And again

Today was another day for Friends and Food.
John's rowing partner and her husband have both retired, so we met them for lunch today.  We hadn't seen them in a while, so it was great to get caught up over some good food.  She and John were both having severe health problems this year.  She was in the same hospital where John was having his treatments, at the same time, but we didn't know it then.  And both are on the mend, working to regain strength.  We've made tentative plans to meet again next month.
It made for smiles!

Hot & humid Wednesday

The last of the painters came to look at the job. We should have an estimate in a day or two, so John can make a decision. Then that job can get underway.

I’ve gotten all of the closet done now, except for the shelves I can’t reach any more (for the out-of-season folded stuff). John will have to get that down for me. That’ll have to wait a day or two, though. The beds are full of stuff I’m giving away, and it’ll have to wait until I make room. But at least I’m working on it.

Carol & Stephen, Missy, and Tina came over and brought KFC for dinner tonight. We ate inside because it was still near 90, with humidity to match. As always it’s great to share fun and food with this group.

Ten Things Tuesday

1. I got a good night’s sleep!

2. Went to the post office to mail the quarterly tax payment.

3. Went to the library to do the annual renewal of my library card.

4. Went to Aldi.

5. Went to Walmart.

6. My knee didn’t start to hurt until I was almost finished at WM.

7. John had an eye appointment and ordered glasses for the first time since his cataract surgery.

8. We both had good naps.

9. Made plans to meet John’s old rowing partner for lunch later this week.

10. Got invited to dinner next week with Vicki and Roger at their new house.

Scattered showers

Last night was one of those nights when I couldn’t get to sleep. I probably dozed off in the chair about 2 or 2:30, then woke up and went to the bed about 4. I still got up at 6 to go the pool, but will no doubt call it quits early tonight.

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We went to our usual Monday bridge this afternoon. John came in second last week, but neither of us had much in the way of cards today. We may not stay with this group much longer. Folks have come and gone, and we still enjoy playing with about half of the players at 4-6 tables. But there have gotten to be some folks who are unbearably annoying. There are beginners, but that’s okay - that’s how new players are made. But a couple of them just seem to be incapable of learning and/or improving. And there are a couple of pretty good players who seem to play just shy of cheating. This group doesn’t have “bridge police”, but there are rules and they are there for a reason, to make the game fair for all players. And there’s at least one who is just an unmitigated a..hole. We play bridge because it’s a good game and because we find it fun and challenging. When it stops being fun, then we just may quit this group. Stay tuned.

Sunday Stealing

Would You Rather Meme, part one

Stolen from: Sign Up Genius






Would you rather go into the past and meet your ancestors or go into the future and meet your great-great grandchildren?
Meet my great-great grandchildren
Would you rather have more time or more money?
More time
Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button on your life?
A pause button - there’s not that much time left
Would you rather be able to talk with the animals or speak all foreign languages?
Speak foreign languages - communication with other people is more important
Would you rather win the lottery or live twice as long?
At this time in my life, I’d rather have the money
Would you feel worse if no one showed up to your wedding or to your funeral?
Definitely my funeral
Would you rather be without internet for a week, or without your phone?
Without my phone
Would you rather meet George Washington, or the current President?
I’d rather meet President Obama
Would you rather lose your vision or your hearing?
I’d definitely rather lose my hearing.
Would you rather work more hours per day, but fewer days or work fewer hours per day, but more days?
I’m retired, I’m not working ANY hours or days
Would you rather listen to music from the 70’s or music from today?
I’d rather listen to music from the 1870s.
Would you rather become someone else or just stay you?
I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be
Would you rather be Batman or Spiderman?
How about Wonder Woman?
Would you rather be stuck on a broken ski lift or in a broken elevator?
I’d never be on a ski lift, but I think that’d be my choice
For your birthday, would you rather receive cash or gifts?
Cash - I have enough stuff, unless it’s something special made for me.

Sleepy

I'm too sleepy tonight to even think about writing anything.  Sleep well, Friends.

Thursday Thirteen

1. Today was a stay-at-home day.
2. I cleaned out another section of my closet.
3. There’s still lots to do, but I stopped before it was overwhelming.
4. John saw the oncology radiologist today.
5. The doc told him he was doing great and to keep doing what he was doing.
6. He should continue to improve and gain strength, even if it isn’t as fast as he thinks it ought to be.
7. The first painter to look at the house job sent his estimate.
8. John got an e-mail from his old doubles rowing partner.
9. She had a major bout of colitis with surgery and excision of most of the large bowel.
10. She’s in the middle of a long convalescence, too.
11. Renna is in the hospital with a severe UTI, but improving.
12. Rick Perry announced he’s running for president. Be still my heart!
13. The Duggars are lower than pond scum, and I hate that I even remotely know who they are.

Life as 2015 grads know it

This list (from Beloit College) was in the Chattanooga Times Free Press the other day. It was a sidebar on a story about the valedictorians from area high schools. These lists are always an eye-opener.

Life as 2015 grads see it

Here are several things that have been true for the class of 2015 for most of their lives.

• Robert De Niro is thought of as Greg Focker’s long-suffering father-in-law, not as Vito Corleone or Travis Bickle.
• They have never seen an airplane “ticket”.
• For most of their lives, maintaining relations between the U.S. and the rest of the world has been a woman’s job in the State Department.
• They can’t picture people actually carrying luggage through airports rather than rolling it.
• There has always been football in Jacksonville, but never in Los Angeles.
• Their folks have never gazed with pride on a new set of bound encyclopedias on the bookshelf.
• They have lived in an era of instant stardom and self-proclaimed celebrities, famous for being famous.
• They know many established film stars by their voices on computer-animated blockbusters.
• History has always had its own channel.
• Gene therapy has always been an available treatment.
• Few in the class know how to write in cursive.
• Email is just too slow and they seldom, if ever, use snail mail.
• Clint Eastwood is better known as a sensitive director than as Dirty Harry.
• Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess.
• They've never recognized that pointing to their wrists was a request for the time of day.
• “View Discretion” has always been an available warning on TV shows.
• Secondhand smoke has always been an official carcinogen.
• Nirvana is on the classic oldies station.

Special people

Our super family has come through to help each other. Wayne (Kate's husband) doesn't ever go to the beach with us. He has offered to stay with Bobby for the week so Margaret can go, and get a break. We are always proud of all our "babies", but this is really special.  Wayne, you're the best!


We met some of the other swimmers at the visitation at the funeral home for the great gal who worked the front desk at the Y.  Brenda was just super special - always with a smile and a song (with a glorious soprano voice, mostly singing spirituals and black gospel music). She was only 62, dropped dead on her way to work last week, probably a blood clot. We didn't stay long, there was quite a crowd. Then we went to a local fried chicken eatery for supper. It was a good send-off for her. We won't go to the funeral tomorrow, although I'm sure the music will be fabulous. RIP Brenda.

Guest limericks

In response to my feeble attempt at limerick-writing, my oldest friend, Anne, replied with these wonderful descriptions of our family. Anne, you’re the best!

Here's to the great Margaret Zelle
Renowned far and wide for her jelly.
Be it peaches or grape
What it does for my shape
Increases the size of my belly!

And then there's my oldest friend Mary
With word command useful to parry
when youth of today
spout out words and display
a truly sad vocabulary!

Her husband John races in boats,

(at least when he's feeling his oats!)

So get back on your feet

Soon to compete -

Remember, my friend, that "hope floats"!

Their number one daughter is Sue,
Very organized, SO much to do!
When her kids left the nest
Did she take a rest?
You could bet on it, but you'd lose, too!

The third one in line is our Kate,
At weaving and biking she's great!
A bad broken leg
Took her down a peg,
But quitting? That's not her fate.

The fourth little girl they named Jean.
Her language can sometimes seem mean,
But her heart's made of gold,
And, truth be told,
That tough talk is only a screen.

AND FINALLY:
And then there's the folks called "Beach Bunch",
Who never miss meals (except lunch).
In the ocean they dive
and come out alive -
For Happy Hour'd be my best hunch!

Sunday Stealing

　
Swiped Meme


Stolen from: Get It All Down

Do you need to write down things to remember them?


Not always, but it’s best if I do.

Do you keep a diary/journal?
I write a daily blog.

Are you scared of thunderstorms?
Not really - just a healthy respect for the power of nature.

