Saturday, March 14, 2009

The day after Friday the 13th

Wouldn't you know that the week the stock market does well....my money is NOT in the stock market! I had transferred all my money out of ING to another company, who is holding it in cash and will take their time about getting it back in the market....well I hope they don't wait until it's down again!

Slow day today. Sandy was up early and off with Truman to a CPE event in Glastonbury, leaving me with Bub and Lily. We stayed in bed until 9am and then started our day.

Not much going on....no UConn Huskies playing in any Big East Tournament Championship game. No Red Sox games on.

Tomorrow I might sneak up to Toyota of Colchester and look at the three hybrids they have...maybe there is one I can afford that I will like! Sandy insists on "going for the gold" but I'm not sure that is going to work out.

Truman qualified in all five of his events today! He had fun, which is the important thing. The guy just loves competing. Next month our agility club is holding a trial at the Chester Fairgrounds on the 18th and 19th. Here's a chance for those of you who have always wanted to see agility to come and check it out! I'll be ensconced at ring side, lining up my volunteers and keeping track of things. Jessica is going to do the running around part of the job.

Heard from Pat today that Charmine's mother passed away. She had been quite ill for some time and it was not unexpected, but still....when it's your Mom.....I don't know if I'll be able to go to the funeral...they haven't made plans yet.

Next week is a very busy one for me. I had made lots of plans thinking that I would be three weeks out from chemo....but due to the low blood counts holding everything up, I'll be only two weeks out. Should be interesting.

Now I think I'll sign off and get caught up on my reading...that Time magazine is sitting there calling my name.

Nighty night

Friday, March 13, 2009

Addendum to Friday's post

Well, Sandy and I made up later before she left to go take Frank to see Ryan's game.

Then, she got her revenge. As I was taking a package of chicken nuggets she got for Truman's agility trial tomorrow, my containers of ribs and barbecue sauce fell out onto the floor.

You should have heard the swearing that went on! Barbecue sauce all over the floor, fridge, under the meat drawer, on my pants...you name it...it was there. So, I had to get on my hands and knees and clean up every.....last......drop. I had to take out the meat drawer to clean underneath it.....and of course, I had to wrestle it out of the fridge...actually, I had to remove ALL the drawers just to get to the meat drawer....of course.

Then I had to schlep downstairs to get the bucket, mop and vinegar (which is what we use for cleaning)....not there....had to schlep back upstairs and out to the garage, which is where they were. Washed the floor.

Before this happened I noticed that the paper towel holder was leaning. While I was pulling towels off, a little piece of cheap plastic flew off the bottom and the thing fell apart---I'll probably get blamed for that.

Actually, she just came home and I read the above to her....she knows that it was breaking...so she doesn't blame me. I'll go buy a new one.

I told you this too shall pass....it has done so.

Nighty night!

Husky Horror Show

I stayed up to watch that abomination of a tournament game last night between the Huskies and Syracuse. It started at 9:30 and I didn't think I would be able to stay up to see it....I hadn't been able to sleep when I went up for my nap in the afternoon.

Well, not only did I stay up and watch all SIX overtimes....when I did go up to bed, it was almost 1:30 am and I didn't fall asleep for another two hours!

The game was so pitiful...the Huskies showed little heart, desire or drive, with a few exceptions. If they could hit foul shots, they would have won the thing easily....but NO! They have to make everything harder than it has to be.

Sandy brought her car up to Toyota to have her oil changed and she went looking for a Camry hybrid for me. She found one that is way more than I want to pay---it's loaded with everything. She'll go back next week to wheel and deal with the salesman I dealt with before when I went up there. She seems to think that with their lower car loan rate and her getting them to knock $$ off, I should be able to afford it.

We'll see. If it's meant to happen, it will happen. I didn't want it loaded, but if she can get it at the right price, I won't turn it down.....

When she came home and was putting groceries away we got into a little tiff. It seems (to me anyway) that every time she goes into the kitchen after I've used it, she finds something to exclaim over---"what's this white stuff on the stove?" (that was yesterday), today it was "what's this, something greasy here"....it's always something....no matter how hard I work to clean everything. It's been happening since we moved here...although at the old house, she always seemed to find some crumbs I missed.

The thing is, I find things in the kitchen too...but I don't say anything about them, I just clean them up. Unless of course, what I find is the tea kettle boiling away and she's in the back yard, or cellar or some such thing. Then I will say something--for safety's sake.

She always seems compelled---and I'm suspecting it is a familial thing--I must remember to ask Jean about that, to comment on "things" she finds in the kitchen.

Today, it being the second or third straight day we have had these "discoveries", just hit me wrong. I completely threw out the window everything she has done for me over the past few months--the care she has been providing--and I had to make a nasty retort.

She insists that her comments aren't aimed at me...I told her, "who else could be doing it? Mr. Yehudi?" With that she told me I am cruel and now we are keeping our distance and quietly.

Nothing like a good nap to make all that bad stuff go away, that's what I always say. I have my headphones on now, listening to classical music on Sirius while she bangs around in the kitchen, where she is still muttering about things.

Oh well...this too shall pass.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Wacky Wednesday

Actually, there really wasn't anything wacky....except for the dreams I had last night. I got up early in the AM and remembered to write them down. I don't know if I mentioned, but I'm going to be keeping a journal of my dreams for some study they are doing at the Cancer Ctr. They can have fun with the weirdness that goes on in my head every night! Last night the themes were HAIR and the color red. Strange.

Got up late and went down for my bloodwork. Still no pleases and thank yous from the receptionist...but it is the same person now every week, she recognizes me and doesn't make me go through the 20 questions....some small progress. The phlebotomist was a guy today...in fact both of them were guys---they told me that they are the only guys in the dept. Well...I know the other guy and he is great and this guy was even gentler! Not a mark on me...and no blood on the cotton when I took the dressing off tonight! That's GOOD!

