The Finish Line

Yesterday morning, I processed my last car payment. My car is officially paid off!

I had been waiting for that moment for five long years and it felt so satisfying to know that it was finally the last time! Obviously, there will always be gas to buy and maintenance/repairs to pay for, but knowing that the monthly payment is gone feels so good.

My husband needs a new car in the not-so-distant future, but it's great that we'll only have one car payment, not two. I plan on driving my newly-paid-off car for several more years now.

As with most celebrations, we thought it was only appropriate to enjoy a bottle of champagne. Cheers!

Splitting Hairs

My hair.

'Tis long.

Very long.

I have a hair appointment on August 5, and I'm considering doing something drastic. Not Demi-Moore-in-GI-Jane drastic, but drastic nonetheless.

The problem is that sometimes, I really love my hair this long. There are generally a few hours toward the end of each day, when it's just the right amount of dirty, and before I get sick of feeling it on my neck and tie it up, that I really love my hair.

But I hate it when I'm washing it.
I hate it when I'm drying it.
I hate it when it's freshly washed.
I hate it when I tuck it behind my ears (makes it look long and stringy).
I hate it when I'm working out, and it keeps falling out of my hair tie because it is so heavy.

As you can see, I spend a lot of time hating it. So I think I want to change it. I thought--maybe I'll donate it. But I looked up the requirements and they want too much hair (at least 8"), and I'm not willing to go that short. And then I realize I'm afraid to cut it anyway.

But then, there's part of me that just wants to make a change. Then there's the issue of, well, if I make the change, what kind of change should I make? I like low-maintenance hair. All I do to my hair currently is wash it, dry it, brush it out. I don't even own a flat or curling iron. Also, I have an issue where I often think the shape of my face makes it look fat, so I have a fear of a haircut that doesn't go with my face. (I know I sound crazy. Just go with it.)

The last time I really cut my hair was in Summer 2006. It was still shoulder-length (like touching my collar bone), but it was short for me. I liked it, but since then, I've grown it out, cut it a little, grown it out, trimmed it, grown it out, cut a few more inches, and grown it out again. *yawn* Bor-ing.

I have four weeks to work up the courage, or four weeks to talk myself out of it, depending on which way I'm leaning at any given moment.

What's a girl to do?

Be The Match

I've asked you to bleed. I've asked you to bake.

Now, I'm asking you to swab a few cells off the inside of your cheek.

I know, I know. I ask a lot, don't I?

And no, I'm not suggesting you put yourselves on some sort of are-you-my-father-DNA-testing episode of Maury. I wouldn't do that to you.

I'm talking about the Be The Match Registry (formerly known as the National Marrow Donor Program). I'm talking about putting yourself on the registry, in order to potentially donate your bone marrow someday. I'm talking about possibly saving someone's life.


I'm actually a bit late with this request. Back in June, Be The Match ran a Marrowthon to try to drum up 46,000 new people on the registry. During that time, all fees to join the registry were waived.

But, GOOD NEWS!

It looks like the fees are still being waived. This means you can join the marrow registry for FREE. It doesn't cost you a penny. Sign up on the website, and the kit will be mailed to you. It's super simple: You take a few swabs of the inside of your cheek, pack it up, and mail it back (you don't even have to pay postage). And then you're done.

At least for now.

You see, it's possible that there is someone out there, right now, that needs a bone marrow transplant. Maybe they've been waiting for it for a while. Because maybe they don't have a match. And it's possible that one of you, my dear friends, holds the key to their treatment.

It's possible that you'll register, and soon after, be called. Or maybe 10 years down the road. Or maybe never. But at least you'd know that you put yourself out there, just in case.

Just in case someone needed it. Just because you could.

Personally, I have been on the registry for (I think) more than 3 years now. I, too, signed up at a time when they were running a campaign during which the fees were waived (I believe it was a Mother's Day promotion). Normally, I believe they charge something like $50-60 to register, which is a huge shame, since that deters so many people. The problem is that in order to process someone and put them on the registry, it costs Be The Match $100 to do so. As you can imagine, that adds up quickly. Fortunately, people make monetary donations to Be The Match to offset some of those costs for you and me.

I sometimes wonder what I will do if I get called. Sometimes I fear that I'll be too afraid to actually go through with it. But then I think about how if the recipient was me, or my family member, or my friend... I would want someone to do it for me.

And so I have to believe that I would do it for them.

