My Present

This is what Andrew sent me for our Anniversary!!

ROTFL!! LMFAO!!!

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/owner/ZX0BaRA2HZKXt7T5#/owner/ZX0BaRA2HZKXt7T5

ttfn!

Oh!! PS, We're going to Europe for 3 weeks starting on Wednesday!! Dusseldorf, Amsterdam and Paris!! WOOHOO!!!!

A Craig's List Rant

One of my fellow "survivors" sent this to me. Someone posted it on Craig's List. I don't love the part at the end of each paragraph saying "when you get it" but it really, clearly describes the road I've taken. The constipation part really hit home and the other part about some friends just not staying in contact.

Anyway, here's the link.

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/pdx/465030621.html

ttfn peeps

Happy Anniversary, Babe!

You know you've been married a long time when you forget it's your anniversary. We celebrated our 26th anniversary yesterday!

The huge thing was that Andrew came home early from work! He also brought me flowers but, truthfully, time with him is the best anniversary present a girl could get. It's funny 'cause every time an anniversary comes you think "It seems like yesterday that we got married." And then you start thinking about all the things we've done/accomplished/gone through and it does seem like a long time. For example, I remember everything about my wedding day. Dancing to "Stars on 45" and who was there and how the bartender thought I was drunk 'cause I kept losing my wine glass and coming up for more. He must have given me 20 glasses of wine! LOL!! And going pee in a wedding dress. Now that's an interesting thing. Needed help with that one! LOL!! Then, I think of this last year and all we've endured and the year seems so long. Weird.

I went for a job interview yesterday. I'm going to take the position. It's working in the Medicare Advantage field again. I don't love working with that demographic but the money's too good to pass up.

We move Kevin and Scott to Orlando this weekend. They're sharing a beautiful house with a brother and sister who they've known since high school. Their mom went through breast cancer five years ago. She had her big five year body scan about a month ago and they found a tumor in her ovary area, I think. Anyway, she had surgery on Monday and....IT'S NOT CANCER!!! yeah!!! I'm so happy for her and her kids and husband. It would really suck for her to have to go through chemo all over again. Chemo really does suck.

Anyway, I'm off to recover those chairs. Yes, I'm a procrastinator and I didn't do it the other day so, here I am, the day before they move, recovering chairs. Ugh! I wish I was an A-type personality sometimes! ROFL!!!

ttfn!

My Hair

As you can see, I changed the picture of Andrew and I. Do I look gay? I mean, seriously, do I look gay? Apparently I do because if one more girl "approaches" me I'm going to go for it!

Andrew & I went out about a month ago and, when he went to the bathroom, a couple of gay girls came over and started flirting with me. It happened a few times in Vegas, too. No. This was not in my head. I did not make it up. Since then? I've been wearing long dangly earrings trying to make sure this doesn't happen again.

And...just for the record. I have nothing against lesbians. I just don't want to be one, ya know? (Although, I do admit, it's a bit of an ego boost!)

Gotta go reupholster some kitchen chairs. Having three kids in college will make you do horrible things - like pick up your neighbours old kitchen table and chairs out of their garbage! Oh yes! I did that and I'm proud of it. It's a perfectly good table, for pete's sake! ROFL!!

ttfn, peeps!

I'm Better Today!

I'm in a much better mood today.

We're getting kind of excited around here. We might get a hurricane coming through! I know that sounds crazy to get excited about it but it will only be a category 1 so we don't have to evacuate or put the boards on our windows. We just get to sit and watch it. It's really cool. The sky "swirls". One hour the wind is going one way the next hour it's going a different way.

So, don't worry about us down here in Florida. A category 1 hurricane is just a big storm. We might lose power, which would totally suck because it's hot a hell down here, but other than that? It should be really interesting and totally cool.

TTFN!

I HATE CANCER!

I'm so mad at cancer today. I just can't explain it. I'm just in a foul mood and mad at cancer.

