To the studio yesterday to help the Baton's. Arte is a dirty old man, making growling noises at me and talking about the "tattoo she has on her back" on the air. I don't have any damned tattoo on my back. Why does it bother me that the "Yahoos" who watch their show might think he's seen my back?

Ick.......it makes me sick to think about it.

George is always the gentleman though and I had a good time bantering on the camera mike with Guy and Gary in the control room. They have a healthy disdain for everything Arte too.

Today I had to rise and shine early to get up the Providence for the CT Scan. They took me in early which was nice. They had some problems getting the fluids to go into my vein...they had to wiggle the needle around a bit and were all concerned that it might hurt me. PLEASE! That is NOTHING compared to other stuff. Anyway, it finally worked, albeit slowly and they got the tests done.

Then I had to head over to my favorite place, the lab....to get my CA 125 and the new test done. I had to ask for Colleen or Cindy, as they had to escort me to the drawing station and wait for the blood to send the test in. A woman came out and started telling me what to do. I had to ask her name....it was Colleen! Why the hell can't these idiots introduce themselves? STUPIDOS as my mother would say. I get so sick of it.

Colleen came with me to the drawing station and stood by in the hall. I was civil to the woman in the drawing station as I always am. Civil and nothing more...ever since that woman yelled at me there I don't give them even a smile.

I noted that the chemo center is in their new site on the first floor, where they supposedly have more room and a better lay-out. All I could think of when I saw the sign on the door was that I hope I never have to go through those doors!

Came home and cleaned downstairs and am now taking a break, playing on the computer. Next up, cleaning a bit upstairs and then a nap.

We are having a closing on our house tonight, right at our dining room table. We are refinancing at a lower interest rate, a move that will shave about $300 off our mortgage payments a month. Not too bad. We'll be sure to pour that money back into the marketplace to help boost the nation's economy. Actually, before we do that, we will be putting six months of mortgage payments in savings, just in case of a really rainy day!

We'll see how long that resolution lasts.

Maureen Cedio is quitting smoking and I told her she needs to walk with me. So, hopefully we will start tomorrow as long as I get out of bed in time and it isn't raining! We will start slow and will take Rocky with us. I'm looking forward to it.

I can't believe the job Sandy and Jean did out back....the yard looks totally different! They have ripped up all the brush and junk out there. You can see all the way back to the fence now and all the way around the yard. There are new areas for us to use for different activities...maybe another water feature, maybe a bigger fire pit.....maybe put a swing out there, things like that. I took some pictures with my phone, I'll get the camera out and document what they did.

Of course, Sandy went out and raked for an hour the other day when she got home and didn't use the Dawn when she showered and of course, she got wicked poison ivy! I put a bottle of Dawn in the shower last Spring as I was sick of her getting poison ivy and moaning about it...although I have to admit she gets it really bad...if I had rashes like that I'd be doing more than moaning...

I always have to remind her to use the Dawn...but she had been getting good at remembering. She admits that this last time she didn't use it because she didn't think anything would happen....now she knows.

Jean gets bad ivy rashes too...must run in the family. They will be glad when I'm able to get out there and rake and pull up stuff like I used to do...spare them the pain.

Well...it's time to get upstairs and clean a little. I did the laundry yesterday so that's all taken care of....now it's vacuuming and sink cleaning time. Then I crawl under that new down comforter and nap.....yay!

Later!

Been a busy week. Tuesday night Jere, Janet, Jess and Jo-Anne came over to watch the game with us...what a game it was! Right down to the wire baby! It was so exciting! I was so happy to see the freshmen and Heather Buck step up big time in this game...it bodes well for the future.

Worked around the house on Wednesday and took it easy. On Thursday I had to bring the dogs down to Sandy at work as they had vet appts in the afternoon and then we went out to their PT appointments from there. All are doing well and I got a good picture of Rocky in the treadmill at PT and posted it on Facebook.

Friday Sandy was off from work to get stuff done in the yard. I had an eye appointment in the morning with Dr. McKay. Found out that I have cataracts growing in both eyes. Figures. I'm a Miller and the Millers have cataracts. I'll be going to pick out new frames next week I guess.

