MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'favorite things'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:33:11 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096344&cid=t_211316_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F02%2F7-books-that-changed-the-way-i-see-the-world%2F One of my favorite things: when I read a book that transforms the way I see the world, or the way I see the possibilities of writing. Another one of my favorite things: when I convince someone to read one of those books, and he or she loves it as much I do. So keeping that in mind, here’s a short list of books that transformed the way I see the world. I could go on for pages, but here’s a start, and if you’re at your bookstore or the library, check these out… 1. Christopher Alexander, A Pattern Language. I’ve never been interested in interior design or architecture, but this book taught me how to be aware of why certain spaces are pleasing — or not. I think about it all the time. 2. Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics. I’ve never been interested i... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096344 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:42:19 +0100 5096344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4326932&cid=t_211316_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F09%2F7-steps-to-closure-when-a-friend-dumps-you%2F I think we’ve all been dissed by a friend at least once in our lifetime, right? Recently I’ve had two people remove me as a friend on Facebook. Like that feels good. Was it my annoying status updates? The singing video that I uploaded (“A Few of My Favorite Things” … check it out )? I know I was off-key. Oh, the picture of the old lady that I posted and said it was me. You are that old lady? Geez… Sorry. Frankly I don’t know what’s worse: the e-mails and the phone calls that aren’t returned, or the letter (or really painful conversation) explaining why the friendship is toxic and needs to be terminated. It all feels the same: REJECTION. Like you’re back in the sixth grade again, with bad acne, and the boys want to date your pretty... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4326932 Sun, 09 Jan 2011 13:45:10 +0100 4326932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3691042&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F84aa1eCXSiA%2F Although this post is from the POV of someone with diabetes, I fully believe this advice can be translated to any interest, whether it be a chronic illness, hobby or belief. Over the past year or so, I’ve noticed that my reputation for being a meet-up organizer has risen dramatically. In fact, I was asked by a good friend to help organize a meet-up at an event I wasn’t even attending. Often times, I read blog posts from people who wish they knew more people with diabetes in their area, or they see the meet ups that I organize and wish there was something similar where they are. Well, I will tell you that I am a big believer in the saying “If you want something and it doesn’t exist, don’t wait around for someone else to do it” because you never know when... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3691042 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:41:52 +0100 3691042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3676847&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F5U13Tkmfq0o%2F Earlier this week, I read Maggie Mason’s 20 Things I Wish I’d Known at 20. It rocked my socks. It’ll rock your socks too. I swear, it gives Mary Schmich (the author of Wear Sunscreen) a run for her money. I’m not too far off from being 20 myself, but I can certainly relate to so many of these things. One thing I wish I knew at 20? I wish I knew just how important it was to keep in regular contact with people from the different stages of my life. Reconnecting on Facebook is great, but it’s hard to keep up when you’re not around. Perhaps there is a twinge of regret in moving across the country, but in reality, I wish I was less stubborn about picking up the phone or sending a personal email instead of just blogging something as a mass communication for all... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3676847 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:13:58 +0100 3676847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644953&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FAB4QgRDC4hw%2F When we last left our hero and heroine, they had just booked their ceremony and reception venue for July 9, 2011 (that’s in exactly 13 months… if you’re counting). Everyone says that biggest thing you have to decide is WHERE and WHEN you are getting married. This is true. There isn’t a heck of a whole lot you can do before you have those two items in place. Trying to find both of those within our budget here in New York City proved nearly impossible, or at least not without severe concessions that we were reluctant to make, so we boldly made the choice to get married three thousand miles away. No one ever said I liked to make my life easy. Now that we’re getting married in Oregon and we have a venue, it is now time to find our vendors. There are a few key vend... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644953 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:00:14 +0100 3644953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3573889&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FKYOCZxsOF-c%2F Whenever I meet someone with diabetes, I have this instant connection with them, almost as if I have known them my whole life. Perhaps it is because diabetes transcends to so many different facets of our lives that even when everything is completely different, we still have a commonality that is intensely shared. It is always a joy to have the opportunity to spend time with other people with diabetes in real life. I feel almost silly saying that because even people whom I have never met before can feel just as close as someone I have grown up with. But there really is no replacement for spending quality time, sharing stories and conversing in real-time, and hearing the laughter and exclamations that come from connecting with someone who knows exactly what you mean. Another blogger friend o... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3573889 Mon, 17 May 2010 21:45:52 +0100 3573889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408584&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FrEhbm8PWTrM%2F This is a continuation of Tuesday’s post, An Accidental Boston. We woke up fairly early on Sunday morning, and decided to head straight over to Cambridge for breakfast. We didn’t have much left in Boston that we wanted to do, so we drove over to Cambridge rather than coming back to Boston for the car (Erik’s, not mine). One of my favorite things in Cambridge isn’t even a Cambridge native. It’s Peet’s Coffee & Tea, which originated in California, but the only East Coast outposts are in the Boston area. So of course, I had to make my pilgrimage to Peet’s for a coffee and scone. The coffee is so much better than Starbucks and I wish I could take Peet’s home with me! (Technically I can, since they sell Peet’s at the grocery store, but ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408584 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:10:13 +0100 3408584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395324&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FJNjUalzIDCI%2F It’s funny how misunderstandings can work out in your favor. My boyfriend and his roommate had a misunderstanding on who would be at their apartment this weekend, and it wasn’t until we came up on Friday that we found out his roommate was having a party on Saturday night. We decided that we would go back to the city for Saturday night, but before that, we took advantage of the beautiful spring weather and did a little accidental touristing. I haven’t been out of New York since early December and I thought going to Connecticut would be fun. It’s less than an hour from where Erik lives so it seemed like an easy option. We set out on I-684 and headed into Connecticut. We hadn’t had breakfast yet, so we stopped off the freeway for a quick bite at a diner. After we... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395324 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:00:37 +0100 3395324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3335530&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F9Sjs5EfG9xY%2F This is the first time in years that I’ve seen so many of the Oscar nominees. I really wanted to watch all of the Best Picture nominees, but unfortunately I was not able to make it out to see The Blind Side. I was going to watch it last night, but the only showing I could make it to was at 7:10 and it wouldn’t have given me any time to eat dinner. I didn’t want to spend money to see both a movie and eat (it’s expensive here in the city!) so I decided to just forego that movie. I also only saw the first half of Precious, but while I haven’t included it as a movie on my 101 list, I have a good enough idea about the movie to weight it in my decision. To see the list of nominees, click here. Below are my picks for the Oscars and who I think will actually win (whi... