Hawt Hooker Heels Contest! Vote now!

Okay, had some GREAT pictures come in, but not as many participants as I had hoped. Maybe you all really just are afraid to show your wild side? Or is that the prize is just too lame? Or is it that you all are really uptight gals with nothing but ballet flats in your closet? No matter the reason, I still love and adore you - prudes and all!

So...... let the voting begin!
Here is how it works. I don't want any anyone to see how the voting is progressing because I think it tends to "sway" minds. So PLEASE email me: melissa.catmull@yahoo.com with the exhibit letter that gets your vote. I am also leaving off names and have cropped faces, I mean Tib, has cropped faces off the pictures to protect the innocent, I mean keep, it anonymous.

The voting will continue until midnight March 28th. At that time, I will calculate and name the WINNER! You can vote as often as you want, you can link over here and encourage your friends to vote. I'm hoping to get my "hits" number to a never-before-seen amount!!!

So here are the contenders..........
Exhibit A: A sexy pair of plum heels. Which are sexier, the legs or the shoes? WootWoot!

Exhibit B:WOW - The straps are impressive!

Exhibit C: Gold goes with just about anything girls!

Exhibit D: It takes balance and coordination for these bad boys!

Exhibit E:These are DEFINITELY not made for walking. Just posing pretty.Same heels, new angle. Head rush!!


Exhibit F: There are no words really. I guess these come in handy for those winter nights walking the streets.....

Exhibit G:


Again, feel free to vote as many times as you want, just indicate which exhibit, gets your call. Feel free to link on your page to encourage more voting!

And thanks gals for participating - you all = F.U.N!!

It's a book party! I mean book signing!!

The much anticipated book is OUT and there is a fun book signing you will definitely want to include in your Saturday outings.
Get the deets here.

Since I have designated myself her personal signing assistant and book pimp, I will be there to make sure she has her diet coke and chocolate. So really, you could meet TWO cool people.
Just sayin........

Slang Gang Word of the Day

Facebookemon

The term used for the collection of people, on your Facebook friends list, that you don't actually talk to or know in real life. Related to popular TV program and game Pokemon, where the aim is to collect as many different Pocket Monsters as possible.

Dave - "Hey, my friends collection is getting up to two hundred"

Steve - "How many do you really know? go admit it, most of them are Facebookemon"

John - "Gotta catch em all, gotta catch em all"

Spiritual Sunday

A final thought that is taking new meaning and will be a part of my daily life.

"Come what may, and love it."
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

A weekend of random ramblings.....

Started Saturday morning off with an 8 mile run and 90 minutes of lifting. Amazing how mind clearing a run can be and yet how many more questions one can come up with.

Everything will be okay.
What are we going to find out April 6th?

Splenda is so remarkable, he's handling this so well.
What if he's not and just can't let it show?

I need to be a nicer wife.
Why do I have to get irritated so easily?

I hope the baby didn't wake up when I left.
Will Tuffy remember he agreed to watch her?

Splenda is actually pretty healthy, this has to be very slowly progressing.
What if it's not?

Why is it so much colder outside at 6:30am than 5:30?
Am I really ready for a half-marathan?
Could I really run another hour straight?

3 hours and a body full of sore and fatigued muscles later, I am feeling hopeful and happy. There is something to be said for exercise and depression. Seriously. Give it a try if you don't already.

Sissy and I spent the morning together. We first hit up the Aquarium. It's a fun little place that she can run around and climb up to see all kinds of different fish and marine life. Her favorites are the sharks and the jellyfish. A hour staring at fish tanks, and $20.00 later in the gift shop and she is one happy little girl.



Of course, a day out with Mimi is never complete without a trip to McSlop shop. She has a new fascination for dipping her fries and chicken nuggats in her chocolate milk.


Huh? Whatev - she at least ate them and after getting lost in the massive playland tunnel, we had to call it a morning.


Had dinner with some good BFF's that night at Texas Roadhouse. Did you know you can just ask for some rolls to go and they give them to you?! No charge?! Sweeeeeet! that means we can drop some off to the sick Shark for a nice get-better prize.

