tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post7189713102966330885..comments2023-08-15T05:02:58.115-04:00Comments on Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters: Friday Blog RoundupLollipop Goldsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01020874415819057995noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-6347283734573112582009-04-07T10:06:00.000-04:002009-04-07T10:06:00.000-04:00I think you would be awesome in a Jennifer Weiner ...I think you would be awesome in a Jennifer Weiner novel. I would buy that book. (Granted, I like her books anyways, but if *you* were in it, I would buy copies for everyone I knew...hint hint Jennifer. Mel sells books.)Iohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00918928563224342054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-37576763245959925382009-04-05T20:23:00.000-04:002009-04-05T20:23:00.000-04:00I'd like to be in a Jennifer Weiner novel. Either...I'd like to be in a Jennifer Weiner novel. Either as the main character or her best friend. And, if possible, I'd like to have a catchphrase that would become so popular that it would enter the lexicon like "where's the beef?"Lollipop Goldsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01020874415819057995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-16063122031330064312009-04-05T03:11:00.000-04:002009-04-05T03:11:00.000-04:00I'm skipping right to the book question:Either I'd...I'm skipping right to the book question:<BR/>Either I'd be in a Jane Austen novel (I always had ideas about the kind of character I'd be in one of her books, so I'd love to see Austen's own ideas about me) <BR/><BR/>Or else I'd be in a book by Janet Evanovich. Her characters are all totally wacky and hysterical to me and I'd love to see her take on my personality!Coffeegrljapanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04848101070810301786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-34992234786340613622009-04-05T01:18:00.000-04:002009-04-05T01:18:00.000-04:00Dorothy Allison has beautiful prose, but most of h...Dorothy Allison has beautiful prose, but most of her books are about abused children, so it wouldn't be so fun to be a character of hers.<BR/><BR/>Let's go with Tolkien. He would undoubtedly write a jaunty theme song for me.Baby Smiling In Back Seathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06483533946303787478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-89414361117871372412009-04-04T09:19:00.000-04:002009-04-04T09:19:00.000-04:00My husband and I were talking the other day about ...My husband and I were talking the other day about how we are really kind of content just renting. We have a great apartment(its big!) and y'know if the furnace goes...well, its not coming out of our pockets. And while the idea of owning something is still pretty appealing in the long term aspect, I like you, am thinking about the now....right now, we just have to pay rent and utilities. No taxes, no water, no repair bills. Its kinda nice to have one less responsibility.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11746229523316282053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-34861778330798940202009-04-04T08:56:00.000-04:002009-04-04T08:56:00.000-04:00Catching up, haven't by in awhile (something about...Catching up, haven't by in awhile (something about going to China and I have a new toddler! And working full time!).<BR/>Our house is a disaster waiting to happen. Lots of value increase until last year; thought it would be our cash cow - not now! We had to replace the entire septic system (yep, tank, pumps, drain field..). Tore up our yard. $$$$$$<BR/>We are planning to sell and downsize so we can have fewer possessions and more time for AA and the grands!<BR/>Have a fun, happy weekend!!<BR/><BR/>Alyzabeth's MommyAlyson and Fordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09152315459410231214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-32409510487507816052009-04-03T15:41:00.000-04:002009-04-03T15:41:00.000-04:00I really like your weight loss plan and group. I ...I really like your weight loss plan and group. I did so much comfort eating after my losses I felt like I had 'baby weight' and still no baby.<BR/><BR/>The extra weight and the IF was a double hit to my self esteem.<BR/><BR/>As for the author . . . hmmmm . . . I could go two different ways here. I've always like Anne Rice and they way she could take a monster and make them seductive and beautiful. Or maybe a character in a fantasy novel. I'd love to see Margaret Weis make me into a dragon slaying hero. <BR/><BR/>Not to mention the cool clothes I would get to wear in either one!Jamiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11509124764568535676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-48386138933634409352009-04-03T14:05:00.000-04:002009-04-03T14:05:00.000-04:00About the homeownership, oh, I KNOW!!! Last year ...About the homeownership, oh, I KNOW!!! Last year we had the roof re-shingled, and this year our furnace, toilet, and dryer all busted AT THE SAME TIME. On a Friday the 13th, no less. <BR/><BR/>I don't know that WUB has to *replace* 2ww, for the reasons that Kate said; each is accurate for a different situation. I never had a beta, e.g. but lots of 2wws. <BR/><BR/>And I like projectkjetil's no-nudity clause idea! <BR/><BR/>My word verification is "spiffles." Is that like spring sniffles?Elizabethhttp://www.projectprogeny.