Okay, I've been officially humbled by this chemo. I got the news this AM that my ANC (Absolute Neutrafil Count) was only 1000 and it needs to be 1500. So, I don't go tomorrow for my last chemo. I will try again next week.

This happened once last year...I had to wait six weeks. Who the hell was I to think it wouldn't happen this year? I guess chemo showed me who's boss!

So, I will still have nine weeks to get in shape. Big WHUP!

And this means that I will be in good shape this week to get my planting done.

On other notes....the Richard Blumenthal thing. I think it's much ado about nothing. He said he served in the reserves during the Vietnam Era. That's what they call it when you served during a certain time. When I went to Basic Training I served in the "Vietnam Era" even though Vietnam had been evacuated a year before I went into the service. That is the official designation for that time period. He didn't make that term up...I didn't make it up. I got some benefit from this...I got to claim that service time when I retired. It counted towards my time in state service. Was that wrong? I never served in Vietnam.

I think that people are grabbing at straws to try to discredit this guy...who has been one of the best public servants this state has ever had...and that's saying a lot.

A baltimore oriole has taken up residence somewhere around in this yard. He was clinging to the window on the garage door. So I put up newspaper to block his reflection. Well, today I took the chair cushions out of the garage and put them out on the deck chairs. I forgot to shut the door to the garage. Well, you can guess the next. Yep! He was in the garage, flying around by my car and flying at the window on the other side of the garage, trying to get out. I opened the big garaage door and out he went.

I've been putting out halves of oranges, suet and the grape jelly to attract him,l guess I've been sucessful.

Janet and Jeremy helped me put up the purple martin birdhouse out back....let's hope we are as sucessful attracting them to the yard as we have been with the orioles and hummingbirds!

Oh, I didn't get to go to Tommy and Diane's vow renewal ceremony as I hoped. My ride, Charmine, ended up getting sick. I also had to drive to Putnam to a wake and to take my Dad and Wini out to dinner. I couldn't see myself being able to drive to New London in the afternoon and up to Putnam in the evening...it just wasn't in the cards.

I took Bob and Wini out to the Mexican place in Putnam. Bob and I got the burritos and Wini got enchaladas. They went home with three doggie bags...hope they had some good lunches!

An old pal, Frannie Johnson, is coming to visit us on Sunday. Can't wait to see her! It's been too long since I last saw her. It will be good to catch up on the latest.

I'm going to take it easy this week, enjoy the sun, plant my tomatoes and my herb and salsa gardens. I may pick up some petunias to plant in tOthe planters out front.
Other than that, I plan on relaxing, reading my books on my Kindle and enjoying the weather, whatever the weather turns out to be.

I've been humbled by chemo and I ain't gonna fight it. I'm along for the ride!

Later!

Well...no sooner had I signed off on my blog entry last night and my phone rang...it was my cousin, Frannie Blanchette! She lives in South Carolina and I hadn't seen her since our 30th high school reunion in '97. Well, she was in Putnam, as her mother was hospitalized.

Fran had some time today and wanted to come for a visit, was it okay? WAS IT OKAY???!!! OF COURSE, it was GREAT!

So, she showed up around 10 and we had a great time visiting out on the deck. Bubbles nipped at her pant leg, but no harm, no foul! Later, Bubbie was trying to climb up on her lap!


It was so great seeing Frannie and having the chance to chat like that....I can't tell you how happy it made me. It was just what the doctor didn't order...to make up for the disappoinment of yesterday.

See...there's the yin and yang of life...right in a nutshell!

Jean came up today too, arriving just after Fran. So, she visited with us on the deck too. She came to help Sandy shovel topsoil from the truck load she had delivered yesterday. Sandy got a late start with that project, but they did manage to spread a bit of soil out on the lawn.

After Fran left, I got busy assembling the martin house I had bought. I put that together..(it looks like a barn...pretty neat) and then I dug a hole for the pole and cemented the base of the pole into the ground. That job is done! Tomorrow I'll put the rest of the pole up with the house on it and we are ready for business. It was last year around this time that I saw the martins in our yard. I'm hoping that the house gets them to stay, instead of going up on Chesnut Hill Road, where they went last year.

Tomorrow I may go to Tommy and Diane's marriage vow renewal ceremony or I may go to Putnam for the Moylan girl's mother's wake. Or I may do both, depending on how I'm feeling. I had a bit of energy today, so we will see.

Sandy and I met Jo-Ann on the dock in Belize when we went on the cruise. I knew her sister, Terry. It was so strange, meeting like that in a country so far away. Well...little did I know at the time that another of Jo-Anne's sisters is Pam Bartomeoli!....Pam and I worked together at Dempsey! Stranger than fiction!

