It's Friday

Live large. Dream big. Be Fearless.

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This really just happened

You know the part in The Matrix where Morpheus takes Neo and confronts him with the truth about life and the matrix and Neo freaks out and can't breathe and blows chunks? Yeah well, the same thing kind of happened to me just now (minus the puking). See below:

Post by Anne Rice.

and this:

"Prince Lestat" in the world of the blogs: "The Fearless Scribe" weighs in. "Anne, Lestat, and Me." Thanks to... http://t.co/HGKC33kAzF
— Anne Rice (@AnneRiceAuthor) March 26, 2014

Can you believe it?? I know!! The Very Best Author in the entire world gave me a shout out. I am thankful, honored, and so very happy.

A home for my unpublished writing

Where do rejected articles and stories go? Probably the trash. Where do my rejected articles and stories go? On my blog, to die a slow, painful death. With that fabulous thought in mind I've decided to start posting pieces that I wrote in years past, shopped around, but had no takers (in other words was rejected). This first one I wrote way back when I was working for a company in New Jersey.

                Tattooed Women Need Not Apply

Tattoos have come a long way from the days of being seen on the skins of outlaw bikers, sailors, and criminals. These days everyone from high school kids, grandmothers, corporate executives and celebrities ink their bodies. Getting a tattoo has become trendy and fashionable. But for every person who proudly marks their body with colorful, permanent images, there are those who still frown upon them. The stigma related to having a tattoo remains and could be the difference between landing a job and being shown the door. It happened to a young woman I once interviewed.

Janie came in to meet with me one spring morning when my company was in need of a receptionist.  Her resume was impressive and showed no spelling or grammatical errors, which usually put me off.  Her past experience included being a receptionist for a veterinarian office. She sounded pleasant enough on the phone when I called to schedule our appointment. Nice speaking voice and polite.  So far, so good, I thought.

The morning of her interview was warm and sunny but still required a light jacket.  Janie was dressed in neat office attire topped by a nice denim jacket. I met her out front and led her to our conference room in back that doubled as a break room. We discussed the usual job interview topics. If she was nervous it didn’t show; she answered my questions easily. I liked her. But I needed her to meet my boss, the owner of the company. He was the deciding factor.

I had her wait while I went to get him. After making introductions, he sat quiet for a moment across from her and studied her resume. Then he began asking her the same routine questions.

“It says here you were a receptionist for a veterinarian office. Tell me about that.”

“I answered a multi line phone and made appointments. I transferred calls to the proper person and I took information and processed it into the computer,” Janie answered.

“Why did you leave?”

“I went back to school at nights and the hours weren’t flexible for me.”

“What are you studying?”

“Forensic Science.”

It was going very well. I felt certain this was a done deal and we had found our new receptionist.  Then, the other shoe dropped.

“What does that tattoo on your right hand stand for?” asked my boss.

Janie looked down at her hand as if someone had pricked it with a pin and instinctively started covering it with the sleeve of her jacket. I looked over at her. I was stunned. I had not noticed her tattoo of three blue stars in the area of her index and thumb fingers. I think I was as embarrassed as she was.

“I got it when I was younger,” Janie started to explain. “It stands for omnipotence. I plan to get it removed when I have some more money.”

“The impulsiveness of youth,” my boss said in a smug manner. “At least you recognize you made an error in judgment and plan to rectify it.”

 

Silence.

 “Alright, well I have no other questions,” my boss said as he rose from his chair.

Then he thanked her for coming in and said we had other candidates still to see before a decision could be made. He left the room and I walked her out. I returned to his office already knowing his thoughts and decision regarding Janie.

“So,” he began. “What was your impression?”

“She definitely has the qualifications for the job,” I replied, hoping that would change his already made up mind.

“Yes, there’s no doubt about that. But, I don’t think we want that element here.”

 I sat silent in the chair opposite from him as he continued.

“I don’t care much for people with tattoos, even though she regrets getting it and plans to have it removed.”

                       

I stayed sitting and added nothing to the conversation. I could not believe I was hearing such discrimination in this day and age. He looked at me curiously.

“What are your thoughts on tattoos?” he asked.

“Don’t ask and I won’t tell,” I replied. I looked down at my lap to where my own tattoo had been permanently inked a few weeks earlier.

“Let’s get back to finding a suitable candidate for the position,” he said.

I nodded and went back to my desk where a pile of resumes lay on top. 

