The Daily News

LFCA Latest Issue: Friday, September 25, 2009.

Latest Post on BlogHer: Parenting after Infertility.

My Status: Fed Josh's almonds to the squirrels. They needed them very badly.

Monday, January 05, 2009

A Post in Three Lengths

If you're here for the Creme de la Creme, it's below this post. I also have a hotlinked icon on the right sidebar with the date and time of the last update. Entries are still coming in and the list will continue to be updated as new ones are added. Check back frequently...

Short Version:

Yay! I'm a finalist for the Weblog Awards under best medical/health blog. Voting goes from January 5th--13th and you can vote daily by clicking here and then clicking on Stirrup Queens (two clicks; that's all I'm asking of you). Please support me and show your deep, unending love by voting daily (I will leave the link in the top permanent post for easy access and add it to the LFCA during the voting period) and passing along the link to friends and family and ask them to vote too.

Longer Version:

Because of and not despite my prowess on the Irish penny whistle (which, apparently, according to Josh, is not the same thing as a pan flute and a quick Google image search confirmed this), I have been named a finalist for the Weblog Awards under best medical/health blog. Of course, my musical talent doesn't really factor into the whole science thing, but I do think that it shows my multifaceted nature. I can play Beyonce's "Single Ladies" on the penny whistle AND I can write about cervical fluid. That is practically the dictionary definition of a Renaissance woman.

5000 blogs were nominated across all the categories so it's a huge honour to be one of the ten on the medical slate. Over a half a million votes were cast last year. Why does it matter to me? Because the winner gets attention to their cause, introduces the greater public to their corner of the blogosphere. My corner of the blogosphere is a well-organized, highly-articulate, emotional, intelligent group of 1600+ men and women on the blogroll. We are a corner of the blogosphere that deserves attention.

So, I am asking people to vote for me. You can vote daily (I will leave the link in the top permanent post for easy access and add it to the LFCA during the voting period) and pass along the link to friends and family and ask them to vote. Turn to the person in the cubicle next to you and ask them to vote too. Post it on Facebook or Twitter it. Make an icon and slap it on your blog. And I will serenade you with the sweet, sweet notes of the Irish penny whistle. I am getting quite good. Josh is getting a migraine. But I can help him with his pains because I am a medical writer.

The Longest Version:

I was going to make you sit through a story, another song on the penny whistle (I have also gotten quite good with a somewhat off-key version of "Ki Va Moed." I felt like I needed to balance out that rendition of "Noel" on Saturday), a video of my one-woman show, Jazz Hands. But instead, I'll say this:

I am really proud to be part of this community. I don't want to be quiet about it. Just as I want to talk about my uterine lining with everyone in the food store (including the elderly men buying lettuce over in produce), I want to talk about our corner of the blogosphere with the general public. I want people to know that there is this whole world out there--at least 1600 men and women--writing about their experience and if they want to know what it is like to be infertile, all they have to do is click down the blogroll and read a few blogs. We're setting it all out there if anyone cares to learn.

Please remember that I didn't subject you to a story, "Ki Va Moed," OR Jazz Hands. As a thank you, I ask that you vote for me. You can vote daily (I will leave the link in the top permanent post for easy access and add it to the LFCA during the voting period) and pass along the link to friends and family and ask them to vote. Turn to the person in the cubicle next to you and ask them to vote too. Post it on Facebook or Twitter it. Stumble it and Kirtsy it. Make an icon and slap it on your blog.

I am asking that if you are reading this right now, that you return to your own space and help me gather votes. It is excellent advice that you can't get what you want if you don't tell people so I am doing just that.

Thank you.

By the way, I asked Josh before I posted this if it made me sound like a freak. He responded, "but you are a freak." Which is true, but still.

I'm a freak with a penny whistle.

And a finalist for the Weblog Awards.

33 comments:

N said...

There's nothing wrong with being a freak (or with being able to play hip songs on the penny whistle. Though I suppose I'm stuck there a bit on part b, as I never made it much past "my heart will go on" and you should be damn glad I'm not subjecting you to that).

Hurrah for being nominated!

Heather said...

I voted. You're winning so far. ;)

Kristin said...

I voted and I will vote everyday.

Baby Smiling In Back Seat said...

It's pretty funny to me that some of your competitors currently have 0 votes, as in, they haven't even voted for themselves.

