On the Fly and About to Fly

Bula! (That is the Fijian greeting...which means, in essence "health" and how appropriate is that for this blog?)

We're in the countdown to Fiji time. Also, I'm in the countdown to getting more pages to the agent so she can get them to editors. Also, I have much work to finish up at my "real" job. Also, there's a spray tan with my name on it (well, a gift certificate. Never done it before; I'm sure it will be hilarious and I will look like Snooki...except tall and blonde-ish), a hair appointment (to get those now unnatural blonde highlights back), and a manicure and pedicure waiting. All in the next 48 hours. So, um, this will be fair warning of a blog hiatus.

I did get an iPad2 (which Chris has attached himself to), but we understand there is very little (to no) internet connection where we are staying. So I likely won't be able to post while I"m gone. But expect many, many photos and updates when I return.

Bula! Bula! And um, Aloha!

A Rebuttal from the Ta-Tas Team

In the interest of presenting both sides of the debate, I'd like to share this blog post today from the Save the Ta-Ta's founder. I have one of her shirts. I like it.

Fact Checking the LA Times Opinion.

LA Times Joins the Fray

And the Boobie War has hit the LA Times.
I still disagree with much of what is said, but I'm happy to see the discussion continued in a civilized manner.
I just hate the "self exams don't do squat" statements.

Here's the article:  LA Times.

A Super Very Good Day

I guess the caption sort of takes away the mystery...my check-up with the oncologist went fine today. So, I have now moved past the 2 1/4 years "all clear" mark. Which means 3/4 of year until "the percentage of recurrences that we see drops precipitously" (or something like that...basically, with triple negative BC, like my old bad boy, recurrence generally occurs in the first three years, much less after that). I'm feeling good about that. Still need to get the blood test results back but all else was looking good. I can admit now that I thought I felt another thickening in the right breast, but it was in the same spot (and probably was the same spot) that the good and great Dr. Karam had done the ultrasound on before and it was and is only scar tissue from the radiation. Phew.

But wait...what do Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have to do with my right breast? Well, nothing. But remember I told you my agent would be sending out THE PROPOSAL for The Dog Lived very soon? Well, today was the day! My baby is all "growed up" and out in the world! At this very moment she is in the clutches of several carefully selected editors at various publishing houses. I had a nice chat with my agent today just after I finished up my doctor's appointment and it seems that my baby is pretty and being generally coo-ed over. It helps that as it turns out three, three, of the editors who received the proposal are beagle-servants themselves! It's like Seamus has planted his minions out there to make sure this happens. Keep your fingers, toes and paws crossed for us.

That was my super, very good day.
Wait...wait...you saw "super very good day" and "The Proposal" and thought that Chris had.....oh, lord. You just don't know us at all.

Finding My People

No sooner did I find myself on the "wrong" side of the Boobie war, then I innocently go off to Fresh 'n Easy at lunch to load up on my "Eat Well" packaged (fresh! healthy! helping me lose weight!) foods and I find once again, I am not part of a group. I am an outsider again!

I've been to Fresh 'N Easy before, but apparently not at lunch when there is limited parking. There were of course handicap parking spaces available but that's not me. Then I saw two open spaces--hurrah!!--but, oh, wait... "Parking for Hybrid Vehicles Only."  My Jaguar is a lot of wonderful things, among them...Purebred. No hybrid. I drove on. Voila' two more open spots! I accelerated the non-hybrid to the open spots....but there was another sign: "Parking for Moms with Children Only." Seriously?? I've never seen that before! And that is decidedly not me. Not even if Seamus were in the car with me. I ended up parking far, far away. But that's okay, the calories burned are only helping me get into that Bagdley-Mischka swimsuit. I just felt so sad that I didn't fit in. I'm sort of thinking maybe I'm not Fresh 'N Easy's kind of people. I'm parked over in the "people we don't really give a crap about" section.

Apparently, these sorts of reserved parking spots are not new. I'm behind the wave (of outrage), judging by what I found when I Googled for an image of the signs I saw. But that's okay. 'Cause I found my people and my parking.

Note to Fresh 'N Easy: think about it, please?

Coffee With a Canine

I'm interviewed (mostly about Seamus, duh. Winning!) over at Coffee with a Canine. I love this blog. Here's a part from the interview:

How were you and Seamus united?

I love the term "united." It's quite accurate. Seven years ago I went through a divorce and moved with my two old beagles to a townhome. Within five months of moving, both dogs had passed away. I was, needless to say, devastated. I went on a trip to Ireland with my brother and a cousin and when I came home the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center, where I'd been a board member and volunteer for over 15 years, called to let me know they had a beagle in need of a home. I thought that I probably shouldn't get a beagle again since I was single, working a lot and living in a townhome with not a big yard. But I went to see the dog. And we all know what happens next. Caution....meet wind. The beagle was adorable and unusually colored--really red. He also made me laugh a lot. I named him after a cousin in Ireland that was...yeah, you got it, red-haired and really funny (not so unusual in Ireland).

Go check out the whole thing and many other great dog & coffee stories at Coffee With a Canine.   And have a good morning.

