Saturday, April 09, 2011

Let Me Tell Ya....

There's a song with lyrics that begin with those words in my title and it's on an old cassette tape that was found here recently and which actually works in the cassette player in my jeep. Something about that tape -that Elizabeth (son's girlfriend) and I have been sharing a few giggle about it. Since that seemed to be the only tape that would work, would make that little cassette player thingy produce music, she and I have heard that song so many times in the past two weeks that we both are pretty sure we know every. last. word. of. that. song. now!

While this past day's events are still relatively fresh in my addled brain, that's what I decided I would write about here tonight.

However, as I signed into my blog, I noticed something different and realized that the picture I had across the top of my blog has disappeared! Where the Hell did it go, I wonder? I looked on the dashboard and at the layout page there in hopes that the picture was still there somewhere, just hiding from me, but be darned if I can find it! And what's worse now, is that a blogger friend of mine had taken and cropped that picture specifically for me to use as my header photo too but now, I have no clue where in blazes I might have it saved, if in fact, I even have it saved in any file on this computer as it's been across the top of my blog since long before I got this computer. Now, where the heck could I have stashed it anyway?

But aside from the annoyance at that discovery -which just happened about 10 minutes ago now -that isn't what I had in mind to write about either.

Nope! So here goes with what my Friday looked like.

I had an appointment this morning at the cancer clinic -one, to have my port flushed and two, to meet with the oncologist for yet another check-up. He was happy with the results from my bloodwork the other day -said all was fine and dandy with that -and also, with the CT scan I had last week too, which he said came back clean as a whistle. Yay, yay, ME! Now, I don't have to see him again until September -unless some unexpected problems decide to rear their ugly little heads and create more medical havoc for me once again!

We talked very, very briefly about the aspect of the internal radiation that the radiologist had been really pushing hard for me to have done but which didn't come about due to other issues -for which I am, in a big way, rather grateful. I was not at all happy about the prospect of having to travel to Pittsburgh for internal radiation to begin with, much less over the winter months and weather being what it was this winter, I was never able to schedule even an introductory appointment there with the radiologist at the big hospital in the "Burgh." My oncologist did mumble a bit about not being all that keen on having that done anyway because of his concern that should I develop cancer again -one that could or should be treated with radiation -had I had the internal radiation, it could very well have put me at the limitations that are placed on radiation and how much a person can have and thus, I could then be SOL for that type of treatment again, ya know.

After leaving the doctor's office, I stopped by the good old J.C. Penney's store and combed their clearance racks -my favorite place to shop at Penney's ya know. I lucked out and found two nice 3/4 length sleeve knit tops on sale for a mere $3.97 each and then, I did something I rarely do at that store -or any store of that type for that matter -in that I purchased myself a new pair of jeans that were not on the clearance racks! They were on sale, yes, but not at a ridiculously low and thus, to my way of thinking, great price but even so, at $21.99 for a pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans that fit quite nicely, I figured I could justify the splurge this time anyway.

And then too, I did something else I have NEVER done before there too! I found a pair of silk pajamas, in a sort of cranberry red, that had been listed at $34.00 for the pair on sale for the really great price of only $6.97 and they made the trip home with me then too! I've -as stated above -NEVER, EVER in all my 66 plus years of living, bought myself jammies that were of a luxury type item like these sort of are and as I type this, I am basking here with them on my old body. The silk fabric really does feel very nice and comfy -not necessarily warm like I normally prefer my bed clothes to be in this rather drafty, chilly old house, but what the heck. I'm comfortable and feeling a teeny bit on the queen-like side wearing something like this!

Stopped at Walmart to get my prescription for the wonderful Metformin I'm now taking twice a day in pills containing 1,000 mg of that drug to help keep my blood sugar levels under control. My primary care physician as well as the oncologist were both very happy with the results I've been having from taking this medication and over the past six days, my BS levels have averaged 111 -which the oncologist said he sure couldn't grump and grumble at me over that! Again -a YAY, YAY for me today!

