I think I might let my page get infected for 80 dollars, too...it gets a shot at the end of the run, right?

Shelly, I hope so. Gives new meaning to "innernet virus" !!!!

I am so dorky. sorry. bad joke alert.

High foreheads are a sign intelligence. At least that is what I was told about my labrador!

Yea eighty dollars! I, too, will promise to practice safe sex. :)

I was asking my "ad, what ad?" and then I remembered that I use an adblocker so I never see ads. Yea ads! Whatever pays the bills.

SIGN OF! SIGN OF! Apparently my high forehead is lying to me.

Myself, I talk to my my as well but today, I was talking to myself.

At least it's a fairly innocuous ad. Nothing too ... graphic.

Is it contagious? I could use $80!

Oh, wait. You have readers. Nevermind.

There's nothing wrong with your forehead. I like it. You're a pretty girl, so don't worry about that.

I could totally sell ad space on that forehead!!

Love the photos and love the cleavage-hiding text box! Every girl should have one.

For $80, what's not to like, really?

And really, it's less of an ad than a...public service message! Now that there's that vaccine and all.

shoulda wrapped that rascal!!! :)

Laurie (and all other females),
HPV is Human Pappillomavirus. There are actually many strains of it and a very large number of people carry the virus without any types of symptoms or harm for that matter (let's say it's like having the virus that causes warts but you've never had a wart). The reason why it's important to know this and why there is a blogad, is because there is a newly discovered strain that can actually cause cervical cancer! That's important for us females to know, and we should start getting tested by our doctors.

Just thought we as females should spread the word and take care of ourselves and our fellow woman.

Yeah, my first post!

PS My cat Max has a kindred spirit in Soba.

I'm glad you decided to sanitize that cleavage shot or you might end up with a whole different set of ads! :)

We have fires and winds in Northern California, too!

You look very happy and healthy. Free condoms in the bathroom people!!!

I love seeing your cheery forehead in the mornings -- Frankie's too. Don't blow away.

See, I would not have guessed that Frankie was a perpetual motion machine---her eyes always look half asleep.

It's not just an STD; it's an STD with long ranging implications for women who don't even know they can have such a thing. Very important. Good Job, Raurie.

Hey, what Nancy Knits said?

I would totally pay for something that realized before I did that I was embarrassing myself in some sartorial fashion and put a 'block' over it. Totally.

(get it? sartorial fashion? Is that funny or redundant?)

Laurie, write me at this address:
Vicki@bobwoodyard.com.

I need to get a blog going, too, and need your input, Tootsie.

Your Crazy Aunt Vicki

Hi Laurie, Frankie,
Happy Friday all!
The Matadors won Homecoming 14-7 last night!
My square is finished and ready to be sent.
Life is good.
Drink Wine.

How do I get money for ads? Tell me more...
jules1896@gmail.com

Don't tell Roy, Bob or Soba, but I think Frankie is my favorite. Hey, and did we get a little peek at the Jeep in that Frankie pic? Cute! And a cute pic of you, with your strategically-placed text box! :-)

Too funny about the STD ad. Just consider yourself an advocate for responsible behavior!

Yes but it is a *pink* STD ad...so that's okay.

Not that I don't love your five-head, but why won't your hairdresser allow side-swept bangs again? Because I have 'em and I love 'em.

Why do you say disparaging things about your forehead?? Lots of women (particularly in LA) spend lots of money on Botox to get a forehead that looks just like yours.

Fo reals.

I am the owner of one five-and-a-half to six- head. I have had bangs since the disco era. I give you a lot of credit; I've tried several times to grow mine out but each time I notice that my freckles stop at the top of my nose. How can I be a "ginger" (as my daughter calls me) with freckles everywhere except on the top of my face???

Have a great weekend, sweetie!! ;0)

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WILL PEOPLE STOP TELLING ME TO USE A CONDOM JUST BECAUSE I WENT OUT ON A DATE.

Oh, sorry. I suppose the condom message wasn't just meant for me. Moving on. :)

Laurie, your forehead is not that big! And I had to hide some indecent cleavage exposure this morning at the office too. (No worries, it was mine...and my co-worker luckily had a safety pin. All of my safety pins are at home for use as stitch markers!)

