Booby Squishy

Today was Booby Squishy Day. Yep, I had to go for a mammogram. Just my yearly check-up. For the first time I wanted to go. Crazy, you say? Not so crazy when Breast Cancer suddenly runs in your family.

Since my Mom was diagnosed a year ago last August, it's been on my mind that now I'm in a different percentage of people whose risk of breast cancer has increased. I've always been mindful of getting mammograms, but I was especially happy anxious to get it done this year.

It's embarassing for some people I know. But after the indignity of having three babies, a mammogram is nothing. They put you in a tiny curtained room that's half the size of a changing room at the local Walmart and ask you to put on a gown with the opening in front. Does the gown ever have laces that tie? Of course not. So you're sitting there with the gown pulled as tightly as possible around you and you're holding it together with your hands.

They called me into the room within two minutes and asked a few questions. I had to wipe off the deoderant I was wearing (which I'm sure the people I met later at Market Basket must have appreciated).

Then it's time for the big squisheroo. Standing at the machine, the tech asked me to whip out expose one breast at a time. That must have been for modesty's sake. The tech has no fear of just grabbing your breast and arranging it on the machine. Then she lowers the top part of the machine and squiiiiiiiiishes just enough.

For my bodacious and ginormous ta-ta's she had to take three pictures of each one. Yup.....they need a bigger machine for me. And each one had to have two angles done, so she did a total of 12 pictures.

I like the new digital mammography. She was able to view all the pictures and make sure they were clear and not fuzzy so they didn't have to be repeated. The very first mammogram I had done was not digital......and I got a letter in the mail a few days later asking me to come and have it repeated. I had a heart attack until I found out my films were just out of focus. Digital mammography removes all that.

Seriously........and I DO mean seriously..........please don't hesitate to go and get your mammogram. It's so, so, so important. Yes, it's scary. But it DOES NOT hurt. I was going name this post "Booby Squishy....ouch". But decided to delete the "ouch" because I dont' want people to think it hurts. Yes, it's uncomfortable. And not uncomfortable in the way a doctor says it's uncomfortable while you're writhing on the exam table. It hurts MUCH less than stubbing your toe...or hitting your funny bone.

So go get your mammogram. It could SAVE. YOUR. LIFE. Your life is worth saving, right?

Her shirt says, "Find a Cure Before I Grow Boobs!"

Blog Award!!

My friend Kaye at Pudgy Penguin Perusals sent me this beautiful blog award. Thanks Kaye! If you're a penguin lover as I am.....don't miss her blog. She has the cutest penguin icons all over her blog.

Here are the rules to keep the award moving:

Add the logo of the award to your blog

Add a link to the person who awarded it to youNominate at least 3 other blogs (Yes, Kaye, it did say 7 but that's so many! I choose to nominate 3)

Add links to those blogs on your blog

Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs!

I've chosen the following blogs to receive the award:

How to be a Housewife - my good friend Joan authors this blog. It's funny and fun and interesting. And we get to see pictures and hear stories about her wonderful grandson Mr. B.

Thou Shalt Not Whine - funny and irreverent and also a great blog to read about her family.

The Meanest Mom - I just started reading this one and it's hilarious. So many stories about kids to share!I would re-nominate Pudgy Penguin Perusals but that would just be silly. I do love her blog so go check it out.

Whew!

What a nice weekend!

Friday night...... Chinese take-out.

Saturday morning.....work. The travel industry right now is buzzzzzzing. We have been crazy busy the last two Saturdays. It's tiring but Let's keep it up People! Stimulate that economy!

Saturday night we went to see "The Producers" at Theater at the Mount. It's a little out of our way....Gardner is over an hour from our house, but it's worth it. This is supposed to be community theater but it's a giant step above the usual community theater. I'll go so far as to say it's semi-pro. The show was excellent. We laughed all night long. The singing and dancing were great and the totally raunchy jokes and visuals were hilarious. If you live in the area I highly recommend it.

Sunday was an absolutely gorgeous day here in New England. Sunny, 60 degrees.....it must be spring!! Of course Hubby and I had to go to the beach. 'Cause that's our thing. We love the beach. And we had a wonderful afternoon.....just walking on the beach, collecting shells and people-watching. And BONUS! The fried dough place was open!!! Those little holes-in-the-wall that sell pizza and stuff at the beach are not stupid. They know there's lots of crazies like Hubby and I who love the beach so much they'll go in the dead of winter. There were tons of people there yesterday.

And today it is SNOWING!!! Not just a little.....we're supposed get 1/2 a foot!! WTF????

