Flu Vaccines: Regular Here, Swine Vacc a Comin

I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and get the swine flu vaccine.
1. I'm a teacher.
2. I have a baby. He already had flu/stomach bug in September, and the sight of your infant vomiting is not pleasant, even if it doesn't go on and on for five days like my baby's did. (For all I know, we already had swine flu.)

Now, Stamford is not yet offering swine flu vaccine to the regular population, so I can't get it yet, but I'm going to swing by Tully next week to get the regular flu shot. My baby already got his first of his two-dose regular flu shot (my pediatricians, like many others, have not yet taken a position on giving kids swine flu shots- I'll cross that bridge later). I do know that I'm going to get the swine flu vaccine, and I'll probably make my husband get it.

Check out this Conn Post article for info.

I'm no vaccine pusher, especially for tiny babies, but my baby's flu was really hard on him- I don't want that to happen again. We had to go to the ER and get IV fluids because of the repeated vomiting, and then after that, he stopped eating/drinking for a few days. It was not good, and he was really only better after a whole week of round the clock care on my part, which was also pretty hard on me.

I used to have a much more wary view of vaccines, but know that I've seen how hard a little old flu can be on a baby, I am knocking down my pediatrician's door to get whatever vacc they are offering (mostly an exaggeration, I'm just saying, I now feel way better about vaccines even though they are a little controversial). Click here to read more.

Raising Awareness for Juvenile Myositis

As a Stamford blogger, I am fortunate to know most of the other local bloggers, including the wonderful Kevin McKeever of Always Home and Uncool. Kevin has asked our blog community to post the following essay to raise awareness in the blogosphere of juvenile myositis, a rare autoimmune disease his daughter was diagnosed with on this day seven years ago.

*

Our pediatrician admitted it early on.

The rash on our 2-year-old daughter's cheeks, joints and legs was something he'd never seen before.

The next doctor wouldn't admit to not knowing.

He rattled off the names of several skins conditions -- none of them seemingly worth his time or bedside manner -- then quickly prescribed antibiotics and showed us the door.

The third doctor admitted she didn't know much.

The biopsy of the chunk of skin she had removed from our daughter's knee showed signs of an "allergic reaction" even though we had ruled out every allergy source -- obvious and otherwise -- that we could.

The fourth doctor had barely closed the door behind her when, looking at the limp blonde cherub in my lap, she admitted she had seen this before. At least one too many times before.

She brought in a gaggle of med students. She pointed out each of the physical symptoms in our daughter:

The rash across her face and temples resembling the silhouette of a butterfly.

The purple-brown spots and smears, called heliotrope, on her eyelids.

The reddish alligator-like skin, known as Gottron papules, covering the knuckles of her hands.

The onset of crippling muscle weakness in her legs and upper body.

She then had an assistant bring in a handful of pages photocopied from an old medical textbook. She handed them to my wife, whose birthday it happened to be that day.

This was her gift -- a diagnosis for her little girl.

That was seven years ago -- Oct. 2, 2002 -- the day our daughter was found to have juvenile dermatomyositis, one of a family of rare autoimmune diseases that can have debilitating and even fatal consequences when not treated quickly and effectively.

Our daughter's first year with the disease consisted of surgical procedures, intravenous infusions, staph infections, pulmonary treatments and worry. Her muscles were too weak for her to walk or swallow solid food for several months. When not in the hospital, she sat on our living room couch, propped up by pillows so she wouldn't tip over, as medicine or nourishment dripped from a bag into her body.

Our daughter, Thing 1, Megan, now age 9, remembers little of that today when she dances or sings or plays soccer. All that remain with her are scars, six to be exact, and the array of pills she takes twice a day to help keep the disease at bay.

What would have happened if it took us more than two months and four doctors before we lucked into someone who could piece all the symptoms together? I don't know.

I do know that the fourth doctor, the one who brought in others to see our daughter's condition so they could easily recognize it if they ever had the misfortune to be presented with it again, was a step toward making sure other parents also never have to find out.

That, too, is my purpose today.

It is also my birthday gift to my wife, My Love, Rhonda, for all you have done these past seven years to make others aware of juvenile myositis diseases and help find a cure for them once and for all.

