Six Until Me.

Holy late Friday afternoon post.  But it's time for The Friday Six:  Broncos, Bolus, and (Nutter) Butters Edition. 

1.  Jay Cutler has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  I know - Jay Cutler, quarterback for the Denver Broncos!  (Note to readers:  I did not know that Jay Cutler existed until this morning.  I'm sorry - my sports knowledge is limited to Larry Bird and anything Red Sox.  I also keep typing "cutlet" instead of "Cutler" and now I'm craving a chicken sandwich.)  Another pro-athlete joins the diabetes community.  And so far I've seen "type 1 diabetes" called "a treatable form" (as opposed to the kind that eats people?) and "the more serious type."  Sigh.  Let the media blitz begin!

2.  My wedding day is just sixteen days away, and I'm starting to get all twittery with preparation and nerves.  This month's Generation D column is about how I'm preparing to manage diabetes while at the wedding - including hiding a tube of cake gel in the maid of honor's flowers.  Everyone's a little ninjabetic sometimes.  :)

3.  A few days ago, unannounced and almost hidden in the rose bush outside my house, a package from Medtronic did appear.  And inside of it, boys and girls, was a One Touch UltraLink meter.  (This sounds like a ridiculous fairy tale already.)  I'm going to do a ful write-up of the meter next week, but suffice it to say that this thing kicks ass.  Except for the first test I did, it's been accurate (within a few points of my Ultra2), quick to transmit, and it's familiar in that "Hey, it's a OneTouch" way.  Granted, it's huge, but I'm willing to give it a go.  I know a lot of diabetics in the blogosphere received this meter, too.  I'm excited to compare notes next week.

4.  Last night, I hit the lowest low I've had in a while:  36 mg/dl.  I must have overbolused after my post-workout snack.  It started when I was in the shower, as I stared at the shampoo bottle for a few minutes before I realized that my legs were shaking.  Nervous and alone in the house (Chris is away on business), I grabbed a towel and went out into the kitchen.  With waves of panic, nausea, and lethargy coursing over me, I consumed three tablespoons of honey and a pile of Nutter Butter cookies in what felt like one breath.  Thirty minutes later, I was feeling much better.  My blood sugar had cruised up to 212 mg/dl.  And my shirt was covered in Nutter Butter crumbs.  So much for trying to keep things low carb until the wedding.  Blast.

5.  Random:  This website made me laugh:  GraphJam:  Pop Culture for People in Cubicles.  Among my favorites?  The one about judging website author sanity.  And the one about shooting the sheriff.  These witticisms are quick and clever and I am so amused by this silliness.

6.  This weekend, once Chris returns, we will be doing seating charts, favors, and picking out the song to dance to for our first dance.  We don't have "a song," so we're on the hunt for a classy, lovely, and danceable song to debut as husband and wife.  (We do NOT want a song that has an awkward part in the middle, like Stairway to Heaven, where it gets all fast and is uncomfortable to dance to.  Avoiding that.)  Here's what we have so far:

1. Ben Folds - The Luckiest
2. The Frames - One Irish Rover
3. Etta James - At Last
4. Elton John - Your Song
5. Billy Joel - She's Always a Woman
6. Radiohead - True Love Waits
7. Counting Crows - Colorblind

Do you guys have any suggestions?  I'm open to anything that's sweet, but not overly sticky.  And I so appreciate all of your help with this stuff.  I need to send thank you cards to everyone in the Blogosphere!  :)

I'm off to keep on truckin' towards my wedding day.  Sixteen days?  Ahhhhhh! 

Posted by Kerri. at 05:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (38) | TrackBacks (0)

No intro.

1.  Last night I attended the premiere screening of Life For A Child in NYC, a moving documentary profiling children with type 1 diabetes who are living in developing countries.  I'll have a write-up for this next week, but suffice to say that there is so much work that needs to be done, both around the world and here at home.  I ended my evening with a low blood sugar as I left the screening and with mounting frustration on how much worldwide attention diabetes needs, yet doesn't receive.  More on this next week.

2.  The dTOEs that were sent in are AWESOME!  I'll be posting the dTOEs, Second Edition on Monday.  :)  If you have any others you want to add, pop them in the comments section for yesterday's post, or email them to me at kerri [at] sixuntilme [dot] com.   

3.  I spent at least a few minutes siphoning through this list of Smurfs to figure out which one I would be.  I think I'm Jokey Smurf (or Schtroumpf Farceur ... are they French or something?) - I love the idea of his alter-ego, the Masked Pie Smurfer, "a cloaked figure known for sneaking up on other Smurfs and throwing pies at them."  Which Smurf would you be?

4.  Speaking of blasts from the past, one of my favorite books growing up was The Monster at the End of This Book, Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover.  Come on ... you remember this, don't you?  If not, here's a slide show of all the pages in this book.  I remember being terrified of turning the pages when I was little, entirely unsure of what the monster was going to look like.  I read it to my nephew a few years ago - as we turned the pages, he looked up at me with his big, blue eyes, put his hand on my wrist, and whispered, "Auntie, please don't turn the page, okay?"  The world keeps spitting out all this garbage but at least children's books are still wonderful.

5.  Want to be on dLifeTV?  We're looking for people in good health who have lived with type 2 diabetes for 25 years or more. Send our production team an e-mail and tell us about yourself, including your name, age, contact information, number of years living with type 2 diabetes, plus your thoughts on how you have handled your diabetes, especially what you have done to maintain good control.  Thanks in advance!

6.  It's going to be a long weekend, but not exactly a relaxing one.  Tomorrow night we have the pleasure of attending the wedding of two friends in Brooklyn, then a Cirque du Solelil show on Sunday night, then we're spending Monday in RI to finish up last-minute wedding stuff like finalizing the floral arrangements, the marriage license, our marriage classes, and my final wedding gown fitting.  May is right around the corner, and I couldn't be more excited.  :)

Have a stellar weekend, and look for the dTOEs on Monday!   