How dare it take my grandmother away from me! How dare it attack my sweet father-in-law! How dare it take Mr Laws' life and Jake at 15! How dare it put Mrs. Young through such a battle! How dare it attack my father and me! How dare it take Briana's life and Jeff's mom! How dare it attack Helga and Laurie and Vanessa and Brandy and Brandy's friend Betty! The fucking bastard!!

I FUCKING HATE CANCER!!

I know that having hatred in my heart isn't good. I must replace it with love but, today? I'm frustrated. My hips hurt and my spirit is low. It may have something to do with the fact that all my kids are going to college in the next week. I think it's more than that, though. I met so many amazing people while going through this. They sat next to me in chemo or across from me in chemo or while waiting for radiation. They were all so nice and we were all going through this shitty battle. We put on brave faces and laughed at our deformed selves (remember, Laurie, the day you came in "lopsided"?) but some days it just really really sucks and I hate it.

I hate that I had to go through this. It's made my kids face things that no one wants their kids to face. It made my parents so sad and scared. It made my sister cry over and over. It made my nieces and nephews have to know that there's a disease that can kill their cousin's mother. It takes the innocent and makes them not-so-innocent and that sucks.

Now I have to face a double hip replacement and that sucks, too. And Vanessa has to go into surgery on Monday, scared and having to think about doing chemo all over again and her children and husband have to be scared and brave all over again.

I FUCKING HATE CANCER!! I HATE IT, I HATE IT, I

HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vegas and more

Well, I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and write about Vegas and Donny!!!

Vegas was great! We didn't lose too much money and had tons of fun. We stayed at Planet Hollywood for the first three nights and then at Treasure Island. Planet Hollywood's way better.

Thursday - got there and got our bearings.

Friday - booked a trip on the Colorado River and went to see Kathy Griffin in the evening. She was so funny! At one point she made reference to the fact that Donny and Marie were in town. And then she fell on the floor - a la Marie's fainting experience on Dancing With The Stars. That was funny. Then she went on to say she thinks Marie's dolls are creepy (I agree) and that she thinks Marie beats Donny and he has to wear a lot of makeup to cover up his black eyes and then she said "They have that song I'm a Little Bit Country I'm a Little Bit Rock and Roll. Well, Marie might be a little bit country but Donny? He's never been even a little bit rock and roll!" It was funny. I think Andrew thought I'd stand up and yell something. I didn't. Phew! I know y'all were thinking I would, too, weren't you? I was on my best behaviour!

Saturday we went on our Colorado River Trip. It was really cool. We got to see the "backside of the Hoover Dam. We went on a raft for about three hours. We stopped for lunch along the way (a boxed lunch) and they said we could swim. The water was 54 degrees so you can imagine not many people went in. Only the brave......

I'm thinking about it...... (so's the Europeon guy in the teeny tiny bathing suit)

I'm Brave!!! I got all the way in. Not once. Not twice. But three times!!!

I'm so proud at this moment...

Now? All I want is out! This was my first venture in. The third time I actually stayed in for quite a while. The water burned it was so cold but I figured when else will I ever get a chance to do something like this? I'm also proud to say that only one other woman went in (another Florida chick) and about three other guys out of the 30 or so on the tour. Who woulda thunk, eh?

My honey and me. She how he's dry and I'm not? He ended up getting soaking wet from the spray on the boat.

Here's some pictures of the sights we saw:

Andrew right before the rafting tour. He thought he'd have a chance to change into his bathing suit but there was no chance so he ended up getting really wet in his clothes.

On the river

A mountain goat

A girl on the tour's foot. Her mother had breast cancer (she is now at the five year remission mark - yay her!!) and this girl had a tattoo done as an ode to her mom. I loved it and it got me thinking that I'd like something, too. I haven't done it yet. I know which tattoo guy will do it I just have to get him to design it and find some money for it. Three kids in college is expensive!!

