I’m still working on, oh, most everything on Jen Lemen’s list of “Ten Ways to Become the One You Were Made To Be“. I particularly struggle with numbers 3, 4 and 8.
Monthly Archives: October 2011
The things you seek
Here are a few search terms that brought people to ButterscotchSundae.com last month.
- 25 win season or some variation thereof.
- This would be due to my brother’s Justin Verlander fanaticism. Every now and then I’ll get an email from him (my brother. not Justin Verlander. although that would be rad.) that says “Here’s a thing for your website.” It’s almost always about sports, and I almost always post it. Because this blog, it has neither focus nor niche. And I’m at peace with that.
- tex-mex beef enchiladas martha
- I did finally make Martha Stewart’s Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas, and I was less than enchanted. They need more oomph.
- ikea kura, etc.
- It’s a reversible bed by Ikea, and it’s what Petey sleeps on. We had it with the mattress on the ground until we moved. He’s sleeping on it loft-style now, and my only complaint is that he keeps the “cave” underneath in a state of constant toy anarchy. Which I suppose I could clean and organize, but how long would that last? Not long at all. Anyway, Pete likes the bed.
- virtual eyebrow waxing
- This would be from when I Photoshopped someone’s unibrow away. I’m guessing he would rather I not link to it. (But it isn’t hard to find if you’re so inclined.)
- a ghost
- Here are “A few good old-fashioned ghost stories.” In related news, I accidentally watched about 4 seconds of “American Horror Story” the other day, and the soundtrack alone was enough to make me run back up the stairs. I don’t do well with scary stories.
- fun things to do in atlanta and lots and lots of variations on the theme
- We visited four fun places in Atlanta, and the kids ask me at least once a week when we’re going to go back. (The answer for now is: I don’t know.) And to the person who wants to know where to go running with your kids? I am not the person to ask.
Let’s help Amit find some bone marrow
My friend Amit has leukemia. I’ve known Amit since 2007, when he hired me to write for Photojojo. I haven’t ever actually met him face-to-face, but through the magic of the internet, I know that the guy is smart, kind, generous and funny. He’s one of the most enthusiastic and positive people I’ve ever met, and he needs your help:
Two weeks ago I got a call from my doctor, who I’d gone to see the day before because I’d been feeling worn out and was losing weight, and wasn’t sure why.
He was brief: “Amit, you’ve got Acute Leukemia. You need to enter treatment right away.”
I was terrified. I packed a backpack full of clothes, went to the hospital as he’d instructed, and had transfusions through the night to allow me to take a flight home at 7am the next day. I Googled acute leukemia as I lay in my hospital bed, learning that If it hadn’t been caught, it would have died within weeks.
—
I have a couple more months of chemo to go, then the next step is a bone marrow transplant. As Jay and Tony describe below, minorities are severely underrepresented in the bone marrow pool, and I need help.
A few ways to help:
- If you’re South Asian, get a free test by mail. You rub your cheeks with a cotton swab and mail it back. It’s easy.
- If you’re in NYC, you can go to this event my friends are putting on.
- If you know any South Asians, please point ‘em to the links above. Thank you.
My friend Amit Gupta founded my favorite photography site Photojojo. A few weeks ago, he was diagnosed with leukemia. Amit is one of the nicest, most genuine, most creative people you could ever meet. Prior to founding the awesome Photojojo, he also co-founded Jelly in 2006 in NYC, a coworking community, that’s now spread to 60 cities across the world and helped spark the coworking revolution. It looks like Amit will need a bone marrow transplant quite soon. We can help him with that.
Unlike blood transfusions, finding a genetic match for bone marrow that his body will accept is no easy task. The national bone marrow registry has 9.5 million records on file, yet the chances of someone from South Asian descent of finding a match are only 1 in 20,000.
This is where we come in. We’re going to destroy those odds.
How? By finding and registering as many people of South Asian descent as we possibly can.
Tests are easy– a simple swab of the cheek. If you’re a match, the donation involves an outpatient procedure. It’s not fun, but it’s not dangerous either. And doing it could save a life.
We are encouraging anyone of South Asian descent to take a test to see if you’re a match.
You can get a free test by mail, or, if you’re in New York, you can join us Friday, October 14th for a special party to rally support.
We’ll have test kits on hand at the party, as well as music, booze, and maybe even a photo booth. It will, for the first time, combine a House 2.0-style party with a New Work City-style party, and if you’ve ever been to either, you know they are always something special.
Please spread the word and please do everything you can to help Amit beat leukemia. He’s a superstar.
Much thanks to Tony and pals for organizing this event, and EVERYONE who’s been tweeting and reblogging.
Please help us get the word out any way you can. My life quite literally depends on it.
I’m not of South Asian descent, so I guess it’s unlikely that I’d be a match for Amit. But I signed up for the national bone marrow registry anyway. Maybe I’ll be a match for someone else. And you might be, too. Maybe you’re Amit’s match. Please take a few minutes to sign up for the registry (or go to the party in New York) just in case.