Twenty Four At Heart

Celebrity Treatment, Part I

I had the most amazing experience last Friday.

I was recently contacted by a public relations firm here in Orange County.  That, in itself, is not unusual.  This particular email, however, caught my attention.

First of all, the person contacting me had done her research.  (Which, by the way, always makes a huge difference as to whether I instantly hit "delete" or actually take the time to read a pitch.)  She knew I was coming off a big surgery and knew my story.  She represents Skinsations Spa - with locations in both Beverly Hills and Orange County, and wanted to know if I'd be interested in receiving complimentary, post-surgery, pampering for a few hours.  She suggested I come visit for a facial.

Now, it was a tough decision to make, but I was willing to make the sacrifice.  (You know, for you!  I wanted to do research for you, my readers.  * Ahem *)

The first thing I noticed when I arrived is, from the outside, Skinsations Spa looks just like any other strip mall business.

The second thing I noticed, was this charming little sign near the door of the entrance.

Charming ended up being the operative word in my experience at this spa.  

Once inside the door, I was privy to 7,000 square feet of heaven.  Beautiful antiques, fountains, murals, chandeliers, and ambient lighting all contributed to a quaint, enchanting, homey spa experience.

Skinsations Spa doesn't have the sort-of-like-a-gym-but-I'm-a-spa atmosphere.

I was flattered, and honored, to hear owner LeAine Dehmer (facialist to many celebrities), had scheduled time to take care of me herself.  To give you perspective, if I were to call for an appointment with LeAine (rather than with one of her staff members), I would have to wait from three to six months to get an appointment with her.

LeAine Dehmer

In addition to owning Skinsations, LeAine also has developed her own line of skincare products, LeAine Dehmer Clinical Skincare, which is sold worldwide.  (Her products have been included in gift bags at major celebrity events.) 

So what happened once I was inside?

First, I changed into a robe and slippers and put my belongings in a locker.  (Except for my camera, of course - my camera went everywhere with me.)

Next, I went to the Tea Room where I was provided with a foot soak, which I loved - it was so relaxing.  

A hot, aromatic, body wrap was draped around my neck and shoulders and I was given a warm aromatherapy towel which I put right over my face.  I was instantly transported away from reality.

Let me go back for just a minute ...

I have to tell you more about the hot shoulder/neck wrap.  It smelled of cinnamon, cloves, and eucalyptus.  The moist heat dissolved pain for me instantly.  It was an amazing treat for anyone with an injury or neck/shoulder tension.

Next, I was informed my "tub" was ready.

Tub?

I thought I was getting a facial.

Apparently, LeAine had decided she would spoil me rotten as long as I was there.

I entered a beautiful, private, Water Cure Room with a large tub, shower and massage table.  

The room, lit beautifully with multiple candles, was decorated in a Roman Neo-classical style.  I sunk into a tub of I-don't-know-what-but-it-smelled-amazing and then I refused to come out.

No, I really mean it - I refused to come out.

I think I was supposed to stay there for about ten or fifteen minutes.

I couldn't bring myself to get out.

I sipped on herbal tea, felt the heat eeking every ounce of stress out of my body, and decided I would stay there forever.

Mind you, I'm not a bath-type person but this was the most tranquil experience imaginable.  Soft music was playing, the candles were dancing in the dark, my skin was feeling softer than it ever has.

Sigh!

I'm embarrassed to say - after quite some time, LeAine knocked gently on the door to ask if I was all right.  There was concern I might have drowned, apparently, since I had been in there for hours a long time.

A bit sheepishly, I toweled off and put my robe and slippers back on.  I had stayed in the tub so long, I resembled a prune.

Next, I went to the Nap Room for a few minutes to allow my body temperature to come down.  A staff member appeared almost instantly to inquire as to whether I'd like a blanket.  A minute later LeAine (now knowing how much pain relief the heated neck/shoulder wrap had given me), showed up to drape me in one again.

I've never been to a spa and received so much individual attention.  The staff at Skinsations is all about pampering.

At this point, I could have gone home and been happy.  I was completely relaxed and felt like I'd been transported to another world.  

The treatment I had come for, however, was just about to get started .....

It was incredible!

I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

© Twenty Four At Heart

An Alternate Reality?

Since I began writing Twenty Four At Heart, I've had readers occasionally ask me what my life was like before the car accident, how it was changed by the accident, and/or what positives have come about in my life in the aftermath.

I haven't spent much time addressing my old life, or the life I thought I was going to have before the accident disrupted everything.  I haven't, because I can't change reality and for a long time it was just too difficult to think about.  Also, it almost seems to give The Accident more power than I'm willing to, by writing about the what ifs.

I got this comment a few days ago:

I'm glad you are starting to feel better -- and I hope this surgery brings better things. It sounds hopeful! I don't get much sense of your life before the accident, other than that you were an active, busy mother (and not in constant pain). Do you ever think about the person you might have been now if you hadn't had the accident? I get the feeling that in some ways it has not been all loss, despite the pain. For instance, do you think you would have become a writer and photographer? (Forgive me if you were already both -- I only "know" you post accident.  Duchess Omnium

It isn't the first time I've been asked these questions, but for some reason they are nagging at me now, wanting my attention.

My life before the accident was extremely busy.  I never seemed to have a free moment.  I'm married to a man who travels extensively for business.  Although I used to be a manager for a Fortune 500 company (yes - really!), dual high pressure careers were too difficult for us once we were onto our second and third child.  Let's be honest, one high-pressure career in a house is hard enough to maintain.

I was burnt out on the corporate world, hotels and airports.  I was ready for a change.

I embraced being a stay at home mom.  

Because Briefcase is gone so much, my life was more similar to that of a single mom of three than to that of most married, stay at home, mothers.  I did the mom stuff, I did the dad stuff, I did all the household stuff, paid the bills, maintained our lives.  We entertained a lot.

I had no help, paid or otherwise.  We have no family close by.  I did everything for everyone, all the time and rarely took time for myself.  I didn't mind - I liked being busy.

I loved the beach then, as I do now.

I loved photography too, and spent a lot more time with a camera than most people probably ever do.

I loved gardening and my house and yard were maintained beautifully.  I took a lot of pride in my planters and gardens and planted pots.  Our patio and deck overflowed with hanging baskets and pots of beautiful flowers.

Sometimes I would "work" for pay too.  I took on odd jobs, here and there, depending on my time and interests.

The plan was always for me to go back to a full-time career.

I'd be working, at this point, if the car accident hadn't happened.  Our family was counting on the income to offset college expenses, etc.  It's very expensive to raise three kids.  It's very expensive to live in Orange County.  

But then, there was the accident.

Life changed, literally, in the instant it took for one man to accelerate through a stop sign.

It has been four and a half years since that day.

Eight surgeries.

Thousands of hours spent at physical therapy.

Hundreds of doctors appointments.

Millions of tears.

Entertaining is rare now and friends have disappeared.  Seriously, if you ever want to watch your friends disappear - go through multiple surgeries and watch them run.

There's been no time to think about a career.

My days have been spent recovering, putting the pieces back together - trying to hold the lives of my family together while my husband continues to travel nonstop.

Who would hire me now?

I have one working arm and it isn't my dominant arm, which makes the simplest tasks slow and difficult.  I can type, but only with a laptop on my lap.  I wouldn't be able to work on a desktop computer or at a desk.

What am I qualified to do with only my left, uncoordinated, arm?

Nothing.

Or so it feels ....

At home, not one flower has been planted since the accident.

My planters and garden and pots remain empty and disheveled.

Every time I look at them I despair.

"You can only do what you can do," I whisper to myself in consolation.

But it's not enough, of course.

The feelings of failure and frustration haunt me. 

Some days are worse than others.

Some days the waves of pain and frustration overcome me and I feel like I'm sinking so far down, I may never rise to the top again.  Other days, I notice some small token of progress - an improvement that makes me hold my head high and feel triumphant.

What is my life like now?

I love my life.  

Of course, I don't love the situation with my damaged body and the pain I live in.  I don't love the disability and all the frustrations that come with it.

But I love what I'm doing with my, very imperfect, life.

My biggest post-car accident victory has been my return to photography.  For three and a half years I couldn't lift a camera.  Now I can, albeit sparingly.  I've had to re-learn photography-related things I forgot.  I've had to make adjustments and modifications so I can hold a camera with a near useless dominant arm.  I have a long ways to go, but oh - I have come so far!

Do I love photography now more than ever?

Yes, I do.

Losing photography made me realize just how much it means to me.  For years, I stared longingly at everyone who passed me with a camera in their hands.  The day I bought my DSLR camera, three and a half years after the accident, I wasn't even sure I'd be able to hold it. 

But I was determined to.

Photography brings me so much joy.  It also brings the challenge of wanting to constantly improve and learn more.  I like being challenged.  I thrive on challenging myself.  It also provides me with a creative outlet I crave.  Photography is my oxygen and I'm not exaggerating, in the least, when I say that.

On the other hand, I have always been a writer and I didn't lose my ability to inscribe as a result of the accident.

As a child I wrote, as a teen I wrote, and as an adult I wrote.

Some of my adult writing was public relations related, and some it consisted of boring things like press releases.  However, communicating through the written word has always been a part of who I am, and I hope it always will be.  

I'm very shy in person.  Writing is liberating for me.

I enjoy the writing I do now more than any other writing I've done in my adult life.  I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to combine both my writing and photography.  

Yes, the writing I do is different now, but I enjoy it more.

Now, most of the time, I write less formally than I did in my pre-car accident life.

Now, I write to you.

What could be better than that?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Whoa! I'm 24 AGAIN!

Yay!

Happy 24th birthday to me once again!

I'm, hopefully, at a spa getting wrapped up in eucalyptus leaves and rubbed with warm oil while you're reading this.  (Or am I doing laundry?  Take your pick!)

I had all these wonderful ideas for a post today, but then I kept dismissing them as not being appropriate for my 24th birthday.

I mean, what if my parents stop in to wish me a happy birthday and I've chosen to do a post about the sex toys random strangers mail me?  And what if I even listed the names I've chosen to give each particular toy ....  

Do you think they'd understand?

Yes, people HAVE sent me sex toys and no, I'm not quite sure why.  I'm not quite sure why I name them either, except there are now so many of them - how else would I keep track of them?

Perhaps readers send me sex toys because I mention them from time to time in my posts so they think I need MORE sex toys.

(Because five dildos is never enough!)

Someone even gave me a vibrating ring.  Yeah, like a ring you wear on your finger.  It's bright orange.  I have a few questions about that particular toy, but let's not get into them right now.

If I die in surgery tomorrow someone is going to find an entire cabinet of sex toys and I don't want to be remembered for them.

I haven't even tried most of them yet!

Now, LOOK what's happened!

This has turned into a post about not writing a post about sex toys.

How did that happen?

I might as well have just written about the damn sex toys in the first place.

In addition, apparently I was politically incorrect yesterday.

(Don't act so surprised.)

There's been drama and scandal in the blogosphere recently.  

Shocking, I know!

A popular, married, male blogger has been surreptitiously sending female bloggers his penis.

* Ahem *

I mean, photos of his penis - via email/text.

Sexual harassment of any sort is not something to laugh about, and yet - way too many funny one liners keep popping into my head.  

I don't think what this blogger did (purportedly to multiple women) is at all funny.  In fact, I think the man involved is in strong need of some serious psychiatric care if the allegations are as they've been presented.

I'm qualifying my statements because I wasn't there and I, personally, haven't received this particular man's penis wrapped up in a bow (or email) in my inbox.

And yet, I still have funny (to me) one liners cursing through my brain.  I can't make them stop, but I have managed to keep myself from saying them out loud.  

So far.

In the midst of all this blogging drama, and the concentrated effort on my part to bite my tongue and not let loose with the one-liners I SO want to let loose with ...

I, unthinkingly, and with ill timing - posted a photo on twitter yesterday.  (Yes, right in the middle of all the penis drama.  My timing really was unintentional.)  

The tweet and photo:

I originally took this to be artistic, but instead it just looks phallic. #PhotographyFail 

I wasn't trying to make light of The Penis Controversy.  I think all the penis talk just colored my view of the photos I was editing at the time.

Or maybe the photo really does look like one gigantic penis?

What do you think?

(Whoa!  I just wrote a birthday post which had nothing to do with birthdays and at the same time I managed to mention sex toys and penises several times.  I.Am.Amazing!) 

© Twenty Four At Heart

Setting The (Blogging) Record Straight

I began blogging during a very (!) rough period in my car accident recovery.  I knew virtually nothing about the blogging world, but I stumbled into it anyway.  Blogging provided me with a distraction from what I was going through.  It also gave me a creative outlet.  Writing and photography have been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember.  It's a joy for me to write Twenty Four At Heart.

Surprisingly, in time, blogging also provided me with an amazing community of readers, an online family (yes, many of my Internet friends are like family to me now), and many new wonderful "real life" friends.  

Twenty Four At Heart has been a bright spot in my life.  I love it here in my little corner of the Internet.  I love the people who stop by and spend time here.  I feel so fortunate to really, truly, have the best readers in the world.

But lately?

Lately ...

I'm getting a lot of pressure regarding my blog.

No, I'm not talking about the deluge of PR people bombarding my inbox.  They're easy enough to ignore.

I'm talking about people who feel it is my responsibility to write about whatever topic is important to them.

"You have a voice, you need to use it for xxx," they tell me.

Sometimes I hear this from people who are friends.  Sometimes I hear it from people I know through the online community.  Sometimes I hear it from PR/Advertising/Corporate Types.  I've also heard it recently from Important Political Types.

Up until the past two weeks, it hasn't bothered me much.

Now, however, I feel like people are tugging on me, insistently, from all sides. 

Some people are getting outright angry with me if I don't write what they think I should write about.

"This is my second request for you to address this topic," one angry email, sent from a political/media VIP, said recently. 

Really, folks?

I think I need to, publicly, set the record straight regarding Twenty Four At Heart.

I'm not a spokeswoman.  Not here, not in this space.

I'm not a spokeswoman for people over the age of forty twenty four.

I'm not a spokeswoman for chronic pain patients.

I'm not a spokeswoman for beach lovers.

I'm not a political spokeswoman.

I'm not a spokeswoman for people who are horrified by health care in our country.  (If I had the power to fix it, don't ya think I would?)

I'm not a spokeswoman for people who are cutting unhealthy carbs out of their diets.

I'm not a spokeswoman for camera equipment or sex toys either ... even though I enjoy both of them quite a lot.

(Um, but not together ... I don't enjoy the two of them together.  Not that I care if you do, because whatever floats your boat is fine with me!)

I don't want you to pay me to "mention" the name of your product or company in one of my posts either.

----

So let me tell you what I will do in this space.

I will communicate, as honestly as possible, to my readers.  

I will share pieces of my life - both highs and lows, as I see fit.

I will share my humor - snarky and sarcastic as it always is may be.

I will share my photos, which is often the exact same as sharing my heart sliced open on a plate in front of you.

I will share my disdain for the plastic, vapid, people I'm often surrounded by - and piss them off by doing so.

I will only mention products if I'm truly excited about them in my own life, or if they're part of a story in a post.

If I "get" anything for free and choose to write about it, my readers will know exactly what was provided to me.

I will never try to sway anyone politically.  Twenty Four At Heart is not a political blog.

I will never do anything to damage my integrity with my readers.

All of the above, doesn't mean I don't care about your "cause."  I may, in fact, care a lot about your cause.  I may even be willing to help you with your cause in a different place or forum.  What the above means is, this is my space and I won't be told by anyone what I "should" be doing with it.  

You can't shame me, guilt me, or buy me to publicize your thoughts in my space.

If I have a voice, at this point in my blogging career, it's because I've always used it honestly. 

I plan to continue to do so.

So?

With all due respect,

If you want it written,

Write your own blog.

© Twenty Four At Heart 

It's Been On My Mind

** I'm so behind on email!  My apologies to everyone who is waiting to hear back from me. **

Life is interesting and, to me, very amusing.

Here's what's been going on in my brain lately:

•  What is Flap Meat?  (After seeing it at Costco)

•  I will never buy Flap Meat, whatever it is, because it makes me think of a woman's muffin top.  Flap.Meat.

