two. (This is, after all, why I put off watching shows until there are multiple episodes on hulu. So I can chain-watch them.) I slumped further. And further. And further. Until my bum was about at the edge of the seat cushion. (Those of you who know myself and my couch know this is, indeed, a very deep slump for one as tall as me.) And then the second episode ended and I realized what I had done.

I had gotten myself so far down into my couch cushion that I couldn't sit back up. Why? Because I (sadly, still!) lack the stomach muscles to get myself from a reclined position without the use of my arms (and I was towards the middle of the couch - too far to reach for either arm of the couch to pull myself up against). Oh, and I have this stupid computer in my lap - which I am too tired/weak to move - so I can't use my legs as a bearing to pull my weight against either.

I'm stuck.

I can't think of how to get the computer off my lap without just letting it slide down my legs onto the floor, which I know doesn't sound like such a great plan... But I can't use my legs to lift myself up until I get the computer off my lap.

Oh my gosh, this is ridiculous.

I laughed out loud at myself, then was bummed there wasn't anyone here to a) laugh at me with me, as well as b) maybe help me get off the danged couch.

And then I decided to blog about it. You know, since I'm stuck here with a computer on my lap anyway.

My life is, in a word, awesome.

Or maybe, to use another, ludicrous.

Oh, wow.

I'm starting to wonder why I typed this. And yet, here I am... still typing. I think I'll just hit "publish post" and then try to dig my way out of the couch.

In the future, I'm going to be a little more careful in how I sit. Geeze Louise.

The End.

Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?

I do, and so does my friend Kathleen Kelly.

I went by the store to pick up a few things (you know, like milk and bread and peaches and ... erm.... a vacuum) and I saw this bunch of daisies for $10 and I squealed like a little girl.

I love daisies. I especially love them in this blue vase. I'm feeling very Kathleen Kelly in my little apartment right now.



Now if I could just find a Joe Fox ("F-O-X") of my very own. He could bring me flowers because he wants to be my friend (and also because I am the one single person who fills his heart with joy). I'd go shopping with him at the farmer's market and I'd tell him that I hope his mango's ripe. We could fight about what movie to rent on Saturday night. If only...

Until then, I'll buy my own daisies. Why? Because they make me happy.

The End.

My boyfriend's back!

Cue the music, folks. My boyfriend's back.



I so love him.

The End.

Cousins and cinnamon rolls

Last Saturday, I had 3 of my very favorite things in my house.

1) My cousin Shelly
2) Baby Taylor (How cute is he? I totally love him!)



*Note to self: stand up before someone takes your picture. Or at the very least, take a moment to straighten your shirt so you don't look like a lumpy mess. Honestly.

3) Cinnamon rolls from Cousin Julie



Ahhhhh... I heart my cousins. And their babies. And their cinnamon rolls.

Much thanks to Julie for making me some fabulous cinnamon rolls and to Shell and Scott for being the collective (and figurative) pack mule who brought them to me here in Arizona.

Guess who graduated?

With high honors, no less?

Yup, that'd be me. After 27 radiation treatments, I got to call it quits. (And then I heard choirs of angels sing.)

(And I know you're all wondering if they ever give diplomas/graduation certificates with less than "high honors". I really don't know. Or care. All I know is, I'm done. And the angels are singing. Amen.)

And look what else I got? A lovely cancer survivor pin. I'm gonna make sure and wear this on the first awkward post-cancer first date I go on. Then it'll be me who's making unusual and what-the-heck-do-I-do-with-this-person conversation, and not the dude who thinks that dresses are more comfortable than pants. (I kid you not, I once had a dude try to convince me how much more comfortable dresses are than pants. On a first date. Yeesh...)



I kid, of course. I mean, not about the pin. Or about being a cancer survivor. I really did get the pin, and I really did survive cancer (*crosses fingers*). But I won't be wearing it on a date. This summer isn't the kind of thing one wants to bring up on a first date. Also, I don't want to make light of cancer, since she's a bitch. I hate her and wish they'd find a cure, like... yesterday.

(I know Mom, I swore. In writing. Which is kind of naughty. But I do hate the cancer. A lot. And that is why I wouldn't ever really make light of it. Ever.)

