School’s out! Graduating means congratulatory ecards

No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks…Remember reciting that, whenever school let out for summer vacation?

Graduation means more than just three months off of the daily musical chairs of school. It means that 12 years of schooling – plus four more, if University is what’s being gratuated from – have come to an end. It represents a long commitment to education, bettering of the self and maturing into our adult selves. Often, it means making huge strides into the career of our choice, exploring options that seemed impossible without the intensive study (and a certificate) behind us.

Once we’ve graduated, we can probably be called grown-ups. Which is simultaneously frightening and exhilarating, right?

This is an occassion to celebrate, starting with an ecard to say ‘You rock!‘ Okay, so maybe I would send a casual, light-hearted ecard like that, but what if you want to get a little more personal without sacrificing the convenience (or message) that an ecard provides? Check out some of these options:

Add-A-Photo ecards

For new grads who deserve recognition and look good recieving it, this add-a-photo ecard tells the recipient that you’re happy for their accomplishments.

Talking ecards

I love talking ecards for many reasons – the voices are usually hilarious and you can make them say anything you want.

Feel like telling your nephew, the butthead, that you didn’t thing he’d make it through algebra, but now that he did, you’re wondering how much he bribed the teacher? You can send him a graduating monkey ecard that says it for you in a wacky voice.

What if your timid, pet-adoring granddaughter just finished her last exam in veterinarian school? This pretty kitty can say it all, whatever ‘all’ means to you.

Personalized text ecards

You don’t want to send a generic one-size-fits-all ecard to someone special, do you? Personalized text ecards provide you the option of inventiveness, without requiring a lot of the creativity that some of us are lacking.

With this simple grad-cap design, you add in the year and school, and Presto! You’re basically done.

Being really proud of someone can get lost in translation when you’re sending an ecard. Most of the time, this is because you’re using a cookie-cutter ecard that anyone could have sent, and it’s missing the certain je ne sais quoi to add sentimentality. This girly ecard leaves no questioning of your strong emotions.

A little more casual, but still with a strong message of pride, comes this blue-toned ecard and this mouse with a message. More glib and cute, this headline announcer tells the grad that their recent finish is big news.

So, you want to say congrats without getting mushy, and you also want to let the recent graduate know that they can keep going up in the world? Send them this ’sky is the limit’ ecard to say, “Good job, keep it up!”

No matter the person, or time frame, school or program, graduating is big news to celebrate and congratulate – and you can start right now. (Even by sending a preschool graduate this Dora congrats!)

Send ecards to wish sick people well

I’m sick.

Three days ago, my daughter woke up with a cold, and by last night, I knew her germs had spread to envelop me, too. It started with a sore throat and by the time I was roused from slumber this morning, my everything ached, my sinuses were clogged and I was exhausted.

There’s something truly horrible when a single mom to a hyperactive toddler gets sick. We’re used to working around the clock, feeding, clothing, cleaning and nurturing and then we get hit with a cold and we got down hard. Except we can’t, because we’re the only parent and all of the feeding, clothing, nurturing and cleaning still needs to be done.

So, while we feel like death, warmed over – sometimes very warm as fevers make us sweaty and shaky – we try to cut back to the bare minimum and give ourselves some rest. Let’s just say that a lot of movies get played and dinner might be a little less effortful a process when I fall under a cold’s spell. Dishes may be left for a day in the sink and I’m not as prone to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

I wish, when I’m sick and feeling whiny, that there was a mom or partner to take care of me. I’d like some chicken soup and a hot bath, acetaminophen and a day to sleep off the aches and congestion. Mostly, I’d love it if I didn’t have to play catch up the day after I feel my worst, if there was someone else around to pick up the slack.

Also? I’d really like it if I got some special attention paid to me, like my daughter did for those first two days before I picked up her bug. When I feel my grittiest, I’d like to open my email (because a cold doesn’t mean that the work stops) and get a happy surprise.

If a friend sent me this ecard, showing that they were thinking of me, I would smile. Even better, a friend would bring over some chicken soup. But if they couldn’t, they’d send me Will, the e-nurse, for a virtual dose of eye candy. That might make me feel even better than soup might.

A long-distance friend could send a virtual hug, which would make me feel warm and gooshy in a way not related to the fever, and getting this ecard from a fellow mom who’s been there, done that would seem like I was permitted to slack off and just work on getting healthier.

