Thanks, Leonard. The photo was almost a deal-breaker. I didn't want to submit a photo. Luckily, that one is a few years old (my hair had come back in after chemo and was no longer a Don-King-the-fight-promoter afro). I keep asking our company photographer to use the "40 40 lens" when I'm in photo shoots—takes off 40 years and 40 pounds; he keeps telling me he's left it in his other camera bag. D*mn.

I certainly understand not wanting to experience another pet loss. It IS hard, but just about anything worthwhile is. All of ours have been/are special and I'd have hated to miss out on any one of them. (We've lost three in the past year--the downside to their being siblings.)

There's dark chocolate and then, there's DARK chocolate. I've tried some of the really high-percentage chocolates and yeah, they're an acquired taste (if you want to acquire one for that). I think most of us who like dark chocolate aren't talking about DARK chocolate. It has to have enough fat to be smooth and sugar to be sweet, but not overly so. Finding out that the dark chocolate Reese's Cups are not as good as the regular chocolate ones was a great disappointment!

Breast cancer can be a killer and its treatment isn't a beauty regimen ... but it's a crisis you get over (if you find it early enough). Those of you who are dealing with life-long conditions (epilepsy), or debilitating ones (MS, ALS, etc.) have it harder ... truly, grace under pressure.

I enjoyed your spotlight some months back and was very excited to see it. You were/are one of the posters I felt an immediate connection to and I liked your no prisoners/no bullcr*p responses.