I hear the strains of "It's a Small World After All..." playing in the background, yet again!

Watching the Sox now and relaxing after a good day's work and a wonderful time with my cousin.....LIFE IS GREAT!!!


Nighty night!

PS....the Baltimore Oriole was on the deck railing this AM, eating the orange I put out there for him. I'm hoping the oranges, grape jelly and suet I put out for him keeps him here. We have loads of brightly colored gold finches, a few rose-breasted grosbeaks; bluebirds and hummingbirds coming....if we add the purple martins and orioles as regular visitors, it would be WONDERFUL!

Okay, I will admit it. I got snippy this AM when I found out that I couldn't get chemo.

We drove all the way out to Providence and got there for 8am. Jean came up at 6:30 to stay with the dogs, so they wouldn't have to go in their kennels. That was so sweet.

Anyway, we got there, I picked up my lab slip and went down to get the blood drawn. Then I came back upstairs, sat in the freezing waiting room (the temp is set at 55 degrees) and waited. About an hour later Anne Marie came out to give me the bad news...my white cell count had actually DROPPED since Wednesday! Here I was so confident that I would be good to go.

So, we had to go cancel my CT Scan that was scheduled for Monday...which is a good thing, I had no idea how I was going to get to that appointment, although I have plenty of friends who would give me a ride. I just hadn't arranged my transportation.

I had told Sandy that if it was a "no go" for today, our consolation prize would be a trip to the Cinnabon at the mall and get a cinnamon bun. Well...Anne Marie broke the news to me that the place is closed! DOH! Cursed all the way around!

So, we pretty much drove home in silence. Me getting irritated with Sandy's driving and her yawning. I feel guilty every time she yawns and then I get pissed. I dunno why. It's enough that I'm aware of my feelings. She wanted to stop at a Dunkin' Donuts, which we did and I took over driving. It was my car, I was entitled...and I felt better about our chances of getting home in one piece.

We went to the bakery in town when we got home and I went nuts buying loaves of bread, donuts and pastries for Jean and I to consume in large quantities! She loves their donuts.

When we got home I went up to bed with Bub and Rocket and took a long nap. Felt a whole lot better when I got up...adjusted my attitude.

So, now I'm looking forward to my last chemo treatment....next Friday.

Oh, and I realized that if I get the chemo next Friday I will have 10 weeks to get in shape for the trip to Sweden...so all is good.

The weekend is going to be sunny. We're going to do yard work tomorrow and then Sandy is going to an agility trial on Sunday. I'll stay home with Lily. Maybe some friends will drop by...if they are in the neighborhood...so if you're reading this, and you are in the neighborhood...come by and we'll chat on the deck!

Sox leading 5-1 thanks to Big Papi's huge blast in the first and a solo shot later. HE'S BAAAAAAACCCKKKKK!!!! YAY!!!

Nighty night!

Thursday and my counts are still down...I'll flip that...my counts are up...but not yet high enough. So, we are going to go up to Providence tomorrow AM, get the bloodwork done again and wait for the verdict. Sandy and I think it's worth the risk...I have a history of having my counts come way up between Wednesday (which is when I had it done) and Friday.

I just want to get this last damned chemo done and start my "strengthening program" to get me in shape for Sweden, the garden and other things!

Yesterday, in addition to getting my bloodwork done, I did loads of errands, all over SE CT. Went out to Old Mystic to drop off three poop specimens to our vet's for analysis (or whatever sick use they were going to make of them); then to get gas; then a leisurely ride through the back roads to RTE 201 (another back road actually, but one with a route number) to Griswold...to Ocean State Job Lot to get grass seed....good sale; then to Kohl's to get a Shark Steamer to clean the floors.

I hit the jackpot with Kohl's...I had a 30% off card that came in the mail...so I went nuts. Got the Shark; a iPod/iPhone speaker system...sounds AWESOME!; a new electric tooth brush to replace the old, decrepit one; some jewelry-necklace and bracelet; a pair of slacks--which, when I got home I found that I already have---which shows you how out of hand my shopping has become; and some other odds and ends. Spent over $500! With the 30% off it came down to just over $300 and I got $70 of "Kohl's Cash" to boot! Good day of shopping!

Tonight we go to Lynne's for our "Ladies Night Out." It'll be great to see the gang there and to catch up on things. Tonight the "girls" get to meet Franklin, Lynne and David's new dog....who is a SUPER SWEETHEART!!!

Can't wait!

Now I'll go take a nap, get up and shower, feed the dogs and wait for Sandy to come home....oh, and take my energy drink.

