Game On

I asked if you were game and you played pretty well by asking some great questions.

Diana from Of The Princess and The Pea thought she has an “unoriginal” question but this is the first time anyone has ever asked me this question:

“Do people say you look like Bette Midler a lot? I think there’s a striking resemblance.”

When I was much younger, like 20 years younger people told me I looked a lot like Tracey Gold in the 80’s…hair and all but Bette Midler? She is gorgeous, I am not. In this picture we have similar hair but other than that…she is way prettier.

Meg of Historic Moment wanted to know:

“How do you deal with the Hannah Montana craze?”

Well Meg, fortunately my 11 year old has no interest in HM so I only have the 8 year old to contend with. Last evening we had a conversation about the photo that was taken for Vanity Fair. I decided it was better that she heard about if from me instead of her 2nd grade friends at school or 5th grade kids on the bus. Sure, it was probably a risky parenting move but she’s an intelligent kid and rather than insult that intelligence I embraced it.

Occasionally Teenie has a meltdown when she wants some Hannah Montana stickers or a new poster and I say “no”. She’s very persistent and thinks she can wear me down by asking me, “Mom can I have them? Mom can I have them? Mom can I have them?” However, she is getting a Hannah Montana bedroom. I’m hoping this will stop the arguments every time we go out.

Used To Be Me of Why Are You Stalking Me? wants to know:

“What ride are you looking forward to at Disney?”

I’m terrified of roller coasters…TERRIFIED! I’m also petrified of heights. The first time and last time I went to Disney the first ride I went on was the Tower of Terror. I had no idea what it was and damn, was I pissed after it was over. It scared the living crap out of me. All I wanted to do was go on the Tea Cup ride the rest of the time I was there.

This time I’ve promised Dude, the girls and myself that I will go on the Rock N’ Rollercoaster. Dude told me it goes from 0 to 60 mph in like 2 seconds. I’ll have to go on it alone because Dude will have to stay with the girls so this will be HUGE if I can do it.

I’m a big chicken so if anyone wants to go on this ride with me please let me know.

Chatty of Whatchu Tawkin Bout asks:

“When is your favorite time to blog and what is your favorite part of blogging?”

My favorite time to blog is when I can find time to think clearly, when the house is quiet and no one is disturbing me. I also have to have something to say. I’d rather not blog if I don’t have anything I need or want to write about and since I’m as genuine as possible I’ll delete a post instead of publishing it if it seems forced or not like me.

When I started blogging it was to start a diary and that was my favorite thing, except I didn’t expect that anyone would read it. Over the years I’ve met some very great, caring, funny and giving people and that’s what’s become my favorite thing about blogging. That and all the lessons I’ve learned from other people.

One last question for this post and then I have to get ready for work!

Sister D, who does not have a blog, but should really consider writing one asks:

“Who’s your favorite sister?”

Most of my childhood memories are filled with physical and emotional abuse from my mother. However the good times I remember are with my sister…

Sister D is my real sister and my only sister. We share the same father so she’s actually my half sister but I would never consider her anything less that my entire sister. We are 12 years apart…I am the older sister, she is the younger one.

So in answer to her question…she is my favorite sister only because she introduced me to sushi, likes to go to Starbucks with me, took care of me when I had a broken leg and because I love her very much!

Now I’m late for work!

I’m Game, Are You?

I’ve spent the last 24 hours on the couch because I’m sick. Either I ate some bad sushi, I have a bad sinus infection or I completely over did the wall papering. Based on my luck I’ll go with all three for $500, Alex.

So, I spent the day contemplating what I really wanted to write about. I’m completely twisted about Miley Cyrus and the news about her pictures in Vanity Fair, as well as the ones I saw on the Internet. Especially since I’m busting my sick-cancer-ass to give my eight year old a Hannah Montanna bedroom. Miley was my last hope and damn if she didn’t let me down.

Yet she’s embarrassed? Miley Cyrus shouldn’t just apologize to her very, very young fan base but also to the parents who are shelling out the bucks to support her billionaire butt. Where the hell does she think her fans are getting the money??? Just saying.

Then I thought about discussing food rationing and my urge to by rice by the 20 pound bag just because Sam’s Club is putting limits on it. Dude and I got into a screaming match over what foods to buy, what to stock up on and what crap to stop buying. A delightful time to be had at our homestead for sure.

The truth is my brain has already left the building and has gone to Disney. My body, on the other hand isn’t sure if it’s going to make it. I’ll be dragging it along for the ride whether it likes it or not…

I realize that there are a lot of new readers here at Clusterfook so I thought I’d open the comments up to your questions because I’ve been blogging since August 2005, however much of the history of this blog is gone. So feel free to rummage around the posts that are here including the pages listed on the left sidebar and ask me whatever you want to know…no matter what it is! I will answer all your questions by Wednesday’s post.

I’m game, are you?

Wigging Out

Yesterday was my big wig consultation. Not big wig as in “hotshot” or “Ms. Important” but as in hair replacement, get-a-wig, consultation. Let me tell you something, there are some folks out there that have turned cancer into a huge racket. I found out how huge yesterday.