I think I'm going to get away from the metal frames for awhile...the trend right now is to go with horned rims or colors, like when I was in high school. As my mother always said, "wait and it becomes fashionable again."

Friday night Charmine and Pat came over and we drove out to Foxwoods for the Kathy Griffin show. We met up with Jean and Dorothy and all went to California Kitchen for dinner. Good meals.

The show was fabulous....I wore my belly band and held myself when I was laughing...but I still felt like I busted a few stitches. After the show I bought some KG "merch" and thought I put my wallet in my purse. I caught up with Sandy, Charmine and Pat and we headed to get some gelatos on our way out. When we got there, my wallet was missing!

I went back and talked to a Security Guard, he directed me to the Security center and I told them what happened. Just then the doors to the theater opened up and all the security guards who had been working the show exited...one of them was carrying my wallet! AM I LUCKY OR WHAT???!!! That's the second time I've lost that wallet in a public place and both times I've gotten it back, with everything in it!! That never happens!

I better not lose it again.

Yesterday I went up to Lisa and Drew's house...found out they live in Colchester, very close to Charmine and Pat! I thought they lived in Cobalt! Anyway, I met them and drove up to Erin's game with Lisa and her grand daughter, Kylee. We went up to Western New England College in Springfield, where Erin's team was playing MIT.

MIT won, but Erin played well. She had 17 points for the game. I feel for her...she was such a great player in AAU and high school, and then tore her ACL twice and lost her dream of playing Div 1 ball. She plays for Wilkes College in PA, a good academic school. She's majoring in pre-med and wants to go into physical therapy....a great career.

After the game we went back to the house and the whole team joined us there for supper. I couldn't really enjoy myself too much, because I had BAD GAS....I had to keep running to the bathroom. Finally I felt like I was going to blow up, so I bid adieu and headed home, ripping off the farts the whole way....

When I got home I felt so sick, I crawled into bed despite the fact it was only 7pm and watched the Huskies play Syracuse in football. Great game that took my mind off my sick stomach.

Feel much better today. Sandy is off watching Ryan play in four lacrosse games. I'm home with the dogs, watching the Huskies and doing chores. Truman ate most of my french toast breakfast this morning....which was good because it probably was too much for me to eat anyway. I have to cut my portions in half nowadays and am still not used to that.

Tomorrow I go help the Baton Boys at the studio, Tuesday is my next CT scan and blood tests and Wednesday we go to Jean's for early Thanksgiving. Thursday we'll be up at Rhonda's with Roxie and the kids for turkey...we get to see them again.

So we have a busy week ahead....I like that!

GO HUSKIES!!!

Later!

Tuesday= BIG GAME DAY!!!

Saturday I went to Vee's funeral...saw Deb Dunn, Katy, Pam and Jan, Shirley, the brothers, Pin, Nun and Larry....the "kids" Danny, LeLe, Val and Eva.

It was bittersweet being there. So many, many great memories of Vivian....so sad that she is gone.

Rachel had put together a great slide show that they had playing at the funeral parlor...there was one picture of Vee that really touched me...she is going to send me a copy of the slide show.

Sat with Pam and Jan at the church, where the priest actually acknowledged that Vee was Rachel's SPOUSE!!! And noted their 29 year relationship. That was HUGE...in the CATHOLIC CHURCH! Crazy!

I heard a rumor that Rachel originally wanted the service at the church in N. Grosvenordale, Vee's old church, but the priest hemmed and hawed about their relationship, so she went to Putnam for the service. Kudos to Putnam.

Sunday we went to the SNEAK brunch banquet at Frank's Gourmet Grill....excellent! We had fun, sitting with the J's, Kristi and Todd. We discussed tentative plans for the television show...Janet will co-host with me and Todd wants to be "someone who comes on the show a lot." We got to laughing about potential topics, including having Todd come on to talk about his Sea Monkeys. It's going to be a fun show.