Because Friday morning I was awakened around 4:45 a.m. by my son coming down here to get someone to drive him up to the truckstop where his big truck was parked so he could get back on the road and finish his delivery in the eastern part of the state today, by the time I finally returned home from the doctor's and my little shopping spree, I was totally bushed and baby, I do mean TOTALLY! So, within about 15 minutes after I had sat down in the recliner to look over today's newspaper, I was out like a light and sound asleep! Didn't wake up then till about 5 p.m. when I had to get up and fix some supper.

Clate and Elizabeth were here for supper consisting of fish (breaded/baked), macaroni and cheese of the homemade variety and stewed tomatoes. Mandy hurried up and ate and then left to attend the play the high school kids were presenting tonight (and tomorrow night and matinee on Sunday) of "The Music Man." My next-door neighbor teaches at the high school here and is also the director of the Drama Club so this was the result of lots and lots of long days over the past few months supervising all the kids in the cast as well as the crew that built the sets and all the other many things that come into being when putting on a production like this. Mandy and Ken went tonight and the plan was that tomorrow (Saturday night, that would be) I would go see the play with Clate and Elizabeth as well as taking Maya with us then too. However, they were back home by shortly before 9 p.m. -early by over an hour as the play is 3 hours in length -and they said although the play is really good, great work on the part of the kids in it and all that, the seats in the auditorium they complained were very, very hard and Mandy predicts they will be killers on my back tomorrow night when we go see the production. She thinks we should go and watch the first half and then, leave and she will then take our seats and watch the second half then that she missed seeing tonight and then, on Sunday, I can go up and watch the second half thus making it easier on my behind! Don't know if that's a feasible thing to try to do but we shall see!

After supper tonight, Clate and Elizabeth took Maya and Kurtis up to their house -or Clate's house -or whatever you want to call the place -so they could then have some visitation time there -supervised, that way -with their Dad -who now is staying at my son's house too.

The kids were excited over going up to spend the evening with Uncle Cwaton (Kurt's pronunciation of Clayton) although during supper, Kurtis began voicing some concerns he has about going there. Uncle Clate just so happens to have this huge paper mache type replica of a shark's head hanging in one corner of the room he has his "bar" and music set-up and Kurtis has a terrible fear, an obsession really, about this damned shark. He's is petrified of the thing! Finally, Uncle Clate asked him if they put a blanket over the shark would that be okay with him and assuage his fears. He thought about that a minute or two, giving Clate one of those looks that say "I'm thinking about this and wondering if you are trying to trick me or if this will really work" and finally, he shook his head and said that yes, he thought that would be okay. Clate said not to worry because Maya would be there to look out for him and that made me laugh then at the idea of Maya being nice and actually kind of protecting her little brother for a change. She tends to think of him as her own private property to bully around most of the time!

But apparently things worked out okay there because they didn't come home till a little past 9:30 p.m. -about an hour later than had originally been planned and there were no complaints, no crying children, when they came back home then either! So guess all's well that ends well holds true once again, doesn't it?

Today marked the day I had alluded to in my post last night wherein a good blogger friend of mine announced that he is ending his blogging days! For any of you who have ever read any posts by the blogger "Suldog" -he announced today on his blog that he is hanging it up, maybe for good, but at least for a while. I'm hoping that he will play "Governor Arnold" ya know and sometime in the near future will have a post up there titled "I'm Baaack!"

The last time I felt this down about about something pertaining to a blogger friend was a few years back when I got an e-mail from the sister of a good friend of mine in the blogosphere -Bob Johnson -a guy from up in Alberta, Canada who wrote one of the best blogs and certainly one of the funniest too, ever. I was quite surprised to get this e-mail from his sister but even more so when I read the content of her note. She had written to tell me her brother had died suddenly the day before of a massive heart attack and I will tell you this, I sat here at the old computer and cried -just sobbed -over the passing of a man I had never met, had never even seen a photo of him and had only communicated with him via our blogs and some e-mails here and there for about a year and yet, the news really shattered me as much as the loss I'd known in the past of some very close friends over the years. Amazing how much a person comes to feel -and believe -that they know about folks with whom their level of communication has only been via the written word, isn't it?