Anyway, the radiation is over. (Did someone queue the Hallelujah chorus, or is the singing just in my head?) Hooray! Now I just need to let my sad little body heal so they can do a CT in 6-8 weeks to be sure that it's really gone. (For those of you who may wonder why I have to wait for the CT - my body is beaten and bruised, and burnt beyond recognition on the inside. I have some swelling and redness that's visible on my upper stomach, but what's really killing me are the radiation burns on the inside of my body. I didn't feel them until Tuesday of last week, which in and of itself is a blessing, but boy howdy, can I feel them now! The worst of them is a burn that's about the size of the palm of my hand located in my lower right abdomen, just below my bellybutton. It is excruciating, and the worst pain I've felt all summer. (To put that into perspective, I'd like to remind you that I have a 13 inch incision down my middle. I'm telling you, the burns hurt. Horribly. I wouldn't wish this pain on my worst enemy... which is saying a lot, because anyone who knows my inner 12 yr old knows I could (and sometimes do) wish a whole heck of a lot of pain on my enemies.) It'll take another week or so until the burns will heal completely (they're already better than they were this time last week - I haven't screamed even one time today, which is an improvement). The CT will take place at the end of October/first of November. By Thanksgiving the results will be in and I'll know for sure that I won't need more radiation, and by Christmas I should be feeling "good" again. (I've been told that in 3-4 weeks after radiation, the residual radiation will have eked out of my body - that I'll have more energy and be able to digest food again - but it can take 2-3 months to really feel like a normal person.)

So... By my birthday I should be able to eat cake. By Thanksgiving, I'll know if the cancer's really and truly gone. By Christmas, I'll be singing along with Holiday Inn while I eat a pound of fudge (it'll be just like old times, man). I can hardly wait.

But for now... I'm a radiation graduate who's in proud posession of a cancer survivor pin. And that's totally enough for now.

Looky there... it's my 500th post!

Seriously, folks, I talk (type) a lot. I am not kidding. (Of course, you know me and/or my blog, so you already knew this.) This is my 500th post. Wowza. The good news? I'm not going to list 500 things for you. (I'm pretty sure that there was collective sigh of relief heard around the world as I typed that sentence.) No, I'm not going to list 500 things that I love, but I am going to show you 5 things that made me happy today.

This baby. Her name is Sally, and I love her.



She is the best medicine I've had all summer long, and Jo is such a good friend that she lets me hold her baby all day long if I want to. (And today, I did. I got there at 9:00 and left at 6:00. All I did all day was sit and hold Sally while I talked to Jo. It was pretty much the best day ever.)

These Sobe drinks. I double dog dare you to try and find more joy for $1.

Especially if I put it in the freezer for a couple hours, so it starts to get icy. You can't beat a cranberry/grapefruit Sobe that's been frozen and then shaken so it's full of icy woofendoofers. Delish!

This song. Every time I hear it, I smile. It's poetry to me.



What do I love about this version of the song? The intro. "Love, baby. Love." Amen, Pops.

This movie. I love Dan (everybody does, you know).



And, okay, I have to show you this part because it's basically my favorite part of the whole movie - except for maybe the bathroom/shower scene - oh, and the bookstore scene and the breakfast conversation that ensues over the muffin that's the size of a small planet - and the dinner scene, "this corn is an angel" - and the "YOU ARE A MURDERER OF LOVE!" scene - and the "I'm in the 4th grade, I can make things up myself" car scene - not to mention the guitar and the singing in the family talent show. (Okay, okay. So, I love the whole freaking movie. I can't help myself, it's fabulous. If you haven't seen it, you must.)



I swear, if I ever have kids, I'm gonna have to sing to them about little piggies. The "wee, wee, wee, wee, wee, wee, wee..." part at the end of the song makes me laugh out loud - every time.

Cinnamon rolls. Specifically, Cousin Julie's cinnamon rolls.



You may recall that I've gone on and on about her cinnamon rolls before. They are, in a word, divine. And her sister, my sweet cousin Shelly, is coming to Arizona for the weekend. Praise all that is holy and good in this world, Shelly has room in the car for a special treat from Julie to me. When I talked to Julie tonight and she gave me the option of plain cinnamon rolls, pecan cinnamon rolls and/or pecan and craisin cinnamon rolls I had to say "yes, please" to any and all of the above.

Life is good.

Amen.

Missy Moo Got Married!

I'm not sure why these pics are so tiny, but they're cute, so I'm posting them anyway. Just go and grab a magnifying glass if you need to. ... It's worth it, I promise.

This is Kate and Alex, for those of you not there and/or acquainted with my new brother-in-law.



Kate and me - in the dressing room, back when our last names were the same.



Mom and Moo.



