Monday's Air.

[Bud Baker]

Good morning, everyone!

It was 78 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 101.

I headed over to Lake Benbrook on Saturday and ended up with 8 keeping size crappie. I just released them all this trip, though. On Sunday, I got up early and did a 100 mile ride with friends. I spent the rest of the day vegetating in front of the TV.

There will be no ride to work tomorrow. I'm taking a day of vacation and the garage door installer will be coming over between 10:00 and 11:00 am. I had scheduled a day of vacation for Friday. I take a few Fridays off during the summer to give myself a long weekend break away from the hot shop. But since the garage door man could make it out tomorrow, I switched my vacation day.

My boat is 18 1/2 feet long. With motor and trailer, it's over 21 feet long, so I have to angle it to get it to fit in the garage. It will need to be moved to give the garage door man room to work. That sounds like a good excuse to take the boat to the lake and go fishing, don't you think?

Have a great day, all!

[eric byrne]

Good Morning Everyone,

Read the posts late last night but too plumb worn out to post,the ammount of walking I have been doing these last days,even despite my floating on air trainers I bought,I still have sore feet,on one a blister on the side of my heeljust waiting to burst,oh the trials and tribulation of being on holiday.

Another super day yesterday,this is getting boring,having so much fun everyday-yawn-wish I was back at work-Tee Hee,oh no I dont.As you may have seen I was on the city sightseeing bus yesterday,went to the aquarium,super place one of the best I have visited,then on to the naval dockyards,got on board the Tall ship Constitution,also visited the museum there,really interesting place,filled with tales of seamens experiences of serving in the American Navy,the hardships,the loss of limbs and lives engaging in battles with the British (Boo) during the American Wars of Independance,mind you they had their good times also,sharing prize money when capturing ships,the museum has two long glass tubes fixed to the wall,open at the top for you to drop a coin in one or the other,The question is-after completing your visit to the museum,would you have signed up to join the navy at that time in America's history? you vote by dropping a coin into the Yes tube or the No tube,well the Yes tube had about half as many more than the No tube,the Yes people must be off their heads,there's no way I would want to share company with cannon balls being fired in my direction,not forgetting musket balls and bayonets.

Went to an Italian restaurant last night,the food was just great but oh,I could only manage half the main course,I did ask though for ice cream ,again far too much,couldnt finish it.

I went back to the hotel and had a drink of Sam Adams,think Keith introduced me to this beer ,lovely,shared a conversation with a guy on the next bar stool to me,turns out he is a commerical pilot (the hotel seems to be the choice of loads of flight staff?)well as we got talking,he mentioned he also had cancer,skin melonoma 11 years ago,it was dxd as stage 4,since he had his treatment all that time ago,he has never looked back.He is would you believe from Seattle,and was so interested in the LUNGevity walk in Lincoln Park on 13th Aug,he is coming to join me-that is,unless his flight intinery prevents him attending.

Hi JudyKW, How I wish things just now for you were otherwise,Stan away from home and you having to face chemo on Wednesday,I do think about you,would have loved to spent some time in your company,sharing a meal,having fun.Best wishes for Wednesday,I do hope everything goes smoothly.What is Dominick up to just now? he will probably be on holiday now,any chance he can make a visit to you?think he is just what you could do with,a little bit of his company.

Hi KatieB, Another one with an absent husband? Taj Mahal,I would love to see that,boy, was that Shah Jehan rich and in love,to build something that beautiful for his lost wife?

I am so pleased to hear Dr Jack West is going to speak at the Breathe Deep Walk in Seattle,along with Sen Andy Hill,I have seen a video of him,he is a remarkable person,such an inspiration,such distinguished company,I am so looking forward to meeting you,and all your friends,its going to be such an exciting day.Wait a wee minute,you've got me down as a speaker along with such company? gulp-where's the exit?,mind you if anyone there asks me to recount my American experience of travelling about for 7 weeks,I am going to ramble on for hours.