Reality Shows

I'm hap-hap-happy that all my reality shows are back on again! It's still early on but I definitely have my favorites: American Idol - Hubby picked fake-red-haired sixteen year old I-forget-her-name. He also likes gothic-looking Adam. I like Adam too but I'm picking widower Danny. And not just because he's very sympathetic....I really like him. I was glad they went with a final 13. Although poor Anoop. They have to torture him like that? I thought he would have a heart attack. Amazing Race- I don't have a real favorite here. There's not actually anyone that I think is outstanding. So I'm going to give my top three - Mom and Deaf Son, Old-guy Dad and son, and the two little stunmen guys. AKA Margie and Luke, Mel and Mike, and Mark and Michael. Survivor - Another great year with some interesting characters. Coach is the one to hate. The other one that's pretty funny is Tyson. But I'm going to pick Taj here. She seems pretty savvy and while she's not really going under the radar, she's being careful. Although the previews for next week show her losing it .....so I hope I'm not making a bad choice here. Now if only Beauty and the Geek would come back on, my life would be complete.

New Doctor Visit

An update on my ongoing saga about my doctor and my insurance company. I called on Monday to look for a new doctor and was able to get an appointment today. If I'd wanted to see the actual doctor, I would have had to wait until August. I agreed to see the nurse practitioner and got the appointment in two days. I was happy and comfortable with this doctor's office. I went today and had the basic physical - EKG, breath-test and usual ears, nose, throat etc. They sent me to the lab for bloodwork and I have an appointment next week for the mammogram. Then I go back March 25 for the pap smear and to sit and go over the test results. That's what I like. I will actually sit and talk with someone in person about my test results. No one will be sending me scary things in the mail that petrify me and then I can't call until the next day to find out what the hell is going on. So far so good. And I was even happy with the lab who got my blood with ONE stick! I have very bad (non-existent) veins that tend to collapse when they are stuck with a needle. So I've had some pretty nasty experiences with blood work. But this lady was great. Although it did perturb me a little when she sat at the receptionist desk and took all my info, then donned a white coat and met me in back for the blood draw! But she was good. I'm happy with things so far. Don't worry....you'll hear about it if things go bad.

FACE2FACE

For the second time in my life I've paid an exhorbitant amount of money for something and I don't even feel badly about it.

I bought concert tickets yesterday.

To see BILLY JOEL AND ELTON JOHN! In concert.....Face to Face.

Strangely enough.....this concert is the same thing I spent an exhorbitant amount of money on the last time. Yes.....I went to the Face2Face concert 7 or 8 years ago when it came to Boston. And I spent an obscene amount of money for the tickets. But I didn't care.

It was the most awesome experience E.V.E.R!

They literally played for four hours. One hour of both of them playing together...one hour of Billy...one hour of Elton....and another hour of both. And every single song was a major hit. That you could sing along with. And I did.

I said if it ever came back I'd go again. And I am. This time it's at Guillette Stadium (where the Patriots play) in the summertime. Outside...which will be different and fun.

So mark your calendars for July 18th. Pray it doesn't rain......and come say hi to me if you're going as well.

Smile for the Camera!

Hubby and I had the joy of babysitting our grand-daughter last night. And I do mean joy. I've said it before and I'll say it again. She is really the happiest baby I've ever met.....and that's saying something considering I did child care for 25 years.

She makes me laugh over and over again. The funniest thing that happened yesterday (and I'm sure it'll lose something in the translation):

Emily was laying on a bouncy ball, rolling back and forth like they do with those exercise balls and I thought, "she's going to roll forward and do a face-plant". Sure enough, she did. I waited for the wail, but instead there were several seconds of silence followed by a muffled, "Uh oh" as her face was still implanted in the carpet. It didn't faze her for a single second. She got up and continued to play.

Speaking of the bouncy ball, she has a new game she plays with Pepere. It used to be Pepere would stuff the ball under his shirt and Emily would "find" it. The new game entails teasing Pepere with the ball.....actually holding it out to him then pulling it away and running over and giving it to Memere. Watch:

For some reason, she has started to "smile" for the camera. Mom and Dad said they didn't teach it to her.....they have no idea where she got it.

Then it was time for Pepere's favorite part of babysitting. Taking the child out for ice cream. Last time we just let her lick a little ice cream off our cones. This time we got her her own dish of vanilla soft serve and let her go to town.

I think there might have been a little bit of "brain freeze" involved here. Either that or she didn't like the raspberry flavor of Pepere's ice cream that she stole from his bowl.

It's okay that she stole from him......because he did his share of stealing from her:

As always we had a blast. We gave her a nice tubby and had her in her jammies and all sweet-smelling when Mommy and Daddy got home.