Result

Well, my test results were supposed to be in yesterday, so I called the office only to find my doctor is on vacation!  For heaven's sake, who approved that, when I am waiting for my results?

Anyway, the nurse could tell I was kind of anxious, and basically told me without telling me that my blood test showed that I do not have a thyroid problem.  That's kind of a relief, but that means I still don't know why my hair is falling out all over the place.

The doctor had told me that if it turned out not to be a thyroid issue I should start taking Biotin, which I'd never heard of before but apparently is a type of vitamin B.  I started taking that yesterday, and I also got around 4" cut off my hair; it's shoulder-length now and the shorter length makes it look a lot less thin.

Next week I'll talk to the doctor and get all the official test results, including whether or not I have arthritis.

In the meantime, it's Friday (yay!) and this weekend we plan to:  take several big bags of old clothes to Goodwill, take aluminum cans to the recycling center, go have lunch at the Cheesecake Factory using a gift card a lovely friend gave Greg for his birthday, and go see Captain America.

Last weekend I redesigned my blog a bit, while keeping the same header because, if I do say so myself, it's super.  I added several pages, let me know how you like it!

The History of the existence: An Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to my blog!

Here is my very first blog post, on December 9, 2005:  MY HUSBAND ALMOST DIED TODAY!!.  How's that for a catchy title?  Spoiler:  He didn't, really.

Even though I have imported this entry here onto Blogger, it was originally written on MySpace.  Remember MySpace?  One of the things I liked about it (compared to Facebook) was the option to write and share a blog.  I had seen several friends write occasional blog entries and on that particular day, since something exciting had happened, I decided to do one myself.  It was quick and easy, and unlike setting up an actual blog, you didn't feel any kind of obligation to keep up with it.  A lot of friends posted one single entry and then stopped, a lot posted just two or three times to communicate specific things going on.  MySpace was the casual hookup of the blog world.

Back then I wrote blog entries once or twice a month with personal updates; writing about looking for a house to buy, or turning 40.  Then I started write entries just to be silly or funny.  Then I started sharing my photos.  A lot of my friends would leave me witty and sweet comments, which unfortunately are mostly lost now that people have jumped ship on MySpace.

I started this Blogger blog in early 2007 and imported all my MySpace entries (some of which the formatting went slightly wonky).  My title on MySpace was The Story of e, which I quite liked, but it wasn't available here so I settled for existence of ellen.  For a while I was posting blog entries both here and on MySpace, but as time went on, fewer and fewer people used MySpace, so at some point I bailed on MySpace too and just posted here.

So.  Five freakin' years!  I am simulaneously impressed and appalled with myself.  In the past half decade, blogs have gone from being a fairly unique way to keep a public journal to being practially obligatory.  Corporations use blogs as marketing tools, news organizations use blogs as legitimate sources, blogs are trendy and fashionable.  

Well, MINE is not trendy or fashionable.  A lot of the people who read my blog on MySpace did not make the leap to Blogger with me, and though I do have a few loyal readers, some of whom never leave comments *waves at Jacki* and some of whom leave comments that are sometimes better than my actual blog entry *waves at Angella*, I don't have a whole lot.  I feel like I started on a whim and just kept going, with no real focus.

Five years is a long time, and it makes me think.  Why did I start writing a blog, really?  I missed writing, and I wasn't writing anything.  Writing this blog made me remember how much I love to write, and I think was instrumental in leading me back to a life of writing.  Why do I keep writing it now that I have begun writing fiction?  I do like keeping a web journal, and I do like the friends I've made in the bloggy world, and I do like writing things other than my novel (especially right now, as I am revising and not really writing). 

However, I think I've fallen into a bad habit of only writing about what's easy, and not really being true to myself.  I have been, sometimes unconsciously, afraid to be honest.  I don't want to make anyone feel bad, or piss anyone off, or lose any of the small amount of readers that I do have.

Well, fuck that.  I am almost 45 years old, time is a-wastin', so my new attitude about this blog is NO FEAR.

Sisterhood Blog Award

Hey look! Tracey McBride from the Frugal Luxuries Food blog gave me a Sisterhood award! Neato.

Tracey McBride actually has three blogs: she also writes Frugal Luxuries by Tracey McBride (which is full of great ideas and tips for living graciously and luxuriously, within your means), and also Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons. She recently posted instructions for hollowing out and decorating eggshells, which is something I've always wanted to try. I will post an update on how badly that attempt fails, which is it sure to.

Thanks, Tracey! :) We are all sisters in spirit.

I would be honored to pass along this award to two of my very favorite blogs.
First, Angella Lister at 37 Paddington, who writes beautifully and lovingly about her family and her life. Sometimes her posts make me a bit weepy, but I'm a big softie and weep often anyway.

Secondly, Blogget at Blogget Jones's Diary. Girl, your life can be like a soap opera sometimes, but you write with such grace and humor and I know your "happily ever after" is right around the corner.

Yay for Sisterhood! Yay for blogs!

Busy!

It's exciting, I have a lot of things going on right now. I am too busy, but I guess I can rest when I'm dead, right?

1) We are recording our very first Say Anything podcast tomorrow, and it will be up on the site on Saturday by 5:00pm ET. I really enjoyed sitting in with The Syndicate last Sunday. You can listen to Debe (third hour), Jen (first hour) and me (second hour) here: listen. This is something I really never thought I would be interested in, or good at, but so far I really like it. W00t!

2) I am setting up a photography studio in our sun room. I have joined a local camera club, and am setting up a time to meet with a photography mentor to learn more about studio lighting.

3) I am hoping to have a new sideline job that will involve writing and will bring in a teeny bit of $. I don't have it yet, so I don't want to say too much... But I am hopeful things will work out!

4) Next week is Greg's birthday. Yay! In the Ellen tradition he will be celebrating his birthday for most of the week: We'll have a fancy steak dinner at a fancy steakhouse on his actual birthday (4/5), we'll have a Playdate (a Pop Culture Playground official outing) to see Grindhouse on Friday 4/6. I'm not sure yet what's going on on Saturday (other than the fact that I have a wedding to go to, which hopefully won't last too late). Sunday is Easter, which we'll spend having lunch/dinner with Greg's family in Lakeland.

5) In two weeks Greg and I are going to Miami for a few days. Greg'll be attending a convention/seminar/training session for part of each day (it's a work-y trip for him) but then we'll have some of each day to explore Miami. I've only been there once, to see an adults-only Halloween Genitorturers show... That was YEARS ago, and I really didn't see any of the actual city.

Wow, it's all good stuff, but it's a lot!