Andrew and I in front of the Hoover Dam. He has now changed into his bathing suit because his clothes were all wet. He's a little bit backwards, eh?

We stopped at Dick's Saloon for a drink after the Kathy Griffin show and I sat on this bar stool. I didn't realize it was legs for a few minutes but once I did I needed a picture! LOL!!

Andrew and "his car" outside Planet Hollywood. In his dreams, people!! In his dreams!! I just thought it was funny that it was an orange car. Remember his first car? The orange Capri?

OK, so zip forward to Monday night. The Donny night. First off we got to go to the sound check. We waited in line because it wasn't reserved seating for that part. While in line we met these people from Orlando. She was a little bit scary. Shoot. There were scary people everywhere. You think I'm a Donny freak? You ain't seen nothin' till you've seen some of these people! Anyway, she was one of the lucky people who got to go to a meet and greet after the sound check. We got to talking and I ended up telling them all about chemo and how I had looked forward to this all through chemo and how it helped me get through. That whole light at the end of the tunnel thing. So....we go in for the sound check. It ended up being a question and answer thing. What I should have done is put up my hand and told them how this got me through chemo however....I just sat there. Some woman right behind me stood up and started blubbering that she'd loved Donny since she was a kid. Well, hello! We all have! But...he came right into the audience and gave her a hug and stood there talking to her for a couple of minutes. He was within an armlength of me. Did I do anything? Well, yes. I cryed. I sat there fucking crying!!! Did I stand up? no. Say anything? no. Just sat there fucking crying!! My big chance and I sit there crying.

Ugh! So then....those people we met in line went up for their meet and greet. It was in the audience but over to the side and up. These people were first in line and the man told Donny about me. Donny turned around and said "Where is she, I'd like to meet her." Where was I? gone. I was already out of the hall. another Ugh!!! So...I missed it. Again. Anyway, the concert was amazingly good. Even Andrew said it was good. Great, even. They are amazing performers and entertainers. I found out after I got home that after all the concerts they come out and meet their fans. Once again, I was gone. But? I got to see my dreamboat and he really is dreamy. I love him even more, now. Sigh!!!!!

So. That's our trip to Vegas. It was really fantastic. Wonderful to spend so much time with my honey. Usually when we go away, Andrew's on business and is gone all day and we only get to see each other in the evenings. This time, we got to spend lots of time together. We got to wake up together, eat together, play together. It was so nice. I love that man with all my heart ( well, not all my heart - some of my heart. My kids get some and my parents and other relatives and Debbie and her kids - ok, revision.....) I love that man with lots of my heart!! teehee!!

Other things:

- Kevin and Scott have found a house to live in in the fall. A nicer house than my house, I might add. I've been busy buying them furniture.

- We all went to Panama City Beach for a few days this past week. We stayed in a three bedroom condo. We had tons of fun. There's a jet skiing story to be told but not today.

- I went to see my orthopedic surgeon. Andrew went with me. We got to see my MRI from a few months ago and what, exactly, is happening. We saw exactly where the bone is dying and have a much better understanding of what's happening. The doctor and I have agreed that hip replacement surgery is imminent. I'm in quite a bit of pain on a daily basis. I really want to wait until April to get it done. I lost last selling season to Cancer (my selling season is Nov 15 - April 1) and I want to make some money this year. Also, it's better to wait until I'm finished the Herceptin. It is considered a chemo drug and it's better not to have surgery while I'm on it - although not impossible. I finish that in late January. Anyway, I'm on a wait and see, right now. If the pain isn't too bad I'll wait until April. If it gets too bad then I'll do it earlier. We're also talking about doing both hips at the same time. I'm feeling lots of pain in the right hip (actually groin area) and some in the left. I'd hate to get my right one done and then, a few months later, need the other done. The doctor said he was willing to do both at the same time. Once again, that's a wait and see thing, too. I'll keep you posted.

Well, that's all for now. Long post, eh? Thanks for reading!!

TTFN!!