The Catchall

I'm just going to dive in and write about the status of a few things. Don't look for clever segues, thoughtful prose, or well-written anything. Expect non sequiturs. Disclaimer finished.

Personal

1. Duke is doing well living with diabetes. He's entered the honeymoon period which means he's coasting on less insulin. We don't know how long that will last, but it's allowing him to catch his breath. He joined his brother Parke and me in a meeting with an insulin pump rep. Parke's ready for a new pump and Duke thinks he'd like to try one. Next week, Duke will wear a saline pump for a few days. It's the best way to see if he'd prefer a pump delivery system to injections. Everything's under control!
2. A skin biopsy in August revealed that I have a basal cell carcinoma on my left nostril. I was scheduled for Mohs surgery, but after the surgeon used the word "disfigured" while explaining that the nostril is difficult to "reconstruct", we went to Plan B. He removed a layer of skin, then I began a 6-week course of Aldara (imiquimod) -- a topical chemo-like cream. I'm over halfway there. The side effects of the cream result in red, swelling, oozy, scabby skin. But, no surgery and no disfiguring scars. Use your sunscreen, kids.
3. Twenty-three! My husband and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary on November 4th. We rarely have an unblocked layup when it comes to ticking off years, but we seem to always hit the jump shot. We're good at keeping the game exciting.

Writing

1. A piece I wrote for LDS Living in early October -- "Why Relief Society Should Run for President" -- was very popular. You can read all of my "To Mormon" pieces here.
2. The past few months, I've contributed short articles to the American Fork Citizen, an online newspaper.
3. A producer from a local television show -- Studio 5 -- contacted me about appearing on a segment that discusses the LDS member/nonmember divide. She and a cameraman were here earlier this week. I'm not sure how the segment will end up, and I feel nervous about the editing process, but I'll be on the show Friday, November 16, at 11:00 AM on KSL 5. (My left nostril will be there, too.)

Dork Alert ... or ... A New Drinking Game

I attended the LDS Booksellers Association convention in August. With very little notice, authors were asked to create a YouTube video in an effort to pitch books to the end-user. Speaking directly into a camera (while pretending a potential book-purchaser is listening to your shameless plug) is not as easy as people on the evening news make it look. Especially without a teleprompter.

If you choose to play, take one drink every time I say "community." For the daring, take a shot every time I say "people." (TIP: Have your beverages ready near the middle.)