Do you have any unusual fears or phobias?
No

What’s your favorite Disney movie?
I can’t come up with a favorite right now.

Have you ever painted a house?
Not the outside. And I haven’t painted inside walls in decades.

What’s the tallest tree you've ever climbed?
Zero feet.

Do you always wear identical socks?
I guess I do, but it’s not a compulsion.  When I fold clothes out of the dryer, I match socks.
Do you live by any motto or philosophy?
Not specifically.
Do you lick the yogurt or dessert lid?
No, but I do scrape it off with the spoon.

Do you lick the spoon clean after making something sweet?
Sometimes

Have you ever played the bongos?
No

Have you ever handled a snake?
I’ve never “handled” one, but I have touched one.

Have you ever assembled furniture by yourself?
Yes, but usually that’s John’s job.

When did you last go to the beach?
Last June, and we’ll be there again in less than a month. Yea!


When if ever did you last go to London?We went through Heathrow to get to Oxfordshire about five years ago, but not into London itself.

What do you do to cool down when its hot?
Stay in the air conditioning.

What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?
Kangaroo in Australia, whale in Norway.

Do you have a favorite mug?
Yes, the one Jean made for me.

Do you know any self-defense or martial arts?
Nope

Who's your favorite movie action hero?
I don’t go to see “action movies”.

Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?
No, and have no desire to do so.

Do you collect anything?
Yarn, puzzle books - at least they accumulate around me.

Is there anything you wished would come back into fashion?
“Fashion” is not part of my life. Comfort clothes are for me.

Do you stick to conventional fashions or like to try and be original?
See the above answer.

Have you ever given someone a handmade present?
Frequently

If you could have any feature from an animal what would you want?
I think I’d like the ability to fly.

Limericks

One of the blogs I follow is Yorkshire Pudding.  Mr. Pudding, not surprisingly, lives in Sheffield, England, in the Yorkshire District.  He is an avid football (soccer on this side of the pond) fan.  As a response to the current FIFA kerfuffle, Mr. Pudding posted this wonderful limerick.

There was an old man called Sepp Blatter
To whom football just didn't matter
As long as his crime
Through the fullness of time
Made his thick FIFA wallet grow fatter.

This was definitely a challenge.  I've never tried to write limericks before and I've always loved them (even the clean ones).  So here goes...

I’d love to write a limerick,

Just tell me what’s the trick.

Surely it’s easy,

Easy and peasy.

If I can only make the words stick.



Friday Haiku

Cards at duplicate,

So-so. Played good defense, and

Wound up in middle.

Thursday happens

I took a trunk-load of unwanted stuff to the Northside Neighborhood House this morning. It’s been sitting on the porch for ages, with me promising over and over to take it away. So it finally did happen today. Of course, I should be going through stuff and taking loads on a weekly basis. But that’s probably not going to happen.

We’ve had a lovely day today, early summer sunshine and humidity. Then about 7 p.m., the wind started to blow, and we had about 30 minutes of a really loud thunderstorm. Lots of crashing and banging and rain, and then it was gone. Fortunately for us, it’s nothing awful like they’ve been having in Texas.

Spending money can be fun

The carpenters worked all day on the porch today. Most of the deck is finished - still some railing left to do. Then they can start on the siding and overhang. We looked in the birdhouse this afternoon, and the nest was empty. I guess the babies got out - safely, I hope. John got it cleaned out, and the guys will put it back up for us.

We’ve gotten more of the logistics taken care of for our trip to the Canadian Rockies in August with Ann & Al. We’ve made the reservations for our lodgings in Canmore and Jasper. We’ve made the decision about when to go to the Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller. We’ve made our plane reservations. And tonight we got the rental car taken care of. We’ve been talking about making the return visit to this area with A&A for about five years, and it looks like we’re finally going to make it.

Spending money can be fun.

Tuesday Miscellany

• Walmart and Aldi didn’t make a whole lot of money from us today.
• The workmen were here shortly after 8 this morning, working hard.
• The work on the side of the house is going to be more extensive than we hoped.
• We had lots of rain this afternoon and evening, but fortunately nothing like what they had in Houston.

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We got word this morning that the dear lady who greeted us every morning at the YMCA died unexpectedly this morning.  A beautiful voice has been silenced.
RIP Brenda Holloway.

Memorial Day

REMEMBER
SOMEBODY DIED
SO THAT YOU COULD SEE THE SKY TODAY
SOMEBODY DIED
AT VALLEY FORGE
AT GETTYSBURG
AT THE SOMME
IN THE D-DAY LANDING
IN KOREA
IN VIET NAM
IN IRAQ
IN AFGHANISTAN
SOMEONE'S MOTHER SOBBED
BUT YOU SEE THE SKY TODAY
BECAUSE SOMEONE'S EYES CLOSED FOREVER.
REMEMBER THEM
AND FLY THE FLAG THEY LOVED.

MaryPage M. Drake
2015

Sunday Stealing

Very Much Questions Meme

Stolen from: Lots of Questions

1. What was the last clothing item that you bought?
Swim suit - the chlorine eats them up and I always need a spare.
2. If you could stay one age forever, what age would you choose?
Probably in my 50s. Sue has decided that she “has it all” in her 50s, good health, grown kids, no health or money problems. Works for me, too.
3. When you say “lol”, are you really laughing?
Not necessarily, but usually at least smiling.
4. What is the most interesting thing you’ve done in the past year?
Boat trip on the upper Mississippi, recover from reverse shoulder arthroplasty, deal with John’s lung cancer.
5. If you started a business, what would it be?
I never wanted to be in business for myself.
6. Do your friends/family/coworkers know about your blog?
Of course. In many ways, it’s my way of communicating with them.
7. How long does it take you to write an average blog post?
30-60 minutes - once I decide what to write
8. How do you keep up with the blogs you follow?
I list them on Feedly.
9. What is your bedtime?
Usually between 11:30 and midnight.
10. Introvert or extrovert?
Somewhere in the middle
11. What is your biggest wish?
Nowadays, good health for my family and myself.
12. What is the best job you ever had?
Mother
13. Dog person/cat person/both/neither?
Neither
14. If you had $1,000 to spend any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
I'd use it for travel.
15. How do you “dress” your toast?
Butter and jelly - unless it’s cinnamon toast.
16. How do you feel about snow?
It’s gorgeous as long as it’s only on the grass and is gone in 24 hours.
17. What was the worst job you ever had?
House cleaning - my own.
18. What song can you not stop listening to?
I don’t have one of these.
19. Love your name or hate it?
It’s okay - never any problems with it.
20. How did you choose your blog/twitter handle?


It just seemed obvious at the time.

Saturday visit

Sue came to visit.

Always good, and an excuse

To have lasagna.

She went next to Smith’s,

Checking on Margaret and

Bobby. Then back home.

A good day

Sue is here, and that's always special. We don't get to see our girls often enough. Tina came over, too, and we had a good supper of lasagna, corn, salad, and bread. Tina brought a chocolate and raspberry dessert, too. Yum to all.

The workmen got her about 9:30 this morning, and went right to work. Pretty soon we had lunber, a dumpster, and a porta-potty in the turnaround. There was lots of hammering and sawing, etc. I was sure the hubbub would have finished off our bluebird babies. But as soon as the workmen left at 3, the parents were back hustling worms in to the chirping babies. So all is well. Did I say I taped a note to the birdhouse, asking them to leave it as long as possible because of the babies? We'll see how they do tomorrow - birds AND workmen.

Doctors and Costco

John had an appointment with the oncologist this morning. John’s lab values were pretty good, including his PSA. The doc says he’s doing very well. John says, if that’s the case, why don’t I feel better. Obviously, patience is not his strong point. His followup scan and appointment are set up for the week after we get back from the beach.
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We went to Costco when we left the doc’s office - our first trip in some time. I didn’t have a lot to get, and neither of us could walk too much. But I did pick up the usual stuff, plus we had a great gourmet lunch.
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Some of the workmen came by and measured for the materials to do the deck. I guess they’ll get started tomorrow or Saturday Yea!

Kwizgiver's advice for all ages.

Kwizgiver is a high school teacher in the lovely state of Maine. Tuesday in her blog, What If This Is As Good As It Gets?, she posted these words of advice. I thought these made super advice for all of us - regardless of age. I got her permission to reprint them here.

