Friday's Air

[Ann]

Wow...I must be really early this morning, as I have the honor of opening up the windows and letting "Friday's Air" start flowing in. I'm always very early or very late, so today is one of the early days. I'm in one of those TGIF moods today...in a big sort of way. I think I told you yesterday that this week has seemed really long and I am so thankful to have a couple days off to recoup and find a little "ME" time. "ME" time is something that seems to be almost nonexistent lately. I love being District President for the Auxiliary and I love helping veterans and their families on a daily basis. But, it's such a shame that you always have to have personality struggles, petty jealousy and gossip become involved. Regardless, I'm trying to keep focused on what my mission for this year is. OK...enough of that.

So, what is everyone doing this weekend? I'm sure the weather is beginning to get nice where some of you live. It's still very warm here...make that down right hot....but it is getting cooler in the early mornings. I'm looking forward to the time changing so I can get up early and take a nice long walk before coming to work. I think I have better days when I get up and do a lot of moving around before coming to work. I live VERY close to my office (5 minute drive) so often I roll out of bed, throw on my face and my clothes and come to work. I'm thinking this isn't a good thing.

Tomorrow afternoon, I'm attending a POW-MIA service in Ft. Pierce, which is about an hour south of me. It's a very moving service and it always makes me cry for these men and women. I still have the first MIA-POW bracelet that I have worn for many years, since Vietnam. I don't wear it as much anymore, as it's become very fragile. But...I still pray that this brave man will come home....after all these years!

Ann

[jaminkw]

Morning All! Ann thanks for opening. I'm thinking how to restructure my life so I don't get so captured in the internet or TV. I've been whining about not having both but really think I should strike for some moderation. It encourages me to interact more with people and nature.

Ann, what a wonderful cause. It's too bad, however, that even a good thing can begin to suck up time making it difficult to fit in "you time." I'm semi-retired but this is most true when you still work. Keep trying though because it is really important to recharge your batteries.

Have a great day everyone.

Judy in KW

[Bud Baker]

Good morning, everyone!

It was 68 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 88. I rode to work all five days this week. Monday and Tuesday, it was 100+ degrees. Tuesday afternoon, it was 107 degrees. That set a record as the highest temperature ever recorded here this late in the season.

Wednesday had enough cloud cover that it didn't reach 100 degrees, and yesterday a front came in and cooled things off. Hopefully, we've seen the last of 100+ degree days here this year. Tuesday was the 70th of the year, a new record.

Ann, I knew you meant weeks. We're supposed to read what you thought, not what you typed, right?

On the TV thing, I still don't watch any network TV at all, so if it's not old enough to be on Netflix, I won't be watching it. We're watching the second season of Mad Men right now.

We have a chance of rain here for the next several days, they say. I'm still planning on getting the kayak out this weekend. Time to get back to work. Have a great day, all!

[lilyjohn]

Good morning. I guess I will chime in here for a while. Beautiful temperatures here yesterday and today. We have gone from our highest temperature this year to the mid 80s in less than a week. The heat this time of year is not what is unusual but the lower temps this early are. We did have some thunder and lightening for a few nights and that made it really muggy. Yuk I hate it when it gets humid!

Ann what you are doing and Judy MI what you do are wonderful. I try to help a lot around here but yes no matter what you do or where you are you will always have those who cause trouble. We have had our share here. I still do a lot for my neighbors but I am trying to pull back a little. I enjoy my Me time. I never used to take time for me but after Johnny died I realized how short life can be and took his advice and learned to slow down and relax.

Most of my time is spent on different sewing projects and watching the Giants play baseball. Recently I have been in contact with several people from high school and am planning a trip down to the bay area to visit with them and family in two weeks. I am anxious for the new shows to come on tv. My problem is that all of the shows I like are on at the same time and the DVR can only record one at a time. Throw in the last of the baseball season and our Bunco night and I know that I will have to pick my favorite and wait for reruns on some others.

Judy MI I am sure that doctors often play a major roll in people giving up their fight. It is hard to expect someone to continue to fight when the doctors give up on them and treat them like they are already dead. I saw the direct results of that with Johnny and will never forget.

I am waiting to get in the shower. My granddaughter is finding out today what her baby will be. She should be calling me soon. So anyway I hope you all have a wonderful day.

PS Bridget just called but I am sworn to silence until she calls all of the people who should know first. When she announces it on Facebook then I will share. Let's just say I am excited and happy for her and so glad that I am into crocheting baby blankets again.

[Joppette]

Hi all,

Lily, such good news about the baby! Can't wait to hear.

Bud, it's so good to see you back here. I hope you know I wa funning about the couple of months. I know what she meant. But I thought the "it's not" with the smiley would be funny.