•  I was obsessed with the Angry Birds game - Halloween version.  I beat it, and now I'm wondering what's next in life?  Someone suggested Doodle Jump?

•  Should I buy a new set of granny panties for Surgery #8?  I'd hate to wear the same pair twice in front of the SAME people!  If so, what color?  (The only pair I own now are black.)

•  Tiffany & Co., the fancy jewelry store, invited me to an event the day AFTER my surgery.  Maybe they'll mail me a consolation prize since I can't attend?

•  I wonder if my toenails should match my granny panties for Surgery #8?  Is that important?

•  My birthday is coming up and I want boots.  Brown or black?  I wear a lot of both colors.

•  Why is there a cannon at the top of the Santa Monica pier?  Pirates?

•  The most amusing place in Orange County is the Money Town Starbucks.  I could sit there for HOURS.

•  I don't get any work done, no matter how I try, when I go to the Money Town Starbucks.  Instead I make note of women with fish lips, people who have badly distorted themselves with plastic surgery, and men who are very impressed with their own importance.  It's very entertaining.

•  Free People sells really cute clothes, but they're far from free, people.

•  There was a couple having sex under the Santa Monica Pier while I was there.  I did NOT photograph them.  Sex under the pier is not something you'd see in Orange County.  We like to think we're klassee down here!  (Or we wait till after dark vs. 11 in the morning?)

•  I committed carbicide over the weekend.  Back to healthy eating today!

•  Why were there no seat covers in the public bathroom stalls in North Carolina?  I thought public sanitation laws required them everywhere?

•  The emails you send me are incredible/touching/funny.

•  Some of you requested - so yes, I've just added a Santa Monica album on my photo website.  There are a few photos in it already and I'll add more as I get some time to edit more photos.  (See camera/photo button on 24 sidebar)

•  If you didn't stop by this weekend, go back and look at yesterday's black and white photo from under the Santa Monica pier.  It's my current favorite photo ... and the couple having sex aren't visible in the shot.  (Does that disappoint you?)

•  While I'm thinking of it - yes, there are still Twenty Four At Heart calendars available for those of you who want them for the holidays.  (PayPal button on sidebar of 24)

•  Sorry for adding that "business" stuff into this post, but people have been inquiring.

•  I really should close this post on a lighter note.

•  While everyone else looks NICE at the Money Town Starbucks, I find myself there in too big, very old, yoga pants, an old black t-shirt and running shoes. 

•  Right before Surgery #7 the anesthesiologist asked my doctor what position he wanted me in.  My doc and I both burst out laughing.  Dirty minds think alike?

© Twenty Four At Heart 

Humbled. Touched. In Awe of You.

Yesterday, in the early afternoon, I received a call informing me Anthem Blue Cross had reversed their decision to deny my benefits for a permanent neurostimulator.

Just like that, the surgery is now approved!

(It's currently scheduled for November 10th, but the date could be changed.)

I never thought I could be so happy about facing another surgery.

For those of you who don't know what happened yesterday - let me tell you.

First, I wrote this post sharing my story of being denied medical benefits by my insurance company, Anthem Blue Cross.

And then ...

And then - you dear, sweet, amazing, Internet Friends astonished me with love and support.

I've never seen anything like it.

Never.

Several bloggers put my story on their blogs.  (I love each and every one of you!)

Powerful, wonderful, friends put my story on facebook and twitter.

My twitter friends?

Twitter went absolutely insane - in a good way.

So many people were telling my story, linking to my blog post, contacting important/influential people and/or media on my behalf.  Thousands upon thousands of people heard about my story on Twitter alone.

Some of you even offered to help pay for my surgery ...

(I would never, ever, accept such an offer - but I was SO touched by the thought.)

By early afternoon yesterday, NBC, CBS, Clear Channel and just about every other media outlet you can imagine had stopped by to read my story.

Have I mentioned - I'm still amazed at what you accomplished?

I was then contacted by Anthem Blue Cross, and an hour or so later by their parent company, Wellpoint.

Just a short while later I got a call from my doctor's office saying, "It's the weirdest thing - Blue Cross just changed their mind and approved your surgery!"

They were baffled.

I wasn't.

I love you guys - I really do.

I wish I could hug each and every single one of you.

I wish I could email a thank you to each one of you, but there were literally hundreds (thousands!) of people involved in helping me.

I hope this will suffice ...

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Going Wireless

The trial period with my spinal stimulator ended yesterday.  Layers upon layers of bandages and tape were removed, stitches were snipped, bruises were revealed, and wires were extracted. 

Yes, I'm VERY sore as a result - thank you for asking.

It had to be a relatively short trial because of the high risk of infection when wires are hanging out of a person's body.  Although the implant is not a magic bullet, the positives of the unit definitely outweigh the negatives.  I will be moving forward towards receiving a permanent implant.

I was informed, upfront, the implant would not be a cure-all, but I was disappointed anyway to realize I still had some pain even with the electrodes working.  I did, however, find I was taking way FEWER pain meds and sleeping much better at night.  Dr. Painless explained to me the implant is just one weapon in the arsenal against severe chronic pain.  

Neurostimulation won't increase the function of my arm.  It won't make me completely pain free ... it's just a tool, but it's my best hope for a more normal life.  During the trial period I had days when I saw a big improvement and other days when it didn't seem to help as much - probably because I also had some surgical pain in the mix.  Apparently, that is a normal experience and my trial came out with a positive result.

I have to heal for two to three weeks from last week's surgery before they can proceed with the second surgery for the permanent implant.  Receiving a permanent stimulator (giggle- yes, I AM a 12 year old boy!) is a much bigger deal than what I just went through.

I'm dreading the whole ordeal.  

I'm also choosing to block the impending surgery and two month recovery out of my mind until I absolutely have to face it head on.

By the way, during the next surgery I will be getting 24 electrodes put into my arm and shoulder.  

TWENTY FOUR!

My favorite number!

How ironic is that?

Not fifteen, not twenty five or thirty - but TWENTY FOUR.

And no, I had nothing to do with the decision to implant 24 electrodes into my body.  That decision was made by my doctor.

Although it may not seem to be the case, I've always had trouble writing about The Accident and The Recovery.  I don't want to bore you for one thing.  Also, it never ends ... there is no ending to the story.  I didn't know that would be the case a year or two ago, but I've (sort of) accepted the reality of it now.

And yet, I do write about the accident and its horrible aftermath, even when it makes me feel uneasy.

For those of you who merely think I like to ramble on and on about it, I'd like to explain why I continue to write about this topic.

Sure, it's therapeutic for me to vent, but mainly ...

It's because of The Letters.

I get emails every single week.

Every.Single.Week.

The emails come from people all over the world.  People with disabilities.  People with chronic pain.  People who have suffered so much more than I ever have, and some people who feel embarrassed because they HAVEN'T suffered as much as I have.  Some people suffer from depression or mental illness, some people have physical disabilities, some people are dying from terrible, merciless, diseases ....

They write to me and they share their stories with me.  

Every single letter touches me deeply.

I feel those letters.  I do.  

I'm not an expert in chronic pain.

I'm not an expert in being disabled or coping with a disability.

I do, however, know what it feels like to be isolated by a situation you don't have control over.  I've learned to empathize in an entirely different way now.  

I also know what it means to struggle, to fight, to give up, and to try again.

And again ... and again.

The people who write to me?

They understand IT too.

They reach out to me, because they know I understand IT.

I hear, time and time again, about how my writing, the mere act of writing publicly, has helped other people in some small way. 

And so ...

I continue to write about whatever I'm going through.

To those of you who think, "Oh God, here she goes again," I apologize.

This blog is a mix of many things.  It's me.  It's Orange County.  It's humor.  It's travel.  It's photography.  It's sadness.  It's laughter.  It's my battles and triumphs.  And yes, it's also pain and the ongoing struggle to overcome obstacles.  

It's me.

I'm not everybody's cup of tea - I realize that.  

And now I've explained why this part of my life is one of the topics I continue to write about.  

It's because of The Letters.

The Accident and The Recovery are not my whole life, and they aren't my whole blog.   

To those of you who write and tell me, "If you'd stop thinking about it and just move on with your life, you'd get better," I say -

I hope you, or someone you love, never walks in my shoes.

It's not an easy path to walk.

I'm not everybody's cup of tea ...

But - I'm genuine.

Twenty Four At Heart is me.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Oops

My apologies.

Those of you who subscribe to 24 received a, very rough, rough draft on today's post in your Readers before it was intended to go out.  I'd like to blame it on "technical problems," but in fact the problem (technically) was my finger hitting the "publish" button vs. the "draft" button.  Things like this happen when I overdo attempts at multi-tasking.

I'm sorry.

The completed post, as it was meant to be read, is right below this one.  (It's a rare family portrait!)

Thanks for your patience with my human errors - !

I'm very human.  I error a lot.

P.S.  Many of you have written to inquire regarding my health.  I'm doing GREAT!  I've been rebounding from last week's surgery really quickly.  The most frustrating part is the fact that I'm not allowed to do much and I'm going stir crazy.  Um, and also the part about falling asleep every afternoon.  My energy level is lagging.

P.P.S.  I might be getting all the wires removed today.  Yay!

P.P.P.S.  It's killing me not to be able to exercise or use my camera right now.  Hate it!

P.P.P.P.S.  Some of you asked and, no, my husband wasn't mad about the Romeo post.  He thought it was funny.  He "gets" my humor and knows a hawt Expert Stimulator in my life is great blog material I couldn't possibly resist.

P.P.P.P.P.S.  He did offer to attend my next doctor appointment with me, but clearly only because he's concerned about my well being.  (And no, he has never once offered to attend an appointment with me before.)

P.P.P.P.P.P.S.  I told him it really was not at all necessary for him to accompany me.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S.  Hahahahahahahahahaha!!  : )

© Twenty Four At Heart

Family Portrait

I've mentioned before my family doesn't want me sharing photos of them on the Internet.  Never mind, they are all on Facebook sharing way more info than I would ever divulge about them here on 24.  I watch other bloggers share photo after photo of their family and, I admit, I sometimes want to do the same.

Nonetheless, I respect their wishes and I always ask permission before sharing any photos or information they might object to.  

When I first began blogging, I had a few glitches.  

I really didn't think anyone was reading anything I wrote.  I wrote only under the pen name of 24 so I didn't think anyone would ever really know who I was, etc., etc.  But ... somewhere along the way people began actually reading my words.  Also, there's the fact that this "column" is now linked to by our local paper (with a daily readership of 600 - 900,000.)  My anonymity went out the window a long time ago.

I even get the occasional troll or just plain off-his-rocker freak stopping by.

So?

I try to be careful.  I don't put many photos up of family members, I don't mention what schools my kids are at, blah, blah, blah.  

When four out of five of us were together in North Carolina a week ago, someone snapped an awesome family photo.  My daughter, TR, wasn't with us but it was easy enough to Photoshop her into the picture and pretend she had been with us the entire time.  I've blocked out the college names on our sweatshirts, but I couldn't resist sharing:

Aren't they charming?

They make me so proud!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Dear OC Women

Dear Stereotypical Orange County Women:

I'm sorry I'm a disappointment to you.

I'm sorry my boobs are made of breast tissue and not silicone or saline bags.

I'm sorry my lips aren't filled with plastic fillers and that I was born blonde.

I'm sorry I haven't had a tummy tuck when I so clearly need one.

I'm sorry I'm writing and that people all over the world are kind enough to take the time to read my drivel.

I know you don't want me "representing" you anymore than I want you representing me.

I'm sorry I don't fit the mold you would like to impose on me.

You know - the role of being extremely materialistic, extremely concerned about my appearance, and extremely concerned about money.  

In other words ... shallow.

You resent my blog, my photography, and the fact that others have embraced who I am and you've told me so.

I have offended you be using swear words both on my blog and on twitter, and periodically by adding colors like pink and purple to my hair.  I've written about offensive topics such as bikini waxes and sex, publicly, which drives you to distraction.

More recently, I have offended you by getting a tattoo.

You wanted to let me know personally that you were "unfollowing" me because of it.

And?

I'm sorry I've written I'm sorry - because I'm really not.

I don't care.

I think, perhaps, that is the thing that bothers you the most.

I don't care.

I was born independent by nature and it's a quality my parents encouraged and nurtured.

I do what I want, when I want, when I can.

As long as I'm not hurting anyone else by being who I am (and I'm not), I don't understand why it's such an issue for you.

But?

It is.

You're not shy about letting me know how much you disapprove of me.

I don't mind you aren't like me.

I don't expect anyone to be like me.

I accept you, with all your faults, for who you are.

(And by the way, you DO have faults - quite a few of them.)

I may not always like you, but I accept you.

You, however, want to change me, reform me, mold me into what you think I should be.

I'm far from perfect and I'm very aware of that.

I accepted my faults, which I continue to work on, several years ago.

If you took the time to get to know me this is what you would learn -

I'm forever loyal to the people I care about.

If I love you as a friend, as a family member, or as more - I will love you for life.

If you are genuine, I will accept you no matter how different we might be.

I'm very shy in groups but, obviously, not at all in my writing.

I'm an animal lover and my heart goes all soft and mushy around them.

I have a knack for doing "stupid" things, and yet I'm actually very intelligent.

Or so the IQ tests say ....

If my brain isn't stimulated, or I lose my creative outlets, I go stir crazy.

If you make me laugh, I will most likely love you on the spot.

I love to laugh and I have a sarcastic and abundant sense of humor.

I value people with the strength to be who they are.

I can't stand hypocritical people.  At all.

Money and material things mean very little to me.

I'm passionate about my writing and photography.

I will forgive, and forgive, and forgive again - and I've been hurt many times because of it.  It's a characteristic about myself I can't change, but sometimes I wish I could.

The car accident I was in, and what I've been through as a result, has forever changed me.

I have learned, truly learned, life is short and can change, irreversibly, in a second.

I know the above statement is fact.  I've lived it in a way few people ever have, and I will live the rest of my life with my priorities in order because of it.

Pleasing you?

Is not a priority.

© Twenty Four At Heart

I've Been Inked!

*  I'm still taking submissions in the name contest going on here.  There are some great potential names in the running.  A $100 Amazon gift card is up for grabs!  *

Yesterday I had an appointment to get my first-ever tattoo.

Yes, I did - at the ripe old age of 24!

I was excited, and nervous, but mainly excited.  Of course, I brought my point and shoot camera with me.

I recently met someone who had fantastic tattoos (amazing artwork).  I asked lots of questions and was given a referral to Vance Freeman.  

I've been thinking about a tattoo for over a year now.  I knew I needed to wait until I was out of the pool for awhile because swimming with a new tattoo is a not advised.  Due to all the stuff going on with my arm, I'm not going to be allowed to swim for a couple months.  Now seemed like the perfect time.

Vance works at True at Heart Tattoo in Lake Forest.  Here's a photo of Vance sketching out my soon-to-be tattoo:

I like Vance.  I like him a lot.  If you're in Orange County and you want a tattoo, I highly recommend Vance.  (You can find him, and see examples of his work, on Facebook under his full name Vance Freeman.)

Here's a photo of the needles and ink and ... stuff:

I was worried about the pain.  I've had quite enough pain in my life.  It didn't hurt much.  I don't know if it's because I'm used to megadoses of pain, or what.  I was happy to find it easily tolerable.  (It also helped that my friend Nike hung out with me a good deal of the time and distracted me!)

My tattoo is on the inside of my left leg just above my ankle.

I chose the name of this blog for a lot of reasons that are very personal to me.  For those same reasons, I chose the design of my tattoo.  (What I'm trying to say is my tattoo design is not based on my blog name, but my blog name and my tattoo were both chosen for the same reason.)

© Twenty Four At Heart

Give Me a Name - Contest!

I've been struggling with something lately.

I don't know why it took me so long to remember I've got the greatest resource in the world at my fingertips - YOU!

You are much more clever than I.

You are much more witty than I.

You are wonderful!

I'm currently in the process of launching a new website.  Don't worry - nothing is going to change here on Twenty Four At Heart.  This site is my heart and soul.

And yet ...