Fiji on My Mind

I've been feeling obligated to continue the discussion of, at the risk of over-simplifying, what's appropriate in breast cancer fundraising (or, where the priority should be) while at the same time bursting with good news that I'd rather be sharing. And then, as it turns out, the breast cancer fundraising discussion has gone on anyway in the comments in the below post. So, here's what I've decided--I'll weigh in there later as well, and anyone interested in that discussion--and it is a very interesting and thought provoking discussion--should continue to read and comment in the post below. Right...below this completely, admittedly, frivolous and light post.


Because...for now anyway....I'm going to take a little diversion to share a little good news.

First, I heard from my agent last week that the book proposal is ready to go out on submission!! Woo Hoo!!! I don't have a timeline but I have great faith in my agent and am very, very excited to enter the next phase (for you non-writers...the next phase is where the agent takes the proposal to editors at publication houses and sells the book!).  I have lots of writing ahead of me and I'm looking forward to that too. And some of that writing will be done in....(see below)

Second, we are less than 4 weeks away from our trip to Fiji!! We met yesterday with the folks who own the home we will be staying in (friends of my dad and step-mom's) and over champagne brunch we learned the customs, what to expect, where to go, etc... I'm beyond excited about this! We'll be there for two weeks and there isn't a whole lot to do...other than lounge around on the beach or in the hammock on the balcony or perhaps go snorkeling or kayaking. I think I'll be able to write quite a bit while we're there. (So I'm looking at getting a iPad2 before we leave...anyone with knowledge of the iPad, please leave comments. I want to read, write, check emails from work and personally, and basically not have to bring my laptop.)

Third, I am very, very close to having lost 10 pounds since the start of my healthy eating/ work-out routine. I've lost about 9.2 pounds (depends on which scale and what time of day). And more importantly I feel much, much better. I'm working out with the trainer 2 days a week (20-30 minutes on the treadmill and 50 minutes of strength training) and doing yoga for an hour 1 day a week, plus walking Seamus for  1 1/2 miles on one other day of the week (don't worry about his exercise--- Chris takes him out for much, much longer walks much more regularly. Seamus is the most fit beast in our home.) I've continued to eat much better and in smaller portions. And, yeah, I've continued to struggle with not having my martinis or wine. So, um, they came back this week--wine dinner and, we'll...see champagne brunch up above (although I did do the salad bar and even selected the low-fat Greek yogurt dressing!).

Fourth, I went bathing suit shopping. And note, this is on my list of good things that have happened! I went to Nordstrom, having learned long ago that the more one pays for things the smaller the size of those things. But still....I haven't bought a bathing suit since cancer invaded the premises. And it was only about 4 years ago that I realized it was really inappropriate for me to wear a two piece suit (my stomach was the last to go, but when it went...it went with a vengeance! I used to think people would be too busy staring at my gigantic thighs to notice a little wedge flowing over the suit bottoms, but once the wedge dropped down and snuggled up against the thighs to  introduce itself, I realized reinforcements were necessary.) So this was bound to be traumatic. It did not start well. When I walked into the store I was in the dress section and they had an awful lot of cute spring/ summer dresses. And I, armed with a gift card, thought "well, a sundress isn't a bad idea." But you know what is a bad idea? The freakin' lighting in the dressing rooms!! It's like a green spotlight on each and every cellulite dent!! And nothing, but nothing was cute on this body. Nothing!!  I almost lost the courage to head to the bathing suit section. But, I figured, I was here. My timing is good--the new line of suits should be in, there won't be too many people also shopping, and well...it can't get worse.  I should look.

Long story somewhat less long, I was helped by this stunningly gorgeous, young, African-American girl who made me believe she too struggled with finding a suit to make her look 10 lbs slimmer (okay, I wanted 30 lbs slimmer, but no bathing suit can cover these thighs, so I was trying to be realistic) and she lead me to a Badgley-Mischka steel blue suit they'd just got in that morning. And....and....and....it fit!! And I loved it!! Okay, it will fit better five less pounds from now, but I have 4 weeks for that. It fit! It's stunning. It's glamorous and it's MINE!! I was so excited, I bought a second suit and a cover-up. 

Then, I went to the Shop to Stop Breast Cancer (okay, diversion ---benefits the Pink Ribbon Place, is frivolous, fun and exploits the hell out of the pink ribbon while raising funds for....things other than research; I also wore the Save 2nd Base shirt to the event. These are my sins.) At the Shop to Stop, I was able to snag a fantastic Tod's purse and super-cute scarf. Both of which happen to match the swimsuits I bought (not that I'd put the scarf with a swimsuit, but it was enough to get a theme going...).  Then, Saturday, right after Fijian-fest champagne brunch, I went to the Lake Arrowhead Coach outlet where there was...O.M.G. a HUGE sale. Now, I've been trying to break myself of the Coach habit because a) it's not cheap and b) I'm not a 16 year old Asian girl, which does seem to be the target market. BUT...but.... they had stuff at 50% off and then another 30% off and...and....damnit...I really like some of their styles. So, yeah. I now have blue Coach sunglasses, a little wrist-let purse and one heck of a giant spring/summer khaki and white patent-leather tote. All in the name of Fiji! Okay, and France this summer...

Did I mention I went to work today (Sunday) to pay for this? Yeah, because Chris and I also went to the Apple store to check out that iPad2.....

(the darker blue on the bottom right is the Badgley-Mischka...the photo doesn't do it justice, it's quite glam; note also the Tod's purse in the upper right...so, so excited about these...).