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A Note from Our Founder
Like you, I'm a parent who cares deeply about my children's health. When I became pregnant with my first child, I learned that many parents around me—smart, educated, caring people—chose not to vaccinate or to delay their children's vaccinations. I wondered if I, too, should make similar decisions for my children.
I did my own research online and was surprised by the conflicting information that surfaced. I had a lot of questions. My husband and I chose a pediatrician whom we trusted, and he helped us sort through the information and answer our questions. We chose to vaccinate our child on schedule, and we made the same decision with our second child.
I created Boost Oregon because I recognized a need for vaccination education in our state. I know that you, like me, want to make the best possible decisions for your child's health. I hope that this guide, as well as our other resources, will enable you to do just that.
Nadine A. Gartner
Founder, Boost Oregon


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Given the size of Brockhampton Court we have many communal areas.The main hall hosts many of Brock's celebrations and parties, however, on quieter days it is a wonderful space to play scrabble, read the paper or simply to meet up and chat with friends and relatives.
At Brockhampton Court their are a number of lounges. If you're looking for a smaller but equally grand space where you can watch your favourite film or soap opera, the TV room is perfect. The main hall also has a wonderful open fire which when lit makes it extra cosy on a cold day. Upstairs in the main house is also a wonderful galleried library and in the new wing the spacious and light conservatory, in both these communal areas residents and visitors can help themselves to complimentary drinks.

subset: commoncrawl


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In The Creative Shift with Dan Blank, I interview writers and artists who have doubled-down on their creative vision. I delve deep into how they moved from merely dabbling with ideas to becoming a doer — someone who creates, finishes, and shares their work.
My questions tend to focus on the aspects of managing one's career that are hidden: how we make decisions, deal with anxiety, the habits and routines that matter, and the reality of what it looks like to be a full-time creative professional.
Find and listen to the newest podcast in the following places:
Featured episodes:
Navigating Creative Burnout, with Illustrator & Author Rebecca Green
How do you navigate creative burnout? That is something that illustrator/author Rebecca Green has been working through. With more than 225,000 Instagram followers, and a thriving career filled with art, books, and other projects, youl would think that managing creative focus would be easier for her. But it isn't. She goes deep in our conversation to discuss the reality of what it means to find balance and fulfillment while pursuing your creative vision.
Embracing Possibility, with Illustrator and Writer Meera Lee Patel
Meera Lee Patel and I dig into her journey as an artist, and how she made a profound creative shift to become a full-time artist and writer. Her latest book, My Friend Fear, is an amazing work that turns fear into something beautiful. She talks about the turning point for no longer ruling her life by fear. She says: "Being scared is not a good enough reason to do things."
"Not only does it not get any easier, it actually gets harder." My Interview with Author Dani Shapiro
Writers and artists often seek to reach a place Where it is easier to create, easier to feel validated, easier to reach your audience, easier to get your next book deal, or client, or exhibit, or the like; to where it is easier to earn money from your craft. Author Dani Shapiro responds with this, "Not only does it not get any easier, it actually gets harder." In our interview, she talks about the emotional side of the creative process in a way that I think every writer and artist needs to hear.
"It's not just what film you want to make, it's what film can you make." My interview with filmmaker Angela Tucker
In this interview, Angela and I talk about the realities of crossing that gap from one's creative vision to making it a reality. What jumped out at me was how incremental everything is in her work. From both the creative side to the funding side, her work moves forward one small commitment at a time. She also talked about how how large projects start with small conversations and experiments.
Why Caring is at the Heart of Creating. My Interview with Tina Roth Eisenberg
How can one woman not only manage five huge projects/businesses, but do so in a way that empowers other creative professionals to grow their craft and earn more revenue? Today, I talk to Tina Roth Eisenberg, who runs temporary tattoo company Tattly, a monthly meetup series CreativeMornings, a to-do list app called TeuxDeux, a collaborative workspace called Friends Work Here, and the popular design blog Swiss-Miss.com.
"One thing I would tell my younger self is to not be afraid to take risks." My Interview with Children's Book Writer and Illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi
In our chat, we discuss how Debbie took a huge risk in leaving her safe corporate job to pursue a creative career, how she deals with both positive and negative feedback, and why you should regularly move a little bit outside of your comfort zone in order to move your creative work and career forward.
Finding Fulfillment and Success as a Creative Professional, With Elise Blaha Cripe
How do you forge your own path to success with your creative work? Elise Blaha Cripe tells us how she turned a blog into platform, a podcast, and a series of products that has helped her thrive. But more than that, I was blown away by her reflection on what she has built, after 10+ years: "I have felt more and more fulfilled by the work that I am doing."
Social Anxiety and Sharing Your Creative Work. My Interview with Ellen Hendriksen, PhD
Psychologist Ellen Hendriksen helps millions calm their anxiety and be their authentic selves. In our chat, we dig into topics that writers and artists constantly struggle with, including: impostors syndrome, permission to create, comparison to others, seeking validation, sharing your work publicly, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.
"Whatever You Are Doing, Be Fully Engaged In It." My Interview with Illustrator and Writer Jake Parker
There was a moment in illustrator and writer Jake Parker's career, where this is what he, his wife and five children faced: "There was a summer there where we had no money. We went through savings. We had some food storage we saved for when times get hard, and we were like, "Let's break out the mac and cheese and beans. I was really depressed, I took serious stock of everything. I said, "This is never going to happen." In this moment, he did something that I found astounding. He didn't hide away, he didn't diminish. Instead he did this: "I doubled down on sharing online and hitting my social media hard. I really figured out where jobs were coming from, and about three months after, everything started falling into place."
"I was back to work two days after I gave birth." On making documentary films, with Stephanie Wang-Breal
In this interview, Stephanie and I discuss the risks she has taken as she navigated her career, and the many ways that she make hard decisions that lead to more meaningful work. One thing that jumped out at me is the nature of how a documentary film is made. She begins without knowing who the characters will be, where there story will go, and if it will lead anywhere. Also, that funding can only happen after she has committed a year or more to the project, and from there, it can take an additional three years for a grant to actually come through.
Stop Following Others, Be More Like Yourself. My Interview With Musician Will Ackerman
When I asked Will Ackerman about the journey from playing his guitar in an alcove in college, to earning all that money, this was his description of what happened: "If you begin something that is inspired entirely by heart. You are not chasing something that is indicated in the current market to be viable. Because of the love of it, you are willing to do something whether it has economic potential or not. That it is something you love. In so doing, you end up being a unique thing, that happens to hit the world between the eyes."
Find More Time For Creative Work You are Proud Of, With Writer and Podcaster Srini Rao
In this episode, I speak with Srini Rao, who is the host and founder of The Unmistakable Creative podcast, and the author of Unmistakable: Why Only Is Better Than Best. In this chat we discuss how to find more time to do the creative work that you love.
The Business of Being a Writer, My Interview with Jane Friedman
Today I'm excited to share my interview with author and publishing expert Jane Friedman. In our discussion, we dig into the nuts and bolts on how to earn a living as a writer.
We frame the conversation around her new book, The Business of Being a Writer, which shatters romantic assumptions around publishing, but then arms you with practical advice on how to develop your career.
The Man Who Writes 10 Books Per Year – My Interview with Michael La Ronn
How can one man write 10 books per year, while working a full-time job, going to law school in the evenings, and raising a young family? Today we find out. I am so excited to share my interview with author Michael La Ronn. He has published more than 40 books in the past six years: science fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction books on writing.
Many people have asked me what equipment I use to podcast, here are two posts that outline my tools and process in great detail:


