Unmitigated

Click Through! Click Through!

I have raved before about the beautiful graphic artwork that Tera does, and shares on her blog, Olive Hue Designs. As a matter of fact, when I won a piece on her blog, I selected this beauty...

...and had her send it to Captain Dumbass and Supreme Leader as a baby gift for little Mickey Finn. Don't let the title of the post scare you away.

And when challenged with the task of making cute zombies?

Let's just say she has the skills of a ninja.

There's a little motel near Oscoda, Michigan, called the Mai Tiki. It's in the middle of a long line of kitschy-cool motels that are on the Lake Huron shore, in the middle of vacationland. I took a photo from our car as we drove home from visiting friends a little north of there, and it looks like this...

...at least, that's what it looks like after it becomes a banner. I love the colors, I love the backdrop, and the little peek of Lake Huron beach. Tera likes it, too!

How beautiful is that! I've asked her to make me a nice print on good paper so I can frame it. I might need to get a couple of them, as I think I know one or two people who might be jealous of mine. Maybe I should have a matte made that I could put both versions in. What do you think?

An Open Letter to the Bloggess

Among her many ventures, Jenny Lawson, A.K.A. The Bloggess, co-blogs for the Houston Chronicle at a site called Good Mom/Bad Mom. After I read this post, I decided to write her this letter. SInce there are thousands of chronic pain sufferers out there, I am sharing it here. If you live within 100 miles of Detroit, and need a compassionate, wonderful pain specialist, please consider Drs. Rosenberg and Kimpson at Prizm Pain Management. I think they saved my life.

This is not a sponsored post. I am not a doctor. Find a good one.

Hi Jenny. I just read your GoodMom/BadMom post about the emergency room and the opiates the doc gave you. I have been taking them for a while now for chronic back pain, so if ever you have any questions, please feel free to email me, because I won't think you are loony. I've been there.

A good pain management doctor NEVER gives up. There are ALWAYS other things they can try. My first pain doc was a complete asshole, and after I quit him, I was afraid to see another one for years. The guy I see now? I will remember this man and his staff in my will. They get the whole Pokemon collection, even the limited edition Mew-Two. I'm not even kidding.

Some advice: Opiates will make you really constipated if you don't counteract with something. Docs usually say Colace, which is a stool softener, but I've found that the best thing is lots of bran/fiber, and Activia yogurt, which at my house is now called "poop yogurt" as in: "I need to go to the store for some more poop yogurt. I hope they have peach this time!"

Also, don't wait until the pain is unbearable! Opiates work best as a preventative of terrible pain. I know you were surprised, but it's true...if the pain is bad, there is no "buzz" from the pain meds. If there's a "buzz" it probably means you are over-medicated.

On the plus side, they are appetite killers. I am never hungry. Never. So, if I can keep myself away from the Jelly Belly jelly beans, I can keep my weight decent with very little effort on my part! Woohoo!

I hope it's okay with you, I am also going to post this as an Open Letter to The Bloggess on my blog. This is important shit. People with chronic pain need to know that there is hope for them, too.

 

Lots and lots of love,

Mary

Rallying the Troops

I have often bragged here about my MUCH older sister's genealogy blog, Gene Notes. Well, now someone has gone and nominated her for Best "My Family History" blog at Family Tree magazine.

Voting closes at the end of the day today, so please go here and vote for her blog! You don't need to sign up or anything, just scroll down to her category, number 8, and look for hers in the list, "Gene Notes."

I'm tweeting this, too, so if you follow me on Twitter, or are my friend on Facebook, please pass the word along, and thanks!

2010 Holiday Homes Tour

Welcome to the 2010 Holiday Homes Tour, hosted by the always lovely, Jen on the Edge.

*applause*

Now, I realize that what you are about to see is not my home, per se, but I do spend lots of time here, and given the opportunity to move in, I might just do it. It's okay. There's wireless.

Since April of this year, I have been employed at The Henry Ford. We are a famous historical site in Dearborn, Michigan. The Henry Ford, which we like to call America's Greatest History Attraction, is actually five unique sites: Greenfield Village, the Henry Ford Museum, the Ford Rouge Factory Tour, the Benson Ford Research Center, and the IMAX Theater.