And yeah...blogads for cash...not a bad deal. How is that calculated? (If it's by number of hits from your page, it's probably not worth my while.)

Ah, the hpv thing isn't a bother to me. Like many other health issues, people need knowledge. The blogads bit is interesting. Is your income from them enough to cover the yarn habit? I hadn't much thought about them, but I might look into them.

I once read a novel that took place in LA - it made such an impression that I can't remember the title - and one of the main characters said he didn't think it was very nice to name a big hot wind after the Virgin Mary's mother.

I remember that every time someone mentions the Santa Anas. :)

Here is all the info I found online about blogads:
http://www.blogads.com/publisher_html

I'm kind of an idiot with all this stuff, so if you want more info you should contact them directly. They've been super helpful to me.

Just to manage your expectations, though, the money I have made from blogads has not even covered the price of my server fees.

No, it's not enough to cover the yarn habit, either :)

LMAO @ Liz R and Ginger (Damn South Park influences).

I too would love to be infected for $80. Hell, I'd do it for $20 (My corner's not producing much flow...).

Sunshine
Engaging in OKMG

Just use the terminology that the ads use, "cervical cancer vaccine." Sounds so much better than, "keeps you from getting genital warts."

I about lost it at Julie's Virgin Mary's mother post. hehehe. Laurie, you have a cute forehead, it is not big! Speaking of wind, some meteorologist here in Texas once said that we get more wind than the Windy City. Don't know if that's true or not but we do have alot of it.

I'm willing to "share the love"....Blogads love that it!

Good for you!

Hey Laurie! The Santa Ana's are about the only thing that I miss since I moved out of SoCal five years ago. That, and Wahoo's Fish Taco, which is my favorite place for tacos in the whole entire world.

About HPV & the vaccine: it's a HUGE deal. From the CDC website: "By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection." Ladies - get an HPV test along with your next pap! DO IT!!

Hey, high foreheads are what bangs are for, but yours is cute and doesn't need to hide!

Let me get this straight - you're getting paid to post what is essentially a health-related public service announcement? Go for it!

No. Your blog is just getting tested. :P

You and the kitty are cutieheads. ;)

Ya'll are so cool. Seriously! You don't even seem to mind that my webpage now has ... an infection. I love ya'll!

heh ;)

No. Your blog is just getting tested. :P

You and the kitty are cutieheads. ;)

Have a good weekend - hopefully they won't close anything important (yarn shops & liquor stores) due to wind.

You don't have liquor stores in CA do you - they sell that right in the regular grocery stores don't they. Damn MN.

Laurie-
It ain't a big forehaed- you are delightful and delovely and all kinds of things Nora-Charles-ish.
So there.
And LL got it right- it's not merely an ad--it's a mitzvah on your blog!!
Fer gawds SAKE people, it's CANCER--it KILLS WOMEM! Let's get EVERYONE immunized, dammit! And what REALLY cheeses me is that if the vaccine had been discovered to prevent make-you-weener-fall-off cancer instead of cervical cancer, all of Congress would have voted to make a mandatory vaccination for BOTH sexes as soon as the scientists had an idea what it did. Humph.

Yes, Laurie, that little blogad IS a public service. Back in '95 when I was diagnosed with HPV it seemed like no one had heard of it...there was a tiny little mention in "Our Bodies, Ourselves" but that was about all the info I could find. Of course, it was running rampant all over college campuses but it was like a big secret or something. I'm totally in support of adding the HPV vaccine in to the standard vaccines that kids get when they get their boosters at age 10 or whatever it is.

Oh, and here's another public service message from me...if you haven't had a pap test in over a year, go get one! Lucky Frankie, she doesn't have to worry about HPV!

Dear Roy,
This pill that I am FORCING DOWN YOUR THROAT was brought to you by the letters H, P, and V.

