All over the place....

Its 4:00 pm

   Just got home from work....was invited to a class given by my work for a new position. Another co-worker and I drove to Novi and underwent the training involved. Its not a hard job but when the regional director explained how its supposed to function,it suddenly occurred to all 16 employees who were there how vital the class was.
  I thought I was picked for the class just because I happened to be at work and they needed a warm body but I was pleasantly surprised to know some thought had gone into it and I was selected out of a pool of about 12 people. Made me feel good to know that my hard work and drive had been noticed and that despite what is going on here as far as Lori's illness has not spilled over into my work. When my ASM mentioned that he wouldn't have known anything was wrong by on my work demeanor,I felt good about that. While I won't lie and say its all cream and roses,I do forget our battle when I come to work. I'm there to do a job,not wallow or dwell in what is happening.
  And to my work's credit,they are very quick and gracious to honor any request I have in regards to Lori and her treatment. I have not missed a single day since I have started and have no plans to do so...work is too important to even think about missing at this point.
  To have a job...very grateful to have one.

Random act of kindness....

    Lori comes home last week and while I was rubbing her feet to help relieve the neuropathy brought about by the chemotherapy,she told me about one of her associates who has been having just a brutal time as of late. The young lady who once had two jobs and was going to class while living with a friend all of a sudden had the wheels come off...she was laid off from her main job,had a sudden medical emergency that left her unable to complete her classes and work. Because of the sudden loss of income,she was unable to stay with her friend and had to move out to another person's smaller place.
  While she recovered from her medical issues,she used every cent she had to pay rent and gas in her car..she couldn't apply for state aid because students now can rarely get benefits...this truly was the perfect storm for this young lady. It got so bad that even another employee who also is trying to improve herself by going to school,shared what food she could with this woman.
  Soon it became apparent to everyone what was happening and my wife's team has stepped up...we donated a box of food,another manager delivered some home cooked meals and yet another co-worker bought her some basic grocery items. We also gave her a list of known resources that we know about and hopefully this will help her while she recovers.

  The founder of the Sanctuary of Style,Tiffany Hendra,wrote a blog entry called "Speak Life Not Death" on her website. After I read this and seeing just how truly ugly some brain-washed Americans really are,I thought long and hard about closing my own group on FB. Just watching the blind ignorance,hatred and foolishness being posted about having a right to own a gun to defend themselves from "criminals" is just sickening. The gun loving teapublicans who rather murder and maim each other then realize that they themselves are the problem as really left me rather sad.
 I am going to give the group a last effort,I made my friend Michelle a admin with the hope she can keep the one day where I asked for peace,which is bitterly ironic. The one day and the one basic request,to not post anything negative or political and what happens? My rights and feelings are trampled in the name of people expressing their own rights and everyone else be damned. I wonder if they even realize what they are doing...and by the traffic here,very few of them even bother to see how Lori is doing,which was the basis for the group in the first place.
   But as I posted before,I am looking for more gentleness this year....so the gun lovers who are jealous of the fact they haven't yet gathered enough courage to slaughter 27 people in the name of the NRA and the 2nd Amendment can go have their negative and narrow POV on their own page....


Another random act of kindness....

  Working at my store and waiting on some contractors...it was pretty busy at our work and we had a few people in line. As I was ringing the two workers,a woman in the other line was finishing up her order and paid with a gift card. After she was done,she leaned over and handed me the card saying the two men could have what was left. I scanned the card and while the total was only 2.71,it was the gesture that was touching. I thanked the customer and as she was leaving,one of the young men also reached out and thanked her. (the other one was paying me). People behind were touched by such a small gesture...

  One of the best things that has happened as of late is my friend Scorpion has resumed his blog,"As My Stomach Turns". Who knew that Jackson,Michigan could be so zany and Jimmy Buffett like? But what do I know....other then Aaron is a prince of a guy and a very funny writer.
  I'm posting in his own words what happened to him after our recent snow storm...