To read more about children and families affected by juvenile myositis diseases, visit Cure JM Foundation at www.curejm.org.

To make a tax-deductible donation toward JM research, go to www.firstgiving.com/rhondaandkevinmckeever or www.curejm.com/team/donations.htm.

Stamford Talk Note: Even if you don't donate, I think it's important to be aware of this disease in case your child or the child of someone you know ever shows symptoms like this. Click here to read more.

Cove Beach Marking: Driving Grown Men Insane

Well of course a 43 year old rollerblader attacked a man and his 4 year old son on a trike! Have YOU ever tried to decipher the markings of the track and path at Cove Beach?

From the Advocate: Shortly after 9 a.m. Monday, Karamon was skating down the path when he allegedly shouted and cursed at the father that his four-year-old son on a tricycle was in a designated area for in-line skaters, Cooney said.
"Mr. Karamon's contention is that the four-year-old was on the wrong side of the path," Cooney said. "But the path is for use by everybody and we can't have Rollerbladers or anybody cursing out people."
A short while later Karamon was approaching the family again and collided with the father who shielded his four- and two-year-old sons, Cooney said.

Well then, what DO those signs on the round track mean when they show a bike and a skate on the inner loop? Doesn't that mean "this track is for fast people, slow traffic stay out of the way?" Although I won't attack your kid over it, I always thought that slow traffic was supposed to stay on the outside.

I blame the annoying signage for this incident. It really does give the impression that walkers and slow things should be in one lane to let fast bikers and bladers pass by in the other. The problem is that Cove gives the impression that it can be used by really fast people on wheels, when, evidently according to this article, there are NO safety measures to ensure that 4 year olds on trikes don't get run down by testosterone-raging middle aged male rollerbladers.

Stamford Parks and Rec, this is your fault!

(And, that guy obviously LOST HIS POOPIE.)

My baby's shrieking, gotta run! We both have a cold and are hating life right now.

Click here to read more.

DO NOT THROW ME AWAY!!!

That was the stern- and ironic!- message written on a cardboard box that my husband put out with the trash this week.

Husband: The guys didn't take that cardboard box.
Me, in "duh" voice: They don't TAKE cardboard, you have to tie it up with string for recycling.
Husband: Of course, it also probably didn't help that you'd written "Do not throw away" on the box.

At this point, I collapsed in laughter. I forgot that I'd written "Do not throw me away!" on that box to remind myself that it contained a cool, yet very lightweight, serving platter.

I wonder what the trash guys thought when they read the box. The really embarrassing part of the story is that another side of the box said, "Use me for a par-tay."

I obviously was NOT going to put the box outside like that. I was going to bundle it up with the other 1,000 boxes in our basement. My husband finds it hard to believe that they won't just take our boxes, so sometimes he brazenly leaves them out with the Toter trash bin.
I laugh whenever I think about the ridiculous message(s) on the box. Click here to read more.

Little Buddha: Curry of Champions

A friend came over with her baby to visit today, and we ordered curry from Little Buddha: she the red with chicken, I the green with beef. I scarfed mine down while my tired baby fussed in a bouncy seat, and she managed to eat hers while her son military crawled around my living room, eating my shoes, shredding my Shape magazine, and pulling over our fireplace wood on himself.

I don't think I'll ever order that red curry, because the green transports me to another world... a world of very spicy food unlike anything else in Stamford. All I needed today was a glass of white wine, or maybe a pale ale, to go with that... but maybe that would have transported me too far!

You can't go wrong with Little Buddha for delivery; our total was 19 bucks for lunch portions. We both would have liked more rice, but you know, us new moms are trying to fit back into our pants... so that's OK. Click here to read more.

Starbucks Really is Leaving Me

Today I was really, really tired. I got motivated to go to the grocery store with the idea that I could grab a latte at the Starbucks inside the Super Stop and Shop. After wrapping up in the dairy and frozen food, I headed back to the Starbucks near the produce and entrance. IT WAS GONE. The Starbucks was gone. The chairs and tables were there, but the coffee-making area was full of boxes. "I'm not going to freak out," I muttered to the baby. (It's a testament to my fatigue level that I didn't notice it when I was IN the produce area upon entering the store.)

