Saturday, July 18, 2009

Hair today....

My hair is weird. I love it...but it's weird. I took a shower last night and this morning my hair was sticking up in weird ways all over my head. In the back it was flat, flat, flat!

Tonight it looks dirty blond...not grey. It seems to change day-to-day.

Soon I will have to gel it to get it to lie down.

Can't wait!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Well...the week is over, just like that! Wednesday I was supposed to go to my surgeon (gastric by-pass doctor) for my annual check-up. I was actually supposed to go last week, but forgot! As usual. Well...Wednesday morning they call to see if I can come in earlier than my 11:30 appt. We were supposed to drop Lily off at Jean's at 10:30....and the doctor is in New Haven so I didn't see how I could get there any sooner....but I told them I'd try.

When we got to Jean's, she hadn't returned from her surgery (eyelid) so we had to wait. It was getting close to 10:45 so I called the doctor and told them I couldn't make it early. They said, come in at one pm....so I said okay. Then Jean came home and Sandy said to call and see if we could come in at 11:30 so I did...and they said okay. I was getting sick of the whole damned thing and wanted to cancel the appointment...really!

So, we are almost into New Haven...it's 11:15 and they call me to tell me that Deb had left and she would see me when she returned...I asked, "and when is that?" and they said "one o'clock.

Of course.

We went over to Ikea and checked out the top floor, then went to the doctor's office. Deb was rushed...I think they were double-booked....so I got a cursory check and my lab slip. I told Sandy later that the only reason I go for the follow-up appts is for the lab slip! Too bad they can't just mail it to me. Oh well...I do love to go to Ikea....

Back to Ikea we go and have lunch. We decided to have big meals, so I had the special....barbecued ribs; mashed potatoes and corn bread. OMG! Was it good! You would think Swedes wouldn't know a thing about barbecue and corn bread. The ribs were delicious! I always love their mashed red potatoes, but I didn't expect to absolutely LOVE their corn bread! It was crispy on the outside and so sweet!!!

We got some neat stuff using the gift certificate Maria gave us when we moved in here....including a big glass vase for our bamboo...which has gone nuts and is about four feet high, I swear! We put this in the bathroom window. There's room to grow there with the "cathedral" ceiling.

Yesterday I got up all full of energy. I vaccumed downstairs and washed the floors and then I collapsed. I don't know what it was...if it was a result of all the action last week with Katie and the kids here and the chemo...but I was so fatigued...to the point of exhaustion. Usually I rejuvenate by sitting and not moving....that worked on Wednesday when we came back from Ikea. Yesterday, it took even longer for me to feel better.

So, this morning I got up, fed the pets and went to the gym. I did most of my old routine--20 minutes on the tread climber (albeit at a slightly slower setting); did the resistance machines in the "ladies exercise area"--at 10 lbs lower than my old settings; did 15 minutes on the stationery bike and did my stretches. Oh...I added exercises with the five lb dumbbells....something I didn't use to do.

It felt good. I felt energized just as Sandy said I would. I have been fighting this fatigue and exhaustion for some time. I realize that because I am getting the chemo (let's face it...I have just about every side effect) the fatigue is going to continue. The best thing to combat the fatigue is aerobic exercise.

I'm going to keep going to the gym.

Had a feeling about Janet's Dad and went up to her house on my way home. Sure enough, he passed away this morning. Talked with Jess and Jeremy. They don't know when the memorial service will be. They mentioned that Janet needs to get away for a few days to get a break---I said she could come stay with us and be pampered. I called Sandy and she suggested that I take Janet up to Ogunquit...an idea which I love, of course!

Walter Cronkite died tonight. I loved Walter from the first moment I heard his voice. I remember what he said when the astronauts walked on the moon: "this is the farthest away from home that man has ever been." I remember him when he came on to make the announcement that President Kennedy had died....and how he took off his glasses to wipe a tear away. I remember him during the riots at the convention in Chicago....remember when he announced that the 100th service member had died in Vietnam; remember when he went to Vietnam....so many memories. He was the first, last and only newsman that I trusted completely. If he said it was so...it was so. They DO NOT make them like Walter anymore.

Oh...and on a different note: Sandy was mowing today and the guy next door came over and introduced himself! No one in the neighborhood had ever spoken with him! He and she chatted for awhile. He said that a coyote was in his yard the other day, he thinks it was going after his cat. He wanted to warn her about them because of the dogs. He also said that a coyote made a nest under his porch one time and died under there...and that his ex-wife locked a coyote in the garage once and then their dog got mange and the vet thought it might have picked it up from the coyote.

The other thing he told her is that he thinks the tree that we want to cut down (a poplar cottonwood) is on the strip of land owned by the town for an easement to the wet area between our houses. Sandy will call the town. I told her have them cut it down...why should we pay for it?

Sox are playing the Blue Jays, who are playing in their pajamas. Sox are FINALLY getting rid of Julio Lugo...what took them so long???

Nighty night

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

After the vacation....