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Board of Directors
Martin Chase - CEO & Founder
The Empowerment Resurrection Center of Chester was founded by Martin Chase, its President and CEO. Born and raised in Chester, Pennsylvania, Mr. Chase first recognized the need for and opened a treatment facility for substance abuse in his home town. This effort, The Empowerment Resurrection Center of Chester, is an expanding operation today... Read More About Martin Chase
Beverly Rice - President
Ms. Rice has served as an Address Management Systems Analyst for the U.S. Postal Service for over 24 years. A longtime member of the Victory Apostolic Church, she has been active on the congregation's Board of Trustees since 1999; she currently holds the position of financial secretary and has also been occupied the activities coordinator position. She was also secretary of Wilmington's Head Start organization for four years. Always active in the community in many capacities, Ms. Rice has been involved as a Girl Scout leader, band and cheer mom, director of an adult and youth choir, volunteered as a children's mentor (K through 5th grades) for Project C.H.A.N.C.E. and, has been a foster parent.
R. Paige Smith - Vice-president
Mr. Smith currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Empowerment Resurrection Center, of Chester, PA, as Vice President, Corporate – Community Relations. Professionally, he is the President and Founder of Paige One Media and Public Relations Consulting, LLC, a full service media services and brand management firm. Prior to founding Paige One Media, Smith served as the Chief Information Officer for NAZCA Network, a company specializing in digital media development and distribution. In 1996, Mr. Smith founded IMPAC, "Involved Minority Professionals for the Advancement of Children", a Delaware based organization focused on introducing career opportunities to youth identified as disadvantaged and "at risk". Smith also served as a member of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce One to One mentoring program, and Executive Vice President and co-founder of the Detroit Michigan based Christians United in Business Endeavors, focusing on developing youth achievement programs and providing scholarships to youth through corporate sponsorships. R. Paige also served as a youth league basketball and baseball coach through the YMCA system, as well as through various other church organizations. R. Paige Smith was educated at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his leadership background is rooted through his Bachelor of Science, Management Information Technology and Journalism education.
William Clinton
Mr. Clinton is an active member of the Unitarian Universality Church of Delaware County (UUCDC) where he currently serves as Board President. He was the founder and Director of the Organizational Development and Leadership Masters Program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. The ODL Masters program is committed to social justice and develops a student's ability to lead organizational change. He is also a founding Board member (2007 – 2011) First Suburbs Project of Southeastern PA that sought to build power by organizing people and money in the four collar counties that surround Philadelphia across class, race, political and municipal boundaries. Mr. Clinton has a BS from University of Maryland, College Park and a Masters in Applied Behavioral Sciences from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington.
Rev. Dr. Dexter L. Davis Sr.
was born and raised in the City of Chester, Pennsylvania. He attended the Chester Upland Public Schools and is a proud graduate of the Chester High School Class of 1973. He graduated from Millersville University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Sociology. Dr. Davis earned a Master's degree in Public Administration from West Chester University and a Doctorate in School Administration from Widener University. Reverend Davis has also studied at TUMI (The Urban Ministry Institute). Rev. Davis is an active member of Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland's Interfaith Citywide Initiative. He also serves on several boards that impact the lives of children and adults in Delaware County. Dr. Davis currently serves as an adviser to Mayor Kirkland and City Council on education-related matters.
Lawrence Hamm - bio forthcoming
Reverend Derrick Knox
Mr. Knox graduated from Pennsylvania State University (UP), as well as, completed graduate work at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA. Over the years he has served multiple positions such as Youth Pastor, Department Head, and Chaplain at the New Castle County Detention Center, Wilmington, DE. He is founder and Senior Pastor of Covenant Heritage Bible Church in Wilmington, DE. Reverend Knox continues to give back to the community through various outreach programs. As an experienced motivational speaker and personal/professional development coach, Reverend Knox has, on many occasions, mentored high school, college, and professional athletes. He's currently a chaplain for the Pennsylvania State University football team.
Letha Thornton - bio forthcoming
Malcolm Yates
Malcolm J. Yates is the Executive Director to State Representative Brian Kirkland of the 159th District. The district includes Chester City, Chester Township, Parts of Ridley, Upland, Parkside, Trainer, Marcus Hook, and Lower Chichester. Malcolm holds seats with the Pennsylvania State Committee, the Pennsylvania Democratic Black Caucus, Chairman of the Southwest Delaware County Democratic Committee, Director of Social Action for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Del. County Chapter, and President of the Young Democrats of Delaware County. Malcolm started his collegiate academia at Norfolk State University majoring in Biology & Communication and finished with a B.S. in Business Management and Marketing. He also received his Masters of Science in Strategic Leadership from Neumann University. In the immediate future, Malcolm will be pursing his Doctorate in Public Policy.


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A few weeks ago I did a trip to the Japan Folk House Museum, just minutes out of Tokyo, but a world away. Its grounds have a selection of over 20 traditional farmhouses from various regions of Japan, and many of the traditional methods of farming and cooking are demonstrated in each house. It was a very interesting trip, apart from the fact that it started snowing as soon as we got there.... Lunch was eaten in a barely-heated soba restaurant, sitting on tatami mats with no shoes on! After lunch, we got to try our hand at traditional indigo dyeing in a workshop on the grounds. It was a lot of fun, if a tad cold!
The houses are made using an intricate layer of beautifully stacked straw. The outer straw wall is used as protection during snowy periods. Families often moved up to the higher floors when snow became too high. The second floor became ground level!
The straw roofs are amazingly thick with a solid scaffold of bamboo underneath, which can be seen from inside the house. I love the cracked earth walls.
Wooden buckets.
At the indigo dye workshop, we were given lots of items to play with. We each had a handkerchief sized piece of cotton and could use clips, marbles, film cases etc to tie around our handkerchiefs before they were dyed.
I chose to use a marble in the centre and some clips around the outside, with some elastic bands to create a tie dye effect.
The fabric pieces were then placed into the indigo dye in lovely big vats that were sunken into the floor. The vats are enormous and made from hand thrown clay.
The fabric pieces were dipped twice to make the colour stronger and they came out looking like this - a beautiful deep indigo blue. Mine is the middle piece.


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Accommodation in Chemax
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If you're looking for a place to get away, look no further than Chemax. Whether you're planning to stay for a night or for the week, the area around Chemax has accommodations to fit every need. Search for hotels in Chemax with Hotels.com by checking our online map. Our map displays the areas and neighborhoods around all Chemax hotels so you can see how close you are from landmarks and attractions, and then refine your search within the larger area. The best Chemax hotel deals are here with our lowest price guarantee.
When is the best time to visit Chemax?
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0.4.7 – A Man On A Mission!
World War Blog
0.4.7 – A Man On A Mission!
0.4.5 – Moar Pls!
May 12, 2017
0.4.10 – Confetti the Yeti!
Jul 10, 2017
Published by
Andres Gutierrez
Jun 17, 2017
World War Blog
Jump into this latest version and test your skills in our brand new feature: Daily Missions! New rewards and challenges await you every morning, as the Commander will require you to use a particular unit to complete some top-secret Mission. What are you waiting for? We don't have all day.
Daily Missions added. Daily Missions will change every day at midnight and you will need to fulfill the Mission in the next 24 hours to claim the reward.
New Objective: Vault. The Commander can quickly collect Dough from the Vault whenever he wants. Destroying the enemy Vault also grants a medal.
Mansion and Statue have been replaced with the Hospital and the Telescope. Functionality remains the same.
B. Mine now requires Commander Rank 2.
B.Mine cost and damage increased.
Commander Health reduced.
Hospital Healing increased.
Hiddenburg Build Time reduced.
Da Choppa Build Time reduced.
Buck Health and Damage increased, but only one Buck will spawn.
Indie Fords will spawn in greater numbers, but the cost is increased.
Inhumane Cannonball Range and cost increased.
Dough Extractor cost increased and Health reduced.
Chackie Jan cost reduced, and will now attack units.
Tankerina now will only target buildings, but her Armor has been greatly increased.
Tankerina now requires Commander Rank 3.
Don Capone Health greatly increased.
Mambo Damage increased, but health reduced.
Disposable Teleporter cost reduced.
Bunker cost increased.
Catling Gun health increased.
Catling Gun build time reduced.
Build time for unit spawning buildings has been reduced.
Added different characters to represent different leagues in the Main Menu.
In-game Commander Level has been renamed Rank for clarity purposes.
Improved Objective visuals.
Join us on Discord by tapping on the link on the Settings panel!
Improved game start-up times.
Fixed an issue that made some card names appear blurry.
Fixed random crashes when users finished a game.
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Andres Gutierrez
Tech Director
Related posts
Nov 9, 2017
0.5.7 – Shutdown!
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0.5.1 – Let Them Do Their Thing
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0.5.0 – Get in Control
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How Australia grabbed the top spot for digital marketing in the Asia Pacific
By Sandra D'Souza
Australia has emerged as No. 1 when it comes to digital marketing expertise in the Asia Pacific, according to a survey of the Chief Marketing Officer Council and Adobe. Here's how the region bested its counterparts in the Asia Pacific.
Broader horizons: Digital marketing on different platforms
The famous saying, "hitting two birds with one stone" has been used countless times to describe objects, places or circumstances with utmost practicality, where goals are achieved with strategic effort. The premise behind this appears to be working for Australia right now, in terms of its expertise in digital marketing. Australia has landed the top spot for digital marketing across the Asia Pacific region, according to a survey done by the Chief Marketing Officer Council and Adobe. About 52% of organisations in Australia assign their chief marketing executives to manage digital marketing strategies, higher than the regional average of 39%, the survey found. Moreover, 62% of the companies studied said they have a digital marketing expert in the leadership team, twice the Asia Pacific average of 39%.
This means that companies in Australia take a serious approach todigital marketing, especially considering the strong need to reach out to the "omnichannel" digital customer to gain an edge. This has prompted Australian marketers to expand their strategies to mobile, social and digital platforms to engage audiences. In addition, they use data not only for measurement, but also to develop effective online and offline marketing strategies. Unlike China and Korea, Australia usesdata to influence campaign life cycle, said Liz Miller, vice president of marketing at CMO Council. "The skill level, mindset, expertise and sophistication (of the Australian marketing industry) are far more aligned with the US and Europe," she said.
It can be said that Australian organisations use inward and outward approaches to maximisethe effectiveness of their digital marketing strategies. They ensure digital marketing expertise internally, and they use data to improve marketing tactics. Meanwhile, they utilize different platforms to reach out to more customers, but ensure a central integration to avoid digital silos.
Overcoming Barriers: Changing the marketing mindset
The CMO survey above noted that there remains a conflict between marketing and IT departments amid the growth of digital marketing in Australia. The issue may liein the perception of marketers seeing the IT as "hired help" which could prevent them from working together to create effective strategies. However, there are companies that are no longer hindered with this kind of thinking. With the understanding of data and analytics, American Express has stopped sending emails to "everyone dead or alive in Australia," said Jeffrey Evans, the company's head of global digital marketing. Better relations with the IT department have allowed them to take on a wiser approach.
In order for brands to remain competitive, they need to rethink their digital marketing, saidCatherine Heath, head of strategy and planning for the U.S. west coast operations of digital agency Huge. They need to get past the "digital" label and inject life into their marketing. This is crucial nowadays that the first point of contact brands have with their customers is through the digital platform.
Aside from this, brands need to consider the entire purchasing process to craft effective digital marketing tactics. This includes using analytics to gauge the reaction of customers toward digital marketing platforms. It also entails interacting with them even after a purchase is made. This is especially important since customers can bolster marketing through word-of-mouth referrals. Furthermore, this can yield vital information for a company's product and/or services.
Maximising social media: Driving customer engagement
A LinkedIn study found that 89% of small and medium enterprises in Australia use social media to interact with their clients. Social media has allowed SMEs to maintain a consistent dialogue with their customers throughout the purchasing process. About 13% of 200 SMEs in Australia experienced hyper-growth last year related to their social media marketing platforms. Marketers, in turn, can help SMEs further their growth if they assistthem to integrate all the parts of their value chain on social media.
Australian marketers have achieved success in digital marketing by employing a multi-faceted approach to engage their customers on a wider scale. This includes improving their internal approaches to digital marketing, as well as improving their outward strategies, such as utilising the social media platform. Using this perspective may enable companies in Australia or worldwide, to enhance their digital marketing strategies and make them more effective.
This article originally appeared in http://www.learnmarketing.com.au/digital-marketing/how-australia-grabbed-the-top-spot-for-digital-marketing-in-the-asia-pacific/