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-3841554610831711502009-04-03T14:00:00.000-04:002009-04-03T14:00:00.000-04:00Oh, and I would choose Kurt Vonnegut to write me i...Oh, and I would choose Kurt Vonnegut to write me into a novel. His characters are so weird and smart and I would love to be written in as a secondary character who serves to point out the total insanity of whatever adventure he has us going on (I think of Galapagos here for some reason).katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08056463808792013011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-84642984208728284582009-04-03T13:58:00.000-04:002009-04-03T13:58:00.000-04:00I'm wishing you all the best with your revised eat...I'm wishing you all the best with your revised eating plan. Personally, the only reason I run is so that I can eat like the ravenous pig that I am. I noticed years ago that diet + exercise (for me) had the same result as exercise alone. So I quit dieting, because I hate it. I suppose it needs to be said that my diet isn't that poor to start- I eat mostly vegetarian, mostly whole, mostly homemade. Of course, I certainly don't deny myself the occasional cheeseburger, and me and sugar are BFFs, so I just try to make sure I fill myself up with fresh veggies and if I'm still hungry, I go ahead and dig in to the candy bag. Anyhow, I think your plan sounds sensible and I wish you the best with it! Go, Mel!!! You can do it!<BR/><BR/>And oh, boy, do I hear you on the whole 'house falling apart' thing. Before we bought our house, at the inspection, the inspector said that I needed to think of it as though I would be dating a much, much older man. I needed to expect that things would be slower, that I would need to fuss with upkeep a lot more, but that in exchange, I would get all the interesting details that come with having been around for 70 years. And he was so right. Luckily (knock wood), the only appliance to go so far has been the a/c (which we ended up replacing a year later when we got rid of our oil furnace- just in time for fuel prices to drop to a ten year low... but at least we don't have to worry about it anymore). But yes. Like you, we need to insulate the attic (upstairs its virtually unlivable in the summer), we need to fix the gutters, we really need new windows in a few rooms (enough that we really should go ahead and do the whole house). We're trying to extend the life of our dryer by line-drying our clothes when possible (like today! Sunny! Breezy! Beautiful!). <BR/><BR/>In my fantasy world, I would replace all the appliances in our house, but the former homeowners bought top of the line stuff back in the 70s and 80s, so everything (EVERYTHING) is solid as heck, and I can't imagine replacing things that still work but are just old and inefficient. Sigh. <BR/><BR/>And I also get what you are saying about finances. We didn't get married young or buy young, but we bought very early in H's career. Of course, because of that, we also bought a house that we could clearly afford on his lower salary back then, which means that now that I'm not working, it's not such a stretch to make the mortgage payment, because we planned for it to be affordable at a smaller income. But yeah. It does seem like there are people around us who can afford much more in their lives, but have comparable salaries, and I wonder how they do it. <BR/><BR/>Yes. Sometimes I hate being a homeowner. <BR/><BR/>But then I remember this news special I saw that pictured a guy and his kid sitting on the curb outside of their recently foreclosed-upon house, saying, "I did everything I could. I don't know what else I could have done to save my house, but I just can't create money where there isn't any..." And then I think about how incredibly lucky I am to still have a house at all. Yes, the bathrooms all need serious work. Yes, the windows are leaky and old. Yes, the appliances suck. Yes, there are major, MAJOR renovations to be done, but at least I'm not sitting in my driveway with my stuff thrown out on the lawn because we couldn't keep paying for it. <BR/><BR/>Perspective, I guess. <BR/><BR/><BR/>Changing the 2WW abbreviation is a good idea, I think. I wonder if WUT might make more sense in some cases, though (Wait until test), 'cos at least in the "In The Beginning" section, many aren't being treated by a professional yet, and thus won't have a beta (though they are also subject to the same time concerns that you bring up- not everyone has a 14 day luteal phase, not everyone can bring themselves