This week's topic is 10 Things You Would Say If You Gave a Commencement Address.

1) You won't always get what you want. And it is sometimes better that way.

2) Be open to the possibilities. Try not to dismiss opportunities and offers if they don't jive with what you think.

3) Have patience. Life has its own time table. And it's unpredictable.

4) Get a hobby. Develop interests of your own.

5) Love takes many shapes and forms. There is true beauty in platonic love. Soul mates are not necessarily romantic mates.

6) Unplug. Take time away from electronics. Don't talk on the phone or text when there's a live person across from you.

7) Visit your friends and family in person. Hanging out, talking about nothing and everything is fun.

8) Make time for yourself. Self care is important. And for many people it's hard to prioritize ourselves into the lists of obligations. But taking care of yourself helps you take care of others.

9) Live within your means. Instead of keeping up with the Jones' keep up with yourself. Mind your credit. Honor your obligations.

10) Nap.

Good Tuesday

I got to both Walmart and Aldi this morning. Granted, I didn't have much to get, so it didn't take very long. And I wore the knee brace. But glad to have that accomplished and know that it CAN be done - albeit very carefully.

Vicki called, and we met for lunch. This made two “eat-outs” for me today. We already had plans to meet Tina for dinner. There’s not much better than good friends and good food.

Monday Miscellany

Bridge was not much this afternoon. The first two rounds, we played at a table with two of the worst players in the group. I finally played with a good player in what turned out to be the last round. We play at a city-owned civic center, so it's a public venue, and available for renting. The director came in at 3, and told us (for the first time) that some "big event" was coming in and wanted to set up, so we needed to be out by 3:30. Seriously! We usually play until 4:30 and then have until 5 to be cleared out. Surely they could have told us this earlier. Lots of grumbling - but not much chance of changing our place. Oh, well...
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One of our swimmers has been having excruciating back pain for several weeks. She’s having surgery for a ruptured disc in the morning. She lives alone, but with two daughters and grandkids in the area. Plus us as a support group. We’ll be taking good care of her.

Sunday Stealing

RaNdOm Meme

Stolen from: Lots of Questions

1. If you were to attend a costume party tonight, what or whom would you go as?
I would go dressed as myself - I don’t really like costume parties.
2. What are your choice of toppings on a hamburger?
Mayo, mustard, lettuce, onion, pickles, tomato.
3. You are chosen to have lunch with the President. The condition is you only get to ask one question. What do you ask?
What will you do with your prestige after you’ve left office?
4. It’s your first day of vacation, what are you doing?
Enjoying whatever it is.
5. What is your concession stand must-have at the movies?
I don’t get food at movies.
6. Which do you dislike most: pop-up ads or spam email?
Our ISP is good about blocking both those things, but pop-up ads are more annoying and “in-your-face”.
7. What do you think Captain Hook’s name was before he had a hook for a hand?
Captain Smith
8. Rock, paper, or scissors?
Paper
9. Let's say a brick fell on your foot, and your kid is standing right next to you, what is your 'cleaned up’ swear word?
Son-of-a-gun!!!
10. Which is worse, being in a place that is too loud, or too quiet?
Definitely too loud. There’s no such thing as “too quiet” for me.
11. What is one quality that you really appreciate in a person?
A sense of humor
12. At the good old general store, what particular kind of candy would you expect to be in the big jar at the counter?
Licorice whips.
13. What is the most distinguishing landmark in your city?
Natural: Lookout Mountain and the Tennessee River. Man-made: the Tennessee Aquarium
14. Everyone hears discussions that they consider boring. What topic can put you to sleep quicker than any other?
Technical science stuff, like chemistry, etc.
15. How many times did it take you to pass your drivers test?
I passed the first time.
16. If you had to have the same topping on your vanilla ice cream for the rest of your life, what topping would you choose?
Caramel/butterscotch
17. What food item would need to be removed from the market altogether in order for you to live a healthier, longer life?
Cookies.
18. You are offered an envelope that you know contains $50. You are then told that you may either keep it or exchange it for another envelope that may contain $500 or may be empty. Do you keep the first envelope, or do you take your chances with the second?
Go for the $500. I didn’t have anything before, so if it’s empty, I’m not any worse off than I was to begin with.
19. If you had to choose, which would you give up: cable TV, or DSL/cable internet?
Cable TV
20. What is your highest level of education?
College graduate
21. How much is a gallon of gas in your city? What was the highest it’s been?
I think it’s $2.45. A couple of years ago, it was up near $4.00.
22. What kind of lunch box did you have as a kid?
I don’t remember a lunch box. I think I probably used a brown bag. That’s what our girls got their lunches packed in.
23. What would you rather have, a nanny, a housekeeper, a cook, or a chauffeur?
I’d choose a housekeeper who also cooks and drives.
24. Would you rather be trapped in an elevator, or stuck in traffic?
Stuck in traffic. You could at least bail out of the car if needed.

Friday Haiku

Day 2, couch ‘tater.

Novocaine wore off, some pain.

John had better day.

Three for Thursday

1. I went to the rheumatologist today, checking out the various meds, aches and pains, and blood work.

2. He gave me a cortisone shot in my left knee to help continue the postponement of a total knee replacement.

3. He told me to be a couch potato for two days - no shopping, no swimming. I can do that!

Sunshine Wednnesday

Last night was one of the non-sleep nights. I really hate that. It was nearly 5 a.m. before I got to sleep. I had decided that I was going to skip swimming - just wasn’t going to get up at 6 to do that. I did sleep until 7:30, but I’ll certainly hit the bed earlier tonight.

Friends, Carol & Stephen, are in their RV checking out some repairs in the campground the lovely Hamilton County park. They invited the swimmers over for hotdogs at noon today. It was a lovely day - temp around 80, with sunshine and a light breeze, so it was fun. I took a short nap when we got home, but didn’t want to sleep too much - I’d rather get a good night tonight.

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I have an appointment with the rheumatologist in the morning. He’s not a fan of the gel shots, but I’m going to ask him about a cortisone shot in my knee. He suggested a knee brace last time I saw him, so I got one and wear it when I know I’m going to be walking a lot. It tends to slide on my fat legs, though, and certainly will be very hot now that the weather is getting warmer. Oh, well…

An unusual Tuesday

Tuesday is grocery day - or at least it has been for some time. Today was no exception, but definitely different.

The last few weeks, I’ve wound up with severe knee pain after part of the first store, and the second one has been misery. Last week, our friend, Carol, went to Aldi for me (bless her!).

Today was a first! John volunteered to go to Aldi for me. He took a list and even did some “shopping”. Anybody who’s know us for a while knows that John NEVER goes to the grocery store. What a sweetie! I shouldn’t pick on him, but… Mainly I’m glad he feels well enough to do that, and it is getting some walking done.
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Our Super Walmart is being renovated. I just discovered today that they are again stocking fabric and findings. Yard goods haven't been available in our Walmart since before they moved into this building ten or so years ago. Hooray for WM!

Crazy weather

We had crazy weather around here today. It’s not too unusual to have “pop-up” showers in this area. But these were different. All around our house, there was thunder and lightning, wind, lots of rain, and even some hail. We had nothing but sunshine at our house - although we could hear thunder. At least we didn’t have the awful weather they had in the plains and midWest. Our hearts go out to those folks who have lost everything in these storms.
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John made it through bridge this afternoon. There’s still not much oomph there, and he is still quite pale. He’s losing hair, although just little bits, and what’s left is the grey stuff. Little bitty steps.

Quiet Mother's Day

We had gorgeous weather today, but it was pretty much Sunday as usual. Laundry and changing sheets - wow!


I had lots of Mother’s Day wishes from my lovely children. They are all special and really the reason for the day.

