Everything I Like Causes Cancer

I really have to apologize. Good content seems to elude me these days. I don't feel well and I'm in a hermity kind of mood. I promise it will pass. I think the combination of the impending holidays and gloomy weather have taken their toll on me already. I'll work it out.

In the meantime, congratulations to LM who correctly named the song title and artist of two posts to become the Week 2 winner!

This is typically where and when you would find “Survivor Chat”, but as I said earlier today, this has been one of those weeks where there just isn’t enough time to get it all done. I didn’t get home last night until 8:30 and spent what was left of my evening reading all of the anony-posts (thanks 3carnations for the new word!) and leaving comments. I have not abandoned this week’s Chat - it has only been postponed until Saturday because I really want to talk about Blog Share. Come back tomorrow for the dish.

First I want to thank -R- from And You Know What Else for conceiving and giving birth to Blog Share. It was fantastic. By founding this project, -R- gave us a place to share things we wouldn’t normally – she gave us a place to shout in an unfamiliar voice. Thanks, -R-!

I tried to read and comment on every post, but technology wasn’t always cooperative. Some of the posts were moving. Some were raw. Many were funny. I read about biological clocks, body image issues, the lasting effects of emotional and physical trauma, physical ailments, "H" + "edonism", and stories of triumph over hardship. We vented about friends, family, and spouses. We shared things we won’t write about “at home” because certain people read us. I read about hairy toes, anger, and heartbreak. I laughed, I cried . . . each of you became a part of me.

I was humbled by the writing skill of my co-participants. I was moved by the comments. I could tell I wasn’t the only one riding the circuit yesterday and without fail the comments were kind, positive, and included messages of hope and support. The Blogosphere is an amazing community and I am proud to be a part of it. Y’all give me the warm fuzzies!

As a participant I can say that the freedom offered by the anonymity was cathartic. I hope we do it again despite the problems with maintaining anonymity. It seemed that there were many who didn’t participate this time that wanted to next time. Maybe if the blogroll of participants is significantly longer it would be impossible for the Nosy Parkers of the world to ruin it.

And finally, I have a crush on the gal who was my anony-poster. She and I exchanged emails and I was smitten immediately. She is a sweet and funny gal. I was thrilled when she wanted to play along with my silly NaBloPoMo contest, but I was even more impressed when her song-lyric post title was so outstanding. Plus? The little stinker broke all standing records on my site – comments, visitors. She’s welcome to vent her secrets here anytime.

My Dear Readers: The following post is part of Blog Share 2007. A bunch of us (see list, top sidebar) have switched blogs today so that we can write about topics that we wouldn't normally. The three of you be nice to our guest. She even played along and chose her own song lyric post title. We like her already. Gwen, out.

So remember how I said I was going shopping for a new desk chair? I got one! I got a really nice one. I left the house with a spending limit of $100 and the knowledge that The Right Chair could make me spend more. This one did. It is extremely comfortable so I will no longer crippled by the hours I spend blogging and reading I Can Has Cheezburger.

I went to Big Lots first. Always check there first because you never know what they are going to have at any given time. And when you can find what you are looking for? Always cheaper.

Anyway, Big Lots had a pretty good chair and it was under $100, but I knew I could do better. After setting up a highly scientific experiment (leaving my full cart in the aisle at Big Lots with the intention of coming back later to see if it was still there - it was) I went down the street to Office Depot where I found The Throne. The Throne is leather, is comfortable, and isn't too big for my tiny antique desk. The two pieces don't exactly match but my sciatica doesn't care about matching.

I also picked up a couple cat beds for The Boys. As soon as I took the tags off this one, Max was in it and sawing logs. This wasn't even the one I intended for him - it's the smaller of the two that I bought. He barely fits in it, but since I haven't been able to get him out of it I guess he doesn't mind.