This ecard would make me laugh out loud, even though I’m a firm supporter of vodka, not gin, curing sickness, but if our friendship couldn’t handle the alcohol-related disagreement, Stickman’s get well wishes might be a better (funnier) bet.

And because, just like this entire post, when I get sick, I get pitiful, this pity party ecard would have me smiling because someone out there really knew me – and my need to commiserate.

What kind of an ecard would you want to receive if you woke up one morning, feeling as if you were on death’s door?

Use summer-themed ecards as invitations

The sun’s been out for a few weeks around these parts. I’m considering packing away our winter coats, kids are running down sidewalks with bare legs and just a few blocks from me, at the beach where people congregate on the weekends, is an unmistakable aroma of sunblock.

Summer is coming.

Living in a small apartment in the city, I’m missing out on the one thing I truly covet – backyard parties. I don’t even have a balcony, so no small fetes for moi! But you, you’ve got to let me live vicariously through your life. I see you there, with your spacious lawn, grill at the side of the deck and superb potato salad recipe. Snap to, will you? Ring in the approaching summer with a beginning of season barbecue.

You’re going to need…

Food

There’s no fare that people across North America look forward to more than a stocked barbecue buffet. To provide a really tantalizing table, you’ve got to pick wisely from each of the three barbecue food groups – meat, salads and finger foods.

Popular meats include sausages, hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks, and chicken and beef kabobs. Easy to prepare, just find a great marinade using one of the thousands of recipe websites out there, store the meat in your fridge until it’s time to get grilling, and then wow them.

There are three mandatory (in my eyes) salads for a barbecue: potato, garden and macaroni. Google or use another search engine to track down great recipes for those, and then watch everyone dig in.

Finger foods are a no-brainer. Cut up fruits and veggies, chips, sandwiches, crackers, cheese, deli meats, and things to dip into such as salsa, bean dip, yogurt, garlicky chip dip and hummus.

Drinks

What’s the second (and for some, first) thing people look forward to? The frosty and frothy drinks you’ll have stashed in a cooler and whipped up in a blender. Beers and margaritas are the most widely-loved barbecue drinks around. If you choose to go with a theme, you even add in a third drink choice that fits it, such as serving mojitos at south-of-the-border-themed party. Of course, frothy drinks will call for more fabulous glasses, salt for rimming glasses and maybe some paper umbrellas.

Don’t forget to have an ample supply of water, juices and soda, for those that don’t imbibe and or want to stay well-hydrated on a hot (almost) summer day.

Seating

Yes, everyone can stand around having conversations while holding their plates of food. Fact is, even when you provide seating for every single attendee, they’ll still walk and eat – barbecues are social events, after all. But, really, you should try to make sure that everyone has a place to lay their steak and beer down.

The great thing about a barbecue on a sunny early evening is that it can be completely casual. No one minds the denim shorts and flip flops your neighbour is wearing, they feel comfortable with a gigantic garbage bag in their midst and they can cut up their food while balancing their plates on their laps. Just make sure you beg, borrow, rent or steal (don’t really steal) chairs for them to sit on, okay?

Accessories, etc.

You’ll need napkins, bags for garbage to go in, an area to put empty beverage containers, a good source of shade, music, plates, cutlery, the all-important margarita glasses and umbrellas, and if you live in an area prone to pesky flying insects, a citronella candle. A superior host may provide sunblock, wipes, a collection of sun-shading hats and take-away containers. Don’t forget to keep your camera nearby so that you can preserve the first barbecue of the summer.

So you can share the photo with me, and we can both pretend I was there, too, okay?

Last, but not least and definitely most important is the people.

How are you going to get them in your backyard, enjoying your succulent smokies and creamy potato salad? You’re going to send them one of the following ecards, customized to include the address, time, and what they can bring (because you can have too many bags of chips and six-packs of Bud Light).

Announce summer love with this ecard, if you feel like it’s arrived on your doorstep. If you’re throwing a ladies-only backyard party, this shoe-loving summer ecard might just fit the bill – just remember to let your girl friends know if heels will sink into your lawn! If you barbecued all summer long last year, and the one before and so on, sending this add-a-photo ecard is a great idea to refresh the last barbecue’s memories for your guests. Be a little wacky with this customizable talking hamster – whatever you tell him to say, he does, in a voice you can choose. (He’s also obviously equipped to deal with any potential fire-safety issues you might come across, Grill Master.)

