| A gentle reminder |
[Jun. 25th, 2009|09:45 pm] |
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I no longer post here on Eljay, but I am active on Facebook. Feel free to friend me there. Rochelle Myers. (My user photo is me with Colin at the dining room table with a red background.) |
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| Exploring the rest of the social web... |
[Jan. 1st, 2009|09:19 pm] |
It seems like a maximum density of people have moved to or started Facebooks recently. (I knew I was in trouble when my brother asked if I was on there.) I'm there now.
I'm also on Twitter nowadays. http://twitter.com/malawry
Haven't decided if I'm sticking around either yet, but there it is. |
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| ATTN: Fellow BSG Nerds |
[Dec. 13th, 2008|02:48 pm] |
Did you know there are webisodes airing online now? These are leading up to the return of Battlestar Galactica in January. (They did this before the last season, too.)
See the first installment here:
http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/
*bounce* |
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| Malawry in NY! |
[Nov. 15th, 2008|02:27 pm] |
I haven't been back to NY since early 2002. But I'm going now!
I'm planning a solo trip Dec. 8-11. I'm planning to take the Megabus in.
Where shall I stay? What shall I do? Budget is important, I'd rather spend my money on food than lodging. |
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| Dr. Colin |
[Nov. 15th, 2008|09:28 am] |
Last night, Dr. Colin paid his first house call. He insisted Grandma lay down on the floor in the basement. He asked something about her pants (!) to which she said no, so he inspected her tummy instead. He put a wooden spoon he plays with on it and studied it carefully. Then he moved the spoon to her chin and looked at her mouth intently. He declared she was ok, then insisted she take a turn inspecting him.
He revisited this morning, only today I was the patient. (I guess because I'm still recovering from my surgery?) He checked out my tummy thoroughly with the spoon, asking me if I've been eating lots of ice cream (I do have the tummy of an ice cream lover after all) while he poked around. Then he moved the spoon to my chin and asked me to say "ahhhh." He tried to put the spoon in my mouth, but we stopped him. Dr. Mommy took a turn with Colin the patient afterwards, because turnabout is fair play.
While E. is technically Dr. E., and Grandma is technically Dr. Grandma, it's a relief to have Dr. Colin Jones as our only M.D. in the family. |
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| More on the Political Process |
[Nov. 6th, 2008|08:32 pm] |
In 1996, I voted for Clinton's second term. I'd turned 18 a few weeks after election day in 1992 and so hadn't been able to support his first term. I had been more excited about him in 92 than I was in 96, but Clinton seemed like a no-brainer of a vote. I didn't bother even looking into Dole's positions.
In 2000, I voted for Nader. I did not expect Nader to actually win, nor did I think he would actually be a good president. However, his positions were closer to mine than Gore's or Bush's, and I lived in a state that would (and did) easily go for Gore. (Maryland is heavily Democratic.) As I am now older and hopefully a little more sophisticated about politics, I see that who is president really matters a great deal, and that it's far more important to do the best I can with a Democratic candidate than it is to pursue a third-party agenda.
I was bitterly, bitterly disappointed by Bush's illegitimate claim to the white house. I did not feel culpable (if I'd lived in Florida or another swing state, I never would have voted for Nader) but I did feel angry. I vowed to get involved next time.
In 2004, I donated to the Howard Dean campaign, and I attended a Dean rally at UMD. I was inspired by Dean's message and wanted to be involved in his efforts. Then he gave that full-throated squawk after losing an early primary battle, and my respect for Dr. Dean fizzled. I decided to wait until somebody won the nomination before supporting another Democratic candidate. When Kerry won, I did give him some money, and I volunteered for him--but not that extensively. I was fine with Kerry, but I wasn't excited by him. I could tell things were not going to go his way on election night, and we left before Bush was called as winner of the election.
I was even more bitterly disappointed in 2004 for two reasons:
1. I'd personally invested in the process, instead of just casting a ballot. It's hard when you've been working with your neighbors and friends for something you care about and it fails.
