The hectic scene is over, for a few hours anyway. Tonight it begins again, with a trip to North Grosvenordale to Phil and Renees for Christmas Eve, tomorrow we have Christmas with Frank and Jean at our house and then we go to their house Sunday AM, for Christmas with Taylor, Ryan and Andrew.

I got all my gifts wrapped yesterday and good thing, I didn't realize Sandy was off today! It would have been awkward wrapping her gifts while she was home.

That's good news...and more good news I got yesterday was a note from the Retirement Commission telling me that they finished the audit of my pay records and they owe me money! Not a whole lot, but I get a nice little lump sum payment. Most of it will go to taxes, but still....a nice gift anyway!

I didn't get cards sent off to the masses this year....I cheated and sent cards to those who had already sent cards to us....only to get more cards from folks AFTER I sent cards out....now it's too late for them to get cards before Christmas. Oh well, you know what? I'm not stressing over it.

Thanks to Lexapro.....heh heh...

I have been so tired lately...well, maybe I should say...still. I wake up at 5:30 when Sandy's alarm goes off, fall back to sleep, wake up when Sandy comes up to shower, fall back to sleep, wake up when Sandy goes off to work, fall back to sleep, wake up when Truman whines to go out, get him back in bed, fall back to sleep and then get up when the dogs get restless...usually around 9:30.

I putz around the house and on the computer, read the paper, eat my breakfast and putz around doing chores...have my lunch and then the pups want me to sit in the recliner so they can get on my lap and take a nap. I usually give in to them around 2:30 and then I end up napping myself for about an hour.

Maybe I'm still catching up on all the sleep I missed this year while I was up at night, sitting on the potty. Thank goodness that shit has ceased, pardon the pun.

I filled Sandy's stocking yesterday and ironically it was Truman, who's vision is decreasing, who spotted the items bulging out the sides. He started whining about it last night. He's convinced that either the items are for him, or that his stocking has stuff in it too. That little crud...he is so smart. He remembers that the stockings have goodies in them. Sandy put their toys in the guest room and we have a gate at the door, to keep them from going in there. I'm surprised he hasn't figured that out and isn't up there whining and barking at the door!

Maybe I'm sorry we got this new tv with surround sound. I always wanted a surround sound system. I knew Sandy would love it for her movies. Well, right now I'm being deafened by the sounds coming out of "Prince of Persia," which she is watching while she has her tea and snuggles with her dogs. All except Bubbles, of course, who can't stand the sound, like me!

Oh well...time to go harvest some crops and build a school in my new addiction, Cityville!

Merry Christmas!

Sorry about that, been busy. Haven't gotten over here in awhile.

Sandy and I had that stomach stuff going for awhile. I missed the Ladies holiday party at Lynnes, but was able to go to work when I was supposed to. No work now until January and then I have a lot of days to do.

We went to NYC on Sunday with Charmine and Pat. We met at the train station in New Haven (accent on the New as my Army recruiter used to say) and headed to Grand Central Station. We ate downstairs there, at Two Boots, an Italian/Louisiana influenced restaurant. I had a calzone...actually we ALL had calzones.

Then we strolled along the streets, popping into here and there, en route to Madison Square Garden. We went through Macys, first time I've ever been there. It was a madhouse...and VERY HOT! We checked out handbags and jewelry. Of course the stuff I liked was very expensive. I saw some things Jill Zarin would buy.

We made it to the game when the first game was just wrapping up. Had time to potty, pay $5 for a lousy bottle of water (and they take the cap off the bottle) and check out our seatmates before the Huskies came out for warm-ups. Oh, the water bottle doesn't fit into the cup holder on the seat, so you have to hold it or put it on the floor, risking spilling it. I told Sandy everyone should spill water on the floor, just to make a point.

We had great seats.....for which I spent only $45 a ticket.....I heard that those seats were going for $240 last week. Good thing I bought them from the Garden and bought them early. We were in the second row, with only one small VIP section between us and the UConn bench. The seats were fantastic! I was able to get good shots of Geno and the team with my iPhone.

The game was fast paced, the Huskies basically swarmed all over OSU and ran them off the floor. Tiffany Hayes was spectacular and the freshman Stephanie Dolson had the game of her short career. We have a center now!

Afterwards we took a cab to the Cowgirl Restaurant in the Village. Oh, we also stood in line with Barb Smith, the head referee for the Husky game...she asked if she could get a cab ahead of us as she had a plane to catch. We said sure and chatted with her while we waited for the cab.