Posted by Kerri. at 04:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

This week has been very, very busy, what with the Raise Your Voice event on Monday, a pile of work at dLife, and not to mention that my wedding is exactly one month from today.  (Oh my goodness, one month?)  Welcome to the Random Friday Six.

1.  First things first:  the Raise Your Voice event was a huge success and there were so many posts across the blogosphere that were touching, educational, and several that just plain made me cry because they were so beautiful.  And I wore my RYV shirt to the gym last night and had two people ask me about it.  So, once again, I'm so proud to be a member of this supportive and inspiring community.  

2.  There are plenty of new articles on ye olde Internet about the power of blogging.  The health writers at SheKnows.com have profiled Six Until Me and how blogging can impact a chronic illness patient.  Studies are being conducted on blogging.  Articles have even cropped up, showing how bloggers are suffering the consequences of their 24/7 lifestyles.  Blogging is taking the world by storm (as we knew), and it's changing lives (even in Canada)!  We're part of a movement that's changing the face of business, and it's just simply awesome.

3.  On the work front, dLife has been nominated for a Webby Award!  Thanks to the power of a crack editorial team (ahem) and the incredible diabetes resource that dLife has become in the last three years, we've been nominated for Best Health Site.  It would be great if you could take a few minutes and cast your vote for dLife - for all of our diabetes lives. Voting closes on May 1st.  Thanks!

4.  In the land of mindless links, here are a few that have brought me great joy:  Ridiculously fat Garfield cat.  This comic from xkcd about social networking.   And this awesome link that spells out any word or phrase using funky letter photos.  Like SixUntilMe.  Or Kerri.  I was sucked into this for about 15 minutes.  Then I thought about David Bowie and had a quick "Let's Dance" office party.  Oh we put on our red shoes for sure.

5.  Grammar question:  I drink plenty of cold coffee with ice.  I call this concoction "iced coffee."  But I've heard - way too many times - this drink called "ice coffee."  Ice coffee?  This does not compute in my editor head.  Ice coffee?  Like little frozen ice cubes of coffee?  Blargh.  It's iced, right?

6.  After realizing how expensive a train ticket home to Providence has become, and after also realizing how long it's been since I've spent the weekend in CT, I'm digging in my heels and staying put this weekend.  No traveling.  No chaos.  (No eating anything fancy, either, because my final wedding gown fitting is next weekend.)  Maybe Chris and I will head off to the city for the day when he comes home from his business trip.  Either way, it's going to be mellowed-out central in my little world.  And that sounds pretty damn good to me.

Have a kick-arse weekend!  

Posted by Kerri. at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBacks (0)

Shannon tells me it's snowing like 8 inches up in her neck of the woods.  My mother reports rain in Providence.  And it's chilly with a side of potential frogs raining down here in Connecticut - what the heck is up with this weather?  Here's the Friday Six for this bizarre-weathered Friday.

As I stated in my earlier post today, Children With Diabetes is now a part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies.  See it ... look closer - it's diabetes, right there on the map.  Nice.  I'm excited to see how this will affect the diabetes community on the whole.  Big news!

In other diabetes-related news, April 14th is Raise Your Voice: Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day!  There's a Facebook event if you haven't seen it already (and it's not hard to "attend," seeing as how this is a virtual event.)  Now that the troops are rallied, all we need is a logo ... and here's where you come in.  Bill over at EatSmart has offered one of his nutrition scales as a prize for our logo contest - that's a $75 value!   Here are the rules:

1. Design a logo (the size cap is 200 x 300 pixels). 
2. Include the event name:  "Raise Your Voice!" 
3. Have fun designing it.
   
4. Maybe have a snack while you're designing - apples are tasty.   
5. Email it to me as an attachment to kerri [at] sixuntilme [dot] com with the subject line "LOGO CONTEST" no later than 3 pm on Thursday, April 3rd. 
6. Grin because it's done and submitted.

That's it.  The winner will be decided on Friday morning and Bill (thank you, Bill!) will send you an EatSmart nutrition scale of your very own.

And one last thing on the scale:  After I posted my review of the EatSmart nutrition scale yesterday, Bill over at EatSmart gave me a call and told me that if you guys want to order your own scale, enter "KerriSentMe" into the coupon field during checkout on the EatSmart site and receive 10% off your order.  I thought that was right-kind of him - so if you're thinking about ordering a scale, score your 10% off, damnit!

I know many of you have seen the Gaping Void cartoons (this one is my favorite today), but did you know you can get business cards with these quippy little suckers on them?  I was unaware.  Now I am intrigued.  I like my business cards, but it would be kicking to have something so bizarre.  Food for thought.  And just as a sidenote:  I love these cartoons. 

Tomorrow is my wedding shower.  (Yes, I know I'm not supposed to know, but since I live out of state, I needed to know what day to come home.  So I know it's tomorrow.)  I know I need to be there at noon-thirty.  And I know it will be fun, because with my mother and my terrific bridesmaids at the helm, it's sure to be an awesome time.  Everything is happening very quickly now:  the bridal shower, then bachelorette party, then the last meetings with our vendors, then the rehearsal dinner, then the wedding ... I'm afraid if I blink, I'll find myself on the plane bound for our honeymoon.  I wish I could slow this time down so I could actually enjoy it!  Instead, I will blog it.  (This may be the mark of a blogging addiction.)

And six.  Ahhh, the final moment for me today before the weekend cracks wide open and swallows me.  This morning, at about 3 am, I woke to the sound of scritch scritching, coming from the bedroom floor.  I ignored it at first, thinking that it was just one of the cats lolling around.  But it came again, louder this time:  scritch scritch.  So I leaned up, looked to the floor, and saw Siah completely wrapped up in toilet paper.  She had completely unraveled the roll from the master bathroom, dragged the bulk to the middle of my bedroom, and made a nest in it.  Like an enormous hamster. 

I do not need a dog.  I have a Sausage cat who laughs at me.