Tomorrow....we WILL accomplish our GOAL!!!

Nighty night!

Well, it's Sunday night, I'm watching the Sox play the Yankees, again....but this time they are winning...so far!

Youk just hit another one! Pedroia scores....7-2 Sox! YAY!!!

Anyway, Sandy was gone this weekend, to a trial in Westfield MA, taking Truman and Bubbles with her. Since they were camping and it was going to be raining and windy, I kept Rocky home with Lily and me. I'm glad I did. It would have been too much for Sandy to take care of all of them...Bubbles started freaking out over the thunder and Rocky would have been hurting in the cold and damp. It rained a lot and was freezing last night Sandy said.

A huge tent blew way up in the air and across the field. People came running over to Sandy's tent as they thought she had been hit...the tent landed about 20 feet from her tent. She has a thing about flying tents....another one almost hit her last night and one time, at a trial in Wrentham a huge club tent went flying and did hit her...she wasn't hurt, but another woman who was near her was and they had to call an ambulance for her. I don't think Sandy should be around tents if it's going to be windy.

She said the wind was so bad last night there was a few times she thought our tent was going to go flying...with her, the dogs and all the equipment in it!

Rocky and I snuggled in the bed with the windows opening, listening to the wind howl and glad we weren't sleeping in a damned tent!!

Of course, that was after we watched Saturday Night Live, which featured Betty White as the weekly guest! SHE WAS FANTASTIC!!! I laughed so hard...it was like old times when I used to watch SNL when they had Dan Ackroyd, Gilda, Jane, Lorraine, Steve Martin, Chevy, Billy Murray, Garrett Morris et al. Back in the old days, when we memorized every line. That was the good old days.

I promise I won't now go on a rant about "the good old days"....people always long for the "good old days", thinking it was all about green stamps, skate keys, rabbit ears, Bob Hope, wax lips, etc. They forget the segregation; how women were treated, how gays were treated, etc....the important stuff. I'd rather have my civil rights than have my Buster Browns back!

Okay..I promised and then I broke it.

So, I have gotten over myself about not getting chemo on Friday. Yesterday I stayed home with Lily and Rocky as it was raining hard and Lily got all freaked out about the thunderstorms that kept circling around in the late morning--early afternoon. At one point Lily wanted to go out and I didn't trust her, so I went out with her...it was raining lightly. She did just what I suspected she would do...checked the fence, looking for a way to escape. As Sandy said when I told her about it "that's the flaw in her thinking." When it is thundering...she thinks about running.

Anyway, I was getting her to come into the house when all of a sudden I hear this CRACK! and I see a quick flash of light...I looked towards Cliff and Kathy's house and just as I did the thunder rolled LOUD!!! I kept calm and got Lily to get inside. That was close! I haven't been that close to a lightning strike since the A/C unit behind my office in the Army got hit. That one scared the crap out of me...yesterday I didn't even jump. Hmmmmmmmm.....

I felt like we were having a party. I turned on all the lights downstairs and pulled all the blinds. This is so Lily couldn't see the flash of lightning. She can't hear that great anymore, so that isn't so much of a problem. I made her stop lying in the living room where she could look down the hall to the windows by the front door (which are uncovered)....and move to the middle of the living room floor. I sang to her and put the tv on to mask the noise outside...she fell asleep.

I was supposed to go to Jean's to pick up two lobsters she had bought for me, but I felt sick and I didn't want to leave Lily and I didn't want to drive her down there...Jean called and I told her that I would come down on Sunday. Of course, she had other plans...she and Frank drove the lobsters up here to me and then went to Occum and got supper for us! We ate, visited for awhile and then they headed out and I headed up to bed.

I sat up in bed, resting and gradually feeling better and by the time SNL came on I was feeling pretty good.

This morning I got up around 9 and fed Lil and Rocky and Murph and then made corn pancakes for myself...complete with the molasses butter! YUM! Afterwards I felt sick again...dragged myself upstairs and slept until 2pm! WHAT THE HELL??!!!

Sandy texted me and suggested I have the energy drink...which I did have...that helped me feel a lot better. She thinks maybe my red cell count is down too and that I need to keep eating to feel better. YIKES!!! I'm already back up to 154lbs!

I do have to admit that the energy drink did help. I think I'm eating enough...I had a lobster roll and broiled asparagus (from my garden) for supper. I'll keep taking the drink...that won't add pounds.

After I took the drink I was able to change the sheets...I had cut myself last night and didn't realize it..had bled all over the sheets before I noticed. I did laundry and cleaned the bathrooms upstairs and downstairs. Then I thought of Pam Childs telling me not to overdo it...so I sat down and read the paper.