I had heard that the Ridgeway Starbucks (on Summer St., right by LA Fitness and Old Navy) was closing, but the SSS closing was a shocker to me. On reflection, the SSS was much less busy that the Ridgeway one, so it makes sense. Still, that didn't help my tired and grumpy mood.

I guess we're left with High Ridge and Ferguson Library locations. Well, Starbucks, it was nice having you so close to me, but now that's over. First the Newfield, now this. We doubted that Stamford was a five Starbucks town, and we were right. There may be another Starbucks I'm forgetting, but the baby is fussing, so I gotta run! Click here to read more.

I'd Hammer Out a Love- Between- My Brothers and My Sisters- Aaaaall Over this Laaaaand!

I'm sad to hear about Mary Travers' death. I met her once and she was really kind. Cheers to her for making such inspiring music- and for marching for Civil Rights, which I didn't know.
Mary, of Peter Paul and Mary, passed away at Danbury Hospital; she'd been fighting leukemia the past few years. My condolences to her family and friends. Click here to read more.

To the West Coast and Back

Wow. Blogging again. Feels weird.

About my long absence: we took a trip to Seattle and California, and thought I'd have time to do some blogging there. Ha! On our second day in CA, both Baby Q (almost 6 months now!) and I got the flu. I got better in a day, but for Q, the next two weeks were composed of 4 doctor visits, 2 ER visits (with 2 bags of IV fluid), countless calls to doctors and lactation consultants, and a pound lost that we are still struggling to regain. We've been home for a few days and are lying low, trying to get back into our routine and make sure he is eating enough. This is the first morning I've had time to set him aside to play while I open my laptop!

On a positive note, Seattle was pretty darn cool, and so was CA (San Fran area). I got to to see my niece and nephews (2, 4 and 6) and they are each so special. My husband flew out after the second ER trip, and Q pretended like he was better, so we got to hit Napa briefly. Of course, the night my husband left, Q vomited 4 times. That was a week ago, and he's been fine since.

As usual, mad props to the lactation consultants at Stamford Hospital, specifically Ellen and Eva, who counseled me over the phone while I was away. They are such a valuable resource, and they are FREE, which is amazing. I highly recommend their Friday Mother's Group to all new moms, breastfeeding or not- I made such awesome friends through it and learned a lot. Click here to read more.

Laundry Drama on Newfield

Stamfordites, please help my friend H. She came up from NYC to help me out today, and her hard-earned 20 dollar bill got eaten by a change machine at Newfield Green Laundromat. Here is her sob story; let me know if you can help her out!

I just moved into a new apartment in the city with no laundry facilities, and I had two baskets full of laundry. I thought, “Hey, while I hang out with friends, I’ll go drop some laundry in the washer and dryer at a local Laundromat in Stamford. No big deal. Drop it off, move it from washer to dryer, fold it- well, you get it.” So, I just ran to Newfield Green Laundromat at 575 Newfield Ave. I’ve never been there but it looks clean and fine.

I actually had a feeling as I was lugging my two baskets, soap and crisp $20.00 bill into the facility that I might lose my money in the change machine. This has happened to me once before in Riverside, CT where after calling the owners of the Laundromat, they came right over and gave me the 20 back without question.

Inside Newfield, I found a little nook, set my baskets down, and made my way to the machine to change my 20. There was woman before me getting money and it all looked good: 1.00 in, 4 quarters out. Up next. I choose the left side (should have chosen the right side that was obviously working). 20 dollars in…. nothing. Great.

There were several people around so kicking the machine seemed a bit juvenile. Oh well, I kicked it once anyway. Then I looked for a form to fill out to indicate that the left side of the machine wasn’t working. NO forms. Oh, there’s a basket for the forms and a place to put the form and a note to the company, but there’s no forms. So I look for a number for the management. It’s about 4:15, so I think, of course, someone should answer; it’s within business hours. No one answers. NOT EVEN A MACHINE. I know I’m in the 21st century. Weren’t answering machines invented a while ago?