Sunday morning dawned bright and too darn early. Really! With Splenda and Tuffy out the door at 7:30 for early morning Priesthood meeting, that means me and Sissy getting ready all on our own. YIKES!! We went flying in skidding sideways before the opening hymn. Yeah us!
Today was the farewell of one of Splenda's boys - he's going to India! His particular area happens to include one of the worst slums. All I could think about is Slumdog Millionaire. The boy is in for an adventure!
It was also the homecoming of one of our oldest son's really good friends. These boys grew up together, hung out and though went different directions, stayed friends and in touch. C came to hear him and it was so nice to have all 4 of us there. Just missing Elder L! Isn't is amazing to see how these boys/men change in the 2 years that they are gone? Crap! It is just remarkable! Thinking of Elder L......

Sunday night was Birthday Celebration continued..... Sissy's was last Monday, her Daddy's is Tuesday so we threw a little combined celebration with all the fam coming over for cake and ice-cream. And when I say all the fam, I mean ALL THE FAM! My mom and siblings, spouses and children. Splenda's mom, siblings, spouses and children. My house just ain't that big. I think bodies were scattered in every room of the house. LOVE IT!! LOVE IT!! LOVE IT!! Nothing like fam right? Although, not gonna lie, the noise level was a tich out of control. Especiall when Tuffy started in on the drums and the two extra dogs came for a visit. You've seen the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding? You get the idea.








Had time to process lots of my thoughts about Splenda's diagnosis. First of all, my heart hurts for him. He is ultimately the one facing this and it's hard. Second, I like to think I am a positive thinker and try to look at the bright side, but I am also a realist. It's been a little frustrating with some of the different reactions. I understand everyone reacts differently, but sometimes, others attempts at downplaying the severity, or suggesting miracles, or trying to find loopholes, while I appreciate their good intentions, do nothing other than invalidate our feelings right now. Splenda and I took some time to talk about just that tonight. And we both agree, love the positive thinking, love the expressions of concern and offer of prayers and good thoughts. It means the world to us. Also, love when someone just simply validates that this sucks. 'Nuff said. Just sucks.

I think we are ready to face the next week. We have a while to wait until we meet with the doctor and get more information and proceed with the next steps. Until then, we just go on. Life keeps moving forward and you just have to make the most of every single day.

Things learned over the past two days?
1. Never take life for granted. You really just don't ever know.
2. Research is good, you get lots of helful information, but on the other hand it can also be very disheartening and discouraging. Sometimes you have to back away from the google.
3. Don't make carrot cake from a box mix. It's just not that good. Spend the money and get it from Costo.
4. And finally, Splenda is my hero, my best friend and my one true love. I will literally do anything I can to make this easier for him.

And with that, here's to another week.........

Wha??? Why??? Waaahhhhh!!

Yeah, not so good of a day after all. In fact, still trying to grasp the situation and keep my emotions in control.

Here's the scoop. Splenda's dad died back in 1996 or maybe 1995 quite suddenly. Got ill, and within a matter of days, ended up on life support which the family had to remove. Never quite clear what the issue was so an autopsy was performed. The diagnosis? Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis. A somewhat vague disease but basically, the lung cells harden and scar up thus diminishing lung capacity until completely gone. Sure, there are more accurate technical terms but from our research, this is the easiest way to describe it.

A couple of weeks ago, Splenda's brother sent an email to all his siblings telling them that he was having some shortness of breath, was working with a pulmonologist and investigating the diagnosis of IPF and the genetic familial ties. He provided some information and urged every sibling to get some baseline testing.

Working in the medical field as I do, I have access to know who the best doctors are here in the state and have connections to get myself or my family in when normally practices are closed or are limited. With that, we luckily got Splenda in with the chief of Pulmonolgy at our HUGE Mother Ship of a facility/hospital. They ran some standard tests such as a chest xray, breathing tests, blood tests, and lung capacity work ups. We then waited for the doctor to come in and explain it all to us.