I'm back on the BOD, this time as club secretary. There was no drama at this year's elections, thankfully. I think we have a good group in the club now...it's down to a manageable level and the people we have are workers! We have some young people in the club now and they are bringing good ideas and energy. One young woman is working on a brochure for the club and so far it looks great! Maybe we'll get a picture of one of our dogs in there.

I'm having beaucoup problems with our internet connection and we are suspecting more and more that it's the wireless router that is the culprit. I tried to hook up the wireless printer and that's when the trouble started. I could install it properly, but it always says it's off-line, but the printer shows that it's getting a signal. Then the iPhones couldn't connect to the wireless...then the laptops...and now it happens sporadically.

Looks like I'll be purchasing a new router...this time I'll go for a more powerful one...one that will reach to the back yard...so Sandy can work out there while she's in her recliner...with her doggies on her lap. She'd love that.

Yesterday I went down to the studio and ran the "George" camera for the Batons. It was fun being back there, working with the guys. They have two guys who help them in the control room and they have already offered to help me! They come down from Danielson. Gary Beaudoin is one of them and I met his Mom yesterday....she lives in the convalescent home near the police barracks up in Danielson....don't know what it's called nowadays...in the old days it was Stula Pavilion and then Canterbury Villa...I don't care what they call it....I don't like it.

Anyway, she was a nice woman and we had a nice chat. She comes down with them from time to time to sit in on the show. I invited her to be an audience member for our show when we go on the air....in January.

That last phrase reminded me that I needed to call Dr. Gamble to see if she can be on the show with us again. I just called and left a message for her to call me. I'm hoping she can do it...we used to be on Monday nights, now the show will be on Thursdays and I don't know if the vet clinic is closed then, or if she would have to be working.

Oh, I hope she can do it...she is a popular part of the show. People love her and she is so easy to talk to.

Tonight the Huskies take on Baylor, the #2 ranked team. BIG GAME! I have Janet, Jess and Joanne coming over. The J's + a J, I say. I think the Huskies will win, they are playing at home, they have Maya and Tiffany (who came up HUGE in the Holy Cross game) and they have more experience on the floor than Baylor will. Baylor does have Brittany Griner and the Huskies don't have much in the middle to defend her. Heather Buck and the freshman are not going to get that job done. Unless they decide to surprise us.

I am so happy with the freshmen that the Huskies have...it is going to be a joy to watch them grow and flourish there. We have gotten to see that process over many years now, it's always different with each group...but this group is going to be more fun than pain.

Okay, back to cleaning house. ABBA's Greatest Hits is over and it's time to vacuum. Then it's on to upstairs to dust and clean. Then I will take a nap before the company gets here.

Later! GO HUSKIES!!!

Great week! I went to Dr. Valin's yesterday and saw Dr. McMillian first, she explained what Dr. V. did in the procedure. He had to release the muscles on my left side and pull the muscles on the right side, to get the hernia to fall into the abdominal cavity and to stay there. The mesh covers just about all of my central abdomen...it's huge. He tacked it down with stitches on all sides and I have internal incision stitches as well.

She said she felt a fluid pouch over the hernia site, which she said is common, and it should go away. If it doesn't, they will have to do something about it....I didn't bother asking about it. Then she said I needed to come back in five weeks, that they wanted to keep a close eye on me.

Then Dr. Valin came in. He told me again that my hernia was HUGE. He commented that it "was good to see me without that alien coming out of my abdomen!" HA HA!!! He didn't say a word about any fluid pouch and said I could come back in six months!

Guess who's instructions I followed?

I go back in July, my regular annual appointment month.

Of course, I then went over to Ikea and carried my bag around...adding stuff to the point that I was regretting I didn't get a carriage. I did take one to haul the stuff out to the car. Got some good buys there. And, I found "ForFor's Snap Cheese" that is a lot like the Skane cheese that I loved so much in Sweden.

I hung around a bit at Ikea, biding my time, to avoid the traffic. It worked and I was able to travel home without problems.

Today I hooked up my new wireless printer, except I'm having trouble getting my laptop to recognize that the printer is turned on and is receiving a wireless signal. I shut it down and started it up again....no soap. I'll have my "IT" person look at it when she gets home from work. Ha ha!