I'm working on designing a separate place.  A place where people with pain, disabilities, or any type of challenge or obstacle can come to share their love of photography.  It will be a place where people can tell their stories - whether their stories be of struggles or triumphs.  

It will also be a place where they can submit photos to share.  People who have loved and lost photography (as I did for three years) will be welcome - as well as those who have never taken a photo but would like to try.

The new site will also be a place to share information.  Readers will be able to share ideas on the types of equipment which have helped with their particular challenge, as well as discuss ideas about photography itself.

I want to build a community, a resource, a place for people to come and know they aren't alone.

Photography is a great hobby.  Photography is a creative outlet.  Photography can be done from wheelchairs.  Photography can even be done by people who have lost the use of their dominant arm as I have.

Photography might be just the thing to bring a smile to someone who hasn't been able to smile for a long, long, time.

As I pull the site together, I will be reaching out into the Internet world to spread the word about what I'm trying to do.  I've already had offers of help from a few photographers.  I'm hoping many more people will eventually jump on the band wagon.

I want to reach as many people as possible.  I felt so alone as I struggled through the last several years.  I really hope I can provide something positive for other people now that I "have a voice."  

I need a name for the new website.  I have a few ideas, but I haven't come up with anything great.  

If you submit a name and I end up choosing it, you'll win a $100 Amazon gift card.  If two of you pick the identical name and I end up selecting it, the gift card will go to whoever submitted the name first.

I will leave comments open on this post until a name is chosen.

Thank you for your help.

(And YES, you may enter as many name ideas as you'd like!)

Good luck!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Being Blonde

I hate to perpetuate blonde stereotypes, especially when I pride myself on being an intelligent woman.  However, I seem to have had another "blonde moment."

(Note:  Intelligence and a knack for doing stupid things are two entirely separate characteristics.)  

I recently found myself receiving a FREE brand new vacuum, valued at about $500, and it's all because I wanted a gumball.

Seriously!

And no ... this is NOT a product review blog post - it's a look-at-how-stupid-I-can-be post.  

Let me start at the beginning .....

In the months prior to the BlogHer conference each year, party after party is announced.  Many of the parties are open to everyone on a first-come, first-serve basis.  (There are only so many people any single venue can accommodate.) 

Long story short, this year I attended a party put on by The Mouthy Housewives (which seems only fitting when you think about it).  The party was held in a club a few blocks from the hotel in New York.  

It was a very nice party.

The thing is, as soon as I entered the party I noticed the cutest, most adorable, little plastic vacuum cleaners used as centerpieces on all the tables.  Each plastic "toy" vacuum cleaner was a gumball dispenser.  They were filled with colorful gumballs and if you pushed on the handle of the toy vacuum, gumballs would come out the bottom of it.

So cute!

So clever!

I wanted to snatch one right off the table and run out of the club with it just so I could show everyone how cute it was.

Just as I was appraising whether or not I could steal one (kidding - sorta!), one of my friends came up to chat with me.  

"Look at the vacuums!" I said enthusiastically.

Have I mentioned it was very LOUD in the club?

Loud music, lots of people talking .... party noise.

"You can get one!" she answered.

"I can get one?" I asked excitedly.  Visions of walking back to the hotel with a vacuum gumball dispenser under my arm danced through my head.

"Yes - for FREE!" she exclaimed.

Wow ... a free, adorable, gumball dispenser!  SWAG baby!

I was thrilled.

"Just go fill out a card with that woman in the back corner," she yelled across the party noise.

Well, you don't have to tell me twice.

What?  You think I don't know a good opportunity when I see one?

I walked back to a smiling woman in the corner of a room.  

"Hi!" I said.

"I heard I get a FREE vacuum!"

She looked a little taken aback.

"Well ... yes."

"Can I take one of these?" I asked, pointing to the three gumball dispensers sitting on the table in front of me.

"You want one of the gumball dispensers?" she asked hesitatingly.

"Yes!" I said excited for the cute toy.

"They're all over the room, on all the tables.  You can take one from anywhere," she said confused.

Did I mention there was a lot of party noise?

I was wondering why my friend told me to go get a vacuum from this woman who was telling me I could have taken one from any table in the room.

"Can you fill out one of these cards?" she asked.

Ahhh ... I see.  She DID want something from me.

And so, I filled out a card asking for my blog name, home address and a little other information.  

You have to understand, every vendor you run into at BlogHer wants a business card and/or your contact information so they can contact you later.  Filling out a card in order to get swag is not at all unusual.

As I was filling out the card she asked, "Would you like to see how the vacuum works?"

It was then, as an aside, I noticed she had a full size, real,  LG vacuum cleaner with her.

To humor her I laughed and answered, "Well, sure you can show me but only if it's good at picking up dog hair."

Once again, she looked a little taken aback by my words but she quickly smiled and replied, "It's GREAT with dog hair."

As I filled out my information card, she demonstrated the vacuum cleaner.  As soon as I was done with the card, I smiled and said, "Now can I have one?"

She paused, baffled, and looked at me.

I pointed to the gumball dispensers in front of her.

"I'm so excited about these, am I allowed to take one now?"

"Um, sure - of course!" she answered.

I grabbed one and ran before she could change her mind.

I was SO excited!

Later that night I walked back to the hotel with my friend.  She asked if I had filled out a card for a free vacuum and I gleefully showed her my gumball dispenser.

"Yes, I did!" I smiled.

The next morning I ran into two of the party organizers at Starbucks.  I chatted gleefully about the cute gumball dispenser I had walked away with the night before.

"You do know you're getting a new LG vacuum sent to your house, don't you?" they asked.

My jaw dropped.

"I get a REAL vacuum?" I asked.  Visions of my conversations the night before ran through my head.  I began blushing when I realized how odd our conversation must have seemed to the vacuum lady.

"Yes!  In 4-6 weeks a new, LG vacuum will be delivered to your house."

And guess what?

It was!

© Twenty Four At Heart

I'm On A Roll And It Isn't Drug Induced

* My 2011 calendar giveaway contest is open until 8 p.m. tonight Pacific time.  You can click here to enter. *

Bloggers sometimes get writer's block.

I've been having the opposite problem lately.  So much has been going on, I have so many stories to share - but not enough time to write them up.

And then, just watch ... tomorrow I'll have writer's block and forget everything inside my head.

In the meantime, I feel an overwhelming urge to share the following - very random - tidbits with you:

•  Orange County is BREATHTAKINGLY beautiful right now.  Come visit!

•  Steroids are my miracle drug!  Can you say R-E-L-I-E-F?

•  As of yesterday, the doc has taken me OFF my miracle drug - steroids are also dangerous.

•  My pain level is already ramping back up.

•  Fuck pain.

•  Surprisingly (!!), a lot of you like are pirates.

•  I'm a pervert magnet.  Yes, I am.

•  Just ask your local perv and he will tell you how great he thinks I am.

•  Trust me, he knows me - even though I probably hopefully don't know him.

•  I wasn't calling those of you who like are pirates - perverts.  

•  Perverts and pirates are two separate things.  

•  Most of the time.  

•  I think.

•  Dr. Painless and I had a very unusual conversation yesterday about implanting stimulating electrodes in people's bodies.

•  I'm in the waiting-for-insurance-approval stage for my personal, built-in, stimulators.

•  Yes, the vibrating electrodes conversation with Dr. Painless did take a downhill turn.

•  Would you expect anything different from the likes of me?

•  Sometimes, in my writing, I say I'm "disabled."

•  I always use quotes around the word, because there's so much wrong with using the word disabled to describe a human being.

•  Also, I don't REALLY think the word applies to me.

•  And yet, at the same time, I know it does.

•  When a doctor calls me disabled - in a very matter of fact, this-is-reality, manner - I flinch.

•  The words hurt and I think they always will.

•  I've recently signed a Blogger Agreement with Cheerios.

•  They, for some unknown reason, find me "inspirational."

•  On a separate note, there are a lot of people with disabilities and chronic pain who need a voice.

•  I don't pretend to be a spokesperson for anyone but myself.

•  I'm not a great role model either.

•  I am, however, happy to use my voice to help others if I can.

•  I hope I can.

© Twenty Four At Heart

2011 Calendars and Giveaway!!

I've completed the 2011 Twenty Four At Heart Calendar.

Yay me!

Making a calendar is easy, setting it up so people all over the world can buy it online - at an affordable price - is not.

I'm very proud of this year's calendar.  Every photo in it has appeared on Twenty Four At Heart at some point during the year.  Many of the photos included are the top sellers from my photo website.

To get you psyched up, I will be giving away a calendar to one reader this week.  Just enter a comment on today's post.  I will use the Random Integer Generator to pick the winner.  Entries will be open until Wednesday evening at 8 p.m., Pacific time.  The winner will be announced on Thursday.

I've made a collage of the photos you'll find inside this year's calendar.  The photo you see in the center of the collage is on the outside cover, the other 12 photos appear on the individual, monthly, pages.

 

I only have a limited number of calendars available and they will be sold on a first come - first serve basis.  They make a beautiful, affordable, gift also.  If you don't win the calendar in my giveaway, I hope you'll consider purchasing one for yourself or someone you love.  

(Don't you want to start knocking people off your holiday gift list?)

The calendars are available for purchase for $20 (plus a $3 shipping fee).

I've added a PayPal button on my sidebar, right above the "About Me" button, to make the whole process as simple as possible.

And yes, you may order calendars if you live outside of the United States.

Good luck in the contest!

Ready, set ....... go!!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Thursday's Chronicle

I went to one of Orange County's finest day spas for a massage yesterday.

It sounds so fancy-schmancy.  Unfortunately, I visit the spa for therapeutic, not pampering, purposes.  (Some of you may recall, the last time I visited the spa a man named Sick worked on me.)

I'm always in bad shape pain-wise for a few days after a therapeutic massage.  I won't bore you with the my-body-is-more-of-a-train-wreck-than-usual details, but basically it boils down to ....

I'm jacked up on major doses of pain meds and trying to write a post right now.

Forgive me in advance for typos/grammatical errors/general rambling?

Today, I thought I'd cover some "news" I've been meaning to get around to.  I even titled today's post Thursday's Chronicle because it makes it sound so newsy and official, don't ya think?

(It is Thursday, isn't it?)

Wouldn't it be funny if I titled the post Thursday's Chronicle and it was really Tuesday?

* snort *

Since I can't put two thoughts together at the moment, I'm going to try to update you using bullet points.  

Soooooo clever of me!

•  I had an awkward encounter with a woman's nipple outside of the steam room yesterday.

•  My first bullet point probably shouldn't be listed in something official titled Thursday's Chronicle.

•  But - really, I did!

•  Flirty Diva Tees sent me this cute t-shirt after reading my four year anniversary post about my car accident and ongoing struggle recovery.

 

•  Isn't that nice of them?

•  I've been nominated for three (!) local/Orange County blogging awards.  (Favorite Local Orange County Blog, Favorite Orange County Personal Blog, and Favorite Orange County Humor Blog.)  I'm VERY honored to have been nominated at all, let alone in three categories.

•  I'm not going to ask for you to go vote for me. 

•  There are a lot of bloggers in Orange County who really, really, want the validation of being recognized in any way/shape/form for their blogging efforts.  It isn't that I don't like validation and/or getting an occasional pat on the back too (I do!) ... but it's more important to many of them than it is to me.  I've decided to support all the wonderful Orange County bloggers from the sidelines this year.  I wish each and every one of them the best of luck in this local contest.

•  Whew!  It was really difficult to write all of that blogging-award stuff while on pain meds.  I hope I made sense?

•  There were a couple very touching comments on yesterday's post (including one from my daughter).  If you have time to go back and read them, you won't be sorry.

•  I'm currently reading an excellent book called The Pain Chronicles.  I recommend it to any/all of you who suffer from chronic pain.  I also recommend it to those of you who love someone battling chronic pain.

•  I finally caved in and upgraded to Photoshop CS5.  (These are the types of things I do - meaning, online shopping and playing with photos - when sidelined for a few years days.)

•  I'm not very good at getting back to everyone who emails me/comments when I'm going through a bad pain flare up.  I apologize.  I do read every single comment/email you send.  

•  I appreciate (!!) your emails and comments more than you know.  There are many days when your kind words get me through the day.

•  Now, about that awkward encounter with a nipple ....

© Twenty Four At Heart

Where's 24?

This game is sort of like Where's Waldo?, but instead we're playing Where's 24?

Assuming I have a decent Internet connection at my hotel, I'll be updating from the east coast for the next several days.

© Twenty Four At Heart 

A Medley

** The giveaway on the beautiful Stella and Dot bracelet is still open.  And YES, I will ship it to international locations.  The more times you enter, the better your chances are to win.  You can enter to win by clicking here. **

I've been running from one thing to the next pretty much nonstop the entire month of August.  I don't think things are going to slow down for a few more weeks.  In between all my running around, I've been trying to edit the bazillion photos (not brazilian photos!) I've been taking along the way.

I thought I'd share just a few more today from NYC.  

These will be the last from New York - I promise.  

Then I'll get back to business as normal.  You know, normal for me:  Orange County, beach, nipples, stranger danger (!), phantom panties, more beach (because who can ever get enough?), embarrassing personal incidents which are so embarrassing I even astonish myself, etc., etc.

That is, I think I will get back to normal.

I mean, unless I find a real gem of a NY photo hidden away that I forgot about.

Or unless, perhaps, I take off for the east coast again really soon.

(Because I hate traveling cross country so why not do it twice in one month?  Especially the one month out of the year that is guaranteed to be hot/humid/miserable on the east coast?)

Anyway .... more about THAT later.

 

Marmaduke (from the movie) was in the expo hall at BlogHer and I was thrilled to have my photo taken with him.  I love animals and he was SO well behaved.  I just wanted to scrunch up his ears and play tickle-your-tummy with him, but his trainer said (a bit sternly), "Please keep your hand just on his back."  

So I, mostly, did.  

(Except for sneaking in a little ear rub, because who could resist?  And Marmaduke enjoyed it - I could tell!)

I don't think his REAL name is Marmaduke.  That's just the part he plays in the movie.  I forgot to ask him what his real name is.  

As you can see by all the other photos, a lot of what was important to me at BlogHer was seeing people I know and meeting new people.

And pizza.  

Pizza was also very important.

 

This is where I'm supposed to name every single person in the above photos and link to them.  And, um ... yeah - did I mention I'm on pain meds?  You can probably tell by the general rambling tone of this entire post.  (Blame it on my new straitjacket!  Boo!  Hiss!)

If I tried to link to all those wonderful people right now, I can guarantee you none of the links would go to the right person and people would get mad at me and I'd make a Blogging.Disaster out of it.  

I might even get fired as a blogger.  

It could happen.

In fact, I'm actually really surprised it hasn't happened yet.

Never try to put more than one or two links in a post while under the influence of pain meds.  It's a famous Twenty Four At Heart rule of blogging. 

Suffice it to say, all those people pictured above?  

ARE REALLY, REALLY, NICE!

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Statement Bracelet - A Giveaway!

Men - don't run away!  

Today is for you too.  I'm sure you have a female in your life.  If not a wife, lover, sister, or mother ... than surely a friend?  Today's giveaway item makes for a perfect gift!

Big, fun, chunky, jewelry is "in" for the fall season.

If you wear one big, chunky, piece of jewelry it's called a "statement" piece and you don't need a whole lot else to go with it.  (Maybe clothes?)

One of my local, Orange County, readers sells Stella and Dot jewelry.  She recently contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in choosing a piece of jewelry from her collection to give away here on Twenty Four At Heart.  (And no, I'm not being compensated in any way for this post.)

"I can pick out any piece I want to give away?" I asked.

She replied, "Any piece you want!"

We set up a meeting at the Money Town Starbucks.  She brought boxes and boxes of jewelry to show me.  I oohed and I ahhed as I looked at all the pretty, sparkly items.

I kept coming back to ONE bracelet, over and over again.  (Surprisingly, it wasn't the most expensive piece of jewelry I was looking at.)

"I want this one, but I want it for ME," I told her.

She laughed.

(And no, I haven't yet ordered it for myself but oh, how I want to.) 

** Hint, hint Briefcase! **

 

It's just so fun to wear this bracelet. 