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This is Rita Arens's Typepad Profile.
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Rita Arens
My name is Rita Arens. I like to write. A lot. Many pages.
Recent Activity
Beloved called me this afternoon to say the wood floor guy called, like, a few months early to say our wood is in, and could he bring it over tomorrow? Except that meant I needed to clear out six floor-to-ceiling bookshelves between dinner and the work left over from today. With MY BABBEE'S childhood memorabilia, along with my master's thesis, gifts from family members, copies of three books (one out of print) and photo albums dating back to college. Oh, and in the space I used for eight lovely years when I worked for BlogHer from my house, where I greeted my daughter each day when she got off the big yellow bus from kindergarten through sixth or seventh grade. This won't take long. The biggest thing I noticed, though, in scooping out books I loved from writers I used to email daily to my daughter's early elementary accomplishments, is how far away I've grown from the daily documenting of my own life. In leaving BlogHer, I left blogging, and tweeting, and really ... all of it. In some ways, it's okay, because the little angel does not want me documenting her life anymore. It's her life, after all, not mine. My dad always says your right to swing your arm ceases when it connects with someone's face, and writing about my teen feels like that. Like telling you the story of my current parenting situation would be stepping out of the bounds of my experience and treading on hers. I'm not interested in doing that. There are, however, some things I've forgotten to write down. I always thought teenagers would hate me. She doesn't. Unbelievable. Watching your child drive is both terrifying and awesome. I owned a horse as a kid. My daughter seems more confident than I ever... Continue reading
Posted Oct 21, 2019 at Surrender, Dorothy
The light is here longer now. My girl is finishing her freshman year of high school. She just got a learner's permit. She's a better horseback rider than I am and wields a mean powerpoint. And oh, my God, how is it possible she's going to be a high school sophomore in a few weeks? I started this blog on my maternity leave. I started it because I didn't know how to process what I was feeling about being a mother. That totally hasn't changed in fifteen years. I still don't know how to process what I feel as a mother, except now that I'm here, I want to say this to the me there, the one who started this blog at this time of year in 2004. It turns out okay, Rita. I want to say that to the me who cried in the shower every morning at 23, not sure if I would find my way. I want to say that to the me who paced for miles up and down gravel roads at 17, the me who worried about grades at 12. The me who was afraid my mom would die young. The me who was afraid of tornadoes and fires as a kid. It's not over yet, but so far, Rita, it's been okay. Your life turned out okay. You got married, and you still are. You gave birth to an amazing girl who only got more amazing with every year. You live in the Midwest, and you like it. Your friends are amazing people who have your back through everything, even cancer. You did write those books you said you would write. Your body held up. You can still carry your own groceries and think your own thoughts. When I was in my twenties, I... Continue reading
Posted May 20, 2019 at Surrender, Dorothy
Tonight I saw some commentary on DadSummit about a device that simulated breastfeeding. I had some feelings. My friend Doug French encouraged me to write. So here goes. I have one child. She's fourteen. She's healthy and happy. I only breastfed her for seven weeks, because that was the minimum my OB-GYN gave me for her health. I hated breastfeeding. Imagine, my men, what it would feel like to have a part of your body that you had always associated as a secondary sex charactaristic suddenly turned into your baby's only method of survival. Someone suddenly told you that unless you gave up what you had always associated as part of your sexuality, your baby might die. Welcome to being a woman. I wasn't onboard. I didn't like the feeling of satisfaction breastfeeding gave me. I considered that part of my sexuality. I spent 45 minutes on each side trying to get three ounces of milk. My baby cried and fed constantly. I never slept. Every three hours, it started over again. I moved to formula. La Leche League hated me. That was 13 years ago. You guys, she's fine. This child has missed one day of school for illness in ninth grade, and that was due to a stomach virus. Thank God she had all her vaccinations, because don't get me started. And so I had a reaction tonight to a simulated breastfeeding scenario for men. I saw their comments as dismissive and resistive. I thought, you know, it must be really nice to be given a hard pass by society to feed a child with your bodily bluids. Cry me a river, men. Seriously. I'm 45. I've had one pregnancy, one childbirth. I have suffered endometriosis, where part of my uterine blood escaped into other parts of my... Continue reading
Posted Mar 19, 2019 at Surrender, Dorothy
I never really processed the radiation tattoos. Six little dots. Freckles, they called them. I was happy they weren't my first ink. I had two real tattoos before those six dots. I assume there are plenty of straight-laced ladies who were horrified to get their first ink in this way. My breast cancer still doesn't feel real. I see people with pink ribbons and I don't resonate with them. Mine was so early, so unexpected, so ... in some ways, harmless, compared to what other people face. My broken ankle feels more real than cancer did. Isn't that odd? Broken bones are so innocuous. But .... the tattoos remain. When I go to put on a bra. When I go to think about a swimsuit. What is that mark? Oh, yeah. I had cancer. Really? You? Yeah, actually, just a few years ago. 2017. It's 2019. That was like, yesterday. It would be easier to forget all that happened. If there weren't tattoos. They aren't freckles. They never were. Continue reading
Posted Feb 15, 2019 at Surrender, Dorothy
I never really processed the radiation tattoos. Six little dots. Freckles, they called them. I was happy they weren't my first ink. I had two real tattoos before those six dots. I assume there are plenty of straight-laced ladies who were horrified to get their first ink in this way. My breast cancer still doesn't feel real. I see people with pink ribbons and I don't resonate with them. Mine was so early, so unexpected, so ... in some ways, harmless, compared to what other people face. My broken ankle feels more real than cancer did. Isn't that odd? Broken bones are so innocuous. But .... the tattoos remain. When I go to put on a bra. When I go to think about a swimsuit. What is that mark? Oh, yeah. I had cancer. Really? You? Yeah, actually, just a few years ago. 2017. It's 2019. That was like, yesterday. It would be easier to forget all that happened. If there weren't tattoos. They aren't freckles. They never were. Continue reading
Posted Feb 15, 2019 at Surrender, Dorothy
I've used this boot twice before. Seriously, this is ridiculous. In the past, however, it's been my fault. Stress fractures from running longer and harder than a nonathlete with flat feet should. This time, a very tall, very large horse accidentally stepped on my foot and broke a toe. The doc with the X-ray warned me if I didn't wear the boot, I'd end up with arthritis and also not be able to run without pain. He also told me that if I were eighteen, I'd probably heal within a week. Thanks, motherfucker. So this week, I wore this giant sofa on my foot to my corporate job with a normal black leather boot on the other foot. I clomped around the office for four days before giving myself a giant overcompensation injury, supination. In other words, I woke up on Friday morning barely able to put any weight on my left foot. I broke a toe on my right foot. So, yeah. I iced my left foot and realized my Mac was down to 60% and I'd left the power cord at work. I headed in with a sneaker on my left foot and a sofa on my right foot and kissed any hope of looking cool at work goodbye for at least six months. There's something about looking physically weak at work that is especially threatening to me. Clomping is not my jam. So now it's been a week. The doctor initially told me I'd be in a boot for three weeks. I think I'm going to get an X-ray next Saturday, just to see. Maybe I'm closer to eighteen than he thinks. So many people have been curious this week as to what I could've possibly done to end up in a boot. That's kind of crazy... Continue reading
Posted Feb 2, 2019 at Surrender, Dorothy
Tonight the little angel introduced me to Ari's Seven Rings. Cultural appropriation aside, I need to react on a whole 'nother level. That's not really setting cultural appropriation aside ... I just have another subject to also introduce, and others have handled the appropriation better than I would. Dude. What is wrong with us? When are we going to realize that buying stuff doesn't solve anything? Sorry, Ari. I just can't listen to this and take it at face value -- you've never been one to brag on your dollars before, and I just don't want to hear it now. Wearing a ring, but ain't goin' to be no "Mrs." Bought matching rings for six of my bitches. I'd rather spoil my friends with all of my riches, think retail therapy is my new addiction. I'm picturing Ari and her girl gang with their new matching diamond rings, probably enormous diamond rings, and realizing once again that even though I personally look around at other people's diamonds and think they are awesome, diamonds are actully not fungible. We only care about them because a long time ago, a diamond miner decided we should celebrate marriage that way. Diamonds aren't rare. Think about it. Diamonds are like assholes, and everybody's got one. I'm not proud of the fact I look at other women's diamonds knowing that those diamonds have absolutely zero zilch zippo to do with the men's or women's who presented the diamonds love for their partner. Your love is not actually reflected in carats, regardless of what the industry would like us to think. I'm going to be forty-five in a few weeks, and I keep waiting for maturity. Why do I care about diamonds and square footage and thread count? Why do I think having nice things is... Continue reading
Posted Jan 22, 2019 at Surrender, Dorothy
Over the past year or so, I've been having what I'll call a stress dream over finding an apartment because I suddenly realize I have to go back to college. I graduated from the University of Iowa over twenty years ago. In all the time I lived there, through two dorm rooms, one sorority house and three apartments with approximately fifteen roommates, I don't recall losing any sleep over where I was going to live. I didn't go to graduate school in Iowa City. I went to graduate school in Kansas City, as an adult living with my now husband. I have no idea why I've constructed this storyline in my head. I realized last night that I have a created a whole town in dreamland that doesn't exist in reality, and I've revisited it several times now. There's the two-story duplex with the leaky sunporch and hilly back garden planted with flowers I don't know how to grow. Its windows and doors don't lock, and I'm constantly closing the shades. It has a pool I have no idea how to chlorinate. It's on a street that doesn't exist and that I've researched several times over the past year in my dreams, trying to find my way back to my bedroom there, the one with the four-poster bed I've never owned. The union where I buy groceries in my dreams is located just south of a four-story library I never saw in real life but where I study constantly in my dreams, sure I'm about to fail. There is a cupola at the top that plays calliope music at all times. Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens. In this town, I keep driving past a row of restaurants in Omaha that doesn't exist. I really like the Mexican one... Continue reading
Posted Dec 25, 2018 at Surrender, Dorothy
Today I had a worlds-colliding moment when a new co-worker commented on an old practice of mine, which is to say, blogging. He called it "Facebook," which is totally fair - that's one of the places my blog bleeds out to. And he complimented me on my writing. In my head, I was all: Thanks, sir; all the rest is mute. William Shakespeare Because even now, when I went to put that quote in there, I had to pop the hood up on Typepad, creaky old bitch that she is, and look at the HTML, because the WYSIWYG editor doesn't even work anymore. I'm like the old couple in The Princess Bride who give you a cure for being only partially dead but then tell you to not go in swimming for at least an hour. "Well, hidee ho! Let's take a look at that href tag!" But can I just say, wow, that felt amazing! Thank you, dude, for reading old words of mine from months ago and realizing I was a person before I came to the cube next door. I don't pay my corporate job any disservice, but it was still fun that for an amazing decade people paid me for my voice. A few weeks ago, one of the little angel's friends did THE OBVIOUS GAME for a book talk. I was driving them to whatever and heard her talking about how she chose the wig lady scene to highlight and I had this moment where I realized my daughter's best friends took my writing seriously enough to talk about it at school. Guys, I can't tell you. I just can't tell you. I have always been one to write fan letters to my favorite authors. I've never had a letter back, but I do believe... Continue reading
Posted Nov 27, 2018 at Surrender, Dorothy
This week, I've spent time thinking about how much my life has changed in the past decade. In 2008, I was fresh off the publication of my first book and in the heyday of blogging as a service, BaaS, if you will humor my acronyms. Oh my, how life has changed. In the time that has passed since my departure from BlogHer/SheKnows Media, I've ceased to have a professional reason to be on social media. And, to some extent, my appetite for it has decreased. I finished another novel, which will come out from InkSpell Publishing in August 2019. It will be a labor of love, in that I care more about the themes of the book and in good sentences more than in the book's commercial success. That is a departure from my first two books. In those, I truly hoped for commercial success. Now, I understand a writer's chanches of making the front table at B&N are akin to a singer's chances of winning The Voice and then having a hit single a year later - so many people I talk to think somehow this art is different from that art, and ... it's not. But that's okay. There are too many people who think making art is only relevant if that art makes a living income. I know a lot of extremely talented artists and writers. Very few are able to survive solely on their art. Most depend also on income from speaking, teaching or brand representation. We no longer live in a society where artists have landed gentry sponsors. So, why, if it is so hard to make a living at art, do we still make art? Because it's important. Rise up from your couches, oh, Americans. Break free from your must-see TV and your Facebook... Continue reading
Posted Nov 7, 2018 at Surrender, Dorothy
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Posted Oct 14, 2018 at Surrender, Dorothy
It must be very difficult to be the child of a blogger. It was a grand experiment, this parenting blogging thing, and we navigated it by making a lot of mistakes, trying to figure out as we went along how much of ourselves to share and where the line was between us and our babies. In SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK, I wrote a lot about the struggles of parenting. I didn't write enough about the joy. Now the parent of an amazing fourteen-year-old girl, I've waited too long to revisit what it feels like to be a mother. I've often told my daughter that she can't possibly love me more than I love her. I still believe that to be true. The love I feel for her goes beyond human love to being love. It is both intellectual and instinctual in that I wouldn't have to actually think about throwing myself in front of a bus for her. I wouldn't be able to make the choice not to. I love her too much. But it's intellectual, too, because I love her not only because she's my child, but for her intelligence, her humor, and her resilience. She's bravely survived both my husband and I losing jobs and all the financial uncertainty and sacrifice that came of that. She bore my cancer without complaint and wrote a heartbreaking poem about the experience that showed me not only her writing talent but the depth of her maturity at such a young age. She has understood the world better as a very young child than many adults do, and that understanding gives her empathy for others -- and for me -- that I don't deserve and shouldn't be able to expect from a teenager who's still growing up and going through so... Continue reading
Posted Jun 14, 2018 at Surrender, Dorothy
In 2009, I left my corporate job for a job in the blogosphere. At the time, it was my dream job. We had a good run. In that time, I watched many of my contemporaries make a living from their words and then fall from the industry as the way media works changed. Now, my TIME magazine is 100 pages shorter per issue and the headlines are more dominated by the royal wedding than they are a school shooting or Hawaii being ruined by a volcano. I remember the day Osama bin Laden died. I found out on a Sunday night, around midnight. We needed to cover it. So it goes. Media has died. I half-heartedly spoon sand over it and click on the next cat video. In 2017, I re-entered corporate America. Two weeks ago, I landed back in the building I've always felt most comfortable in. The art hanging on the walls is familiar. My heels make the right noise walking across the tiles of the floor. Even the sound of the noise-canceling swoosh makes coming back seem normal and good. And the view from the 16th floor of an all-glass building made sunglasses inside seem not ridiculous. I'm back at the company where I first took heat for blogging, back when blogging was a thing. My co-workers at my last job, the first re-entry, would sigh and roll their eyes whenever I referenced the eight years I spent in media. "Oh," they'd say. "Are you talking about THAT again?" That. When blogging was a thing. Continue reading
Posted May 19, 2018 at Surrender, Dorothy
I met Janelle Hanchett in person backstage at BlogHer's Voices of the Year show, where she was preparing to read "We Don't Start Out With Needles in Our Arms." She was also wearing a baby at the time. We spent about five minutes debating whether or not said baby should be worn onto the stage (I was a fan of the idea in theory but, having worn a baby myself in the past, not a fan of the reality of having a baby anywhere near a microphone in a room of 3,000 people). Janelle's story is a shocker, both for its rock-bottom and for its normal. I volunteered to be on the launch team for her memoir, I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE, because after putting out a book about mental illness myself, I get how scary that is. Not only are you sort of laying yourself bare as a writer, you're exposing to the Instagram world what mental illness really feels like. Janelle's story is one of addiction and recovery, but I recognized in her writing a lot of the same rage I've felt at times in my life and the same mental pain that is so severe it feels physical. What I've always admired about Janelle's writing: Her beautiful sentences. While I feel confident she could turn the mundane details of life into art, she's got some pretty compelling material to work with, and the result is truly important writing. A few of my favorite quotes: I signed my daughter out, chatted with the receptionist, held my girl's hand to the car to make sure she was safe, and all these actions felt like tiny miracles. I gave the death glare to the woman when I saw her in the parking lot, because I was sober, not Jesus.... Continue reading
Posted Apr 12, 2018 at Surrender, Dorothy
In 2010, I wrote a post about anorexia and Dr. Phil. Shortly after that, I wrote a response on BlogHer which seems to have been lost in the abyss. Shortly before I was laid off from SheKnows Media (which acquired BlogHer and is now being acquired by Penske Media, I transferred some of my posts to Medium on a lark. One of them was 5 Things You Should Know About Your Girlfriend With an Eating Disorder. I've said it before: It's amazing, but I have received between 3-5 emails a week since I originally wrote the article sometime between 2010 and 2016 (yes, I admit, I don't have the will to research my posts on BlogHer -- it's painful). Originally I tried to write back individually to people, and at one point I had a six-month ongoing conversation with a mom, but after a while it became too overwhelming to keep up with all of the stories. And, after all, I wrote a book about this whole thing. So I started sending back this reply to the people who write me: I get so many emails like this I put everything I know about eating disorders and recovery in a novel called THE OBVIOUS GAME. You could read it together and use it as a conversation starter. Either way it should help you understand. Good luck - there is a lot about romantic relationships and how they are affected in the book. RJBA One time prior to today someone had an adverse reaction to this response, saying I was trying to sell them a book. I pointed out that THEY wrote ME, and that was the end of it. So imagine my surprise when today, I got this: "send me an email and I will answer your questions" "Fuck you... Continue reading
Posted Apr 2, 2018 at Surrender, Dorothy
I caught a few minutes of The Voice tonight. I haven't watched it since Christina Grimmie was killed. That was a bit of a perspective-setter about fame. In this episode, Kelly Clarkson was having a moment. I assume from context clues that Alicia Keys has been nabbing all the hot young things to the extent it started to give Kelly a complex. She didn't even want to turn around for a fabulous voice because she said, "There's no way I will win," or something to that effect. Oh, Kelly, I feel you. This is not a love song. Here's the thing: Any time you try something new, put yourself out there, no matter how high you've risen in your field or in your art, isn't there always an Alicia Keys? Isn't there always someone who intimidates you because they are amazing in their own skin, in their own art, and that confidence somehow feels threatening, as though there were a finite amount of wins in the universe? Because there are not: A finite amount of wins. Kelly Clarkson is a thousand million times more successful than I am, a thousand million times richer, more talented. In that moment, though, I wanted to grab her ears and look into her eyes and tell her to levelset, my friend, because you are all that and more and you need to have a Coke and a smile and shut the fuck up. You. Are. All. That. I know, right? Getting through a career is hard. It is so hard. You get knocked down, laid off, hired again, budget cut, high expectations, no expectations, no team, huge team, quarterly dividends, what did you say, again? And then you start again. Over and over and over. A fifty-year career is no longer a fifty-year career,... Continue reading
Posted Mar 13, 2018 at Surrender, Dorothy
It appears to be true that we shrink as we age. In height, I mean. And maybe our hands. I always thought when I was a child and observed my friends' mothers (not mine, so much, because mine didn't wear a lot of makeup), that I hoped I would never become one of those people who looked completely different without makeup. I fear I have become that woman, mostly because when I don't wear makeup, suddenly my features seem ... small. And I wonder ... is it just our outlook that is outsized when we're in our twenties? Does the realization that broken bones and cancer and organ shutdowns are real things cramp our ability to stand up straight? Was I really different in my twenties, was I actually taller? Did pregnancy really make my foot bones spread so much I lost height? What's happened to my pelvic floor? Holy shit, am I actually shrinking? I know my own parents are an inch or so shorter than they were when they were my age. My maternal grandmother had osteoporosis and a bit of a hump that literally robbed her of many inches. And as I grow older and face job insecurities again, it occurs to me that I'm no longer the precocious young one in the room as I spent so much of my internet-bubble youth being. I've noticed the older women get, the bigger their diamonds. I always in the past attributed it to means, but now I wonder if the diamonds just look bigger on hands that shrink with age. I look at other women's hands, because I'm at the age where I'm kind of past the diamond fuck-it point. It happens. I'm there. At this point, I look at a lot of things and wonder ... why?... Continue reading
Posted Feb 18, 2018 at Surrender, Dorothy
My birthday is next week. The little angel's is in a few months. She's not little anymore -- she'll be 14. So will this blog. Everything I start to write I just select and delete. I'm not really sure what I want to say. It's a new year ... 2018. This year (next week), I will turn 44. My daughter in April will turn 14. My marriage in June will turn 17. God, the passage of time is relentless, isn't it? We've started talking about when Lily ... I always had this grand plan of doing a great outing of her identity when she turned thirteen, but I'm almost a year too late ... the little angel's name is Lily Jane Arens ... will soon be driving and have an even greater level of independence ... of even when she will graduate and leave the house ... not because we want that to happen or because we're looking forward to it, but because it is actually going to happen, and if we don't prepare for it, it will catch us by surprise. I thought I would do this great outing, but it turns out that the world moved on while I wasn't looking, and she doesn't need my help at all. I got her Twitter and her URL reserved when she was born, and now it's possible that tech is outdated for her generation. Ha! My daughter doesn't need me to shepherd her into the digital world. I thought she would, but she doesn't. Funny, considering my career trajectory. Nothing can prepare us for what comes next. I'm all over but I haven't been here in a while and I think I might in fact be the only person who still reads this blog. If that's the case, ha, Rita,... Continue reading
Posted Feb 1, 2018 at Surrender, Dorothy
Dear friends, family, and college buddies I haven't laid eyes on in twenty years: Boy, was 2017 amazing! Hilda joined the Peace Corps after realizing she couldn't afford community college. She's currently digging latrines in Sierra Leone, which she says is beautiful as long as you don't look at the human feces or feral dogs. We have high hopes she'll wear herself out after a year and come back to join the nursing program at a nonprofit institution of higher learning. We recently learned there are tax cuts! This is great! We're looking forward to using our return to buy a new SUV that should be able to navigate the crumbling roadways we use to commute two hours each way to a soul-killing office job that will soon be replaced by robots. In other news, Nancy made it through a round of breast cancer thanks to us learning that you can get an interest-free payment plan if you call the 800 number and tell them you have no money. You, too, could pay $35.18 a month for the next twenty years to each of ten different healthcare providers. #blessed Little Jerod has been pursuing four different sports at the age of nine. The doctors say his concussions should heal up well and he's excited to play competitive league soccer year-round as long as his games continue to start before 11 pm on school nights. He may even see ten minutes of playing time in 2018. Woot! Nancy and Alexander are looking forward to celebrating 23 years of marriage in December, when they realized they'll be making the same household income that they did in 1998 despite a 43% increase in healthcare costs. Nancy is excited her antidepressants will soon be covered under the maintenance medicine list on her high-deductible health... Continue reading
Posted Dec 20, 2017 at Surrender, Dorothy
"Maybe, when you're in it, you just get through it, and it seems so much scarier to everyone else," she said. "Maybe," I replied. My friend Ann put it best: When someone tells you that you have cancer, it's like you're plunged into the deep end of the pool. Nobody can see you, nobody can help you. There's water in your eyes and your ears and your nose, and there's nothing in your world but the water; you can't see or think about anything but the water. And then ... you hit the surface. Everyone around you is floating on a raft. They hand you a beer. The sun is shining, and the world is beautiful. And you think ... did that seriously just happen, that part where I almost drowned? This time last year I was unemployed, desperately hunting for my next thing. I realized I'd have to make a career pivot and reinvent myself away from the dying star that is paid journalism. All but abondoning social media after a decade of living with both ankles constantly submerged in that rushing river. Wondering who I am if none of what I worked so hard to achieve in the past means anything to the hiring managers I met with in the yawning maw of job sites into which for six months I poured four different versions of my resume? And why do I have more Twitter followers now when I never go over there? What does any of that mean? I don't know half of those people and there are more people following me on Twitter than there were in my hometown in 1992. And I know damn well none of those Twitter people listen to anything I say. It's all just Black Mirror until you start believing in... Continue reading
Posted Dec 19, 2017 at Surrender, Dorothy
"I'm scared to go back there," I said, gripping the reins more tightly in my hand. The day before the horse beneath me had too much juice. He kept trotting when I said to walk. I forgot my tight circles. And then came the cyclist out from behind on my left, and suddenly Rowyn's back legs were in the air and I was falling to the right and in my mind's eye I saw a bone breaking on the pavement below and Rowyn and Jazz taking off for the barn with my girl clinging to Jazz's back. I think I was actually more scared for her than me, and it should've been the other way around. In this scenario, I needed more help. I got off my horse and called his owner. My hands were shaking so hard I could barely operate the phone. He answered immediately. He was in the Plaza getting ready to do carriage rides. He wouldn't be back to the barn for five hours. "What do I do?" I said. "Get your act together and ride him back to the barn," he said. "You can't walk him back. Rita, you have to ride." Sometimes in your life you would like the easier method back to the barn. This was not a time I was going to get it. My girl said everything was fine, but my mothering instincts and my anxiety disorder kept projecting images of a broken back or fractured skull as we walked back, turning tight circles every 100 yards or so. I have never had a longer walk back to the barn in my life. I kept reciting a little ditty, more for me than for him: We're still friends but I'm in charge. Rita and Rowyn go back to the barn. If... Continue reading
Posted Dec 10, 2017 at Surrender, Dorothy
One of the weird things about letting my girl read THE OBVIOUS GAME is that she's had more of a window than is probably good and right into my teenage years. So when I came home today from my twenty-fifth high school reunion and told her about how when my classmate driving the pick-up pulling the haybale-stacked float for the big Homecoming parade circled the town square three times and then just ... drove ... it reminded her of the sled scene in my book. Stupid, and dangerous, and totally, unfathomably fun. And when I told her about coronation and how the president of my senior class made a lovely speech and told the bored seniors how they really could do anything jumping off from the platform of our small town, she asked if it was the same coronation I wrote about in my book. And it was. It's in a new building, but nothing's changed. The names of the kids are the same last names I grew up with. The smiling parents are now my age, but they're the same. The teenagers may have new concepts in what makes facial hair fashionable for boys or formal wear appropriate for girls, but they have the same impatience for the dance I remember. I'm just on the other side now. But the ride. Sitting on a haybale on a flatbed on a float with people I've known since kindergarten or more and driving down the highway at least 45 miles an hour to a neighboring town, a neighboring bar, where the extra tables are made of plywood and the video games still take quarters ... that was like stepping into the past. Not having my husband and daughter along heightened the surreal quality because I, for once, had nowhere to be... Continue reading
Posted Oct 1, 2017 at Surrender, Dorothy
I realized recently that I graduated high school the same year a coworker was born. Let's sit with that. But then I reminded myself this brilliance was recorded when I was in first grade: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kqdJ6CsXt4Y So it's okay, to be old. Because every generation contributes something awesome. Continue reading
Posted Sep 25, 2017 at Surrender, Dorothy
I had The Conversation with the little angel tonight. Why are we here? I grew up steeped in Lutheranism, with a hint of high school existentialism. I have raised my daughter differently than I was raised. I homeschooled religion. Partly because of the crises of organized religion. Partly because of my own disillusionment with the laws of God versus the laws of Men. Oh, parenting is hard. I want to give her the tools to make sense of the world in a world that denies climate change and the effects of quarterly returns on our ability to be humane. I want to give her something to cling to that represents what happens when our hearts cease to beat. The reality is that we will all die, someday. We don't know when or how, only that we will. The young: They can't understand that. I didn't understand that. I said to a co-worker this week that I'd borrowed a mission statement from someone whom I've forgotten: Live a life you don't need a vacation from. I've tried to do that. We cut out eating out so we could ride horses. We shifted things around so we could have adventures. We drive shitty old-model cars and live in a bank foreclosure house so we can live a life we don't need a vacation from. I believe that. This year's cancer scare taught me that it can all be over tomorrow. You could have the rug pulled out from under you at any minute. Are you ready? Do you spend your time on what matters? I don't, not entirely. I need to make more time for my art, my writing. I was good at it before I had a commute. I need to get better at it now. What do you need? Let's... Continue reading
Posted Sep 19, 2017 at Surrender, Dorothy
They say scent in the strongest tie to memory. What I will remember from this time is the scent of me. I weathered radiation treatment during a hot Missouri summer. They told me I couldn't use normal deoderant because it contains aluminum, which is akin to putting aluminum foil in the microwave when undergoing radiation treatment. This is what I smelled like: Burnt flesh Lavendar Linseed oil Aloe Musk Neosporin Aquaphor Eucerin Dead skin Sweaty polyester Wicking athletic bras Wet cotton I finished my last radiation treatment last Friday. Since then, I've shed a layer of burnt skin, brown, almost black. Underneath is the fuschia of regeneration. Skin is pretty amazing stuff. It itches. My God, it itches. I've tried not to scratch, but even the reapplication of Aquaphor after each shower has ruined at least ten tshirts and countless bras, and now with the skin so raw and new I'm not sure what I will wear to work tomorrow, when I'm sure they expect me to return anew and healed now that the treatment is over. Except it's not really over yet. The radiation is still working inside me, and will continue to work for a few weeks, shining the flashlight over the dark room to make sure no cancer lurks in the corners before we shut the door for now. Until the next mammogram. And the next mammogram will reveal a completely new me, the me that is: after. I will never smell aloe again and not think of this time. But I am relieved. It is over. For the first time since April 2017, I can look at life through eyes unclouded by breast cancer. And that's a good thing. ONWARD. Continue reading
Posted Sep 4, 2017 at Surrender, Dorothy