Sunday Stealing

CAPS LOCK Meme

Stolen from: VERY MUCH QUESTIONS

1. YOU HAVE 10 BUCKS AND NEED TO BUY SNACKS AT A GAS STATION. WHAT DO YOU GET?
With $10, I’d probably get some coffee and a package of cookies or salties to eat in the car. We never buy snacks unless we’re on a road tirp.
2. IF YOU WERE REINCARNATED, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE?
A slug - although I’d rather be a hawk or an eagle.
3. WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE REDHEAD?
Kate (when she’s a redhead)
4. WHAT DO YOU ORDER WHEN YOU’RE AT AN I.H.O.P. OR BREAKFAST PLACE?
Two eggs, over medium, with hash browns and rye toast.
5. LAST BOOK YOU READ?
The Purcelle Connection by Estelle Ryan. Now reading The Black Box by Michael Connelly (a Harry Bosch novel)
6. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
I can’t remember, but we have Amazing Grace waiting to be watched.
7. DESCRIBE YOUR FAVORITE PAIR OF UNDERWEAR.
Cotton briefs
8. DESCRIBE THE LAST TIME YOU WERE INJURED.
The last big one was in August 2012 when I fell on the front porch and shattered my humerus just below the shoulder.
9. IF YOU COULD INVENT ONE THING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Teleportation
10. ROCK CONCERT OR SYMPHONY?
Definitely symphony
11. WHAT IS THE WALLPAPER ON YOUR CELLPHONE?
A photo I took of the pink bluebird house during the snow last winter. (There are now bluebirds nesting in the house.)
12. FAVORITE SODA?
I really don’t much like sodas. I’d rather have water or coffee, but occasionally have tonic water with lime.
13. FLAVOR OF PUDDING?
I can’t remember the last time I had pudding.
14. WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A PEDICURE OR A MANICURE?
Pedicure
15. ANY BUTTONS OR BLINKIES IN YOUR SIDEBAR?
I don’t know what this means.
16. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON YOUR BLOGROLL?
I don’t know how to answer this one either.
17. WHAT’S THE LAST PIECE OF CLOTHING YOU BOUGHT?
Yoga pants to wear at home (on the sale rack at Walmart)

Five plus one on Friday

1. Another lovely day. Started with swimming at the Y and coffee at Panera.

2. John had a tough sinking spell this afternoon, so we didn’t go to duplicate. He’s better tonight.

3. The yard man came and did a major job on the yard.

4. Renna fixed dinner for us tonight. Yum and Thanks!

5. There was a murder/suicide in the house across the street from Missy today. Not much information so far, but the rest of the neighborhood is safe.

6. Lots of crazy things happening today: plane crash on I-285 in Atlanta, four fatalities; two separate bad accidents in Cleveland (TN) with one fatality; bizarre rush hour accident on bridge in Chattanooga.

First night out, etc.

First night post treatment.

Mendelssohn, Brahms, string quartets.

What could be better!

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I loved having an Extra Special Blogger last night, especially that he wanted to say his own thing.

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We have a pair of bluebirds raising a family in our flamingo-pink bluebird house. This is the first time in however many years it’s been since Margaret made it for us. Exciting!

Guest Blogger - John

Today is a very special day.  I had my last radiation treatment this morning.  I had the last chemo treatment last Thursday.  According to the doctors my cancer should be in remission.  All I have to do now is to regain the strength and stamina that I have lost due to chemo and radiation.

It has not been a fun trip.  The side effects were not bad for the first half.  It got tougher and tougher as it went along.  I came out of it with almost all of my hair, most of my appetite, and all of my sense of humor.

I had the greatest support that anyone could ask for, starting with Mary.  She has been there for me every second of every day.  What ever I needed she was there, usually before I asked.  She had my back, front, and both sides.  The idea of going through this without her at my side is something I don't even want to think about.

My daughters were always there, I love you girls.  Mary's water aerobics class, as always, was there to support whoever was in need. It was my turn.  One never knows how great one's friends are until you are the one who needs a friend.

The nurses and techs at the hospital were always wonderful.  The radiation techs were always bright, cheerful. and caring.  This is at 7 am. I don't know how they do it.  Unless I can not judge people they truly cared about me as a person.  I did not see the chemo nurses nearly as often but the same warmth and caring was there.

I did it with a lot of support and love.  I want everyone that helped me through this to know that I really appreciate it  Folks, I love you!

One more

I went to Walmart this morning, but that was as far as I got. My knee started to act up again. Carol had offered to go to Aldi for me, so I "let" her do that (Bless her!!!). As another treat for me, I got a massage.

John seems to be feeling better today - still not much energy, but much better color. Most of the time, he's able to walk across the room without having to sit down along the way. One more radiation treatment to go, and then he sees the oncologist on Thursday.

Soon

John has had probably his worst few days over the weekend and today. He’s had the extreme weakness and lower intestinal difficulties. Only two more radiation treatments, though, and no more chemo. We’ll see the oncologist on Thursday to check labs and set up followup appointments and scans.

Grocery stores tomorrow. And the contractor is due to come by to set up stuff for getting the work done on the deck and the siding of the house.

Sunday Stealing

This isn't actually this week's Sunday Stealing, but an old one I stole from Bev at Airy Persiflage. This week’s Sunday Stealing was definitely not directed at my demographic. Thanks, Bev.


The phone rings. Who will it be?
A telemarketer.
When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
Always.
In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
Definitely a listener!
Do you take compliments well?
I try to remember to just say “Thank you”, and not to depreciate whatever is being complimented.
Do you play Sudoku?
Nope. I do word puzzles, mostly double crostics and cryptograms.
If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?
I could probably get through the day, but not longer.
Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
I went to Girl Scout camp, probably 4-6 summers.
What was your favorite game as a kid?
Jacks
Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
Of course, assuming he didn’t want to convert me.
Use three words to describe yourself?
Old, creaky, friendly.
Do any songs make you cry?
Sometimes, but I can’t think of one right now. I always choke up when singing the Star Spangled Banner.
Are you continuing your education?
I like to think I’m always learning something new. And I finally got a college degree in 1990 (at age 54).
Do you know how to shoot a gun?
Not really. Although I have shot at squirrels in our back yard with a BB gun - and actually hit one once.
How often do you read books?
I always have a book going, and never go anywhere I might have to wait without one. Unlike some folks, though, I rarely read more than one at a time.
Do you think more about the past, present or future?
I don’t know. I’m trying to play for the future (what there is of it), don’t dwell in the past, and just cope with the present.
What is your favorite children’s book?
I always liked the Bobbsey Twins and then the Nancy Drew books.
What color are your eyes?
Brown
How tall are you?
I used to be 5'7-1/2"; now I'm 5'5"
Where is your dream house located?
I’ve always wanted to live on the ocean, but that’s not likely to happen. We’re comfortable in our house, but I wouldn’t mind moving into an apartment sometime.
If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed?
John, and then “Pinkie” (some will understand this).
When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
About a year ago, when I met some friends for lunch.
Where was the farthest place you traveled today?
Back and forth in the house.
Do you like mustard?
Sometimes, usually a brown mustard.

Tough Saturday

Today was probably John’s lowest day since he started treatment. He slept most of the day, and pushed fluids when he was awake. By suppertime, his color was better, and he said the chicken noodle soup even tasted pretty good.

I guess I was having a sympathetic “low day”, too. I had two naps myself. And spent most of the day in the chair, with the usual NCIS marathon on the TV. I did get some knitting done.

I hope the improvements continue tomorrow.

Friday stuff

Usual Friday swimming and coffee.
John had radiation treatment #27 (out of 30).
He picked a contractor to do the need repair work on the deck.
He’s really feeling the enervating effects of the treatment.
Hopefully, he’ll recover his energy quickly.
Talked to Sue about plans for the beach trip this summer.

Treatment #6

We both woke about 4 and couldn’t go back to sleep. It made for a really long day, and I’m sure we won’t be up late.

We got home from John's chemo treatment about 1:30. This may be his last one - although originally there was one more scheduled. The radiologist says his last radiology treatment would be next Wednesday, so another chemo the day after that would not be necessary. John hopes to talk to the doc tomorrow morning, so we'll see. His labs are still pretty good, and he still has hair, so the lack of energy has been the worst side effect so far.

Joyce and Dick brought us a pot of potato soup for supper. Just the ticket when we’re really tired. Thanks, friends.

Quiet Wednesday

Tina was here for a while this afternoon, trying to help us figure out how to stream videos from the library. We didn’t accomplish that, but she did help me relearn how to use our Roku box. Maybe we’ll get some use from that. Eventually she’ll figure out the streaming thing for us, too.

Tomorrow is chemo treatment #6 (of seven).

Updates

John was feeling better today.  He ate something besides soup for lunch and dinner.  And he even walked for about 15 minutes on the Riverwalk.
We talked to Margaret.  Bobby is feeling better.  He's able to get out of the house some, but not for long.
I got to the grocery stores today.  That seems to do really bad things to my knee. I'll have to figure out some other way to handle grocery shopping.

