Warning…shameless begging ahead!

I started this blog last year before my first walk so that I could share my experience, and I even blogged DURING the event from a hotel room that night (our campsites were rained out) – how’s that for commitment?

The blog is up for the best charity blog award at the Blogger’s Choice Awards.

Now, normally, I wouldn’t care much, except that I’m going to be at the conference where the awards are given out, and how neat would it be to actually be there to win? Some blog about helping kids is nipping at my heels, and not for nothing, but I don’t see them walking 60 miles. The most I saw was mention of a 2.3 mile walk, which as you all know is a warm up for me. I’m walking 60 miles, for the 2nd time, for my cause. And isn’t that worth a vote? (All of the above is completely tongue in cheek – kids are a worthy cause of course, but I do want to win)

I hope that if this blog wins, we’ll get a little more attention from the blogosphere for the cause. More attention means more donations, and more donations means more women with healthy breasts. And really, do you want to be AGAINST healthy breasts?

You do need to register to vote, but please consider doing so to help me out. If you can’t afford to donate, or simply don’t want to part with $20, this is the next best thing you can do to help me out. When you register, just return to the ‘best charity’ blog category and vote for 3DayMom here:

http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/166

I have several blogs up there in different categories, but best charity is the one I REALLY want to win. However, if you’re so inclined to vote for more once you vote for 3 DayMom – here are the links for all of my blogs:

Best geek blog:
http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/130

Best shopping blog:
http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/168

Hottest mommy blogger:
http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/169

Best sports blog (my husband):
http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/101

It was almost a year ago that I had my very first mammogram. You know what that means – time for another one! Whoopee! I’m only 30, but my doctor suggested that I get one every year from now one because of my mom having breast cancer. (Which is apparently some big family secret, so if you run into her, don’t mention that you read this on the internet. HA!) Anyway, I plan on calling my gynocologist soon and scheduling my annual “feet in the stirrups and scooch down please” apppointment. After going to the same doctor for 12 years, and having going through 3 pregnancies with the office, they all know me, and it’s actually a pleasure walking in and seeing the doctor and all of the nurses in their cute pink nursing scrubs. I’m probably the only person I know who looks forward to visiting the gynocologist!

I don’t mind the mammogram so much either. I was a bit apprehensive about it last year….ok, a LOT apprehensive, but it wasn’t bad at all, and I won’t be worried a bit about doing it this year. The only thing I’m worried about is another fight with the insurance company about covering it. It took me a LONG time to get that claim covered last year, even thought they’re supposed to do if the doctor specifies a good reason for it. Stupidheads.

Cheryl had a great fundraising idea, and it paid off! She printed out some 3-Day business cards and put them on cars in the parking lot of her office. Today she received a donation from someone, for $150! She’s got no clue who it came from, so we can only assume that it was someone who saw one of the cards and decided to donate. She’s now almost halfway to her goal!

Are we gearing up for another recall? First was peanut butter, than dog food, and then blue Listertine. Now a new report on Yahoo says that there are hogs who have eaten the contaminated pet food, and some of the hogs have already gone to slaughter, and may be consumed by humans. Thankfully, the risk to human health posed by the chemical in the tainted pet food is considered very low.

We had to go back to the dentist today, unexpectedly. When the dentist took care of Gracie’s laser surgery, he had to put in one stick, which was supposed to dissolve on its own. That didn’t happen, so here we are, 3 weeks later, and she still had a stitch under her tongue. A few snips and it was out, but she was NOT pleased about that return trip!

I got a GREAT email from the Breast Cancer 3-Day today!

Congratulations – you’re halfway there! Thank you for your hard work fundraising and for your support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Breast Cancer Fund.

Because 10 million women around the world could die from breast cancer in the next 25 years without the cure, we are fighting every minute of every day to save every life.

Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back – and then keep going! Continue with the same fundraising techniques that have been successful for you already, and add a few new approaches to your plan. Visit the Fundraising Tools page at www.The3Day.org for additional fundraising tips and ideas.

Please extend our thanks to your donors. Every dollar makes a difference!

Thank you, donors! Some of you are listed over there in my sidebar —>

If you’d like to be listed there, all it takes is one $20 donation. Your link will stay up til the end of this year, when I start fundraising for the 2008 walk! Leave me a comment if you’d like to donate with your PayPal account, or donate online right now at http://the3day.org/tampabay07/colleenc

You’ve probably heard of “cancerous” small towns and sick houses. These things happen because businesses treat the area they’re in as a personal dumping ground for contaniments. Businesses have been dumping waste in places you wouldn’t even dream of for years, and it’s making people sick, it’s ruining clear streams and healthy trees, and it’s contributing to the overall air quality of the world we live in. Thankfully, some companies DO care about the effect they’ve got on the environment, and they use EHS Compliance Software (Environmental Health & Safety) to make sure they’re staying in compliance with government regulations.

EHS software implementation is being done in wastewater treatment plans, for airlines, and for companies storing hazardous materials to ensure that outdated chemicals are no longer used (and disposed of properly). This EHS Metrics Software ensures that emissions are low, to ensure that spill prevention is done, and to make sure our environment stays as clean as possible.

My husband is going to get quite the workout today.

He’s taking our son to a skate and shoot this afternoon. That’s like open session ice skating, except it’s just for hockey players. Basically ice time to play with the puck, but not an organized game. Now, my husband has been ice skating a lot, but this is an hour on the ice with the puck and the stick. I think he’s going to be sore and achy tonight!

As for me, I’ll be watching from the bleachers!

I rescheduled my son’s laser surgery. We had planned it for last weekend, and my husband and I were going out of town. I didn’t want to leave him the day after it, so I reschedule it for next month, without looking at my calendar. And yep, I rescheduled it for the day before our next trip out of town. The receptionist at the dentist office is going to think I’m nuts when I call to reschedule this procedure a 3rd time!

I go into my office to work once a week, and when I get there, I walk up three flights of stairs to my floor. It’s not that I’m a health nut, but the elevator is on the far side of the building, so I’m saving steps. When I’m at home and going upstairs, I take them 2 at a time. Good for my butt.

This guy is taking stair climbing to a whole new level this Saturday, when he takes part in an event that will have him climbing over 1300 stairs! That’s a LOT of climbing, but his butt must look fantastic.