2. I couldn't believe Bush was legitimately elected for a second term. Were the American people totally not paying attention? Plenty of Bush's scandals had already broken by 2004. It was like Nixon getting elected for a second term after the Watergate break-in, as far as I was concerned. I didn't understand Bush's appeal (still don't really) and I felt disconnected from my fellow citizens because of it.
In 2008, I was interested in Obama's campaign, but I didn't commit any financial, personal or emotional investment to his candidacy until close to when West Virginia held its primary. I was ok with Clinton but was much more interested in Obama. When Obama sewed up the nomination at long last, I wanted to get involved, but other things in my life seemed more important at that time (finishing radiation therapy, summer travel, then starting a new part-time job).
About 6 weeks ago, I realized a few essential things:
1. I had become so captivated by the idea of an Obama presidency that I wanted to feel like I owned his success if he won.
2. While he seemed to have more money than God in his campaign chest, his ability to win clearly hinged on raising enough to totally snow McCain on his own home turf of states like Virginia and Indiana.
3. I live very close to two swing states, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
4. While McCain had previously been one of my favorite Republicans, his pick of Palin went beyond "Maverick" and well into the category of "Idiotic." His campaign message was getting more hateful, and Palin's willingness to tolerate the rabid attitude of some of her supporters made me frightened of what might happen if McCain won and then passed away. I was unlikely to support McCain to begin with, but I actually started dreading the idea of a McCain presidency--and especially a Palin vice-presidency.
I donated to the Obama campaign, and I started driving to Virginia to volunteer for the Obama campaign whenever I had a day off. I worked out of the Winchester, VA office a few times, mostly calling those over age 60 (it was daytime so those were the only voters likely to be home) and addressing envelopes. I donated a return address rubber stamp to the Winchester office because we were having to hand-write the return addresses on our mailings and I thought that was silly.
When the weekend before the election arrived, we spent several hours on Sunday at the Obama office in Leesburg, VA, making phone calls and compiling canvasser packets. The office was completely mobbed. Everybody there was so nice and so committed, and almost all the volunteers had never before been involved in a campaign. When I reached a voter on the phone who planned to support Obama, I thanked them with all the sincerity I could muster. Every singer voter was so important in that state and I wanted them to know how much their votes for Obama mattered. I also called people who had already said they would support Obama to ask them to come volunteer for the campaign.
I returned to the Leesburg office on Monday, and E. took off Tuesday and spent the day in Loudoun County helping get out the vote. We went to the Loudoun County Democratic Party election watch party that night to watch results come in. (We don't have television and wanted network news rather than internet as our primary resource for results.)
I still can't believe that we did it. I am so glad I donated and that I got involved. I'm feeling so much pride and patriotism right now that I think tomorrow morning my hair might turn red, white and blue. Not only is Obama going to be our next president, I personally helped to put him there--with my vote, my money, my time, my energy, my passion. That's how this whole process is supposed to work.
I have been like a crack monkey hitting the reload button on sites like nytimes.com for months now, and I'm glad to move on now. Here's my next political goal:
I figure I have 8 years to figure out a way into the Obama white house. What do you think is my best approach? :) |
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| YES WE DID |
[Nov. 5th, 2008|12:25 am] |
The many volunteering trips I undertook over the last few weeks to Virginia prove it:
We all owned this election
One person can make a difference
We all have a responsibility to our country
And we all own the process.
Welcome to Real America, bitches. |
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| Colin's First Real Halloween |
[Oct. 31st, 2008|08:47 pm] |
On Colin's first Halloween, he wore a Halloween onesie and hung out with me in the living room, nursing occasionally between doorbell rings.
On Colin's second Halloween, he dressed as Winnie the Pooh and participated in the parade and a party in his classroom at daycare, but he clearly didn't get the whole thing. We spent the evening in the living room again. I was ill from chemotherapy.
( This year was Colin's first REAL Halloween. And it was a GOOD Halloween! )
I suppose this is a sneak peek of how Christmas with my MIL will be, and then his birthday a few months later. I think he held it together pretty well with all the overstimulation and sugar intake, all things considered. I'm glad to have a reasonably well-behaved kid. I'm also glad he was so into this holiday--for the first time ever. |
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| Last FM vs Pandora |
[Oct. 25th, 2008|02:39 pm] |
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Do you use one for your music? Which one and why? |
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| Voter Registration |
[Sep. 15th, 2008|10:24 am] |
In my world, you don't get to bitch about politics unless you cast a vote. Since bitching about politics is a serious hobby in my house--somewhere in between eating and reading (and we really like to eat and read around here)--I take voting rather seriously.