 

It's full of baubles and sparkles and joy.

My daughter (21 years old) tried it on so I could photograph it.  She instantly fell in love with it.  She was on her way out with some friends and asked if she could wear it for the evening.

"No," I answered.  "It's not mine, you can't borrow it."

The bracelet is perfect for fall. 

It's perfect for the holidays. 

If you don't wear jewelry yourself, it makes a perfect gift.

The Audrey Cluster Bracelet normally sells for $69 plus tax and shipping charges.  I have ONE to give away this week for free.

This is how the Statement Bracelet Giveaway will work:

1.  Every comment left on this post counts as one entry.

2.  You may enter as many times as you'd like.

3.  I will accept entries until Thursday night (August 19th) at 9 p.m. Pacific time. 

4.  The winner will be selected by using the Random Integer Generator software program.

5.  The winner will be announced on Friday, August 20th.

I'm sure it goes without saying, if you don't win this bracelet in my giveaway, you are able to purchase it (or any other Stella and Dot piece) by clicking here.

**  Additional note:  Yes, I will ship this to you for free including internationally.  If you order Stella and Dot products on your own, additional shipping charges will apply if you live outside of the United States.  **

Good luck!!

© Twenty Four At Heart

New York, New York!

In addition to the blogging conference last week, I also had the opportunity to enjoy New York City a little too.  I've been to NYC before, but this time was a little different.

It was August ....

The weather was, at times, unbearable with its heat and humidity.

I love New York, though ... regardless in spite of the weather.

One of my friends captured my photo, in my most natural state, and it accurately reflects how I look a great deal of the time.

So what was I clicking the shutter at while in New York?

The New York City skyline as seen from the top of the Rockefeller Center.

Oh, and I was also capturing people - individually, and in groups.

There were a lot of people in Times Square, and everywhere else too.  Honestly, I love people watching more than just about anything else.

I spent a morning at MOMA where I admired art by Picasso and Matisse.

And sculptures of naked women ...

Why are the women always naked?

I went to the biggest (and in my opinion, the best) photography store in the world.

I bought a new diffuser for my flash and the most fantastic camera strap ever invented.  (More about the camera strap later.)  The new strap will make photography much (!) more manageable for me with my bum arm.

I love B & H Photo.

There were also big, loud, noisy, joyful parades.

This particular parade was in celebration of Dominican Republic Day.

I meandered through Central Park a few times.

I wish I'd had more time for *just* photography.  Instead, I was snapping photos on the run everywhere I went.

I even took photos of buildings.

I love this one especially.

Can you see the clouds reflected on the buildings?

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Conference: BlogHer '10

I've been asked a few questions about the BlogHer conference by some of my non-blogging readers.  I thought I'd try to answer those questions and give you a recap of the conference all wrapped together in one post. 

Sounds easy, doesn't it?

(Except ... I'm on new pain meds as I write this, the room is all swirly and whirly, so ... um, maybe not so easy.)

There are somewhere around 55 million blogs in existence.  About 2,400 bloggers met in NYC for the BlogHer 2010 conference.  

Wow, don't I sound so official, and professional, sharing that with you?

People attend BlogHer for different reasons.  Some people are at the conference to get as much free stuff (swag) from the sponsors as possible.  

Did you know, SWAG stands for Stuff We All Get?

And yes, I was given an awful lot of free stuff at the conference.  

[The above photo is just a small portion of the swag I was given while at BlogHer.]

Some people participate in BlogHer because they want to gain a sense of self-importance (As an example, Mr. Ego Blogger might say: "I was invited to TEN parties in ONE night, I must be a Very Important Blogger!).  

Other people don't care about the conference at all and only attend as an excuse for a party, getaway, weekend.  

Still others, are determined to make a lot of money from their blog and see the BlogHer conference as a step towards monetization.

My point is, there is no right or wrong reason for attending BlogHer.

The conference exists, and each person attending it can take from it what they want.  

For me, the joy comes from spending time with other bloggers.  BlogHer is an opportunity to reunite with blogger-friends I wouldn't otherwise have much opportunity to see. 

[VodkaMom]

[Momo Fali]

[Margaret and Neil]

It's also a chance to meet friends I've "known" online, but not yet met in person. 

[The Bloggess]

In addition, each year I make brand new friends - people I knew nothing about when I set off for the conference. 

[John and Di]

[Jason]

[Pillsbury Doughboy]

These new friends are like unexpected nuggets of gold (or dough?), discovered in the crowd.

This was my second year attending BlogHer, and because of that I was a little more relaxed about the experience.  Doing every.single.thing, and attending every.single.party, was not important to me.  I did a LOT, but I paced myself so it was enjoyable.  I'm an introvert and scheduling down time, and small-group time, was critical for me.  

Really, what I enjoy most at BlogHer is one-on-one, or small group, time vs. the large parties.  For me, that's when the personal connections happen and the personal connections are what I love about the conference.

Was there drama at BlogHer?

Probably - after all, there were 2,400 people there.  The thing is, I wasn't aware of it and therefore it didn't exist as part of my BlogHer experience.

Were there some bitchy bloggers there?

Well, yes there were.  Or should I say, I encountered a few bloggers who were bitchy to me?  Based on my experience with these very same people online, I expected them to be quite nice.  They weren't.  I didn't let it faze me.  If you put 2,400 people together at a conference, you're not going to like all of them and all of them are not going to like you.  I didn't give it more than a seconds thought and I moved on to other people.

And guess what?

There were a few bloggers I *expected* to be aloof and they were actually warm, wonderful, people.

One of my favorite sessions at the conference was on Humor Writing.  Jessica Bern was one of the speakers.  I enjoyed it immensely.  However, it was even better to spend an hour sitting on the floor, in my party dress, outside of the Sparklecorn party chatting away to Jessica and Stacey (Any Mommy) one-on-one.

One of my favorite "small-group" opportunities was lunch at a pizzeria on Saturday.

Or taken from the other end of the table:

 

In the end, the BlogHer conference is whatever you choose to make of it.  I took it minute by minute, stayed flexible with my plans, and had a fantastic time.

Because ...

Isn't it true ...  

Ultimately, each of us is responsible for whether or not we have a good time no matter what we're doing?

 

By the way, next year's conference will be held in San Diego.  I'm so excited!

© Twenty Four At Heart

California - Here I Come!

I'm headed back across the country today.  I won't arrive back to The OC until fairly late tonight.

I hate traveling.

I hate traveling all the way across the country even more.  It makes for a very long-ass day and a lot of exhaustion.  Making today's trip even worse, I seem to have come down with my son's stomach/fever bug last night ... just in time for the trip home.  Is there anything worse than being sick and having to stand in lines at airports, or sit squished like a sardine on a plane?

Bleh!

BUT ...

I've had a great trip to New York.

Great!

I have forty bazillion photos to go through when I get home.  I have so many stories, events, sights to share with you.  It will probably be Wednesday before you see what I consider a "normal" post from me.  In the meantime, I'll be filling in with some New York photos with a little drivel on the side. 

I hope you'll be patient.

Have I mentioned my feet hurt even when I'm not on them?  I haven't stopped walking in days.

Also, can you believe I've had to act like a girl sometimes while I was here?  I couldn't wear my usual jeans, tee-shirts and flip flops every moment of the day.  (I did sneak them in a lot though!)

At one point, I had to return to my room for a boobage adjustment.  My daughter snapped this rare photo of me in a dress.  I just HAD to share, because I never, ever, wear dresses. 

See?!

Proof I really AM a woman!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Top of the Rock

On Thursday my daughter and I went to the top of the Rockefeller Center.  I don't usually post pictures of my kids but I asked, and she gave me permission to share this photo.

It was (so) hot and humid that day ... we look a bit wilted.  It was a lot of fun anyway.  The views were incredible. 

I went a little nuts with the photography while I was up there.  (And yes, I AM living with my arm taped up and covered with pain med patches ....  Why do you ask?)

I can't wait to share more about this trip, but I barely have time to breathe - I'm nonstop busy.  I'm having lots of fun and meeting some amazing, interesting, people.

Smooches to all of you!

© Twenty Four At Heart

I've Arrived in NYC

I got into NYC around 8 p.m. last night.

I woke up at 4 a.m. yesterday morning to begin the travel process.

I'm tired.

I had a layover in Dallas where I heard a lot of cool Texas accents and saw people in cowboy boots and cowboy hats.  I don't see a lot of that in The OC.

I love New York City.  I haven't been here in four years and there's no other place in the world like it.  It's hot, humid, dirty, bustling and vibrant.

The process of getting here was long, but also painful.  I had one large (!) bag on rollers which I checked.  I put some camera gear and my laptop in a backpack to carry on, thinking it would be easier on my arm than trying to carry a tote.  The backpack was very heavy because I have a big ass camera plus my laptop was in there. 

Well, the thing about backpacks is they pull BACK on your shoulders.  Pulling BACK on my bum shoulder HURTS.

A.lot.

Some very nice men helped me get the backpack in and out of the carry-on bins, but I still had to walk around 3 airports with it.

My pain was through the roof by the time I arrived.

The good news?

I saw Dr. Painless the day before I left to come to NYC.  He gave me some pain patches that go directly on my arm/shoulder and work for twelve hours.

They're like a miracle drug ... instant relief!

Where have they been the last four years?

I'm so thankful Dr. Painless is in my life.  Honestly, I don't know how I'd be able to handle this trip without his help.

Here's the view from the window in my hotel room:

 

I'll have more for you soon, but I have to warn you the Internet at the hotel is painfully slow.  (Probably because there are nearly 2,500 Internet writers here creating an unbelievable demand for it!) 

If you don't see a post up for awhile you'll know I've given up in frustration!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Getting Ready

I can't even fake it - I'm busy, busy, busy getting my act together to go out of town.  

I ended up caving in and using the BlogHer conference as an excuse to shop just like a zillion other women do every year.  I wasn't planning to, but I've lost some weight over the last few months and as I pulled stuff out of my closet, nothing fit.

I picked up some skinny jeans (even though I'm NOT skinny), a few cute tops, a pair of flats, and a few much needed dresses for all the parties and events I'll be going to.

I haven't even departed for the conference yet, and this year is already a much different experience than last year.  The PR/marketing folks are out in droves with all sorts of invitations and offers.  It's flattering and overwhelming at the same time.

Ming Wang was even kind enough to gift me with an outfit for BlogHer.  I haven't had a chance to take a photo in it yet, but here's a pic with their model wearing MY outfit.

 

They were kind enough to send me both the jacket and pants.  I will be supplying my own top - and I have yet to pick which one I'll wear.

I guess I'll have to pick a color that will look good with my purple hair.

Any suggestions?

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Insecure Woman's Guide to BlogHer

**  To my non-blogger readers, todays "regular" post is right below this one.  Scroll down and enjoy!  **

So you've decided to attend the BlogHer10 Conference in NYC.

Congratulations!

Going to a conference with 2,400+ other women/people can cause insecurities in anyone, but especially for us writer/blogger types.  (We do like to hide behind our laptops, don't we?)

I thought I'd provide you with some helpful tips to assist you in overcoming your insecurity.

What the Insecure Woman Does in Preparation For BlogHer10: 

•  Go on a crash diet - immediately!

•  Become a Shred-Head or commit to some other exercise plan to lift your ass ASAP.

•  Get botox and/or fillers or whatever you have to do to look better.

•  Buy new clothes, nothing in your closet is remotely adequate.

•  Buy new jewelry, nothing you have sparkles quite enough.  Sparkles are a must!

•  Feel bad about the parties and brand events you haven't been invited to, it's probably because no one likes you.

•  Get a fake tan so your legs look good better in a dress.  (Turn orange like everyone else, you will be in room after room filled with many other orange women!)

•  Whiten your teeth until they nearly fall out.

•  Get a pedicure.

•  Get a manicure.

•  It is definitely time for some new makeup and perfume.

•  Change your mind about the nail polish color you picked and re-polish your nails again.

•  Fill your prescription for Xanax, Zoloft, and/or any other mind altering drugs you can get your hands on.

•  Buy a couple push-up, cleavage enhancing, bras.

•  Start packing days ahead of time and bring more clothes than you can possibly wear "just in case."

•  Pack a flask.

•  Wax your vagina.  (Just ask Avitable!)

•  Buy a net-book because your laptop isn't good enough.

•  Buy a camera so people think you know how to take great photos.

•  It is all about what people think of you, isn't it?

•  Buy Spanx at least one size smaller than you should with the hope it will shrink you down to the size you dream of.

•  Plan what sessions you'll attend, then change your mind at least twenty times before you even arrive at the conference.

•  RSVP to every party you can, even though you can't possibly attend all of them, in an attempt to be "seen" in the company of Very Important Bloggers.

•  Bring a separate suitcase just for your shoes.

•  Tweet repeatedly about everything you think makes you look like a Very Important Blogger yourself.  (This just might make other people admire you more and mask your insecurity.)

What Everyone Should do at BlogHer10: 

•  Be flexible.  No matter how organized you are, or how well you plan, things happen and plans need to be changed.

•  Take lots of showers - NYC is hot and humid!

•  Keep a schedule that works best for YOU.  You have a lot of options. 

•  Pace yourself.  You don't have to go to every.single.thing.

•  Force yourself to step out beyond your comfort zone.  You won't regret it.

•  Get some sleep.  If you run yourself into the ground during the first 24 hours, you won't be able to get the most out of the entire experience.

What NOT to do at BlogHer10:

•  Do not sit down at a table of bloggers and confide to them about that ONE blogger you think is a bitch.  They, most likely, consider her a friend and will immediately tell her what you said.  You will only make yourself look bad.  

•  Do not act like you're still in high school.  You're an adult now.  If you want to be treated with respect, act like one.

•  Do not assume everything is all about you, because guess what?  It's not.  Be flexible, make do with whatever is happening around you at the time, and you will be on your way to a much more enjoyable experience.

•  Do not let yourself get sucked into drama of any kind.  Just say no!

•  Do not kid yourself into believing this conference will make your blog world famous in a weekend.  Instead, take from it what you want/find helpful and most importantly, have fun.

•  I realize you're insecure (that's why I'm writing this post for you), but you must suck it up and actually leave your hotel room if you want to interact with other bloggers.  Interacting with other bloggers is actually quite fun.  Most of us are very nice people, but just like any huge group of people - not everyone in it will be a perfect friend-fit for you.

•  Do not push, shove, run, or act like a greedy whore in your attempt to snag-the-swag at events.

•  Do not convince yourself the goal of BlogHer is to rub elbows with Very Important Bloggers in hope their fame rubs off on you.  

Networking and talent are two separate entities.  

•  Do not bitch/whine/complain because, honestly, no one wants to hear it.  An incredible amount of work and effort goes into a conference like BlogHer.  If everything isn't 100% to your liking, keep it to yourself.  If you want to see changes, volunteer to help next year so you have more input.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Off to the Races!

For several years I've been meaning to get down to the Del Mar Race Track in San Diego County.  Just about everyone I know has gone to the races, and has reported back on how much fun they've had.  For some reason, my plans have never come to fruition.

Because of that, I was absolutely THRILLED to receive an invitation from Del Mar Race Track to come down and join several San Diego Bloggers for a family day at the races. 

My very first trip to the races!

This is a photo I took with my webcam as I was headed out the door:

The laundry basket in the background is a nice touch, don't you think?

I picked up my friend Nike and we began the drive towards Del Mar.  I live about an hour north of San Diego so it was an easy drive.  (Also?  Nike and I can talk for hours and drive time makes for a great chance to get caught up!)

Here's a photo of Nike once we arrived at the track:

I hope each and every one of you is lucky enough to have a friend like Nike during your lifetime.  We've been friends for about 16 years I think and she's the greatest. 

Nike took this photo of me shortly after we arrived:

 

Do you think having my hands on my hips hides their largeness?

No?

The horses were so beautiful.  They took my breath away.

I got to meet a lot of wonderful San Diego bloggers including my long-time Internet buddy, San Diego Momma.

I can't wait to spend more time with her when we go to New York in a week or two.

Oh, and did I mention the actual races?

The races were fun, exciting ... and the horses were majestic.

It was such a fun experience!