At the restaurant we waited for Charmine's son and daughter-in-law and grandson to join us. As we sat at a table at the front Charmine told us about seeing Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Asjha Jones and Carla Berube and others at the game. They were sitting near them. She said Sue swigged down three beers during the game, purchased by her pals. Well, who comes strolling into the restaurant? Sue Bird and her gal pals! Interesting that Sue shows up at the same lesbian restaurant that we are at...I'm just sayin'....

Charmine's son and daughter in law brought along a friend, Shalonda, who was traveling in the East and came to see them. We had a pleasant time chatting with her, Jarod and Anna and playing with Charmine's grandson. Such a cutie he is!

I got a little ill from the heat and the food (not that it was bad, but it was heavy) I couldn't eat much. When I got out in the fresh air I felt much better.

We took a cab to Rockefeller Center (note to self: next time plan to go up to "Top of the Rock" to see the view) and enjoyed seeing the Christmas tree and the skaters. It was sooooo crowded there though, we could barely move.

We walked back to Grand Central, got drinks and snacks and then caught the 9:00 train back.

We got home after midnight.

The next day I got all dressed up for the Baton's Special Christmas Singalong show, got the dogs in their kennels and went out to my car, only to realize my key was missing. It turns out I lost it somewhere in NYC. I'm not stressing about it...no sense in it. I'll use Sandy's copy of my key and hope the other once turns up. I think if the person who finds it drops it in a mailbox, Toyota will get it and will send it to me.

Then today I put my new contacts in for the first time. I go to the store to buy sun glasses....get them and get out to the car....I had dropped my reading glasses somewhere. So I had to go buy new reading glasses.

Oh well, there's always sumthin'

GO HUSKIES!!! Jo-Ann Moylan is coming tonight for supper and to watch the Huskies whup up on FSU. Got to go get the dogs fed so I can make supper.

LATER!

While I wait for the water for my angel hair pasta to boil, some things I've been thinking about lately:

There are two types of people, those who LOVE "Grandma Got Runned Over By a Reindeer," and those who HATE it. I love it.

How many members of "flash mobs" tip off their family and friends that they are going to be participating in said "mob" and the location of the event? Do they make participants swear to keep it secret? Judging from the number of observers who "just happen" to be there....someone's talking.

I rarely buy stuff for Christmas at an actual store. I have been buying online since online sales accounted for less than 10% of total sales. Am I ahead of the rest of the world in things or am I just lazy?

The Patriots are on some kind of mission and the rest of the football world should be afraid, very, very afraid.

Ginger has saved me from puking so many times I've lost count.

I love whoever invented fingertip bandaids. Sure beats using two regular bandaids to do the job.

Listening to Howard Stern means more to me than I thought it did....when he was on the verge of not getting a new contract I was becoming more and more anxious. I'm going to have to figure out how to cope when this contract is up in five years.

I do not feel guilty about "wasting my time" watching all the Real Housewives....

Can't believe that I'm actually wearing black framed glasses. Last time I had black framed glasses, the Army issued them to me.

Speed kills. We all knew that the kids who were killed in that accident on Rte 201 died because their friend was speeding and they couldn't tell him to slow down. Sure am glad I miraculously had that ability when I was a teen. I used to scream "slow down" and threaten to exit the car if they didn't.

Sometimes Kelly does a good job cutting our hair, sometimes she's distracted and we are left with problems....

Cityville may be replacing Mafia Wars as my game of choice.

There is little in the world better than the feeling you get when you hear that little dog heave the sigh as he settles down to sleep.

I have no idea how I'm going to get "Grandma Got Runned Over by a Reindeer" out of my head before I go to bed tonight.

Later!

Got to work as the director for the Baton's Show on Monday. Guy and Gary couldn't make it. Guy usually does the directing and Gary handles the sound board, while I do the camera that picks up the close-ups.

Since both of them were gone, I had to run the camera controls and manage the sound board. It was fun and I remembered a lot of it from before. Piece of cake and a lot of fun.

I got a call from Ellen tonight, asking me to direct a show on next Monday for some ladies who talk about books or something...guess I'll find out what they are all about. Maybe if I help them, they might be willing to help me sometime if I'm having trouble getting someone.

Jen Gamble called the other day and said she'd be very happy to come on the show every three months or so like she used to and answer people's vet questions. It made me feel good to hear that she was very enthused about being on the show again. She said she really loved being on the show and missed doing it. So do I....it will be fun to be back on the air again. I still don't have the word from Ellen as to when I can announce the day and time of the show...she still has to get in touch with the guy who has the slot now (and doesn't use it).