If you're not sure if you are registered to vote in the November election, RIGHT NOW is your opportunity to resolve that issue. Call your local board of elections to verify that you are on the rolls. Some people can verify their registration at voteforchange.com ...but I wasn't listed there, and I had to call to verify (even though I voted in the WV primary). Remember that registrations normally expire if you don't vote for several election cycles. If you are in Jefferson County, WV, the number to call is 304-728-3386. If you already know you need to register and you are in Jefferson County, WV, you can go here: http://jeffersoncountyclerkwv.com/voter_registration.html#registring%20to%20vote to print out an application you can mail in.
Do it. Do it now before you forget about it. Our future depends on it! |
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| I Am Responsible For My Own Fate |
[Sep. 1st, 2008|09:06 pm] |
I was talking to somebody recently about a nearly-fatal flaw that happened in a work context. This person (who meant well) said something about how it wasn't fated to turn out the way I wanted it to. I immediately responded that I screwed up and I accept full responsibility for my errors. I don't blame God or figure events were predestined, because IMO that's absolving myself of responsibility for my situation. Hopefully said person understood where I was coming from and that I wasn't trying to attack them, but comments about fate or God's will really get my goat. (And if you think they get my goat, you should see how E. reacts to them...)
To extrapolate to the big story in my life this past year-plus: I got cancer because I have a genetic anomaly. I didn't get it because I was personally responsible (i.e. because of lifestyle choices), and I didn't get it because God wanted to give me a trial. I got better because of medical advances in treatment, because I am young, and because I am lucky (as in, I benefited from chance). I did not get better because God willed me to health, or because I was meant to be here for a larger purpose, or because my life was predestined to go through this horrible experience. If I'm here for a larger purpose, it's up to me to decide on that purpose and go pursue it; it's not a purpose designated by anybody or anything else.
Did I pray when I was sick? Yes, I did. But I did not pray for God to make me better. I prayed for God to give me the resilience to fight cancer, and for the strength to be here for my husband and young son even in my darkest hours. To me, God is there for support and strength, not as a puppetmaster or a designer of some grand plan. I prayed to God in the same way I asked my friends and family for support, and everybody delivered. God didn't make people step up, people made people step up. Asking God for help gave me peace. That's what God is there for, in my book.
I could have chosen to avoid treatment, pretend the lump in my breast didn't exist, assume that fate or God would decide what happened to me. Perhaps I would have somehow recovered on my own, but more likely the cancer would have spread and ultimately killed me. If either happened, it wouldn't have been God or fate who healed me or stood by as I died. It would have been my own choices, my own genetic mutations, my own body, randomness and chance that took care of things one way or the other.
You may believe that God really does control all of these things, or that fate has predetermined how you will live your life. Personally, I draw a strong sense of morality and inner strength from owning my life. I make choices and live with the consequences and sometimes, yeah, those consequences aren't pretty. But they are mine and mine alone. I am responsible for my own fate. |
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| Because I love myself |
[Aug. 25th, 2008|04:44 pm] |
I am buying myself nice woman-tailored chef jackets. Ones that hopefully won't suck.
I totally ruined the jackets I bought myself while in c-school. I didn't know how to keep a jacket clean by, say, not leaning against a big pot of veal stock that has soot on the exterior. Or, say, deep-cleaning without a dishwasher's apron. There is no eliminating the black crap on both sides of the plackets of each of those three jackets. Besides, while having my name embroidered on them is FTW, adding the line "L'academie de Cuisine" below my name is FTL.
I bought myself an enormous jacket when I was pregnant, and that's the only jacket I've worn since then. It does not have my name on it. I wear it every time I teach or cater, usually putting it on just before guests or students show up and taking it off as I pack out at the end of the night. I do not wear it while prepping, preferring to wear a t-shirt capped by a bib apron. I've had this maternity-via-xxxl-sizing jacket as my sole "dress" jacket for 3 years now. I have managed to prevent any stains on it, as I know how to work clean now. But it's still not working for me.