TROLL LEVEL: HONDA CIVIC
Just after Xmas, we got a pretty good snow fall here.  Thursday afterwards, I ran some errands including a trip to Ann Arbor to drop off the Mac for some repairs.  On the way back, I stopped back at the house, before heading off to take care of some things.  As I turned on to Elm Street from the park, I got behind an old beat up full-size van.  I’m guessing he just got out and about recently, because the snow was just coming off the top of his van and landing square on my windshield.
Fun.
I figured maybe he would turn onto I-94, but he continued straight down Elm… the same way I was going.  Great.  Well, I figured when it went to 4-lanes, I could at least get around him.  However, when I got into the left lane, he also sped up just enough to keep in front of me and keep the blowing snow hitting my car.  I darted just about 52, but knowing how close we were to the state police post (and seriously doubting Elf was on duty at this time of the day), I didn’t dare go much faster.  However I was betting on him slowing down for the left turn onto Parnall Road, by the prison.
Sure as shit, he slowed way down to negotiate the curve, and being smaller (as well as quite familiar with that curve at ‘higher’ speeds), I was able to dart right by him.  There was traffic in the left hand lane up ahead, and I darted back into the right lane in front of him.  He immediately changed over to the left lane, and I knew right away he was going to try to make the mad dash around me before we caught up to the traffic.  I was hoping that my beloved little civic could out-accelerate him, and sure as shit I was able to fend him off.  It helped that the light was red up ahead at Cooper, and I toyed with him a little as we approached: slowing down just enough that he couldn’t get around me before the light changed, so that he’d have to slow down himself and get behind me.  For some reason, I thought of Tom Cleveland’s ‘Zebra Salad’ story from last issue, and figured Tom Cat would be getting his ya-ya’s if he was riding shotgun with me at this time.
I figured the van driver was probably pretty irritated by now, but I wasn’t done yet.  Light turned green and I gunned it through the intersection before he even had stepped on the gas pedal.  I watched as he changed to the left lane just past the intersection and floored it, snow still a blowing off the top of his van.  Where in the fuck did he have that thing parked at to have that much fucking snow?!?  Are you kidding me?!?
Ahead of me was a semi-truck in the right lane, so I changed over to the left lane.  I watched as he immediately changed to the right lane, and seeing the semi in front of him, gunned it to once again get in the position to ‘snow-blow’ me, even though by now it appeared he’d FINALLY lost just about all of the snow on the roof of his van.  I was doing about 60, and he was gaining on me, but I could sense his frustration as we approached the traffic ahead and he had to slow down.  Nope, he wasn’t going to get around me for one last bombardment, and by the time he got to where I was at, I was already turning left onto Lansing Ave.  But not before rolling down the window and offering a defiant One Finger Holiday Gesture to the fuck-wad.

After reading the above story,I think we'll have to count this as a random act of kindness simply for the fact neither one of these guys busted out a AR-15 or AK-47 and started busting caps at each other.
And Aaron,thanks for letting me post this....*LOL*

   Its been two weeks and still no action from Derek or Snacks on the new cat bed. I had to give back Derek his old batcave in which he instantly jumped back into while Snacks continued to sleep on her pillow.




In other words,my Christmas present was a epic failure....but I did try...

But someone who didn't fail is the lovely Elaine Hendrix. She has started a videoblog on YouTube bringing to light the needs of animals who need our love and compassion every single day. Elaine has been working tirelessly on the behalf of neglected dogs and cats for many years now and her grassroots efforts are really starting to take off.
   Because I'm all for "doing my part"*,I'll be reposting her videos on my blog when she posts them online. I hope that you will drop by and pay her page a visit and leave a comment or better yet,volunteer in some way at a shelter or a donate a dollar the next time you buy some catfood at PetSmart or PetCo.


   Cleaned out my coupon book this week....it had been six weeks since I had the energy to clean it out,we just haven't been shopping very much as of late due to the fickle nature of Lori's chemo. I make small runs here and there but as for a "big shop"I haven't had much time.



But this week,I zipped over to Coupons.com and went to town downloading fresh coupons and then spending 2 hours emptying my book. The pantry took a bit of a hit with our donation to Lori's co-worker,we  actually were out of a lot of items,including soup,tuna and cereal. With that in mind,we cut and gathered some new coupons and headed out.
  Wow....I knew some items were going up but really??? Talk about sticker shock! We poked around and shopped our list the best we could. Is it just me or is the price of toilet paper just insane these days? I can't get over how high it has shot up so quickly...
  The store was busy and we were only able to shop 40 minutes before Lori's energy gave way and we headed up to the check out...we saved 10.40 on coupons which was a real blessing. Our regular cashier says we are one of the dedicated coupon shoppers she sees. That was nice to hear and reinforces what we have come to embrace....being smart shoppers does pay off.


Hockey is back!!!!

Who cares?

Well.....that is all for me this round,I know I rambled on a fair bit but those who come read me have come to expect that I believe! I post again soon!




* - my inner "Starship Troopers" in me coming out

Catching Up....

Its 9:50 am

    Looking outside at a snow covered ground. About 9 days ago or so we got our first snowstorm of the season here in SE Michigan. Sort of repeating the pattern of last year,we got ONE good snow storm and after that,just flurries. 