Usual Monday

Usual Monday stuff - swimming, coffee, and bridge.

Both of us had yucky cards.

Radiation oncologist told John his last treatment would be a week from Wednesday (#30). We thought it would be longer. We’ll have to check. John is very tired all the time. He’ll be so glad to have this over with and start to regain his strength.

Sunday Stealing

Funky Twenty-Five Meme


Stolen from: The now-defunct Tense Teacher


1. Most unflattering hairstyle you ever had? What made it so unflattering? Probably when, on a whim, I had John buzz cut my hair. Definitely not my style, and it took much longer to grow out than I had thought.
2. Favorite movie(s) that were made in the 90's? I have no idea. We see so few movies, and I can’t remember any specifically from that decade.
3. Do you rent movies? If so, from where? We don’t rent any more. We get some from the library or from On Demand.
4. Do you like cookies better when they're just out of the oven or after they've cooled? Who cares? They’re cookies, aren’t they. I guess I like them cooled.
5. Do you still talk to the person who gave you your first kiss? I don’t remember the event. In any case, I don’t have contact with anyone who was around at that time of my life.
6. Did you go to pre-school? If so, what was the name of it? There was no preschool then.
7. How do you take your coffee? Hot and black. Sometimes at a coffee shop, I might get a latte.
8. Do you like fuzzy things? It depends. I love peaches. Moldy things, not so much. Cats and dogs are fine.
9. Favorite kind of chocolate? Dark
10. Are you more optimistic or pessimistic? I’m pretty optimistic, with a strong strain of realism.
11. What about peopleofwalmart.com? Do you think the site is mean, funny, or both? Never heard of it, and don’t think I care to investigate.
12. Do you like fat sandwiches? If so, what does your favorite one have on it? I’m not sure I understand the term “fat sandwiches”. What I put on a sandwich depends on the main ingredient.
13. One restaurant you'd never been to but would like to go to? I can’t think of one. That’s not just that important.
14. Last time you got a haircut? Do you need one? Three weeks ago, and I’m planning to get one tomorrow. Usually every three weeks.
15. What's your favorite pattern for clothing (stripes, plaid, etc.)? It depends, but I mostly lean toward solid colors.
16. What's your age backwards? 97
17. When you see typos in a survey, do you correct them? Absolutely! I’m such a grammar/spelling snob.
18. When was your last vacation? Did you go someplace special? Last fall, we took a cruise on the American Queen from St. Louis to Minneapolis on the Mississippi River.
19. What's your favorite kind of pancakes? I’m not much of a fan of pancakes. I prefer waffles or French toast.
20. Do you like movies with computer graphics, like Avatar? Again we see so few movies, and this would not be a first choice.
21. Do you know how to sew? Oh, my, yes! I used to make all the clothes for the girls and myself and all John’s sport shirts. I almost never do any sewing any more.
22. Are you good at wrapping gifts? I do a good job, not elaborate, but rarely do it any more.
23. Do you like flavored yogurt? Yes - I don’t like plain yogurt.
24. How old will you be in December of 2015? 79

25. What's the age difference between you and your siblings? My sister was 5 ½ years older, but she died almost 19 years ago.

Sleepy Saturday

John slept most of the day today. Just no energy. I got a nap this afternoon, too.
I made chicken soup yesterday, and he had that for supper last night and lunch today. During the day today, I made beef stock from the tail end of a standing rib roast that I've had in the freezer. I put onions, garlic, mushrooms, and rice in it. We had it for supper and it was delicious. For the duration, I'm fixing whatever John feels like eating.

Friday trio

• Three of our swimmers had birthdays this week (ages 70, 73, and 86!), so we had a brunch after class this morning. Great food, as always. No presents, but it was fun to see who could find the funniest cards.
• We went to duplicate this afternoon and had terrible cards. We didn’t play them all that well, either. I think, out of 18 hands, we had the bid only 3 times. John’s energy was really gone by the time we finished the afternoon.
• We’re due to get bad weather tomorrow, so I guess we’ll be staying in. I hope we don’t get anything severe.

Chemo #5 (of 7)

Treatment number five.

Over half-way. Energy

Gone. End is in sight.

Wednesday, Week #5

Chemo #5 is tomorrow. He is really feeling the lack of energy. This has gotten pretty hard for him. He just can’t do things that he thinks he ought to do - even like walking on the Riverwalk. But he did get out for a little while this morning.

Both of my “indulgences” wound up being today. I had my mani/pedi scheduled for this morning. And I had to change my massage appointment, so this wound up being about an hour after that. Both are wonderful, but I do try to space them out a bit.

Tomorrow is mostly at the hospital for a chemo day.

Food and TV

I got my first fresh ear of corn today. John has a loose tooth, so wasn’t going to try to eat that. I love corn on the cob and this was pretty good for the first one of the season. Not as good as Bobby’s of course, but it’s way too early for that. Anyway, I cooked it in the shucks in the microwave. Have you tried that method? It’s an amazing way to cook a few ears of corn. There are lots of videos on YouTube about it. Check it out and give it a try.
==============================
Instead of watching a rerun of NCIS tonight, we watched a National Geographic program on our PBS station called The National Mall. It was an interesting program about the development of the National Mall as the Nation’s Front Yard. Most time was spent on the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Wall, and the use of the Mall for demonstrations. Really a very interesting program. Catch it on your local PBS station if you see it in your listings.

Monday Miscellany

• Thunderstorms from about 4-6 a.m. this morning, then sunshine.
• Since last Thursday, we’ve had another 2.25” of rain.
• We still had swim class. John walked in the therapy pool.
• I went to bridge. No great cards.
• John had his radiation time moved to midafternoon today. Still didn’t take long.
• Papa Murphy pizza for supper tonight.

Quiet weekend

It’s been another quiet weekend. Lots and lots of rain - maybe another 2-3” of rain today, with more predicted to come in overnight. There may even be enough thunder in the morning to keep us from swimming. We shall see.

John wanted to take me out to dinner last night and I was hungry for a good salad. We went to Ruby Tuesday because I know they have a good salad bar. And it was good, plus a crab cake. John had their shrimp and grits. He said it was excellent and brought home enough to have for dinner tonight.

He may have no energy, and he may sleep a lot, but as he says, he still has his appetite, his hair, and his sense of humor.

Sunday Stealing

Book Preference Meme


Stolen from: The now-defunct Tense Teacher

Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror?
I don’t particularly like any of these, although I did like Harry Potter.
Hardback or Trade paperback or Mass market paperback?
The only books I’m likely to buy nowadays are e-books.
Amazon or Brick and Mortar?
Amazon
Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Neither of these, and obviously, there is no more Borders.
Bookmark or Dog-ear?
Bookmark, definitely!
Asimov’s Science Fiction or Fantasy & Science Fiction?
See the first answer
Alphabetize by author, Alphabetize by title, or Random?
Random - I’m definitely not that organized any more.
Keep, Throw away or Sell?
Never, EVER throw a book away. I try to give away as many as I can.
Keep dust-jacket or Toss it?
When I was reading paper books, I kept the dust-jacket.
Read with dustjacket or Remove it?
And I read with the dust-jacket on the book, using the flap as a bookmark.
Short story or Novel?
Novels, or nonfiction.
Stop reading when tired or at Chapter breaks?
Usually at chapter breaks, but I’m not wedded to it. I can stop in midpage whenever I need to.
“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time?”
“Once upon a time”
Buy or Borrow?
I would prefer to borrow from the library.
Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation or Browse?
Recommendations, browsing, BookTV. I never read book reviews.
Collection (short stories by the same author) or Anthology (short stories by different authors)?
I don’t read short stories.
Tidy ending or Cliffhanger?
I hate cliffhangers - give me a tidy ending.
Morning reading, Afternoon reading or Nighttime reading?
Any time that works. Doctor’s offices are frequent reading places.
Standalone or Series?
I don’t much care, but each book in a series should also stand alone.
Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Monte Walsh by Jack Shaffer
Favorite genre series?
Nevada Barr’s books with Anna Pigeon is one favorite.
Currently Reading?

The Courbet Connection by Estelle Ryan.