to test at the exact two week mark, etc.). Everyone has a test of some kind, but not necessarily everyone will have beta numbers to remark upon. Just my (totally unsolicited) opinion.katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08056463808792013011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-76673903788117164732009-04-03T12:45:00.000-04:002009-04-03T12:45:00.000-04:00I always wondered who Carly Simon wrote that song ...I always wondered who Carly Simon wrote that song about...Warren Beatty?! Interesting. <BR/><BR/>I'm on a C.S. Lewis kick right now...so I would have to say I'd want him to write me in. Preferably, it would be something more in a Narnian vein than Space Trilogy-ish. <BR/><BR/>Good luck with the weight loss!Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07834180918581781729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-31354051663235648442009-04-03T11:50:00.000-04:002009-04-03T11:50:00.000-04:00As one who just did a weight-loss kick without die...As one who just did a weight-loss kick without dieting (or what I consider dieting), here's a couple more things that might help. For us: <BR/>-We cut booze as we were having a lot of empty calories there.<BR/>-We also started watching the "balance" of our meals, similar to you having salad for one meal. We didn't count calories but we really watched how much fat and carbs were in meals so we knew we were eating healthier.<BR/>-We did all that during the week, and then on weekends we were allowed one treat day, but only one. That way during the week if I missed something or felt denied, I knew I'd get it on the weekend. But we also didn't blow an entire week's worth of effort on the weekend. <BR/><BR/>Good luck!!chicklethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16090701824999372199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-69119187207638613612009-04-03T11:16:00.000-04:002009-04-03T11:16:00.000-04:00I lost 27 pounds in six months on WW without movin...I lost 27 pounds in six months on WW without moving my ass AT ALL. The fibro makes real exercise damn near impossible but eating less (and more mindfully) certainly worked for me. It can be done, for sure.Briarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04431318790028032416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-91551957332268805062009-04-03T11:04:00.000-04:002009-04-03T11:04:00.000-04:00When it rains, it pours...and being a fellow homeo...When it rains, it pours...and being a fellow homeowner, I understand your frustration. I wish I had an answer for why everything breaks at once!<BR/><BR/>Good luck on the weight loss! <BR/><BR/>I'm definitely heading over to join the group. Support is always welcome.Photogrlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13709453130822429881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-44248946905108423502009-04-03T10:34:00.000-04:002009-04-03T10:34:00.000-04:00Weight Loss...I think it's a struggle for everyone...Weight Loss...I think it's a struggle for everyone. <BR/><BR/>As for the author, I would love to have John Irving write a book about my life, something like The World according to Garp.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-80674484307951333502009-04-03T10:28:00.000-04:002009-04-03T10:28:00.000-04:00I want to be a character in either Toni Morrison's...I want to be a character in either Toni Morrison's or Miriam Toews's next novel. My mind is blank on possible scenarios, though!<BR/><BR/>Good luck on the weight loss!one-hit_wonderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02392238740961497297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-10818810705850645122009-04-03T10:11:00.000-04:002009-04-03T10:11:00.000-04:00Initially I was thinking of Sylvia Plath, mainly b...Initially I was thinking of Sylvia Plath, mainly because I am in a bit of a Pink Floyd/Bell Jar type funk lately. On further retrospection though - I think Steinbeck. He could make even the mundane sound noble and I would like that. Or maybe Jennifer Weiner, just because she could take all my drama and angst and make it absolutely hysterical - and I would like that too (Erma Bombeck too, for that matter). <BR/><BR/>I hear you on the denying yourself. I've been eating my feelings and issues for years. Maybe I will join you - just so when someone uses the term "hot mama" to describe me - it won't be because I am hot flashing again.<BR/><BR/>As for the rest - both cars are paid off, which of course means they will now spontaneously blow up any minute. We've had the washer about as long as we've been married and naturally that means I have to eye it suspiciously every time I start a load. It will die when every pair of underwear I own is soaking wet and full of soap in it. Out of 3 dvds players and 3 computers in this house - not one will actually play a dvd.<BR/><BR/>The roof is leaking - in my bedroom of course, and we've entered the season fondly referred to as "Rain" around here.