Bad news from Ogunquit...we are not going to the Meadowmere for Camp Husky in January. The hotel is screwing Jack's guests out of the discount, to their detriment. They give lower rates to other people and we are REPEAT customers! Stupid financial decisions. So, I suggested we do Camp Husky here in Eastern CT. We'll see what we can set up. I do want to see the gang together.

Speaking of Camp Husky....the season starts Sunday, when they take on Holy Cross..a nice warm-up to the BIG EVENT on Tuesday, when they play Baylor at the Civic Center. Tuesday is also the night of Ellen's jewelry party...I messed up when I said I would go to it...having invited folks over here to see the big game. OOPS! I wrote to Ellen to beg off. So far, Joann is going to join us to watch the game....haven't heard from the others yet.

Sad news next door. Carol and Mark's oldest dog, Landry, has lung cancer. We were shocked, thinking it was something serious, but not that! We thought she was having pancreatic or liver problems...which is what the blood work showed. They sent her home to die. They give a week. She isn't in pain, but she isn't eating well...which is not good for a piggy Lab like her. Sandy got her a toy and will bring it over tonight. She loves toys. They are feeding her cheeseburgers, anything to get her to eat. It is so sad....she loves Mark so much and he is spending as much time with her that he can. She still goes for walks with him and stays out in the yard with him when he's working out there. It's amazing what dogs can endure....

I saw Ellen on Wednesday and I will be going back on the air in January. I can't say when, because there are some things she has to work out...but it's looking REALLY good. I asked Janet to be a co-host, to give me someone to "play off of" and to ask questions...make it more interesting...instead of my voice droning on and on....

I'm thinking up new segments for the show, like having movie reviews of films that come out about animals...or tv shows with animals as a focal point. And showing YouTube pet videos...they are not copyrighted and not everyone has a computer or knows how to see YouTube videos...

So many ideas....and I do have time to flesh them out. Now I have to start lining up guests, etc.

Tomorrow I go to the services for Vee and I'll get to see the Houle family and lots of folks I haven't seen in years. It's going to be surreal.

Sunday we have our SNEAK (Agility Club) banquet. I agreed to be put on the ballot for Club Secretary. I used to be secretary for other organizations...way before computers and email lists made it all easy! We have our banquet "Brunch" at Frank's Gourmet Grill in E. Lyme....I love that place. It will be great to see my fellow club members...some I haven't seen in a year.

Finally got my appointment for my CT scan. I also have to have a special blood test done...I don't recognize the name of it and neither does Sandy...it's for the research project I'm in...maybe it's the test they are developing to replace the CA 125. They are hoping this test is more reliable and can be used as a screening tool.

I now have a contact in the Norwich office...they are open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Tracy, my contact, was SO HELPFUL! It was wonderful having someone who did the job and did what they said they were going to do. She even called me back to give me a heads up that the CT scan place was closed on Veteran's Day, so I knew to call to get my appointment on Wednesday.

Okay, now I have my chores just about done for the day...one big one left to do....grocery shopping. Sandy said any money I had left over I could keep. Big incentive to save money and good for me, since I depleted my checking account severely over the last two weeks! I am operating on fumes for the rest of the month. Sandy to the rescue!

Later!

Yesterday was a great day! Best I've felt in ages! I went out on my own in the car for the first time since my surgery and it was great to be behind the wheel.

Saw Dr. Galan and got my prescriptions refilled. Saw Kathleen in the hall while I was there, she was very happy to see my hernia was gone. So am I.

Made an appointment at the Comcast Studio to meet with Ellen this afternoon about getting the show back on the air. Very excited about that. I called Janet today and asked her to be a co-host with me...I think she would be good for keeping it light and funny. Maybe I'll rotate co-hosts....it's more fun that way...I mean having a co-host is more fun than doing it alone.

Then I made an appointment to get my hair done after my Ellen appt. So today will be busy.