I only bet on two races.  During one race I bet on Talktoomuch and won $4.00.  In the next race I bet on Winsome Charm and won around $11.50.  I know nothing about horse racing and I placed my bets based entirely on the horses names.  I was SO excited to win even though it was only a small amount of money.  

All in all, it was really a fun day.

Nike and I drove back to Orange County and then stopped for a margarita and some ceviche for dinner.

Margaritas are their own separate food group, aren't they?

Well, if not, they ought to be.

I had such a good time, I'm really (!) looking forward to going back for another fun day at the race track soon.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Dear Facebook: You're Being an Asshat

Dear Facebook,

I admit, I'm not your biggest fan user.

Oh yes, I have an account with you and I do pop in to visit now and again.  I don't, however, spend much time with you.  

I have other, bigger, social media outlets.

For instance, I love Twitter!

I've made some great "real life" friends on Twitter.  

Not only that, but Twitter has allowed me to get to know some of my 24 readers and for them to get to know me.  

Twitter is also the new Google.

Sort of.

I ask Twitter questions and I get (fast) answers.

And of course, in addition to Twitter ...

There's Twenty Four At Heart.  

My heart and soul are here on 24.  You might say I have an intimate relationship with my blog.  Who knew this little ol' space could become such a huge, important, part of my life?  Twenty Four At Heart is, in many ways, my soulmate.

Maybe that's where the problem came in, Facebook?  Maybe you're jealous of my other relationships loyalties and decided to pout and make my life miserable?

Please let me know when you're over it, and ready to resume a more positive relationship.

Yours truly,

Suzanne/Twenty Four At Heart

You can imagine my surprise when I stopped into Facebook for a peek the other day and was told I'd been reported for linking to "abusive content."

Um, what the hell?

With a little more digging, I was told someone had "reported" Twenty Four At Heart for containing "abusive content" and I was notified I would not be allowed to link to my own blog again.

Now, let's think for a minute ...

What would be "abusive content" on Facebook?

Well, an example might be a male pedophile posing as a 12 year old girl and then using Facebook to lure young girls to meet him.  Certainly, I can understand Facebook shutting someone like that down.  Lying about who you are, and representing yourself as something you're not, would be considered abusive content.

I was shocked, absolutely floored, when I began researching Facebook's procedures on reports of abusive content.

If someone reports another Facebook user as abusive, Facebook just BAM! shuts the accused person/website down.  Facebook apparently doesn't CHECK to see if the content by that user is, in fact, "abusive."  Facebook just assumes there's a reason to censor the person, and does.

There is no way to "appeal" the situation if someone reports you for abusive content.

Let's look at a hypothetical example ...

Let's pretend I'm a Money Town woman and I absolutely hate that damn chick who writes Twenty Four At Heart.  After all, she makes fun of people like me.  I have plastic boobs, veneers for teeth, a butt implant, a chin implant, cheek implants and enough botox injected into me to last a lifetime.  I make Heidi Montag look like a novice with the number of plastic surgeries she's had.  I tell Facebook Suzanne is posting abusive content, and BAM! she can't link to Twenty Four At Heart ever again.  I'm a liar and a bitch - but Suzanne can't do anything about it so I win.  (I've just put her in the same Facebook category as pedophiles!)

Woo hoo!

Can you imagine how much power this gives to General Asshats, friends/relatives you've had a falling out with, or your exes?  Anyone with a personal vendetta against someone else can create Facebook chaos for you very easily.

I went to Facebook's "Help" link to find out how to correct a bogus report of abuse.

Facebook says:

"If you believe there is no abusive content on the specific website you are trying to post, unfortunately, the web domain that hosts the website has already been identified as abusive."

I'm not convinced the above sentence even makes sense?

The meaning, however, is clear.  You can't do shit about a report of abuse, even if the complaint was completely unfounded.  Someone cried "abusive content" and therefore, you *must be* responsible for abusive content.  Just like that, you're banned from linking on Facebook.

Seriously, Facebook?

Of course, I was very pissed off at this point.  

I researched further by googling people who have experienced the same thing.  I read reports from other Facebook users who were falsely accused of abusive content.  I learned Facebook sometimes arbitrarily removes the restriction without notice or explanation.  (The same way, as a matter of fact, they begin censoring their users.)

Sure enough, about 48 hours later my account was restored back to normal.

Why?

Is it because of the rant I let loose on Twitter about the situation?

Or did my rant have nothing to do with it?  

Did someone look into the situation on my behalf?

I will never know.  

I do know, however, this is a Facebook policy that MUST be changed.  The way accusations of abusive content are handled right now is wrong on so many levels.  

In fact, I think all Facebook users need to be aware of this situation.  

I'm going to go put a link to this blog post on Facebook right now.  

I wonder if Facebook will censor THAT?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Waving!

I'm working on a technical problem with 24 this weekend.  I hope to be back up and running for Monday's post.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I Don't Love Vampires

Well, yesterday's post set a record for "fuck you's" in my comment section.  

Getting so many fucks in one day will most likely make me ineligible for any blog awards during the year 2010.

That didn't sound right ...

Also?

That big corporate sponsorship I was recently contacted about probably just disappeared, but that's okay!  I haven't had a big corporate sponsorship previously, and I never intended to have one when I began Twenty Four At Heart.  If Corporate America thinks I've had too many fucks from my readers then ... oh well.

(Wait .... that didn't sound right either!)

I think I'd better change the subject before I make things even worse than they already are.

Apparently another Twilight movie just came out.

I'm sorry, but I don't get it.

I can understand ten and twelve year old little girls squeeing over vampires and werewolves, but grown women?

I tried, I really did try.

I downloaded the first Twilight book to my Kindle awhile back and I forced myself to read the entire thing.  I thought the writing was incredibly weak and the story juvenile.

**  Ducking from thrown objects **

I couldn't bring myself to go see the movie or, for that matter, to read any of the other books.

I realize my opinion is not a popular one.

I realize my opinion will probably create fuck yous in my comment section again today, except this time they will be directed at me.

Why would a grown woman wait in line for four hours to see a movie written for 12 year olds?  Why, why, why?

Why would a grown woman fantasize about a pasty white man with fangs sucking blood out of her neck?

Why would she find it titillating to think a werewolf would compete with a vampire for her?  (Yes, a hairy beast of a man who likes to howl at full moons.)

It's no wonder so many men say they don't understand what women want.

I don't understand either.

I, personally, like a real man.

You know, a warm bodied man with real flesh, kind eyes and ... ok, maybe a talented tongue.

Did I just say that?

I believe I did ....

© Twenty Four At Heart

So, I've Been Thinking ...

It seems like I've been doing a lot of random assortment type of posts lately.  I think it might be because it's hard to put more than one, (1, o-n-e), thought together at a time on this medication.  (Be patient with me .....)

Here's a look inside my brain gone ADD-ish:

•  Today's the last day of school for my youngest son!  Woo Hoo!

•  Tomorrow morning I'm going to sleep in past 6 a.m.

•  This is the first time in three years, all 3 of my kids have been living (not just visiting) at home.

•  Kicking my way through several laps in the pool is much more difficult than when I also use my (one and a half) arms.

•  Where is the best pizza place in New York City?

•  My house is constantly messy with my kids all home.  We have a chaotic, but happy, household.

•  Why are my teeth, which have been perfectly straight since I had braces in 6th grade, suddenly getting crooked?  And does Invisalign work?

•  I hate summer league baseball.

•  Why am I all of a sudden craving carbs?

•  The aesthetician at my plastic surgeon/friends office has offered to do facial-ish stuff to me and I might let her.  Just call me a lab rat.

•  Will anyone else want to go visit B&H Photo in New York while I'm there?

•  Why haven't I done a blog contest lately?

•  I've never gone this long without chocolate.

•  What type of blog contest should I do?

•  I'm thinking about getting my first tattoo towards the end of the summer/fall.

•  Maybe I should have a contest to see who can design the best tattoo for me?

•  The (possible) tattoo might be indicative of a midlife crisis?????  I've never even remotely wanted a tattoo before and now I do.

•  I almost fell over from shock when uber-conservative Briefcase said he thought it would be sexy if his uber NOT conservative wife I got a tattoo.  

•  I've been sort-of planning the tattoo in my head for the last year but I had never mentioned it to anyone until about two weeks ago.

•  Maybe I should put the tattoo near my ankle?  Or my hoo haa?

•  My nipples are still bionic.

•  I'll be in Boston later this summer what should I do/see there?  I've never been.

•  Do you have any tattoos?  How much did they hurt?

•  My long-time next door neighbor (the very best neighbor in the entire world!) just moved.  I'm so sad.

•  I could wear my Gap workout/yoga-ish capris every day of the year and be happy.

•  Maybe I should have a big plate of carbs and see what happens?

•  There are way too many extremely expensive cars around here.

•  My (possible) (not-too-big) tattoo is going to be tied to my blog name.  Not because I want my blog name tattooed on me.  Instead, I chose the name Twenty Four At Heart because it's significant to me, and it will continue to be regardless of whether or not this blog ceases to exist tomorrow.

•  I'm not saying this blog WILL cease to exist tomorrow.

•  If you haven't tried Tuscan Cantaloupe you have no idea what you're missing.

•  I've been indulging in a little retail therapy lately.  I should feel guilty, but when life is shitty ... why not?

•  So what are YOU thinking?

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Countdown Begins!

Towards the beginning of August, I will be headed to New York City for a women's blogging convention called BlogHer.  Some of you will also be there, others of you may remember I attended this same event last July in Chicago, and still others of you have never heard of it.

Regardless of whether or not you're familiar with BlogHer, I have a feeling some of you will be able to help me plan for it.

But first ... a little background.

A lot of other blogging conferences have sprouted up, but BlogHer is the biggie.  I believe there will be over 1,200 attendees this year.  Despite the fact it's called BlogHer, there will also be a handful of male bloggers in attendance.  The vast majority of attendees, however, will be women.

What happens when you get 1,200 women together?

Well, there's a lot that goes on at the actual conference, but let's be honest ...

There's a lot of hugging and squeeeeeeeing and checking each other out too.

Women do shit like that, you know.

This will be my second year attending, so I don't have as much anxiety about the event as I did last year.

I do, however, have some.

The anxiety I have regarding BlogHer comes down primarily to two areas:

1.  I hate to fly.  (I was involved in a near miss on a flight into Dallas years ago and have been an anxious flyer ever since.).

2.  I'm actually very shy "in real life."  Social settings with lots of people I don't know are pure torture.  I have to force myself out of my hotel room, and force myself to talk to people, and force myself not to stand in the corner of a room hiding.  I know you might find this hard to believe based on my writing, but it's true.  I'm not shy once I know someone and I'm not shy in one-on-one situations ... but a roomful of strangers?  Egads!  I want to flee as fast as possible.

And yet, I had a lot of fun (!) last year in spite of myself.  It's good to force yourself out of your comfort zone now and then.  Attending a conference like BlogHer is definitely out of my comfort zone.

Regardless - I'm, in fact, starting to get excited.

My excitement began yesterday when I suddenly realized the conference is not that far off anymore.  I go through business cards at a rapid rate year round, and knew I would need to order more prior to BlogHer.  I decided to order them from Moo again because they allow me to upload my own photos to use on the cards.  I selected ten beach photos I've taken in recent months and designed my own cards.  (There will be one photo featured on each card, a variety of 10 different "looks" to my cards.)

I like having my own photos on my cards because more and more people are buying my photos now.  It makes for good advertising.  (Moo is not the cheapest place to get cards, but I think it's awesome if you're a photographer!)

I will, also, need to purchase a few other things for BlogHer.

I hate to shop.  I'm not a girly-girl.  

This is where some of you come in.

No, I'm not asking you to go shopping with me (although, that's actually a great idea!)

Instead, I think you're probably a great resource for ideas.

For instance, I know from last year, it would be very helpful to take a lightweight, but big (and strong) handbag with me.  I don't want anything expensive either.  The expensive handbags can stay put in The OC with The OC bitches ladies.  I will want enough room for my wallet, a pocket camera, a flask, a notepad, advil (to counter the effects of the flask), etc.

Yes, I said a flask.

No, I'm not joking.

If any of you have, or know of, handbags that might work I'd love to hear about it.

I'll also need a couple dresses.  I don't wear dresses, but I'll need to for this.  (There are lots and lots of cocktail parties at BlogHer!)  I'm curvy.  I have big boobs with bionic nipples.  I have no idea what design/style of dress works on my body-type.  Do you?  I need something that won't make my boobs look bigger, and also won't make ME look bigger.  (By the way I think EVERY woman at BlogHer wears Spanx or an equivalent.  Do you know how seriously sweaty that will be in NYC in August?)

Lastly, I've been to New York City before, but I don't know New York City.  I've built in some extra time to enjoy the city.

What are the things I HAVE to do while I'm there?

Where should I go?  What should I see?

What are the "must eat at" restaurants?

I have so much to learn and I'm counting on you to help!

© Twenty Four At Heart

I Feel So Violated!

I'm in the midst of fighting my way out of some pretty hefty technical problems so I don't have much of anything for you today.

I've spent the last 24 hours, or so, trying to repair and rebuild from a hacker.

That's right - I was hacked.

Really, WHO DOES THAT?!

Assholes with a lot of time on their hands, that's who.

I apologize to the many of you who got spammy emails from me (but not-really-me) yesterday.

My thanks to the many of you who took the time to inform me something was wrong.  I'm sorry if I didn't get back to each of you individually.  I was probably too busy pulling my hair out.  Also, I heard from a zillion of you and it's difficult to respond to a zillion people in a timely manner!

To make matters worse, the hard drive on our home PC (not the MacBook I use) crashed yesterday also.  

To make matters even worse, I am dealing with the biggest billing nightmare in medical history and the whole situation escalated to the point of exploding my head into four hundred zillion pieces yesterday.

Don't you love when a company is completely incompetent, bills you incorrectly for months, fails to fix the problem when you make repeated phone calls requesting they do (despite saying the situation will be remedied "immediately") ... and then reports YOU to a collection agency?

Because, isn't that exactly what you need to have happen on a day when you're fighting a technological nightmare?

On a positive note, after hours of work and very little sleep - my technological life is now back in order.

I think.

On a negative note, if you've emailed me in the last few weeks I most likely "lost" your email correspondence in the hacker nightmare.  SO - if you are waiting for a reply from me (and many of you probably are because I've been behind on email replies with the going out of town, graduation thing, going on) then please feel free to re-email me.

On another negative note, today I have to re-tackle the incompetent medical billing company.  I'm sure that will be a very unpleasant experience.

I think I need a few hours at the beach to de-stress.  Or an hour in my pool swimming.  Or a cocktail.  Or ....?

Come to think of it - let's go with that theme - 

What do you do to de-stess after a hellish day or two like I've had?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Lunch With Neil

I've mentioned my friend, Neil Kramer, on Twenty Four At Heart a few times.  He writes a blog called Citizen of the Month.  Many of you know Neil ... or know OF Neil.  If you've been reading here long enough, you may even remember Neil guest posted for me once upon a time while I was away on a trip.

Neil is a big, famous, screenwriter in real life.  Sometimes he lives in New York, and sometimes Neil lives in the Los Angeles area.  He's bi-coastal.

Neil was one of the first "big" bloggers to acknowledge my arrival in the blogosphere.  I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow we became friends.  Last summer we spent a lot of time hanging out together in Chicago.  Since then we've continued to stay in touch.  You might remember, I saw Neil not long ago at a bloggers meet-up in Laguna Beach.

In any case, Neil is living in L.A. at the moment.  Yesterday I drove up to meet him for lunch.  We were going to meet at a Japanese restaurant.

Um ...

Except - I got lost.

Yes, I've lived in Southern California my entire life.  And no, Neil has not.  That's why I offered to drive up to see him.  So, ya know, he wouldn't get lost.

* Ahem *

And yes, I do have a navigation system in my car.  And no, I didn't program it because I didn't think I needed to.  And then once I was lost, I couldn't program it because I drive with one working arm and .....

Anyway -

I called Neil from the car and he got quite a laugh at my expense.