Posted by Kerri. at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

Yay for Spring!  Despite the chilly temperatures outside, I've switched over to my spring coat.  Granted, I froze my ass off walking into work today, but yay!  It's spring!  I'm beyond ready for winter to be ovah (thank you, RI accent that I wish I had) and I can't wait to hit the beach this summer.

Okay, on to The Six.

1.  This is wicked cute, just in time for spring, and courtesy of a fellow Aisledasher.  Click anywhere on the screen and watch the flowers bloom.  It absorbed my attention for at least ten minutes.  And now it's absorbing it all over again.  Mmmmm flowers ... I mean, doughnuts ...

2.  And in keeping with the complete nonsense theme, it's been a walk down the proverbial memory lane here at work lately.  Between a co-worker bringing in her son's copy of Harold and the Purple Crayon and discussions about whether or not Lady Elaine was an alcoholic (look at that nose and tell me she's not drinking daily in the Land of Make Believe), it's been random.  This randomness led neatly into the rediscovery of this memory:  Meow Meow Telephone.  I've watched this clip so many times that it's permanently stuck in my head.  If I could make it my ring tone, I would.  If I could get it out of my head, I would do that, too.

3.  In diabetes news, there's a new site for young people with diabetes.  (Aren't there always new sites?  The Internet - it dizzies me.)  According to Daniel, the developer of the site, "Young Diabetics started with a few college students trying to make a difference for their diabetic friends, family, and acquaintances."  Check it out!

4.  Chris and I are heading home to RI (again) for Easter weekend.  I'm hoping that, between our nieces and nephews and younger cousins, we'll score some colored eggs to take home.  I loved coloring eggs as a kid.  The Paas tablets in my mother's tea cups, all lined up on the kitchen counter, are the concrete memory of Easter that I have as a kid.  However, since we've all grown up and are out of the house, so many of those traditions have been lost.  Traveling for the holidays has become an unfortunate trend in so many families, my own included.  How do you keep hold of those family traditions when so much time is spent flitting from house to house? 

5.  Busy, busy.  That's the trend, or at least it has been for several months now.  But a co-worker recently sent me a link that could help make sense of the mess I muck around in all day long - Sandy!  Sandy is touted as "your personal email assistant."  Looks like it works along the same model as Twitter (with the @todo sending messages directly to "Sandy") and by cc'ing Sandy on emails with sentences starting "Remind me to ... ", this service keeps a running tally of crap you need to do.  I haven't really explored this, nor do I have the time today to teach myself how to make sense of a new service, but it's an interesting idea.  Having my own intern would also be interesting, but do interns clean litter boxes?  Hmmm...

6.  And lastly, today is Chris's birthday.  Happy birthday to my supportive fiance, my best friend, and my hero. 

Have a great weekend! 

Posted by Kerri. at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

What a week.  And even though Monday is actually Saint Patrick's Day, I'm observing the holiday this weekend.  So here be the St. Patty's Six. 

HUGE news from Abbott yesterday regarding their version of the continuous glucose monitoring system: The Navigator.  I am itching to try this system out, too.  I am looking forward to the day when CGM models all but replace traditional glucose meters.  The power of real-time results is unparalleled, but we just need a company to make it work.  I'm curious to see how The Navigator compares against what we've already seen from Medtronic and Dexcom.

Also, the JDRF website is featuring a Blogger Roundtable discussion this week - and there are plenty of people from the diabetes community that have been highlighted.  Read the insights and perspectives offered up by Bernard, Scott J, Sandra, Amy, Gina, Scott S, Allie, Manny, and me!  Thanks to Allison for compiling these profiles. 

And thanks to a tip from Bernard, the first human trials towards a cure for established type 1 diabetes are on the verge of starting.  According to the release, "The first step in the human study, which is currently enrolling volunteers, is to determine whether the same strategy using BCG vaccination can be used to modify the abnormal autoimmune cells that are present in type 1 diabetes, sometimes called 'juvenile-onset' diabetes."  This is tremendous news, and I'm already checking to see if I could be a possible volunteer.  Exciting times, but I'm reserving my hope for once the trials produce some results.  Still ... pretty darn exciting.

On a knitting note (stretching for the segue), I came across these neat little knitted ... bodily organs thanks to this week's Grand Rounds.   The blogger over at FreshMD is the source for these images and highlights the creators of these crafts.  I'm impressed, and personally, I like the little corn-on-the-cob looking pancreas in a pretty butter yellow.

And with the last of the invitation list sent out to the printer and our invitations en route, I'm taking the weekend off from thinking about anything wedding or diabetes-related. I'm off to Newport, RI to celebrate St. Patrick's Day starting with the big parade and ending up ... who knows where. :)  My maid of honor is in charge.  I'm just happily following her lead and will do my best to not stress out about a damn thing.

Have a great (and safe) weekend and I'll see you Monday!!  (Editor's Note:  I just realized there are only five items here.  Whoops.  As a quick sixth, check out this wonderful tribute by SuperG about his father.  His post brought tears to my eyes, and made me want to drive home to RI and give my dad a hug.)

Posted by Kerri. at 01:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Happy Leap Year ... day!  (Sounds like kind of a crap holiday.)  Here are The Leap Year Six.

1.  Since I last Friday Six'd, I was trying desperately to minimize stress levels.  Over the last two weeks, I've been working less at night, freaking out less at work, and peppering my days with less insanity.  The results?  I'm breathing easier.  Just acknowledging the stress made me deal with it better.  And posting about it helped, too, because disclosing my desire to chill out held me accountable.  I exposed myself to the internet (have fun with that one, Mr. Google) and I was obligated to follow-through.  Sooooo, after that long-winded explanation, I'm feeling pretty chill, thank you very much.

2.  To that effect, Generation D has been updated for February.  And thank goodness for the extra day this month, or my article on diabetes and stress would have been wicked early for March.  :)  I hope you enjoy it!

3.  Here's something that made me laugh my ass off:  my favorite dLife marketing maven sent me a link this morning to Garfield Minus Garfield, which is hosted off a Tumblr blog (which an interesting blogging platform.  Very minimalist.).  The gist of the site is as follows:  "Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolor disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life? Friends, meet Jon Arbuckle. Let’s laugh and learn with him on a journey deep into the tortured mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against lonliness in a quiet American suburb." 