Love,
Blog Ads

I love ya, Laurie. You guys are all part of my 'net family. You know, the family you like! ha ha

Yay having people be more informed about HPV! Good work, Laurie! On that note, and as long as we're making PSAs... other important facts about HPV:
HPV is transmissible through a condom.
The strains of the virus are numbered, and only certain strains increase your risk of cervical cancer - some are harmless (80% of women will have HPV by age 50). So when you get tested, it's really important to ask which strains you have!
Also, I recently read that the vaccine is only being made available to women 18-26 or something like that. What the hell is up with that?!?

The more info, the merrier!

So, just to clarify a few things (and hopefully not start some huge backlash)I think the vaccine is a great step forward, but... realize you are a target market, and this is a marketing campaign.
HPV: we've known about it for ages, and it is tested for routinely if you have an abnormal pap. Only certain strains are associated with the cervical changes that become cancer. Most people who have HPV don't have an abnormal pap, and if you do, the majority of people will clear it through their normal immune system. A few will persist, a few of those will have severe dysplastic cervical changes, and OVER TEN YEARS or so, this can lead to cancer. So, yes, the vaccine is fantastic, I think people should know about it, but no need to get frantic.
To be provocative: Did you know cervical cancer is the number one cause of cancer death among women in under developed nations? Do you think the drug company is sharing the wealth?
(OK, rant over)

Laurie ...

I hid my high forehead under bangs for 35 years...two months ago, I said, "fuck it!," and wore my hair back, exposing my ENTIRE forehead! And you know what? It not only looks okay, it looks pretty good! It's been very freeing.

Laurie, it was a well-placed ad, esp. if you look at the overwhelming majority of your readership. It's going to the right audience, for sure. Re: Santa Ana winds--as a 4th generation Californian, I thought they were the creepiest thing while I was growing up. There was something portentous and ominous about them (maybe it was instinct saying, "here come the fires!"). There was a big bottle-brush bush directly outside my bedroom that was very stiff and only moved during the Santa Anas. It would scrape across my screens and give me the heebie-jeebies. I don't miss that a bit. When my Dad was dying, we talked about the winds and he confessed to me that he had been freaked out by them for 67 years and never grew out of it. And to this day I easily remember the smell of the wind, dust and fires together. Eeek.

Ya'll are so cute over there.

It's an important message that needs to get out. You're doing a good thing by having that ad over there.

I know this is very off topics, but can anyone tell me how to make a cast-off/bind-off that is rolled? I did this once, loved it, and now cannot remember how. I'm going to blame it on my kids, and then drink wine. Seriously, though, any help or pointing me in any direction on the internets would be greatly appreciated. REALLY!

Thanks,
Trixie

Oh, and if you have to have an STD add, at least they used DaVinci and Botticelli and maybe
Whistler, I don't know his work so well.

Can anyone teach me how to knit a cleavage-covering text box? As a DD I could really use one of those! One that says "yes, I know I have big boobs" would be great!

YOU WEAR NYLONS?!?!?!

I swear, you are the *only* person in this town that does. Which is one of the few reasons I still live here (not that you wear 'em, but that I don't have to.)

TMI?

Scritches to Frankie!

Oh, and btw? As someone who went through the whole HPV/cervical cancer thing back in the early 90's, Yes, get checked, early and often, no matter whether you are symptomatic, sexually active, 18 or 80. We gotta take care of ourselves.

And potentially more offensive (but not to me!), what is up with that "THE CLAM POWERS/Blinding Bitch Juice" ad?! :)

SERIOUSLY, Y'ALL!

My sweet mother-in-law died of cervical cancer in 2004. She hadn't gotten a pap smear in years. She just kept putting it off. She lost her bladder, her kidneys and even with years of chemo she died.

Cervical cancer is one of the easier cancers to detect and treat. It must be found EARLY!

If it's been more than a year since your last Pap, stop typing and pick up the phone and make an appointment NOW!

Sorry to bring the comments down but it's a big deal to me. Can y'all forgive me??

I did not understand the power of the clam, either.

Oh, these comments are always the best part!!!

Hey ya'll is it miller time yet? I am so so so tired and in need of it to be 5 p.m., STAT.

Wow what weirdo internet timing. I have been tossing around the idea of signing up my teenaged daughter for the vaccine but I am freaked at the thought of ' 10 years from now it will have made women sterile' - or something - you know all those drugs and vaccines that they thought were good and turned out -caused other things.

