bware21

BOBBY, Is an asteroid going to hit the Earth? Absolutely. Are you going to worry about that? No. When you get good news, accept it -- it's really that simple. Great news for your sister. Bill

Any time is good for me.

No doubt in my mind that death is hereditary. But so is life, so be happy with it and don't be looking for reasons to die. Still having a great time at my end. Hope you guys are too. Bill

Hey Maryanne, Let me know if you'd like me to make you a copy of Season 5 -- easy to do. And I doubt anyone here would give away the plot. Bill

My daughter's always about a week or so behind us, so I'm constantly threatening her that I'll spill the beans on the story. Sent her an email last week with the following title: "What Happens on the Next Episode of 24" Never did get a reply. Bill

So, you still have the fifth season to get through, which will make you even sadder. We're watching the current season (#6), usually a couple of days after it airs so we can skip through those annoying commercials. You got a ways to go. Bill

Hey Jen, The great thing about 24 is it doesn't require any effort -- just sit back and enjoy the ride. Storylines are always laughable and we wouldn't miss it. Can't watch it live because of all the commercials. We saw the last season on DVD and calculated about 23 minutes of commercials for each episode (about 4 minutes each segment). What a joke. Our daughter back in England simply loves it, and lucky for her a friend of ours who visits the set in Chatsworth managed to get her a signed photo from Sutherland (can't spell his first name, so I ain't going to bother). I haven't seen it yet, but I'm hoping he took the time to sign her name. If you haven't seen the latest season I won't say anything, but it had me in fits of laughter after the fourth hour -- you'll see what I mean when Valencia comes into the picture (we have friends there). Interesting to us because we live just down the road, but the series seldom moves beyond the Valley here -- they never venture into Hollywood or downtown ... and that's a refreshing change. They struck a goldmine with that concept. Bill

Super Bowl? That would be that American rugby game they call football, right? Bill

One last thing before I go down for my lamb chops and an episode of 24 (one of my weaknesses is that I don't think long enough, otherwise I wouldn't need to keep re-posting). Snowflake, It really bugs me that you don't think you've got your life back. If you say you don't, then you don't, and I'm not going to question that. But from everything I've read of yours, I picture a really fiesty lady who I personally wouldn't want to tackle in a dark alley. Bill

Ooops -- before everyone jumps on my case about "shutting the process down," let me clarify that I don't mean recklessly. I just have an abundance of faith in a few things: 1. God exists, even though Darwin has a point or two. 2. Science is man's excuse for his own ignorance, even though science itself has a point or two. 3. The mysteries of our existence will not and cannot ever be solved. 4. My cancer could vanish tomorrow and never come back, and I'd never know why. You're probably getting bored with my Oscar Wilde quotes, but the guy was a mental athlete. I don't pull these quotes out of my head, by the way. I have all his quotes and all his letters. And here's a good one, that again has no bearing on this discussion: "I dislike arguments of any kind. They are always vulgar, and often convincing." Bill

Hey Guys, I tried to think of one sentence that would sum up what I was trying to get at, and the best I can come up with is this: For me personally, I had to stare death in the face and acknowledge it before I could walk away. And Snowflake, that doesn't mean my life is going to be exactly the same as it was. It just means I'm not going to be spending much more time thinking about dying, health insurance, and all the other garbage that this disease throws my way. When I say I got my life back it means I can get back on with living, which unfortunately means work and all that other mundane stuff. Yep, I'll do whatever treatment I need as long as it's working -- but I won't be held hostage by the treatment, and there may well come a day when I shut that process down (depends on how it's going and how I feel about it at the time). The key to my freedom is in my mind, not my lungs. Life is just too damn good to sit on the sidelines and watch everyone else having all the fun. You guys continue to be an inspiration to me, otherwise I wouldn't be in the place I am right now. And wild horses couldn't drag me away. Bill

Jackie, Actually I wasn't down at all. On the contrary, I was (and am) very much "up." That some people found my post depressing is where the disconnect lies. All I said was that I now understand why they thought that way -- not that I thought that way myself. Glad you're having a good day ... and you can always rely on Oscar Wilde to brng you up or down, however you like. Bill

Jen, While I have my trusty Oscar Wilde book out, and from Dorian Gray: "Something seemed to tell me that I was on the verge of a terrible crisis in my life. I had a strange feeling that Fate had in store for me exquisite joys and exquisite sorrows." And: "Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul." Your feelings are true. You own them so embrace them. Tomorrow is a different day and they may be lost to you forever. And just imagine the score if you didn't love your Dad -- you wouldn't be having the feelings you're having. They'd be something quite different and quite ugly. The price we pay for our feelings. You'll always worry somewhat, and that's okay. Bill

Hey Danielle, It makes you mad, doesn't it? And that's an understatement. Had a similar thing happen to us when an assistant oncologist told us my PET scan was showing limited SCLC ... only to be told later (after we'd told the kids the good news) that he'd made a mistake. These are the kinds of mistakes that I find unforgiveable, but they *do* happen, and with more frequency than people realize. Stay strong, and let it go when you're ready. Bill

By the way, when I use the word criticism I'm using it in its truest form -- an observation, not an attack. I don't ever feel attacked here. Clarification, that's all. Have a great day. Bill