Sending Appreciation with Thank You Ecards

If your mom did her job properly, you were raised to send thank you cards after holidays, birthdays and other gifting occasions. It’s just the polite thing to do, and alongside important rules like wearing clean underwear and keeping your elbows off the dining room table, showing appreciation when someone has given you a present is paramount to good manners.

So many people, grown out of their mom’s laps, have moved onto more adult versions of thank you cards – something generic, with an eye-catching design and the words Thank You emblazoned on the front, and a blank inside for their note. I don’t like using these cards, even though some of them are quite beautiful, simply because they are so unexceptional. Imagine an entire family receiving the same cards, on the same day, for the same reasons.

It just seems so lazy and cold, to me.

I love sending personal notes in an ecard that just makes sense for each recipient. Some people have a die-hard sense of humor, and others find syrupy-sweet notes have the most meaning; others, still, don’t want too much attention drawn to themselves, otherwise they get a little uncomfortable. And there’s an ecard to say thank you each of them.

After your wedding, you might consider sending an ecard to say thank you to important people and vendors who helped your day run smoothly. After all, without them, you might have just been a couple standing in an empty room, right?

You especially want to send thank yous out for any wedding gifts you’ve received, but what about the people who have gifted you a service, such as a wedding cake or decorations? Send them this feminine ecard to let them know that their thoughtfulness was important.

When you’re expecting, the gifts can come in trucks! It’s the only time in your life when you might end up writing as many (or more!) words of thanks as after your wedding. People love to give expectant families cute little baby blankets, outfits and stuffed animals – you’ll even find that people you don’t really know will send something your way for you new family. You still have to thank those people, even if they are virtual strangers. Your mom’s hairdresser, the mail man or the woman you met once during that thing with your old best friend from college will love getting a baby-related thank you ecard that shares a simple message of appreciation.

In fact, sending ecards has become so popular, you can even send an ecard to thank someone for sending you an ecard. Don’t believe me? Check it out:

Try sending this card after someone sent you an ecard for Valentines Day. Or this one. This one is cute for another adult who sent an Easter ecard your way (or this cute bunny one); for Thanksgiving, you can send your own thanks their way; for Christmas, send this loving appreciation. If you got an ecard just because, you can say thanks with one of these super cute, simple and unique ecards

Now that’s manners!

Memorial Day ecards

Since 1868, some version of Memorial Day has been celebrated in the United States – a day that has now become one to commemorate any women and men who have lost their lives while in military services. Initially, graves were only marked and decorated, but Memorial Day has become a well-observed long-weekend in recent past, as the Indianapolis 500 is held in conjunction with it, and people tend to have barbecues, family gatherings and picnics.

I consider myself lucky that I’ve not been personally effected by lost lives during times of war, since no family and friends have served for generations. But, especially within the past two 70 years of the United States’ history, I believe I’m more of a rarity than the norm. So many have fought bravely, and sadly, quite a few lost their lives doing it.

On Monday, the United States will observe moments of silence for those who fell. Flags will decorate grave sites, trumpets will sound out choruses, and populations across the country will bow their heads. Someone, somewhere, in nearly every city will recite ‘In Flanders Fields.’

And for quite a few, after the ceremony finishes, they’ll walk back into their lives, as if they’d never attended or considered such somber events. To others, this day is not just a stop over, because it was their family and loved ones that fell. To some, Memorial Day is almost holy – a time to really share about their missed friends and family.

I think that another niche of observers exists as well. Those that haven’t lost anyone, but who now have a loved one in active duty in a dangerous situation. They’ve got fingers and toes crossed that the person they want home returns in the same condition that they went in, but they still feel slightly more somber than most on Memorial Day, hoping that they never have a personal reason to decorate a grave site.

There’s no gift that you can give these people who are missing those they’ve known. There’s no real way to remove any of the wistfulness, or the sighs and what ifs. But you can remember them, the lost soldiers, and you can acknowledge someone else’s memory of them.

American Greetings offers 16 ecards for Memorial Day. Ranging from cards showing appreciation for those remembered, to the more casual Celebrate Memorial Day, their selection can cover any recipient’s situation. They even have ecards geared directly toward the US Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Army and Marines.

Who will you send a special note or remembrance to? How will you honor the people you’ve know who were lost during their service?