I am one tin foil hat away from conspiracy theories - I realize - but women's health issues run in our family - including cervical cancer - so does the risk outweigh the good??

*sigh*

oh and I am almost SURE our insurance coverage will not pay for it.

the hpv ad is at least tastefully done, but ho-lee cow, the 'clam powers blinding bitch juice' ad is awful.

Laurie, it's 4:55 PM here in Richmond. How does it go, "it's five o'clock somewhere!"

I have a six pack of Miller Lite in the refrigerator. Want one???

It's only 1:35 here in the last frontier, but being my day off, I have a glass of wine. Come join me!

You just have to stick it through another hour and a half Laurie, then it strikes Miller O'Clock. (Of course, that doesn't take into account the amount of time it takes you to get home...but if you took the bus today, you could attempt to smuggle it on. Is that legal? I have no clue!)

My mom's forehead was continuously shrinking as she got older. She was convinced she would be a monkey before it was all over. Unfortunately I didn't get any of "Mom's" genes. If you know what I mean I think you do...

Trixie - is it an I-cord bind-off you're looking for? I loooove to finish a top-down hat with the I-cord bind-off. I'm sure I could never explain it properly, so I'll just advise you to Google "I-cord bind-off." :) Hope that helps!

STD's are COOL!

Are your cheeks ALWAYS that rosie? Are you Mrs. Claus?????

the clam! the clam!

I was cursed with the crazy high forehead too, but I didn't get any cleavage to take the eyes off it.
Love Frankie.

Hi Laurie! Love you!-and your forehead? Just more to love.

When I read today's column the number of comments was at 69. Hah!

Hey Laurie,
I LOVE your blog! I've been reading it for several months (can't remember how I found it), but I've really enjoyed it.

Anyway, I don't mean to be stalkerish, but I told my husband that if something happens to me, he needs to date you. Cause you're just so cute and funny. He saw your picture and agreed. Pretty quickly, actually. Hmmm.

Well, keep up the great writing. You're really talented!

Nickole

As for the age cut-off recommendation for the HPV vaccine, I think they figure that after a certain age you are so likely to be infected that there's not much point in giving it. But I could be wrong. Like some prescription plans that wouldn't cover Rx acne products for people over 25 b/c your skin should be clear by then. Yeah. Right.

Glad to see there are plenty of folks who are informed about HPV. As a woman who has had a number of women in my family go through various cancers, I like to stay informed about these kind of things.

It's been so warm up here in the Bay the last couple of days, you'd almost think we had been hit with the Santa Anas. The Santa Anas are one of the few things I miss about living in SoCal. They're kind of like a full moon -- an excuse to act crazy.

I needed a cleavage hiding text box today.

Oh well.

Yeah, we've got the winds up north. Think Santa Ana's without the heat. Here in the City of the trees, the buses haven't a clue where to stop because whole trees are lying where they are supposed to stop. It's very entertaining to see peop climbing over the tree limbs to climb into the bus. But then I am a very sick woman.

That cat is so cotton pickin stinkin cute!

And YOU are so cotton pickin stinkin pretty!

I really have no idea what any of you are talking about with this "high forehead" stuff? Is this supposed to be a "high forehead?" What's so high about it? I think Laurie looks great. I just wish the text box wasn't there.

And it's her website that I'm really worried about with all that talk of its HPV test.

I sympathize with the accidental cleavage. Last Monday, we were interviewing a candidate for a position in my group and so I was in my boss' office doing the whole q&a thing with him, and about twenty minutes in I realized that since I kept putting my elbows on the desk and leaning over there were probable, ah, "issues."

I think I crossed my arms the entire rest of the hour. Poor kid's probably traumatized from the abrupt body language shift. But... No boobies for the unhired!

Re: The Santa Ana's.. anyone a Jeff Dunham fan?! I just keep hearing "santana annna" from Peanut. (Jeff and Walter were on Letterman 2 nights ago!wooo!!)