The hair salon I went to specializes in helping cancer patients with hair prosthetics which is why I chose to visit them. They were very, very nice to me over the phone and once I arrived. I thought, “Wow, great customer service! How unusual!”

The consultant took me to a private room where we had a discussion about my illness and what I was looking for in terms of hairstyle. Then he told me the starting price for their wigs: $1,200! I felt a little vomit in my mouth. He must have seen me turn pale because he proceeded to tell me that for cancer patients they start at $800.

Oh, what a bargain!!!

I stood up to leave and told him the wigs were completely out of my price range and the prices were completely ridiculous. That’s when he told me those were the prices for human hair wigs. WTF? The synthetic wigs started at $250 and ranged to $800. He proceed to shove a bunch of catalogs in my hands and expected me to choose a wig from a catalog.

Well, it’s a good thing I did my wig homework prior to the consultation because the wigs in the catalog were the same exact wigs I saw on Wigs.com except the salon was charging three times the price!!! So basically I would have to choose my wig from the salon’s catalog and pay $650 instead of $175 at Wigs.com.

What a waste of time.

When I got home I went through the website again and asked for Cam’s and Teenie’s opinion on what wig I should get. Cam could of cared less. Teenie was very particular because she’s very upset that I’m going to lose my hair. She wants it to look very much like what it looks like now…cut and color.

So, Teenie and I chose this wig with this color:

Pretty darn close to what I have now! And it only cost me $178!

I know that most of you voted for long hair and even Dude would like me to have long hair as well so when we come back from our trip I might order a longer wig if there is some leftover spending money.

So what do you think? The wig’s name is “Fiesty”…is that apropos or what?

Excuses, Excuses

It is the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter. ~Marlene Dietrich

Since sharing the news that I have cancer again I’ve received a tremendous amount of support, especially from the blogging community. Believe me when I say that without that support and the fact that you have given me the opportunity to take my children to Disney, I’d be a complete basket case right now. I’ve managed to stay strong and keep my chin up despite the daily jabs life throws at me.

Yesterday brought me to my knees praying to God, yes, praying, to God. Me, the woman of little faith, fell to my knees praying and sobbing. It all seemed to be too much last night.

A few weeks ago I told one of my best friends I have cancer and his exact words were,

“I was there everyday to support you last year and I’ll be here this time too.”

Then he vanished from the scene. I didn’t receive a phone call from him and he certainly wasn’t returning any of my calls. I sent him and e-mail and received no response until I sent one yesterday that said, “So, what’s your excuse this time?”

You see, there’s always been an excuse when he vanishes from the scene. My guess was that he’d take the e-mail one of two ways…right or wrong. He took it wrong and what ensued was a day of vicious e-mailing. By the end of the day I was so stressed out I was in physical pain and he had blocked my e-mail address.

Can you imagine telling your best friend, who has cancer, that life was so peaceful because you hadn’t talked to her in two weeks? Who says that to someone they call a friend? Who says that to someone with cancer? If I understood why he is angry with me then I could look at this objectively but I don’t get it.

He should consider himself lucky because I really want to post his e-mail address for everyone to have a free-for-all and let him have it.

So after dealing with e-mails all day after I was at work I had to go for a full body CT scan at the hospital because the doctor wants to know where else cancer is hiding out. He also wants to know how bad my lungs are as well. This just added more stress and by the time I laid down on the CT scan table I was in so much pain my eyes were watering.

Finally I was home by 8:00 pm and I was exhausted. I found a wonderful card from Anneliese and a check from Miss Ann. With the final check from the Disney raffle plus the previous check, a large donation from Avitable and direct donations from many other people you have donated almost $5,200.

Now I do not have to worry about salary I won’t get paid while I’m away…whew!

So, why exactly did I fall to my knees and pray to God? Because I know that I have true friends, some for 35 years, some a few months, some offline, some online…that no matter what would never treat me the way one inconsiderate asshole who can’t wait until I die from cancer so that he’ll have permanent peace from my big mouth which “blows hot air”.

Want his e-mail address now?

Wallpapering with Dude

Over the next couple of days I’ll be wallpapering Teenie’s room and finishing the great Hannah Montana, rock n’ roll bedroom that I started two months ago.  After begging Dude to paint the trim, prime the walls and paint the ceiling, he’s finally completed his part.  Now, it’s time for me to do some made wallpapering over the next few days so I can get us ready for Disney.

Yes, I said “Hannah Montana” bedroom.

I’ve also convinced Dude to attend TequilaCon with me on May 3rd so I won’t have to drive.   He never used to understand my blogging “thing” until he witnessed the kindness of everyone in the Disney fund raiser.  It led to many discussions between us about my blog and what I write about.  Although he’s never read my blog, that I’m aware of he knows that I refer to him by his real nickname…Dude.

Last night he asked me if everyone is going to call him “Dude” at TequilaCon.   Oh I hope so because I think that would be great.