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Because we take client privacy* extremely seriously, names have been withheld and counsellor names have been changed to "my counsellor" to protect identity.
"My counsellor made me feel safe, respected and listened to. I was really worried about coming for counselling, but she couldn't have done more to help me relax and get out of the big black hole I had got myself in."
"My counsellor was amazing. I can't recommend her highly enough."
"I didn't really buy into the whole idea of counselling, but my wife persuaded me to go. I'm so glad I did. I probably still wouldn't tell all my mates that I went, but I don't know how I would have coped without it now."
"My GP offered me anti-depressants, which I didn't want to take. My employer offered to pay for some counselling, which really helped."
"I had a difficult relationship with my employer, which was really getting me down. My counsellor gave me the confidence to change my situation and now I'm doing well in my new job!"
"I will never be cured, but my counsellor has helped me to see things more positively and given me the tools to manage my condition going forward."
"CCC are very discreet. I didn't want my partner to know I was having counselling, but they only took my income into account when assessing how much I could afford to pay, and never phoned me on my home number, only my mobile. Thanks."
"I got counselling from my GP but had to wait 6 weeks for an appointment. My CCC counsellor fitted me in within a week and helped a lot."
"I didn't know what to expect but I knew I needed some help. My counsellor was fantastic. I still have dark days but counselling has really helped get my life back on track. I would advise anyone to try it."
Please note that not all comments will be used.