Well, this weekend is going to be very interesting. We at Gilda's Club are going to an event called Help on the Hill. http://www.vai.org/News/Events/2011/09_ ... -Hill.aspx. It starts this afternoon and evening, and all day tomorrow. They allowed the Gilda's Club members to come for free. It will be 2 days of seminars, talking to cancer researchers, doctors, etc., about this thing called cancer. It's put on at the world reknowned VanAndel Research Institute.

Five of us in the group are lung cancer survivors. I'm the only one that is four years out and healthy. Brad is in end stages, and probably won't make it there. Cathy is Stage IV, NSCLC, on oxygen, and has mets that she is battling. Kathryn is Stage IV, SCLC, on lxygen, and was told to stop chemo and find quality of life, which she refuses. She's going to fight to the very end. And Brett I told you about last night in the air.

I guess because of you guys that are doing relatively well, or very well, I forget what a battle it is for so many. And right under my nose at the Club are four of them in the thick of it.

It makes me realize that I must continue to be incredibly grateful for where I'm at. Making the most of every single day is so important, and I am sometimes guilty of not doing that.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to an informative, interesting, and hopefully hopeful time for some of my friends that are suffering so.

Judy in MI

[Joppette]

And I forgot to thank Ann and Diane for the prayers for Brett. Thank you so much. I try to pray for everyone here at the site every day, and so appreciate when prayers come the other way.

HUGS

MI Judy

[dianew]

I realize today is Friday, but it's starting to seem like a Monday instead. My husband was going to BBQ chicken to take on his fishing trip to Portland. He said he had thawed out the chicken and it was in the fridge. I got the marinade made and pulled the thawed meat out of the fridge - but not one package of chicken there -somehow he had thawed out about 8 lbs of ground beef instead of the chicken! How in the world can you mistake ground beef for chicken? Then the garbage disposal quit working a few minutes later. This is like the 4th one in less than a year. He's a plumber and I know he is going to insist that I put something down it I shouldn't have, but I didn't darn it -- they are all just made in china amymore. I am supposed to be getting things ready to load in the RV -- but have now decided that meeting a friend for lunch and a margarita sounds like a much better plan.

Bud kayaking sounds wonderful, I used to love that. Lily, it's very exciting about the baby and also your trip to see your old friends - that can be so much fun to reminisce. JudyMI - there are no other lung cancer patients here locally that I can talk with, but I do drive many patients back and forth to treatments, and while it is sometimes very sad, it also does keep me reminded constantly that I need to enjoy each and every day that I am feeling well. Ann, isn't it just a shame that there are always one or two who turn even good things into a headache. I only drive for the ACS, but I do hear things going on in their offices and am always a little suprised at how petty some of it seems to be - and I've found I have no patience for that sort of thing anymore.

I wish I could get involved in some of the TV that everyone is watching - sometimes I feel really out of it as it seems everyone is watching these reality shows, etc. But I just can't seem to get interested. I like PBS, and some of the shows on National Geographic. I like good movies - but they sure seem fewer and farther between than ever. It's funny how my tastes have changed also - when I was young I liked supernatural or horror movies (I would have loved the Twilight movies) -- but not now -- now I want a good story. And maybe it's just me, but it seems like they play all this background music and I have trouble hearing what the actors are saying on TV. I do try the new shows at least once, but seldom find anything I want to watch twice. The last show I really loved was ER, and I was so sad to see it end.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Diane

[jaminkw]

Bud, good to see you. I must say I've thought of Texas more than any other state with weather pains this summer. Those pictures on the news with dry cracked earth where grass should grow for the cattle just broke my heart, and then the fires....I do hope you are done with the double digits and get enough rain to restore the earth.

Lily congratulations on the new baby and Ann you are getting a new one too. I'm a little jealous but only a little lol. Judy we'll be waiting to hear about your conference. Hope it's all good news coming for us still battle this demon. Diane, I'm afraid I had to laugh at the chicken mix-up--what do you do with 8 lbs of ground meat. Think you'll have a lot of meatloaf and meatballs in the freezer? And I do believe you didn't put something wrong down the garbage disposal. Always wish I had one until I hear someone who ground up something they didn't want to lose.

Went to Sam's and bought a bunch of staples for the winter. You'd think we lived in the boondocks but I think we save alot on stuff we get when we are in the real world.

Have a good evening everyone.

Judy in PSL

[lilyjohn]

Just stopping by long enough to say the baby will be a boy. Remember when we had to wait until the baby was born to learn it's sex? I am very happy but would have been happy with a girl too. Just so they are both healthy that is what matters most. I am dealing with this baby a little differently than the others. I remember all of their births and I was there for one but I was there for all of my grandchildren's births. Bridget was a special case. She was born on Fort Bragg in North Carolina. We had no idea if she would be born first or if my son would deploy in Desert Storm. Those days still bring tears to my eyes. We left her there with my daughter in law after Denny deployed. When she learned that he was going to be gone for quite a while she moved back home and in with us. I was the one who helped raise bridget for a long time. Now she is going to be a mama. I am very proud but also very sentamental right now.