5 ecards for a new home

This past weekend, I found my spring cleaning mojo, tearing open closets and unearthing forgotten treasures, unneeded piles of junk and more dust bunnies than I’d care to admit. I live in a small space – the kind of place that doesn’t necessarily fit a dining table and a couch, and that closet organizers are a must for. What started off as moving my few furnishings around to make room for a new futon soon became a complete reorganization and deep-cleaning expedition.

Now, for all of my efforts, it’s like I have a new place even though the address hasn’t changed. It’s cleaner-looking, more minimalistic and it will definitely be easier to stay on top of cleaning needs with 200% less piles of things lying around. I love it.

Which brings me to this post, and how I’ve been craving a new home with more potential design solutions (and square footage). I’ll admit it, I’m envious every time one of my friends finds themselves moving into a new home, because there’s nothing like a new number on your door to offer a sense of reinvention. The color scheme possibilities! The walls where photos and paintings can hang! That tiny corner where your bike might be stored. It’s a little like falling in love for me – the excitement and potential is just as butterfly-creating – it’s just with a home.

Yes, I get envious when a friends falls head-over-heels for a new residence. But I’m not so envious that I’m not happy for them, too. Which is when I might send them one of the following:

1. For the super-close friend, I choose this one with modern color scheme and the opportunity to add in my own video or photo. This means that the chance is mine to tell my friend how happy I am for them and give them design suggestions. (I’m a little wont to provide unsolicited advice, you know.)
2. For a girly girl coming into her own new space, I think this personalized one fits the bill. The colors – pink, blue and white – signify something feminine and genteel. Which is exactly why I’d include a recipe for home-made bath saths in the message area.
3. For the parents who’re facing a new, empty nest, this ecard was made for them. It says it all,really, so you don’t have to come up with anything more creative than ‘enjoy the silence!’
4. But what if you’re moving, yourself? There’s an ecard for that too, with space to provide your new address and phone number, as well as a warm welcome, to everyone you email it to.
5. If you have a posh friend moving into a hot urban space, this ecard is practically perfect. It says style, with a bit of wit thrown in.

Now, of course, you’re going to show up to a friend’s new home with the perfect house warming gift, right? May I suggest?

1. A beautiful house plant that doesn’t require too much of a green thumb to flourish.
2. A warm, chenille throw that matches their color scheme.
3. A beautiful set of scented candles, to match the bathroom of her dreams.
4. Maid-service for a month, so that they can keep that clean and brand-new feeling in their new home, even when they’re working around the clock, without time for scrubbing and buffing.
5. A gorgeous interior design coffee-table type book, meant to inspire their inner style-seeker.

And of course, you must bring a bottle of champagne to the housewarming – there’s nothing like celebrating a new home with a bit of bubbly and the company of good friends.

Witty Ecards for gray days

Every day, someone chances upon some negative altercation with fate. A case of the Mondays can fast turn into one of the crappiest days you’ve encountered as the rain is pouring, keys get locked inside in the car and a long call from a telemarketer means that your forgotten dinner catches on fire.

Having a positive attitude and learning to go with the flow can have a remarkable effect on your well-being and perception of further gray days. So can learning to laugh, when life trips you up. This is why I’m a fan of sending out funny, often sarcastic ecards to my friends who are down in the dumps.

When your girlfriend gets a bad haircut, she might want to invest in a new hat collection, or decide to never leave her house again. Sending her an ecard with her photo, telling her that she looks like a million bucks might make her smile. And if she has a great sense of humor? You might want to choose the worst photo of her, possible – so that when she looks in the mirror, it’s nothing like the heinous chop she’s gotten.

Everyone has a friend who doesn’t want to celebrate their birthday because the sheer amount of years, and the feeling of getting old depresses them. Obviously, they’ll need a birthday ecard featuring a cake with an unusual amount of candles on it.

When a loved one loses their job because the economy is causing companies all over North America to cut back, you can send them this talking ecard – inserting your own speech for the hair-brained cat to say, in whichever voice you choose for it. Might I suggest something along the lines of: “You may have been let go, but this means that we can watch Oprah together. And you won’t have to wake up early for work with a hangover. You might even lose weight, if you can’t afford to eat.” Shh! it’s not insensitive – it’s grandiose and silly.