Sandy and the doggies are home safe and sound. I'm watching the Sox beat the Yanks (finally!) and soon it will be time to climb the stairs to go to bed. That sounds good.

Tomorrow I think I will vacuum downstairs. Hope the weather is nice so maybe I can sit out on the deck for breakfast and lunch. Sandy goes in at 3am tomorrow morning so she will be home around noon. YAY!

Nighty night!

DAMN DAMN DAMN!!! I have to admit, I'm bummed. Went out to Providence today to see the doctor and have my blood work done. When I got home I got a call from Anne-Marie and I knew that it wasn't good news. They only call when there's a problem.

Sure enough, my platelets are way down and I can't have my last chemo tomorrow. DAMN! I was SO looking forward to getting that done and over with.

Oh well...such is life. I had a sneaking suspicion that my counts were off. I've been feeling so rotten the past few days, I've been bruising easy and bleeding easy (and having trouble stopping the bleeding)...all indications that the counts are off.

I was right.

So, I'm on tap for next Friday. Sandy was taking tomorrow off...now she will work tomorrow and will take next Friday off.

Dorothy and Jean took me to the appointment today and afterwards we went to the Country Curtains shop in Warwick. Haven't been to one of those stores in ages...the last one I went to was the original store, in Stockbridge. I saw some nice comforters there...maybe someday.

We also went to a women's clothing store, I'm drawing a blank on the name right now...Cohoes or something like that. Anyway, I tried on some four inch heels and Dorothy stuck right beside me to catch me if I fell! HOW THE HELL do they walk in those things?

Then we went down the highway to the Olive Garden in Warwick...and I have to say I was disappointed. The Olive Garden in Waterford is SO MUCH better! They don't have the seafood dish I used to love. I got the shrimp and tomato angel hair pasta dish in a garlic butter sauce. Disappointing. Even the salad and the bread sticks weren't as good as our local Olive Garden. I won't be going to that one again.

HOME RUN VICTOR MARTINEZ!!!!! Boston now behind 4-2. YEOWWW!!!

Can you tell I'm multi-tasking? Yep, watching the game as I type. Oh, and eating chocolate ice cream. I'm so damned talented.

So tomorrow I'm just going to relax. I've already ironed Sandy's slacks for next week, did loads of laundry, including the new 400 count sheets I got for our bed (in chocolate---which seems to be a theme with me lately) and swept the floor today. I suppose I'll probably clean downstairs tomorrow if I have any energy.

I set up my new composting bin outside and threw a bunch of stuff in. I have to get Sandy into putting her scraps, tea bags, etc into my container, so I have more stuff to put in the big bin. I got the bin on sale at the Tractor Supply store last week. It's cool...you can roll it to get the stuff inside to mix up. I put it on the outside of the fence, but Sandy didn't like it there...didn't want the skunks to get into it (how they would get their little hands up there to spin the top open I don't know) so I moved it.

Sandy doesn't "get it" about composting. She has a garden but doesn't compost. She plants flowers but doesn't mulch. I mulch and she pooh-poohs it. Later, she begins to understand. I'm hoping that this dynamic, which has been repeated SO MANY times in our relationship, is repeated yet again with the compost.

I need to concentrate on this game. The Sox are behind and Dice-K is looking a bit better now. I'm going into rally mode...which has served us well so far this week. Must....help....Sox....win.....

Nighty.....night!

Monday Monday...and I'm feeling yucky. Dunno why. Had a busy weekend, maybe that contributes to it...maybe the pollen doesn't help.

Yesterday I walked the farthest I have walked since November when we were on the cruise! It wasn't really that far...just to the end of the street and back, but it was far for me me. I took Rocky along with me, to go buy lemonade from some kids who had a stand down there--raising money for a local animal rescue place.

It was hot and I sat in the grass for awhile while I drank my lemonade. Came back home and crashed for awhile in bed. Jean and Frank came up later for dinner...we had steaks, corn on the cob and salad out on the deck. NICE!

Saturday I had enjoyed breakfast out on the deck. It was 86 degrees out there, but I had the new, huge umbrella open and it was very comfy out there. I love that new umbrella.

Charmine came by for a visit today. We had a nice chat. I can't wait to get back to work...she was filling me in on some new scenarios and what's happening at work. I really miss it.


The Sox were swept by the Orioles. Unheard of! I started watching the game tonight in full rally mode...hat backwards, shirt inside out and backwards. So far it's paying off....they are beating LA 5-0.

Keeping it short tonight...not much to write and I want to get back to the game.

Nighty night!