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3335530 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:53:36 +0100 3335530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267125&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FSgL7SHtafEQ%2F On Twitter (for those of you folks who aren’t on Twitter), there’s this thing called Follow Friday. Basically, you’re supposed to list all the people you think other people should follow. The only problem is, because there’s only 140 characters to work with, most people don’t actually tell you WHY you should follow any of these folks so sometimes it’s a bit of a mystery when you click on their name and it’s Fred from Accounting. OK, I lied. I’ve never seen a Fred from Accounting on Twitter but I’m sure he’s there if you looked hard enough. Anyway, I thought, why not do Follow Friday on my blog? It’ll give me a chance to really highlight some of my favorite people on the Internet right now and, who knows, maybe win a few brow... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267125 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:00:14 +0100 3267125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3254651&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FZsSSkk43y6A%2F Ever since I was a little kid, I loved pizza. I loved all kinds of pizza, from Hawaiian to Meat Lover’s to vegetarian. There really wasn’t a pizza I would turn down. My childhood friends will tell you that I had a very peculiar way of eating my pizza, however. First I would take off all the veggies and eat them, bit by bit. Then I would take off the pepperonis individually and eat them. Then I would scrape off the cheese with my teeth and eat that (yeah, I know, it sounds gross but when you’re seven-years-old, it tastes good). And THEN I would eat the crust. By itself. Because I’m weird. One of my favorite pizzas was the kind that my dad would make. Good old-fashioned homemade pizza. Well, as homemade as  you could get when all the ingredients come with food labels... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3254651 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:00:29 +0100 3254651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220699&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FW_Rujderme0%2Fmy-five-favorite-things-of-the-week-1.php Le Creuset Cassis and Lilac Cookware.  I am a huge fan of Le Creuset cookware.  Most of our cookware is from Le Creuset and it's some of the best stuff to use while cooking.  Not only is it cast iron, which is my favorite to cook on, but you can wash it in the dishwasher!  Plus, the colors are beautiful.  We've got the lemongrass color at home, but I think that I could complement my collection with some of this gorgeous cassis color.  Trader Joe's Two Bite Souffles.  I met some awesome friends at our local Gymboree.  Since our babies were about 8 months old, we've been taking turns doing a morning play group so our babies can play and we can have some much needed adult conversation.  It was at my house the other day, and having just gotten back ... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220699 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3220699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3212552&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FtICOOdc2uiY%2F Sixteen years ago, a little girl in Oregon, who drank her weight in water, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I remember lying in the hospital bed, with my parents on either side of me, listening to my new endocrinologist (I’m pretty sure I couldn’t even pronounce that at the time) explain to my parents and I what had just happened. While I don’t remember his exact words, I remember being scared. I remember cringing and crying as the nurses tried to test my blood sugar for the first time. I know my parents were frightened, like many others, of what could happen to me. Of what diabetes was going to prevent me from doing. What would people say? What could happen to me? I’d like to say nothing happened to me, but that’s not true. What happened was I grew up figh... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3212552 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:00:50 +0100 3212552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3108513&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F55qfHWHMa0Q%2F It snowed this weekend. Did ya hear? Perhaps you experienced the windchill factor of 13 degrees or were blown around by the 30 mph winds. And the 16 inches of snow in Central Park. It was quite a doozy. This is my first winter actually in New York City, so I got to experience first hand what it’s like to trudge through the snowbanks of street corners. After they have melted. Here’s a hint: Mushy. Erik and I were lucky and we were already instead my apartment by the time the snow really started to come down last night around 8 p.m. so we woke up to a New York City Winter Wonderland – just in time to walk up to 83rd to have brunch at the Hi Line restaurant. We were meeting an old friend of Erik’s, J, who was in town visiting her sister, who lives in the Bronx. J had c... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3108513 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:00:06 +0100 3108513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3101013&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FgQdwCckrM9o%2F #14: Christmas Lights!: Yay! Sparkly pretty things making everything look shiny and awesome during the dark, drab winter season. Christmas lights, whether on houses, trees or Manhattan skyscrapers totally make my day and I think they are lovely. I can’t wait until I have my own house (or at least an apartment with a balcony) where I can string some shiny happiness of my own! Here are some pics of Rockefeller Center’s Christmas lights that I took a couple years ago: Rockefeller Center The ice skating rink. My camera was so cold that the shutter wouldn’t open all the way. I still like the effect though! #15: Blue Skies: As much as I loved growing up in Oregon, one thing I did not enjoy was the near-constant six months of rain between November and March (and sometimes even l... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3101013 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:23:17 +0100 3101013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089488&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FFfho5cJRygw%2F Since this is my first Christmas holiday not going home to Oregon, I decided that I needed to make it extra festive, so I convinced Erik to come with me to see Radio City Christmas Spectacular. It was actually down to seeing the Christmas Spectactular or the Nutcracker, but in order to really see ballet, you have to sit pretty close and good tickets to see the Nutcracker were a little out of our price range. I also had never seen the Radio City Christmas Spectacular – starring the Rockettes – and I was really excited to see something unique to the New York holiday experience. The Christmas Spectacular was amazing. I could not have asked for a better show. The bright lights, the colors, the dancing, the music. It really was spectacular. If you’re ever in New York and want ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089488 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:19:01 +0100 3089488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089489&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F36H_9zF0ryg%2F It’s fitting that my 13th thing that makes me happy is my boyfriend because yesterday, on December 13, we celebrated our 1 year anniversary! It’s incredible to me that we’re at one year already, and yet it feels like so much longer at the same time. I don’t usually like to get too mushy on my blog (especially since both sets of parents read my blog and that can get weird…), but some reasons my boyfriend makes me happy include: when he buys me flowers, when he laughs at my jokes even when they are way stupid, when we make dinner together instead of going out to eat, when he comes with me to my diabetes meet-up dinners, when we drive around upstate New York, when we go on roadtrips, and when watch movies together (which is good, because I watch a lot), when he h... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089489 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:13:31 +0100 3089489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3079523&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FYuvsPvWJ7-Q%2Fmy-five-favorite-things-of-the-week.php It seems like I'm always finding new foods and food related items that I really love.  So I thought I'd round up my favorite things each week or so, and share them with you.  If you have any favorite things, please feel free to leave them in the comments!Queso Blanco.  My parents had a party a couple weeks ago and my Mom bought this cheese at Costco that was out of this world.  