He had me get off the freeway at the next exit (I had already driven well past the exit I was supposed to take) and directed me to meet him at a coffee shop a few blocks away.  He said he'd be about ten minutes behind me.

I found our new meeting spot, no problem.  I'm a smart driver like that!

L.A. is so L.A.  If you've never spent time in Los Angeles, you won't understand that statement, but if you have - you will.

Pann's was built in 1958 and it still has a 50's feel to it.  

Let's take a closer look at their sign:

  

After a short wait, Neil arrived.  We, of course, chatted nonstop.  There was a lot to get caught up on even though we seem to be in constant, daily, communication.

For instance, Neil told me about researching professional, Orgasmic French kissing which is supposed to be much more exciting than nonprofessional, non-orgasmic French kissing.  Mind you, Neil has only been researching it so far, he hasn't yet gone into PFK (professional French kissing) training.  

Did you click on the Orgasmic French Kissing link?

Neil is a thinker.  Neil thinks about things I would never think about and he thinks about them in a way I would never think about them.  (And I mean every word of that as a compliment.)

All in all, I think Neil is a very interesting person, which is why I enjoy his friendship so much.

 

My lunch reminded me of what I love most about blogging -

Friends like Neil.  

Friends I never would have met if not for the Internet.

Technology has brought some wonderful people into my life.

Like you!

And you ... and you ... and you!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Woo Hoo!

I was really excited last week to discover Twenty Four At Heart was listed as one of the 10 Best Blogs For Baby Boomers.  There are tens of millions of blogs written.  (The last count I heard was 76 MILLION and it's probably much higher by now!)

I was squealing with excitement at the honor of being on this list! 

I was so excited, that is, until I thought, "Wha ... ????  DO PEOPLE OUT THERE THINK I'M A BABY BOOMER?  Don't they know I'm only twenty four?"

And then a friend reminded me I'm not really twenty four, which totally messed with my psyche.  And then another friend told me anyone 40 and up is considered a Baby Boomer.

Is that true?

Have I become ... a Baby Boomer?

Something about it sounds sorta ... old.

At twenty four, am I ... oh dear God, OLD?

Are you old too?

Because I don't think of any of you as being old.

Also, as much as I love and welcome all my "baby boomer" readers, I have readers of all ages.  I get comments from college students. and single men, and young moms, and well endowed men, and mid-lifers, and grandmas and grandpas.  I love all of you and all of you seem quite young at heart when you write to me or leave comments.  In fact, one of my youngest-at-heart readers signs her comments as "Old Woman" and yet, I think her heart is one of the youngest I've ever encountered.

And isn't that really the only place age matters?  

In our hearts. 

I am putting the thought of being old entirely out of my head and going right back to my mental age of twenty four.  At the same time, I would like to say I was thrilled to death to have Twenty Four At Heart recognized on such an awesome list.

I want each of you to know I'm sending you a huge virtual hug today.  I'm so happy you come to visit and spend time with me.  I'm so honored you've helped make Twenty Four At Heart grow into such a great little community of its own.  

Really, I'm tremendously touched.

xo

© Twenty Four At Heart

Bloggers at Las Brisas

There's a restaurant called Las Brisas perched on a bluff in Laguna Beach.  They have a very popular outdoor bar, in addition to a fairly swanky indoor restaurant.  It's a favorite place for Orange County folks to bring out of town guests.

Why?

Well, the view has a lot to do with it. 

Las Brisas could not be more "Orange County."  The people-watching there is always incredible too.  (Particularly in the summer when no one in the bar wears much in the way of clothing.)

Last Wednesday night, I arrived at Las Brisas to meet up with a few other bloggers.  The event was organized as part of Bossy's No Book Tour.  (For the two one of you who don't know Bossy, she is a humor blogger.) 

Humor.  

As in, she is funny all the time, whereas, I just think I'm funny some of the time.

This is what Las Brisas looks like from inside the restaurant at night:

 

This is what our group looked like after everyone had drunk a little wine and/or a few margaritas.

I stole borrowed this group photo from Bossy.  I'm sure she doesn't mind I wrote all over it. 

Isn't Bossy gorgeous? 

I was the last one to arrive.  I had been sitting in the cold and rain for three hours watching my cold turn into pneumonia son's baseball game.  Why they didn't call the game is beyond me.  It was nice to arrive at Las Brisas and see the ocean storming though.  I love the beach during a storm.

Despite arriving late, and feeling very rushed and flustered, I quickly settled in and had fun.

 

Who, me?

Can you imagine me having fun?

By the way, I'm not sure who I stole that last photo from.  It might have been on Bossy's camera too.

What could be better for a stormy night by the sea than a bowl of soup?

Ok, I admit, it does look like something one of my dogs yakked up.

It was some sort of hominy something-or-other, and also, sort of Mexican-ish.

Guess what?

It was delicious.  Absolutely fantastic!  I would order it again in a minute. 

I really enjoyed meeting some new people and also getting caught up with a few old friends.  Bossy will have to come visit Orange County more often so we have an excuse to celebrate again.

© Twenty Four At Heart

And This is What You Get Today

I'm apologizing in advance for not making much sense today.  I may ramble too, but you're used to that, right?

I'm not feeling quite as badly as I did a day ago, but this "thing" I've caught has turned into a bad head/chest cold.

** I can't breathe **

I'm definitely suffering from cold medicine induced brain-fog also.  I've been doing things like forgetting what I'm talking about mid-sentence, pee-ing a little each time I sneeze, coughing with a mouthful of soup and spewing it all over myself.

I'm so much fun!

And yet, in spite of it all - I wanted to give you at least one update I promised would be forthcoming.

Before I do?

(Prepare for tangent ....)

My chocolate lab is really jealous I always show you photos of my golden.  The golden is more photogenic, but try explaining that to a lab with hurt feelings.  In the interest of being fair, here's a picture of Mocha, my female chocolate lab:

Her eyes are two different colors, did you notice?

She's not as smart as my golden, but her heart is filled to the brim with love and kindness.

By the way, never take a photo of a brown dog with a brown couch behind her.

I've OD'ed on cold meds, can you tell?

And on with today's update .... 

I won't be going to Cambodia.  I was working on details this week and there were a lot of complications.  In fact, there was one complication after another ... to the point where it finally just seemed like this trip was not meant to be.  The biggest factor was I didn't have enough time to complete all the required immunizations.  I could have traveled only 90% immunized, but Briefcase, who works in the medical world, was not comfortable with that at all.  Especially since I would be working in a hospital, and therefore, most likely exposed to very sick people.  Some very serious diseases (hepatitis, cholera, typhoid, malaria, dengue fever) are prevalent in Cambodia.

There were other factors too.  The timing was not compatible with some big family stuff we have going on in June, the cost would be well over $2,000 and we're on a strict two-kids-in-college budget right now, etc., etc.  

There was also concern over my limitations with my arm.  That concern, in relation to the Cambodia trip, is an entire blog post all on its own and I won't bore you with it.  (Because, blah, blah, blah ... I have a really fucked up arm.  The end.)

I was really honored to be invited.  I hope sometime in the future all the pieces will come together so I might experience a trip like this, but this particular one will not work out for me.

In spite of being sick, I had a very chaotic, busy, day yesterday.  It involved, among many other things, sitting out in very cold weather and pouring rain to watch my son's baseball game.  The game went into extra innings because, of course, a game in pouring rain could not end early or on time.  

That is exactly how a person goes about getting pneumonia, by the way.

It also involved mixing this:

 

With cold meds.

Which I don't recommend.  

Especially when you double triple the recommended dosage of cold meds so you can attend the event without coughing and sneezing on everyone.

I'll tell you more about that soon.

For now, I hope you'll excuse me while I go make some tea and ... 

** Cough ** 

** Cough **

ACHOOOOOO!

. . . .  Excuse me  . . . .

Where's the Kleenex?

© Twenty Four At Heart

iS Clinical Product Winners

I'm happy to announce the two winners for the iS Clinical products today.

The winner of the Youth Complex is comment #99: 

 

Comment #99 was submitted by Kelly!
 

The winner of the Youth Eye Complex is comment #8:

Comment #8 was submitted by Middle-Aged-Woman!

Kelly and Middle-Aged-Woman please contact me with your mailing addresses and I will get the product sent out to you as soon as possible. 

Congratulations to both winners and thank you to everyone who entered to win!

Thank you also to iS Clinical for donating the product to make this giveaway possible!

© Twenty Four At Heart

iS Clinical Product Review and GIVEAWAY!!

Back in March, I attended a Plastic Surgery Party and won a raffle for a product called Youth Complex made by iS Clinical.  (iS stands for Innovative Skincare.)  I blogged about it at the time, and iS Clinical then contacted me and arranged a meeting.  They asked if I would be interested in reviewing their product, and I agreed with the understanding I would be brutally honest with my review.  There was also the added condition they provide product for me to use in a giveaway for my readers.

Hey, I'm all about you.

In the last month, I've been faithfully using Youth Complex every day.  

 

In addition, I've also been using the iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex they provided for me (at no cost to myself).  

iS Clinical is not compensating me for this review.

Both products are only available through doctors offices (dermatologists and plastic surgeons).  

There's a lot of science behind the iS Clinical products.  iS Clinical is on the leading edge of anti-aging technology.  The products are made from botanicals and actually stimulate the production of collagen and elastin in your skin.  There's a dose of antioxidants, which are very healthy for your skin, in every application.  

Men, these products aren't just for women.  Anyone who has skin can use them.

Do you have skin?

That's what I thought.

I also think you should know a little about my skin before I blab on and on.  I have uber-sensitive skin.  The majority of fancy skin products make me break out in a rash or get itchy.  I've gravitated towards simple fragrance-free products as a result.  My biggest concern about agreeing to this review was the worry of how my skin would react to new products.

And here's the thing ...

I unequivocally love both the Youth Complex and Youth Eye Complex products.

Love them!

(And you know I wouldn't say that unless I meant it!)

My skin seems to positively glow since I began using these products.  The products aren't at all greasy.  They hydrate my skin without making it break out - and I know it sounds impossible, but I swear they make little, fine, lines less apparent.  Also, there just seems to be an added tightening, or firming, to my skin.  I particularly notice this benefit under my eyes where all my crows feet live.

It's like magic.

I've become addicted.

(Briefcase grabs his wallet and runs ....!)

Apparently, I'm not the only one with great results.  The list of celebrities using iS Clinical products reads like a Who's Who of Hollywood.  (Yes, iS Clinical sent me a press packet so I would realize I'm in the company of people like Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Aniston and many others.)

Did someone say I'm in the company of George Clooney?  I've been meaning to be in his company for quite some time ....

I've been using Youth Complex on my face, neck, decolletage and (shhh!) a tiny little dab on the back of my hands.  I use Youth Eye Complex around my eyes including my upper and lower eyelids.

I've mentioned before, one of my biggest gripes about my own body is the fact my hands have aged so much faster than the rest of me.  I would love to see iS Clinical come out with a product specifically for the hands.  (An affordable product for the hands!)  In the meantime, I'll probably continue using a little dab of the Youth Complex on the back of my hands because I've seen a dramatic change in my skin from using it.

One other thing I want to mention ...

iS Clinical is very involved in helping cancer patients with skin issues which arise as a result of radiation and chemotherapy.  Their products have such powerful botanical antioxidants, they help repair the skin against the free radical damage caused by cancer treatments.  I'm a big believer in supporting companies which involve themselves in the betterment of society.  For me, the iS Clinical work with cancer patients is just another reason to support their company.

Youth Complex runs around $135 before taxes and the Youth Eye Complex runs around $85 before taxes.  It's expensive stuff, but the high cost is the only fault I've found with either product.

iS Clinical has been kind enough to provide me with one Youth Complex and one Youth Eye Complex to give away to my readers.  

Here's how it works:

1.  Leave a comment, any comment, to enter.  (ideas:  skin/health care/beauty products - or anything else!)

2.  You may enter as many times as you like.

3.  Comments/entries will remain open until 9 p.m., Pacific time, this Friday, April 16th.

4.  There will be two winners, one for each product.

5.  I will pick the winners using the Random Integer Generator.

6.  Winners will be announced on Saturday, April 17th.

These are truly great products!

Good luck to all of you!  

© Twenty Four At Heart

From Germany With Love

** I will be hosting a giveaway, tomorrow, on Wednesday!  Please make sure to stop by! **

Awhile back, one of my readers, Anne (who lives in Germany), contacted me.  She'll be in the United States in May and was wondering if we could meet.  We've corresponded a few times trying to work out the details.

I was delighted when she emailed me about two weeks ago to inform me she had sent a package to me.

I'm not much better than a child as far as surprises (!) and packages (!) and presents (!) go.

I've been waiting, and waiting, and waiting, to see what my surprise might be.

Finally, this arrived:

Inside I found this:

There was a very nice letter in the pretty flowered envelope.  

Also?

There was German chocolate.

And then?

There was more chocolate.

But what's in the pretty box?

Well, do you remember awhile back, I shared with you some Fun Facts?  One of them, was about rubbing your hands on stainless steel after cooking with garlic or onions to make the strong odor completely disappear from your skin.  (This was a tip from my friend MrLady.)

Shortly after reading my post, Anne found Stainless Steel Soap in one of her local stores and thought of me.

How clever is that?

You set the "soap" in it's little black soap dish in your kitchen.  I put mine right by my sink.  After cooking with garlic or onions, you rub your hands on the "soap" and it eliminates the smell from your hands. 

This means I don't have to get all friendly with my stainless refrigerator anymore.  (Or rub my hands on a knife (!) as some of my readers mentioned they do.)

Better yet, unlike real soap, the stainless steel soap will last forever.

I'm thrilled with my surprises.

(I know some of you might be interested in purchasing Stainless Steel Soap also.  If you are, you can find a few brands to choose from on Amazon by clicking here.)

Thank you, Anne, for your thoughtfulness!

I hope everything works out so we are able to meet in person in May.

xo

© Twenty Four At Heart

Welcome To My Non-Post

I want to thank everyone for taking the time to leave comments, and/or sending emails and tweets yesterday.  I was busy most of the day and didn't get home until late in the evening.  I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to respond to you individually yet.  I really appreciate having so many people weigh in with their thoughts on my post.

It's a hard topic to follow.

I thought I should come in today with something light and funny.

Maybe I could dazzle you with my bionic nipples (they really are quite dazzling), or tell you about the Barbie Woman I , literally, bumped into at the Money Town Starbucks yesterday ...

But I can't.

I'm not feeling the funny today.

I'm still digesting all the comments from yesterday and I'm wiped out from a very long, exhausting, day.

Did you know baseball events can last over six hours?

Also, my pain levels are way too high to feel funny right now.

I've been going through a rough time with my bum arm lately.  It's like that sometimes.  It rebels for no reason at all, or for a reason I don't understand.

Whine, whine, whine ....

But I also have some really exciting, great, news.

I have a reader named Shay.

She's a professional photographer.  I've seen some of her photos and they are truly astounding.  She has such a gift.

Shay will be hosting Photography Friday right here on 24 tomorrow.

I'm so honored and thrilled.  Really, I am.

I wish Shay lived closer so I could follow her around and ask her photography questions all day long.  I think all of us will be able to pick up some tips from her tomorrow, even if we only pull our cameras out now and again for a few quick snapshots.

I hope you'll forgive me for this "non-post posting" today.  I'll make up for it next week with an exciting give-away.

I also hope you'll come back and visit tomorrow when Shay is here.

You will be so glad you did!

© Twenty Four At Heart

An Abuse of Power or Freedom of Speech?

This is going to be a long post, but I need to address some things.

I began Twenty Four At Heart as a result of a terrible car accident I was in.  Writing has helped me cope with the struggles I've gone through.  It's also allowed me to look outside of my physical pain, and limitations, to find the humor in the small every day things surrounding me.  For me, writing has been tremendously healing.

As dramatic as it sounds, writing is truly my oxygen.  I don't know if I could have managed to get through such a hard time in my life without it.

In my short time in the blogosphere, I've intentionally avoided Internet drama to the best of my ability.  I've got real-life physical challenges to deal with every day, I don't need to get caught up in blogging dramas on top of it.  (And for those of you who don't live in the blogosphere, there is always plenty of drama going on.)

