Doing the Walk to End Alzheimers!

from act.alz.org/

Now that we have finished with all our wedding craziness, The Boy and I (and now my Mom who will be visiting!) are putting all our planning energy into participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer's in San Francisco on September 29th  at the Mission Creek Park. We have been talking about it for a while (we became aware of the walk doing research for our wedding), but we finally signed up this week, and I am really excited for it (even more so now that my mom is coming too)!

Nick and I are doing this in honor and memory of his Grandpa Shiley, who suffered from Alzheimers for many years . I wrote about his passing in early 2011, but we still think about he and Granny a lot, so I am excited to do something in his memory. Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. We have seen and experienced firsthand just how devastating this disease is to the person who has it and to their support system. The thought that it will continue to grow is so scary, and we want to help others facing the disease.

The Alzheimer's Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research, and the funds we raise will go directly toward supporting their efforts. If you want more information on them, check here: http://www.alz.org/about_us_about_us_.asp I am honestly not sure why they are amping up their fundraising and public relations, but it seems to really be putting itself out there. This being said, it seems to me there is a lot of research and work to be done to effectively treat and manage Alzheimers, as well as trying to end it.

I am attaching the link here, so if you feel moved to donate you can. Or you can do the walk wherever you are, because they really have them everywhere! Here is the link:

http://act.alz.org/site/TR?px=6850550&pg=personal&fr_id=1556&et=HZH0PjUpAgjEPAjYqA7lrw&s_tafId=9523

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Abba - Voulez-Vous

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A Fish Called Wanda - Otto

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3 Things I Love Today

1. Alison Bechdel- the founder of the Bechdel test, and apparently she is turning 50 this week (September 10th). Funny and awesome and smart, and I find it comforting that a badass like her can still say this- "My main fear is being found out to be the idiot that I fear I am." Read her comics, because she truly is the best!

from www.hairstyles7.com

from www.zimbio.com/Cameron+Diaz+Hair

2. Shoulder-length hair- Yep, I am doing that thing that newlyweds do where they instantly need to shed half their hair. I am so ready to cut some of this off!

from https://www.facebook.com/owareness

from www.dazzlejunction.com

3. September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month! Thanks to my cousin Shelly for bringing this to my attention. I have written quite a bit about her mother Ann and her fight against Ovarian Cancer. She is doing remarkably well, because she is a cancer-beating badass, but Ovarian cancer is one of the toughest to fight, because it is often not detected until it is already in Stage 4. It took a few months from Aunt Ann realizing something was off to finding the tumor, and she was lucky it was mostly centralized. If you are a woman, you need to be aware of the subtle signs of this cancer and be as vigilant as possible about your body.This is really really important. My Aunt is only now turning 50, so don't assume you are too young. Educate yourself!

If you want a regular account of Ann's chemo, check out Shelly's blog at: http://kitschyrkennedy.blogspot.com/

If you want more information on Ovarian Cancer and the signs of it, check at: http://ovariancancerawareness.org/

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Picture of the Week- Mini-mooning

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5 Things I Love this Weekend

1. That every time we go to Madonna Inn, the more it feels like an overpriced old people's home- Is it possible to say that in a good way? Because that is how I mean it. The hotel is truly bizarre, but after the original shock wears off, you have to start to notice that the average age of the patron has to be 60. I love it.

from www.last.fm/music/Pussy+Riot‎

2. The religious discourse around Pussy Riot- I have like 3 different half blogs written on the performers, their conviction, and the artistic responses to them, but I haven't gotten to finishing any of them off. I am totally transfixed by the numerous public discourses that have risen up around the Russian (and one Canadian) performers imprisonment, from Madonna writing on her back for a striptease, to public demonstrations in Balaclavas, to the fine art exhibition that was just announced this week. Still, the thing that I find most interesting is how religion has actively taken a more complex and interesting role in Pussy Riot's performance (which obviously took place in a church and was called a "punk prayer") and their responses (such as Madonna saying she would pray for their freedom).  There is something here that is entirely powerfully about this ambivalent usage which could be seen as ironic (or hateful, as their acusers claim) and entirely sincere about their use of religious language, and I think these strange connotations are reverberating. I swear, I will eventually write a real post about this, but it is an issue that is constantly lingering on my mind right now.

from www.tvguide.com/tvshows/gold-rush/308214

3. Gold Rush Season 3- we watched the whole 1st season in one weekend when the Boy's family came to visit. It is so addictive, and totally depressing at the same time. These guys have no idea what they are doing, but they always have hunches, which is adorable. I am pretty sure next year Discovery will have them out mining the moon.

4. The Shell Shop in Morro Bay, CA- this store is totally bizarre (and is there an ethics to shells? I am sure there must be but I certainly have no idea what it is). The stuff they sell is either straight shells, as you are used to seeing them, or shells as chandeliers, Christmas ornaments, boxes, lights (like my Great Grandma used to have), turtles, clowns, flowers, mirrors, and weirdly a giant lobster. If you are doing the drive down highway 1, Morro Bay would be a great spot to stop and eat. If you are in Morro Bay, for real you HAVE to check this store.

5. Scallop Sliders- from the Ragged Point Inn on Highway 1- Whoever thought of this is a genius! super delicious, but way too big for one person to eat!

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Quote of the Week- Time to be an Adult?

"I think you should be a child for as long as you can. I have been successful for 74 years being able to do that. Don't rush into adulthood, it isn't all that much fun." - Bob Newhart

 

 

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