I got my new glasses yesterday. I think they be lookin' tight...as they would say in the hood.... I do like them and got a few compliments on them today at work. Of course, my good friend Charmine looks at them and offers, "they're different!" HA HA! Yes, they are different. I like them.

Worked today doing the smoking cessation gig. Reminds me of how happy I am that I quit so long ago. All that money I saved....and maybe I kept myself from getting some serious illness. Oh, wait, I DID get a serious illness. Well, maybe I'd be dead now if I had kept smoking.

Heard good news today quickly followed by horrible news. First I hear that the Sox signed Carl Crawford (who I've always liked) and then I hear that Aretha has pancreatic cancer. UGH.

Then I get in the car and learn that my buddy Howard signed a five year contract to stay on Sirius AND they now have an iPhone app that would let me listen to him when I'm out of the car! For some reason I can't listen to him on the computer ever since I switched to Apple. Haven't figured that out yet, but it would be nice to listen on the iPhone, I could listen in the yard, etc.

Today he made me laugh so hard on the way home from work. It was something that as usual, was so wrong, but so funny. It was over him imitating Dick Clark after his stroke, broadcasting on New Year's Eve. Have you heard Dick since his stroke? You can barely understand what the hell he's saying. Anyway, Howard starts imitating him and then says, "if I ever had a stroke, you'd never hear from me again, I won't have you bastards imitating me and making fun of me." Then he proceeded to talk like he had a stroke and was doing his show....I almost wet myself.

Anyway, the Huskies won tonight, paving the way for Sandy and I to see them tie the record at MSG on the 19th....as if we ever had a doubt.

I work three days next week, including a special gig that I picked up today, Carol and I made up a scenario, utilizing my own medical history. That was fun and interesting. Then we go to New York for the game on Sunday...should be a fast week!

Later...

Busy busy busy. Worked on Friday in the AM...that was great, then I went to see Dr. Sansone, I was supposed to go Tuesday, but she had an emergency.

She gave me a clean bill of health. I don't have to go back unless the diarrhea at night starts up again. I do get up once in the night now, for the past week, to have a BM...but no more diarrhea. I just get up, do my duty and then right back to sleep. I can live with that!

If things start up again, she will put me back on the medication, and that should take care of that!

Yesterday Jean came up in the AM and she and Sandy worked outside again. They cleaned out the yard out front and Sandy hauled all the flower pots; leaves, etc. that were out there to the back. I went out later and put up the tree lights in the cherry trees out front. I also put lights on the arbor and the front porch posts....it looks nice out there. Oh, and I put the red bows on the picket fence.

Then I came into the house and decorated the tree and the downstairs with all of our Santa collection. Next Sandy put out the lighted reindeer. Now we just have to put the candles in the windows and we are all decorated!

Sandy just came in and announced that she has the snow blower all ready to go. Does she know something I don't?

Oh, I also sliced the tip of my finger nearly off yesterday afternoon. Damned Cutco knives. It's only the third time I've done such a tune on my fingers....and have had cuts in other places from those knives. Who was to know they would still be so sharp all these years later?

Anyway, Sandy had just left to get the propane tanks for the grill filled up for the winter, so I was home alone. The aforementioned finger is on my right hand, so I was having trouble maneuvering the butterfly bandaid onto the wound. Also, the darned thing was bleeding VERY profusely....blood all over the place as I found out later--when I had to clean it all up.

After a couple of fruitless attempts to self bandage....I broke down and called Nurse Carol, who came right over and did her best to bandage me. She wasn't much better than I at it, and insisted on sticking my finger under water, which made me yelp. It really stung.

She said, "come on! Suck it up....you've gone through surgeries and chemo and you're going to whine over a cut?!"

So I put my "big girl pants on" and sucked it up, she was right.

Later Sandy and I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt 1 at the Lisbon theater. Sandy thought the movie started at 4:45 so we got there a bit before 4:30....only to learn that it started at 4pm! I had already ordered the popcorn and drinks when she came in from the ticket window to tell me. I made the command decision that we see it anyway, and I was right...we missed very little of the movie.

The movie was really good and I was able to figure most of it out, despite the fact that I didn't read the book. The special effects were fabulous and the scenery was gorgeous. I give it two thumbs up. Now we wait for Part Two...and then it will be all done....

Came home and watched the Huskies beat USF in football, to get their first EVER BCS bowl invite. They will be playing in the Tostito Bowl in AZ or the Orange Bowl....can you imagine? It was a very exciting game, decided on a 52 yard field goal with 17 seconds left in the game. Sandy had gone to bed but I didn't care... I whooped when they won. She never heard a thing.

