I filled up my tank at lunch today. It took 9.886 gallons and my trip odometer read 334.3 miles. That works out to nearly 34 miles to the gallon.
I drive 60% city and 40% highway and I have the a/c on all the time. Not too bad!
This weekend Cha and I are going to Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster. I am curious what kind of mileage we'll get on the turnpike.
Yes, I am loving my little Toyota!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Show of Hands
You know you're a mother to a preschooler when you debate the hotness of various kid show personalities.
So help me out here, which do you prefer:
A. Steve from Blue's Clues
B. The Blue Wiggle
Use the Comment section to vote and feel free to post anonymously. I promise this won't come back to haunt you come election time.
Side Topic: I saw Mamma Mia last week. It was a fabulous girlie movie, tho watching James Bond (Pierce B.) sing was just plain wrong. Anyway, there are two types of girls out there. The Colin Firth's and the Pierce Brosnan's. Which are you?
So help me out here, which do you prefer:
A. Steve from Blue's Clues
B. The Blue WiggleUse the Comment section to vote and feel free to post anonymously. I promise this won't come back to haunt you come election time.
Side Topic: I saw Mamma Mia last week. It was a fabulous girlie movie, tho watching James Bond (Pierce B.) sing was just plain wrong. Anyway, there are two types of girls out there. The Colin Firth's and the Pierce Brosnan's. Which are you?
Monday, August 11, 2008
Benefit for Vicki
| Benefit for Viki Jean: Featuring Chrome Johnson, Honeydust, Orchid, Nylon Heart Attack, Union Trade, and White Music |
| Sat, August 30th 2008 - 9:00 pm |
| $20 |
 Vicki Jean Bond-Harvey 37 year old mother of , Rylie Jane 4 yo and Daisy who is 10 months and wife of Nate Harvey. She is a fabulous and very popular hair-dresser at A-Line in Corte Madera. Our beloved friend has suffered a brain aneurysm and subsequent stroke 3 weeks ago. She is working very hard to get to the point of rehabilitation. Vicki is about as loyal as a friend gets and we are all pulling our resources together to help her family financially through this incredibly difficult time. The love that is felt for this woman is amazing and if that is any indicator of the outcome of this tragedy-she will thrive.
|
Update: I spoke to Vicki last night. Her family and friends were all gathered at Nickel Rose in San Rafael for the silent auction so I figured she might be feeling lonely. Her voice was strong but she suffered a few moments of confusion.
She knew who she was speaking with and told me about her sister's new babies (twins Henry and Charlotte, who were born prematurely last Wednesday.) It was encouraging that she could remember the details (Henry was only 2.5 lbs) but soon afterwards she kinda forgot that she was on the phone.
BFF Tobi visited with her yesterday and said she was stronger than she had feared. Tobi massaged her feet and legs and Vicki admitted that she could feel the sensation. The doctors feel that she'll walk again but it's going to be a long road.
She's very depressed and almost started to cry when she told me that she had to stop breastfeeding little Daisy. She has always been a mother hen to her friends so I can imagine how hard it is for her to realize that she can't take care of her own precious girls.
Please continue to keep Vicki and her family in your prayers. She'll be released from the rehab in a few weeks and will need lots of support.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Is reconstruction selfish?
In just a few weeks I will be undergoing my 4th surgery in 8 months. The first surgery was absolutely necessary as it removed the cancer from my body. The second surgery was also pretty important since it removed dying tissue and cleaned up very painful infected tissue. The third surgery...well, it cleaned up some scars and lumps and gave my breasts a better shape.
This next surgery is purely cosmetic. Dr. S will be fine tuning my breast shape, taking care of some 'problem areas' and cleaning up my abdominal scar. It's going to be painful and I'll need to take time off work and rely on friends and family for a little help. And that won't even be the end of it. I'll have to go back in a couple months for yet another surgery where Dr. S uses skin from my groin to create nipples. At the end of it all (December maybe?) I'll be going in to have those nipples tattooed.
I can't help but think that from here on out it's all vanity and selfishness. I am cancer free and my body looks normal in clothes. I don't have to worry about prosthetics or special undergarments. I am pretty much good to go.
I've still got fears that I'll die on the table. Matt and I had this discussion last week when the next surgery was finalized. He tried to tell me that I'll be fine because there have been no problems in the past. My thoughts are that I have beat the odds already so why push my luck? What if my heart can only withstand 5 operations in it's lifetime? Why waste one on pretty boobs??
I know I will continue and see this journey to the very end. I trust Dr. S and as I said in the past he's not going to let me quit. Sometimes I look at my reconstruction as his project. I'm fine with whatever but as a thanks to his genius I am giving him the best 'after pictures' I can. Or maybe that's what I need to tell myself to justify my selfishness.