She fried it up in her cast iron skillet so it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  It's almost like a firmer version of fresh mozzarella.  I loved it so much, I went to Costco and bought a double pack for us.  You don't have to cook it- you can eat it plain or with crackers.  But for me, I love it all warm and gooey.  I eat it alone, so it's a carb-free sna... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3079523 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100 3079523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3023366&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F4bvQ5jp_AHE%2F And it’s a Monday of a three-day weekend which means it’s an AWESOME week. But I have so much going on it’s not even funny. Tomorrow, my boyfriend’s mom is coming into town for the week, and we’re going out to dinner after she gets in. On Wednesday I have to go to JCPenny’s and buy at least one, if not two, new holiday dresses for my company party in VEGAS next week and then my boyfriend’s company party the following week. And shoes. Have to remember the shoes. Then on Thursday, we’re planning on staking out some space in front of the biggest holiday tourist trap in New York City: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But it’s on my 101 Things to Do List which means I HAVE to do it and then I never have to do it ever again as long a... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3023366 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:23:01 +0100 3023366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004003&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FWMPgeMkEHFM%2F There’s a Thanksgiving meme floating around these parts, so I figured I’d jump in and share my own! Gobble gobble! 1. What are the traditional favorites? Turkey, stuffing, candied yams and marshmallows (my favorite!), and pumpkin pie. 2. What new recipes will you try this year? I’m not trying any new recipes this year because I’m not cooking! But we’ll be visiting my boyfriend’s half-sister and her husband, so there may be new foods on the table yet. 3. What part of the meal do you never compromise? Pumpkin pie. Last year, at my cousin’s house, they didn’t have pumpkin pie and I was distraught. So afterward, I went to my local A & P and bought a pumpkin pie for myself. I didn’t eat the whole thing in one go, of course, but it sat... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004003 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:12:23 +0100 3004003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2995980&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F91PJIOG6-4Y%2F I don’t seem to be terribly good at keeping up with the NaBloPoMo this time around. I completely missed it last Friday, and I barely managed to eek out a sentence the Friday before. All I can say is that I’m simply not used to blogging this much and I’m finding it difficult to say very much every day. A few items of note: World Diabetes Day was a smash success, but I’ll have more details on that tomorrow. I am officially visiting my fourth (out of five) new states planned for my 101 Things in 1,001 Days Challenge. This time: Nevada. I’ll be visiting Las Vegas for about four days at the end of November-slash-beginning of December. My new company hosts a yearly retreat for all their offices, and we’re converging on Vegas this year. I’ll be flying in... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2995980 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:45:58 +0100 2995980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992812&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FbNc_H8U7reI%2F Good morning everyone! It’s World Diabetes 2009! World Diabetes Day aims to bring to light the importance of diabetes education and finding a cure for the millions of people worldwide who lives with this chronic, devestating illness, especially those in developing countries who don’t even have basic necessities to live with the disease. No one should die from diabetes, so that’s why I am encouraging people to visit Life for a Child to donate to help children in developing countries have access to education and insulin. Insulin may not be a cure – but it is the reason we are all alive and everyone deserves access to it. There are a few other organizations who are dedicated to providing access to medication, and I encourage everyone to see out an organization that fit... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992812 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:26:38 +0100 2992812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984977&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FUrxNSNk9joE%2F When I was growing up, I was not athletic. I’m still not athletic, as anyone who has ever met me or seen a picture of me can attest to, but I have finally found a few activities that I can stand doing for more than, like, five minutes. I vividly remember trying out for the soccer team when I was in elementary school and having zero control of my soccer ball and after ten minutes, completely giving up, throwing the ball into a corner and turning into a hysterical mess of hot tears and gulping sobs as my mother drove me home where I promptly stomped upstairs and slammed the door. The most athletic I got after that was when I was the scorekeeper for my middle school’s girl’s junior varsity volleyball team. It wasn’t until college that I attempted another athletic activ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984977 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:25:31 +0100 2984977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2981296&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F22Cjny-tfts%2F Yesterday was my first day at my new job at WeissComm. It was filled with the usual stack of paperwork and orientation meetings, but like any first day of school, there was no slacking and I was already off on my first couple of assignment by the end of the day. Today is my second day, but the welcome wagon keeps on rolling. This afternoon, I got an email from a colleague that there was a package from me up front. I went up to the lobby and waiting for me was a package from Proflowers. The bouquet, of course, was from my boyfriend, who had warned me that I wouldn’t be getting the flowers until Tuesday. For some reason they weren’t available for delivery until then and he didn’t want me to feel bad on my first day if I didn’t get flowers from him. I think he’s... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2981296 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:04:06 +0100 2981296 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2967478&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F2Q8XwkPqIi8%2F One of the things on my 101 Things list is to write down 101 things that make me happy. So far, I’ve blogged about seven things: Girl Scout Cookies, Books, Star Trek, Broadway, Email, Moby, Fall Foliage. Great stuff, right? However, I noticed a few weeks ago that I passed my One Year Left mark and had 52 weeks to write 94 items. That’s an average of 2 a week. So I thought, rather than taking up 2 blog posts a week talking about things that make me happy, I’ll blog once a week on 2 or 3 things that make happy. Starting this week! #8: Flying in airplanes Most people don’t enjoy flying in airplanes, and even if they aren’t totally terribly scared of flying, I don’t know many people who actually enjoy flying. But I do. Let me be clear: I don’t enjoy a... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2967478 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:15:56 +0100 2967478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865875&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FNEOZLr73Mkg%2F Despite the fact that my 101 Things In 1,001 Days Challenge involves watching copious amounts of movies, I haven’t done a very good job at doing any reviews. Some, but not a lot. This weekend, I watched Away We Go, my 61st movie (I have a little less than 1 year to watch another 40) since January 1, 2008. Away We Go (co-written by Dave Eggers, who I heart, and his wife) is about a couple who are about to have a baby when they discover their parents are about to move to Europe. So instead of staying where they are, they decide to go find a new place to raise their family. They visit Arizona, Wisconsin, Canada and Florida on their quest. The movie involves quirky characters who typify various styles of parenting, and it’s hilarious and poignant at the same time. I was reminded o... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865875 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:10:59 +0100 2865875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2852003&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FzV_lLF5wMko%2F I can hardly believe it’s already October. Where has this year gone?? It’s certainly been a busy year for me. New boyfriend, new apartment, lots of traveling. I can only imagine what’s going to pop up in the next three months before this decade officially comes to a close and we enter the teen years of the 21st century. Although it’s a little late in the year to call this a New Year’s Resolution, it’s never too late to make a commitment to do something good for yourself. In my case, I have become a steadfast tracker of my finances. It’s really important to do this, obviously, but like anything else (especially a certain other kind of logging…), doing something you don’t want to do is tricky. I spent weeks downloading Excel spreadsheet b... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2852003 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:40:06 +0100 2852003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2793378&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FhYiucwiT3pQ%2F I’m recovering from a cold that knocked me out of commission on Friday, so I wasn’t able to post my review of the new (again) Broadway show, Bye, Bye Birdie. My friend, Amanda, invited me to attend the premiere preview of the show last Thursday evening. A preview (which I had to look up) is a series of performances that occur before opening night so that the actors can get used to performing in front of an audience, adjust their timing for laughter and dramatic pauses, and also to work out any little kinks that might happen since the preview is a full run-through of the show. I had never seen Bye, Bye Birdie before and didn’t know that much about the play. Essentially, it’s a musical about a Elvis-like pop star, Conrad Birdie (played by a total unknown actor) from... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2793378 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:19:58 +0100 2793378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782271&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FI98c_UTe-bQ%2F As many of you know, I recently turned the ripe old age of 24. I always thought that by the time I turned 24 I would be comfortable enough and knowledgeable enough to know exactly how to shop for myself. Where to go, what to buy, how to put an outfit together. The basics. But this weekend, as I was getting ready to spend the day in the city with Erik, I was ready to tear apart my entire closet and throw everything in the general direction of Goodwill. Now, I’m hardly dowdy or unsophisticated, so it’s not like I’m a prime candidate for What Not To Wear, and the clothes I purchase are exactly bad… they’re just… not… SOMETHING COOL. Or whatever. So, I’ve developed a bit of a girl crush on this teen named Jane. Jane Aldridge. You probably haven&... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782271 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:53:26 +0100 2782271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2621852&cid=t_211316_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F07%2F21%2F5-ways-to-practice-gratitude-an-interview-with-sonja-lyubomirsky%2F Today’s interview is with happiness expert Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., who is Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside and the author of “The How of Happiness.” In 2002, Lyubomirsky was awarded a Templeton Positive Psychology Prize. Currently, she holds a 5-year million-dollar grant (with Ken Sheldon) from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct research on the possibility of permanently increasing happiness. Her research has been written up in dozens of magazines and newspapers and she has appeared in multiple TV shows, radio shows, and feature documentaries in North America and Europe. Question: I know that gratitude is one key component of happiness, and you mention keeping a gratitude journal, where you regularly write down the thing... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2621852 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:32:12 +0100 2621852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2602178&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FuSzyycrDG5k%2F Yesterday was my seven month anniversary with Erik, and to celebrate this momentous occasion, we dined at the elegant restaurant One if By Land, Two if Sea in lovely Greenwich Village. OK, honestly, it’s NYC Restaurant Week from now until the end of the month (yeah, I don’t know why they call it Restaurant “Week” either), so we decided to take to use our “anniversary” as an excuse to have dinner at a restaurant we NEVER would go to ordinarily. Why would we never go there? Because the prix fixe dinners there are $78! Who has that kind of cash? Not I (or Erik). Restaurant Week dinners, however, are a measely $35 for a prix fixe dinner (don’t scoff – that’s half the price, and what a normal Manhattan dinner costs anyway). When we arrived... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2602178 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:51:22 +0100 2602178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2588402&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F7FQczO7uVn0%2F I know I just wrote a couple of weeks ago about how actually nice living in New Jersey has been but, uh… have I mentioned I’m moving to New York? Yeah, I know. I fail as a Jersey Girl. Somehow I think I’ll survive. It’s true, though. My roommate has decided to move in with a friend from work and has left me with the option of either finding another roommate and staying in Hoboken, or moving to the Big City. Here were the pros of living in Hoboken: 1. Cheap rent ($900) – FOR THE AREA! I realize $900 could actually afford me a 3-bedroom apartment in other cities, but for this area, $900 to share a 2 bedroom is AWESOME. 2. View of the Empire State Building. Not a whole lot of places get this view. It’s pretty sweet. 3. Quiet streets. It’s Hoboken, ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2588402 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:39:06 +0100 2588402 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2576813&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F7fttpouo4Pc%2F Last night, I received a phone call from a man who told me that he is going to buy my car. I am ECSTATIC! I have never in my life sold anything, let alone a nearly 10-year-old vehicle with bumps and bruises, so my faith in my ability to sell the damn thing was not very high. But I managed to convince a man and his 15-year-old daughter to buy my car for only $200 less than my asking price (and $50 higher than Kelley Blue Book). Tonight, we are going to exchange cash for keys, where I will hand over the signed title and he will hand me my license plates and I will never see this car again. As I was driving the car back to Hoboken tonight (I normally keep it stored in our building’s garage because the parking in Hoboken is atrocious), my friend V asked me if I was going to miss it. I ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2576813 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:21:06 +0100 2576813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2571101&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FNBpuPJZsNcQ%2F July is not my favorite month. I know it should be, with the sunny, warm (humid) weather, Fourth of July fireworks, barbeques, and skirts and sandals. But it’s not. July is now my least favorite month because it’s the month where I have so much going on it drives me insane (if Erik can live with me through July, we can handle anything). First, as most of you know, I’m going to Indianapolis at the end of the month for the Roche Summit. Fabulous right? Well, it also turns out I’m going to Chicago for BlogHer on behalf of one of my clients (I’m not actually going to the conference, but I’ll be in the area). After work is over, I’ll be spending Saturday and Sunday hanging out in Chi-town for a little mini-vacation (and possible meet-up! Stay tuned for ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2571101 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:44:29 +0100 2571101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2448035&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F9dREN4LsoU0%2F A couple weeks ago, Erik asked me what made me feel most like a New Yorker. I thought it was a great question, considering I’m not a New Yorker (I’m an Oregonian-turned-resentful-Jersey-girl), but certain things make me feel almost like a card-caring-foul-mouthed-bonafide-bitchy-Gossip-Girl. (Edit: Kidding! I don’t actually think this way about New Yorkers… though I know others who do, which is why I said it.) 1. Subways. As far as underground mass transportation goes, the MTA subway system takes the cake at being the worst. Give the French Metro (or the D.C. one, for that matter) or the London Underground. The NYC subway system is a dirty, unventilated, crowded mess that has no seating, not enough maps, and no information about when your next train is going to arr... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2448035 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:18:10 +0100 2448035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442456&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FlTUGojdGA9o%2F You see the blur of color whizzing past you? That’s me starting in about three weeks. Last summer was one of the most hectic I have ever had. It was worse than the summer that I moved. In less than three months, I was in 11 states (including New York and New Jersey, where I live-slash-work). TEN. I started off with Memorial weekend in Delaware, followed by a trip to Oregon in June for my brother’s graduation and a speaking engagement at the University of Oregon and a great meet-up in Philly with some of our favorites. July brought insanity with: a meet-up in Boston, BlogHer in San Francisco, Friends for Life in Florida, and I rang in August with crazy three-day weekend where I hit up Philly, Annapolis and D.C. Did I mention my car broke down twice in July and I moved on August... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442456 Wed, 27 May 2009 21:14:59 +0100 2442456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442457&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FYbh9cWeI39g%2F On Sunday morning, a large group of type 1 diabetics and their loved ones invaded a French restaurant two blocks from Times Square. Although we had to wait a few minutes while the restaurant staff played musical tables, trying to fit in all 14 of us into a space really meant for maybe 12 people, we managed to fit everyone and had a great time getting to know everyone. For me, there were some new faces to names – namely, Cara, visiting from Tennessee, Brenda and her boyfriend, Frank, a type 2, hailing from mid-Jersey, Amylia, celebrating her birthday in the Big Apple, Chuck, a NYC-native making his diabetes meet-up debut, and Tia, who was visiting her brother. I also met other Type 3s: Jason (Lee Ann’s husband) and Amanda (Cara’s friend). From the left going clockwise: Fr... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442457 Tue, 26 May 2009 17:46:49 +0100 2442457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442458&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FpT8A54c4HWs%2F As cliche as it sounds, there is something simply magical about Broadway. Professional theater has always been something I’ve been completely fascinated with, from the choreography, to the set design, to the music, to the acting. Despite the fact that it’s so obviously fake and fabricated (unlike Hollywood which is designed to give the impression that you’re watching something that could be quite real), I have always thought Broadway was one of the greatest creations ever. There is also something pretty magical about sitting in a theater, too, especially an old, historic theater like the ones in Manhattan. They lend itself to an old-time era. I think back to all the rich aristocrats who must have sat in these seats (or at the very least, sat in the this very theater), wat... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442458 Fri, 22 May 2009 15:38:54 +0100 2442458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2415687&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2Fje6tnhf62Us%2F I haven’t done a meme in awhile (read: it’s been more than one day), so I thought I’d steal the latest meme from Lee Ann so you can learn even more random Allison facts that you don’t really care about… Enjoy! Eight things I’m looking forward to: 1. Buy a G-ddamn bike. Truly, I hate this process. I am a wreck. Sigh. 2. Seeing all my blogger friends next Sunday while Cara is in town! Appearances also by: Lee Ann, Wendy, Amylia, Wendy and more! 3. The Roche Diabetes Social Media Summit in Indianapolis. Whee! 4. Going to Minnesota for a family wedding (Erik’s family, not mine). Also planning a meet-up there, so let me know if you’re in the Minneapolis area! 5. Seeing my family and friends in August. I’m flying home with Erik to celebrate my ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2415687 Mon, 18 May 2009 15:15:50 +0100 2415687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405928&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FHmBr6wycuvY%2F I am a huge Trekkie. Always have been, always will be. I’ve watched TV specials, I’ve been to conventions and I’ve even dressed up as one of the characters (Captain Janeway for Halloween when I was 12 years old). I even have an autographed Lt. Tom Paris doll. Yeah, that’s right. Although I totally missed out of the original Star Trek series by virtue of the fact I wasn’t born yet, I managed to catch up pretty quickly with Star Trek: The Next Generation, Stark Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (though not as much, because the show competed for my Voyager attention, so I mostly just watched Voyager). I never really got into Enterprise, and it seems like others felt the same way considering it was canceled. I just didn’t find the plot or the a... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405928 Mon, 11 May 2009 19:06:13 +0100 2405928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2399102&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FSmtfsSLyd-w%2F It’s been one of those weeks, ya know? The emails keep pouring in, the phones off the hook, and I’ve spent so much time in New York City I might start calling myself a New Yorker! While I love being busy, sometimes it’s nice to just unwind and reeeeelax… So how do you like to relax? I posed the question to my Twitter followers yesterday and here were some helpful suggestions that I may tap into the next time I think I’m going to break down in hysterics. How do you like to relax? On an unrelated note, please check out my guest post at Diabetes Mine where I share some highlights from a panel on stem cell research I attended at the Times Center in New York City. Posted in Diabetes, Favorite Things, Twitter Thursday (Source: Lemonade Life) Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2399102 Thu, 07 May 2009 17:58:11 +0100 2399102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382722&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FH7hALnXL_80%2F I wavered back and forth on this edition of “Things that make me happy.” At first, I wrote “books.” But then I thought, well, isn’t it more like reading? Don’t I enjoy reading? I read a lot of different kinds of things - magazines, blogs, newspapers, and regular books. But then I thought, no, actually, I really do like books. I like way books feel when I hold them, especially a nice, smooth cover. I like the smell of a used bookstore. I like the smell of musty pages of old books. I like the quiet, sereneness of a library. I like fonts and cover designs (I’m closet graphics geek). I like the old worldness of reading a book, of knowing that I’m doing something that people have been doing for hundreds of years. Reading a book. I just finished M... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382722 Sun, 03 May 2009 03:21:28 +0100 2382722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376606&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F5OkR4WTp8XI%2F This past Friday night, in a surge of a psychotic midnight cleaning craving, I decided to attack the monsters that live in my closet. Also know as, a bunch of crap I’ve been collecting over the past two years with all the conferences and stuff that people give me. Most of the stuff was pretty ridiculous. I found a sweater that had lost both of its buttons (making it entirely unwearable), some shirts that really just needed to be hung up on hanger (duh…) and three bags of conference crap that no one uses and kills trees. I also found a bag full of diabetes goodies that I had collected during my ill-fated attempt at the OC New Me Challenge.I thought to myself, “What to do… what to do…” I could hoard away all these goodies and be selfish and keep them for m... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376606 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:28:08 +0100 2376606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376608&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F-zkoA2gboUg%2F I know I’ve been complaining recently about having no friends. Well, this weekend may convince you that I’m absolutely bonkers. I had a few things to look forward to: brunch at Pipa with Amanda (a new blogger friend), two parties in New York City - a birthday party for my friend Sharon and a Gossip Girl-themed party on the Upper East Side at the apartment of Juliet, a college friend of Erik’s, followed by the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday. I started out the weekend prepping for the parties. I went to the mall in Jersey City to buy some black shorts or capris to go with an ivory lace top that I got from Free People awhile back. I also needed to buy a black clutch purse and a headband of some sort. Any faithful watcher of GG will know how important headbands are. I manage... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376608 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:11:26 +0100 2376608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365359&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F48dCFICn4BU%2F Admittedly, I am a day late on the whole Earth Day bonanza. But I wanted to do a Twitter Thursday about Earth Day (especially since I had visited the Bronx Zoo over the weekend and cutesy animals and nature and all that crap were on the brain). But I couldn’t very well do a Twitter Thursday on a Wednesday! That would be silly! The universe would fall out of alignment, pigs would fly and chaos would ensue. It would be very messy. That said, yesterday, I asked my followers to tell me what their favorite nature thing is. It could be an animal, a tree, a place, or a memory… The results were wonderful! I learned about live oak trees and the Double Falls at Yosemite. Everyone had a lot of really cool and unique things to contribute. I plan on googling some of these locations and may... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365359 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:05:21 +0100 2365359 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2354020&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FNOllaIGYRPU%2F The crazy thunderstorm that wreaked havoc on the tri-state area last night might convince outsiders that the weather lately has been terrible. But not so! This weekend was absolutely spectacular, with sunny blue skies and temperatures hovering in the low 70s. For a rain-soaked northeast just begging for some relief, the spring-like weekend was a welcomed respite. Erik and I decided to take advantage of the weather and an open schedule by crossing off another item on my 101 Things list (it’s listed down at #97) - we went to the zoo! Visiting the Bronx Zoo has been something I’ve wanted to do since I moved here, but for some reason, I never got around to it. For the first pleasant weekend of the season, the zoo was not too crowded. We waited in line for about twenty minutes at th... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2354020 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:17:27 +0100 2354020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349420&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F_rc7NJQrgLA%2F I used to love reading, but college all but killed any desire to pick up a book that wasn’t attached to a letter grade that determined whether or not I would graduate with a degree in my chosen field. Post-college, my reading streak has been meek (whoa! rhyming!). I don’t think I read more than ten books my first year out of college. Probably less. When I signed up for the 101 Things in 1,001 Days Challenge, I decided it was important to include a “reading” portion to that list. Of course, I didn’t really think of the consequences on time, energy, and feasibility in actually completing what I was determined to do: read 101 books in 1,001 days (see #33). Yeah. Right. Needless to say, I’m not making very good progress. I’m currently reading Middle... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349420 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:50:27 +0100 2349420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349421&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FLqGdVeWeV4I%2F I was a Girl Scout. Did I ever tell you that? I joined when I was seven years old, as a Brownie. I lasted all the way until sixth grade when my Girl Scout troop spontaneously combusted once. Only one girl managed to last all the way through high school. I think she’s a Girl Scout leader now. Every spring, I would go door to door around my neighborhood asking if anyone “would like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?” It’s almost like a song you memorize by heart. I was a Girl Scout cookie selling machine. I loved it. I marched up and rang the doorbell of my neighbors and sometimes of complete strangers! I loved filling up my order form and explaining all the different kinds of cookies. I gazed longingly at the prizes available. My favorite cookies were Thin Mints. I a... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349421 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:57:05 +0100 2349421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349423&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FO5IclOlVqdk%2F Here’s what giving up chocolate for 46 days has taught me. I really, REALLY like chocolate. Although many people thought me crazy, I managed to succeed in giving up chocolate for Lent, crossing off yet another item on my 101 Things list. It was definitely a challenging experiment. While it didn’t exactly help me loose weight, I’ve certainly learned a new appreciation for Nature Valley granola bars, vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, and caramel light frappuccinos from Starbucks. When I had my first Caffe Mocha at Starbucks on Sunday morning, I was shocked by how chocolatey it was. There was almost no coffee flavor to it. I actually thought to myself, “I’m not sure I like this…” I have spent many Easter Sundays on my own. My first Easter in c... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349423 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:33:37 +0100 2349423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2325137&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F6mx5zuTb8Ww%2F Wow. It’s 5:00 already? Where did the day go? I haven’t given an ounce of thought as to what I should blog about, actually. It’s been a busy bee day here at work (always a good thing in my book!). Here are a couple of mid-week bullets to tide you until tomorrow’s Twitter Thursday (which will be pretty awesome, if I may say so): Rachael Lewinson, National Manager of Online Communications, emailed me earlier this afternoon letting me know that the Diabetes Scholarship Foundation is now accepting applications for student scholarships. There were no college scholarships for diabetics when I was graduating from high school (waaaay back in 2003!), so it’s pretty exciting to see that this is an opportunity for our young academics. Here are the deets: The Diabetes ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2325137 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:04:01 +0100 2325137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2325139&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FPqp8xJjEmng%2F A few years ago, my father sold the company that he co-founded to an Italian company. It was a big to-do and now every few months he has to fly to Italy to meet with the owners (oh woe is him, right?). About a month ago he told me that he would probably be flying out to Italy at the end of March, and he asked me if I wanted to meet him during his layover at JFK. I waffled a bit, mostly because it takes quite a bit of time to get out to JFK from where I live in New Jersey. Last week, he called again and said that if I wanted to come out, he had about three or four hour to kill at the airport. He told me I could bring Erik, if I wanted. I asked Erik if he wanted to come with me to JFK, and he agreed, so seeing as how we didn’t have anything else going on, it would work out. This past ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2325139 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:53:39 +0100 2325139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276512&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FdyxELA6m4q0%2F I have an obsession. It’s a sweet, tasty obsession, perfect for the upcoming sweltering summer season. It’s Rita’s water ice. And I am in love. I first had Rita’s water ice when I came to visit my friend D in Philadelphia during the summer after my freshman year in college. I had never had it before, and it’s hard to describe to people who have never had it. A lot of people describe it as being like a 7-11 slurpee, but slurpee’s have thicker ice crystals and you drink it through a straw. Water ice, on the other hand, is much smoother, almost like ice cream, and you eat it with a spoon. However, water ice does not have any cream in it, so it’s not gelato or ice cream. After debating with many people about what water ice actually, I finally asked ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276512 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:13:37 +0100 2276512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260319&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FXWkW6WnSC2g%2F Yesterday was the 2-week mark of me giving up chocolate for Lent. So far, so good. Thought it has not been without it’s difficulties! In fact, Monday night I had the weirdest dream in which I ate a chocolate bar (not sure which brand, it was just chocolate to me), proceeded to have a PANIC ATTACK (I think I may have even cried in the dream, having totally ruined my chance at succeeding at Lent) then realized in my dream I was dreaming (a dream within a dream) and DID NOT in fact have aforementioned chocolate bar, and then moved on to the next phase of the dream. In fact, even when I’m awake, I occasionally think, “Have I had chocolate this week? Am I sure I didn’t have chocolate? Is it possible I’m suffering temporary amnesia or blocking it out or…&#8221... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260319 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:44:09 +0100 2260319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260322&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FOc76nQhi0mA%2F Eight and a half years after Bush placed a ban of funding for embryonic stem cell research, President Barack Obama lifted that ban. The wonderful folks at JDRF were there to capture the moments, via Twitter and Flickr. VP of Government Relations Larry Soler tweeted that when he shook Obama’s hand, Obama said that we would get diabetes solved. Yes, yes we will. I don’t have to tell you how exciting this is for all of us with diabetes. But this isn’t just a victory for people with diabetes. This will affect EVERYONE in America and across the world. Embryonic stem cells have the power to help dozens of diseases and injuries, and it’s quite possible that we will all be affected by this decision in more than one way. During the course of the election, Obama’s camp... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260322 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:36:42 +0100 2260322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232902&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FoVOVUPbsMDM%2F This morning while I was working on some media lists, our Office Manager delivered a big package to my desk. It was very surprising, since it wasn’t Valentine’s Day, my birthday or an anniversary of any sort. I also wasn’t expecting any packages from any of my media contacts in the diabetes world. I took a look at the top of the box, which said “Starbucks Snack and Coffee Collection.” Sweet! I thought, although I was still incredibly confused as to who it was from. The only return address information was in the form of a first and last name, which at the time I didn’t recognize. I borrowed scissors from a colleague and started snipping open the box. I took out the envelope and opened the note, which read, “Thank you again for your and Eric’s ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232902 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:41:47 +0100 2232902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232903&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FNNHjZjeVLzE%2F The laptop that I’ve been using regularly for the past year or so actually belongs to my employer. But I found out early last week that because we have we have some new employees that need it for travel purposes, I need to give my laptop back and return to the standard desktop platform that I started with. Bummer! You see, I don’t have a computer at home any more. Well, I do, but it’s sitting in pieces in a box in my bedroom. The computer stopped working well, probably due to viruses and evil programs and whatnot. So I basically gave up on using it and stuck with my work’s HP laptop, which has worked very well for all this time. Since I had to get a new computer, I put out a call on Twitter to see which one I should get. The majority of people who replied back tol... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232903 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:15:52 +0100 2232903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2210705&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FQuR-1P3uy8Q%2F Jesus. I’ve been giving up things for Lent since before I even became a Christian, though I’ve been remiss in keeping up with the tradition and have skipped the last couple of years. Back in high school, it was a time when we decided to “test our willpower” and give up something regardless of whether or not we thought Jesus would love us more. Of course, that’s not why you do Lent. You participate in Lent to gain a better understanding of the temptations Jesus endured during the 40 days in the desert. Duh. ANYWAY. Lent starts next Wednesday on Ash Wednesday, so now I’m in a crunch to figure out what I should give up (or perhaps what I should start, since apparently starting a new habit is also allowed). What do you think I should give up/start for Lent... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2210705 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:44:53 +0100 2210705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2210706&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2Fwx6VL4fFbzE%2F Yesterday afternoon, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to blog about. I’ve been having a bit of a dry spell lately, which is kind of ironic considering my frequency of posting has gone up, but that’s neither here nor there. Needless to say, I think my posts are a bit dry and in need of a little livening up. I asked my Twitter crowd for some ideas on what to blog about, but all I heard were crickets. ::cricket:: ::cricket:: Instead, I decided to ask my Twitter followers a very specific question, and hopefully their answers would speak to me and I would have something to write about. I asked my friends and followers: If you could change jobs for 1 day and do ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING, what would it be? I tweeted that my job of choice would be an event planner, because I thin... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2210706 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:04:06 +0100 2210706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190699&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F541245809%2F Guess who made dinner reservations for Valentine’s Day for February 15? ME!!! Yeah. Can you tell I’m new at this whole “Valentine’s Day” bit? When Erik and I woke up on Saturday morning, I decided to scroll through my email using my iPhone. I saw a confirmation email about our 5Ninth reservation pop up so I clicked on it. As I scrolled through the message, Erik says, “Woah, woah, woah, wait a second…” “What?” I said. He pointed at the date. The date which said: “Sunday, February 15, 2009.” Oh shit! I panicked. It was only 8:30 in the morning so it was too late to call the restaurant to beg to change the date, so I flipped over to OpenTable.com, which is the website I use to make my dinner reservations. We looked up ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190699 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:04:15 +0100 2190699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2188091&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F539151375%2F Like many of you, I spent my formative years pining after the chocolates, flowers and teddy bears that the more popular and prettier girls at my high school received on February 14 (or thereabouts). Being what I believed to be an eternally single girl (partially my doing, partially fate’s doing), I joked with my girlfriends about February 14 really meaning SAD - Singles Awareness Day. But this year I have someone new in my life so February 14 finally is living up to its namesake. I have heard enough horror stories about Valentine’s Day to know that I should at least participate in the planning! Seriously, some people around here are downright grumpy about the day! But I’m really excited! A couple weekends ago, I picked up the mail and noticed a flier for a sale on the Br... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2188091 Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:58:47 +0100 2188091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182682&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F537580199%2F Layne tagged me in yet another meme for this week, so without further adieu, here are six things that make me ridiculously happy… But first, the meme directions (you didn’t think you could get away with just the six things now, did you?): Here are the rules: Link to the person who has tagged you. Write down six things that make you happy. Post the rules, tag six others and let them know you did it. Then tell the person when your entry is complete. Ahem. Okay. Now for the six things that make me ridiculously happy: 1. Popcorn: I know, I know. You thought I’d put something sensible like Erik, or God, or oxygen or something that actually improves my life in some way. Nope. It’s popcorn. I love popcorn: air-popped, microwave, tons of butter, no butter, movie theater,... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182682 Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:48:33 +0100 2182682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2177571&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F536639720%2F Actually I was born in northeast Portland, but that’s besides the point. This past weekend, Erik and I drove down to Philadelphia for a little mini-vacation to enjoy the wonderful and unexpected sunny spring-like weather. After we checked into our hotel, we met my friend, Dee, who is my oldest imaginary Internet weirdo friend (and by old I mean I’ve known her the longest… she’s only 24!). We walked through the streets of the Fairmount neighborhood on our way to lunch. After a bite to eat, Erik and I strolled down 22nd Avenue to the Mutter Museum. The Mutter Museum, if you’ve never been blessed with an opportunity to visit, is a medical oddities museum. The museum includes preserved specimens and wax models of various rare diseases, like an 8 foot long colon, t... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2177571 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:25:21 +0100 2177571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2177572&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F535982535%2F Philadelphia was wonderful! Minus a couple of mishaps involving a broken hotel sprinkler system at 3:30 a.m. and driving through West Philadelphia looking for a gas station. But more on that once the photos are downloaded… Until then, welcome to another edition of “More than you ever thought you’d know about Allison from reading her blog that’s supposedly about diabetes.” What can I say? I give what the readers want. This morning I spotted Karen’s Letter Meme and I thought it was different and cool. The deal is you ask the blogger to assign you a letter and then you’re responsible for coming up with a list of 10 things you love that begin with that letter. After, people can email or comment asking you to assign them a letter. And the circle of life... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2177572 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:02:02 +0100 2177572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2137673&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F524485588%2F Today is the fifteenth anniversary of my diabetes diagnosis. If popular belief were true, my diabetes would have been cured three times by now. But it’s still here. Yesterday I asked everyone to share something good with me. If you haven’t done so yet, I invite you to hop over to the last post and share your something good with me. When you have diabetes for fifteen years (or heck, if you’ve had diabetes for fifteen minutes), it’s easy to find the something bad. Waking up at 3 a.m. with a blood sugar of 52 mg/dl. Or waking up at 3 a.m. with a blood sugar of 522 mg/dl. The gushers, the bruises, the stings. The weakness and disorientation from a low. The nauseau and crankiness from a high. There’s sitting down when you want to be running. There’s wate... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2137673 Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:50:55 +0100 2137673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2134783&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F523859258%2F When I was in college, whenever I saw a particular guy I knew, he’d say to me, “Tell me something good.” Even though this particular guy and I no longer speak, I still love that phrase. “Tell me something good.” To us, it was something that was going on in our lives. It was a lecture we heard, a book we read, a song we listened to, a great conversation we had with a good friends, a delicious meal we ate, anything. “Tell me something good” was a motto, a mantra, something that kept me focused on the positives. Every so often I get into a rut with life. That’s one of the reasons why I started the 101 Things in 1,001 Days challenge. Because I assumed that by keeping up with that, I’d always have something good to share. Today it seems ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2134783 Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:51:09 +0100 2134783 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074355&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F499616124%2F Doing yearly recaps have been a habit of mine since I was in college and writing on a now almost-defunct Livejournal blog (which no one shall ever read except for a handful of close friends from high school and college because it’s embarrassingly filled with teenage angst. There’s enough of that here.). While I thought 2007 was crazy busy - what with my college graduation, move across the country and start of my first Big Girl Job - 2008 definitely racked it up a couple notches in the “too busy for words” sector. January brought the start of my first 101 Things in 1,001 Days - my mission to accomplish 101 of my goals by September 28, 2010 (which is just shy of a year and a half from now - yikes!). I tried to make good on my first New Year’s Resolution by join... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074355 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:35:02 +0100 2074355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074356&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F498695131%2F Last December, I participated in the meme where you are supposed to write the first sentence from one memorable post from each month of the year. I haven’t seen any other recap memes so far this year, so I thought I would use an oldie-but-a-goodie as my 2008 recap meme. As I was reading through my archives, I realized that I don’t have very interesting first sentences. I’m not sure why I can’t seem to come up with a catchy first sentence, but it’s definitely not my forte. Perhaps I should add this to my list of New Year’s Resolutions. Also, I noticed that some months had more memorable posts than others. There were a few months where I had trouble deciding between posts, while other months none of the posts really seemed all that life-altering. But I s... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074356 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:57:51 +0100 2074356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027233&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F480827264%2F Training for my CGM doesn’t happen until tonight, so I don’t have anything new to report on the diabetes-front. Here’s the Christmas Meme that’s going around. I’ll have a full CGM update tomorrow! 1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Usually whatever wrapping paper my parents have purchased that year. I sometimes use gift bags if we have any leftover from the year before (we keep gift bags that we have received from other people, but we don’t buy any ourselves). 2. Real tree or Artificial? Growing up, it was always real. I grew up in Oregon, land of the Christmas trees. Seriously, we have Douglas Fir trees everywhere, so it looks like there are fields of Christmas trees growing on the sides of our hills and along our freeways. There are probably five Christm... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027233 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:24:39 +0100 2027233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2022938&cid=t_211316_125_f&fid=38161&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fdentalheroes%2F%7E3%2F479153050%2F Zapi Makes the “O” List While the economy is down in the dumps, and most of us are scaling back for the holidays, Violight, makers of toothbrush sanitizers are sure to have a Christmas they won’t soon forget. Why? Their best-selling toothbrush sanitizer, Zapi, was recently featured as one of Oprah’s “Favorite Things” for the holidays by O Magazine. With millions of readers around the world, and additional coverage by Good Morning America, the Zapi is getting some major press this holiday season. Quick Look at the Zapi The Zapi is an egg-shaped device that utilized UV rays to kill germs crawling all over your toothbrush in minutes. Just one tap on the power button each day is all it takes. It even comes in three colors: green, blue, and orange. This is ... Dental Heroes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2022938 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:29:06 +0100 2022938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021601&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F478667609%2F I feel very fortunate to have made some really wonderful connections through social media, and I think last Friday really justifies the amount of time and energy I’ve put into all of this. On Friday, I came to work and logged onto my computer. As usual, I opened up Facebook, my RSS feed, and Twitter in an attempt to catch up on what I had missed that morning at my endocrinologist appointment. On Twitter, I spotted a message from a woman, @KatjaPresnal, who I had met a few weeks before a Tweet-up in NYC and had been emailing back and forth regarding a client project. She had tweeted that she had one extra ticket to see Wintuk, the Cirque de Soleil show playing at the WaMu theater. Without even giving that much thought to it, I immediately wrote back saying I was available and would ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021601 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:16:37 +0100 2021601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947313&cid=t_211316_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F447671664%2F This is my fourth D-blog Day post. I started blogging back in the summer of 2005, as a 19-almost-20-year-old college student between her sophomore and junior year in college. It seems like such a long time ago, even though it’s only been three years. But so much in my life has changed, from living in a college town in the middle of Oregon to starting a new life in the New York City metropolitan area, and I feel blessed that I have had the opportunity to record most of it here at Lemonade Life, first at Blogger and now WordPress. The Online Community has grown in leaps and bounds and it’s not gone unnoticed. From the growth of TuDiabetes to 5,000 members in just a year and a half to our own blogging community adding new members left and right. On one hand, it’s not a happy... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947313 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:43:45 +0100 1947313