Your best friend has just jumped back into the dating game, and her first venture out was with a total dud. To rub a little salt in the wound, while making her giggle, send her this talking ecard with a report of what her future with the less-than-awesome date. Highlights could include children who chew with their mouth open, future invincibility to body odor and a wedding reception at McDonalds!

Unless your friend’s date seemed perfectly normal and fine, and a second one was going to take place – until he left 13 voicemails on her home phone, texted her nine times after saying goodnight to her and then proceeded to forward chain emails to her work. That’s when you might need to read up on stalker laws, after you send her this singing ecard.

Want to really make someone laugh? Show them how dorky you can be, by sending them this ecard when you know they’ll see it right away. Then call them. They’ll be thinking of you, and it’ll be like you have a psychic connection!

For one of those everything is going wrong! days, send this ecard – it covers all the bases.

ECards For Sports Junkies

Little known secret: I used to really be into watching sports. Beach volleyball, hockey, baseball, football, rugby, tennis, Olympic wrestling and XGames were my weaknesses. You know the saying, “those who can’t, teach”? I was an example of “those who can’t well, watch.” Somehow, as I grew up into a woman from my previous girly stature, I stopped being as interested in sports watching. Then, I stopped watching television altogether, which left me with a lack of options, even if I wanted to check out the game.

Except for play off hockey, that is.

I can’t get enough of playoff hockey. The race to the Stanley Cup, especially when my team, the Vancouver Canucks, or one of my hated teams, Toronto’s Maple Leafs and Boston’s Bruins are in the running. Of course, last night, my beloved team got knocked out of the running for the glorious cup, but that doesn’t mean I’m done paying attention to who will get to bring it home.

It does mean that I’m licking my wounds and in need of some ego-soothing from friends in the know.  This ecard, which would not only bring about a chuckle because of its context, but also a gigantic ‘awwwwwww’, might be just the thing to reduce my need to curl up in a hockey fan-shaped ball.

Failing that, because hockey generally does bring out the trash talking, there’s a great opportunity for a Chicago Blackhawks fan to send this ecard my way, mocking my teams slaughter and a potential handing over of the cup. It’s pithy, if you like sarcasm, like I do.

Not a huge sarcasm fan? Well, then the Pity Party ecard could turn my frown upside-down because there’s nothing like someone letting you know exactly how pitiful you’ve been to snap you out of it.

Actually, in writing this post, I’ve found a way to laugh again. My team may not bring the Stanley Cup home in time for Vancouver to host the 2010 Olympics, but we did make it to the second round. Next season could be even better. Yes! That’s it. Next season is ours!

So, maybe I’ll become a little bit of a jokester myself, and send a fellow Canucks fan this ecard, sharing sympathy and speechlessness. Though really, I’m rarely speechless and I’d likely re-write something famously known, such as Martin Luther King Junior’s ‘I have a dream’ speech, in honor of our prestigious team.

And of course, if there’s a fan I know of whose team tanked who happens to have a birthday coming, I’ll be sending this Golf in Hell ecard post haste. Because, like I said, I love sarcasm, and I love to send birthday cards. Most of all, I like the idea of rubbing it in some poor sap’s face that their hockey team is going to be playing 18 holes, instead of for the Cup.

I’m guessing I should probably back away from that habit, lest I receive my own golfing ecard. I’ve heard that karma can be nasty payback, after all.

ECards for Mother’s Day

There’s no better way to let your girl friends know that you appreciate them, than to remember them on Mother’s Day. What? You thought that this one day a year was just for your mom? Not so, my friend. There’s moms all over the place, everywhere you look. And odds are, at least one of them isn’t getting remembered nearly as well as she should, considering all 20-something hours of labor she went through.

Now’s the moment to turn that around.

And even if your friend gets completely spoiled by her husband and kids, complete with breakfast in bed, wrapped presents as perfect as if Martha Stewart herself had visited, she can use the additional props. Being a mom is one of the hardest jobs, you know.

But, let’s not forget your wife. And your mom, too. Heck, even your grandma’s got some Mother’s Day love coming her way.

It’s true: If you stop to appreciate all of the mothers you encounter every day, you might end up with a list a mile long. Good thing there’s a way to save time and effort (and money), without sacrificing the message. And I even did the homework for you. Shhh, we won’t tell mom.

For the good friend

Tell her that you think of her all the time. Make her feel special, without getting too gooshy with this ecard.