Then we ran over to sign our income tax returns and then to Town Hall to get the marriage license paperwork. The lady is one of those who starts out with an attitude, but turns it around as she "gets to know you" and it was a pleasant experience in the end.

Came home and went to bed...I was pooped. Lynne showed up shortly thereafter, came up and sat with me...I in bed and Lynne on the chaise. We had a nice talk and then she told me to sleep....which I did. She went downstairs and had a nice chat with Sandy. They figured out the wedding details for next week. Lynne will come up here to do the ceremony if I am tired and then we will go out for our lobster dinner. Or, we will have the dinner at another time...the important thing in all of this is to have that dinner!

Heard from ANOTHER old friend through Facebook...Bruce Wallen. We used to work together at Weiss' Market back when I was in college and he was in high school. Bruce was a young pilot and took me up in his family's plane a few times...I've never forgotten it. He has his own plane now and ended up as a state employee too! It must have been something in the water up there in Putnam.

Tomorrow Sandy has a couple of appointments and I'm going to just rest. I'll be heading into my "period of confinement" Friday through Tuesday, when I have to avoid germs. I avoid them all the time, but this is when I have to be extra careful.

I'm enjoying listening to the March wind. I dunno why, but wind and rain always helps me fall asleep.

Asleep...to have those strange dreams. Tonight it will probably be about flying....we'll see.

Nighty night.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Vocabulary Word for the Day:
LIQUIDITY Definition: Liquidity is when you look at your retirement funds and wet your pants.

That was from Marko the Magnificent!

Not much happening today. Tired.

UConn whupping up on Louisville...as expected.

Going to bed early.

Nighty night.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Monday-Big East Semis

That's the biggest thing I did all day.....watch the Huskies beat Nova in the Big East semi final game. I'm now doing the second biggest thing...watching Louisville and Pitt in their semi final game.

Got up from bed after 1pm...so tired. Stayed up for a few hours and went back to bed around 4pm..slept until 6:30. Got up, had supper and watched the game.

I have to be in bed before Sandy leaves for work and I have promised that I will NOT get out of bed, no matter how much the dogs might beg. "Let them poop or pee on the floor," Sandy says, "I'll clean it up when I get home." As bad as that sounds, I will have to do as she says...I can't take another tongue lashing like I took the other day.

Got a call from Bill Taveres at the Sun today. The Sun are going to have a media event for draft day next month. If I get my chemo as scheduled, I should be "good to go" for that. I love going to the Sun for draft day....they have a high-roller suite reserved for us....we get to sit there in the lap of luxury (and trust me...it IS luxurious!), looking out over the river, with all the snacks and drinks we could ask for....a great time! I love using the bathroom...all granite and glass. Beautiful!

Someday we'll go and stay in one of those rooms. Someday. Now I sound like my father "someday we'll go to New York...." How many years did we hear that one, bless his heart! He did take us to NYC finally, just before Maria and I went into the Army. Better late than never, I guess.

I'm hoping Pitt wins this one, but I don't think it's going to happen. As soon as it's over, I'm hitting the hay. Have to catch up on my sleep!

Oh, I keep forgetting to mention here about how quickly I'm losing my eyelashes and eye brows. The brows don't bother me, most folks never noticed my brows anyway. But the lashes disappearing do create problems. In the morning I wake up and have to really make an effort to open my eyes...they are STUCK TOGETHER! It's pretty funny, really. I rinse them out with saline every morning now. That helps.

My hair is growing back faster and faster, I think. It feels that way anyhow. I will probably have Sandy 'buzz it" one more time, to get rid of the weak, dry hair that has grown in. Then I'll just let it flourish on it's own. I'm really curious to see what color it will be and if it will be curly.

Ooops...Pitt has the ball and the lead with under two minutes to go...I better watch this!

Nighty night.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Sunday, Big East

First of all...my new atomic watch changed the time all by itself last night while I was sleeping! I'm so proud of it's ability to do that without any assistance from me.

Watched the Huskies decimate USF...unbelievable performance by our women. Maya Moore was awesome as usual...there was play between her and Kaili McLaren that was Sports Center material.

After the game I crashed fast. I was hoping that the exhaustion I felt after the last chemo was a "after-the-fourth-chemo-abberation"...but I guess I was wrong. It's probably going to happen until I finish all the "big chemos" and I'm just going to have to accept it. DONE.

Facebook is amazing. Today I became "friends with" someone I knew from our old neighborhood in Putnam, Gordon Jandro. I haven't seen him since he graduated high school and headed off to California. This AM there's a message from Facebook in my email, saying that he wants to add me as a friend....of course I accepted. Now I will help him reconnect with Wiz and with other Putnam folks. He's living in Arizona now.

I have been reunited with old Army pals, found relatives (Birgitta and Lilian) in Sweden that I didn't know I had; reestablished relationships with the Schultzbergs--who I had lost contact with; keep in better contact with my siblings; found old high school pals; made friends with fellow Husky fans--strangers I would NEVER have met---all through the internet.

Now Facebook comes along and it makes it so much easier to find people; keep in touch and help them to find other "lost friends." It's fun too!

C Viv Stringer has just removed all of her starters and put her bench in...she's so creative...that's the ONLY thing she can think of to do when her team falls behind by 12 points. She's almost a washed-up, has-been.

Oh...and the Lady Voles lost last night. Life is very good!

So, now my job is to eat, sleep, relax. Eat, sleep, relax. Tough, eh?

So, why am I so envious when I see all these people around me with so much energy? I long for the day when I have that kind of energy back again.

Until then I'll work hard at my current job.

Nighty night!