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NEMA's Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American business conditions rose to 42.1 in September, up from 35.7 and 38.6, respectively, in August and July. Despite rising to a three-month high, though, the index remained short of the 50-point level indicating an equal number of panelists see conditions improving as see them deteriorating. Meanwhile, the EBCI for future North American conditions climbed to its highest level in four months, rising to 63.2 in September from 54.8 in August as panelists' optimism rose.
Click here for the complete September 2012 report.
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Continue reading "Pushing The Envelope With Childers Garage Doors Bloomington Il"
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Tips For Decorating Your Garage Doors Bloomington Il
The Door Doctor, Providing Garage Door and Opener sales and Service since 1987, in the Bloomington/Normal and surrounding areas. Here is the definitive list of Bloomington's garage door repair companies as rated by the Bloomington, IL community. Want to see who made the cut? Best Garage Door Services in Bloomington, IL – The Door Doctor, Childers Door Service of Central Illinois, DH Pace Central Illinois, Midstate Overhead Doors, . Oct 20, 2018 – Hire the Best Garage Door Repair Services in Bloomington, IL on HomeAdvisor. . Roof – Carlson Exteriors Inc from Garage Doors Bloomington Il , Take it . and are available in different wood finishes and neutral colors. Posts about Neutral Siding written by carlsonexteriors. . Harbor Grey siding with Victorian Grey shakes, white trim, white carriage style garage door . Nov 26, 2017 – Here's a few cozy single family homes in Bloomington-Normal area that are . newer A/C, Newer Hot water heater in 2016, neutral paint, whirlpool tub, see . New insulated shed and garage doors and insulated garage with . 1806 E LAFAYETTE ST , BLOOMINGTON, IL 61701-7015 is currently not for sale. . All newer floor coverings– great neutral dcor. . Plus if you are looking for that extra big garage–we have that bonus for you too, with 2 new garage doors and . 105 S TOWANDA AVE APT 11, NORMAL, IL 61761-2116 is currently not for sale. . Newer sump, siding, garage door, blinds, privacy fence, water heater '10,Patio door 2012, fresh paint, neutral dcor, clean and well maintained/cared for and TOTALLY UPDATED. A Joy to . 1107 E Olive Street # First Floor, Bloomington, IL. Apr 17, 2017 – 1307 COURTLAND AVE , NORMAL, IL 61761-1951 is currently not for sale. The 3170 sq. . Large deck, mature trees, new garage door, new carpet, new neutral paint. New stove . 1108 E Jefferson St APT 7, Bloomington, IL.
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The answer better fuckin' be yourself! For a good part of my life I listened to the voices of those who wanted me to conform. I went to the good college. I took the corporate job. I had creative outlets on the side but understood that they couldn't be a real job. Until they were.
I spent a lot of my twenties and early thirties trying to please other people by doing what they thought I should do. How do you think that turned out? Uh huh. It didn't make them happy and it sure as shit made me miserable.
Luckily I decided to start listening to my intuition right then and there and it never lets me down. Doing the next right thing always seems to work. So my best advice to you is Make Your Own Damn Self happy. Then when others are making you happy as well its just icing on the literal cake that is sitting in front of me right now making me happy. See how easy this is!!


