Harnessing the healing power of snark
If you haven’t yet responded to my 2-question survey, it’s not too late. You can leave you answers in the comments, or email them to me using the contact form.
Thanks so much for your help!
Questions:
If you’ve been visiting Cranky Fibro Girl for a while, you’ll have noticed that I haven’t been around much lately. Part of that has been due to our uprooting ourselves last fall and starting over in a new place. But another part of that is due to time: 12 years, to be exact. I’ve had the honor and the pleasure of sharing my stories with you here for the past 12 years. I’ve been so blessed by all the comments and emails you’ve sent me as we’ve shared this chronic illness journey together. And now the time has come for me to take a break.
I’ve sort of been on an unofficial hiatus, in that I haven’t been writing anything. But now I am officially announcing that I’m taking the rest of this year off, to let my mind know that it has permission to focus on other things. Or no things; I’ll. just have to wait and see. I’m creating a container of time and space and energy and permission and rest for myself, to do whatever I need to do to fill up and reset. To discover what I need to reconnect with the joy of writing and creating.
But before I leave for my blog break I have a request. I know there will be ideas percolating for me over the next 4 months. So when I come back I want to make sure that I’m writing about the things that matter to you, and creating things that help support you through your biggest challenges. If you would leave a comment with your answers to the two following questions, or email your answers to me through the contact form, I would really appreciate it.
I hope you all have a wonderful fall, and I will see you again in the new year!
Questions:
I have been given this product as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggersnetwork. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.
When it comes to all the medications I have to take, I feel like I’ve become a cross between a master Las Vegas casino dealer and a master compounding pharmacist. Having to take all this medicine in the first place is a giant pain in the neck (although I am grateful that it gives me the ability to function as well as I do). But having to cut pills into smaller doses, especially if the pill are tiny, adds an additional level of annoying onto things.
So I was excited when I was offered the chance to try out a new type of pill cutter. In exchange for reviewing it here on the blog I was sent an Equadose Pill Splitter created by Shannon Triplett, a nurse, and her engineer husband, Tyson.
The blades come in from the sides, instead of from the top down as in regular splitters.
I immediately put it to work on my smallest pill, the one that always crumbles if I try to cut it in half.
To cut a pill this size with the Equadose splitter you stand it up on its end, perpendicular to how it’s positioned in a regular pill cutter.
And, voila:
Perfect!
You can watch another video here, where Shannon tests out a variety of different sizes and shapes of pills.
In addition to the one they sent me, Shannon and Tyson also sent two splitters for me to give away here on the blog. So if you’d like to be entered into the giveaway, leave a comment and tell me a fun fact about yourself. I’ll start:
When I was in college I sang in the Choral Union, and our choir director was Dr. Brian Gorelick, the brother of Kenny G.
Leave your comment by Midnight (12pm) Eastern Standard Time on Friday, 2/26. Mr. Cranky Fibro Girl will randomly draw two names over the weekend and I will announce them on Monday, 2/29.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the drawing to win one of 5 Clean Bottles donated by the partnership of Bay Alarm Medical and Clean Bottle.
I’m excited to announce that the winners are as follows:
1. Zura Beth R.
2. Janet A.
3. Kimberly G.
4. Jennifer
5. Rebecca
Thanks for playing!
Due to life’s smiting me with the mother of all migraines and a UTI (thanks so much life-I love you too), the deadline for entering the contest for the Clean Water Bottles has been extended to midnight (12 am) EST this Friday, July 24th.
Say hello in the comments to be entered into the drawing-I love “meeting” all of you 🙂
Winners will be announced on Monday, July 27th.
When it comes to the work that Lynne and I do together, I LOVE the deep, inner explorations we go on. But when it comes to the nitty-gritty of everyday life, I get very, um, bitchy cranky irritable fussy, and my Inner, Victimized Drama Queen swoops in and starts running the show:
“What do you MEAN I have to brush my teeth every single day. That is SO unfair! Don’t I have enough to deal with?!”
“OMG, haven’t I suffered enough?! I have to plan our meals and do a grocery list too?! WTF, Universe?!”
I’m such a lovely client to work with.
So the latest thing we’ve been working on is Hydrating or, as Lynne must constantly remind me, “DRINK, Stupidhead!” I’m getting better at this, but I must still be sending Dehydration Vibes out to the world, because I was recently contacted by Bay Alarm Medical and Clean Bottle, who have come together to help raise our awareness of the importance of staying hydrated. Happily for us here in Cranky Fibro Land, they are doing this by giving away 5 of their Clean Bottles to readers of this blog.
In trying one out myself, I like the fact that:
-The bottle unscrews at both ends, to make cleaning it much easier. 
-When I unscrewed it the first time to clean it, there was no weird odor that might or might not have gone away with washing.
-And, it’s easy to hold for the days when my hands and arms are really achy.
The only thing I had a problem with was that with my achy hands, I didn’t have the strength to screw the bottom on tightly enough to prevent it from leaking. I had to get my husband to do that for me.
