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Superstorm Sandy and the Mammogram

Technotini-PINK

Technotini PINK

The clouds were circling, the weather reports were getting more urgent and ominous, evacuation warnings were starting.  It was Thursday, October 25, 2012.  Superstorm Sandy was set for landfall that Sunday and little did I know that a medical superstorm of my own was about to make landfall.

I went in for my mammogram.  The nurse was very serious.  She wanted more pictures, more pictures, more pictures.  Each time her face getting graver and graver.  “But it’s just clogged milk ducts,”  I tried to explain.  She obviously didn’t understand my doctor’s work order.  “My doctor assured me it’s probably nothing-just clogged milk ducts.  This is just a routine check-up kinda thing.”

“We need more pictures,” is all she said.

I could feel chills up my spine, soon my whole body was shaking.  I couldn’t get warm, I was shivering and shivering.  Then I saw relief!  The NJ Housewives on the cover of US Weekly!  Hurray!  I could put all this scariness behind me and focus on “important” matters like table flipping, Fabulinis vs Skinny Girl drinks, did Theresa really set-up Melissa, and who did what and said what behind who’s back.  But alas, my usual go-to-girls for Reality TV escapism were no help. I then tried to break the ice with the radiologist by recounting my bubble bath from hell story.  She didn’t see the humor.  The clouds were circling overhead.  Things were looking bad.

The next 24 hours were a detached, foggy blur.  I went through the steps, as if in a bad dream.  Doctors explaining things in extremely serious voices with stern faces.  “We’re squeezing you in for a biopsy tomorrow.  Be here at 7:15 am-no food or water past midnight. Don’t be late, remember, we’re squeezing you in.”  “We’ll put a rush on the biopsy so we can get the results as soon as possible.”  “Things don’t look good.  It’s probably cancer.”

I knew in my heart that I could beat cancer, if just given the chance.  I thought of my aunt (a breast cancer survivor of 12 years), I thought of Lance Armstrong-probably the most famous and strongest cancer survivor out there.  I could get through this.  I would get through this.  But what scared me the most were those grave faces.  I’d seen those faces before, not even a year ago, when my dear, beloved black lab faced her ill-fated battle with cancer of the spleen.  It was those grave faces (the faces that almost seem to be the masks of the grim reaper) that scared me the most.

 Technotini Pairing

Wow, sorry to leave you with such a dark and stormy post.  Oh, how about that for a pairing?  A Dark N Stormy!  This drink is a favorite among our friends and how fitting–when things are dark and stormy, you definitely need your friends.

Dark N Stormy

2 oz. Gosling’s Black Seal Black Rum

4 oz. Ginger Beer

Serve over ice with a slice of lime for good measure

 

(This image is from TheCigarSmokingMan.com  Check out his post at http://thecigarsmokingman.com/2011/07/15/dark-n-stormy-cocktail/ He’s got a great post about the Dark N Stormy.)

View my “Superstorm Sandy and the Mammogram” board on Pinterest!  Click here:
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“There’s nothing that a nice, long, warm bubble bath can’t fix” …unless it’s the bubble bath from hell

Technotini-PINK

Technotini-PINK Post

I used to have this picture I kept in the bathroom.  It was of a classic claw foot bath tub and under it were the words “There’s nothing that a nice, long, warm bubble bath can’t fix.”  It helped me relax when I was having a bad day.

Earlier this past Fall, I experienced what I thought were clogged milk ducts while breastfeeding my younger daughter.  I went to the lactation nurse at our pediatrician’s office.  “Oh yeah,” she said.  “That’s just clogged milk ducts.  Just go home and take a nice warm bath.  It should work itself out once you soak in the warm water, no problem.  Maybe do some gentle massage too.  But don’t worry, you’re fine.”  Then she also gave me some advice on trying not to do too much–be careful, as a working mom, don’t over do it, make sure you take care of yourself, etc, etc.  Her parting words however gave me pause, “Now remember, if it doesn’t clear up after a while, go see your doctor.”

I thought about the old photo the claw foot tub and thought, “Well, maybe there’s something to it.”  However, taking a bath in our rental house bathroom was the last thing I could imagine as relaxing.  It was one of those awful turquoise tiled baths from the 60’s with a rusted drain.  I needed major aromatherapy bath salts to make this endeavor tolerable, yet alone relaxing.  So I headed over to Whole Foods and treated myself to a couple uber fancy bath salt selections, then headed home with a container of bleach to clean the ancient tub. Once ready, I slid into the warm water.

Ahh, the bath salts do smell nice, don’t look at the tile, think of a pleasant place.  You’re at a 5 star resort in Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii-just like the relaxing music on your iPod,  ahh Hawaii…low tide, water washing away, cold breeze on arms, and legs.  Wait!  What’s happening?

I open my eyes.  The freakin’ water is draining out of the freakin’ tub!!!!  Ok, relax. “RELAX,” I tell myself.  Positive energy, positive energy.  I hunker down, trying to dip my upper body into the puddle of water still left, but it’s no use.  Bath is aborted after 2 1/2 minutes of absolute non-zen.