  The reason its still on the ground is because its very,very cold and at 7-24 degrees,its too cold for the snow to melt of its own. People use a lot of salt to melt/clear their driveways but I don't really do that since the ice can really destroy concrete rather quickly.I use a hand shovel and shovel the snow away. I find it as soothing as mowing my grass,its a peaceful chore and I actually enjoy shoveling the snow.

  Its the best when its still snowing and you can hear it falling while you're outside. Its beautiful to me and yes,that includes those rare storms where we get 6-8 inches on the ground.

  This storm only dropped about 4-5 inches which was easy to clear. 

Of course Lori wanted me to break out Rusty the 40 year snowthrower that we got off of eBay when we moved here. Rusty has trouble handling a 2 inch snowfall so there is no way I risking Rusty in a much heavier storm. 

That isn't Rusty but now you can get a idea of what we have.....just add some rust to the sides and there you go!

   The second round of chemo is still underway,we finished our 4th treatment on the 27th. I can't lie,this has been so much worse then the first round. Between the chemo,c-dif and fistula-in-ano,its been a perfect storm of misery. 

  Where as last round we had a 4 day recovery period at home,this time its taking 6 days and even then its really rough. The fistula is the major problem and we can't do anything until the chemo is over and we wait for our 3 and 6 month check-ups. Its sort of pointless to stitch it up unless you are absolutely certain you are not in a position to risk at reopening the fistula because you risk making the fissure much bigger. Then you're looking at a colostomy bag and that brings on a whole new set of challenges.

  Dr. Johnston says a person can live with a unsealed fistula and that may be true,but no one and I mean no one could deal having a fistula and c-dif...this is the worst thing by far of what Lori has to deal with. That and now the having to deal with the other side effects of chemo,the eating and drinking is still getting harder to handle,we are heading off to Ann Arbor for hydration later today and trying to find anything remotely good to eat is a real challenge. 

   Its a challenge in the sense that I can't get her to follow the advice of the doctor and restrict herself to a bland diet of rice,applesauce,soft foods. Cashew chicken is NOT a wise choice for a cancer patient with a fistula and c-dif! But we're taking it day by day and getting through...

  We're doing that by enjoying the Christmas gifts that my brother sent Lori,the 3-5th seasons of the Mary Tyler Moore show. I tuck her in a heated blanket on the couch with some water or cranberry juice and then que up the Blu-Ray player. We can watch 1-2 'sodes of a season before she falls asleep. We talk about our day and I putter around the house doing small chores. 

  

  We had a delightful Christmas this year...on Christmas Eve I went to pay our water bill at city hall and saw that the Red Cross was having blood drive. 

Well being that someone donated at least 2 pints of blood for Lori's transfusion before Christmas,it was the very least that I could do by donating back and that is what I did after I paid our bill. It was being held downstairs and when I walked in,3 of the tables had other donors on them. 

  I went through a pre-screening with a RN named Kerri which made me think of my artist friend in Los Angeles,Kerri Appleton. I was surprised when Kerri told me that I wasn't eating enough red meat,I was thinking I was eating too much of it as of late as I have gained about 7 pounds or so the past 10 days and I feel totally gross.

  

45 minutes later,I was munching on Keebler cookies and drinking fruit punch while the Red Cross staff kept a eye on us. They gave each donor a t-shirt and thanked us for giving. I felt good and headed on home.

Two days before Christmas  saw us taking our friends Marlene and her son Dylan on our 2nd annual light show tour.

We did it last year and it was a big hit. We made thermos of hot chocolate and they brought over small bags of kettlecorn and away we went.

Our plan was to work our way through Canton,then Plymouth and end up in downtown Northville. Last year we went by the famous Ellen Street in Livonia and its light show...except that they had pulled the plug on it and no one was doing it anymore. We debated taking a chance this year but decided to stay a bit more local. 

We laid out our planned tour and headed out at 7 pm.

What was great this year compared to last year was we had SNOW on the ground which always makes the lights that more beautiful to look at. We drove around for 2 hours and to our amazement,we never left our neighborhood! It seemed that just about everyone had a light display up this year! So much more this year then anyone could remember. Lori said that she read that more people were making Christmas even more smaller and focusing on more family and friends gatherings,making their homes that more festive.

  Guess they were right as the holiday shopping season only grew by .07 compared to last year's numbers.

Christmas Eve was quiet as we stayed home and Lori rested,we had a light dinner and watched a little TV before heading to bed.

  Christmas was very mellow this year. What was funny was that we didn't even get to the tree until almost 11 o'clock as we were puttering around making a light breakfast and enjoying some coffee. We decided to go to Mass at noon at St. Thomas and started prepping for dinner.