After this season's work, I figure I'm worth dropping some dough on some decent jackets. I ordered three different woman-tailored chef jackets from www.chefwear.com and I cannot wait to try them on. The plan is to settle on which I like best, return the ones I dislike, and get another 2 of the one I do like. Then I'll take them someplace local to have them embroidered. I'm giddy with anticipation.
What, if anything, should I have embroidered on there in addition to my name? Should it be "Chef Rochelle Myers" or just "Rochelle Myers"? Should I add my business name underneath? (Not all the work I do while wearing a jacket is under the aegis of my business, but all of my work is supposed to ultimately support my business in that it all helps me build awareness.) And what color should the embroidery be? (I am a classicist in that the jackets will have to be white.) |
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| Wow, this weekend sucked |
[Aug. 24th, 2008|08:32 pm] |
Friday started normally enough. We picked up the Colin and went out for sushi (yeah, he eats sushi) before coming home and crashing on the couch with some Mad Men. I put Colin to bed as usual, but he woke up and whined a few times before we retired which is unusual but not unheard of. I figured if I left him alone to put himself back down he'd eventually stop waking up and whining, which is how it usually works out.
( Usually, you say? )
This afternoon, I started the process of migrating from Yahoo mail, where I've held an account for over a decade (!), over to Gmail. E. did this recently with success and helped me get started. I'd been sending emails over for maybe all of 20 minutes when my Yahoo mail seized up. And it's still inaccessible, many many hours later. I've chatted with three Yahoo customer care reps about it and it's been remanded to Engineering to figure out, but I suspect those people aren't around much on Sunday nights. I am PISSED OFF about it. I HATE not being able to get into my email. And it's pretty much the capper to a rather poopy weekend. Grrrr. |
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| Our evening |
[Aug. 8th, 2008|10:22 pm] |
E: "We might be the only family in America who just went from watching John Adams to Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay."
(Colin was asleep for the second part of our double feature, thankyouverymuch.) |
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| Bad Idea Genes, and Things I No Longer Believe |
[Aug. 4th, 2008|03:31 pm] |
So, apparently I am positive for the BRCA-1 genetic mutation. So I'm at high risk for ovarian cancer on top of an 87% risk for breast cancer. (Uh, glad I already got the breast cancer out of the way? Is that what I'm supposed to say?)
No more babies here.
I fully expected this (a negative BRCA test would have been a big shocker, actually), but it's still a bit of a bummer.
I no longer believe the following:
1. That farmers are in any way unsophisticated or non-intellectual. I know way more farmers now than I ever did growing up in comparatively agrarian North Carolina. Every one of them brings a passion and a curiosity about the natural world that informs their work as well as their approach to life. I met someone in NC a couple weeks ago who referred to herself as just a "dumb country girl" because she grew up on a tobacco farm. I was baffled by her self-characterization.
2. That I am not an adult. I became an adult when not when I bought a house, not when I married, not when I became a mother, but when I was diagnosed.
3. That I am very different from other (especially my) parents. I'm just not. I am better in some ways, maybe worse in others, but it's not really all that different when you get right down to it.
4. That people who present a public face when it comes to personal political beliefs are superior to the rest of us. Even if I agree with them, I don't necessarily think they're superior because of those choices.
5. That kid stuff is uncool. Kid stuff is the coolest of all. |
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| What does Elmo want to know? |
[Jul. 12th, 2008|08:38 pm] |
We bought Colin an Elmo toy cell phone for the car trip this summer. He wants to play with it every time he gets in the car, and we've gotten used to hearing it chirp and sing and giggle with that unmistakable cute-but-thwapworthy Elmo voice.
One thing it often says is, "Elmo wants to know..." E. and I have been coming up with a list of what Elmo wants to know:
Have you checked the children?
What are you wearing?
A/S/L?
How do you cure schizophrenia? (Colin keeps hitting it over and over again so it stammers, "ElmoElmoElmoElmo wants to know...")
What else does Elmo want to know? Comment here, svp. |
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