And oh, how I've laughed and learned.  This one is the office favorite: 

5.  Oh, and then there's Molly the diabetic spot-nosed monkey.  Of course.  She has a book (of course) and a set of inspirational posters (of course).   This poster, of Molly enjoying lunchtime snacky bits with a duck and an armadillo (of course) is my favorite. 

And 6.  I'm looking forward to bringing in the month of March in RI, hanging with Batman and maybe visiting the butterfly conservatory in MA.  It sounds like a very cool place to take some interesting pictures with the Nikon. 

Have a stellar weekend, FR's, and I'll see you on Monday!  :D 

Posted by Kerri. at 03:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBacks (0)

Stress management has been on the top of my list for the last few months, and I've finally made it the priority it deserves.  I know that all of this cortisol coursing around in my body isn't good on several levels (contributing to higher blood pressure, hyperglycemia, impaired cognitive function ... wait, what was I saying?) and I can't let this go on any longer without making considerable efforts to change.

So, I'm taking on the Stress Management Six.  My ways of dealing with the chaos that comes along with ... life, it seems.  

1.  Better Manage My Time.  Between work, personal projects, and the wedding, I often feel overwhelmed by the tasks that need to be done and instead of tackling the "to do" list, I end up intimidating and spinning my wheels.  I need to really isolate the things that need to be done and prioritize them appropriately.  Do I really need to update my Twitter status every day?  No.  But do I need to make sure that the wedding invite list is completed by next week?  Yes.  Knowing what truly takes priority and not assigning myself too many tasks can help make better use of my time.

2.  Sleep.  Oh blessed sleep.  I have a tendency to stay up too late, throwing off my whole mindset for the next day.  More sleep is pivotal to achieving a lowered stress level.  So I'm buying new pillows.  And mushing my face into them for at least 7 hours a night for starters, aiming for 8 once I get closer to the wedding.  Part of getting more sleep also means cutting waaaaaay back on the caffeine.  I'm used to be a four-cup-a-dayer, but I'm trying to cut back.  Over the last month, I've worked my way down to two cups, and this week it has only been one cup of tea a day.  I'll eventually switch to decaf tea, I think.  Weaning off the caffeine will help lower stress, help me sleep, and keep my brain from imploding due to the jitters.  (I'm like Tweek from South Park when I have too much coffee.)   

3.  Meditation.  After speaking with my doctor this week and describing the anxiety and stress issues I've been wrangling with for a few months, she strongly suggested a meditation class to help keep me centered and help me let go of the things in my life that are tossing me into the spin cycle.  So I'm currently looking for a meditation class near my office or house.  (Which, here in Western CT - aka Soccer Mom Central - shouldn't be that hard.  It's all the rage to sit on a yoga mat and breath deeply these days.) 

4.  Breathing Exercises.  Even if I'm trying my best to avoid stressors, they will still find me.  (They have some kind of honing device, I think.) I need to find ways to deal in the heat of the moment.  I've found some breathing techniques that I can use while I'm, oh, say sitting in traffic, watching the email inbox total climb into the stratosphere, or for those moments when I mash my hand in the bathroom cabinet by accident. 

5.  Disconnect From The Internet.  I spend entirely way too much time on the computer, especially for someone who is completely social and chatty.  It's unnatural for me!  When I am at work, almost all of my day involves the monstrous computer screen (I do so enjoy the WorkMac, though), but I need to make more of a habit of disconnecting when I go home at night.  Usually, my evening includes the gym, dinner, and then more computer work.  Chris and I are resolving to spend less time online in the evening and more time hanging out.  Work can't suffer and tasks need to be completed, but being online all day and all night doesn't do much for my stress levels.  I need a freaking break. 

6.  Take A Freaking Break.  Lately, I've been mostly work and not enough play.  ENOUGH OF THAT.  I am young, healthy, and part of a wonderful network of friends and family.  I'm resolving to spend more time with my friends and less time mucking around on work-related items.  Last weekend was nice, spending it exploring a new city.  This weekend, Chris and I are tucking ourselves away into a bed and breakfast - no cell phones, no internet, and no tasks.  And next weekend, I have some fun plans with friends on tap.  Life is going by so quickly these days - I need to take some time to actually enjoy it and make some memories. 

So the plan is way less stress, which should have a positive impact on my diabetes and my overall health in general.  And if that doesn't work, I may have to move permanently into a hut on the side of a mountain.  Only it will have running water.  And a wireless connection.  ;)

Have a stress-free weekend and I'll catch you, all mellow and whatnot, on the flip side.  Yo. 

Posted by Kerri. at 04:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

1.  This morning, as I drove into work, my phone rang and the voice of my 5 year old niece-to-be sang "Happy Birthday" to me.  My father's phone call gave me a rendition not unlike Marilyn Monroe, which made me burst into a fit of giggles.  If you haven't guessed, today is my birthday.  I am 29 years old.  I'm engaged to be married, working in a job that I love, and a proud part of a wonderful family.  It's nice to take a moment and realize how much life has to offer.  And how much it's already offered. 

2.  In that vein, Chris and I are off to Philadelphia this weekend to explore.   Yes, we will be running the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and taking Rocky-style photos.  We'll check out the ol' Liberty Bell.  We're also interested in dining out downtown - any recommendations for a good, birthday-worthy restaurant? 

3.  Also, wedding plans are rolling along quite nicely these days.  We almost have our invitations ready to be printed and we're working on compiling the address list as we speak.  The wedding shower date has been set (but I know no other details - sneaky bridesmaids!) and my next dress fitting is on February 24th.  I need to find some comfortable shoes to wear on my wedding day - something with about a two-inch heel and comfortable enough to party in.  What kind of shoes did you ladies wear on your wedding day?