Week #4

John's chemo treatments are on Thursdays, and yesterday's was his 4th (of 7). So he's just over half-way through. He'll probably start feeling "puny" (as he says) tomorrow and that'll last through part of Monday. He's having some trouble swallowing. But he does okay if he does as his mother tried to teach him all those years ago - take small bites, chew your food thoroughly, and put your fork down between bites. He says he's finally getting the message - only took nearly 80 years.

In between showers this afternoon, the yard man was finally able to get the grass (weeds) cut. And two contractors came to look at the jobs and repairs, so we’ll be getting estimates from them. One or two more are due to come next week. Spring is the time for repairs I guess.

Didn't it rain!

John emptied 4” of water from the rain gauge this afternoon. We got 2.5” of rain today on top of the 1.5” from yesterday and Monday.

During John’s chemo treatment at the hospital this morning, the bottom fell out. The rain just poured, with lots of lightning and thunder. By the time we went home about 1 p.m., the rain has slacked off some, but not stopped. The rest of the afternoon, it continued.


On the news tonight, the weather guy said at one point this morning, we got an inch of rain in 23 minutes! A friend who was at the hospital in another area said one of the hospital’s parking lots had flooded and cars were submerged up to their windows. And, of course, there were areas of flash flooding throughout the area.


It seems to have stopped now (10:00 p.m.), but schools have delayed opening in the morning until daylight so the bus drivers can watch for standing water.


Apologies to California.

Today was for me.

I’ve been having some severe sharp stabbing pains in my right arm in the area of the shoulder replacement. I’ve afraid there was something amiss with the prosthesis that would require more surgery, and I certainly didn‘t want to deal with that at this point.

The doc didn’t take x-rays, but he was able to reproduce the pain (big ouch!). He says that the sharp pain is coming from where the deltoid muscle is attached to the bone where it holds the shaft of the prosthesis. He recommended upward deep massage with an OTC rub (Ben-Gay, Aspercreme, etc.), and to just keep using the arm. So that means more work on the arms in the pool. I’ll ask my massage therapist to do extra work on that area. What a relief! I’ll see him again the end of July. Maybe by then, I’ll be ready start talking about my knee.

Not exciting (fortunately)

John had much more energy today. He even felt like doing some time on the rowing machine and on the recumbent bicycle.

I did just the grocery stores. Admittedly there was just a miniscule amount of time involved. My knee went out while I was there, so I tried to get through as quickly as possible. It was nice to see the early small watermelons in the store. We love them, and this one is pretty good for being so early. I forgot to look to see where it was from - probably Mexico or Central America.

One of the bidders to do the work on the deck was supposed to come this afternoon, but he never showed. We’ve had a lot of phone calls, though, and there are several appointments set up for the next few days. It’ll be good to make some decisions about that.

Monday Miscellany

It has literally rained all day today - sometimes just a sprinkle, and sometimes really raining. And there’s supposed to be more rain all week. We still have a little rain deficit in this area for the year. But obviously nothing like California. I wish we could share some of this with them.
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Winning at duplicate last Friday was great. But today, they announced the scores from last Monday’s contract bridge group. I came in first last week. I’ll certainly enjoy this for a while. Even with the yucky cards we got today.
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John’s still “puny” (to use his word), but he managed to go all day today without even ONE nap. And he stayed up until the news came on at 11! His cough is awful, but a lot of that may be due to Chattanooga’s awful pollen (even with all the rain). And so starts treatment week #4.
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We’ve needed some major, but basic, maintenance done to the deck and some other minimal stuff. John has several services coming this week to look at the jobs and give us estimates. And he talked to the yard guy to start working on the yard, whenever the rain stops.

Quiet weekend

This was a really slow, quiet weekend. Our duplicate on Friday afternoon was about all the activity John could handle. The lack of energy has really hit him hard. He got out to the boathouse for a few minutes (it was “opening day” for the rowing club, and they were doing clean-up and boat rigging). He didn’t help, just went to talk to folks. But he came home and went right to naptime.

We went to dinner with Carol and Stephen Saturday night, and Tina came for dinner (hash from leftovers) tonight. That was it for activities.

All we have on for next week are John’s treatments plus his quarterly dental appointment. This will be week #4, midpoint of the treatments.

Five for Friday

1. Early morning thunderstorms meant no swimming. John got to radiation, and we met Missy at Panera for coffee.

2. A massage is a wonderful thing. Even when she really works the sore places.

3. John felt well enough to go to duplicate this afternoon. And we kicked butt! We not only came in first, but by a large margin.

4. John had a severe sinking spell after supper, and went to bed before 7. I hope he can sleep it off through the night.

5. I finished the pattern part of the sweater I’m knitting. Just have the neckband, ribbing, side seams, and blocking to finish it.

Third Thursday

Week 3, chemo 3.

X-ray, breakfast, treatment room.

Worked today. Hooray!

Fun in Tennessee

Tennessee was the subject of Rachel Maddow’s lead story tonight. It seems that the NRA National Convention is being held in Nashville beginning Friday. The state is thrilled to be hosting 70,000 delegates and getting the benefits of the money they spend and the publicity they bring. And most of the declared and possible 2016 Republican candidates for the nomination for President will be speaking (although the Republican Governor of Tennessee was not invited to speak).

The Tennessee Legislature currently has a Republican super majority and loves to pass gun laws. One current law permits legally permitted gun owners to carry guns in public places, except where specifically permitted by the local government with jurisdiction over the spaces.

These are things that have happened in the last couple of weeks:

1. A bill was introduced that would allow legal gun-holders to carry guns in all parks, superseding any local laws that prohibit guns.

2. An amendment was proposed that this should also include the Legislative Plaza and the State Capitol (where guns are currently banned).

3. The bill has currently been tabled.

4. There will be, according to advertisements, 14 acres of vendors and displays at the convention. None of the guns at the booths can be in working order - firing pins must be removed from all guns.

5. Attendees with legal carry permits will be allowed to carry at the convention.

6. Except during the entertainment (Jeff Foxworthy, Alan Jackson, etc.)

7. Concealed weapons will be allowed at the speeches by the potential Republican candidates.

8. There is currently a guy in Nashville (the Radnor Lake Rambo) who walks around schools and other public places, wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying a rifle (sometimes bolt-action, sometimes automatic). He has a permit for open carry, and has broken no gun laws by doing this. The police have no idea what to do about this guy.

Never a dull minute!

Rainy Monday

Rain on Monday makes

For good cards at bridge. We got

New floor lamp. Hooray!

Spring Sunday

We went to visit Margaret and Bobby this afternoon.  We went the back way, through Soddy Daisy and across the Sequatchie Valley, rather than taking the interstate.  The redbud trees along the highway were as full, plentiful, and colorful as we could remember.  We came home on the interstate and they were almost as spectacular there.
Margaret and Bobby were doing well.  Jesse was home for the weekend, so that was a special treat.

Seeing Stars

I know yesterday’s eclipse was spectacular - but it was cloudy here, so we didn’t see it.

However, we had a great show of the International Space Station tonight. The skies were clear and the ISS passed almost directly overhead for us. Wow!

We get e-mails to alert us as to when the ISS will be visible in our area (weather permitting). Click here to get to the site to sign up for notifying e-mails.

It is amazing!

Five for Friday

1.  Swimming and coffee
2.  Haircuts  (YEA)
3.  Skyped with Jean
4.  Tina came by
5.  Talked to Margaret

Chemo #2

John did okay during the treatment today. It does pretty much shoot the whole day. We didn't get home (or have lunch) until after 2. I had a short nap and John slept until after 5. I was cold from the treatment center until after my nap - thought I had more clothes on this time. John tells me to go out into the lobby to wait, but I hate not to sit with him. His lab work was okay prior to this treatment. We'll see what happens this week.

Warmer Wednesday

Today was another lovely day. John got to get in his exercise on the River Walk. He loves soaking up all that sunshine.


Judy brought us potato soup for dinner tonight. It was delicious and made with that very special ingredient, LOVE! Thanks, Friend.


I’m still pretty zonked from the lack of sleep the other night, so I’m off to bed. Tomorrow is a chemo day, so we’ll be at the hospital all morning.

Zombie Day

I pretty much just phoned it in today.


The phone rang at 3:30 this morning.  Caller ID said "blocked call".  I answered and nobody was there.  Hung up, and it promptly rang again.  Same thing.  I let it go to the answering machine next time - same thing.  So I just left the phone off the hook and we went back to bed.  John got to sleep, but I never did.