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Back editions: Cloudy with a chance of...
The staff at SearchCloudComputing.com share their weekly opinions on the latest cloud computing news and updates.
"Cloudy with a chance of..." is SearchCloudComputing.com's weekly cloud column. Its oft-irreverent approach to the juiciest cloud stories provides a nice counterpoint to our weekly output of cloud computing breaking news, technical tips and expert advice. This archive contains every back editions of the column for your reading pleasure.
VMware's cloud quandary: Integration
June 9, 2011
As VMware extends the capabilities of vCloud Director and Cloud Foundry, we can only wonder how vFabric fits into the company's cloud strategy.
Apple fuels cloud computing hype all over again
June 2, 2011
Apple launches iCloud, a highly anticipated new service that has nothing to do with its namesake, and joins the march of major IT vendors and telcos into whatever they're calling "cloud."
Citrix shops don't buy cloud simplicity story
May 27, 2011
Citrix's CEO insists that cloud computing will simplify enterprise IT, but IT pros with experience have heard that one before.
The great cloud bait and switch: Agility instead of cost
May 20, 2011
Remember the good old days, when cloud's major selling point was its bottom-line benefits? It's only recently that the buzzword has been curiously changed from "cost" to "agility."
Verizon's two-headed cloud strategy
May 13, 2011
What will Verizon do with Terremark's cloud? How will a new partnership with SAP affect its cloud strategy? These are the questions that we never got to ask Verizon's cloud chiefs.
Red Hat's halfhearted attempt at cloud
May 6, 2011
Open source leader Red Hat unveiled new cloud offerings at the Red Hat Summit in Boston, but nothing flashed the potential to stand out in a crowded market.
Cloud computing M&A: The good, the bad and the ugly
April 28, 2011
VMware, CenturyLink and BMC all made acquisitions to further their cloud computing ambitions this week, but who picked a winner?
A really bad week for Google and Amazon
April 22, 2011
Google is in big trouble with the LAPD and Amazon Web Services customers are none too happy with their cloud company after both suffered services failures.
What does VMware Cloud Foundry mean for enterprises?
April 15, 2011
The announcement of VMware's Cloud Foundry adds yet another option to the crowded cloud development market. Will this new Platform as a Service catch on in the enterprise?
IBM taking on Amazon? Or just taking over?
April 8, 2011
A week ago, IBM's cloud strategy seemed a bit scattered. But after throwing its impressive weight behind a homegrown public cloud service, Big Blue should find itself leading the cloud market.
Meaty new cloud benchmarks tell global story
April 1, 2011
How are the big boys in cloud computing holding up? New benchmarks from Bitcurrent analyze the global performance of Amazon Web Services, Google App Engine and Microsoft Azure.
Beware: Geek imposters threaten to kill your cloud
March 25, 2011
Making the switch to cloud services is hard. It requires dedication and cooperation, and the whole process can be derailed by a nasty batch of geek poseurs. Find out how to keep fake geeks in line.
Should HP buy Salesforce.com?
March 18, 2011
What can HP do to gain instant credibility in the cloud application market? Well, the server giant could shell out billions for Salesforce.com…
Is cloud computing the carriers' to lose?
March 14, 2011
Carriers want cloud business. And when it comes to choosing a service provider, they could be a natural choice for enterprise customers.
Ten cloud computing startups in 10 minutes
March 10, 2011
Got a few minutes? Ten of the best cloud startups at this year's Cloud Connect conference explain why enterprise IT departments should pay them some attention.
VCE and hybrid cloud in the real world
March 4, 2011
The CTO of a health care services company explains his undying love for the private cloud powers of the Virtual Computing Environment.
Sun Microsystems: The real inventor of cloud computing?
Feb. 25, 2011
The co-founder of Sun Microsystems reminds everyone that before Amazon Web Services, there was Sun Cloud Compute.
Why enterprise security hates the cloud: Change is hard
Feb. 18, 2011
Everyone wants cloud to fit into their preexisting systems, but adopting and securing the cloud takes time and effort that many organizations just can't handle.
If you want cloud-in-a-can, VCE is not the answer
Feb. 11, 2011
The Vblock system from VCE is touted as the easiest path to private cloud, but more than a few users report roadblocks along the way.
Can you guess the real cloud computing startup?
Feb. 4, 2011
Cloud computing startups aren't always given the best names. Is it better to stand out in the crowd, or should you shove cloud in there and hope customers take notice?
Cloud computing costs how much?
Jan. 28, 2010
A major vendor's private cloud system could cost up to a million dollars. What is it about cloud computing that's so expensive?
Cloud computing and the Jevons Paradox
Jan. 21, 2010
How well does a 19th-century economic paradox describe your relationship to new cloud services? Better than you'd think.
Amazon Web Services security evangelist quits
Jan. 17, 2011
Steve Riley, Amazon's cloud security guru, has quit the company. Where did he end up, and what's the next move for Amazon Web Services?
Amazon beefs up customer support services, finally
Jan. 7, 2011
After years of ho-hum service, Amazon Web Services has finally enhanced its customer support plans.
What Rackspace gets with management tool maker Cloudkick
Dec. 16, 2010
Prominent cloud provider Rackspace shelled out for management tool maker Cloudkick, ensuring that its hosting platform will possess top cloud technologies as the market matures.
Salesforce.com-Heroku deal muddies the water for VMware
Dec. 10, 2010
Salesforce.com's Heroku purchase is already raising questions. What does it mean for VMware and Salesforce's cloud platform collaboration, and how will it affect cloud developers?
Amazon says WikiLeaks violated policy, not politics
Dec. 3, 2010
After a brief stretch of silence, Amazon has commented on its decision to terminate all business with political whistleblower WikiLeaks. The cloud provider says it's all about policy violations, but that hasn't stopped numerous pundits, including Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg, from attacking the company's credibility.
CSA Congress attendees speak up on cloud security
Nov. 18, 2010
Users came to the first annual Cloud Security Alliance Congress in Florida this week to hear the state of cloud security. Some say they're ready, but many are still wary.
Cloud platforms continue to proliferate
Nov. 11, 2010
New cloud computing competitors seem to pop up every day. The platform market, in particular, is packed with burgeoning companies looking to make a mint.
IT pros ready to combat cloud concerns in 2011
Nov. 5, 2010
Attendees at the Cloud Computing Expo and RightScale user conference had much to say about their cloud plans for the coming year.
Microsoft's BPOS triumphs: Are they really cloud?
Oct. 28, 2010
Microsoft has been bragging about its big online apps contracts with New York City and the State of California. But the question remains: are the deals really cloud computing?
Amazon offers new customers free cloud for a year
Oct. 21, 2010
Amazon Web Services will offer new customers 12 months of a free Micro instance. How low can the cloud computing leader go?
VMware makes cloud moves at VMworld Europe 2010
Oct. 14, 2010
VMworld Europe 2010 was packed with cloud computing announcements, but skepticism seems to follow every cloud move the virtualization leader makes.
Online office app wars: Microsoft vs. Google vs. IBM
Oct. 7, 2010
Microsoft, Google and IBM are engaged in a battle for the online office productivity market. And so far, at least in the enterprise, Microsoft is winning.