Remember Jenny? I've pointed you to her blog before, because her daughter was the reason I started donating blood. After her baby girl was diagnosed with leukemia, she, her husband, and other family members got tested as potential marrow donors for their own daughter. They weren't matches, but as a result, they were put on the registry. (Their daughter ended up receiving a cord blood transplant from a non-related donor, and for some reason, I want to say it may have come all the way from Italy!)

Anyway, almost two years after Allie passed away, Jenny's husband, Andrew, received a call that he was a bone marrow match for a young boy. Of course, given what they went through themselves, Andrew went through the harvesting surgery and donated. Isn't that just so amazing? You can read Jenny's blog posts about it here (scroll down and read post from July 13, and she mentions it a few times in prior posts, too).

That is just one of many, many stories. You can read others at the Be The Match blog. If you have any other questions about the Registry, the website is very informative.

If you're thinking about doing this, I hope you do it soon! I'm not sure how much longer they'll be waiving the fee.

And if you join, thank you.

A Thousand Words

Yesterday, my internet buddy, LJK-C, posted a link to a photo collection by the Boston Globe that chronicles President Obama's first 167 days in office. Beautiful, poignant photos that I pored over, drinking in every detail--in one image, I even noticed my favorite campaign photo framed on the President's desk. *LOVE*

When I look through these photos, I feel so much pride.

But this post isn't about that. Well, it's not about my pride.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

It's about his.

(I'm referring to the little guy.)

I first saw this photo a few months back, on some random news site or blog, shortly after it was taken. I saw it again while watching NBC's "Inside the Obama White House" special with Brian Williams.

While perusing this photo collection, I came across it for a third time. And I'll tell you... its power isn't lost on me. Every time I see this photo, I am deeply affected by it.

If you don't know the story behind the image... This little boy is the son of a White House staff member. He was at the White House for a visit, and had the chance to meet the President of the United States. As he stood, looking at Obama, he asked the one thing he really wanted to know.

He had recently had his hair cut, and he wanted to know if the President's hair felt like his own. And President Obama, in a way that I think truly demonstrates his character, bent over to let the little guy feel it for himself.

Pardon me while I go grab a tissue.

When I look at this photo, and I read the story, it's about so much more than the haircut.

That little boy--a black little boy--was likely sizing himself up against the President. And for the first time ever in our country's history, he was able to conclude: He looks like me. The color of his skin, and even the texture of his hair.

When I think about how that 4-year-old boy represents thousands and thousands of children who can now draw the same comparisons--it touches my heart.

For Obama, bending over and letting the boy feel the top of his head was a simple gesture. For the little boy, it was so much more than that. As a small child, he may not fully understand, but I think that some day, he will.

And seriously, now... what a beautiful moment to have caught on film.

That's right; I love it so much, I wanted you to see it twice. ;)

Oh, and can I just say... to be the Obama White House photographer? DREAM JOB. You know, if I had the talent.

Which I don't.

Instead, I'll live vicariously through Mr. Souza's photographs...

Summer Salad

We haven't really had the chance to get back into "the groove" of eating normally since being back from vacation. We've had a lot going on, and I'm afraid to admit that for me, the scale is reflecting that by showing a couple additional pounds. Coming from someone who hates to see the scale budge in the upward direction, even just a little bit, I'm not a happy camper. :(

The other issue is just that it's summer. I find that it's more difficult to meal plan when you have to consider whether a meal is too heavy for the warm weather.

And so I find myself on a quest to get some light and healthy meals into our weekly rotation for summer.

This summer salad is something that I threw together for us on a whim the night after we got back from vacation. Then, yesterday, after our 4th of July indulgences, it was a perfect way to start the road to recovery from a weekend of eating.

The mixture of fruit, vegetables, and protein, all drizzled with a good balsamic dressing makes for a wonderfully light, but filling, meal. The other pro is that it is so easy--especially if you have some leftover grilled chicken already in the fridge.

Summer Salad

Ingredients:
- leafy salad greens (my favorite is romaine, but a "spring salad" mix or baby spinach would work well for this, too)
- 1 apple, cubed
- 6 to 8 strawberries, sliced
- 1/4 small onion, sliced
- grilled chicken pieces, sliced
- 1 tbsp. bacon bits
- shredded cheddar cheese
- balsamic vinaigrette dressing, for drizzling (we buy Ken's Light Balsamic Vinaigrette, which is fantastic!)

Directions:
1. On a plate, arrange a bed of leafy salad greens. Top with apple cubes, sliced strawberries, onions, and grilled chicken pieces.

2. Sprinkle bacon bits, and a little shredded cheddar cheese.

3. Drizzle entire salad with a good balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Enjoy!