Don't Try This At Home

Seriously. You Need to Do This.

I remember my mother telling me that when she was a little girl people used to burn the clothes of cancer victims so others wouldn't "catch" it. These days we see the absurdity of that. We've made great strides in detecting and treating cancer, but we have not eradicated it yet. We still have many questions.

Cancer, specifically melanoma, is something I worry about almost daily. I didn't wear sunscreen as a child of the 70s and 80s. I grew up longing to be that baked tan color even though I was a fish-belly-white red-head with no hope of a tan unless I developed one all-encompassing freckle. In eighth grade I went to a track meet where all the other runners were using baby oil to tan between races. Let's just say I couldn't move for four days--literally--and I still have the scars on my shoulders. As a teenager I was a life guard for three summers in a row. In college I once burned my back so badly I had strap marks for two years. Of course, they were really scars.

I've not been kind to my skin. I have "halos" around a mole or two that I need to keep an eye on. The halos, if you aren't familiar with them, are proof that I've had several severe sunburns. They are just what they sound like: white circles around a mole.

I have also known others whose lives have been changed by cancer. Their stories aren't mine to tell, but suffice it to say, things have not been easy and there were frightening moments.

Cancer is scary, but knowledge is power. My blogging friend Karen at Simply A Musing Blog is leading the charge to help us gather that knowledge. From her blog today:

Here's the deal. I have some oncologists in Texas that want you to be informed so badly, they are willing to donate some time to the cause.
They are inviting you to a question and answer right here on my blog.

Leave your cancer question and I'll do my very best to have it answered by one of these highly trained oncologists. Obviously, not every question will be able to be answered, but we will get as many as we can. I will accept questions throughout the weekend and comments will close at 9 pm central mountain time on Sunday, May 18th.

You can leave your question here or there. If you leave it here, I'll forward it to Karen. Please head over to her blog and read what she has to say today. It could save your life or that of a loved one.

Kirtsy

Have you ever noticed that my posts here and on my other blogs (Blogging Basics 101 and Bloggy Giveaways) give you the option of sk*rting an article?

Sk*rt was started about a year ago as a site similar to Digg, but aimed at women. It really took off. Then Skirt magazine ordered sk*rt to quit using the name or face the wrath of corporate lawyers. And maybe they had a point, or maybe they didn't. But the sk*rt gals changed their name anyway.

To kirtsy.

Get it? Put the 's' on the end of skirt and add a 'y'? Genius.

So now you can kirtsy my posts instead of sk*rting them.

Want to add the "kirtsy this" link to your own posts? I can tell you how to do it at Blogging Basics 101.

If you haven't tried kirtsy before, I encourage you to click over there. It's addictive. I love it--and not just because I've been on the front page a few times (thanks!). There are some great bloggers over there and they are finding some interesting articles.

Did I Mention I'm Giving Away Over $3000 Dollars Worth of Goods?

Oh yes. I am.

Today's giveaway at Bloggy Giveaways is worth over $3,000 from Dwell Studio.

What are you waiting for?

Slowing Down So I Can Ramp Up

I have been extremely busy with family matters, school activities and responsibilities, and running three blogs.

I love my blogs. They help me keep my research and writing skills sharp. Each one offers me (and its readers) something different: Blogging Basics 101 allows me to practice my technical writing skills; Bloggy Giveaways allows me to hone my organizational and promotional skills; Don't Try This at Home allows me to let it all hang out and be silly when I need to be.

Right now I am finding that BB101 and Bloggy Giveaways are really demanding more of my time than I ever thought they would--and I like it. What's killing me is trying to come up with content for Don't Try This at Home. And that's not so much fun. So I'm going to stop worrying about it.

Posting here at DTTAH may be sparse for a while. Or it may not be. I want to focus a little more on the other blogs for the next few weeks (or months, depending on how everything goes) and that may take away from my everyday posting here at DTTAH. I hope you'll keep me in your feed reader so you'll know when I've updated.

Of course, as sure as I say I'm slowing down, I'll probably have a ton to say.

May 1st is RSS Awareness Day

No matter who you are, if you blog and you want to be read consistently, you need to provide an RSS feed for your readers to subscribe to. I have several articles that explain RSS and aggregators (or feed readers) at Blogging Basics 101. I even have an article explaining exactly how to add the orange RSS button to your blog.

Daily Blog Tips is encouraging everyone to ensure they have their RSS feeds working and displayed prominently on their site. On May 1st DBT is asking everyone to discuss the importance of RSS feeds. This Daily Blog Tips article, May 1st RSS Awareness Day: Get Involved, explains exactly what they're trying to do and how you can help. There are prizes involved, people!

(This article is cross-posted at Blogging Basics 101.)

Parimps and Their Prostitots

On one side we have the pre-tweens trying to attack their teacher.
On the other side we have the mothers giving their 8yo daughters a bikini wax.

Note to parents: Start parenting and stop trying to be your kid's friend--you are messing them up big time. Quit trying to re-live your glory days through your kids--you are messing them up big time. Here's an idea: be a role model (and not in a skanky Paris Hilton kind of way or a pimp drug dealer kind of way).

You know what? I could go on and on because I'm that worked up. I think I'd rather hear what you have to say. Have at it.

I'm at 5 Minutes for Mom Today

In January the funny, hip gals at 5 Minutes for Mom approached me and asked if I'd like to do a monthly column for them on blogging. I'm all about sharing the wealth of knowledge I keep in my head. (Little do they know it's mostly movie quotes.)

This month I'm answering a few blogging etiquette questions.

Hell In A Handbasket

Seriously. Have you read this news story about the third graders in GA that planned to attack their teacher?

Bloggy Giveaways: My Latest Escapade As A Pilot Fish

Hey, have you heard? Shannon’s decided it’s time to step down from Bloggy Giveaways. Never fear, though, I am a pilot fish*. I troll behind Shannon waiting to pounce on whatever scraps she’ll leave me.

When she offered to pass Bloggy Giveaways over to me I practically choked on my Taco Bueno trying to say YES, PLEASE AND THANK YOU!

So that’s what I’ve spent this week doing: transferring files and designs and information to my account. My goal is to have a seamless change-over on Monday, March 3. I hope you’ll continue to visit Bloggy Giveaways and enter to win the fabulous giveaways. I have some great vendors and products lined up! You’re going to love it!

*The pilot fish congregates around sharks, rays, and sea turtles, where it eats ectoparasites on and leftovers around the host species. Definition from Answers.com.

The February Funk

Apparently I took a blogging break last week and didn't even plan it. Therefore, I told no one including myself. I didn't plan to not post anything besides reviews. I simply didn't feel like it. Probably because our days around here are looking like this:

 

We have entered the February Funk phase of winter. I need some sunlight, y'all. All I want to do is curl up in a ball under the covers with my cat on my legs and sleep. When I'm awake I want to eat then take a nap. I am a bear.

This week I have plans. I want to tell you about the artistic tendencies of my son when he was 18 months old. The party-planning maniac my husband is. The most amazing gift I've ever given. Where leprechauns live. I'm working on something with Shannon.

Must. Keep. Going.

It should be a much better week than last week if I can just take it a step at a time and keep moving.

It still looks the same outside.