Kate's best friend and maid (or matron - whatever) of honor, Ana, had bubblewrap brought in for the reception. (Katie had said, back in high school, that she wanted to dance on bubbles at her wedding. How cute is Ana to remember that?)

This is Kate and two of our nephews, dancing their hearts out. Super cute.



Here are the sibs and parentals - and Alex.

Right before this picture was taken, Tyler told Alex that it was just family. Alex, bless him, looked a little shocked, but he backed out of the picture... That was when Tyler bust out laughing and was all "Dude, I was kidding!". We all (by which I mean: my four brothers and I) cracked up laughing. It was very reminiscent of the scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding when Toula takes Ian to the big family dinner and Nick threatens him and then says "I'm kidding... But I'll kill you... I'm kidding... But I'm serious". Hilarious. (To us, anyway.)



And here we have The Brothers holding Katie. Note Tyler faking that he's not strong enough to hold her up. Also, Spencer is cracking me up in this pic. Oh, and Kirk, holding a foot, because there wasn't anything else to hold on to. (Brett's just standing there, looking pretty.)



Kate and The Haze. (She is such a cute little kid.) We heart bubblewrap.



Here's a fun shot of Kirk's fam. His kids? Adorable.



And here we have a fun family shot of Spencer's fam. Again, these kids? Adorable. I love them!



It was such a fun, albeit exhausting, day. Kate was beautiful (as you can see). It was fabulous to have all six of us home and in the same place. My mom's two sisters came, and so did my dad's brother and sister. It was a little like a mini-reunion, with cake. (I would recommend adding three tiered cake to any and all social/family gatherings. Cake makes everything better.)

I love my sister. Congratulations, Moo!

Just what the doctor ordered.

Literally.

I have been ordered to drink high calorie, sweet and icy drinks.

Or whatever it takes to meet my minimum gallon of water/liquid a day. I'm in big trouble with the radiation oncologist. Why? Because I'm dropping weight like a crazy mad woman. (Or more like a cancer patient, actually.) Seriously. Every time they weigh me, I've lost weight. (Between 3-5 lbs a week.) This week when I had my little check-in update I got a major lecture on not eating/drinking enough. I told him (for about the 700th time) that I'm eating all I can eat, and drinking all the water I can drink. ... And that's when he told me he doesn't care what I drink, as long as it's wet. (That's a quote.) In fact, he told me the higher calorie drink, the better. (Whatever it takes to maintain my weight, or something like that.)

Enter my love of Sonic. Add to that love the fact that there's a conveniently located Sonic on my way home from the doc. Multiply that by the time of day I have radiation treatments (read: it's Happy Hour) when I'm on my way home. ... And what you get is a delicious, icy treat for Laurie Monday-Friday. The bummer is that the cherry limeade is off the table (no carbonation for me these days). But I've been making friends with the cranberry slush this week, and all is right in the world.

Here's hoping I don't gain 3 lbs this week from the consumption of sugary, icy goodness. (Then again, I wouldn't get in trouble for gaining weight. I don't think...)

Stuff that makes me gag

Lately everything and its dog is making me gag. Seriously. Everything. (Or almost everything, anyway.) So, I thought I'd make a list of all the things that have made me gag (literally) in the last few days. (You know how much I like to make lists, right?)

Soppy wet mud (blech)
The smell of garlic (specifically, the smell of garlic on someone's breath)
Pictures of food (no more PW Cooks for me...)
The lines on the road (the freeway is especially bad)
The smell of tomato soup/spaghetti sauce
Both the sound and smell of hamburger cooking
Sayid slitting the Samurai's throat
Stinky diapers
Wilty Sunflowers
Tempe Town Lake - in its current empty state (all that mud - gag)
The smell of french fries
Sliced ham
Green grapes
Lemonade
Ibuprofen (sadly, I heave every time I swallow pills these days)
Greasy hair
Really cold water
Hot chocolate
The sound of egg shells breaking
The smell of my deodorant (TMI? Sorry)
Season 6 Claire's hair (blech)
The sound of the water splashing in the pool
Bending over and picking stuff up off the floor
The constant burping
Thinking about eating cheese - ever again
Accidentally seeing a bruise (I try not to look at them)
Waking up
Trying to go to sleep
Radiation

Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure it's really just the radiation that's making me want to heave at all moments. Seriously, that poison that they're shooting at my guts every day is about to do me in. I so hate having a queasy stomach. (But at least the Zofran keeps me from actually puking. I have that to be grateful for. ... God bless Zofran, and the doctor who gave it to me. Amen.)