Welcome, welcome!
I know what you are thinking. “Wow. Such a brave, daring, bold move, Loralee!” Ok, I deserve it. As one reader put it “I was expecting your url to be something like ‘www.superstealthysecretblog.com’”. So, I realize that this is rather anti-climatic for many of you. It’s sort of like a Kindergartener announcing they are running away from home and they go to the end of the driveway with their blankie and a PB&J.
When I bought my URL, I didn’t have determined, weirdo people trying to find me all the time or I probably would have ditched the Loralee and Looney Tunes altogether. My main reason in making the hoopla was that I have people that bookmarked my blogspot site and haveno concept of search engines, nor will they ever, so just changing to .com is enough of a deterrent. I love the whole “Looney Tunes” thing and really wanted to keep it.
Don’t be afraid to link or change or rolls or links on your page to this blog. I have a pretty good ip blocker on this site and my old one and am not expecting any trouble.
This site isn’t done, I have a lot to tweak and add. Jessica (“Kerfloppy”) redesigned my banner (GORGEOUS, huh?) and she is going to play around some more, but I wanted to get back to the meat and potatoes of blogging which is to actually post n’ stuff. So, here we are. Let’s move on to something I really want to talk about. (I will bitch mightily about WordPress and its photo function at a later date. GRRRRR!)
Michelle, Brigitte and I participated in a 5k this morning!
MY FIRST 5K!!!!
Note how I did NOT say, “I RAN my first 5k this morning!†(Yah, that was NOT going to happen) I did manage to run about a third of it. It was cold and rainy and the beginning of the course was up a VERY steep hill. My poor lungs just couldn’t quite take it, so I walked at a brisk pace for a lot of it. I haven’t been to the gym in a couple of weeks so I am proud that I finished the darn thing at all. My time sucked a duck six ways from Sunday.
45 minutes.
Sigh.
At least I managed to beat Michelle’s 5-year-old, Gracie across the finish line. Her 8-year-old, Abby kicked my butt, but I guess I have to have a goal to aspire to, right?
The run was to support organ donation. This is a very important issue that is close to my heart. It also affected the lives Bridgy and Chelle. Bridgy’s mom, Josie, was the recipient of a liver. We were all very worried for her when she got it, but she is doing very well now. She even participated in the run/walk today. She came in last, but she DID IT! Bridgy and I met her at the finish line with open arms.
Chelley had a beautiful niece that was tragically killed last Easter in a car accident and her family unselfishly donated her organs.
I was not able to donate any of Matthew’s organs when he died because he had to have an autopsy. I thought they were able to use his corneas and heart valves, but I was mistaken. The day I found out was very hard on me. I cried and cried. When we were asked about Matthew donating in the hospital I hesitated for about 15 seconds. It shocked me because I feel so strongly about it, but even I hesitated. It is a hard thing to sign consent to as a parent, but I really regret that they weren’t able to have Bug donate anything. It would have helped me to know his death had at least helped another little baby somewhere.
The reason I am so pro-organ donation is that one of my best friends passed away in 1994 while waiting for a heart/lung transplant. Scott Wolfer was the first friend I made at my high school. He was two grades ahead of me, but in my math class. I talked to him because he was wearing a “Phantom of the Opera” t-shirt. We were fast friends from then on. I don’t know why we clicked so well, probably because I was a shy, fat girl with unfortunate double-processed hair, and he was blue and wore an oxygen tank all the time. We were OK being rejects because we had each other. I wish I had a photo of Scott to post, but my box of high school memorabilia was destroyed by rain.
We had five wonderful years of friendship and I will never forget him.
Maybe it is because I was so young, but even when he was on oxygen 24-hours a day, I never really thought he would die. But he did. He died waiting for a call that never came. It will be 17 years this June since my friend passed away. He was only 21. So many people die waiting to receive transplants.
I hope this post puts a more personal face on something that is often far removed from public awareness. If you haven’t given thought to being an organ donor, please reconsider and sign up. Have your donor status put on your drivers licence and make sure your friends and family know of your wishes. You can’t imagine what the agony of waiting and hoping is like and you don’t know the blessing and impact you could have on many, many lives.
Being such a comment whore, I felt it appropriate to leave the very first comment on here.
Tee Hee.
Damn you! I wanted to comment first. You look a lot better than I in these pictures too. Double damn you!!!