Does anyone know the people at that laundry place? I’d love to get my friend H her money back.

H, to me as I’m editing this and getting it ready to post:
“BTW, you can also add that I almost cried, and that I’m about to get kicked out of my illegal sublet, so this is the icing on my cake.” Click here to read more.

Stamford Mall: Elevator Hell and Annoying Kiosk People

I realized I was going to have to blog about my visit to the Stamford Mall Friday when I overhead a young hipster saying to his mother or possibly grandmother, "...ended up in Hoboken in nothing but a cowboy hat." I saw them two hours later, and he was still talking her ear off- he was languidly going on and on, and I didn't see her speak a word or even make a facial expression. I wondered if she had hired him to entertain her with stories as she walked. Endless, unstopping stories.

I also wanted to publicly rage about a mother with a stroller- who has no other choice but to use the mall's slow, small elevators- having to WAIT while several elevators filled with teens go by. I had to wait a full couple of minutes when I got to the mall for an elevator to even stop and open. The other lady waiting with a stroller said three other full ones had already stopped and she had to let them pass. And they're not full of people with leg problems, or older people- it's thirteen year olds, and sometimes guys in their 20s. In the future, I'm going to develop something to say to these people. I'm going to jam my stroller in the door to hold it open, and say, "Does anyone in here, who has perfectly healthy legs, want to get out so I, who cannot use the stairs, can use this elevator?" And then I'll hold the door until I get some answers. (Actually, I wouldn't do this, because I wouldn't put my baby between myself and the people. I guess I'd use my foot, although the stroller would be more dramatic.)

The only other thing I want to complain about is that kiosk outside the Apple store, where the person selling that nail buffer calls out as you pass, "Can I ask you a question?" See, they get you with that, because people don't want to say, "No." I usually just say, "No thanks." Well, when I was at the mall Friday, I was pushing my baby in the stroller and talking to my boss, who I'd just run into. The lady calls out, "Can I ask you a question?" Her question was totally inappropriate, because I was in the middle of a conversation, so I stammered, "Uh, no, uh, busy." I'm not going to stop and let you file my nail while my boss and my baby wait. DUH.

Back to the elevators. Other issues with them:
1. The floors outside the elevator are not marked. So, you get into the elevator, then realize you have no idea what number floor you are trying to get because you have no idea which number floor you are leaving. Brilliant. Like I am supposed to assume I enter the mall on floor 3, which is the ground floor?
2. For all except the new elevators by H and M, the elevator door is so narrow that only a stroller can fit through. Therefore, if I need to get off, and there are people between me and the door, those people have to get completely OFF the elevator to let me off.
3. Then, the doors start to close before they are back in.
4. God forbid my stroller and I get in when there are already people in the elevator. Then, I'M blocking the doors, and I have to get off to let them off, then swivel the stroller around to quickly leap back in as the doors start to shut on me, or my stroller.
5. Macy's only has escalators. So, if I want to go up a floor in Macy's, I have to go back out to the elevator by the Apple store. (And pass the lady or man who yells, "Can I ask you a question?") Or, maybe Macy's does have elevators hidden somewhere. I'll have to try to figure that out next time I'm there.

So anyway, going to Stamford mall is now really annoying, because I have to use tiny elevators full of teenagers. I suppose I could wear my baby in my sling, but then I'll be wearing a 16 pound baby, plus carrying a diaper bag and whatever I buy (and climbing up and down stairs with all that, or hopping on and off escalators). No, you sorta need a stroller for the mall, but unfortunately, Stamford Mall's poorly thought out elevators can make stroller navigation really frustrating. Click here to read more.

Bad Drivers: City of Stamford's Fault!

AWESOME article in the Advocate about traffic. It starts: Stamford is a city of speeders, red-light runners, tailgaters, lane-changers, horn-honkers and ignorers of stop signs and double yellow lines. Mitch Mailman thinks he knows why. Too many traffic lights.

Essentially, we are being driven insane by traffic lights. Well, guess what. I have a solution. Instead of fuming as you are sitting at a light, open your smart phone and check your email. Problem solved. I don't think that's dangerous. Make the most of your time.