Sat in the parking lot at the studio and had a long chat with Katie on the phone. She and the kids are so into the BMX racing and I am so happy for all of them. Timmy's Dad finally "got the picture" and is going to help financially so Timmy can get a bike and equipment. This is so good for Timmy...when he's with his Dad all they do is play video games...Katie does a good job of making him get up and out when he's with her.....now she's got him turned on to BMX and that is a wonderful thing.

Even Little Lera wants in on the act. She says she is going to do it when she gets bigger. Katie is going to get her a big wheel so she can compete in the big wheel races now.

Meanwhile, my Mariah keeps on improving...listening to her coaches. She's gathering the points now, moving up on the list. She told her Mom she only wants BMX stuff for Christmas! It's so good for her confidence and her health. She's learning great life lessons, like sticking to it to the end...keep on peddling! She's doing good in school too and I think BMX has a bit to do with that.

It's good for Katie too..we talked about the "natural high" one gets from being there and cheering. She gets so animated when she talks about it...haven't heard her this excited about something in a long time. AND, she's getting to be around other really nice parents...it's all good.

I've downloaded like a zillion songs into my new iPhone...I'm all set for awhile! I've been downloading music into the computer as I eat lunch, watch tv, etc. I'm into a routine now.

Thinking....just at the preliminary stage now....about setting up a web page on my Mac. They give you lots of space....and part of the space is a blog set-up. I may MAY...move this whole blog over to that. If I do, I'll give plenty of notice. It would be easier for me to upload pictures, make changes in the appearance of the thing, post videos, etc. We'll see. I have to fool around with it for awhile until I get it right.

Worried about my old friend Susie, who just had a pacemaker installed at UMass....she's still there. Sue has a "weird heart"....I think when they discovered it years ago there were only five people in the world who had a heart like hers...or something like that. It's either upside down or backwards, I can't remember which...at least that's how she explained it to me at the time.

Sue is a wonderful person...she lives every day like it's her last...probably because they told her she'd never make it past 27. She has traveled the world and recently retired after a long career of teaching reading. I don't know anyone who is a more vociferous reader. She's read them all.

I'm keeping her in my thoughts and hoping for a good outcome with this surgery. She's had enough worries....

Also, Saturday we have the services for my old friend, Vivian who passed away in Florida a few weeks back. Rachel is bringing her ashes home and we are all getting together to remember Vee. So many good memories, so many laughs, I remember them all. I just wish I had gone to see her when we were in Tampa last fall after the cruise...but I didn't have the energy then.

Vee was my French teacher at Putnam Grammar School and then again for a year in high school. After I graduated high school and was at Annhurst, we became friends and stayed friends for the rest of our lives. I lost track of her for awhile, but saw her again a few years back at her nephew's funeral. We reestablished contact and have kept up through email....even though it was Rachel who was doing the email because Viv didn't use the computer....typical.

I will never forget her....that laugh, that smile...that prematurely gray hair! RIP...

Busy day ahead...

Later!

Been a quiet week, spent recuperating, mainly. Trying to lay low and be quiet. Not always succeeding. Things have been sore, especially a certain spot in my lower left quadrant....which has been beyond sore.

Today I feel the best I've felt in a long time. I do have a weird sensation in the area where the mesh is. I wonder if it's the sensation one gets when one's abdominal tissues are working their way through the mesh. That's what SHOULD be going on now.

The Fed Ex guy came to the door today to deliver a package. I instinctively took it as he handed it to me...only to realize that it weighed more than I should be carrying....20 lbs. OOPS! I didn't feel anything pop though. Good thing.

Had a good day yesterday, even if the Pats lost miserably. Taylor and Andrew came up for dinner, arriving first. Later Jean, Frank and Ryan arrived and we had a great meal of steak, cheesy potatoes, salad and sliced cukes. Oh...and fried onions. All of these are Andrew's favorites.

It was Andrew's first visit to our house, so we were quite excited. He loved the house and toured all around....he especially loved the work benches and the garage. Guys....

Tomorrow I see Dr. Galan...first time I've seen her in ages....I usually see Kathleen the APRN, but she's on vacation I guess. On Thursday I go to New Haven to see Dr. Valin for follow-up. I think that will go good. I'm hoping to have enough left in my tank to make a trip to Ikea on the way out of town.