Let me jump on the bandwagon of the HPV, cervical cancer issue- yes, we ARE a target audience, but it IS important to get tested-I'm speaking from experience, I had an abnormal pap, didn't find out for MONTHS, then had to have a cervical biopsy. Words do NOT explain how uncomfortable and scary that was to go through. Thankfully, they didn't really find anything, just some cells that were kind of like "well we don't know what we're doing here, can we stay?" so they just told me to get pap smears every 6 months for 2 years, and if nothing else popped up I should be fine. And I am, I just had it last week (happy birthday to me.. :P) and everything was good.

And I don't know diddly about the vaccine, but it's one of those things that having HPV is not neccessarily a death sentence, it just means being a little bit more conscious of your health.

You know, I know someone that had abnormal cervial cells (precancerous) from HPV, and it is an important issue! Love your site, but I could I suggest a little more knitting, a little less kitty? I miss your knitting posts! With love!

Colorado also closes roads due to high winds. Sometimes, they let cars go through, but turn "high profile vehicles" (SUVs and trucks) away. Those darn SUVs keep getting blown over or sliding off the roads, causing massive traffic jams. They should do that in LA.

like everyone else has said - theres more to that one than just STD's - so think of it as a cancer fighting ad rather than an STD ad Laurie...

Okay, okay, jewelry isn't as life threatening as HPV,(most of the time) but thank you for such a gread blog. You are our FAVORITE site to advertise on! All of our best to you! Christine & Lisa, (arborbeading girls)

Sue F - I was supposed to have clear skin by age 25?! It's a pity my chin didn't get the memo. :)

Just thought I'd share this in case anyone else holds this dream - according to their site, BlogAds is by invitation only now, you have to be recommended by someone already in the network, sort of like the Country Club, I guess!
Heavy sigh.
Oh, and Santa Ana's? Though I love the blue skies they bring, I could do without the crazy hairstyle and static electricity (not to mention the wildfires) they bring!

I don't see anything wrong with your forehead. Is it just me or are you imagining this deformity? I think you have a fabulous head, actually. One of the best on the Internet. I’m just suggesting is all.

Love you! Love your site!
You're a woman of many talents, great humor and have some of the most amazing and supportive friends.
Your fore/fivehead is, most unlike mine, not covered in wrinkles deep enough to plant corn in.

(and yes, I *really do* spell my name that way :-)

Your forehead is lovely, stop stressing!

And Frankie is probably worried that if she sits still long enough for a photo, we'll all be blinded by her beauty. or something.

I've got the high forehead too. Add in somewhat oily skin, and the glare gets dangerous during the summer. Bangs are a public service on my part. And if I'm feeling uncharitable some days, a little strong hold gel keeps them back out of the way.

The HPV ad is an important message, and if the insurance companies aren't covering it, they need to be educated as well. Prevention is almost always cheaper than treatment.

(Guess that's one upside to next month's surgery; shortly I won't have to worry about cervical or ovarian cancer. I'm trying to look on the bright side of going through menopause/HRT at 37.)

glad you are doing well!!! :)
(we don't have anything as exciting as the santa ana winds in nyc)

Don't be embarrassed about the HPV ad, please. Back when I had HPV I was scared stunned. I am SO glad people are talking about it. It can be transmitted condom or no. Thank you for posting it!

Hi Baby Girl !

Just wanted to say hi. I've been lurking for about a month now, and your post on being alone really struck me. It's been 2 years for me, since divorce hit. And I went through something very similar, with that feeling of being ALONE. Alone in my house, with my child and cats. What if the house caught on fire? What if someone broke in? What if the giant tree in the front yard fell on the house? What if...what if... what if...?

It's a long road to healing. And from this vantage point, I can't definitively say I'd rather be alone. But I can say without doubt that I am healthier, happier, and more myself than I had been in many years before.

But I still get lonely.

And there's no one to talk to at the end of the day. No one to joke with. No one to help with the dishes. No one to cuddle with during thunderstorms or movies.

But life is good. I can pay the bills, we eat well, we have fabulous friends, and a great life. And life goes on.

Hi!

Looks like a great 4head to me. Not too shiny, not too dull. Great smile too!!

By the way, I read about your Laundry delima.. Interesting. Makes me wonder about your sock situation as well.