Yay for your nomination and impending juggernaut landslide!

Tash said...

I went last week looking for another category entirely and about screamed when I saw you were nominated! I'm planning some major GOTV post on ABF. You rock.

Lori Lavender Luz said...

Look at you go!

Anonymous said...

You're really making me want to hear "single ladies" on the penny whistle. Stop teasing us! :)

Anonymous said...

I'll vote every day!

JW Moxie said...

I'll vote each day! Congratulations!

AnotherDreamer said...

I voted, and I noticed... you are winning already! I will vote again tomorrow.

Wordgirl said...

You are invaluable -- and I voted -- and yes, it looks like you're ahead!

bleu said...

I DEMAND a YouTube video of you on the Penny Whistle doing Single Ladies!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Liv said...

I'm a newbie to your website, but I have found it so helpful. It's the least I could do to be voter #121. Congrats!

Meghan said...

Stop teasing me with the penny whistle!! I'll vote but only if you record a little Beyonce action and post it for us ;)

Faith said...

I voted, and you're winning!!!

LJ said...

Voted early and will vote often!!!

luna said...

congrats to our high blog-goddess! I promise to vote every day.

I'm with bleu on the youtube demand. now if you can just get that dance down with the flute, we might be able to get you on the TV too!

you are quite a loveable freak, btw.

Stacie said...

COngrats on the nomination! I just voted, and you have 41% of the vote so far...the next runner up has only 17%! Come on, everyone, we can do this!

Let's get Mel this award!

Jamie said...

You're a shoo-in! Or is it shoe in? What I'm trying to say is, you'll win for sure!!

I'm proud of this community, too. And honored to have been welcomed with so much love and understanding.

Thank you!

areyoukiddingme said...

I think you're pretty amazing, in spite of your penny whistle obsession. So, I will keep voting - especially if you make it easy for me!

Anonymous said...

Damn Girl! Such an honor. I voted for you! :)

This is an amazing community- that I am so happy that I have come across these blogs. So I will be voting each and everyday!

Melis.sa said...

I VOTED! where's my sticker? kidding. But seriously, i love this blog and everything it offers to people. You're doing a great job. p.s. i love the randomness of your posts too. reminds me of my clever friends from high school who are scattered all over the u.s. :)

Pale said...

So cool. I am all over voting for you every day. Go Mel!

:)

The Steadfast Warrior said...

You got my vote! And I begged for people too on my blog as well (see sidebar). But as for the serenading, I was thinking, do you mime? Because that would be really cool! You could still have your "Jazz Hands" one-woman show and everything! :)

Kara said...

I will be adding this to my "things I vote for daily" list. The other item I will be voting for is the HGTV dream home in Sonoma - yes Sonoma, CA where I will hopefully be eating at French laundry for lunch weekly and then running home so I don't end up weighing 9 gazallion pounds.

I promise you can come visit and we will eat like queens' HA STIRRUP QUEENS. Oops, back to you - Yes, I will vote daily!

..al said...

I'm voting! Good Luck!

Joanne said...

Number 137. Congrats!

Betty M said...

I voted for you - cant promise daily as I promised a few votes to Respectful Insolence who also rocks.

Cara said...

I voted today and will continue to vote. Speaking of voting - the "longest" lengths rocked!

chicklet said...

I've voted and yer kicking some ass!

MrsSpock said...

I voted and have given you a little post shout-out at Chez Spock. Best of luck, Queen Lollipop!

'Murgdan' said...

I voted! I voted!

Wordgirl said...

Hey mel -- I just got this comment on my blog about my suggestion that people vote -- I thought you might like to see it -- I'll cut and paste it here:

She's totally winning now, woo-hoo! I am not in the club, but I realized how enriched my lives have been by all of you (and my real life friend whose infertility brought me to these parts) when I was talking to my internship supervisor today. We have similar educational backgrounds (except she's finished her master's), seem to be around the same age, and I blithely asked the question, Do you have kids?

She said, with such dignity and reserved sorrow in front of this new stranger, No, we tried, but... (I was a little ashamed, afraid that I'd wounded her more.) I talked to her for a little bit, said that I'd had friends(plural!) who'd gone through it, who were going through it, and I hope she sees me as someone who understands, a little, who knows, anyway, a little bit more of her story. Someone she can talk to. So, thank you.