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Invisalign Can Improve the Aesthetics and Health of Your Smile
As a Premier Provider for Invisalign®, Holistic & Healing Dentistry provides excellent care for patients looking to improve the health and appearance of their smile. Dr. Yani provides Invisalign at our Fort Lauderdale, FL, practice for patients with an overbite, underbite, crossbite, and a variety of other dental misalignment conditions to gently shift their smiles into alignment. You can also rest assured you will receive the best of care at our office. Dr. Yani is a is dedicated to helping patients afford life-changing treatments, and provides Invisalign starting at only $199 a month. She use her expertise to help you achieve your dream smile.
What is Invisalign?
Invisalign uses a series of customized, sequential trays to gradually shift teeth into alignment. As a comfortable alternative to traditional metal braces, these virtually invisible trays allow patients to smile freely and maintain a more natural appearance throughout treatment. You may be a good candidate for Invisalign if you have:
- Crooked teeth
- Widely spaced teeth
- Rotated teeth
- Bite issues (underbite, crossbite, overbite, open bite)
- Overly crowded teeth
Benefits of Invisalign
Compared to traditional metal braces, Invisalign provides better aesthetics and more comfortable treatment because there is no need for metal brackets and wires. Many patients also appreciate that they can undergo full orthodontic treatment with less office visits. In addition, the trays are removable, allowing patients to enjoy all their favorite foods and maintain proper oral hygiene. Once your treatment is complete, you can find yourself smiling with ease, enjoying your newly improved smile. Not only will enjoy an increase in confidence, but a straighter smile can also prevent gum disease and other oral complications that develop because of crooked or crowded teeth. In addition, you can undergo
Simple Steps for Complete Treatment
Many patients are surprised to find that Invisalign treatment can be a quick, convenient process to achieve your dream smile.
Meet with our Team
During your initial consultation, Dr. Yani will take digital impressions of your teeth with our advanced technology in to create your customized trays. She will design your aligner trays to fit comfortably over you teeth, using your exact measurements for precise planning.
Receiving Your Trays
Your clear aligners provide an excellent alternative for patients in need of orthodontic treatment who are looking to avoid the conspicuous appearance or discomfort of metal braces. Once your treatment has been designed, your trays can be created. In some cases, Dr. Yani can provide same-day treatment, performing all scans and providing your aligner trays the same day.
Wearing Your Aligners
Made from BPA-free plastic, these clear aligners must be worn for at least 22 hours a day for approximately two weeks before you move on to the next tray in the series. However, you will still be able to remove your trays for brushing, flossing, and eating.
Achieving Your Dream Smile
Treatment generally takes 12 to 18 months, and Dr. Yani will monitor your progress and provide new sets of trays about every six weeks. You can achieve the smile you have always dreamed of with minimal discomfort and an easier process than you ever imagined.
For as little as $199 a month, our team can help you achieve the straighter, healthier smile of your dreams.
Specialized Options
In addition to traditional Invisalign, at Holistic & Healing Dentistry we also provide:
- Teen: Similar in style and function to traditional Invisalign, these trays also have a blue indicator on each tray that fades with wear. This feature allows parents to easily monitor if trays are being worn, and alerts teenagers of when it is time to change to the next aligner in the series. You also have access to six replacement aligners at no cost if a tray is damaged or lost.
- Express: If you have minor dental misalignment and are looking for a quick solution to straightening your smile, this simplified version of Invisalign can provide results in three to six months.
Straighten Your Smile
For as little as $199 a month, our team can help you achieve the straighter, healthier smile of your dreams. If you are interested in straightening and aesthetically improving your smile, Invisalign may be an ideal solution for you. Call our team at (954) 525-6010 or contact our office online to schedule your consultation with Dr. Yani.
MessageOur Staff
"5 star dental office! Thank you Dr Yani and team for being so welcoming, reassuring and attentive to my needs. Overall a great experience!" Anna T.