<BR/><BR/>Did you ever see the movie "The Money Pit"? :0)JuliaShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10668995954240697998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-78387597294142405912009-04-03T09:25:00.000-04:002009-04-03T09:25:00.000-04:00Author answer: Barbara Kingsolver. Except I woul...Author answer: Barbara Kingsolver. Except I would put in a no-nudity clause.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-71575365091388615722009-04-03T09:11:00.000-04:002009-04-03T09:11:00.000-04:00Good luck with the weight loss. As for the housin...Good luck with the weight loss. As for the housing appliances, check to see if Habit For Humanity has one of their stores locally. We replaced our dishwasher for only $45. It may not be new but it works like new and was affordable.<BR/><BR/>As for the author, I'd like to be in the next book in Christine Feehan's Dark series. I want to be one of her Carpathian heroines.Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10791317184998122691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-25241750230925224392009-04-03T08:44:00.000-04:002009-04-03T08:44:00.000-04:00***** Assvice alert - Assvice alert - feel free to...***** Assvice alert - Assvice alert - feel free to ignore *****<BR/><BR/>When I decided to lost my IVF weight, I started weight-lifing using this program: http://tinyurl.com/d43efg<BR/><BR/>You can do it at home, 3 x a week, 30 minutes/week to start (though it gets to be a bit longer when you are later in the program, but never more than 3 x a week and 2 x a week is fine too). That is ALL the exercise you need to do, you don't also have to do cardio - you work your butt off during the time you are doing it, then you are done. I lost 10 lbs in the first month. I also got things like abs again and was full of energy. It is a miracle. Really enjoyed it. My DH did it too and watched the weight drop.<BR/><BR/>It is an amazing feeling of joy to feel your body get fit and healthy again after all infertility has done to it. Has nothing in common with deprivation.<BR/><BR/>Note: this plan also comes with suggested eating plan which I ignored except to eat a bit more protein than usual and to eat more frequent meals (5-6 per day).<BR/><BR/>***** Assvice over *****nishkanuhttp://hardknockedup.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-33848664915925396732009-04-03T08:42:00.000-04:002009-04-03T08:42:00.000-04:00It doesn't matter when you buy your house, I think...It doesn't matter when you buy your house, I think. There are always going to be problems, and some regrets.<BR/><BR/>For us, we bought because we had finally gotten the money together for a downpayment. We chose our house and THEN my husband got his job on the other side of the city (1.5 hour bus ride one way). Add to this a hot water tank exploding, a major flood in the basement, and a sewage back up, and that was our first year in our house. And we're not even going to mention the whole IF thing...<BR/><BR/>I am still considering this our best investment (despite the economy tyvm). And I love the fact that I can paint walls purple if I want (I haven't, but I'm just saying I <I>could</I>. :p<BR/><BR/>Tally, whose feeling the WUB (Clinic wants me to wait 17 DAYS??? good g-d)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-2907089471339216102009-04-03T08:39:00.000-04:002009-04-03T08:39:00.000-04:00Uh...I thought You're So Vain was supposed to be a...Uh...I thought You're So Vain was supposed to be about James Taylor. Now I know how I'll be spending my day.<BR/><BR/>I would like to be a character in a Christopher Moore novel. The protagonist is usually somewhat clueless but very funny, but there are always secondary characters who have a grip on reality and provide the foil for the humor. Yep, no great prose for me...I like silliness.areyoukiddingmehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107214079237461141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-59416131644580258782009-04-03T08:23:00.000-04:002009-04-03T08:23:00.000-04:00Our major house thingies (furnace, both a/c units,...Our major house thingies (furnace, both a/c units, washing machine) are all at least 25 years old (30+ for the washer). We're living on such borrowed time it isn't even funny. I feel ya girlfriend.LJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08398924875071245573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-9908720891549546022009-04-03T08:13:00.000-04:002009-04-03T08:13:00.000-04:00I want to comment on your thought that's on top of...I want to comment on your thought that's on top of the post.<BR/><BR/>And say, once again, you are so wise, and you don't have to resort to talking AT people.<BR/><BR/>Ironically, it can be very difficult to hear someone when they are shouting at you. Well, not the hearing but the understanding.<BR/><BR/>I like your weight loss plan. I cheer you and support you.Lori Lavender Luzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15394441222262940632noreply@blogger.com