Oh last night I was naughty and I bought myself a cross country ski set, boots, poles, skis and bindings, on sale from LL Bean. I'm so excited. They had a great sale and I couldn't resist. I haven't been able to go skiing for a few years now...my bindings were wrecked and I couldn't get them replaced....they didn't make them anymore. So, for years I've wanted another X Country outfit....and soon I will have it! Now I just hope for snow.

Later!

WOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Went to see Dr. DiSilvestro today. The nurse asked me how I was feeling...did I have any pains...of course that just served to ratchet up my anxiety...I'm thinking, "what does she know?"

Dr. D. ended up making us even more anxious...he took so long to come into the room, even Sandy was antsy about it!

When he did come in we got the great news....everything was FINE. Sandy and I had a big hug and then I asked, "are you sure? what did the report say?" To which Sandy got on me for "tempting fate." Later, when she was out of the room I did ask what my CA125 level was and he told me "3."

He is giving me a break for awhile. I don't have to go back until we come back from Disney, so I won't see him again until near the end of April. More good news!

After the appointment I drove down to the Crystal Mall to pick out eye glasses. I got some DKNY frames that were on sale at Lenscrafters, they are black frames, kind of squarish, but small and the interior of the frames and temples is blue...it highlights my eye color.

I got a good price on them because the frames were half-price and our insurance gave me 40% off the total price, so even though I got bi-focal, transition, light-weight lenses, I got the whole shebang for under $350! WOW!!!

The frames are going to be a major departure for me, who has worn gold metal frames for years. It's good to go with something new and funky. I used my iPhone to take a picture of me wearing the two frames I chose, so Sandy can see them.

I will be getting them in about 10 days. In time to show-off for Christmas. Audrey, Maria and I can have a eyeglass frame fashion show. Then we can compete for the Secretary of the Year Award.

So, life can settle down to a dull roar around here. I can continue to recuperate from the hernia surgery and look forward to joining a gym in January. We can have a nice, quiet Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Life is DEFINITELY GOOD!

Later!

Okay, I'm admitting that I'm getting more and more anxious as Wednesday and my Dr. D appt nears. I can't say I'm fully confident as I was last time I went, that I'm cancer-free now.

I've been getting tired easily lately and also having weird pains in my abdomen...hoping against hope that this is still related to the hernia surgery, but the pains are kind of lower in the abdomen for that.

Also had a dream last night about a guy who was diagnosed with cancer...I was encouraging him and telling him to get positive and determined. In the dream he and I were in the hospital at the same time and that's how I met him. Later in the dream, or a different dream, he was being released from the hospital and was cancer-free and a nurse told him that "of course, I (me) was going to die...but he was fine." WHAT???!!! What the HELL!!! Where is THAT coming from?!!!

Wednesday will tell.

Also in the dream was Mark Simon, who passed away this year, but in the dream he was very much alive and he and I were riding around in a big, fancy car, taking someone for a ride past the "old instititution" that still had lots of people living there and we were all irate about that.

I have no idea where my dreams come from lately, I think it's the meds.

We went to the Dazzle Light Parade last night with Mary Anne and had a great time. We got to her house before 4Pm and established our spot in Rotary Park, across from the telephone company before 4:30...the place was filling up fast. We had chairs, a space blanket I bought at the AKC cluster on Saturday and four blankets. I was bundled up in my down jacket (with balaclava and down hood on my head); and my LL Bean fleece-lined jeans. I look bulky, but I was warm! The parade was cool...they had 130 entrants, lots of floats, dogs walking, including the ever-present Newfie Club....they even had cows walking in the parade! Saw Mike Brodeur and Russ with the Danielson BPOE and Rachael Johnston walking with some group.

I don't know what is more fun, watching the parade, or being in it. I think being in it is more fun, because we would dance, sing and holler out to people we knew in the crowd. I wish we had a float in the parade this year. Maybe we can get something going next year.

Got word today that Russ' dog, Kelly, passed away. I have no idea what happened, she was so young! She had just injured her leg and had surgery for torn MCL or ACL...I forget which. And now she's gone. So sad.

Well..I have to get ready to go to the studio to help the Baton Boys. Tomorrow I go to work for training and then to see Dr. Sansone. I'm going to give her a big hug for curing me of the "shits." It's been a long time since I have been "regular" and I'm loving it! I sleep most of the night now and I'm not always having to think about going to the bathroom whenever I go out to places...it's wonderful.

So, she gets a hug. And hopefully, so does Dr. DiSilvestro when I see him Wednesday afternoon, which brings us full circle for this entry....so I'll sign off.

Later!