With surgery, radiation, and chemo winding down, I can't help but be somewhat reassured. She did very well with her treatments, even if I wish she had taken more time off work than the day after her treatment. Apparently that's the day it hit her the most and she considered the "bad day". In her words, "She just keeps on truckin' on". Perhaps that's the most important thing any of us can do, just keep going.
Thankfully as my mom is truckin' my dad has been a nice backseat driver. He's taken over everything and gone to every single appointment. With the beard he grew when he retired he now looks like a big gray grizzly trailing after her. He's what I'd want to be if I had to help someone through this, and exactly what I'd need if I were in mom's shoes. I'm proud of them both.
Now we wait. The waiting doesn't really end. We'll always be waiting for the next checkup or milestone. There's the first clean test, the first year...etc. However I have no doubt she'll continue truckin', and my dad will be in the passenger seat with the road map.
"Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway." -- John Wayne
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Addiction
It's obvious I have an addictive personality. This is why I was a smoker, though thankfully that hasn't been the case for a few years. However, while I can break the nicotine habit, I cannot seem to break the caffeine or silly time waster video game habit.
This is why I was in "Dunkie" or Dunkin' Donuts at some obscene time of night. They have brewed iced tea, not that fake powder crap. It calls me to in all its bitter glory. So you can get a cup of it that's the size of a small Norwegian village for less than $2.50. Just don't ruin it with sugar or a lemon, that will only create seeds for you to accidentally suck up through the straw.
This brings me to my fear of bubble tea. Everyone seems to love this stuff, but it boggles my mind. These little gummy balls come shooting up the straw ready to coke you to death. Yes, even iced tea addiction can kill. No thanks, just give me my giant Dunkie.
So while I was waiting in line I looked over at a little Christmas tree they had on display. The ornaments were little packets of sugar substances glued to paperclips. Of course I went to get a closer look at this work of "art". If you know me at all you know what happened.
It really wasn't my fault! Who puts a tree on a wobbly table and then props it up with a few books? Worse yet, who decorates with little packets that are prone to ripping?
As I sat there sprawled across the floor covered in sugar packets and fake pine needles I looked up to see a lovely young police officer trying not to laugh. "Oh sorry officer, I cannot tell a lie, I did chop down the Splenda tree."
I made it home safe and sound to conquer the digital seas of Puzzle Pirates armed with my tea.
"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." -- C.S. Lewis
This is why I was in "Dunkie" or Dunkin' Donuts at some obscene time of night. They have brewed iced tea, not that fake powder crap. It calls me to in all its bitter glory. So you can get a cup of it that's the size of a small Norwegian village for less than $2.50. Just don't ruin it with sugar or a lemon, that will only create seeds for you to accidentally suck up through the straw.
This brings me to my fear of bubble tea. Everyone seems to love this stuff, but it boggles my mind. These little gummy balls come shooting up the straw ready to coke you to death. Yes, even iced tea addiction can kill. No thanks, just give me my giant Dunkie.
So while I was waiting in line I looked over at a little Christmas tree they had on display. The ornaments were little packets of sugar substances glued to paperclips. Of course I went to get a closer look at this work of "art". If you know me at all you know what happened.
It really wasn't my fault! Who puts a tree on a wobbly table and then props it up with a few books? Worse yet, who decorates with little packets that are prone to ripping?
As I sat there sprawled across the floor covered in sugar packets and fake pine needles I looked up to see a lovely young police officer trying not to laugh. "Oh sorry officer, I cannot tell a lie, I did chop down the Splenda tree."
I made it home safe and sound to conquer the digital seas of Puzzle Pirates armed with my tea.
"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." -- C.S. Lewis
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Snooping
There's something incredibly personal and invasive about condo shopping. We know we want to move to Boston, but we're not sure if buying a condo is a better idea than renting. However, we're learning more and more towards renting. So we've been going around with a Realtor looking at places. I actually enjoy doing this, but Dina would rather be yodeling in the reflecting pool at the mall naked.
What I don't understand about the whole process are the owners of these buildings. Sure most of them look rather nice and the owners clearly made an effort to show the best side of their place. However the exceptions can be almost scary. Below is a list of things that you as a seller should avoid. I've now seen each at and can honestly say it's probably not the impression you want to leave potential buyers.
- Remove the broken air conditioning unit from the living room. While you're at it, get rid of the bucket catching water in the bed room.
- Put the man eating dog/monster in his own room. At the very least give him something to gnaw on other than the unsuspecting home buyers.
- If you had fish for dinner last night, take out the trash. At the very least don't leave the half-eaten carcass on the floor.
- If you have 20+ cats, please leave a window open. At the very least, remove the litter trays in the middle of each room that haven't been cleaned since the Hoover administration.
- Sex toys are fun, and perfectly normal. However, hanging them from a moving ceiling fan is just creepy. Why are they there? Can the ceiling fan even hold your weight?
- Put away the shackles attached to your bed. Handcuffs are one thing, shackles are another. Or perhaps you should limit it to one pair, not 3. Maybe I can introduce you to the person above?
The key to selling your home should really be: Remove things that would make the average buyer cringe.
"I'm not going to vacuum until Sears makes one you can ride on." -- Roseanne Barr
What I don't understand about the whole process are the owners of these buildings. Sure most of them look rather nice and the owners clearly made an effort to show the best side of their place. However the exceptions can be almost scary. Below is a list of things that you as a seller should avoid. I've now seen each at and can honestly say it's probably not the impression you want to leave potential buyers.
- Remove the broken air conditioning unit from the living room. While you're at it, get rid of the bucket catching water in the bed room.
- Put the man eating dog/monster in his own room. At the very least give him something to gnaw on other than the unsuspecting home buyers.
- If you had fish for dinner last night, take out the trash. At the very least don't leave the half-eaten carcass on the floor.
- If you have 20+ cats, please leave a window open. At the very least, remove the litter trays in the middle of each room that haven't been cleaned since the Hoover administration.
- Sex toys are fun, and perfectly normal. However, hanging them from a moving ceiling fan is just creepy. Why are they there? Can the ceiling fan even hold your weight?
- Put away the shackles attached to your bed. Handcuffs are one thing, shackles are another. Or perhaps you should limit it to one pair, not 3. Maybe I can introduce you to the person above?
The key to selling your home should really be: Remove things that would make the average buyer cringe.
"I'm not going to vacuum until Sears makes one you can ride on." -- Roseanne Barr
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