Testicular cancer, schmesticular schmancer

5/12/2009: I have been waiting for several weeks to be able to post this. I am so happy to announce that I am going to be an aunt again. (For those keeping track at home, that's three similar announcements in 18 months, all different parents.) Anyway, this time it is my brother Robbie and his wife Jenni. Most of you will remember that Robbie had testicular cancer 2 years ago at this time. He had surgery to remove the affected testicle and then went through 9 weeks of chemotherapy, so even though tests indicated he would probably be able to have kids naturally, it wasn't guaranteed. 

Jenni is due around December 1st. They heard a strong heartbeat at the doctor's office today. And we are so excited to meet little Rubik (their nickname for the baby until they find out the sex - more on that in a month or two so stay tuned).

5/14/2009 Update: Here is a link to Jenni's version of the story, which I suppose is the one that matters most. Also, since Robbie posted this information as his Facebook profile I guess I can share. If I have a niece, she will be called Ruby Mae. If I have a nephew, he will be Maverick Russell. As in, "I'm Charlotte Blackwood." "I'm Maverick." "Maverick?? Did your mother not like you or something?" "No, it's my call sign." "Oh, you're a pilot!" "That's right, a naval aviator."

Today is Etsy Day!

A group of Etsy sellers got together and declared today, April 24, as ETSY DAY. Don't know what Etsy is? Etsy is an "online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade." Clothes, toys, craft patterns, leather goods, candles, jewelry, papergoods, art prints, you name it, someone on Etsy is creating it. And it is a spectacular website for finding one-of-a-kind and even customized gifts. Mother's Day is just around the corner, after all. My Etsy ID is johannai if you want to check out some of my favorites, such as...

- Bookplates by oiseaux
- Mobiles by spindesigns and SaltyandSweet
- Jewelry by hazelnutcottage
- Accessories by kailochic, hollystalder, moxieandoliver, redrubyrose, awcombes and post
- Shadow puppets by orangemoontoys
- Polynesian items by islandcostumes, KaLimaNanea, solcreations1, and ohanabylea
- Wall Art by wardomatic, lindsayart, kellyrae, irenesuchocki, yellena, Geninne and elloh
- Party and cake decorating supplies by HeyYoYo and LayerCakeShop
- Gifts for moms and kids by shutthefrontdoor

I could go on and on. Do you have a favorite? Tell us about it in the comments.

Jumping the Shark

I thought the term was ubiquitous but since I've had several questions as to what my last post was about I thought I'd provide a primer.

From wikipedia:

Jumping the shark is a colloquialism coined by Jon Hein and used by TV critics and fans to denote that point in a TV show or movie series' history where the plot veers off into absurd story lines or out-of-the-ordinary characterizations, particularly for a show with falling ratings apparently becoming more desperate to draw viewers in. In the process of undergoing these changes, the TV or movie series loses its original appeal. Shows that have "jumped the shark" are typically deemed to have passed their peak.

So to give an example, many people think that Moonlighting jumped the shark when Maddie and David finally hooked up. And Jon and I just had a discussion about at what point The Cosby Show jumped. He says it was when Olivia was added - I say it was the addition of Pam. The Jump The Shark website is no more but you can still get the book from Amazon. Hope that helps. What are you favorite, or most frustrating, jump the shark moments?

Uh-oh...

Did My Boys just jump the shark? Your thoughts in the comments, please.

This is a test.

This is only a test.  A test to see if I can type an entire post with one hand. Not so fun. I am almost ashamed to explain why I have to do this. Yesterday morning I tripped over Ray on our morning walk. I put my arms out straight in front of me to try to avoid crushing the dog and knew immediately that I was hurt. Jon couldn't leave work right away so I got Ray home and my parents met me there to take me to the E.R. (Don't any doctors' offices have Saturday hours? I couldn't find one.) I guess it's just a sprain - the x-rays were clear - but wow, does it hurt. It's pretty frustrating not to be able to do simple things like put my hair in a ponytail but I should be feeling better by the end of the week. Which is good, since we are going to Seattle to visit my sister-in-law Rachel on Thursday. I very much hope we have this flight attendant on our trip.

Happy Birthday Jo!

Music Survey

Greg posted a fun music survey over on Bloggy McBloggerson.