That being said, apparently I've unintentionally stirred up some shit this week with my post, Lately, My Life Has Been a Whirlpool.  My intention, of course, was just to vent about a situation in my life (just like I vent about so many other things here on 24).  I received some heated comments on my post.  I also received several Tweets regarding it and some direct emails also.

Emotions ran high.

Accusations ran high.

Support ran high.

Anger ran high.

To be honest, I never expected the Whirlpool post to receive the attention it has.  I didn't realize a broken washing machine would create such a fuss.

But I guess, I should have.

I've had every major appliance company imaginable on 24 since the Whirlpool post published.  I've also had some of the biggest public relations companies in the world visiting.

** Waving to all the nice folks  **

(Some of them are pissed off at me, I think.)

I know I have some readers who have never read any blogs other than 24.  They aren't aware of the washing machine "issue" which preceded mine.  For them, I will try to explain briefly.

There's a woman named Heather Armstrong who writes a very famous "mommy blog" called dooce.  She has over a million followers on Twitter.  A lot of bloggers love to hate her because they either a) Don't like her personality b) Disagree with her lifestyle or c) Have all sorts of jealousy issues about her success.  Personally, I enjoy her humor and like to read her blog, although I don't follow it every single day.  I met Heather briefly on the Dr. Phil show last summer and I thought she was very nice.  (Remember?  I spoke on Dr. Phil?  And the back of my head became famous for five minutes or less?)

In any case, Heather had a washing machine issue awhile back (with a Maytag which is the same company as Whirlpool).  When customer service repeatedly didn't handle her problem she became frustrated and sent out Tweets telling her million plus followers not to buy Maytag.  Needless to say, her washer got fixed promptly.

Her situation created a controversy in the blogosphere.  Some people applauded Heather for forcing a corporation to take action and be accountable for their customer service.  Other people condemned her for "abusing her power."

To be honest, I didn't know much about Heather's whole situation.  It just wasn't a memorable thing for me although I did remember there was some big controversy over an appliance.  (On many days, I'm doing well if I get a post up on 24 and I tend to be a little oblivious to the rest of the blogosphere.  Maybe that makes me self-absorbed, but more likely it has to do with the fact I'm living with intense pain and just can't deal with much else.)  

Then I started getting dooce-related comments on my post.  I had to google "Heather Armstrong appliance problem" and go back and read about it to get the details.  That's when I found out Heather's appliance issue was ALSO with a washing machine, and ALSO with the same company since Whirlpool owns both the Whirlpool and Maytag brands.

One of my readers, Lisa, left the following comment on my Whirlpool post and also unfollowed me:

Ok seriously? Am I the only person who thinks you may be looking a gift horse in the mouth a bit? The fact is you didn't buy the extended warranty and Whirlpool doesn't HAVE to do anything. They are because you threw a hissy on Twitter and tried to pull a Dooce. The whole "I'm a blogger and you better give me special treatment" act leaves a sour taste in the mouths of people who see real need every day because of skyrocketing unemployment. You are not shy about talking about all of your financial advantages, leaving us to believe you can well afford the cost of a new machine. The rest of us would have to make the best of this very same situation. Come on.

One of my other readers then responded:

Lisa, Ok Seriously! If you or I had spent $1000 on a washing machine and it broke, I think you or I would do everything in our power to right the wrong that is a lemon! No matter what anyone makes, Whirlpool made a shitty product and it shouldn't break in 3 years. I'd yell it out over the mountain tops but heck there's the internet, baby, I'd use that and make a strong statement!

I don't mind people calling me out if I deserve it.  In this case, I don't think I do.  Also, Lisa was making some big assumptions about my life that really pissed me off.  I replied to her:

Lisa,
I'm "not shy in talking about" all my financial advantages? When have I EVER talked about my finances?

Never. Not once.

I don't discuss my finances, my marriage, my family on 24.
I live NEAR an affluent area I refer to as Money Town. I don't live IN Money Town.
Your perception of my financial status is very misguided. I can't afford to buy a new washing machine every 3 1/2 years.

Even if I could, I shouldn't need to ... nor should anyone else.

I think I was quite complimentary of Whirlpool's efforts to stand by their product in today's post. Do I still have a dilemma? Yes, I do. I am physically incapable of carrying laundry baskets. I have no laundromat in the vicinity of my home. I have a problem.

Does it make me an Internet bully to discuss my problems/issues/concerns on my own blog? I don't think so ... that's what bloggers do EVERY DAY.

I appreciate being compared to Dooce, but I am a small blogger. I don't have anything close to her power. Also, I didn't get on Twitter (or my blog) and tell people not to buy Whirlpool OR ask for special treatment because I'm a blogger. Nonetheless, I can certainly understand why she got so frustrated that she DID shout out on twitter. There are few things as frustrating as dealing with a broken appliance which we, as moms, are very dependent on.

I did VENT on Twitter ... just like everybody else does EVERY DAY about the issues going on in our lives. Is venting "throwing a hissy fit"?? Then take a look at twitter and you will see people throwing hissy fits over various issues in their lives ALL DAY LONG.

Whirlpool responded to my venting ... and as I wrote in my post, I was quite impressed that they did and also with their response. I don't see anywhere in this post where I complain about Whirlpool's response to my problem or ask for "special treatment" because I'm a blogger.

On the other hand, consumers have every right to stand up for themselves and to request good customer service from the companies we purchase products from.

Another commenter wrote:

I am glad they are fixing your problem and I would be irate if an appliance broke down in 3 years! I had my last one for FIFTEEN!!! That is absurd and a quality issue that is the problem of the company. I am glad to see that they are doing something to resolve it. If everyone's washer broke down in 3 years and they just said, "Sorry, you didn't buy the warranty" as the previous poster suggested, how many do you think they would sell...not many I would think. I also think that even if you do have money, or not, is irrelevant in this issue and people need to quit hating. A customer is a customer no matter what their economic status and I expect to get a quality product when I spend my money as everyone should. Perhaps people like you and Dooce using your "voice" will make customer service better for everyone and it is certainly a good move on Whirlpool's part to correct the issue.

In a direct email, another reader wrote:

You have a strong voice in the blogosphere and although I understand your frustration, you are abusing your power by writing about your broken washing machine.  When my washing machine broke, I had to call customer service lines and wait around in frustration for days.  Why should you get better treatment just because you write 24?

I've read every comment, every Tweet, and every email I've received regarding my Whirlpool post.  I've also thought long and hard about all of them.

When I tweeted my frustration over my washing machine I wasn't "trying to pull a Dooce" because I didn't even know the dooce/washing machine details at the time.  I also wasn't trying to get special treatment.  I was surprised, but pleased, when Whirlpool responded on Twitter.  As I wrote in my post, I was impressed with their response.  I don't think they knew at the time, I'm the author of 24 and I certainly didn't Tweet "my machine broke and I'm a blogger so you better fix it."

A decade ago a frustrated consumer might go to their local newspaper or news station with a tale of woe.  Were they abusing their power by doing so?

Now, consumers use social media to voice their opinions whether they be positive or negative.  Savvy companies are aware of this and have a strong social media presence.

The issue of "power" and "abusing power" is really troubling me.

Do I, a relatively small blogger, have power?

I've never thought about myself, or 24, in those terms.

I don't have millions of followers like dooce, but I do reach thousands of people.

I suppose I do have some influence/power, but - not much.

When Anthem Blue Cross changed their payment policy towards physical therapists, I lost treatment for my injuries.  I blogged about it.  No one accused me of "abusing my power" for writing about a situation, created by a greedy disgusting corporation, which influenced my life in a very negative way.

Why not?

To me, that was a way bigger issue than a washing machine failing in three and a half years.

Why am I being accused of "abusing my power" now?

Am I irresponsible if I write about a situation/company/product in an unfavorable light?  Is it irresponsible if it's my honest opinion or experience?

When I write about a book I like, or a product or business I love ... and those comments are my honest opinion, no one bitches at me about abusing my power, do they?

Is it freedom of expression if my opinion or experience is positive and an abuse of power if my opinion or experience is negative?

Isn't it a positive thing, for all consumers, for us to demand our corporations stand by the products they make?  

For many years, I worked as a manager for a top Fortune 500 company.  Every single thing we did was about and for the customer.  We wanted to keep our customers for life.  When things occasionally went wrong, as things sometimes do, we did everything in our power to remedy the situation as fast as possible. 

I expect the very same treatment from the companies I deal with.  

I expect it, not because I'm a writer, not because I'm "powerful" (which is questionable), but because it's the right thing to do.  If I think highly enough of a company to purchase their products, they should think highly enough of me, as their customer, to stand by the product or service they sell.

And now I'd like to hear your thoughts ...

© Twenty Four At Heart

Lately, My Life Has Been a Whirlpool

** A huge thank you to all of you who contacted me with concern over yesterday's earthquake.  I'm fine; my family's fine.  I live pretty far south and the quake did cause significant shaking at my house.  (The epicenter was in Baja California.)  Our nerves were rattled, but we are okay.  **

If you follow me on Twitter, you already know a little about today's topic.

In August of 2006, I purchased a top of the line Whirlpool front loading washing machine for just over $1,000.

Expensive, don't ya think?!

I'd never spent that much money on a washing machine in my life.

I've been very happy with my washer (and the Whirlpool dryer which I bought at the same time).

I love the large capacity of the front loaders.  I have three kids; there's never a shortage of laundry at my house.

In fact, I do several loads of wash every.single.day.

My washer has done a great job cleaning even the toughest clothes.  I've been extremely happy with it.

My boys both have participated in sports.  Currently, my youngest son brings home filthy baseball uniforms each evening for me to launder.  They need to be washed and re-packed for practice or games the next day.

A few nights back, on April 1st, I was washing my son's high school baseball uniform when my washing machine began making a beeping noise.  I went to take a look at it, and you can imagine my surprise when I discovered the washing machine door had locked itself tight.

Inside, my son's uniform was being held hostage.

Visions of an angry coach immediately began dancing through my head.

I turned to Twitter for help.

I tweeted my problem and I was pleased to get some advice on how to unlock the machine.  I followed the advice, but unfortunately it didn't work for me.

The following day an appliance repairman charged me $53 to look at my three and a half year old machine.  The repairman was able to unlock the machine and free the hostage uniform by using some magic repairman tricks.  He also told me the "inner tub" of the machine was separating and that my "machine is failing."  He told me I might be able to wash small loads temporarily, but I need to buy a new washing machine.

I was upset.  

I was livid.

How can a "top of the line" washing machine "fail" in only three and a half years?

The repairman told me it doesn't happen often, yes - he does like and recommend Whirlpool machines, and it's too bad I didn't have an extended five year warranty.

Seriously?!

No one buys a washing machine thinking it will DIE in less than five years.

No one, especially, buys a "top of the line" washing machine for a thousand dollars thinking it will only last three and a half years.

I began venting on Twitter.  I was not a happy Whirlpool customer.

To my surprise, Whirlpool responded via Twitter.

They asked me how old the machine was, and then asked me for my "information."

I sent them a direct Tweet (like a private text message) with my first name and phone number.

The next day I got a call from Whirlpool.  Based on the small amount of information I had provided, they knew my full name, address, and all the registration information about my machine.

I was impressed.

It also creeped me out a little, in a big-brother type of way, but I was mostly impressed.

They informed me they would send out their own serviceman to look at my machine and see if it could be fixed at no cost to myself.

I was, again, impressed.

Clearly, Whirlpool cares about their reputation.  Clearly, they understand the power of the Internet.  Clearly, they are trying to stand by their products - right?

Last Saturday, the Whirlpool serviceman arrived.

First, he informed me the water pump on the machine was bad and he had already replaced it.

"That's nice," I responded, "but I thought the problem was with the 'inner' tub?"

"I'll check that next," he said.

Sure enough, he determined the machine needed a new inner AND outer tub.  He told me Whirlpool would be covering the repairs.  

Those repairs?

They would have cost me $1,400 if I were paying to fix the machine myself.  (More than an entirely new machine would cost!)

I asked the repairman why Whirlpool wouldn't just let me get a replacement machine.  It would be cheaper for them, and more convenient for me.

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "They won't.  This is how they take care of it."

I'll be honest, my initial reaction was one of relief and thankfulness.

I felt relief Whirlpool cared enough about their customers to stand by their product.  I felt thankful I didn't have to spend $1,000 to buy a replacement machine.  (If I had to buy a new machine after only 3 1/2 years you can bet, in my anger, it would NOT have been a Whirlpool.)

Whirlpool was making me happy.

Really, what a smart company - don't you think?

I reach thousands upon thousands of people with my blog and Twitter ... Whirlpool is smart.

Big corporations are learning ...

Take care of your customers, and your customers will be your customers for life.

Also?

If your customer is a blogger?

You can reach thousands of people in a positive way by having excellent customer service.

Whirlpool is smart.

But I still have a big problem and I'm not sure what to do about it.

Whirlpool is sending BIG boxes with replacement TUBS and other things to my home.  When they arrive, I'm supposed to open them and check for damage.  Apparently they get damaged a lot in transit because they are big and heavy.  Then I'm supposed to call the service company and let them know if my replacement parts are good, or need to be ordered again.  If everything arrives undamaged, the service company will be out on April 15th, with two men, to spend almost an entire day re-building my washing machine.

If the replacement parts arrive damaged, the whole process begins again with them re-ordering the parts.

Do you see where this is going?

If the very best scenario takes place, I will be without a working washing machine for a total of fifteen days!

FIFTEEN DAYS!

I do several loads of laundry EACH DAY!

Now, you're probably thinking, "Go use a laundromat, 24."

Of course, I already thought of that myself.  The problem is, there are no laundromats near Money Town.

None!

(Rich people never need laundromats?  Inquiring minds want to know!)

In addition, my son gets home from high school baseball around 6:45 each night.  His uniform has to be washed at night for the next day of school which he departs for at 7 a.m.  I usually wash his uniform while I'm getting him his dinner, etc.  It's not a time of day where I can be driving thirty minutes (or longer) both ways to a faraway laundromat.  I can't be away from home for a couple hours every night.  It won't work.

There's another, more difficult, problem also.

Whirlpool doesn't know this, but you do.

I'm *disabled* .... 

(Oh, how I hate that word.)

Laundry is difficult for me under the best of circumstances.  When I do laundry at home, I drag the baskets across the floor with my left, non-dominant, arm.  I drag them downstairs, one at a time, in the same manner ... and then I drag them one-handed to our laundry room.  If Briefcase is home, he helps me by carrying them, of course - but his job involves extensive travel and he isn't home very often.

I do a lot of dragging.

I'm not physically capable of lifting laundry baskets, carrying them to my car, lifting them in and out of the car and carrying them into a laundromat.

(If I even HAD a laundromat nearby - which I don't.)

In the meantime, dirty laundry has already begun taking over my entire house.

In a perfect world, Whirlpool would have a replacement machine delivered to my house in the next 24 hours.

And yet, it isn't a perfect world.  Whirlpool has committed to fixing the machine I have, and I appreciate that - very much.  It just isn't going to happen quickly.

What do I do?

I mean, other than trying to rub the clothes against a rock in the backyard with one arm in an attempt to clean them?

Your suggestions are welcome ....

**  Controversy over this post warranted a further discussion which you can find by clicking here.  **

© Twenty Four At Heart

Life's Little Twists and Turns

I'll be honest, I've got a whole lot of nothing in my head right now.

Actually, I've got a whole lot in my head, but just not in bloggable form.

This is possibly because I'm exhausted.

So I'll ramble a little and who knows, maybe you'll enjoy the rambling.

Why am I exhausted?

Well, there's a few things going on.  Briefcase has been traveling nonstop.  That's nothing new, of course, but his travel has included most of the last two weekends.  It means I haven't had any down time for awhile.

There's also the whole my arm hurts like hell and I can't sleep thing.  That isn't really new either, but I've had a bad flare up lately so boo hiss on living with chronic pain.

I took two pain pills this week.  I took both of them at night (two separate nights/one pill each time) with hopes of being able to sleep.  I haven't taken any pain meds for nearly two months and it made me angry to need them.  

My increased pain level is camera-related.  

I'm not giving up photography.