Although I felt a bit like crying when I read Jim's news that he was going to quit blogging, at least I have hopes that he will tire of not sharing his wild and wacky thoughts, his zany sense of humor with those of us who do our talking via a keyboard and an internet hook-up and that he'll return -hopefully one day really soon too!

And now, I think that pretty well covers what I did today -or yesterday as it actually is right now -and that I will head to bed so I can get up early again in the morning to get ready to go to State College where my kids and the grandkids too, will be participating in this year's Autism Walk at Penn State University! We've taken part in this walk for 4 of the past 5 years now -with last year being the exception because Mandy had a prior commitment that day. Not that many of us on our "team" this year but that's okay too, as we'll still have a good time surrounded by lots and lots of other people whose lives have been impacted by Autism too. And, I'll get to collect my new Autism Speaks tee shirt for the year 2011 then that way and I love getting new tee shirts, ya know!

Hopefully when I return I'll even have a couple of photos to share with everyone about our Autism walk adventures of the day!

Peace!

5 comments:

terri said...

Looks like you found your header photo again. Whew!

Don't you love when you find bargains on the clearance rack? I have a hard time buying ANYTHING that isn't on sale. Just can't convince myself to spend full price when I KNOW the store can sell it for less.

Sorry to hear that Suldog is quitting the blogging business. I know what you mean about getting close to your online friends. I have met so many people through blogging, and some of them have stuck with me for the 4 years I've been at this. I would be so sad to fall out of touch with them.

Maggie May said...

Glad the photo is there now. I have problems with my blog at times and I have several strange things going on in Google Reader. stuff popping in there that I never subscribed to. Weird. Not sure what to do.

I was pleased about your clean scan & hope mine on Wednesday will be clean too. Always a jittery time, this waiting.

I am really fed up about Suldog giving up.
So many of our good bloggers seem to be doing this and after several years of sharing...... they suddenly disappear from the face of the earth and theres no contact at all.
Sorry about your blogging friend. I have had that happen too.

Maggie X

Nuts in May

Linda said...

Congrats on the clean scan - that had to be a major relief and load off of your mind!

And yay for buying yourself some nice luxury jammies to lounge around in! We all deserve something nice for ourselves once in awhile but we usually pass it up in order to get something for someone else. Still, ya gotta be nice to yourself, right?

I've been feeling less than inspired to blog lately but one of the reasons that I keep at it even then is because I have met some incredibly wonderful people over the course of my blog and I would hate to lose touch with them - yourself included. Hence the reason I shake it off and get back on the blogging horse again! It's not always easy but sometimes the really important things aren't, eh?

Anonymous said...

Hi, Jeni -

I'm glad to hear your scan was good, too. My wife is in the waiting period on he latest mammogram, and although she's been clear for over ten years now, there have been false alarms the last few times. I hope your news continues to be good.

I checked out Suldog's blog ... I'
m sorry I found it when he's quitting ... I like his style. I have to say, trying to post everyday this year has pushed me closer to burn-out a few times. I'm stubborn so I probably won't quit the daily posting this year, but I'll go back to a more leisurely rate next.

Enjoy the Autism walk ...

Bud

Anonymous said...

Oh Jeni I am BEYOND HAPPY to hear of your improving health! Yay, yay, yay you and yay God for answering prayers!!! I am just smiling from ear to ear for you!! I have every intention of reading your blog when you're 100 yrs. old! :) So, so happy and happy that everything else is going well but the news of your health I must say made everything else in this post fade to the background. Hugs, hugs, hugs to you!