 Finally we opened gifts and to say we were blessed would be a understatement. Lori got her iPad that we shopped for on Black Friday and I got a camcorder which was totally unexpected! I already talked to Derek and we're going to be filming "Laundry Load,Part Two" very soon....now if I can only find where the director's car is parked at. 

  Lori also surprised me by finding a gently used DVD boxed set of "Person of Interest" off of Amazon.com

Needless to say,I have been watching that and was very happy to do so as I find this show to be the best thing on TV these days hands down.

   

 As friends and family started calling,Lori reached out and invited Marlene over for Christmas dinner. We decided to change things up and ditch the traditional turkey or ham and instead had Rachel Ray chicken. 

We had a great dinner and company. We gave her cat Crash his new food bowl which we don't know if he is using it for not. The new cat bed we got Derek was not a big hit,he is very content sleeping in his old bed.

  The 27th saw Lori in chemo,I had to work but was able to get there for that last hour of chemo. One of the two angels we had as nurses,Mel,was taking care of Lori as usual. For some reason,the staff there has really taken to us and I don't say that lightly. I have watched two different nurses change their schedules just to be able to take care of her,its extremely touching to see such care.

  But it extends even to me....I was trying to bring ESPN up on the TV as San Jose State was playing Bowling Green in the Military Bowl. But they didn't have ESPN so I was going to outside to check the score on the computer in the waiting room.

  Mel instead signed me on to a computer that they use to input medical data and had a internet connection just so I could follow the game and not leave Lori's side. I was very thankful for that....as it turns out,I didn't see very much of the game as I had to watch Lori afterwards. All I know is that San Jose State pounded the Falcons,29-20 and most likely will earn a Top 20 finish heading into next year. 

  Lori's brother,his wife and Aunt Jo came by the house on the 29th and we had a little Christmas celebration again which was very nice and sweet. Her brother has really taken a 360 change in how he talks to Lori,he has woken up and realized how important his sister really is to him. Sad it took cancer to bring him to his senses but some miracles work that way,don't they?

 I guess I'll wrap this up now,I have chores to do and banking to do as well....

Hope all is well with each of you...

Drop a comment or feel free to follow me here.....

Two word post.

Merry Christmas!

Medical Update and other stuff...

Its 10:25 am


   Its a bright cold day here in SE Michigan....I'm in Day 8 of a 10 day pull at work and I'm feeling it a little bit. But glad to have the job and am looking forward to going back today.

  3rd week of chemo has been a real nightmare even with hydration. Lori has 2 active infections and our old friend from the first round,C-dif,is also back. But when you throw in a fistula,its just almost beyond words.
The hydration has worked wonders,in fact,we're going to be doing two treatments for the last three chemo sessions,this has allowed Lori to eat faster and drink a lot more this round.
   But she has lost 26 pounds and while that is awesome,its not awesome when its chemo driven. Trying to find something she can eat is hard enough but the fistula is only making it that much harder. Now with the C-dif back...we're sort of lost.
  We ended up making a non-scheduled run to Ann Arbor last Saturday because of the C-dif,they ran some tests and gave us some medications that is supposed to help.Yesterday was our normal appointment and Dr. Johnston is recommending a blood transfusion and I just got off the phone trying to set that up for tomorrow morning at the infusion clinic.
  I think Lori will be staying home for the last three chemo treatments,she really needs the rest and relaxation and try to stay stress free. I'll be going into full work mode as far as finding another job,working the one I have the full 40 hours. Now,can anyone teach me to cook like an Iron Chef?

  

  Next week is Christmas....and I'm so sorry I didn't anytime to write and send cards out to a lot of my friends,I barely had time to shop for Lori with our hectic schedules. But I'm pretty jazzed with what I got her and also so blessed to have my brother Phil agree to give my gift to Lori this year as well.
  Last year he called me for ideas as to what to give her....we went with the first 2 seasons of the 70's classic "Mary Tyler Moore Show"



  That turned out to be a BIG hit so this year,we're doing the 3rd through 5th seasons for Christmas. Talk about perfect timing,with her most likely being homebound for the next 9-12 weeks,this should help pass the time away.
  Christmas is funny for me....the older I get,the less I know how to give suggestions to shop for myself. I mean,I love to shop for Lori,that to me is the real pleasure of Christmas. Trying to find the perfect gift or something I think she needs (like new cookie sheets this year) is what makes this such a great holiday. Of course I still can't wrap for poo and I have a secret elf help me everywhere....one year it was a All-American volleyball player from Madonna University!




Its now 12 noon on a Wednesday.....