The article focuses a lot of Havemeyer Lane, the road b/w Greenwich and Stamford near Stillwater. I travel that road all the time on the way to work. From the article:
Besides all the stop-and-go, the signals create backups blocks away, prevent cars from moving when traffic is light, and fuel aggressive behavior, he said. Since the city replaced three stop signs with a traffic light at Palmer's Hill Road and Havemeyer Lane about six weeks ago, Mailman has heard two crashes... That's because the signs forced cars coming from all three directions to slow down then stop. But "with the signal, people accelerate into the intersection when it's green, and may even speed up when it's yellow," he said.

I was kind of pissed when they put in the light, because I saw NO NEED for it. For the most part, people completely respected those stop signs. Occasionally, maybe once a week, people would come to a rolling stop. I'd shake my fist at them, but then continue on my merry, unimpeded-by-a-stoplight way. POINTLESS. That's a POINTLESS light. It took away the ONE daily opportunity I had to cooperate with fellow drivers, waving on the person whose turn it was. For the most part, people behaved really well at those stoplights. Now, we're just jerks trying to fly through the intersection before the light changes. I'm guilty of that. When I'm coming from Greenwich via Palmer's Hill, and my baby is screaming in the backseat, and I see that green light, I go a little faster to make sure I make the light. If there were a stop sign, I'd be starting to slow, making it a safer intersection, and making less chance of me T-boning someone who tries to make a left in front of me onto Havemeyer.

The article also mentions the roundabout on Havemeyer: Drivers didn't like it, for example, when the city installed a landscaped roundabout on Havemeyer Lane instead of a light, Poola said. "We got a lot of complaints," he said.
Complaints about what? Having to slow down from 45 on that 25 mph road? Before that traffic circle, people flew- very dangerous on that residential road. Calm the freak down, people. Actually, a couple days ago I almost giggled out loud at that circle as I watched two motorists try to weave through the circle without slowing down. They looked like total idiots yanking the wheel and swerving, but I had to admire their ambitious, NASCAR-like moves.

Anyway, my point: the traffic light at Palmer's Hill/Havemeyer: STUPID.
The traffic circle: annoying but OK, because people exiting their neighborhoods need to be protected from speeding jerks. I don't speed on that road, but I do accelerate to make the light at Palmer's Hill.

I realize I sound a bit hypocritical because I admit I speed sometimes, but you can't deny the effect that lights have on driving. If a safe driver like me is encouraged to speed by a light, that's bad.

See, the city of Stamford IS making us bad drivers! Click here to read more.

Marriott International Inc. Apology: Too Little Too Late

According to the Stamford Times: The owners of a Stamford hotel where a woman was raped at gunpoint in front of her children are now expressing "regret" and "sympathy" for the attack after hotel lawyers, in court documents, said she was careless and negligent.

Nice words, but they do not take away from the sting in the statement from the lawyers. Your lawyers said she "failed to exercise due care for her own safety and the safety of her children and proper use of her senses and facilities," which, obviously, is a bunch of BS since she was in your parking garage. If SHE should have known better than to park there, then YOU should have known better than to LET her, stupidheads. If your parking garage is so unsafe that she shouldn't have parked there, why did you not provide better security for your guests?

In the words of Jojo, teenybopper singer, your recent statement of kindness is Too Little, Too Late. Talk to your lawyers, Marriott, and have them revise THEIR statement. Click here to read more.

Thai Chi's Green Curry Rivals Little Buddha

Actually, I'd say it beats it in the spicy category. WOW!
TC is less sweet/creamy, so probably made with less coconut milk (or whatever, I'm no chef) than LB and its Darien sibling Little Thai Kitchen.
TC's meal contained a lot of perfectly cooked eggplant, allowing me to believe that I was eating healthy. It was a good night of delivery food.
I have a sweet tooth, so I you forced me to choose one, I'd have to go with Little Buddha's sweeter version. (And I'd ask them to make it as spicy as Thai Chi's!)
Oh- and I have to also point out- the non-creaminess of TC's green curry makes it go better with a beer, in my opinion.
PS this post is short because I'm on the iPhone. Click here to read more.