The Ugly Cry

I've only been blogging for a few short weeks now, but I am totally loving the sense of community and the amazing people I'm "meeting." Today, I'd like to highlight one blog in particular that has really touched me.

matt, liz and madeline is a blog that makes me break into my "ugly cry" (and no, it's not just the fertility hormones). In his blog, Matt chronicles the joy and subsequent overwhelming grief he experienced after his wife Liz gave birth to their first child, Madeline. 27 hours after her c-section, Matt's beautiful wife Liz suddenly died.

That was just 11 weeks ago, so Matt's emotions are still understandably raw. Click here to read the story, as told by Matt. Please stop by and show Matt some love. He and baby Madeline need all the support and virtual hugs they can get right now.

OK, I'm done with my "ugly cry" for the day. Not really. I'm sure I'll do it again later. Thank you hormones! But, for now, I'd like to lighten the mood by tackling a meme. (Ya'll know how I LOVE games!) For this particular meme, I was tagged by THREE amazing bloggers:

1. My favorite patriotic, movie-loving photographer, oh2btigger at Rational Irrationalities;

2. The sarcastic and extremely funny paramedic-in-training, Seriously? at We're Barren . . . How 'Bout You?; and

3. The gorgeously PREGNANT Nine at Nine Months, of whose pink boa and functional ovaries I am exceedingly jealous. ;)

Now for the rules: Each player answers 5 questions about themselves, then tags 5 people to play along. Post the names of the bloggers you tag, then go to their blogs and leave a comment, letting them know they have been tagged. Here are the questions:

1. Five things I was doing 10 years ago:

• Ten years ago, I was on a summer break from law school. I spent half the summer of 1998 working at a law firm and the other half traveling through Central America.


• While clerking at the law firm, I worked on a number of fascinating cases involving patients' rights, medical malpractice, and personal injury.


• During my travels, I spent several weeks in Belize, where I enjoyed some amazing SCUBA diving adventures, including the famous "Great Blue Hole" - my deepest dive to date (see picture below).


• I also spent several weeks in Honduras and Guatemala, where I explored the jungle and visited a number of active archeological digs. It was an awesome experience. Very Indiana Jones-esque.


• 1998 was the year I figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. And who I didn't want to spend my life with.

2. Five things on my to do list for today:

• Go to my doctor's appointment


• Buy stamps (I keep running out of 1 cent stamps because the postal service is raising prices faster than I can use my old stamps!)


• Take my favorite mutt for a long walk by the beach


• Finalize the agenda for my upcoming Homeowners' Association meeting


• Pay my bills (ick!)

3. Five snacks I enjoy: (Because it makes for much better daydreaming, I'm gonna' assume I'm NOT on a diet for the purpose of this list.)

• Warm brie with fresh sourdough bread


• Guacamole with Triscuits


• Potato salad with extra mustard


• Chocolate chunk cookie dough (raw, of course!)


• Homemade Mexican layer dip

4. Five things I would do if I was a billionaire:

• Purchase a ton of land to start an animal rescue foundation


• Open a transitional home and job training center for teenagers who are aging out of the Kolfe Boys Orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia


• Buy an estate with a big backyard for all our future children to enjoy


• Buy the house next door for my mother


• Fund research to try and find a cure for infertility and lupus
  

5. Five places I have lived:

• Los Angeles, CA


• Malibu, CA


• London, England


• Washington, D.C.


• St. Louis, MO

Five people I want to know better: (It's sooo hard to choose just five because I want to know everything about everyone. I'm nosy like that.)

• Trace


• Heather


• Joanna


• Lisa


• Aunt Becky

Hope you have fun with the meme! (If, on the other hand, you find memes annoying, please just ignore this and don't be mad at me.) :)