4.  In non-birthday news, I had the pleasure of sitting and chatting with Bertalan Meskó of Science Roll, a future clinical geneticist from Hungary who plans to specialize in personalized genomics.  He's a Web 2.0 pioneer, a blogging phenomenon, and significantly taller than me.  Aside from all his professional accolades, Berci has been a personal online acquaintance for over a year and it was great to finally meet him in person.  We talked about Web 2.0, the effects of patient blogging on the medical community, and had some drinks at The Playwright in New Haven.  It's strange how blogging provides such comfortable common ground.  The far-reaching effects of blogging still amaze me.

5.  This StrongBad email has had Chris and I laughing like idiots for several days now.  We try and recreate the techno song while we drive to the gym.  How could you not?  It's catchy! 

The 6.  And lastly, my trial of the Medtronic MiniLink CGM has come to a close.  I'll have a full wrap-up on Monday, but I really appreciate all of the feedback I've received from you guys in the blogosphere.  Having all of your perspectives, and developing my own, has made exploring this option easier.

Have a great weekend, everyone.  I'm off to celebrate!  :)

Posted by Kerri. at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (38) | TrackBacks (0)

After a stressful day yesterday, I needed a good nap and ... oh wait, is that a sussy?  Just in time for The Friday Six??

Today, my sussy came in the dLife mail delivery!  Turns out my secret sussier was Kristen (aka kkonmymind), my Flickr buddy and fellow Nikon D40'er.  Her gift was very sweet, including a data card for my camera, some tasty chewing gum (I'm admittedly addicted to gum) and a beautiful little bride-and-groom trinket to hold photos of friends and family.  Thank you so much, Kristen!  I love my sussy!  (And currently your letter is being held by the bride and groom.  They are taking good care of it.)

In the land of off-site writing, the latest issue of diaTribe is out, with an all-new SUM Musings column talking about hypoglycemia.  Also, Generation D has been updated at dLife, with a focus on fitness.  It's an honor to be writing for both sites, so if you haven't up as a subscriber to diaTribe or as a member of dLife yet, do it today!

With today being the first day of February, I've successfully completed my first month as a member of Diabetes365.  It's a very interesting experience, taking daily snapshots of diabetes and seeing how a month of diabetes stacks up.  Have you checked out the Flickr group for D365? 

I stumbled upon this website about a Japanese origami artist who makes wildly creative and frighteningly realistic paper versions of industrial products.  Check out his V-12 four-stroke engine, which actually works.  I am so impressed.  

In other nonsensical news, I have come across a video game starring, my favorite one-armed dragon, Trogdor.  If you're into burninating and potentially being sworded, give this a go.  It's a great way to waste five minutes, and to laugh your ass off at the pinnacle of silliness.  And if you're looking for more old-school computer nonsense (for your TRS-80 computer from Radio Shack, perhaps?), check out this game. 

On the recommendation of my terrific eye doctor, we're heading home to RI this weekend and I plan to crash at my best friend's house and chill out.  Hopefully February will be filled with stress-free weekends and some cool moments.  With my birthday just around the corner (Shannon's is tomorrow - be sure to wish her a happy one) and my wedding getting closer every day, there's definitely some fun to be had.

Have a great weekend, everyone.  See you Monday!  :)

SUM Tags: diabetes, The Friday Six, relaxation, Diabetes365, sussy, diaTribe

Posted by Kerri. at 05:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

It's going to be a weekend filled with wedding stuff, and just in time because our wedding is exactly four months from today!  (Holy crap.) Welcome to the Wedding Weekend Six. 

First, my mother and I are going to sit with the florist and work out what we want for the wedding and the reception.   I've been reading up on tips from my pile of wedding magazines and the biggest tip for flowers seems to be "pick ones that don't stink - literally."  I have very little knowledge about flowers and which ones smell the nicest, last the longest, and are the loveliest.  Any advice from the wedded blogosphere on this one?  What did you guys have?

Then, we're going for my first dress fitting - YAY!  I will be meeting with the seamstress so she can hem my gown (I am not as tall as I'd like to be) and we can figure out where the pump will live during my wedding.  It's a bittersweet feeling.  If you asked me about my wedding when I was a kid, I would have assumed a cure would have happened.  Now, I'm wondering if my "something new" will be the transmitter placement.

We're also attending a wedding cake tasting on Sunday morning, thanks to my mother and her baker-wrangling skills.  My mother told the woman who is making the cake that I am diabetic - "Does she want a sugar-free cake?"  Hmmm ... even though I appreciate the gesture, it's my wedding day, damnit.  I plan on having my cake and eating it, too - sugar and all.  Crank up the bolus, baby.

In other news, I heard from my friends David and Elizabeth that they have launched a new health site called DailyHealth.  According to their welcome page, "We are a thriving community of people seeking long and healthy lives. Our goal is to be the friendliest and most helpful place to find advice and support. An amazing group of volunteers helps ensure that we never waver from this goal."  Stop by DailyHealth and give them a warm welcome to the medical community!  

The CGM and I have been disconnected for the last few hours, as I mistakenly pulled the sensor from my arm while taking my sweatshirt off at the gym.  Getting used to this new gadget includes a definite learning curve, and I'm taking it slowly to ensure that I give this a fair trial.  My MiniMed dude sent me the linking cable so I can load my data up from the pump to Medtronic's CareLink software, so that's my mission for next week.  I may leave it off for the weekend, though, so I can not deal with anymore hardware than necessary during my dress fitting.

And in techno-geek news, I am now working on my first iMac at dLife.  Until today, I've been one of the only staff members tooling around on a PC.  But now - YAY - I am learning the ropes on this new iMac.  It's very jazzy and is wicked fun (even though I have no idea where I stashed my old files ... ooops).  If I like it for work, it may be time to upgrade at home, too.  Hmmmm ... honeymoon or iMac?  

That's it for today.  I'm off to finish up some work, head out to the gym, and then go see Cloverfield with my fiance.   We've been excited for this movie for months - I hope it's worth all the hype.

