The site has been acting wonky the last week or so — some people are reporting delays as long as three of four days before they see a published post (some people figured out that if they log in, that fixes the problem temporarily). I have someone looking into the issue and hopefully it will be fixed very soon. But in the meantime, the holiday book drive post that I published yesterday morning hasn’t been seen by as many people as it could have been seen by. Still, over 115 books (out of 215 originally requested) have been purchased, which is awesome.
Thank you to those who have contributed so far. Instead of posting a new column this morning, I’ll just leave this message up for now in hopes that the site is fixed soon, everyone is able to see all recent posts, and all the books from the registries are purchased for the students for the holidays. Later today, I’ll be posting my 2013 men’s gift guide, which I worked on for like weeks, so keep an eye out for that.
Note: If you are in Canada, the link will redirect you to Amazon.ca. If you go up into the address bar and edit the address back to .com it will work.
UPDATE: The site should be fixed now. But please let me know if you’re still experiencing issues.
Also! More books have been purchased off the registries this morning. We have now collectively bought 154 of the 215 books originally requested! We’re getting close to the goal.
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Fabelle December 3, 2013, 9:41 am
I just got an email that one of the books I ordered shipped, yay 😀
And yay for the men’s gift guide—I always have the worst trouble buying shit for the men in my life. My default is to get clothes, but sometimes I want to be more creative!
katie December 3, 2013, 9:46 am
can this be an open thread?
i got my IUD yesterday and promptly passed out. haha. thought you guys would like to hear that. as soon as my doctor told me its on the release form as a possible side effect, i was like, yep, im gonna be the one who passes out….
Fabelle December 3, 2013, 9:57 am
Oh no!! haha
Yes to this being an open thread, but where is everyone? God I am bored (I have even less work at work now, & have been applying to jobs but I need breaks or else I get too depressed)
katie December 3, 2013, 10:01 am
yea it was awkward. my doctor grabbed my head/neck and layed me back down on the chair (i was sort of in the middle of trying to stand up) and yelled for the nurse and they put ice packs on me and layed me back on the fancy table with my feet above my head. then i got to have some apple juice and a granola bar. lol
bethany December 3, 2013, 10:00 am
Wow, that’s weird! How are you feeling today? Did you go with Paragard of Mirena?
katie December 3, 2013, 10:02 am
much better today. still crampy, but much better. and i got the mirena.
theattack December 3, 2013, 10:22 am
Wow, that is such an awkward situation to pass out in. Congrats on getting your IUD though! You’ve been talking about that for a hot minute.
katie December 3, 2013, 10:24 am
i somehow always manage to pass out in awkward situations. at least they were prepared for it to happen this time! lol
Fabelle December 3, 2013, 10:46 am
Haha that’s funny, though, kind of.
I passed out once in church, when I was an acolyte (so had on all these robes, & it was super hot in the church that day). I was kneeling for the Lord’s Prayer & then all of a sudden I was crumpled on the floor with all these people standing around me.
lets_be_honest December 3, 2013, 10:49 am
The up and down part! We used to have to go every Friday and my passing out during that part got so bad they used to stick two big, older boys on each side of me, haha.
lets_be_honest December 3, 2013, 10:47 am
Aw poor katie! I’m a passer-outer too, so I feel ya.
Can you feel it coming?
katie December 3, 2013, 10:53 am
yea usually… i get like, tingle-y… and my vision gets a little blurry.
this time the doc was trying to say something to me, and i couldnt really hear her, and i was like, sorry, what? and i probably had some ridiculous look on my face and then she grabbed me.
TaraMonster December 3, 2013, 11:11 am
Oh no! Mine expelled a couple months after I got it so make sure you get that thing checked. When I went in, my doctor was like “Many women think it’s expelling, it’s probably nothing.” 5 minutes later, “Ok. So your IUD is coming out…”
I had her put a new one in right away. The first time I was all prepared: I ate breakfast, had some ibuprofen, and had cleared my day so I could rest. It didn’t even hurt! I told everyone that, bragging like I was super woman. Well it didn’t hurt because of the painkillers. This time around I only took them like 5 minutes before the insertion and I was in AGONY when I left the office. I was like shaking and sweating on the subway. I looked like an extra from Requiem for a Dream. It was not cute!
katie December 3, 2013, 11:18 am
yea, i go in again in two weeks so they can check it, and she told me to check for the strings often.
i havent yet though, because im scared to touch it yet? haha. there is still blood. i think im waiting til there isnt anymore blood….
TaraMonster December 3, 2013, 11:26 am
Check it when you feel comfortable. I think I waited like a week. I can feel my strings, but just the tips. Who the heck can actually reach their cervix? Or maybe I can, but I just don’t know it? No matter how much I read about it or am told by a doctor what I should be feeling for, I’m just never sure. Therefore, I am always afraid my IUD is gonna jump ship again (or maybe walk the plank is a better analogy since it generally expels because your body is rejecting a foreign object… or maybe I should just abandon the ship metaphors altogether?).
Fabelle December 3, 2013, 11:36 am
I can reach my cervix!