My workspace is in the Benson Ford Research Center, but the work of the education department encompasses all of the sites listed above. Today's photos were all taken inside the Henry Ford Museum. I was going to get tickets to Holiday Night in Greenfield Village, but the night we wanted was sold out (as are almost all of the nights!), so it's to the museum we will go.

Though it started life as the Edison Institute, after Henry Ford's friend and mentor, Thomas Edison, and wasn't supposed to be about Henry Ford at all, has come to epitomize Henry's legacy of American innovation. And though his ideas were sometimes strikingly new, Henry also had a real affinity for the past.

The face of Henry Ford Museum was designed as a replica of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, right down to it's architectural quirks.

Come on inside.

We have some pretty big ornaments.

This is a Picnik effect. I love how it glows.

Some things just LOOK like Christmas.

A sock monkey display at the Genius at Play store.

Christmas up-close.

Over at the Allegheny. This is the number one photo op in the museum, all gussied up with a wreath and a sunbeam.

And around the corner...

One of the trains on this setup has a camera mounted on it...

...so we see this a lot. Not done yet...

Last year at this time, the museum hosted a traveling LEGO exhibit. The Michigan LEGO Users' Group created this tableau and train setup.

This is a LEGO replica of the A Fisher Building in the New Center area of Detroit. Wonder what's playing at the Fisher Theatre?

Let's zoom in a bit, shall we?

Ah, yes. Arthur Milller's immortal Death of a Sales 'Fig, as in figurine, as in little LEGO guy.

Thanks for visiting, now head back to Jen's for some more holiday homes!

Ed: Although I am employed by The Henry Ford, this post, in now way, reflects the opinions of The Henry Ford.

My Twelve

I made a quick mention the other day, a tease, really, of 12 Books in 12 Months. Let me give you a little background.

I found the idea on What if No One's Watching, written by the lovely Grace. She found it on the blog of the Latter Day Bohemian, the originator of the idea. It seemed quite smart to me, so I have taken it and bent the rules a wee bit. Here are the rules:

12 Books, 12 Months Challenge

• Pick 12 titles from your To Read Pile.  These should be titles you currently own in whatever format you prefer.
• Acquisition of other formats or translations is permitted.  So, if you have a paperback but want to read on your Kindle, you can get a Kindle copy.  If you have a library copy but want to buy your own, that’s kosher.  Heck, if you own a copy and want to check another out from the library, I’m not gonna stop you.
• Post your list in your public space of choice by September 1, 2010.  If you prefer not to post, you can just leave a comment with your list.
• Read all 12 titles between now and September 5, 2011.  Might as well tack on an extra long weekend at the end for cramming.
• When you finish a title on your list, post about it in your public space of choice.  If you prefer not to post, you can just leave a comment with your review.
• Once a month, I’ll post a round-up of the reviews posted from that month so that we all know what everyone else has read.

Now, on to my list:

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde - I've had a copy of this for awhile now, but it's a departure from his Thursday Next series, so I've been putting it off. Even though he's one of my favorite writers!

Lincoln's Constitution by Daniel Farber - picked this one up at my favorite used book store. It's a little dense, but it relates to my job, and it's about Lincoln, so I am willing.

Henry Ford: The People's Tycoon by Steven Watts - got a great deal on this for my Kindle. It was recommended to me by the research people at work as a very fair, readable biography of Henry Ford, our founder.

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver - My friend, Leslie, has been enjoying this story, and I loved The Poisonwood Bible, so it's on the list. Also a Kindle acquisition.

The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time by Douglas Adams - I got a gift certificate for Kindle books for my birthday from the wonderful people I work with. This is the first book I purchased with it.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson - Just to see if it lives up to the hype. Plus, If I like it, there are several follow-ups already!

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - There is so much classic literature I've never read, even I am astounded. I spent my college years reading young adult fiction for the classroom. Candy for the brain.

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken - Buddy has this, and laughed out loud while he read. This will be my version of a beach book, just in case I start to slow down on the project.

The Shoemaker and the Tea Party: Memory and the American Revolution by A. F. Young - I love history from the perspective of an ordinary person, which also explains why I am adding this next one...

The Artificial River: The Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817-1862 by Carol Sheriff

I realize that's only ten. I teached math, remember? I am reserving the last two after I have read a couple samples on the Kindle. For now, I'll stop. If you'd like to participate, and who wouldn't, visit the Latter Day Bohemian and leave a comment!