A week goes by and no improvements are see in my “clogged milk ducts.”  I try to think it’s because the magic bath didn’t work but decide to make an appointment with my OBGYN to be safe.  After she examines me, she determines that it’s just clogged milk ducts too but writes me a referral for a mammogram “just to be sure.”

Technotini Pairing: 

Toast your day with a nice glass of champagne because you deserve some bubbles that will really relax you and aren’t from hell. Salut!

View my Pinterest board with images of very relaxing claw foot bath tubs: Follow Me on Pinterest

Colorado the Beautiful = America the Beautiful

Family, Thoughtful Thursdays

Colorado Rockies off Hwy 40

Many years ago when I was a grad student at the University of Denver, I stopped into the Park Meadows Mall to do some shopping.  I remember standing awestruck as I looked up at the center rotunda.  It was painted with exquisite murals of different Colorado landscapes:  purple mountains, golden plains, big-wide-open skies.  Accompanying the murals were the lyrics to America the Beautiful. “Hmm, that’s funny,”  I thought. “It’s almost as if the song was written about Colorado.”  Later that day, I shared my experience with one of my friends, a Colorado Native.  “Well, duh,” she replied.  “It was written on top of Pikes Peak.”

This week the whole country was able to share in the beauty of Colorado as media outlets everywhere geared up for the first Presidential Debate hosted last night by the University of Denver.  Today, as the pundits and media are trying to determine the winner, President Obama or Mitt Romney, I think the winner is pretty obvious–DU, the City of Denver, and (just in time for ski season) the State of Colorado. However, I think it’s important to remember, that we, the people, are also the winners.  In these challenging times of economic recession, we can’t forget how lucky we are that we live in a Democracy and have the right to vote.  So please, take a moment and make sure you are registered.  Don’t throw your right away.

Finally, as you are barraged this Fall with political commercials, let this America the Beautiful  video bring you back to a more peaceful, patriotic pace.  Enjoy! And God Bless America! (it’s not just for The 4th of July)

Today’s Cocktail Pairing:

Alewerks Pumpkin Ale (The Best Pumpkin Beer hands down!) From the ye ole colonial city of Williamsburg!

Was that Jim Henson’s Animal on the Real Housewives of New Jersey Reunion?

Pop! tini

Oh no she didnnnnnn’t!  Was Teresa at it again? Did she flip another table?  No! The shocking over-the-top meltdown did not even come from one of the Housewives, but from a Housewife sister (not to be confused with a “sister-wife,” that, as we all know is another reality show hot mess all together!).    NJ Housewives (and now family members), you never disappoint and this is why you are everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure!

So what happened last night on the Reunion Part I?  Well, let me start by saying I usually avoid the post season reunion episodes-I can only stomach so much arguing and cattiness-but something told me tonight’s episode was not to be missed (yes, those juicy commercials got me. Bravo, Bravo TV you reeled me back in).  The episode was a basic “let’s-all-gang-up-on-Teresa-Fest” (with good reason) mixed with a show and tell of the  latest nose jobs and lap-band surgery results until…the name calling went a little too far (involving some disparaging remarks about Kathy Wakile’s deceased father) and all of a sudden the drama gets interesting. Rosie, Housewife Kathy’s sister, can be heard storming around backstage, her voice getting louder angrier and more intense.  The camera cuts to a shot of a shadowy figure lurking behind the curtain then a close-up of Rosie trying to navigate very angrily backstage amid lights, and boom mics and other assorted professional AV equipment.  The subtitles reading “She’s walking. She’s walking.”  (ie: don’t let her on stage) Then Rosie’s response “Let me get the F*** out of here. Let me go.”  Then a feeling of deja vu came over me.  Where had I scene this wild, almost animal-like, out-of-control behavior in a backstage setting before?  Ohh that’s right?  Animal from the Muppet Show!  He’d always go berzerk and leave a mess for good ole Kermit (played here by host Andy Cohen) to clean up so the show could go on.

Rosie, Real Housewives NJ
Don’t make Rosie mad

Video:  Is that Rosie or Animal?

Animal, The Muppets
Animal

Video:  Animal and James Coburn–maybe they should join the NJ Housewives?

 

Pandora Radio, Adding Value through Advertising

Biz & Blogging

Cheers to Pandora online radio!

Over the last couple of years, they have managed to come back from a struggling website that was literally asking for donations or they would stop your service to one that is now the “it” place for specialized big-branded music advertising opportunities.  I’ve enjoyed watching all of the unique advertising channels pop up this summer.  I’ve seen everything from Chase Sapphire’s Sound of Summer to The Outer Banks of North Carolina “OBX Radio,” to a workout mix by Toyota’s Rav 4. Even the Today show has gotten into the act with an entire “hub” spot dedicated to their summer concert series.  http://www.pandora.com/NBCToday
All of these advertising efforts have also come complete with background skins to extend the message and call to action (including the obligatory FB and Twitter chicklets). For example,  “Get your free OBX guide now.”   
It’s nice to see advertising integration not only done well, but in a creative way that truly adds value to the product!    Cheers to you, Pandora!

In honor of their creative ad background skin and completely commendable social media campaign #enjoytheride, today’s suggested pairing is New Belgium’s Fat Tire.  Mmm…enjoy!

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