For your best friend

She’s someone that you smile about, every time her face comes to mind. You’ve shared a wealth of memories, inside jokes, and even mascara. She’s gold, and as a mom, she’s platinum. See if you can get her to tear up a little by sending her this ecard.

The mom you have play dates with because you like her company

You met her when you first decided to venture into the realm of mommy and me activities. Or maybe she’d finally taken the plunge. Or was it was over the barista counter at the local Starbucks? Hmmm…. Regardless, you’ve become fast friends, getting together every once in a while to chat about the daily stuff that your kids inundate you with. She’s on the list too, right? Or, if you’re like me, there’s a few shes. Trust me, getting this ecard in her inbox will make her smile as she’s picking cheerios out of her hair.

The mom who cannot be compared

Your mom worked, ran the house, baked like a fiend and smiled through the face of adversity. She’s the ultimate measure of the word mother – if moms were graded on a curve, she’d be near 100%. And she’s pretty comfortable with you telling her that – and you’re more than comfortable telling her so. Do it with this ecard. Even I got a little misty, reading it.

The mom with a sense of humor

She may not be into the toons, but this Spongebob ecard will show her that you remembered the most important message she could have taught you.

The wife who wows you

She married you, had your children and she still looks like a million dollars. Make her feel like it with this ecard.

The sister you still pick on some times

Yeah, you totally broke her toys and blamed that broken window on her. But now’s your chance to start making up for it. Send her this ecard and make her say, “Awwww!” Then let her give you a noogie.

H1N1-Free: Get Well eCards Not Related to the Swine Flu

It’s all over the news and it’s been a trending topic on Twitter for weeks: the Swine Flu.

As of writing this, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released international statistics showing 1490 cases of the H1N1 infection in 21 countries. A total of 30 deaths have occurred at this point, a mortality rate of 2%, yet the pandemic alert level has been raised from a rating of 4 to 5. People are freaking out! Masks are being worn on the sidewalks, would-be travellers are cutting their vacation plans short and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was recommending school closures.

Me, I’m not so prone to worry. Especially when I can do a little research – but not a lot – and determine the more than three-fold mortality rate of the spring flu in 2008.

I’m choosing to look at it like this: It’s a flu. It feels horrible, and some people do die from it – but for the most part, it’s a infection that we are exposed to with some regularity. Who hasn’t, by the age of 20, had the flu at least five times. Did you see cities up in arms, providing antibacterial gel everywhere you looked then?

I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about this, because for the past nearly two weeks, I’ve been fighting sickness. It started with a sore throat and quickly progressed to clogged sinuses, fever, a nearly constant aching head and runny nose. This was actually perfect timing, given that I was slotted to speak at a conference, and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for days. But I muddled through.

Twelve days later, I’m still struck with sinus back-up and a barking cough, I’m actually a little concerned that it’s progressing to bronchitis – something I tend to develop every late spring/early summer, as the weather and humidity (and pollen) trends switch.

Or, I could just need a lot of rest to fully recover, something that any parent can testify as being hard to come by.

My close-knit bunch of friends, and their own children have also gotten it. In fact, I was the last to be infected with the nasty hanger-oner, so I should be placing the blame on their fully-recovered shoulders, but instead, I’ve gotten the joy of being obviously sick on a sidewalk with people paralyzed with Swine Flu fear.

Give me a break, people. I have a cold, not a life-threatening infection that will chase you down the street, infiltrate your pores and strike you dead. Yet, this is the reaction and reflection of fear I’ve seen in some people’s eyes when they’ve seen me cough.

This has given me new resolve. I want people to stop considering media-propegated fear so necessary to their safety. I’m going to make a mockery of the constantly-evolving headlines. I’m going to send ecards to the next 10 people I know of who catch a common cold.

This jazzy ecard will be sent to my fabulous friend when she’s struck down with the cold uglies and feels like crap – usually men are falling over her feet. My personal message to her? At least it’s not swine flu, you hate pigs.

The amazing adventures of stickman ecard might make my sick guy friend laugh, especially if I create statistics such as: 97% of the heads of people infected with Swine Flu pop off. And follow it with: Aren’t you glad it’s just laryngitis?

Being sick doesn’t mean I’ve lost my dark sense of humor, and in the least, I’m finding myself coping well, thinking about how lucky I am to not have the Swine Flu.

What are you doing to table the near-hysteria this infection has been causing?