   We're in Ann Arbor and just starting our blood transfusion. We got here at 8 am for labs and then had to wait until 10 am for the lab results and the orders for the blood. While we thought we would get a pint,her blood levels were too low so we are getting a full two pints of blood.
   This process takes 3-4 hours plus a 30 minute observation period. We won't get the effects until tomorrow and she should be getting stronger and feeling much better then.
We did take our Christmas cards with us and after I finish typing this entry,I'll be headed back to finish writing them up so we can drop them in the mail today.
  Funny how during this journey we have run into people who have helped us,my manager at my job is another case in point. He is also a cancer survivor,he battled leukemia many years ago and won. He was able to answer my questions about blood transfusions and said how benefitual they are. He said how much better he felt the day after and had so much more energy. This is what I needed to hear,he also said if I needed any time off,it would be no problem. Fact is,its the oppsitite,I need MORE hours at work...he also agreed with that point as well. I asked him for any possible overtime and he said he would try,OT is rather frowned upon at my job..
   Our ASM came down and used the computer a couple into my shift,she needed to plug in a person because of a call off. She just shook her head and wondered how people feel so casual about doing that...I had to agree....

  Not that we don't do this already but I am making it a personal goal in 2013 to do one random act of kindness a day for someone. We have really lost our way in this country in regards to this. Instead of arming ourselves to the teeth because of what "might" happen...maybe if we did more acts on a daily basis,we could lower the level of stress among our fellow citizens.
  I really try and do this in my daily life....open a door,provide extra help at my job to customers even when its not called for,give a co-worker a ride home without expecting anything in return....small acts like that.
  This country is teetering on the brink of full blown hell on earth with all the talk of having 50 guns and 100,000 rounds of ammo in the house. People I know and respect....it breaks my heart seeing them so distrustful of people and the system that they rather embrace a bullet instead of a hand.
  Its just another example of how far away this nation has fallen from God,yet people still try and insist this is a "Christian" nation....

   Next week is the Military Bowl and the 24th ranked Spartans of San Jose State will be playing without Coach Mike McIntyre. Coach Mac decided to to take the job at Colorado and while I can understand it as far as the money is concerned,I'm lost as to why he would take a step DOWN  because Colorado has become a dark hole as far as its football team. I know what you're going to say...SJSU was 1-12 in Mac's first year but Colorado went 1-11 this year including a loss to Sacramento State!! The difference between SJSU and Colorado is the Buffs are supposed to have much better players then SJSU! Yet they still got crushed....Coach Hawkins from Boise State took the Colorado job after a monster run at Boise and he couldn't get the job done ....if a coach like that can't change the losing culture,then its not the coach,its the school. And with coaches getting the hook after 2 years instead of the 3-4 years it takes to establish a footprint for a new coach,will Coach Mac even get a chance if he goes 6-19 like he did the first years at SJSU? I personally think he should have stayed another year or if he had waited a little longer he may have landed a real gem like Gary Andersen of Utah State in hetting the Wisconsin job! Now that was a real coup....
  SJSU needs to start filling up the seats and making more money so it can afford to actually pay a coaching staff. Until this happens,SJSU will continue to be a place a young coach comes to cut his teeth and then head on to greener pastures. There will be no real team unity because the coaching staff can change at any time.

  Has anyone seen "The Hobbit" yet? How is it? Drop a comment below if you have seen and share your opinion...

Okay,that is it for now....I'll be back on Friday....

Sunday

Its 7:07 pm

    Just wanted to post something or another today....I see I gained another reader and even got 2 comments as well! For at least one entry,I feel like a real blogger!
  I just want to set the record straight....just because I shopped Walmart on Black Friday does not mean I support or condone their business practices anymore do I support the UAW or Teamsters for protecting sloppy,rule breaking,drinking on the job unionists. Both sides have serious moral and ethical question marks and in my eyes,one is no better then the other.
  I find it rather ironic that in this recession,more American employers took a page from Walmart and have started paying new workers despite their experience or resume,very low wages and very rarely offering full-time spots..Walmart is no longer the "demon" but in fact has become the American business model.


  Funny comment seen on Lock Up: San Antonio..."People think we have a easy,cushy job". That was said by a prison guard...in prison housing some of the most dangerous creatures this side of hell. Murderer,rapists,gang bangers,drug dealers...no one I know has ever commented that prison guards have a easy job,cripes,I daresay its one of the most dangerous ones in America. Outnumbered and always at terrible risk...watching Lock Up has really driven the fact home that the men and women who care for these violent people should command our instant respect.



  Lori is at her store's holiday dinner...they will be coming here for dessert shortly. I helped clean up the house and will be serving as host once they get here which will be in a few minutes.
I'll type in a longer entry tomorrow or Wednesday.