John went to radiation, saw the radiologist, and had his consultation with the dietician.  I went to the post office to mail the tax stuff and then to the grocery stores.


I thought for sure I'd be taking a killer nap, but got only a short one.  So I think I'll go to bed early tonight.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Panic

After the usual Monday stuff (now including John’s 7 a.m. radiation appointment), we came home to find the TV not working.

NOT WORKING?!?!? How can this be on a day when the Lady Vols are playing in the Elite Eight? I got on the phone with our cable provider. We tried lots of ons and offs and do-this and do-the-other. Nothing worked. Finally he set up an appointment with a tech house call tomorrow afternoon.

TOMORROW?!?!? OMG! Having to watch the game on the little non-HD television in the room without comfortable chairs. ARGHH!

John went to take a nap to rest up for the game, and I watched the news on the little TV. After UConn had annihilated Dayton, I woke him up. The first thing he did was try to do something with the TV. As an old electrical engineer, the first thing he tried was a total reboot, i.e., unplug the cable box from the wall and then turn it back on.

Well, damn! After some “whirring” and “thunking”, the stupid machine popped up a picture, with the Lady Vols and Maryland going at it. The old man still has “it”! Unfortunately the Lady Vols didn’t - and Maryland is going to the Final Four. I hope they give UConn a good game.

RIP L'Empress

One of my favorite blogs has been "A Place of My Own".   L'Empress was a lovely Connecticut lady.  I met her online, but never had the joy of meeting her in person.  We found an immediate connection over our passion for women's college basketball.  Unfortunately our two favorite teams were mortal enemies.  She was a graduate of and obvious fan of the University of Connecticut - the arch-enemy of our Tennessee Lady Vols.  We never let that stand in the way of our virtual friendship.  She had just moved into a retirement community and was hoping for many more years of life.
I wish she had been able to see her beloved UConn Lady Huskies win a 10th national championship (as it's looking likely they will do).  I'm sure she will be cheering for them from her new vantage point overlooking the basketball court.
RIP, L'Empress

Sunday Stealing

The Dirty Dozen Meme


Stolen from: The Archives

1. This weather is really..... changeable - just like Spring

2. You think you've seen it all, you should see me.... dance

3. I'm sure you would still love me even if... you knew me better.

4. I think I have finally realized... that life isn’t perfect.

5. Since the last time we linked up... a week has gone by.

6. I get super embarrassed... at my birthday party last week.

7. I really thought by now... I’d have learned more than I have.

8. If I thought no one would read it, I would write about... a few secrets.

9. I knew I was in the wrong place... when I woke up in a high-fashion, high-dollar store in my dream.

10. I am so not above... doing dumb things.

11. Let's pretend... was a children’s program I used to listen to on the radio on Saturday mornings. (DAMN, but I’m old!)

12. Just you wait...  "‘Enry ‘Iggins, just you wait!" (What else could I say)

Simply Saturday

We had a lovely day, albeit cool. John's still doing well. He did have some problems with his a-fib when he tried to exercise today, and will have to check with his docs on Monday about that.

Tina and Carol fixed dinner for us, Stephen, Missy & John (7 in all) - pasta and meat sauce, caprese salad, bread, green beans dessert. What special friends! And delicious food!

Almost forgot to mention the nail-biter ballgame. While dinner prep and post-dinner cleanup was going on the Lady Vols were doing very poorly against Gonzaga in the Sweet Sixteen ballgame. And then they managed to come from 17 points behind to send the game into overtime, and finally pull out the win. Now on to Maryland in the Elite Eight on Monday.

Five for Friday

1. Radiation treatment #3.
2. He took donuts for the techs and nurses.
3. I got my delayed massage this morning.
4. John’s a-fib kicked in when he exercises this afternoon. He doesn’t need this, too.
5. Women’s Sweet Sixteen started tonight.

First chemo

We got up before 6, and got to the cancer center just in time for his 7 a.m. radiation appointment. He was finished with that at 7:20. We had to wait about 30 minutes for the Oncology office to open, and then got started with signing in, taking vital signs, and a little more waiting.

Once into the treatment area, he picked out a chair and we settled in for the duration. This appointment was longer because there's extra stuff with the first session. The nurse had to get signatures and give instructions and information, etc. She finally started the drips about 9. I think he wound up getting five bags of stuff (saline, anti-nausea, benedryl, and the two medicines), and was finally unhooked and dismissed about 12:30. The nurse said the subsequent sessions would not take that long.

These folks do everything they can to make the patients as comfortable as possible. In the treatment room, the chairs are recliners; there are blankets, coffee, water, snacks, bathrooms, and no overhead music or TV.

But then we were home for some lunch and naps. Tomorrow he'll go by himself, just for the radiation treatment. So far, no side effects. We'll see what the next few days brings.

It begins

We had another gorgeous day today, with sunshine and highs in the high 70s. It's all-day rain tomorrow and then back to below freezing over the weekend. We are enjoying all the gorgeous trees in bloom, though (and the pollen and sneezing that go along with them).
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We went to the cancer center this afternoon for the set-up and first radiation treatment. They hade a mold for his body to rest in on the table, and gave him three tattoos. He's currently set up for 7 a.m. appointments. We're both morning people, so that's not a problem. His first chemo is tomorrow and will follow the radiation treatment. I’ll drive him on the days he has chemo, but he’ll probably go to the radiation by himself (unless he starts feeling bad towards the end).

So it's started.

It goes on...

Last night, all my parts decided to ache at the same time, so I took a muscle relaxant and a pain pill. I went to bed (and to sleep) at 9:30, and slept until after 7 this morning (with only a few potty breaks). Obviously I really needed that.
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We went to the oncologist this morning, and John’s treatments will start tomorrow. He will be having 7 weeks of chemo and radiation simultaneously. The radiation will be every day and the chemo once a week. He has his radiation “dress rehearsal”, which will include the first treatment Wednesday, and then the first chemo treatment will be on Thursday.

The doc says some people have almost no side effects, a few might have to be hospitalized, and all points in between. Whatever, John was definitely ready to get started, so we’re off to the races. Stay tuned.

"Normal" Monday

Today was just a “normal” Monday - Y, Panera, home, bridge. Tomorrow we have what we hope will be the planning and schedule-setting appointment with the oncologist.

The Lady Vols are headed to the Sweet Sixteen.

I’m achy and am having a hard time staying awake. I hope to get to 10 pm before heading to bed.

Weekend visits

Jean went to visit with Margaret and Bobby Saturday morning. She and Sue overlapped there, so got to visit with each other. Sue came here Saturday afternoon. She left here midmorning, heading back to SC. It was great to have visits with them - just don't see them often enough. Next time will probably be at the beach the end of June.

John has borrowed a recumbent bicycle and an erg (rowing machine) so he can get some exercise here at home. To my surprise (but not his), they both fit in our living room without moving too much stuff. I wouldn't want them there permanently, but it'll work for the duration.

Accomplishing that, plus laundry is about all we got done today.

Sunday Stealing

The I Meme


Stolen from: The Archives

I am... Mary

I want... to be healthy as long as possible

I have... the best family and friends

I wish... people would just be nice to each other

I hate... hatred and prejudice

I fear... that Congress will never be able to accomplish anything

I hear... birds outside in the morning

I search... for information on Google

I wonder... if people will ever learn to get along

I regret... I don’t regret - it’s a waste of time

I love... my family and friends

I never... say “never”

I ache... all over sometimes

I always... try never to say “always”

I usually... try to make peace

I am not... ready to stop traveling and seeing new things and learning

I dance... never

I sing... when I’m alone in the car

I sometimes... like to be alone

I cry... much too often

I am not always... as calm as I look

I lose... my temper over stupid things

I am confused... about why people do the things they do

I need... more time

I should...lose weight, exercise more, otherwise take better care of myself

Good friends, good food, good times.

I had the greatest morning. The swim class had a post-class party (covered dish goodies and coffee) for my birthday. Just getting together is special. But the hostess had everybody tell some tidbit about me. So unexpected and so emotional for me and something I'll keep with me forever.
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I think John has had enough of doctors for a few days. He cancelled this afternoon’s appointment for a second opinion. His cancer is not something unusual, and he is happy with his team. Now the next appointment is on Tuesday with the oncologist - the quarterback of the team. We’re hoping that the treatment schedule will be set up then.
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This special day ended with a special dinner. Missy, Tina, Carol & Stephen joined Jean, John, and me for a carry-out Chinese dinner. Great company, great food, and just the right amount (i.e., no leftovers).