Hi Annette,missing you and Keith,wish you could have come along with me,it woud have added so much to my trip.Sorry to hear about the continual saga with wayward,its so difficult for you when you have tried your best for him,and he gives you back so little in return.I hope there is a suitable programme the authorities can place him with,that will have a constructive effect on changing his attitude and behavior.Whatever happens to him you have nothing to reproach yourself for,you did everything you could to help him.

Gosh thats the maid at the door,I thought she's early,its only 7.15am?,wait a wee minute it was 7.15am on my watch ages ago-its 10.21am my watch has stopped?its self wind,so this shouldnt happen?Got to dash catch you all later.Bye.

[Alan]

Hey Bud, Any day is a good day to go fishing. We're going into a heat spell here along with alot of the country. I don't know how you guys in the south take it. And then ride 100 miles on the bike too. I'd like to officially proclaim "Be kind to your lungs week". Let's all stay in the AC all week. I sure hope everybody's is working. I had to sell my fishing boat about 10 years ago so I could buy a work van. Aint that a kick in the butt? I still have a small canoe though and it's fine for the river here.

We may get a passing storm later but otherwise, no rain in our forecast. Things are starting to dry up and turn brown as usual for this time of summer.That is good, finally don't have to mow twice a week. Flowers are all doing fine with the soaker hoses. We capture rain in those big green barrels and use it for the dry times. It's a great way to go. I know I don't post much, but I do read it almost every day. You guys are all great inspiration. We all have our own ways of coping with our common enemy and sometimes it's easy to forget why we're here. Sometimes it feels like just a bunch of friends chit chatting about everyday life. I guess that's what makes it so comforting. Bless each and every one of you.

[Annette]

We've done it again - two airs going - hope someone stumbles in that can merge them.

I felt like I had driven a bike 100 miles after the grandbabies left - running around chasing them around and around the pool wore me out - but in a good way. My daughter closes on the house on Wednesday - so exciting. I remember when I bought my first house. If I knew then what I know now. I never would have bought the darn thing thinking I could divide a loft by myself - I'm not sure where all those muscles went - oh wait (looks down at stomach) I found them.

Alan - you are right - sometimes it seems like we go for spells where every one is having great days - our family here knows the ups and downs that go hand in hand with this disease. Which makes it all the more meaningful when we have bad days and know that someone here will be there with a virtual ear / shoulder and a hug. I know I hurry to the site to make sure everyone is doing alright before I can put my focus on my work. I am always so glad when everyone checks in so welcome to our family. I must have missed your original post so I am not sure but think you are a friend of Eric's right?

Judy - I hope everything goes well Wednesday - if you need an ear you have my number I will be glad to listen!

I am late into work today - had court for the "wayward" as Eric calls him. They are keeping him at least 10 more days and we are trying to find an in-patient substance abuse program for him. At the very least they are going to jerk him into a custodial foster care program until he cleans up his act. In the long run, we can't do any more so something just has to be the answer.

Now I better get myself onto work - need to finish something last week. (Isn't every one's work Monday like that?)

Check in later,

Annette

[LaDonna]

Bud - We got out on Lake Bardwell for a little while yesterday and I caught a couple of catfish. None big enough to keep... Of course like everything else here lately we had some problems with the boat, so Jimmy's going to have to work on that now...

Made it to see Harry Potter on Saturday morning! It is probably the best movie of the series. Book is still better, but I thought they did a great job with it. The special effects were awesome!

Took a couple of naps this weekend and spent time doing stuff with the kids. Still trying to recover from the last couple of weeks. Elizabeth wants to join Girl Scouts this year and I get her a couple of t-shirts and me a button up while they were on sale. Of course one of the first things I thought when they came is was, "I need to call Mom and let her know." Then it hit. I guess that is going to happen for a while...

Getting back in the swing of things this week. Drug myself to the gym and did a hard workout. Got my body bug back on and starting my calorie counting again... Got about 10 lbs now that I have to work back off, just to get back to where I was!

Work is back to the normal stress level, which is way high. It seems like we never slow down!

Hope everyone has a good week!