However, in addition to my Inner Drama Queen, I also have a highly developed Inner Hedonist, so while I have a cool new bottle to help me “Drink, Stupidhead!”, I’m not giving up my soda. (Although I’ve come a looooooooong way from the time when I drank 3 regular Cokes a day; now it’s Diet Fanta and Diet Code Red Mountain Dew.) And, in the interest of full disclosure, I almost never drink plain water-I love my MiO Berry Pomegranate flavoring. But, now I have a way to make drinking the water I do drink a little bit easier, a little bit more fun, and hopefully, a little more frequent.
So if you’d like to be entered into the drawing to win a Clean Bottle, say hi in the comments (and leave your name too, if it isn’t obvious from your email address). The contest will be open until 12am Eastern Time on Monday, July 20th. Then Mr. Cranky Fibro Girl will draw 5 winners, and they will be announced here on the blog on Wednesday, July 22nd.
Happy Drinking!
I am excited to announce the winners of Cranky Fibro Girl’s 10th Birthday Blog Contest!
Winners of the Amazon Gift Cards are:
1. Vania
2. Vanessa
3. Eileen
Winner of the coaching package with Lynne:
Shelley
Answers to the blog quiz:
a. If asked, do I always order Pepsi or Coke? Coke
b. I hate going outside, because I am afraid of the Imaginary _____Snakes_____.
c. What is Mr. Cranky Fibro Girl’s profession? engineer
d. Before I got sick I had my own business as a ______Spanish Tutor____.
e. I am obsessed with the number ______8____.
Congratulations, and thank you to everyone who participated!
Ten years ago today, I wrote this:
“Welcome To My New Blog
For a long time now I have been intrigued by the idea of blogs, and I am excited that I finally have one of my own. I love the freedom of being able to get my thoughts and ideas out to lots of people so easily . I love having a space that gives people a chance to experience who I am when they visit my website. Most of all, I love being able to share all the fun that I have by just being me and being here in this life.
I found a great quote by John D. MacDonald that really sums up my approach to life. He says, “My purpose is to entertain myself first and other people secondly.” After that, everything else just takes care of itself.”
And now, here we are all these years later.
I’d love to have a beautiful, carefully crafted post that humorously touches on the highlights of each of these ten years, and then mindfully considers my hopes and dreams for the next.
But here’s what I have instead:
-A cat who will not get off of my keyboard as I write, despite the eleventy billion other places she could be sitting right now
-2 instances (that I know of) of disgusting cat things I have to clean up off of my office floor
-only having enough energy to either shave my legs OR wash my hair, but not both
-a narrow escape from collapsing on the grocery store in a despairing, tearful heap because there were too many choices for Father’s Day cards, and because they no longer carry Diet Fanta Orange
-infernal, interminable road construction directly outside my neighborhood, which makes it impossible to turn left, which makes it impossible to get to the other grocery store that does sell Diet Fanta Orange
-a mind that won’t shut up about how I am a failure as a blogger because, really, this is what you’re writing about today?
-and fibro pain that is a Level 7 and rising
However, in the grand tradition of my Both/And Life, I also have:
-cats who like to hang out with me wherever I am
-dinner cooking in the crockpot
-a fun day spent shopping with my neighbor and honorary niece and nephew
-new art supplies, new ink for my printer and gas in my car
-episodes of a newly discovered show waiting for me on my DVR
-wonderfully scented bath salts
-lots of Diet Code Red Mountain Dew
-and a husband who will be home in a few hours after a week-long business trip
But most importantly, although it was touch and go at times, I still have my sense of humor. Which tells me that there are lots more stories waiting to be written here.
So thank you, everyone, for taking this ride with me over this past decade. And here’s to the adventures that are still to come.
***
Remember that you can still leave a comment up until midnight tonight (Eastern Time) to be entered in the prize drawing. Just let me know where you’re from and how long you’ve been reading CFG, and you’ll be entered to win one of three $25.00 Amazon Gift Cards and a special coaching package offer from my partner-in-crime, Lynne Morrell.
If you’ve hung out here for any length of time, you have heard me talk about Lynne and all the work we do together. Lynne is a Personal Life Coach and Certified EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Practitioner. But as we’ve been working together now for 11 years, she has become so much more for me-wise older sister, mentor, the one who kicks me in the pants when I need it, and irreverent co-conspirator. So I am delighted to announce that she has generously contributed a new prize to our Birthday Drawing. She is donating a coaching package of 3 sessions-her regular free introductory session (which she offers to anyone who would like to get a taste of what it’s like to work with her) and 2 additional sessions (value of $190.00). As a Life coach and Certified EFT Practitioner Lynne works with:
As Lynne and I have been working together for so long, you know I can’t recommend her highly enough. So go check out her website, and see if she might be a right fit for you!
Today I want to celebrate you-all you lovely people who let me know that I’m not alone in my struggles with this illness.
So I’m adding a bonus opportunity for you to win one of the $25 Amazon Gift Cards we’re giving away.
Just leave a comment on this post telling me where you’re from and about how long you’ve been a reader, and you’ll be entered into the drawing.
And check back tomorrow for another special giveaway!