To everyone else… please do as Loralee asked. Be a donor. Without a very generous person I would no longer have my mom. As another lucky person told me today, “Every day above ground is a blessing.”
Good for you for making the whole 5k!
All of us are designated donors…hopefully something can be used by the time we are done with everything!
Like the new look of your blog!
Loralee kudos on the 5k! I am tickled to see that you made it, I hope one day to complete a 5k. It gives me hope. I am loving the new blog. Lovely layout.
Yipee! Hip hooray! Look at your fun new place! I’m loving the Diet Coke in the bottom right corner. LOL.
Wow, Loralee!!! Look at the new you! It’s FABULOUS! :) I miss you, dear girl. Sorry it’s been so long. I’ve been reading, just afraid of your stalkers. I’ve decided to not let them deter me from saying hello and letting you know that I MISS YOU and have been thinking about you LOADS!!!
ps.
I love the tiny little Diet Coke icon down in the corner. ha! Perfect little Loralee touch! :)
Yes, my very favorite design element abou the whole page is the tine little Diet Coke.
Awesome.
WOOO! You made it. AND you posted pics. I’m at my inlaws on their sllloooowwwww internet connection so I can’t respond to your email yet but I’ll be home tomorrow and we’ll chat. xoxo!
Hello Loralle.
Well hello Loralee.
It’s so nice to have you back where you belong.
:D
go on, cringe!
I dig your new gaff and will be visiting regularly… of course!
Vx
Very nice, LC!
YAY! I can comment!! Thanks LL. I am so glad that you are still blogging and that you can get rid of the sucky people without having to change who you are (or at least, the image of who you are online). I love the Looney Tunes concept and I’m looking forward to reading all your new looney adventures!
L, So happy to see you have a safe place to be. The colors are lovely and, of course, so are you. I especially like the Diet Coke can at the bottom :)
I’m hoping now that all this nonsense is over you can get back to some sort of “normal”-ness
I miss you; I miss your emails and your great posts.
Congrats on running the race. I remember walking the March of Dimes things while in HS and college; I never thought I’d make it.
I know very little about donation, from a personal perspective. My husband and I are donating our bodies to a teaching hospital – I suppose that would seem very egotistical to many, but I don’t expect any of my parts will be usable when I finally go.
You are a good person all the way around.
Of course, you knew that.
I tried to comment yesterday but it wouldn’t let me! I hope this works.
New site=FABULOUS! Go You and Jessica!
Now, are you getting my emails about Erasure in SLC?
i love the new site! and way to go on the 5K. that was my first 5K time too. turns out when you have such a slow time, it’s really really easy to beat. by a lot. so my second 5K was waaaaay faster. i bet that happens for you too!
I love the new look!
I second the diet coke thing- it’s too great! Are you having a housewarming? I’ll brink my rocky road fudge pie and a cheese dip! Oh, and we can play GAMES! I am such a nerd, I looove games! What do you want for a blog-warming gift?! Jessica rocks, btw. So do you. Love the new you.
I’m so proud of you guys for participating in the 5K. My little sister did a 5K on Saturday in Salt Lake and she did great. I think organ donation is very important as well, your run is for a great cause!
Running 5k makes slimy black things come out of my lungs.
LL,
Way to go. 5k AND a new blog site.
Congratulations. I’m still out here lurking. Life has been hard and I get a bit anti-social when it’s like that.
Anyway, just wanted you to know that I’m still here (lurking) and I’m still reading.
Oh yeah. I’m also an organ donor.
Love you.
LL2
welcome back!
LOVE the new digs!
Thanks for the email – so nice to connect with you! : )
YAY!!
I love the new site. Jessica did a gorgeous job with your header. Lovely.
I’m so glad you talked about organ donation. I think it’s really important. I’m very proud to know that I have doner listed on my license.
It looks fab – the header does look amazing with your beautiful peepers. what problem are you having with the pics? My best solution was using flickr and choosing anything 500 pixels and under, otherwise everything on my sidebars moved to the bottom.
Yay on the 5K!
Congrats on the 5K! That’s awesome that you were able to complete it, and even more awesome that it was to benefit something near and dear to you. You rock!
Thank you, thank you, one and all!
I’ll get better and replying to my comments now that my blog is fixed from a near-death experience!
Congrats!!! That’s awesome. I’m very impressed. As I tell most people, “I only run when I’m chased.” Maybe I can change that in the coming year.
Also, I really like the new design. The masthead and color make your eyes pop! ;)