LaDonna

[Joppette]

Hi All!

Alan, where do you live? Did you know you can put information like that in your profile so we know a bit more about you? Just wondering!

Bud, we woke up to 85 degrees. Yech! It's supposed to be in the mid 90's and very humid all week. They are saying this is going to be the hottest summer since 1988, here in MI. But looking at the weather map, I'm thinking the whole USA is getting it. They sure didn't have that at the British Open! Wow, what brutal weather.

Eric, I'll go read your post after this, and am trusting that Judy or Bud will get you moved in here. You and Bud posted at the same time.

It was great to see Darren Clarke win! He was such a local popular and the crowds were awesome in supporting him. Great fun.

Well, I'm in quite a pickle now. Today I have to call the neurologist and tell him that reducing the meds is not working. I am getting the spasms, and muscle twitching back, and it is not acceptable.

Next I need to call my regular doc. It seems I've hurt my hernia. I've had my umbilical hernia repaired 3 times, and it's really hurting. When I agreed to go back and clean my home again (not hire it done), I forgot that one of the reasons we hired it done was because of my hernias. Now I remember, but I think I may have damaged it again.

The complication is that Wednesday I have a CT scan to see if the cancer is back. If it is, they want to remove a lobe. I don't think I would recover easily from that if I had hernia surgery too.

If I am honest with you, I have to admit I have not been sleeping well the past 2 weeks. I wake every two or so hours. It's not that I'm thinking about the cancer, but I just am not sleeping well.

The last time I was a cancer newbie, and had no clue what was about to happen. This time.......not so much.

Judy in MI

[Joppette]

Annette and LaDonna,

I'm not ignoring you! LOL. We all posted at the same time.

Annette, thanks for the thoughts and offer. I may take you up on that. I'm thinking of asking a girlfriend to take me. I'm more keyed up than I realized about this.

LaDonna, HI! Sounds like you had a good weekend. I do remember the "I need to call Mom and let her know" feelings. When my little sister died, I had the same thing. We were on the phone constantly. Same with Mom. It's a difficult thing to get used to. Kind of gives a little pang, and even a tear or two. HUGS

Judy in MI

[Sara]

Judy, sounds like you and I are in the same boat with our sleeping. I end up with a couple hours each night if I am lucky, sure is exhausting. I think I am having a hard time shutting my brain off. My one year diagnosis is coming up this Saturday and I am having a hard time getting my brain to turn off I think. Between that and chemo brain I am struggling.

Boy the heat here is so ridiculous, you can't breathe if you are outside. Heat index up to 120, temps at 100, can't wait for some cooler temperatures in Seattle. Think we might try to hit a Mariners game while we are there too.

Eric, sounds like you are soaking it all in, love hearing about your adventures! Looking forward to seeing you at the race as well and hearing your speech!

Going to try and do some yoga here in a bit, working on getting some of my muscle mass back. Hope everyone has a great Monday, thanks for listening.

Sara

[Alan]

Judy in Mich., Took your advice and added to signature. You could look at my original post in "Introduce Yourself" back when I joined. I live in central Pa. along the Susquehanna river upstream from the capitol Harrisburg. It's beautiful here. The river is the longest unnavigatable river in the country. It cuts through the Appalachian mountains from Coopersburg, N.Y. (baseball hall of fame) to the Chesapeake Bay and is it's largest supply of water. Just a few miles downstream from us is the longest stone arch bridge in the world.,Rockville Bridge. Railroad buffs come from all over the world to photograph it. It is quite amazing. (plenty of smallmouth bass live all around it's piers.) We truly love it here. I was born and raised here. I've done alot of travelling in my time and am still glad to call this home.

[ts]

60 degrees so far today - a bit of blue sky. Maybe we will see something in the 70's today. An inspector is coming out today to see what we can do to improve the energy efficiency of the house. I know we can add insulation under the floor and in at least part of the attic. The city has $ to do the work for us right now, so yes please! It will be interesting to see if they offer more. We already have CFLs and water restrictors, and a heat pump.