Have a great weekend, FR's!  And if you haven't already, please cast your vote for SUM in the MedGadget Best Patient Blogger awards - I appreciate how many of you have already voted.  Thank you for your support on this, as I'm proud to even be in the running.  :) 

SUM Tags: diabetes, The Friday Six, wedding planning, MedGadget

Posted by Kerri. at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (29)

The New Year is off to a sprinting start, like a gazelle sporting some Adidas(es?).  Here are the Friday Six:

On Monday afternoon, I'll be meeting with a representative from Medtronic to get suited up with the MiniLink CGM component.   I've used the Dexcom in the past and even though the device was a bit of a pain in the ass to wear, the data I had access to was amazing.  I'm hoping that just adding a transmitter that works with my pump (instead of a whole second device) will be easier for me to integrate into my lifestyle.  I'll be blogging about it, for certain.  From Dexcom Warrior to Minimed Maven.  Bring it.

This made me giggle:  Top 62 Ways to Tell You Can't Cook.  Even though this is an old webpage from 2005, it made me laugh out loud.  Number 56 is my favorite, for the simple fact that it was unexpected.

The New Year didn't get off to the strongest start, workout-wise.  I was just at the gym for the first time since 12/30 - shame on me.  But jumping back in wasn't too hard, and my muscles apparently remembered what I was asking them to do before.  I'm up to 15 minutes on, 5 off in my running routine and I'm putting some serious focus on toning up before the wedding.  I haven't noticed any changes yet, but I'm hoping that by February I'll be feeling fitter and ready for a white dress.

Speaking of that dress, my mother called me yesterday to let me know she was picking up my bridal gown from Ye Olde Bridal Shop(pe).  Immediately, I was tossed into a wave of panic - I need to get the invitations ordered, finalize arrangements with the church, schedule my first dress fitting, talk to the reception hall about the bar, figure out who is sitting at what table ... ahhhhh!  It was my first real experience with HOLY CRAP I'M GETTING MARRIED.  I felt like I had been hit with a bucket filled with ... panicking brides.  There are only a few months until my wedding day, and Chris and I have to get on the ball.  I hope this isn't the dawn of my reign as Bridezilla. 

It was nice to come across this video, especially after feeling rounded out from the holidays and that slight (cough) panic attack about the wedding.  It's from the Dove Self-Esteem fund, part of the Campaign for Real Beauty.  I read a lot of health and fitness magazines and dabble in the trashy magazine realm (read:  US Weekly!), and we need more out there in the media about loving, instead of changing, who you are.  Have you guys seen these videos? 

Finally, I've taken the plunge and joined the inspiring photogs in the Diabetes365 Flickr group.  It's strange, but not surprising, to notice how diabetes is folded into the moments of my life.  I have no idea if I can keep up with the level of dedication that the seasoned members have exhibited, but I'm going to give it my best shot.  (Oh diabetes puns, how I love thee.  And a camera pun!  Twofer.)  I'm excited to be a part of this!

If you haven't already, visit the Project Diabetes365 website and get a feel for what this project is all about.

Have a great weekend!!

SUM Tags: diabetes, insulin pump, Diabetes 365, CGM, wedding, working out, The Friday Six

Posted by Kerri. at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)

Heading out the door for the holiday weekend -- but first:  The Friday Six!

1.  I'm a huge fan of Pandora, with its station creation capability and how it shows me all kinds of different bands that are in line with other bands I already like.  Today, a co-worker led me to SeeqPod Music, which is like a programmable Pandora.  You don't have to download any music and it's safe for work environments that won't allow you to download software to your computer.  It's like iTunes on the go. 

2.  Ye Olde Bridal Shoppe called me today and told me that my wedding gown has arrived and I need to schedule my first fitting.  I.  Am.  So.  Excited.  I'm curious to work out the pump pocket plan.

3.  Speaking of pumping, I will start on my Paradigm 522 tonight.  My arm site, which has served me well this week, is finally starting to feel a bit sore when I bolus, so it's time to pull it out.  New infusion set will bring out the New Pump.  And next week, I'll trial the Minimed GCM component for a few months.  More on this later.

4.  Last night's run proved that even the most awkward parts of me can eventually be trained to a higher level.  I felt stronger during my run last night than I have over the past two (grueling) weeks.  Chris tells me that running is a great way to burn fat fast, in preparation for May.  My plan is to keep at it at least through the end of January and see what kind of headway I've made.  Who out there has done some running?  How do you manage those rapidly-falling numbers?  Ed suggested working in some protein to my pre-workout snack.  I'm game to try anything.

5.  Can't focus.  Silliness reigns supreme.  What the heck are these cats doing wearing Santa hats? And how can I get Sausage to sit still long enough so I can do the same to her?

6.  We're off to RI for the Christmas holiday, spending some quality time with friends, Romans, and countrymen.  After we brave 95 North for 59,047 hours first.  Grrr, highway.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you.  Stay healthy!  And for crying out loud, have some fun.

Posted by Kerri. at 01:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBacks (0)

Jumping right in.

I took today off from the office to finish up some shopping, finally send out the holiday cards I've been plodding through (and keep finding bits of glitter on my face as a result of my efforts), and spend some time knotting up loose ends for 2007.  It's funny how I think I have all the time in the world to complete things, only to realize last minute that I'm crunched for time, feeling like when Indiana Jones is reaching for his hat as the stone slab is hurtling downwards.  That's a Christmassy image, no?

Yesterday's stormy snowy self made me realize how ineffective a VW Jetta is in wintry conditions.  Fortunately, I know how to drive in the snow and am very careful.  Unfortunately, half of western CT does not share this aptitude and I spent the commute home yesterday with a black BMW truck inches from my bumper, as the Soccer Mom inside applied her lipstick, texted her nanny, and smoothed her bangs.  Note to CT Drivers:  Snow is slippery.  Your car is not a day spa.  Please stay off my ass.

Instead of using my thigh to host my infusion set last night, I opted for my abdomen.  My legs need a bit of a break sometimes, so I figured a belly set would be best for a few days.  Reverted to a stomach site reminds me how much I hate wearing them "above the belt."  It's sore, the tubing is not well-concealed, and the waistband of my yoga pants (remember - day off) keeps bumping into it.  I do not like abdomen sites.  I'm already excited for Sunday night, when I go back to my thigh. 