(sorry, I think people were talking about this on The Hairpin recently, too, & a lot of the comments were similar to yours, like, “I can’t touch that shit” so I’m actually starting to feel weird that I can??)
katie December 3, 2013, 11:37 am
my gyno said it feels like your touching the tip of your nose… true?
Fabelle December 3, 2013, 11:47 am
Yes!! It feels exactly like a nose. And if you (sorry, this is about to get graphic) trace around the bump (or upwards? for lack of a better description) you can feel, like, the indentation of, I guess, the hole that leads into your uterus?
(Sorry, I grew up with a mom who was always like, “women should know what’s going on down there, don’t be afraid to touch yourself, I use O.B tampons, rawrr”, & when I was 15, she gave me this book that largely described the Fertility Awareness Method, & described how to feel your cervix. I think I was already feeling up there, anyway, though—I was sexually active, so I was curious what my boyfriend could feel when fingerbanging me & all that? Sorry, TMI, but I felt the need to justify why I’m so familiar with my cervix haha)
TaraMonster December 3, 2013, 11:53 am
Well I’ll add to the TMI. I’ve been poking around in there since forever. I’ve got the same attitude as your mom (except I use soft cups instead of ob haha- soft cups are the best thing ever btw).
I once had a gyno tell me my vagina is very long, like “Oh look at that. You have a very long vagina.” I was like, “Um. Thanks? Is that good or bad?” But that strange comment has since caused me to wonder if maybe my cervix is somewhere above my belly button, hence why I can’t feel it! 😉
Amybelle December 4, 2013, 7:51 am
just jumping in to say how much I loooovveee the softcup!
TaraMonster December 3, 2013, 11:48 am
That’s what I’m talking about! “It feels like your nose,” they say! Nothing in my vagina feels like the tip of a nose! WHOSE VAGINA FEELS LIKE CARTILAGE?!
kare December 3, 2013, 8:01 pm
@Fabelle I can reach my cervix too. I didn’t realize this until I switched from pads and tampons to the soft cup. It sits under your cervix, so when I was making sure it was in place I thought “ooooh so that’s where my cervix is”.
rawkmys0cks December 3, 2013, 11:24 am
My first IUD came out after about six months. Sadly I had to wait over a month to get it replaced because of my dumb insurance. But yeah, I love that thing so much that I wanted to get it replaced even after it came out (which hurt A LOT). This second round seems to be going pretty well four months in. The first time around I had a lot of random cramping, whereas this time I only cramp during my actual period.
TaraMonster December 3, 2013, 11:44 am
Same here. Rando cramping with the first one, the second one only during or right before my period. Hopefully that means this one will stay in! I do love that I don’t have to take a pill every day and that I’m not pumping hormones into my body (I have Paraguard).
The one thing that I’m not thrilled about is my 10 day long period. I have a 4-day faux/pre period where I’m crampy and spotting, and then I get an actual period for about 6 days. I’m hoping this eventually goes away because it is stupendously annoying.
rawkmys0cks December 3, 2013, 1:04 pm
I get the 10 day long period with the weird faux period with cramping followed by the actual period too, and I have Mirena! I’ve been prone to weird periods for the past two years or so, though, and every month seems to be a bit better and more normal.
I seriously love never having to think about birth control. That’s the best part aside from lessening the flow of my SUPER heavy periods. I also don’t get hormonal pimples, or PMS, or sore boobs anymore.
Morgan December 3, 2013, 12:49 pm
Oh you poor thing! I’m always the one to faint as well.
FireStar December 3, 2013, 9:57 am
My comment went for moderation before posting yesterday and I thought “Oh no! The site forgot me! I’ve been away too long!” It was a little sad.
MissDre December 3, 2013, 10:35 am
How have you been? How’s baby, and the puppies?
FireStar December 3, 2013, 10:58 am
They are all good! I bought guest slippers for Christmas that I keep by the front door so visitors can have slippers to wear when they visit and this morning all the slippers ended up in the dining room with Zeus and Athena laying beside them. None chewed up though. When I asked who scattered the slippers they both went and put themselves in timeout! And baby XJ is happy and chunky and already growing up fast! She tries to mimic whatever we do now. Who knew it could be hours of fun making faces to a baby? Today is just one of those days when I feel blessed and grateful. I’m going to be annoying people all day long!
MissDre December 3, 2013, 11:24 am
That’s awesome that the slippers weren’t chewed up. My puppy still eats socks. Like she literally eats them. I can’t even get my shoes off before she’s ripping at my socks. Remember that episode of the Simpsons where they had all the Greyhound puppies shredding Bart’s socks? Yeah… that’s like my dog.
kare December 3, 2013, 8:02 pm
See my vest, see my vest!
Sorry…I had to.
AliceInDairyland December 3, 2013, 10:15 am
https://frozen-everglades-6644.herokuapp.com
Gahh… I have wanted to post this link in the forums for forever but it won’t let me start a new topic for some reason. It is a personality quiz letting you know what fictional character you are most like.
I ended up getting Jane Eyre. Which at first seemed depressing, but then I realized she’s actually a pretty awesome character so now I am at peace with what I was given.
theattack December 3, 2013, 10:20 am
Omg this is awesome! I got Hermione.