Some of you have inquired, and no, I don't have a new physical therapist.  My PT days are probably over for good.

The Torturer has re-signed with Blue Cross and is taking Blue Cross patients again, by the way.

I don't feel like I can go into more detail on those last three sentences, so I'm just going to leave it at that.

My daughter is no longer in Russia, but she's still in Europe.  She's traveling on her spring break.  She's worked three jobs while going to school and is paying for her trip herself.  I may live in Orange County, but I'm not a typical Orange County parent.  If I was, she wouldn't be working three jobs and paying for her own vacations.

My apologies to the responsible parents of Orange County.  I know not all of you fit the stereotype.

There's a possibility I might be going to Cambodia in June.  It's only a maybe-thing right now, but it's directly related to 24.  It's amazing how Twenty Four At Heart keeps providing twists and turns and unexpected opportunities in my life.  I had no idea, when I began blogging, 24 would end up having such a profound affect on my life.

Do you remember, I told you I won the magic potion lotion called Youth Complex at the Plastic Surgery Party?  The company that makes Youth Complex saw my post.  They've asked me to review their product.  I don't agree to product reviews most of the time, and I do get a lot of companies requesting them.  In this case, I agreed because I'm, so far, loving (really, really, loving!) the product.

However, I agreed with the following understandings:

1.  I will be nothing but candid and honest when I do my review.

2.  They must provide product for me to give away to YOU, my readers.

A box arrived with product on Monday.

I'm going to use Youth Complex (and the eye formula which they also sent) for a couple weeks longer to get a better feel for it.  Then I will let you know what I think of it in a combination review/giveaway.  If I end up disliking the product, I imagine no one will enter the giveaway.

My house is really LOUD right now, and it makes it next to impossible to write.

I can't wait for Friday!  I hope each and every single one of you who has ever taken a photo will join in on the very first Twenty Four At Heart Photography Friday!  

Woo Hoo!

I'm so excited!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Photography Book Winner!

Happy Saturday everyone!

I ran the Random Integer Generator software program and it came up with this:

Congratulations to Liz Tee for entering the 41st comment!  Liz, please email me with the mailing address you'd like your new book sent to and I'll get it off in the mail to you as soon as possible. 

A lot of you left really good questions in the comment section of the contest post.  I realized pretty quickly I can't address all of them in one post.  

As you know, I love photography.  Many of you love it also, but I realize not all of my readers share this interest.  I've decided to try out "Photography Friday" for the next few weeks.  You can send in questions, tips, suggestions ... and I'll pick one (or more) each week to open for discussion.  It would be fun if we all could learn and share together ... everyone from beginners to more advanced photographers.  We can start with some of the questions you've already sent in.

Sound good?

For today, I thought I'd take on one of the quick questions Tami and Judi (and perhaps more of you?) asked:

My question is this: What book do you suggest for a beginner?

Personally, I think Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book, Volume 1 is awesome.  Scott writes in a very conversational, easy to follow, style.

There are also subsequent volumes for those of you who are further along in your photography knowledge.  

If you have other suggestions for a beginning photography book, feel free to leave the title in the comments section so we can share ideas.  We can also discuss some photography basics on upcoming Photography Fridays.

Congratulations again to Liz Tee on winning the landscape photography book!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Pretty Trinkets

** Today is the last day to enter to win the landscape photography book.  The winner will be announced tomorrow, Saturday.  You may enter more than once, but entries will be closed this evening at 8 p.m. Pacific Time. **

The favor bags at the Plastic Surgery Party had lots of stuff in them.  

I was delighted to find a fun little necklace in my bag.

It looks cute with the standard v-neck t-shirts I wear all the time.  It would look pretty too dressed up a bit (since I'm sure you probably dress nicer than I do).  I've worn it with a very simple white t-shirt, a brown t-shirt and even a black one.  Yes, I do spend most of my life in t-shirts.

What?

They aren't big, baggy, t-shirts - they're the fitted, slightly nicer ones.

* Ahem *

A week or two prior to the party, I was up at the plastic surgery office working on the details of the discount they've extended to all of my readers.  The staff had just gotten the necklaces in at the time.  They were getting ready to stuff the goody bags.  In the general excitement over the necklaces, they offered me one right on the spot.  It's also heart shaped.

I've worn this one even more than the first.  It has the appearance of a carved, and slightly crooked, piece of thin granite.  I love it.

Lucky me, to get two necklaces!

There was a huge assortment in the look of the necklaces.  They came in all different shapes and colors.  (Although, hearts are probably very appropriate for Twenty Four At Heart, right?)  I saw a beautiful purple necklace, a red one, and a round circle in varying brown tones. 

One of my friends got this blue one in her party bag:

 

I actually borrowed it one day to wear with jeans and ... you guessed it, a white t-shirt.

Hmmm.

Jeans, shorts, flip-flops and t-shirts.  

That's what's in my closet.

Somebody should help me with my wardrobe. 

Seriously.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Picture Perfect Giveaway!

I have so many things to share with you!

And yet ... I'm not going to.  Well, I'm not going to share them with you today.

I will soon.

Have I mentioned lately, it's absolutely beautiful in Orange County right now?

Our weather is hovering around 80F/26.6C with a little breeze.  I've been out walking a lot lately for exercise.  It's just too pretty to stay inside.

You know what I hate?  I hate when I upload beautiful photos to Twenty Four At Heart, and they no longer look beautiful because pixels are removed to make them Internet-friendly.  I really, really, hate that - how about you? 

Today I'm having a small photography-related giveaway.

If you're not interested in photography, you probably won't care about my little giveaway.  If you are?  You might be.

One of my favorite landscape photography books is the National Audobon Society Guide to Landscape Photography.  It's a stunning book with breathtaking photos and lots of great how-to information.

I bought one copy of this beautiful book to give away this week.

This is how the giveaway will work:

1.  Leave me a comment on today's post.

2.  Every comment equals one entry.

3.  You may enter as many times as you'd like.

4.  I will use the Random Integer Generator to pick the winner.

5.  The winner will be announced on SATURDAY.

6.  Entries will be closed at 8 p.m. Pacific Time this Friday, March 19th.

7.  Yes, you may enter even if you live outside of the United States.

You may leave any comment you wish, but I would love it if you left a photography-related question.  If you do, I'll try to answer as many questions as possible when I announce the winner on Saturday.  (If there are a ton of questions, I may use some for future posts/discussions.)  

For example, is there something you've been wondering when you take your photos but you've been too embarrassed to admit you don't already know?  Or maybe you have a question about a particular technique?  I certainly don't know everything about photography, but I'm happy to answer what I can.  

If you don't have a question, perhaps you have a photography tip or suggestion to share with other readers.

I so love this book!

I can't wait for one of you to win it.

Good luck ...!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Revisiting the Well Endowed Man

** If you will be in Southern California THIS THURSDAY, March 11th, and you're interested in attending the Plastic Surgery Party, you can click here for details. **

There's a saying in the Internet world, "Don't feed the trolls."

A troll is someone who stays hidden behind the anonymity of the Internet while casting stones (negative, hurtful words) at Internet writers.  If someone disagrees with a post or an opinion they're not a troll if it's done in a respectful manner.  If they spew hate, and hurt, and venom just to get attention they are.

Sometimes the term "troll" is used more loosely by bloggers to refer to anyone sending us weird shit just because they can.

I say all this, because surely someone is going to read today's post and then write and tell me I shouldn't have written it because by doing so I'm "feeding a troll."  (Giving a troll the attention he/she craves.)

I've thought about this very thing for a few days, however, in this case I don't consider the person involved to be a troll.  Also?  The story is just too funny not to share.  Lastly, the person involved in this situation isn't a regular reader so I think it's okay to share the story with all of you.

Every morning I check my email inbox just like millions of other people.  Writing Twenty Four At Heart guarantees I never know what I'll find when I do.  Last week I received an email from "just a regular guy" in England who had read my post on Well Endowed Men.

As background, I wrote that post originally strictly for the laugh factor.  It made me laugh, and I knew it would make many of you laugh.  A funny thing happened, however.  It has become one of my most widely read posts.  Tens of thousands of people all over the world have read my Well Endowed Men post.  I certainly didn't expect that to happen when I wrote it.  

In addition, I've gotten a lot of emails from people regarding its contents.  Most of them are from Well Endowed Men wanting to agree or disagree with points (ha!) made by the men interviewed.  Many of them want to share the ups and downs (ha again!) of being a Well Endowed Man with me.

These are serious, very sincere, emails I receive.  It will give you some idea of how many I've received when I tell you I've become very accustom to Well Endowed Men writing to me.

"Oh, it's another email from a Well Hung Endowed Man," I think when I open them to read.

Ho hum.  Just another day in the life of Twenty Four At Heart.

Come to think of it, maybe I should start a dating service?  Who else hears from Well Endowed Men as often as I do?

All of that being said, I was not surprised to get yet another email from a Well Endowed Man last week.  He wanted to give me feedback on my post and share with me some of his experiences as a Well Endowed Man.

He told me of experiences like neighbors and teachers and "mums good friends" pursuing him due to his ... natural assets.  Like the men I interviewed for the original post, he explained the difficulties of finding appropriate fitting clothing and condoms.

He also sent photos of himself so I could see he's just a "regular guy."  The photos were of himself, clothed.  Yes, there was a quite visible bulge in his pants, but for all I know it was a sock he stuffed in there before having someone click a few photos.

Intriguing, nonetheless.

(Oops, maybe I shouldn't have admitted written that?)

I've cropped his face out of this photo (to protect his identity) just to give you a general idea of what he was referring to.

The humor really kicked in when I took the situation to Twitter.  Honestly, the reason I love Twitter so much is because of the laughs it gives me.  People can be so witty in 140 characters or less.  

I haven't asked for permission to share tweets here so I'm going to leave the authors quoted below anonymous.  Here's a sample of some of the Twitter conversation regarding the correspondence from my Well Endowed reader.

TwentyFour:  Some guy in England just sent me an email about his 12 inch .... Why did he think I needed to hear about that?

TwentyFour:  He even sent photos of himself (clothed) to prove he's just a "regular guy"  Why, why, why??

TwentyFour:  And yes, there is a big bulge in his pants, however it might just be a SOCK.

Tweeter#1:  Or a sausage.  Sausages are big in England.

Tweeter#2:  Dude.  Ask him for a penis shot.

TwentyFour: @Tweeter#2 I hate to encourage him. I don't want him mailing me a free ticket to England. Altho it has been a long time since I visited

TwentyFour:  Visited England that is ... not a 12 incher.  That's nobody's business now is it?  : )

Tweeter#3:  What the heck are you talking about, woman?  I'm afraid to look at the thread.

TwentyFour: @Tweeter#3  You'll have to look at thread on this one.  It's an *ahem* loooooooong story.

Tweeter#4:  (A man)  Tell him to bugger off.

Tweeter#2:  Hey you're just asking for a photo of his 'little man,' it's not like you're proposing or anything.  heh.

Tweeter#5:  Email him about your bionic nipples!  They don't shrink to nothing in the pool! Lol!

Tweeter#6:  Just caught "12 incher" ... thus attracting my complete attention.

Tweeter#3:  Got it ... Apparently we are going to England to check out a dude that wants to show @TwentyFour his ample natural asset.

Tweeter#6:  If you insist. RT @Tweeter#3 We're going to England to check out dude who wants to show @TwentyFour ample natural asset.

The funny thing is ....  The women who are Tweeter#3 and Tweeter#6 have not been heard from since.  I do believe they might really be on their way to England to meet him.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Look! Look! Look!

I made myself a new header for Twenty Four At Heart this weekend.  I took the photo at Crystal Cove which is in Newport Beach.  If you're one of my subscribers I hope you'll take the time to click through your reader to see it.  

Let me know if you like it.

If you don't like it?  You can just keep your opinion to yourself.

Kidding!

But if you don't, don't worry.  I'll get bored in a few months and change it up again.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Random Like That

I've been pretty low-key, just letting my eyes rest, and staying home a lot this week.  It certainly cuts down on my blogging material when I'm not out embarrassing myself and about as much as usual.  Never fear, though, I'm seeing much better and although my eyes aren't entirely back to normal, I think life will be back to its usual craziness this weekend.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share these little snippets with you.

1.  Proving once again, I have the greatest readers in the world, it turns out (at least) one of YOU is an opthamologist.  (You know who you are!)  It is just amazing to write about a situation and have a reader reach out to me with knowledge, advise, and comfort.  It makes me love this online world even more.

2.  Proving, however, nothing is perfect ....  I found one of the strangest reader emails of my life in my Inbox this week.  Some of you people out there?  Are bizarre.  I'm still shaking my head and asking myself, "Who takes the time to write such a long, rambling, email like this to a writer on the Internet?"  The person who sent it, clearly is in need of some psychological help.  It was not from one of my regular readers.  I know my regular readers are fantastic!

3.  I ran into Trader Joe's (a market, for those of you who aren't lucky enough to have TJ's where you live) to pick up enough food for my constantly starving 14 year old son.  I debated wearing sunglasses inside the store because my eyes are still uber-sensitive to bright light.  It would not be an unusual sight to see a person with sunglasses on indoors here.  I do live in Orange County, after all.  I opted not to.  

Five minutes into my shopping trip, a total stranger looked at me and said, "Have you been crying?  Your eyes are so red!  What's wrong?"  I mumbled something about eye allergies and moved on.

But really?

What if I HAD been crying?  What if I was going through some type of tragedy?  Would I want a total stranger to approach me and ask about it?  If you saw someone in a store with red, swollen, eyes would you approach them and ask about their life?

4.  I owe a bazillion people return emails right now, I'm sorry.  I know you understand, but I feel terrible when people email me with questions, etc. and I don't get back to them in a timely manner.

5.  I no longer have a physical therapist and that makes me euphoric, frustrated and sad all at the same time.

6.  I think my treatment for my arm has reached its permanent end.  That realization also makes me euphoric, frustrated and sad all at the same time.  

7.  For the record, I think Anthem Blue Cross (part of WellPoint) is a greedy, disgusting, medical insurance company.  Our economy sucks and people are really struggling to maintain health care.  At the same time, the WellPoint CEO was discussing her million dollar plus salary, and her eight million dollars worth of stock options, in congressional hearings this week.  All the while, Blue Cross/WellPoint is raising their insurance premiums for all of us "normal" people and paying their providers, the people we depend on to take care of us, way less.

Shame on you Blue Cross!

** Hopping off my soapbox now **

8.  Since I've been stuck in the house so much lately, I find myself very bored and perusing online sites.  One of my all time favorites, is B&H for photography related stuff.  I called them the other day and spent forever talking photography with one of their sales guys.  (Honestly, their sales people are SO nice, SO knowledgeable, and gush, gush, gush!)  I feel like I can call anytime just to ask questions.

But, of course, I wasn't calling just to ask questions.  I ordered a lens on my photography-related wish list.  It should arrive today.  Guess what I'll be playing with if I can find a few spare moments this weekend?

9.  I've been shooting a few photos again in the last day or two.  I'm ecstatic and will have a few to share with you over the weekend or next week.

10.  One of the women on The Real Housewives of Orange County really is the bitch she appears to be on TV.  I bet you can guess which one.

11.  I have my first treatment scheduled with the Fat Melting Machine (I'm a "test" subject for the machine) on March 1st.  My expectation level for results is at zero, but I still think it will be an interesting experience.  I'll have details on the March 11th Plastic Surgery Party for you at the beginning of next week.  Mark your calendars!

12.  I might be watching American Idol and Tweeting while I type this, so please excuse any typos.  I feel a strong responsibility to be a Twitter Judge whenever Idol is on.  Maybe it's my extreme love for music, or maybe it's just fun to act like I know what I'm talking writing about.  In any case, I take my Twitter Idol Judging responsibilities very seriously.

13.  I could make a list like this go on for days, but I won't.  (You're welcome.)

14.  One of my readers, Queen of Chaos, called her local Cole Haan store two nights ago to inquire on my behalf about the jacket I'm searching for.  How nice is she?  They informed her, and she informed me, it will be released to stores in 2-3 weeks.

Did I mention I have the best readers in the world!?

© Twenty Four At Heart