Are we ever really who we say we are? In face-to-face relationships? On our blogs? Probably not. Is there any one person who knows everything there is to know about you? EVERYTHING? Not likely.

But -R- over at And You Know What Else recently proposed that we all switch blogs for a day so we can tell secrets. I had to think about it overnight but finally came to the conclusion that I don't want to miss an opportunity to write about something I wouldn't likely ever reveal here.

Sorry, you guys won't get to read my secret - it's all anonymous. On Thursday this week (the 15th) another blogger will be posting here while I post my secret(s) on his/her site. I still haven't decided what I am going to write but it's been fun mulling over all of the possibilities.

In the meantime, enjoy the pictures from Sunday (top of the sidebar), read all about this past week's contest (below), enter this week's contest, and spend some time thinking about your own secrets.

If this post wasn't a Contest Post, you'd see the title "Here's What Other People Did While I Sat On The Couch And Ate Candy" up there since 54% of you said that's what you want me to call the weekly Amazing Race wrap-up post. We love it when you voice your opinion here, so thanks!

On to the wrap-up . . .

From last week's pitstop in County Galway the teams flew 600 miles to Amsterdam. Once there they took a train to Amsterdam's Centraal Station. Each team then searched the canals for the Melkmeisjesbrug Bridge where they found the next clue.

The clues sent the teams to the next Detour where the choice of tasks was "Hoist It" or "Hunt It." In Hoist It the teams had to secure and raise 5 items into a second-story window. In Hunt It the teams had to search through thousands of bikes to find two particular bikes and then ride them 5 miles to the next clue. Lorena and Jason kicked butt in the Hoist It. They pretty much kicked butt the whole episode. BTW, why did TK and Rachel struggle so long when they could switch places?

Anyway, the next clue put the teams on buses to Ransdorp where they searched a marked field for the cluebox. Inside the cluebox was a Roadblock which had one member of each team pole-vaulting a swampy ditch, or ditchvaulting. Once again Lorena and Jason made it look easy. And just in case you had your head in the fridge during this scene, here's a picture of Grampy Donald in his skivvies.


Because every good show has a hairy, muddy, naked grandpa.

From the bog, the teams rode dutch cargo bikes called a bakfeits through the countryside looking for drop-off points along the way to the pitstop at the Durgerdam Yacht Club. The teams arrived at the pitstop as follows:

1. Lorena and Jason - prize = sportbikes
2. Nate and Jen
3. Shana and Jennifer
4. Kynt and Vyxsin
5. Azaria and Hendekea
6. TK and Rachel
7. Marianna and Julia
8. Nicholas and Donald
9. Ronald and Christine

Kate and Pat, the lesbian ministers, came in last place. It was an elimination round.

Of note this week:

• OMG Ron is such an arrogant prick. How is it that Christina isn't damaged and is, in fact, extremely patient with him? His constant blathering and criticism wears me out and I'm only exposed to a fraction of what she withstands. The worst part is that he has no clue how egotistical and mouthy he is. At one point he said that as a salesman his philosophy was to be very polite. Really? The man is del.u.sion.al.
• New bullet, same topic: Ron. Direct quotes from him to Christina include, "I could have done better" and "You need to lose some weight." I bet her mother hopes he dies on this trip.
• My favorite quote from the episode was after the ditchvaulting, "Man, you smell like poop." I think TK said it to Rachel but I'm not certain.

ABOUT ME 21-30

1. I was adopted by my step-dad when I was in 5th grade.
2. I refuse to see the movie Titanic.
3. My favorite Food Network star is Alton Brown.
4. I once streaked from my dorm to Hi-Fashion Beauty College and back, which is about five blocks one way.
5. My earlobes are detached.
6. I once threw my own surprise birthday party.
7. I miss Arrested Development. And Joan of Arcadia.
8. If I could be anything I wanted, I would be an entertainer.
9. My house is an Arts and Crafts bungalow.
10. As a kid I had a Fat Albert lunch box.