This next surgery is purely cosmetic. Dr. S will be fine tuning my breast shape, taking care of some 'problem areas' and cleaning up my abdominal scar. It's going to be painful and I'll need to take time off work and rely on friends and family for a little help. And that won't even be the end of it. I'll have to go back in a couple months for yet another surgery where Dr. S uses skin from my groin to create nipples. At the end of it all (December maybe?) I'll be going in to have those nipples tattooed.
I can't help but think that from here on out it's all vanity and selfishness. I am cancer free and my body looks normal in clothes. I don't have to worry about prosthetics or special undergarments. I am pretty much good to go.
I've still got fears that I'll die on the table. Matt and I had this discussion last week when the next surgery was finalized. He tried to tell me that I'll be fine because there have been no problems in the past. My thoughts are that I have beat the odds already so why push my luck? What if my heart can only withstand 5 operations in it's lifetime? Why waste one on pretty boobs??
I know I will continue and see this journey to the very end. I trust Dr. S and as I said in the past he's not going to let me quit. Sometimes I look at my reconstruction as his project. I'm fine with whatever but as a thanks to his genius I am giving him the best 'after pictures' I can. Or maybe that's what I need to tell myself to justify my selfishness.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
I love my job!
This is what I deal with on a daily basis. Just sitting back and waiting.....
I get up and grab some coffee and I still end up waiting and waiting.
In the meantime, here is what I'm thankful for....
1. My faith that eventually my calendar will catch up to my thoughts.
2. Diane, who handles Dr. S's schedule. She managed to squeeze me in on August 28th.
3. Friends and family who so generously volunteered to lend a hand during my recovery.
4. The free half hour I had to chat with co-workers about the world we live in. John spent some time in Dubai and Russia recently and gave me a wonderful picture of what life is like in those parts of the world. Hong also shared what it's like for a 20 year old Chinese American to intern in Beijing the weeks leading up to the Olympics. Fascinating stories.
5. Vaseline Healing Hand & Nail Conditioner. My hands are so dry and painful and Vaseline seems to be the only thing that makes them feel better.
6. Cha's new booster seat, which she can climb into and out of herself. She is such a big girl. What happened to my baby?
7. Client meetings in the office = free lunch!
8. The bamboo plant that Coonhead sent me is growing like a weed! (Are bamboos weeds??)
9. Brigitte, who has earned her woman of the year award from the mom's group by offering her house on Lake Wallenpaupack for a Mom's Retreat in October. Woo Hoo!
10. I love my job!
I get up and grab some coffee and I still end up waiting and waiting.
In the meantime, here is what I'm thankful for....
1. My faith that eventually my calendar will catch up to my thoughts.
2. Diane, who handles Dr. S's schedule. She managed to squeeze me in on August 28th.
3. Friends and family who so generously volunteered to lend a hand during my recovery.
4. The free half hour I had to chat with co-workers about the world we live in. John spent some time in Dubai and Russia recently and gave me a wonderful picture of what life is like in those parts of the world. Hong also shared what it's like for a 20 year old Chinese American to intern in Beijing the weeks leading up to the Olympics. Fascinating stories.
5. Vaseline Healing Hand & Nail Conditioner. My hands are so dry and painful and Vaseline seems to be the only thing that makes them feel better.
6. Cha's new booster seat, which she can climb into and out of herself. She is such a big girl. What happened to my baby?
7. Client meetings in the office = free lunch!
8. The bamboo plant that Coonhead sent me is growing like a weed! (Are bamboos weeds??)
9. Brigitte, who has earned her woman of the year award from the mom's group by offering her house on Lake Wallenpaupack for a Mom's Retreat in October. Woo Hoo!
10. I love my job!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Happy Birthday Pops!
If I were a bazillionaire and could give my dad any birthday present in the world I would pull all his friends and family together in one place so he could visit. There would be hundreds and hundreds of people so I guess we should have a cruise. A cruise to someplace interesting like Alaska or Russia, tho I guess my mom would need someplace warm so maybe Mexico or the Caribbean. Or maybe Fiji or Africa.
All his family and friends would populate the entire cruise ship and have fun laughing and eating and playing endless games of euchre. There would be a bottomless buffet of lobster and cheeseburgers and ice cream sundaes for my mom. He'd do belly flops in the pool with his granddaughters and maybe shoot some skeet off the back of the ship with Spencer.
The on-board theatre would show continuous loops of Zucker brother and Mel Brooks movies and Nick Cage would make a special celebrity appearance at every meal. (I'm not quite sure what the fascination is with Nicolas Cage, but we'll go with it.)
Bill Gates would be there as a personal favor so Pops can pick his brain and give him a smack or two. The gift shop would provide all the latest electronic gadgets and special one on one training.