I did entertain the thought of putting it in my arm instead, but I'm a bit daunted at the idea of snaking the tubing down my sleeve.  Have any of you used your arm as a site?  Did it drive you nuts?  Does it get in the way?  Do I ask too many questions?  Do you believe in ghosts?  Can you drive stick?  Who was your favorite Monkee?  ... ahem.  Arm site?

Another edition of SUM Musings is published in diaTribe.  Have you signed up to receive this newsletter yet?  I'm a bit biased, but I recommend taking a spin through Kelly Close's publication and making your own opinion.  :)

I'm still on my Mimined upgrade journey, talking with reps from Medtronic and working to trade in my 512 for a 522 with the CGM option.  A few of you had asked if I was pro-Minimed, and I have to say that I am.  I've been using a Minimed pump for the last four years and I'm happy with the level of service I have received.  I also found the Minimed pumps to be less bulky and the more streamlined of the tubing models, which was important to me because I like to pump relatively incognito-ish-esque.  :)  I've enjoyed the last four years with Medtronic, and I'm ready to sign up for another four.  (Sounds like an election - four more years!)

This weekend, we're off to RI to visit friends and family.  But for today, I'm off to finish my errands, wrap presents, take some pictures, and get Siah out of the damn Christmas tree.  that cat is a menace. 

Have a great weekend!

Posted by Kerri. at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)

Late afternoon blogging on this snowy Friday.

Today, December 7th, is Larry Bird's birthday.  Always an inspiration and one of the key members of my fictional healthcare management team, Larry has helped me overcome some difficult moments and keeps my fitness goals attainable and challenging, all at the same time.  Larry, here's to you.  I hope you got the card I sent.  Chris signed it, too.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LARRY!!!

In this article, discovered by my always-on-the-ball brother, do you think the redaacted words here are "diabetes?"  Scroll down and see if you think this was another case of diabetes leaping into the news or just another moment of (thanks, Shannon) Mad Libs.

Chris and I are starting to work through the nitty-gritty parts of our wedding planning, including favors, invitation design, and the all-important honeymoon destination.  Our wedding colors are green and ivory, so I was thinking about little potted ivy plants as the favors.  Only drawback to this green idea is that I am forced to deal with over 250 little, potted ivory plants.  For you Married Folk out there, what did you do for favors?  Since our wedding invite list is enormous (we both come from very large families), I'm trying to think of something classy and simple, yet relatively inexpensive.    Suggestions?

I love popping bubble wrap.  Everytime something sizable is delivered to dLife, I paw around in the packing materials and grab the bubble wrap.  Pop pop pop!  I found a website with virtual bubble wrap.  Cannot resist it.  Wouldn't make my wedding gown out of it, but it's an excellent way to de-stress. 

Secret Santa is in full swing here at work and I've been tormenting my target for the last week.  (Cannot discuss too much here, as people in my office read my blog and I could end up giving away the identity of said Secret Santa target.  More on this later.) I love the holidays.  I think this sort of thing is so fun.

Useless Tidbit:  When I was in college, I lived with seven other girls.  We were hard-working college students and wallets were always a bit on the light side.  So instead of buying gifts for everyone, we would pull a name and do our version of Secret Santa.  Only we did Secret Psycho, where we pulled a name and pranked that person for the month of December. 

One morning, I woke up to find a plastic pile of dog poop on my pillow.  Another time, one roommate gave the other roommate fish-flavored candies.  And the best bit was when I came home and found my bedroom switched with another housemate's bedroom, complete with my cat asleep on my blankets, which were on her bed.  The whole event culminated in a real gift exchange before winter break.  Looking back, it was wicked fun and I wish we still did it.  Hey Roommates, can we do Secret Psycho again?

It's snowing a ton here today.  Winter is on in full effect and I, for one, am looking forward to exploring the snowscape with New Camera.  Chris and I are going to try and do some relaxing this weekend, after being sick for two weeks and having very stressful work weeks.  There's a new French place downtown that just opened up, and with Chris being a Francophile now, it might be on our list to try.

Have a great weekend, FR's, and stay warm! 

Posted by Kerri. at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (21) | TrackBacks (0)

It's back!  Now with more fever!  The NoMoWriWo Friday Six.  (No More Writing Words!)

1.  Strep throat appears to be leaving my personal premises, but has been deftly replaced by a cold.  Total Crumbs Morrone, complete with slight fever, weird backache, and nagging cough.  On tap for this weekend:  REST.  And that's possible because ...

2.  NaBloPoMo is OVER with this post.  While I really love blogging and posting regularly, I'm content keeping this as a Monday - Friday party.  Posting on the weekends kinks up my plans because then I end up sucked into the computer, responding to emails ... suddenly, I've become unable to adjust to actual sunlight.  But I'm proud to have stuck this month out with so many other bloggers, including a number from the diabetes blogosphere.  Bravo, guys!  We did it!

3.  Also in the home stretch of NaNoWriMo.  Only approx. 9,500 words left to conjure up.  My co-worker, who is also immersed in the world of NaNo, and I have decided to never do this again.  We've proven that we can conquer this challenge, finishing last year and "this close" this year, so there's no need for NaNo again next year.  PLEASE remind me of this statement next October, when I start musing manically about doing this again.   And Co-Worker, should I even breathe a word of NaNo next fall, just smack me.

4.  With two engaged editorial team members here at dLife, this video has been circulating through the office.  Best first dance at a wedding - ever.  It's a must-watch. 

5.  Last night, I had the pleasure of being the guest on Dr. Anonymous's BlogTalkRadio show.  Despite a few technical difficulties, we got everything rolling and it was a fun discussion with one of my favorite medical bloggers.  His energy is contagious and he's a very active member of the medical blogosphere.  Tune in on Thursdays at 10 pm eastern for Dr. A's all-new shows!

