Jerkuary

That's right, January.  You are dead to me.  You have been nothing but trouble, trial, and tribulation.

How's that? you ask.

This is the third time my car has been in the shop this month, possibly for all of the same problems each time.  This has resulted in less of a surplus than was planned this month, so some payments I was really hoping to double up on are not really getting anywhere.

This is the month I've had to take a bus to the El train to another bus to get to/from work while my car is in the shop.  The total trip one way is about an hour and twenty minutes.

Work stress.

Frozen pipes in the kitchen.  One kitchen sink overflow as a result.

Painful muscle tension caused by work stress and the general crappiness of this month.

Matt's grandmother passed away.  She was a wonderful woman who will be dearly missed.

Definitely not getting out enough, due to aforementioned car issues.

There was, for certain, a lack of poetry.

Oh, and snow.  Lots of snow.  Snow that gets in the way of travel plans--this is how we were not able to attend Matt's grandma's funeral.  This is how I had a FIVE AND A HALF HOUR commute home last week during the storm.  This is how my snow shovel, which I'd only had for three weeks, was stolen from the front of my house and swapped with a small rake.  I can't make up stuff like this.  If they wanted to borrow a shovel, they just had to knock and ask me!  What am I going to do with this rake now?

And if you are only here to read about diabetes stuff, let's throw in a few sticky, gross, eye-blurring, tongue-drying high blood glucose readings that were tough to bring down, even with site changes and injections.  Oh, right, I attribute that to all the jerkiness of Jerkuary!

Jerkuary did spare me in a few ways.  There were some generous SEPTA employees who took pity on me for not having the proper fare or who rushed us all through the gate without having to pay for the already-late subway.  There was the incredible Balkan brass band show Matt and I attended.  There was the kindness and ingenuity of Matt's brother, who set up a Google+ Hangout session on a smartphone so we could virtually attend the funeral service that we couldn't travel to.  There were friends, hugs, Hello Kitty slippers that I got for $5, there were recipes tried and well-received.

But really, Jerkuary, I'm glad you're heading out of here.  Next month is my month:  February.  My birth month tends to hold lots of good things.  At this point, almost anything could be an improvement.

D-Blog Week Day 2: We, The Undersigned

It's D-Blog Week...join your favorite diabetes bloggers as we write about/share/mouth off about different diabetes-related topics all week.  Links and learn more at: Bitter-sweet Diabetes!

Tuesday: Recently various petitions have been circulating the Diabetes Online Community, so today let’s pretend to write our own. Tell us who you would write the petition to – a person, an organization, even an object (animate or inanimate) - get creative!! What are you trying to change and what have you experienced that makes you want this change?

A PETITION FOR GREATER SEXINESS AMONG PEOPLE WITH DIABETES

(I'm pretty much addressing the grownups here.  D-Moms & Dads, I'm not trying to make your kids grow up too fast, but face it.  Your kids will be my age one day.  This is just to say...we're all grownups at some point.  We'll be okay.)

We, the undersigned, hereby believe that people with diabetes are just as hot as people without diabetes.  Many, many people with diabetes are in successful domestic partnerships and marriages.  Many people with diabetes have rich, interesting dating lives.  We are tired of seeing various postings on the internet that reflect self-doubt over body image or worthiness of loving relationships, just because of having diabetes.

Say what you will about Halle Berry, she does look pretty good in a bikini.  Recent scientific studies have shown that people with guitars have greater sex appeal, so what about Crystal Bowersox?  And there's always the cutie-patootie from the days before One Direction, Nick Jonas.  There's delectable chef Sam Talbot. There are actors, musicians, athletes, racecar drivers, and Supreme Court justices, all with their own brand of hotness.

The point we are making is that people with diabetes are cute, sexy, wonderful, loveable people. 

We, the undersigned, agree that:

...we have the right to walk out on any date who would consider our diabetes a dealbreaker.

...we can be confident happy people who ask for what we want in bed, even when what we want is a glass of juice because we're going low.

...it is not a burden to check a BG or disconnect a pump before getting intimate.

...diabetes alone is no excuse.  You can have a love life/sex life just the same as anyone without diabetes.

...there are challenges we may face as people with diabetes in relationships, but people in any sort of relationships have challenges.  Always remember you're not alone.

...PWD are allowed to be just as kinky as people without diabetes...and we're not talking bent cannulas or insulin pump tubing.

...we are dateable.

...we are worthy of finding partners we can love and trust.

...we can be just as gorgeous and confident as any celebrity.  We can strut in our favorite non-diabetic shoes.  We can get nekkid with an infusion set on.  We are just as smiley and charming as anyone.

...we're sexy, and we know it.  Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah.



PS--How dare I leave out the intellects, artists, authors and scientists with diabetes?  You guys, statistically speaking, are probably the ones I'm most attracted to.  Sexy smarts, grrrrowl.