Life is good!

Music

Today was a lovely quiet day. It rained off and on all day, but no doctors’ appointments.

Jean came - first time we’ve seen her in several months, so it’s special to have her here.

We went to String Theory tonight. It was an unusual program - all percussion. Neither of us particularly likes drum solos, so we were apprehensive about the music. But this was not what you normally think of when you say “drum solo”. It was SO much more.

The three musicians played a variety of percussion instruments, as a group and solo. There were six or seven pieces in the program, none more than about 5-8 minutes long.

Far and away, our favorite piece was Musique de Tables by Thierry de May. It’s about 6 minutes long and is not like anything we’d heard before. Click here to listen. Please listen to at least a few minutes of it - it’s amazing. The sounds are very subtle, so turn the volume up on your speakers (I promise it’s not one of those things that will jump out with a loud noise). Just remember to turn it back down later. I’d love to hear your comments about the piece.

Tough day

We were gone for nearly 12 hours today - starting at the Y and finishing up at the hospital.

In the morning, John had the CT scan for the set-up for his radiation treatments. Then we killed about an hour until nearly noon, waiting for time to go back to the hospital for his biopsy.

The preliminary pathology didn't show any abnormality, but the doc is waiting for the final report in five or so days. John is not happy about this procedure or the doctor. He had a really bad coughing spell in the recovery room and feels like he got no help at all for it. By the time I got called back to the post-op area, he was still doing some hard coughing, but not like he said he had been doing before that. In any case, we finally got home about 5:30, and his coughing has been minimal.

He got some coffee and some ramen noodle soup, and was feeling better by bedtime.

Tomorrow Jean comes and we go to the String Theory concert. Should be a better day.

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Remember a couple of months ago when I so highly recommended the book, Being Mortal? Please click here for an short exceptional article on the question every doctor should ask.

Ten Things Tuesday

1. Tuesday is for the grocery stores. My time at Aldi and Walmart keeps getting shorter, though.

2. John went for pretesting for the laryngeal biopsy tomorrow, then did some exercise time.

3. John had to do some phone calls about tax questions.

4. I called to the repair service about the dishwasher that wouldn’t start last Sunday. They set up an appointment for Thursday.

5. The repair service called to say they’d had a cancellation and was it okay if the repair guy came today. Well, duh!

6. The dishwasher was working an hour later!

7. I had gotten a box of leftovers out of the freezer to thaw for supper. It was unidentifiable, so went down the disposal.

8. I tried another package of freezer leftovers, plus an Idahoan mix. This one was a winner.

9. John is npo after midnight.

10. It looks like Sue and Jean will be here at various times over the weekend. Yea!

Birthday miscellany

We met with the radiologist this morning, and finally met with the Nurse Navigator. These are all such nice people. They really do everything they can to make this difficult journey as easy as possible. He scheduled one more appointment this week. John will come in before his laryngeal biopsy on Wednesday for the specialized CT scan to set up the radiation treatments.

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We finally got to play bridge this afternoon. Not that the cards were all that good, but it was still good to get out. We went straight from there to Bonefish Grill for my birthday dinner. John always has the same thing - the appetizer of mussels for his dinner. I had grilled scallops and shrimp this time. Whatever - it's all good.

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Then home to watch the women's basketball selection show. The Lady Vols are(is) a #2 seed, and the Lady Mocs are (is?) a #7. They're in the same bracket and play the first two games in Knoxville. This means that, assuming both of them win their first games, they will play each other in the second game. Not our favorite scenario, but …

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We talked to Margaret tonight. She’s having a tough time. I wish we could help her more. Mostly all we can do is listen. Love you, Babe!

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Happy Birthday to me!

Sunday Stealing

The One Thing Meme

Stolen from: Survey Haven

One Thing .....

that makes you smile: seeing family, puns (oops, that’s two)

that makes you cry: I never know - crying is usually a surprise

that you love to do on the weekends: get together with friends and/or family

that you do for only yourself: get a massage

that you have in your underwear drawer that's NOT underwear: actually, there’s just underwear there

that you do before going to sleep: put eye drops in my eyes

that you do within the first 15 minutes after waking: turn on the coffee

that's in your purse: wallet


that you actually LIKE to clean: nothing

that you DETEST cleaning: everything

that other people would find odd about you: that I like going to a movie by myself

that you would buy if I handed you a $100 bill: yarn


that you feel you HAVE to do before you die: live every day to the fullest.

Birthdays

This is birthday time

For us. Alison, Sarah,

And me. Wish us well!

A pretty good day

A plan might be coming together.

John was getting very frustrated about a lack of movement in various events that needed to happen before he could start his treatment. While not sleeping last night, he decided that he would go to the Cancer Center this morning and talk to some folks “face to face”.

His pulmonary function test was scheduled at 8 a.m., so that was first. After that, we went next door to the Cancer Center to see what we could accomplish.

It was amazing. John talked to the scheduler (twice) and to the doctor’s nurses. They agreed that Dr. A would want to have the laryngeal biopsy done before setting a treatment plan. While those folks were talking and planning, I got on the phone to Dr. L’s office and through several phone calls, got the biopsy set up for next Wednesday. John will see the radiologist on Monday, and see Dr. S for the second opinion on Friday.

All of this is to be followed by an appointment with Dr. A the following Tuesday to review all the findings and to set up the treatment schedule. Hooray!

And all this was done before 9 a.m. So we had time to get to coffee with the swimmers and get much-needed haircuts. We were definitely not great at duplicate this afternoon. But we get to have Kate and Wayne here and had lasagna for dinner.

All in all - a pretty good day!

Limerick

A Word A Day has been about poetry this week.  And today's poem form was the limerick.  This is my first attempt.  The best, funniest ones are usually dirty, and this one is neither funny nor dirty.  But it is description of our life nowadays.

There was an old man from Hixson

With bad lungs. We’re tryin’ to fix ‘em.

He goes in for test

Along with the rest.

Chemo and radiation to mix in.

Roller coaster

We went for John to see the ENT doctor this morning. Dr. L wants to do a biopsy of the lesion on his larynx. We're waiting to see what the oncologist recommends as to timing.

We're still working on phone calls, trying to get all things scheduled. The second opinion hasn’t been set up yet. And I guess that needs to happen before they can set up a treatment schedule.

Pulmonary function tests scheduled for early Friday morning. Plus he got a call about an asbestos study being done by his 30-year employer, so they're going to be paying for some of this testing.
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In our “normal” life - if anything can ever be considered “normal” - I had my mani/pedi this afternoon. And a special treat - Jesse and Caroline came by for a little visit this afternoon. He’s out of the Navy now and is job hunting in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area.

This week has been one wild roller coaster! And it's only Wednesday.

Day two haiku

More rain today, but

No appointments. Some phone calls,

Nothing definite.

Not the best, but not the worst, either

Well, today was the day for information from doctors. The first visit was to the oncologist. Dr. A is to be the captain of our team.

Not the best of news, but not the worst either. John has Stage III-A squamous cell carcinoma (non-small cell carcinoma) in the left lower lobe (LLL) of his lungs, with 4 left lymph nodes involved. His PET scans and brain MRI last week were clear. Dr. A says this is “curable” with treatment with chemo and radiation. His recommendation is for radiation with chemo give at the same time, weekly for seven weeks. The drugs would be Paclitaxel and Carboplatin. And he said the treatment would be “tough”.

John asked about getting a second opinion, so Dr. A’s office is going to set him up with a visit to another top oncologist here. We’re hoping to get that done in the next few days, so the treatment schedule can be set up and started.

Next we went to see the pulmonologist. Dr. B told us again what he had found. He’s going to set up full breathing function tests, and see John again in 3 months. He said he was 100% sure that this was due to John’s many years of smoking - even though he quit 30 years ago. Dr. B is also concerned about the possibility of a lesion on his larynx, and wants to be sure John sees the ENT doc. This is set up for Wednesday.

UTC Lady Mocs win!

Lady Mocs again!

Conference champion!

Ranked seventeen. Yea!