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This is a true story, except for the woman's name which wasn't Janie. In fact I can't remember her name and now it's going to drive me crazy. Maybe it was Julie. Then again I don't think it started with a "J" at all. Maybe it was a "D" name like, Diana. Or maybe it was Sara?

Be yourself and be fearless

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I say be yourself and be fearless. Doing those two things makes you perfect; makes you, you. Being the best version of yourself that you know how to be can in itself be a fearless act.

An (almost) year anniversary review of the OmniPod

For those of you who don’t have diabetes or don’t have children with diabetes, please feel free to skip this post.

We’re coming up on a year since my son, Christopher, went on the OmniPod insulin pump and I thought I would write a review about it.

Quick background: Chris is 10 and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes nearly three years ago. Prior to the pump he would have to get daily injections of insulin after every meal he ate.

The decision to go on an insulin pump was a no-brainer. Wearing a small device on your body versus multiple invasive injections? Yes, please! The choice of which pump to use was just as easy.

It goes back to when we first met a representative from Insulet, the makers of the OmniPod. He showed Chris the device and demonstrated the ease of use. That’s all it took. He wanted one. I preferred this pump because it’s tubeless and we wouldn’t have to worry about the tubing getting caught on something and possibly ripping the canula out. Ouch!

You will need approval by your child’s endocrinologist to go on a pump and approval from your insurance carrier first.

The OmniPod insulin pump is a great piece of medical technology. It’s small and lightweight and goes virtually un-noticed by others when worn under clothing. 

OmniPod insulin pump - the pod attaches to the body.

What insulin pump? That’s muscle from working out!

The accompanying Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM) (which doubles as a meter to check blood sugar) also manages valuable information like basal rate, carb count, and the amount of insulin to give. With the push of a few buttons it delivers your insulin via the small pod attached to your body discreetly all while looking like a small hand-held device. Little Man works it like a cell phone pro. 

PDM (with fingerprint smudges)

My only small complaint is that the adhesive could be stickier. I’m not talking super glue tight but enough for active, sweating boys in the summer. To combat this issue we sometimes apply a liquid adhesive or use a tape dressing.

One of the best things about the OmniPod is that the pod, itself, is waterproof and can be worn in the shower or pool (perfect for us pool-worthy peeps living in the desert). The PDM, not so much.

So far, we’ve been very happy with the OmniPod. It’s given Chris more control over his diabetes and lessened the hassle that comes with all the necessary equipment needed to manage this disease.

If you would like more information about the OmniPod, go to their site - https://www.myomnipod.com/. Also, check out their blog, Suite D at http://suited.myomnipod.com/. It has advice, personal stories, and it’s where all the cool people (and fellow pod wearers) hang out and talk diabetes shop like, Olympic skier, Kris Freeman, and snowboarder, Sean Busby, to drop a few names.

Be fearless in every thing you do

We won't discuss how long it took me to design this week's fearless quote below. Let's just say I was fearless (and made liberal use of some choice curse words).

For this week's Fearless Friday:

Be fearless, be brave in every single thing you do. Whatever you've got going on, whether it's good or bad, doesn't matter. Face it. Take a breath. And be fearless.

You want to write that book? Do it. Run a marathon? Go for it. Travel half way across the world and learn to surf? Hang ten. Maybe your intentions are smaller in scale like learning to knit or, dying your hair? Go get 'em! But be fearless.

I know what you're thinking. (You want a glazed donut from Dunkin, right? No? Seriously?) This is easy for me to preach. But every time I blog I try to do it without fear. People might show up and read what I wrote. They might not. Maybe they'll like it and maybe they won't. See where I'm going with this?

Do your thing. But be fearless in every thing you do. Now let's get some donuts cuz I think we earned them.

Anne, Lestat, and Me

Today I found out that my most favorite-est author in the whole wide world has a new book coming out featuring the cooliest character ever to be written. And yes, coolest was deliberately spelled with an "i". I'm talking about Anne Rice and the October publication of a new Lestat book, called "Prince Lestat". Go, read about it here if you haven't already heard; I'll wait.

I told Bill and he said "Oh yeah?" in that I'm excited for you because I know how much this means to you way but it really sounds like a response to me telling him I bought pickles on sale. This from a guy who counted down the days until the new Halo game came out for X box.

Anyway, I once met Anne at a book signing when she came to the Barnes & Noble in my little NJ town. I went straight from work to the book store and was the 7th person on line. It was 3:30 and she was due around 6:00. As anyone who knows me knows, I'm not one for waiting and I'm not big on lines either but for something like this I can certainly muster up the patience. So I grabbed some carpet and got comfortable, which included me chatting up the people around me.