Sunday we took the kids to the N. Stonington Fair....had a great time. The fair is small...smaller than the Brooklyn Fair...just the right size for kids. And it is cheap! They charged us $14 as we pulled in to park...I thought that was just for the parking...nope, it was for parking and admission for Kate and me! All the kids got in free. Good deal.

Bob Duncan was foolish enough to go on the "Round-Up" with the kids. The "Round-Up" is what they used to call the "Satellite"....you know, the horror show that has you standing up and it spins in a circle and then stands practically on its end...as centrifugal force works miracles on your stomach contents.

Bob was ill after that one....and sat out for awhile in the shade to let things calm down. Mariah loved the ride and ended up going on it about six more times! Timmy got a bit ill on the "Wild Wind" aka the "Tilt-a-Whirl" and he was down for the count for awhile.

The "Tilt-a-Whirl" always reminds me of going to the Woodstock Fair with Joyce Migneault and Laurie Wilson back in the day. We had a few pops before we went up there....we picked up a load of hot dogs, hamburgers and buns from Weiss Market and delivered them to the Woodstock Fire booth...so we could get in free. We parked near the Fire booth and one of the constables was chasing us because we weren't supposed to park there. Just setting the stage...

Anyhoo, we escaped the constable and rode a few rides...my favorite--the ever-safe "Merry Mixer" now called "The Scrambler" and then we climbed aboard the "Tilt a Whirl." As stated before, we were slightly buzzed and at that stage where everything is hilarious.

The ride was pretty tame...so Joyce thought. So, as we passed the guy who was running the ride, she screamed at him, "SWING THIS SHIT BOX!" Which, of course, we thought was hysterical. He says, "OH YEAH???" and then he pulled real hard on the lever in front of him...and kept pulling it every time we passed him. This sent us into a spin that didn't end until he stopped the ride, and even then I think he had to grab our car to stop the spinning. We got off that ride staggering and ill. The nausea lasted all night for me....who has a sensitive stomach anyway.

The end of the story is that all night long we kept going back to my car (actually Bob Miller's old blue station wagon) and that constable had his ass parked right there, sitting on the car at one point...waiting to catch us.

We had to keep coming back and in the end we low-crawled around the tents and other vehicles I slid into the car, put it in neutral and backed it out without starting it...then I started it up and took off. I picked them up down the road and spotted him in the rear view mirror, chasing us on foot for awhile. I never understood why he didn't give us a ticket...what the hell was he going to do? Yell at us? HA HA...we're the ones who got away.

All in all, a great night at the fair.

We had a different kind of fun Sunday at the fair. The kids enjoyed the rides, we got to see a cow being milked---first time the kids had seen that. Timmy had never been to a fair and Lera of course, had never been.

When we came back here to the house, I got a fire going in the chiminea on the deck and we all sat out there, watched the fire and talked. Lera fell asleep on Bob's lap....so sweet. Mariah and Timmy loved the fire, of course. Later when it got really dark, the fireflies came out. They had never seen them before and really got a kick out of it. A wonderful ending to a wonderful day.

Yesterday I went up to Putnam and took Katie and Mariah to visit Bob Miller. Bob Duncan took Timmy and Lera to McD's to play on the jungle gym thing they have there. Bob didn't remember Katie at first and then, either he did remember her...or he did a good job faking it. She didn't care...she was just happy to see him again. She told him how she remembered getting worms to go fishing down at the lake.

Then we grabbed some lunch, sat in the park in Putnam near the boatlaunch to eat. The kids played in the river....while Grannie Annie hovered over them. Then it was time to be off to the airport.

Tearful goodbyes, lots of hugs and lots of "I want to stay" from the kids. We're already talking about having them come back in two years--we'll rent a cottage next time where they can stay. That would be better than the hotel room...the kids can swim; we can stay over; we can have groceries there and can cook--instead of eating out every meal; and we can have a big cookout and invite family and friends. We couldn't do that this time because we didn't have enough advance notice about when Katie could come. Next time we'll get more notice.

I'm hoping that maybe I can go out to Phoenix next year to visit while the kids are on vacation. I would love to go back to AZ.

When I got home I was exhausted beyond exhaustion. I didn't have the energy to go up to bed....sat in the recliner and slowly felt my strength coming back. I'm like a car battery that has gone dead....and you let it sit for awhile and you get enough of a charge to get the car started.

Got up today and was really dizzy and tired. Went down to Waterford to get the toilet chair from Jean and delivered it to Judy for Mary Ann to use when she gets out of the rehab facility.
I really didn't think I should go down there...but as I got out and about I felt better. Wonder what that is all about.

Tonight Sandy is cooking steak. I have to get down to Campbell's farm stand to get some veggies.

Tomorrow we go to New Haven to Dr. Valin's for my check-up and then we'll slide on over to Ikea to see what we like over there (hint: EVERYTHING!) We still have that $100 gift certificate Maria gave us for a house warming gift. It's been burning a hole in my wallet for about a year now!

Anyone see my little, pink appointment book? I lost it and it's really driving me nuts!

Nighty night