Husky season starts up soon and I can't wait. We have a lot of excitement to look forward to this season...watching the freshman grow, seeing if they can continue their unbeaten streak and, of course, we are slated to go to New York to see them play at Madison Square Garden on 12/19.

Okay, back to reclining....

later!

Post Weekend, Post Surgery

The weekend in Lenox was eventful....and maybe I'll leave it at that. We had pot luck Friday night and laughed a lot. Saturday AM Harriet and I made breakfast for everyone, yum. Then a bunch of us went to the Shaker Village, which I enjoyed a LOT more than I thought I would. It was so very very interesting and the guides were excellent.

Saturday night we all went out to a great Italian restaurant, Frankie's. I had the linguine with clam sauce...the clams were tiny and so sweet. Sunday AM Harriet and I made breakfast again and then we all loaded up our cars and headed home.

In between there were moments of hilarity, drama and discovery. Overall I had a good time. We are planning to return in the spring. The house was very old and very nicely decorated and furnished. We did "tours" just checking out the artwork and then another tour to check out the different carpets! It is called the "Winter Palace" and was part of an estate that was landscaped by the same woman who did the landscape design for the Harkness Mansion...so we all felt a connection.

Robin and I rode together and we actually got lost on the way up....we ended up in NY! This was despite the fact that we had two GPS systems talking to us and we had handwritten directions! I think we were so engrossed in our conversation we missed the women telling us to leave the highway.

And on top of that, I got stuck in the wrong lane, went through the Speed Pass lane, when I don't have a speed pass! I immediately exited at the toll office and tried to pay the toll...they told me that I would get the ticket in the mail. Nice.

Oh and another expense from the weekend...my iPhone somehow got damp. I don't know how...it was working fine one minute and the next minute it was having problems...the screen was getting darker and darker. Then it was turning itself on right after I had shut it off...then it stayed on permanently, then the view finder was all cloudy and when I took the rubber protective cover off, there was a tiny bit of moisture inside. I don't know if it was from the radiator or steam from my bath...dunno, but the end result is that I had to buy a new one today.

Thursday I got a call that I needed to get a chest x-ray, lab work and an EKG done. HELLO! They wait to the last damn minute to tell me...so instead of being able to rest up Friday AM for my drive to MA in the afternoon, I'm having to fly down to New Haven for 9am.

I must have passed all the tests because there I was bright and early...5:30AM....Monday, going to the surgical center. The surgery went well and I was out of Recovery earlier than Sandy thought I would be. He said it was a HUGE hernia, he had to use two of the largest size mesh pieces. I also have seven laproscopic holes in me...four on my right side and three on my left, where he went in to tighten things up for me.

I was up and walking before 4pm...much to the nurse's surprise...but they don't know me. I'm the walker when I'm in the hospital. I had the room to myself, it was very quiet in my hallway, only one other person there. I dozed in 20 and 40 minute intervals, as I always do in the hospital...all day and all night. I got up to pee every 20-40 minutes all night, so I got plenty of practice in getting out of bed....OUCH!

I had a student nurse working with me yesterday and I taught her some things. We had nice talks and she is going to do all right for herself. Sandy came down around 11 with Truman and Rocky in the car. They had been to their PT appts and they came right from there. We hurried the discharge procedure along and we know how to do and I was out of there around noon.

So good to be in my own bed, but now I need the pillow to protect my stomach from loving dogs. I'm using Bubbie's big pillow from her car kennel. It was just washed because she had puked on it and it is bigger than the pillow Linda made for me (the one I usually use)...this one is big enough to cover the open area as well as the laproscopic holes. And, by the way, they are all glued shut! COOL. No staples...I have stitches and big gobs of glue on the wound sites.

Well...it's almost time for me to take my pain pill and climb the stairs to bed. I love my own bed, but it would be so much easier for me if it had side rails to grab onto and pull myself around. I can't use my abdominal muscles yet. It's a bitch to get out of bed when you have nothing to grab onto.

I think today will be the worst of it...tomorrow should be 100% better. That's what I'm counting on anyway.

Nighty night!