March is Endometriosis Awareness Month

I usually have tons to say about Endometriosis Awareness Month but this March, I'm actually not that compelled to jump on my soapbox. I actually don't need to write a lengthy blog post because other strong women are sharing their stories and educating the public. And guess what? Endometriosis is finally being recognized as a legitimate disease (and not just stereotypical "woman problems" that make nice girls turn into "super extra whiny b*tches" during "that time of the month"--all things I've personally been accused of by friends, coworkers and total strangers). Thanks to numerous celebrities and websites like SpeakENDO (https://www.speakendo.com/), more and more women are speaking up and speaking out. I actually heard a national ad campaign by SpeakENDO on Pandora recently!

I've always been vocal about my diagnosis but I know that a majority of other women are too embarrassed to speak freely. Even though the disease is being recognized more & more, there is still a stigma surrounding it.
       But why? It's 2018 for Pete's sake!!
              Every other disgusting disease is discussed openly, so why can't I tell you about my menstrual cramps when you ask why I cancelled on our lunch meeting?
              How come I have to force a fake smile when I'm actually feeling kind of gloomy?                           And why can't I just go home to change my pants because I bled through my pad?
I can't figure out a good answer to those questions so I'm not going to hide in the background and pretend I'm okay when I'm really not. No one should have to stay silent when they are hurting. Healthcare professionals need to know that endometrial pain is real. Upper management needs to allow for employees to take time off work to rest from cramping and heavy bleeding. Peers need to forgive their friends if they cannot fulfill their commitments due to symptoms of the disease. And those who have endometriosis need to stop being too ashamed to talk about it.

Judge me if you want to but I'm going to continue to #SpeakENDO for my misunderstood pain and frustration. Not only will I speak up for myself but I #SpeakENDO for all women. If you too  are affected by this disease, I encourage you to also spread knowledge and awareness.

Wes & Erica go to the OKC Auto Show

Two firsts for this blog post... 1. I went to the OKC Auto Show and 2. I discovered a new feature in my photo collage app that turns your pictures into magazine covers. They're kind of cheesy but I decided to try it out anyway.

I think I've told everyone already but for those of you who don't know, my beloved Nissan Sentra (known affectionately as RaRa) is no more. She and I were in a little fender bender in February and it ended up being a total loss. I now have Trixy, my new Subaru Forester. She's pretty rad but we haven't fully bonded, yet, and my heart still yearns for RaRa. Anyway, Wes & I received free tickets to the OKC Auto Show from the Subarau dealership when I got her. Cars aren't my thing but Wes likes them so off to the car show we went! (Its only fair since the poor guy is always being dragged to things I like but he doesn't care about. LOL)

The car show was at the Oklahoma State Fair Grounds in the Bennett Event Center. I thought there would be a lot of cars parked outside but it was mostly indoors, which makes sense because the weather around here is so unpredictable. Some dealerships were having test drives outside but neither of us participated. I assumed it would be a pretty boring test drive since it was just around the parking lot. I also have a fear of hitting pedestrians so taking a test drive in a parking lot is too stressful for me to enjoy.

The event had new 2018 models from all of the major dealerships as well as several classic cars from the 1950's and 1960's and some really old cars. Both Wes & I enjoyed the classic cars the most. They certainly were the prettiest, in my opinion. Cars just aren't as colorful or artistic nowadays. Many of the 2018 vehicles looked the same to me but each classic car stood out in its own way. Wes noted all the little details in the cars' form and design, such as their metal grills and bumpers. I think the classic car section was the busiest in the building so we weren't the only ones who were drawn to them.

We quickly wandered around the rest of the building to take a look at the 2018 models. There were supposed to be some 2019 concept cars on display but I don't think we saw any. The most interesting new car feature I saw was a SUV that had reclining rear seats, like an actual La-Z-Boy style recliner... with a footrest! I don't remember which dealership it was from. Nothing else really jumped out at me. I found my Subaru Forester!  Toward the end of the 2018 section was a row of exotic sports cars. They were all very sleek and futuristic. Many I had only ever seen in movies so it was neat to get to look at them up close.

You probably can't read the newspaper but the headline states, "Is Woman Naturally Good Driver? Better than Man is Local Verdict. Experiences Gathered Firsthand." 

After the several rows of modern cars, there was a small section of hundred year old cars. The one on the top right corner in the picture above was found in a random barn in Pauls Valley. It still has all of its original parts except for the seats were reupholstered. There were only a handful of cars in this section but each was unique and so well kept. I preferred looking at the historical cars over the current models. I think I liked them so much because the cars looked more fashionable than functional. Much like the classic cars, each vehicle was a piece of art with so much detail. Their headlights were modeled to resemble lanterns and the interior upholstery with its wooden accents was gorgeous.

My favorite part of the OKC Car Show was not even car related. At the end of the building as an 18-hole mini golf course! I think it was a reward for all the uninterested participants for making it through the entire building. LOL (Just kidding... I really did enjoy looking at all of the different cars.) I can't even remember the last time I played mini golf so I was pretty terrible. I scored 12 points above par and Wes scored 4 points under par. Everyone received a prize for each hole-in-one they made and at the end of the course... I won zero prizes. Wes won two.

This Ford GT was Wes's favorite car in the entire show. He said he's never seen one in black and white before. This is how I know I'm secretly an elderly woman - when I first saw that car, I thought it looked 1. uncomfortable to ride in, 2. like a target for cops, and 3. dangerous to drive. Hahaha! Even though cars aren't a hobby of mine, I'm glad we got a chance to go to the show. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.