It would be a great week, wait I'm a bazillionaire let's make it two weeks, and we'd spend the next 50 weeks talking about how it'd be impossible to top this birthday.
Since I'm about a bazillion dollars short of becoming a bazillionaire, I guess my dad will have to settle for the gift basket that will be delivered this week. I'm sure he knows that I'd give him the moon if I could.
Happy Birthday Pops! I love you!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
It's been a long week
The last seven days have been stress filled. Thankfully it has nothing to do with cancer or health crisis's so I guess I can't really complain. It has keep from from posting on a regular basis, so let me catch you up.
Thankful Thursday (abridged) : I am thankful for my four kitties, 40 mpg on the new car, Cha's health, Vicki's movement, long talks with Tobi, getting Comcast back, my migraine finally went away, Connie and Kristin, my husband who knows me well and gives good advice, and God.
My next surgery is scheduled for September 8th. It will be similar to my last surgery, in and out the same day. The pain and recovery will be the same tho I am only going to take a week off. I'm running low on leave time so I'm hoping if I have drains that they'll come out quickly.
My breasts have been giving me some trouble lately. If I roll over and sleep on my right side I wake up in excruciating pain. Matt has heard me scream in the middle of the night thanks to the pain. I'm not sure what's causing it and I am hoping it will be resolved during the next surgery. It's also becoming painful to wear bras. I had a tight support bra on last week and after an hour I felt stabbing pains in both breasts. We were out to dinner with friends and I had to come home and take a dilaudid. It was a real bummer because we had hired a babysitter and planned on making it a late night.
This weekend I had one of the worst migraines I've had in a while. The vomit, cold sweats, and nearly black out kind. Matt was wonderful and took care of Charlotte while I huddled up in the dark, freezing cold bedroom. At one point he asked me if I needed to go to the ER. I think this was the first time he's experienced me with one of 'the big ones'.
I'm having some issues with my mom's group. Just some personality clashes, but it's been difficult. I wasn't sure how to handle it and I second-guessed myself all the way to a bad decision. I've become increasingly intolerant of people lately and I can't decide if it's due to the cancer, heading into my mid-40s, or just my character. People need to be nice to each other and I failed at making that point by being mean.
Cha started swim lessons last week at the local Y. She loves the water but couldn't follow directions to save her life. If the instructor told her to slowly climb in the pool she jumped. And there was no laying on her back and kicking. She just wanted to laugh and splash. This is a beginner class and the purpose to familiarize the kids with water and make them comfortable getting their heads wet. Cha already does well with that so I guess she's ahead of the game. I'm looking forward to the next class when she's alone with the instructor.
Thankful Thursday (abridged) : I am thankful for my four kitties, 40 mpg on the new car, Cha's health, Vicki's movement, long talks with Tobi, getting Comcast back, my migraine finally went away, Connie and Kristin, my husband who knows me well and gives good advice, and God.
My next surgery is scheduled for September 8th. It will be similar to my last surgery, in and out the same day. The pain and recovery will be the same tho I am only going to take a week off. I'm running low on leave time so I'm hoping if I have drains that they'll come out quickly.
My breasts have been giving me some trouble lately. If I roll over and sleep on my right side I wake up in excruciating pain. Matt has heard me scream in the middle of the night thanks to the pain. I'm not sure what's causing it and I am hoping it will be resolved during the next surgery. It's also becoming painful to wear bras. I had a tight support bra on last week and after an hour I felt stabbing pains in both breasts. We were out to dinner with friends and I had to come home and take a dilaudid. It was a real bummer because we had hired a babysitter and planned on making it a late night.
This weekend I had one of the worst migraines I've had in a while. The vomit, cold sweats, and nearly black out kind. Matt was wonderful and took care of Charlotte while I huddled up in the dark, freezing cold bedroom. At one point he asked me if I needed to go to the ER. I think this was the first time he's experienced me with one of 'the big ones'.
I'm having some issues with my mom's group. Just some personality clashes, but it's been difficult. I wasn't sure how to handle it and I second-guessed myself all the way to a bad decision. I've become increasingly intolerant of people lately and I can't decide if it's due to the cancer, heading into my mid-40s, or just my character. People need to be nice to each other and I failed at making that point by being mean.
Cha started swim lessons last week at the local Y. She loves the water but couldn't follow directions to save her life. If the instructor told her to slowly climb in the pool she jumped. And there was no laying on her back and kicking. She just wanted to laugh and splash. This is a beginner class and the purpose to familiarize the kids with water and make them comfortable getting their heads wet. Cha already does well with that so I guess she's ahead of the game. I'm looking forward to the next class when she's alone with the instructor.
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