Medical Update,Black Friday doings and other stuff

Its 12:43 pm

    The big news? I didn't win the Powerball lottery....I did however pick ONE number and that is reason enough to celebrate as I normally don't even get one right!
Its been a while since I wrote and when I checked my other writers,lo and behold Aaron Childs aka Scorpion,has resumed writing. He hadn't dropped anything new in 8-9 months and quite honestly I thought he had quit writing or had a massive case of writer's block. Just very happy he is back and I'm going to relist his blog on my front page. If you like a good all around interactive read,then Aaron is the blogger you want to check out!

  3rd week of chemo is this week...first we'll be doing labs on Monday,then our regularly scheduled visit with Dr. Johnston...in which she'll schedule a MRI or CT scan for Lori's fistula. Hopefully this will happen before the first of the year before our deductible will kick back in on 1 Jan 2013. Be nice to have this covered but it really doesn't matter does it,it has to get done,one way or another. One can't live a quality life with a chronic condition like that.
 Lori has lost about 95% of her hair...still looks sexy as hell however..I hold her very close at night and pray very hard for the both of us. We're half-way home and we're hoping Dr. J will see a clear sign of the current tumor being destroyed by the chemo. She said it would happen by the 3rd treatment and so here we are at the 3rd treatment.
  Thanksgiving was pretty mellow...we cooked a small Butterball turkey breast and had all the sides. As I was cleaning up the dishes and putting away the leftovers,I went outside to dump the trash,it was cold and started to rain a bit,a perfect ending to a nice quiet day.



 So needless to say I was surprised when I came back in and was told we were picking up Marlene our neighbor and making a mad Black Friday dash to flippin Walmart of all places!! Really?? Walmart? On Black Friday??



Oh my stars and garters...against my better judgement I saddled up and we headed down to a local store about 3 miles from us. The doorbusters were at 8 pm,10 pm and midnight. Marlene wanted a TV for her son's basement and I decided to get Lori a iPad 2 for Christmas.


Quite honestly,while I'm sure Suze Orman may not have approved my choice,its been years since I have been able to get my  wife a "wow" gift for Christmas. I really wanted to do that this year and I had in fact decided to give her a iPad 2 but didn't expect to braving the Black Friday crowds to get one.
  The parking lot was packed but we got a good parking spot and headed in....there were no lines and while the checkout lines were full,it was quiet. We saw long lines curled around balloons with different door busters being offered. The TVs were being handed out in the produce section






Lori and Marlene headed over there while I went to sporting goods to stand in the iPad line....except there was no line! They gave us a card and said we could be rung up at 10 pm. We then were to register at the Walmart website for the iPad 2 by Sunday in order to get it by Christmas. Made perfect sense to me and I took my card and wheeled to my right and headed to produce.




Now where as my line was no line,the TV line was huge! It snaked around at least 5 food lanes when we landed and it was still growing. I kept a sharp eye on Lori and at the first sign of distress,we're gone. But she was a real trooper and seemed to really enjoy herself. Can't say I blame her because this Walmart was doing everything right....opened doors early,staggered the deals and had plenty of product. The crowd was very peaceful and in the 3 hours we were there...one hour to wait,2 hours to check-out...we didn't see a single nasty incident.
  The three of us had a blast...we loaded our stuff on a cart and when the young couple behind had trouble carrying their stuff,we loaded it on our cart as well. The check-out line was the real test,it snaked almost throughout the entire store!
  Lori sent me to look at the door buster deals in the DVD section...I tried but it was so trashed,I had no idea what on sale or not. As I made my way back through,I noticed a senior man who was trying to hang there as he made his way through the line. He even brought in his own chair but you could see he was running out of steam.
  He was about 25 spots behind us..we started looking for help,I asked a young worker if he had a radio and if he could call a manager...he tried but with no radio,he was pretty handcuffed. He did manage to bring the man a bottled water but with at least a hour plus wait to go....a single bottle of water wasn't going to cut it.





Marlene found a manager with a radio and sent him down the line...I explained the situation and while the senior said he didn't want to hassle anyone (which we assured him wasn't the case) he was having a hard time. The manager was sort of frozen when a store manager came over and in 10 seconds had the the senior gentleman being escorted to the FRONT of the line!!! It was fucking outstanding to say the least...but when the woman behind the man said "really?" to the fact he was being helped,the crowd around her said "yeah,really". It was just one of those feel good to "pass it forward" moments that we all should try and strive for more often...
  The iPad 2 was a great deal...399.00 plus taxes pushed it to 422.00. Quite a bit over the 150.00 limit we had for each other but we also got a 75.00 gift card from Walmart which was the big hook that made it so great to get.
  It was my first Black Friday as a shopper and based on what we went through,it was pretty worth it. The employees were all very kind and helpful and seemed very happy to be there...I didn't hear anyone bitch about anything.