Anne was gracious and kind. She smiled as she signed books, posed for pictures, and even chatted a bit. Nothing how you'd expect the queen of vampire novels to be. When it was my turn I asked her to make it out to: Sandy and my son, Christopher.

Anne: That's my son's name.
Me: I know. Mine is only 2 months old so I'm going to put this away for him until he's old enough to read it.
Anne: How wonderful.

The book is still stored away for now. I'm waiting until Chris is a little older. I might let him watch (edited versions) of Kill Bill but I still think Anne Rice is a bit inappropriate for a 10-year old. I was at least 13 when I first read "Flowers in the Attic".

I've been a fan of Ms. Rice since the early 90s when Cindy, one of my college roomies, introduced me to the Vampire Chronicles. "You should read this series about a bad boy vampire." she said. With such a selling point, how could I refuse? So I went to the local library and took out "The Vampire Lestat". (Yes, I read them out of order, but in my defense this is how roomie referred the series to me.) "Start with Lestat's book first. It's kinda his reply to the first book, which is more about Louis." she said. Several days and 560 pages later I was hooked. I immediately took out "Interview With the Vampire". And I haven't stopped reading her books since. Thanks, Cindy, for starting me on the path to blood-sucking bliss with the Vampire Chronicles! And thanks, Anne, for writing such great literary entertainment!







  

Face your fears

What does it mean to be fearless?

Everyone has their own definition. To me, being fearless means grabbing your fear by the throat and slapping it across the face. (Perhaps I watch too many super hero movies?) But I admit, that's sometimes easier said than done. Sometimes simply making the decision to face your fears is a brave act all its own. At the very least it's a fearless step in the right direction.

Still, I think a large majority equate being fearless with doing something outrageous and possibly dangerous like jumping off a cliff in your undies. (Unless this is your way of facing your fear of heights or your fear of being seen publicly in your unmentionables, then go for it.)

Being fearless doesn't have to be a grandiose act, it should be about overcoming what scares you most. Maybe this means finally taking swimming lessons to conquer your fear of water. Maybe it means having the courage to walk away from someone or something that is no longer healthy for you. Or it could mean donning your cape and tights as you head your neighborhood crime watch because who said being fearless couldn't be fun?


I like the quote below because of the simple, yet strong message it conveys.

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Let me break it down with a movie reference. (yes, I know but please bear with me.) You can choose to be safe and sit in the corner, like Baby. Or you can get up in front of everyone and dance with Johnny. Face your fears, but above all, be fearless in your actions.
Now, where'd I put my cape?

What's in my purse: The boring edition

I came across a post (or 2, or 5) where women tell what's currently in their purse. Sounds like fun! A cute, little peek into a woman's world via her pocketbook. Oh but, I rarely carry one with me anymore. And even then, it's very un-interesting.

Some ladies carry their make-up, a fashionable cell phone case, a neat pack of tissues, and a trendy, little wallet, among other stylish purse-worthy things. *shrugs* Not me. But that wasn't always the case.

Years ago my handbag resembled a mini suitcase that carried my pertinents, and some extra things I thought I might need at any given moment. 5 pens? In case I lose one, lend one out, and the other three don't work. Datebook? So I know where I need to be at any given time. (Was that doctor appointment at 2 or 2:30?) Stamps? Because one never knows when a postcard or letter might need to be sent. A tee shirt for when a change of clothes is needed? Yep. Gum. Lip balm. Hairbrush. Yes, yes, and yes. Kitchen sink? It was all there. Except for the kitchen sink. That was in my other bag.

These days I have a mini cell phone case that holds my license, cash, and a few cards in addition to my phone. It's quick and easy and fits in my pocket. If I'm sans pockets (or the wardrobe precludes it) there's a handy strap that fits on my wrist. This is all well and good if I'm only running to the store or for a quick outing.

A purse comes into play when I'm going on somewhere that requires more than my handy-dandy little wristlet can take. This is especially the case if Chris is with me and we need to take his small diabetes pack with us. 

So what's in my purse?

Cellphone (in it's nifty case)
Lip balm
Hair tie and mini hair clip
Wads of tissues (unused of course! )
Sunglasses
Keys

That's it? Yeah, sorry to disappoint.

That's it. Perhaps I should write a post about what isn't in my purse but maybe should be? (Kitchen sink, I'm lookin' at you)