6.  And the most random bit today is that I opened my email this morning and found a message from the guy who drove my pedicab two Septembers ago.  His email was sweet, charming, and spoke from the perspective of a courtesy long-since practiced by many people.  He also included a link to his photography site, and his pictures are truly lovely.  It was a nice surprise ... and man, was I surprised.

HAPPY LAST DAY OF NOVEMBER!!! 

Posted by Kerri. at 01:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

SiFriSixBi - The Six Until Me Friday Six Bits?  Sigh ... I'm inundated in acronyms.  :)

Last night, I attended the MM&M awards ceremony at NYC's famous Tavern on the Green.  Unable to pretend to be some fancy and sophisticated socialite, I openly enjoyed every second of the event and marveled at the fantastic trees lit with white Christmas lights in the garden.  I'm from RI, FaithFul Readers.  NYC amazes me.  And dLife took home a top prize - the Healthcare Website of the Year!  It was an honor to attend, and I enjoyed meeting some of marketing's finest.

On that note, I drove into the city for this occasion.  I was harassed about my driving all growing up.  "You drive too fast.  We're like in their back seat.  Kerri, you need to get off his ass.  Kerri.  Kerri!"  Well HA! to all those people who mocked me for my bevy of speeding tickets.  Finally, my aggressive driving paid off as I piloted my VW through the wilds of NYC.  Part of me enjoyed it.  The other part of me is so thankful for the fine Metro North train system.

However, I did have a bit of a pump mishap at this black tie event.  Wearing a black dress no sleeves, no pockets, and no confidence in my thigh thing (as, once again, the elastic is shot and I need a new one), I wore my insulin pump in my bra.  Without the clip attached, just sort of tucked there in between.  (May be TMI, but stick with me.  This is going somewhere.)

So I'm sitting at dinner, pump in my bra, and I laugh.  Hard (per usual).  And my pump decides to slip out from my bra and slide down the front of my torso. 

Fantastic.  Now I look like the lady from Alien, with something bulleting about in my stomach.

Trying to remain engaged in the conversation, I attempt to deftly maneuver the pump down towards my leg so I can disconnect from my infusion set underneath the table and duck into the bathroom to reassemble.  But the pump tubing is now tangled around my bra, refusing to unloop and release. 

Sigh.

So I had to basically reach up my dress and hope no one saw me release the reservoir from the pump, drop the pump into my hand under the hem of my dress, and let the tubing remain tangled and dangling from my bra.  The guy sitting next to me gave me an eye.  Hopefully he thought I just had an itch?  I scurried off to the bathroom, pump in hand, grabbed the pump clip from my purse (thank goodness!), and resecured the pump in my bra.  Returned to the table and pretended nothing happened.

Nothing like trying to pretend to be classy.

In other news, I've also had the pleasure of joining Kelly Close and her terrific team as a columnist for diaTribe, with SUM Musings.  If you haven't signed up already for the diaTribe newsletter, take a spin on over there and check it out!

I watched a few of these episodes at work and almost died laughing.  Teen Girl Squad, brought to you by Strongbad.  Completely silly and so worth it.

And on tap for this weekend:  Relaxing, sleeping, blogging, a possible adventure to a covered bridge, and my niece's first birthday party.  Have a good weekend, and I'll see you on Monday tomorrow!  (NaBloPoMo, yo.)

Posted by Kerri. at 01:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (18) | TrackBacks (0)

Exhausted.

ONE:  Do not book a flight from LA to Newark, then Newark to Providence when you live in western CT.  This is foolish because as you take off from Newark, you actually fly over your house.  Even though we saved over $400 with this arrangement, it's still ridiculous.

TWO:  If you are an east-coaster visiting the west coast, do not spend your mornings on east coast time and your evenings on west coast time.  This will be fun, but will not lead your head to a pillow for 20 hour clips.  Currently, I am using test strips to prop open my eyelids. 

THREE:  We went to the LA Zoo yesterday afternoon and wandered around for hours.  We saw judgemental koala bears, huge tigers, and the biggest damn alligator I have ever seen.  I added a pile of pictures to my Flickr account if you want to poke around.

FOUR:  While we were at the zoo yesterday, there was a group of art students who were sketching the regal lion.  Their drawings were excellent, and Chris and I found ourselves in the middle of their artistry pack.  Feeling a bit foolish for not having a lick of artistic talent but never to be outdone, Chris whipped out his trusty notebook, borrowed a pen from my purse, and joined the fray.  The girl on our right was effortlessly sketching this:

And my fearless fiance, utilizing precisely 2% of his actual drawing skills, created this masterpiece:

FIVE:  The JDRF walk is Sunday morning in RI and we're traipsing back to RI for it.  I'm excited to see my new hat (aLOL, Nicole) and to have my bridal party start their bridesmaid dress fitting process on Sunday afternoon. 

SIX:  The Sox are still in it.  I can't say much more, because then I start to get nervous.

Another whirlwind weekend, but after this one, I'm doing NOTHING for several weeks.  Except sleeping.  And going to work.  And blogging.  And gearing up for some exciting things that are looming on the horizon. 

But sleep is a friggin' definite.

Posted by Kerri. at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

It's been a very silly week so far here on Six Until Me ... may as well close it out that way.  Here's The Friday Six:

Oh for pete's sake ... we open with the LOLCat Bible.  For some strange reason, I'm surprised this exists.  I clicked around and despite the fact that it's extremely silly and completely foolish, I almost spit out my tea laughing.

Now that the dress has been ordered (yay!) and my bridesmaids are all getting together next weekend (minus my wonderful sister, who is in VA, but she'll be fitted down there) for their first dress fittings, it's time to start thinking about invitations.  I've seen a few websites where you can order invitations, but I'm looking for some referrals.  If you used an online service for your wedding invites, can you send me a link?  (And we've chosen ivory and green for our colors - a very Irish wedding!)

Okay, this guy had an ear grafted to his arm.  What a freak.  This is the first literal application of "talk to the hand."  Again, this has absolutely nothi