So the San Jose State Spartans finished up 10-2 this year! After watching the BYU game being so exciting,ESPN picked up the La. Tech game as well for the following Saturday. And once again,there I was at 10:30 pm at night watching the Spartans battle the nation's highest scoring team in college football.



The game was being pushed as a high scoring affair and while it was indeed that...San Jose State proved why they were a much better team because they have a DEFENSE! And while the score 52-43 for SJSU,the defense showed up at several critical moments including Bene Benwikere's 3 INTs that stopped Tech dead in their tracks.




^ Bene Benwikere

With the win,SJS finished 2nd in the WAC at 5-1 and 10-2 overall including wins over Navy,San Diego State and La. Tech. They are 25th in BCS standings and have indeed landed a berth in the Military Bowl where college football guru Phil Steele had seen them that....but as this entry,we still don't who we're beating.
 

 I finished reading my Clive Cussler novel called "The Wrecker" which I found rather good. Seeing an established "name" who teams up with another good writer to co-write a novel seems to be the "in"thing these days,see James Patterson for what I'm talking about.
 I think its a good idea but you better get it right the first time otherwise fans will get jaded and put off as their favorite writer's names are just being used to push bad books.
In this case,Cussler struck gold with his latest character,Issac Bell,and his co-writer,Justin Scott.



Alright,that is all I got....many thanks to those who keep on reading this blog....from the bottom of my heart,I thank you.

Of Medical Update,Hostess and fun at Busch's Supermarket

Its 7:20 pm on Thursday

   Its a chilly night here in SE Michigan...its around 40 degrees and feels like winter except just like last year,there really has been no real weather to speak of. We had one day of decent rain and last Saturday we spotted our first snowflakes,which I could count on two hands.

  First off,my biggest fear about undergoing a second round of chemo is coming true. This has been far worse then what Lori went through the first time around. And we are meeting new "friends" that we hadn't met before.
   Monday saw us at the local UM infusion clinic for the first time. This is where we went for the last 5 treatments in the first go around and with a little luck,this will be the last go around. She checked in at 9:30 for labs and I joined her at 10:15 am in time for the chemo treatment. The room was pretty full and our favorite nurse Mel (Melanie) was able to not only steer Lori into her section but also place her by the bathroom. This is nice because at having so much liquids pumped into a person,a close bathroom is a must!
   The treatment went by nice and slow,Lori slept once she got her heated blanket and I continued to try and slog through my Martha Grimes mystery novel.
  But I had to work at 4 pm so I had to leave at 2:30pm in order to get ready,Mel said that Lori would be home at 3 pm....3 pm arrives and still no Lori. I knew she had one more I.V. drip to go and maybe they were running a little behind but I had to leave for work so I did.
During my break I was able to call home and Lori was there...she was upset because she had a bad reaction to the chemo. Simply put,she didn't a good breakfast and the chemo upset her stomach so much that she had to vomit. Her blood pressure also spiked high and after slowing the I.V. down,she was able to finish the treatment and get home at 5:30 pm!! Needless to say,I was pretty worried at first but Mel explained that a chemo patient has to eat a good meal before coming in. The clinic has muffins/bagels but those are mostly for the caretakers and not the patients.
  I wrote in a earlier entry about how we ended up at Oakwood Hospital because of a unrinary tract infection. Well Lori shared that with Dr. Johnston,including the mucus discharge. Dr. J said that was actually normal and not to worry too much,some things just have to be allowed to run their course.
 But this week Lori had a hard time in the bathroom,cancer patients often has this problem,this is why they are given stool softeners . This happened the first time as well. but despite going through this doesn't make it any easier.
  To help her system out,she also took Mulax...which opened her up in a big way. Good news,yes? Not all of a sudden that discharge is now looking like her poo. This was very alarming and once again we call the UM and explain was going on. Now we know....its called a "fistula in ano". Basically its a fissure between the rectum and the vagina. It causes fecal matter to come out both the rectum and vagina. Her radiation had weakened the area there and add the constipation,it caused the fistula.
  We will be getting a MRI scheduled where as they'll shoot a dye to track the fissure and schedule a small surgery to try and fix this problem.
  The condition is very painful as it totally irritates the tissue around the vagina. To help out,I had to install a new portable showerhead to help keep the area clean.
  Today has been very quiet,we were going to try and set up Christmas today but she has been too weak,she has almost no energy to speak of. The good news (I know,about time,right?) has been that the Nulasta shot aftereffects have been much better then last time because of a tip Mel gave us....to take a Benedryl BEFORE the shot. This has really helped as far as the pain goes but as far as the energy go....its just not happening.
   I brought down our two little trees only to find that one of the leg stands is AWOL. I have to tell you,this has not been my favorite week! Got one tree plugged in but will have to wait til tomorrow to see if she has enough steam to decorate,otherwise,I will have her direct me. Lord have mercy!