LadyinPurpleNotRed December 3, 2013, 10:21 am
I got Elizabeth Bennet
MissDre December 3, 2013, 10:40 am
I’m Alice in Wonderland.
rachel December 3, 2013, 10:38 am
I got Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. I’m a little embarrassed to say I’ve never read that book.
MissDre December 3, 2013, 10:40 am
Ohhhh it’s a good book!!!! Read it!
othy December 3, 2013, 10:43 am
And, it’s a relatively quick read. And amazing.
katie December 3, 2013, 10:47 am
that book was the first time i was ever able to read a book and not talk about how the characters were godly or not… we actually talked about themes and everything. its a good one!
lets_be_honest December 3, 2013, 10:52 am
I got Scout too!
TaraMonster December 3, 2013, 11:17 am
I got Scout too, which is awesome. Read it! Read it!
othy December 3, 2013, 10:43 am
I’m Katniss.
Fabelle December 3, 2013, 10:49 am
I got… Mma Ramotswe from The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency? I have nooo idea who that is, or what that book is! haha!
edited to add: It’s pretty accurate, though??
”
Mma Ramotswe relies on her intuition and understanding of people, rather than attention to the details of the law, to help her solve cases. Her rare insight into how people work is something you share.
Your quest for finding meaning in life draws you towards jobs that help you make the world a better place. Although you’re generally calm and laid-back, on bad days you can become introverted, stubborn and inflexible, and you have a strong dislike for conflict. Yet you are capable of achieving so much, including great writing, if you’d only give yourself more credit.”
AliceInDairyland December 3, 2013, 11:26 am
@Fab, hahaha. That’s kind of creepy accurate.
Amybelle December 4, 2013, 7:59 am
That’s who I got too, I haven’t read those books either, but you are the commenter who usually says what I was thinking so we must be somewhat alike!
katie December 3, 2013, 11:05 am
haha, i got mary poppins!
Paki December 3, 2013, 11:08 am
I ended up as Alice from Alice in Wonderland.. would have never guessed that.
Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
What you lack in attention to detail, you make up for in your ability to process the world around you, slotting it into your highly evolved system of values. With a need for constant stimulation, you can quickly become passionate about new ideas, people and sometimes their flaws – which can land you in trouble.
Adept at social situations, your independent streak means you are also perfectly happy in your own company and indeed you value time alone to process your experiences. On a bad day, like Alice, you can become controlling and over-bearing but that’s only because you know best, isn’t it?
call-me-hobo December 3, 2013, 11:19 am
I got Emma Woodhouse from Austen’s Emma.
GatorGirl December 3, 2013, 11:24 am
I got Coraline….I never think these things are accurate.
honeybeenicki December 3, 2013, 11:36 am
I got Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lambs 🙂
Morgan December 3, 2013, 12:53 pm
Me too!
Morgan December 3, 2013, 12:52 pm
I got Clarice from Silence of the Lambs
something random December 3, 2013, 12:53 pm
I’m Emma Morley from One Day. I’ve never read it.
“You, and people like you, are often artistic and great counsellors to friends and family. With deep intuition, like Emma, you can often forgive others’ behavior because, somehow, you deeply empathize with the motivations and inner turmoil behind them.”
Maybe that’s why I like BGM so much?
“Even though you can appear aloof, bland, and stubborn on you bad days you are as warm as you are complex. Your friends hold you close to their hearts and understand your dislike of conflict. With great creativity, given independence, you can excel at jobs to which you commit yourself”.
Somewhat accurate.
FireStar December 3, 2013, 1:44 pm
I got her too and have no idea who she is. It’s funny they said deep intuitive since I answered most questions the reason/logic answers. This wasn’t me much…except for the stubborn part. And I tend to forgive but usually just walk away after.
AliceInDairyland December 3, 2013, 5:58 pm
That is the most depressing movie… don’t ever watch it. Anne Hathaway.
rachel December 3, 2013, 8:11 pm
Oh geez, Anne Hathaway?? I liked the book, though yes, depressing.
lets_be_honest December 4, 2013, 9:01 am
Alice, I had Lil take it too…she got Wendy from Peter Pan.
AliceInDairyland December 4, 2013, 10:16 am
Adorable! I love it.
something Random December 3, 2013, 12:23 pm
I’m Emma Morley from One Day. I’ve never read it.
“You, and people like you, are often artistic and great counsellors to friends and family. With deep intuition, like Emma, you can often forgive others’ behavior because, somehow, you deeply empathize with the motivations and inner turmoil behind them.”
Maybe that’s why I like BGM so much?
“Even though you can appear aloof, bland, and stubborn on you bad days you are as warm as you are complex. Your friends hold you close to their hearts and understand your dislike of conflict. With great creativity, given independence, you can excel at jobs to which you commit yourself”.
Somewhat accurate.
landygirl December 3, 2013, 12:47 pm
A few of the books I’ve ordered have been mailed!
ChemE December 4, 2013, 10:12 am
Most of mine have been delivered. I love Prime!