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When I was in high school spending my weekends discovering and following local bands, there was a band that I encountered one weekend that blew my mind. That band was Brutal Juice. Their music was an angst filled teenagers wet dream and they are now considered a legendary, integral part of the Denton - D/FW music scene of the 90's. Lead singer Craig Welch's on stage antics were the definition of insanity; smashing bottles on his head and snuffing out cigarettes on his tongue, dancing around like a mad man on LSD, and gazing into the eyes of audience members with an intensity that would burn through them. All of this going on while a pummeling force of music was churning behind him like a blender full of nuts and bolts set to pulsate. Brutal Juice was acid punk fueled by rage, narcotics, and hysteria.
In 1995 the band released their only studio album, Mutilation Makes Identification Difficult and toured all over the country with fellow local band The Toadies, Gwar, and Neurosis. Unfortunately in early 1997 the band broke up. But all hope wasn't lost. Between 2000 and 2012 there were one off reunion shows here and there and they were every bit as fantastic as the shows in the 90's. In late 2012 they officially reformed, were rumored to be working on a new album, and are once again regularly playing shows across North Texas.
This show at Lola's was the first time I had seen them in at least 5 years, but this Brutal Juice was just as fierce and chaotic, although looking a little older, as they were in the 90's. It made the 17 year old inside of me emerge and fist pump and scream along the entire night.
As a tribute to their 1994 live album, I Love The Way They Scream When They Die, I decided to edit these all in black and white. Plus it helps cover up the bruising and bleeding.


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You Are Invited!
You, your friends, and family are all invited to OCBUS Service Animal Training Day! It's an opportunity to add the experience of riding an OCBUScoach to the development of your Therapy Animal or Service Animal. Be a part of the action including the sights and sounds of Downtown Disney District® and the Anaheim Garden Walk®.
Trainers and Animals will enjoy an introduction to OCBUS guidelines and an opportunity to familiarize your partner with a public transit bus. The Animals will have an opportunity to immerse themselves in the sights, smells, and feel of a typical OCBUS coach.
All Service Animals are welcome!
We will be providing coffee, bottled water, and light snacks at Check-In.
Things to Do:
Transit Bus Familiarization Tour: See an actual transit bus up close. Give your partner a chance to step onto and off of a transit bus without the hustle and bustle of regular service.
Public Transit Ride Guide: We will answer questions about accommodation of a Service or Therapy Animals in the public transit system.
Real Ride Roundabout: Give you and your partner a chance to ride the bus. We will be providing transit buses running on a practice route every 20 minutes from 8:00 am to 12:40 pm. The route is designed to give the two of you some real world experiencegetting on and off the bus. Buses will stop at OCBUS bus stops in designated areas along the route. You can visit places like Downtown Disney District® and the Anaheim Garden Walk® confident we will be there when you're ready to return (last bus picks up from the Disney drop off at 1:20 pm).
Get your official OCBUS "Mobility Trainer" ID card(See below for details).
When and Where?
Training Day: Saturday, October 1, 2016
Location: Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center
2626 East Katella Avenue
Anaheim, California, 92806
CHECK-IN: Starts at 7:30am. Check-in near Bus Dock 1 to get your official OCBUS Service Animal Transit Training patch! Then, enjoy FREE and unlimited practice getting on and off an OCBUS coach. Ride a special route designated for Service Animal training. Roundtrips depart every 20 minutes. Ride as many times as you like.
CHECK-OUT: No check out is required. Please remember the last bus returns from the Disney drop off at 1:20 pm. All Participants should be at the drop off area no later than 1:10 pm.
OCBUS Mobility Trainer ID
Optional: Applications for the OCBUS Bus Mobility Trainer card will be collected on-site and processed for you - See Attachment. This is a photo IDavailable for riding OCBUS fixed-route system free of charge, while training aTherapy or Service Animal. The Mobility Trainer ID is $4.00 to you with a properly documented application.
Program Leaders must fill-out and sign the application under Section 1, andTrainers applying for the card under Section 2. Once the application is processed, an approval letter will be mailed to Trainers for obtaining the $4.00 photo ID card at:
OCTA Store 550 S. Main St., Orange, CA 92868
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:30am-5:30pm
Coordinator: Olivia Salters
Operations Instructor, Operations Training
Orange County Transportation Authority
Voice: (714) 265-4326 Fax: (714) 265-4439
email: email@example.com


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Our Mission
Interfaith Counselling Centre strengthens the fabric of our community by empowering individuals, couples, and families to realize their emotional wellness and triumph over life's challenges. Proudly sponsored by Waterloo Region.
Office Hours
Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm
These are the office business hours. Counselling times are flexible to your schedule, including evenings.
New Hamburg Office
23B Church St., New Hamburg,
ON N3A 1J1 (Trinity Lutheran Church)
Satellite Office-Kitchener
65 Hanson Ave.
Kitchener, ON N2C 2L9 (The Family Centre)
- Phone: 519-662-3092
- Fax: 519-662-4313
- firstname.lastname@example.com
News and Events Highlights
Recent Clients' Testimonials
"We value the partnership we have with Interfaith and appreciate their efforts in the community on suicide prevention, awareness and support." -Tana Nash, Former Executive Director of Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council
"Erb Transport has worked with Interfaith Counselling Centre for well over 25 years. They are an important and integral part of our Employee Assistance Program providing counselling services, support groups and workshops. We are so thankful to have a local professional agency that provides to our employees to achieve life balance and emotional wellness." - Marg Matthews, Corporate Resources Manager of Erb Transport
"I feel that the services I received were fantastic and no improvements are needed. Glad these services are offered in my community." - Former client of ICC.


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Liberty guard Epiphanny Prince will have a chance to torch her former team for the second consecutive game at 7 tonight when the Liberty host the Chicago Sky. Prince registered a season-high 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting on Friday, carrying the Liberty to a 77-63 win over the Sky.
The Fort Greene native etched her name into the WNBA record books with the performance, as her 30 points are the most scored by any WNBA player in her first game facing a former team, according to the Liberty's official Twitter account.
Before the Liberty traded Cappie Pondexter in exchange for the 27-year-old Prince last offseason, she spent five seasons with the Sky and became the franchise's second all-time leading scorer.
Despite missing the season's first 10 games to play with the Russian national team, Prince's hometown return has worked wonders for the Liberty (14-6), who are on pace to finish the regular season with the best winning percentage in franchise history and sit 11/2 games in front of Chicago (14-9) and Washington (13-8) atop the Eastern Conference standings.
Prince is averaging 14.7 points on 44% shooting for the Liberty this season, cementing herself as a prolific scoring option alongside former MVP Tina Charles, who leads the team with 17.9 points per game.
A two-time All-Star, Prince has done more than just score for her new team. She tops the Liberty with 1.9 steals per game and is tied with point guard Tanisha Wright for the team-lead in assists per game (3.3).
If Prince and the Liberty beat Chicago again tonight, the Liberty will have matched its win total from all of last season, when they finished 15-19.


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DIY Whitening Toothpaste Recipe
I have been on such a DIY kick lately when it comes to health and beauty products, my husband thinks I'm losing it. But everything seems to work better, it's much cheaper, it's all natural so I know exactly what's in it and most of the time I could even eat all the ingredients if I wanted to, and I can use it on my kids too.
My latest adventure is toothpaste. I've been brushing with plain baking soda and water for a few months. After a week my mother said, "Your teeth look really white. What have you been doing?" Honestly, I'm not making it up! This from a woman who points out how much gray is in my hair whenever my roots have grown out more than half an inch.
Let me start by saying that I took a ton of antibiotics as a kid for strep throat. Apparently I was sick all the time and unfortunately they later found out that a side effect of this particular medication was that it permanently stains your teeth. I've had several whitening sessions at the dentist (can you say torture?) and I used to use Colgate Optic White every day. They were never white, just slightly less yellow. Coffee and red wine certainly didn't help either but I wasn't about to give those up. So I just tried to smile with my lips closed.
Then I remembered that I had a bag of activated charcoal under my sink that I had gotten months ago to make a whitening treatment. The charcoal binds to substances on the teeth and pulls them out, according to what I've read. This is why they often have kids swallow activated charcoal when they accidentally ingest poison - the charcoal binds to the poison and somehow keeps your body from absorbing it. Or something along those lines. Anyway, back to the whitening treatment. You just brush your teeth with straight charcoal and water and try to leave it in your mouth for a few minutes. You're supposed to do it a couple times a week but it was so messy I stopped using it. Imagine baby powder - except it's jet black. You know how when you put the baby powder bottle down on the counter, dust floats out all over the place? Yeah, not so great. Even worse when it's black. It would get all over the sink, faucet, and counter every time I used it. It cleans up easily and doesn't stain, but it's a PITA. So I forgot about it.
But then I read a recipe for making more of a liquid toothpaste rather than powder and I figured, why not? But how could I make it more of a whitening toothpaste? How about adding the charcoal? And voila, this recipe was born!
You need:
1/3 C baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
Spearmint or peppermint essential oil
Boiled and somewhat cooled water
1 tsp Activated charcoal
Mix the baking soda and sea salt together. Stir in the charcoal. Black dust will float around all over - don't worry too much. It cleans up with just a rag and water, but don't use your good white towels or anything. Now add enough boiled and slightly cooled water to make a paste. Add a smidge at a time until you're happy with the consistency. Now add several drops of mint essential oil. I'd say I used about 10 but it's totally personal preference.
That's it! Store it in an airtight container with a lid, preferably glass but mine is plastic because it was exactly the right size. Just wet your toothbrush, dunk it in the paste, and brush as you usually would. It looks horrible!
Your lips turn black and it drips out into the sink as a black, goopy mess. But it rinses right off, I promise. Unless you have an unsealed marble sink or something crazy like that. If your sink and counter are at all unsealed this is probably not a good recipe for you! Rinse well afterwards. Your toothbrush will look nasty so do what I do - hide it under the sink with your black toothpaste so hubby doesn't make fun of you. ;)
Considering that my teeth are a little off white naturally from all the antibiotics, this is pretty freakin' white for me. I've been using it about two weeks now. Imagine how white yours will be if you don't have this issue!