  Saturday saw us doing some Christmas shopping,Macy's was having a 1 day sale and since we had some great coupons,we went there first. The little Westland Mall was booming and that included Macy's. People were everywhere and they were really shopping hard! Its been a while since we have really seen this kind of activity,there were lines at every register!
   We shopped for Lori's folks,her aunt Emma and neice Carol. We also shopped for our neighbor Marlene as we got her a killer chafing dish for great price. We ate lunch at the Lakeshore and noticed that the gourmet foods were also on sale for 50%. As we were looking the clerk said that certain items were off 70% as well...as in a bag of 11.00 coffee was on sale for 5.50 and then take ANOTHER 70% off that plus our coupon....we got 4 bags of great coffee for a buck a bag! Also picked up some Maurice salad dressing and some honey glaze for 3.00 a jar...just an incredible bargain to find. Very grateful to the clerk for sharing the sale with us. When cash is tight its cool to be able to get some great deals,especially at a place like Macy's!
  But the Force was still strong with us (thanks to fellow cancer fighter and Jedi Master Sean!). We saw that a local supermarket chain called Busch's was having a good sale on meat and we need some items for the deep freezer. We stopped at the Livonia store....but was told it was the Plymouth store who was having the sale as they had remodeled the store and were having a re-grand opening. That store was only 10 minutes away and so we headed there.
  Just like the mall,the store was packed with shoppers. Busch's had done it up right with some great deals,sample tables and drawings for huge gift baskets. They had plenty of staff to help guests and everyone was very cheerful. We poked around and got some items and met Norton the Penguin who walking around handing out popsicles.
  We filled out a card apiece for the many baskets there offered as prizes and then headed up to the check-out line. As we did so,a man grabbed my shoulder and said "Stay here,I'm going to give away a pasta strainer pot and you'll have a chance to win. But I need a big crowd." So hey,what the hell,right?
  Soon he had gathered a nice crowd and grabbed a box. He said he was going to write a number between 1-25 on the box and whoever guessed it first would win...I told Lori to guess 12 and I would guess 25....not only Christmas numbers but also Lori's momma's birthday. We then started yelling out numbers....and the man pointed at Lori and 3 other people who had shouted "12".
  He then said he was going to do a tie breaker by writing a number between 1-10. Now while I didn't SEE him write the number,I could see by how his hand moved what he wrote and I yelled "3".
And that was that.....we had won the pasta strainer bowl!.
  We walked outside and saw the first snowflake of the season....and then we headed home.
Sunday morning...I was at work when Busch's called the house...Lori had won one of the gift baskets! How cool was that?
 
Its 2:00 pm on Friday

   Lori is feeling a little better compared to yesterday but is still feeling very crappy. I set up our little Christmas tree and brought up the decrorations . And that is the extent of what I'm allowed to do..she enjoys fixing up the house by herself. Don't know how much energy she'll have but I know she'll give it her all.
  Yesterday was a complete washout for us...I insisted she rest and take it easy. I don't know how she thinks she will be able to go to work feeling like this and having to deal with the fistula-in-ano.
I canceled the trip we were hoping to make to Eastern Market in Detroit,just feel that would be really pushing the limits of her health as of now.
Am going to try and get out to a movie tonight....but again,just not quite sure if that is a good idea or not.
 
Just read that Hostess and their union can't agree to a new deal and that Hostess will be forced to shutdown. Wow....once again the union workers are showing just how stupid and clueless they are. Instead of taking a pay cut,they rather lose thier whole damn company. So now 18,000 workers are going to lose everything in the middle of the holidays and winter. I can't wait til they try and find another job...good luck with that,especially now in this new underemployed normal we are being forced to adjust to. The old days of striking and forcing companies to increase pay and benefits are long gone and if these 18,000 haven't been paying attention to what has been going on....they're going to find out the hard way.
   That said....we picked up a couple of Ding Dongs for the freezer....

Well,that is all I have time for,need to head to the bank and pick up some plumber's tape. Hope whoever dropped by and read this has a great day and leaves a comment or three. Its nice signing in and seeing that someone did take the time to do so.

peace!