I'm not gonna lie, I felt really calm. I really felt like Splenda has always inherited more of his Mom's side of the gene pool and that he wouldn't have any issues, that he was going to get the all clear.

I.Was.Wrong.

Instead we were informed that there was a spot on the chest xray that indicated IPF. That his lung capacity showed that he was 25% under what he should be for a man of his age, weight, height and physical fitness. He ordered a CT scan for right then and then told us to come back after the scan. It didn't take long and we were back in his exam room. He laid out the diagnosis. Yes, Splenda you have IPF. You are in the early stages, the CT scan will give us more information, I won't have the final results for another week since I will be out of town. We will get back together then and discuss the next steps. We would like you to get involved in a study up at the U, where they are researching genetic familial IPF. It is consecutive generations, so now my sons are at risk.

Okay, wow. Um, where to start with the questions?

1. Anything we can do to stop this or cure it? Is there anything that will make it worse? Or better?
A. Nope. No cure. Exercise won't make it better, it won't make it worse, but it's good for you, so do it. There are treatments when you get to the advanced stages such as steroids, oxygen and chemo-like medications. On bad air days, you are now in the group of people who need to be indoors. Avoid dust or other chemicals that can get into your lungs that can make it advance quicker.

2. When should our boys be evaluated?
A. About age 30. Knowing any sooner isn't going to do help anything. Except advise them to avoid smoking and exposure to second hand smoke.

3. What are some options?
A. If your siblings all test positive, then yes everyone should be involved in the research to help find a treatment and/or cure. Maybe in your lifetime that will be achieved, certainly hope in your children's lifetime that will be a reality. If your siblings do not test positive, then we will do a lung biopsy on you to determine the exact kind of IPF we are dealing with.

4. What if the CT comes back negative?
A. Not likely, but that fact that you've lost 25% indicates something, we will still follow up with you. If it comes back the way I think it's gonna come back, we'll monitor you every six months. We have a new physician coming on board who is specifically dealing with this and will be heavily involved in research so we can keep you here rather than sending you to the U.

4.. So should I expect the same as my Dad? Age 66?
A. Mid 50's to mid 60's

OW - he just laid out a life expectancy. Splenda is 46, that means 10 -20 more years is all? OWWWWW! Heart is hurting. Chest pain coming on from anxiety and eyes welling with tears. Okay, choke it back. Remain professional, you are in a clinic with people who know you very well professionally.

Our doc, gave us some literature to read, his card and another appointment is really the best in the valley. I trust him implicitly.

I think I am in a dream. We stumble through lunch and come home. I should be working but instead find myself looking up everything I can get my hands on about this disease.

Splenda jokes that he has a 1 million dollar life insurance policy. I am not laughing. Reality hits that this will now be a pre-existing condition for the rest of his life, which will affect insurance coverage. Weird how stupid things like that enter your mind.

Splenda jokes that at least he doesn't have to worry about his cholesterol anymore. I am not laughing.

Splenda jokes that with his time left he's not gonna be a Splenda Daddy anymore. He's gonna be a full Sugar Dadday. I am not laughing.

All of a sudden 10 - 20 years seems like not very much at all. I realize things could be SO MUCH WORSE. And that there are other folks out there dealing with health issues much more dire than this, but not gonna lie, quite freaked out.

Looking forward to a nice run in the early morning where I can think, process and work this through for myself. And then rather than look at socks tossed on the floor, or hangers put on the rack backwards, or countertops not wiped down, instead I will look at my very best friend in the whole world and enjoy him. Laugh every chance we get and focus on doing what we can to help find a cure for future generation.

With that, I'm off to bed. Gotta an early wake up run calling my name......

Slang Gang Word of the Day

Lehman Sisters

Wives/girlfriends of recently-orphaned Lehman Brothers executives who bond to share their collective, unexpected fall down the socio-economic ladder.

Amanda and Jane are now the Lehman Sisters 'cause the Devil took away their Prada when their boyfriends lost their jobs on Wall Street.

Now THAT'S funny!