LOLcat of the day!

Brings new meaning to the term "Morning Breath", doesn't it?

PRP - Travellers Part II

So, after a couple weeks of searching, I've come up with lots of empty hands but a few more leads to pursue as I delve into this research project. I've narrowed my focus to study the Irish-American Traveller population here in the US. However, I'm amazed at the number of times I've contacted specialists in Irish culture at the Irish Consulate, and even Traveller organizations based in Ireland, and I feel a bit like I'm asking them if they know the sound of one hand clapping.

However, there is hope! I had the bright idea to ask John M., one of the VPs at the company I work for, what his opinion was on where to search. He's much more connected with his Irish roots than I am, and a very intelligent man to boot. He actually had some really good suggestions, such as:

• RTE (the Irish BBC)
• Irish Echo (a newspaper out of NYC)
• Quinnipiac University (in Connectict with a robust Irish studies department)
• Irish America (a magazine here in the US)
• Out of Ireland (a show on WLIW)

So that ought to keep me busy for a while! I will post links and information for those sources as soon as I have a chance to research them. However, I think a quick recap of what I've accomplished so far is in order.

Organizations & people I have contacted:

• Professor David V. : Quinnipiac University
  
• Emma N. : Friends, Families & Travellers
• Nicola Mc. : Travellers Tairing
  
• Irish Travellers Movement

On to the next portion of my research!

A Wonderful Quote from Manolo...

Though I am indeed quite fashion-ly challenged, I have always delighted in the blog written by Manolo (the fashion god, not the fashion designer), which can be read at www.shoeblogs.com. Today I came across a particularly delicious snippet of Manolo's wisdom while breaking for lunch.

In response to an article about a woman who doesn't like wearing sandals because her second toe is longer than her big toe, Manolo writes this very encouraging and insightful post. In particular, this sentence stands out:

Dress well, live well, treat others well, and do all you can with joyful confidence and others will invariably come to love your flaws as you yourself cannot.

Quite an excellent idiom, I must say.

Awesome LOL

Best LOL ever, I think...

As an interesting side note to this image, here's a snippet from an e-mail my father forwarded to me...

Have you seen the pictures from Iowa, etc. of people looting liquor stores, carrying away television sets from retail stores, sitting on the roof begging for someone to take care of them, and collected in the baseball stadium complaining about the food and shelter being provided?


Neither have I.

It is an interesting observation, to be sure. Don't know where this is from originally, but it's a compelling thought.

LOL of the day...

I'm going to be really good on my diet this week.

Really.

SURGERY

It has come.

:: sigh :: The final verdict is that I should go ahead with the surgery for my endo. August 5th is set in stone (for real this time). With the relative failure of other hormonal methods to control my symptoms, I don't want to launch into using Lupron without due cause and a backup method. My hope is that by having the surgery first and following it Lupron, the two will work together to make the results 'stick'.

Since a full-term pregnancy just isn't going to be possible for probably about another five years, it looks like I'm just going to have to wait this out and cross my fingers that the procedure takes for longer this time. If it could even give me another year before the symptoms start returning, I think I could make it until I could have a pregnancy.

Won't my firstborn be lucky? Not only will he or she be generally adored for being a firstborn, but they'll also have saved me from the clutches of Endo. Extra rations for the little ones in that case, then. :-)

Today's LOL...