One Less Thing To Worry About

Today was a lesson in communication. After being really cranky yesterday because the day started great and ended poorly, I was pretty disappointed when by noon, Jason was 0-3 in tasks/plans/etc due to miscommuncation. By 1:30 he was 0-4 and had cost me a 30 minute drive each way to the middle of nowhere by myself. So, I know Jason isn't the most open about our personal life, but I can be, because I'm comfortable like that with my close friends and family, so I can be here. Jason and I have been arguing pretty heavily since Feb of 2010. We argued over valentines day, made up, we were on separate schedules for the summer, we bickered in the fall  for my birthday trip that went terribly wrong, through bronchitis as I applied for gradschools and we missed thanksgiving with his family because we were spending it with mine. Then, we got in a big ole throw down argument during the holidays about our new years plans... then, I got sick. I lived with my aunt while I was sick, so we ...

After a 4 hour drive to Farmington Hills to visit one of my BFFs, followed by a drive to Ann Arbor for 5 hours of fun and another BFF, one day/night in Novi to see Jason's parents, one day/night in Ubly to visit my mother's family and my grandpa's b-day and such, and lastly, a 12 hour drive (bridge traffic WHOA), I made it to Albany at 11pm Sunday July 17th. Take THAT! Not only did I drive, I drove A LOT, with not much rest, and I did AWESOME just like I used to. I even beat Jason (who was driving his car back) by about 15-20 minutes. So, I think we can finally put the car thing to rest doctors, I am made for driving, I was probably a trucker in a past life! Honk Honk!! In the midst of all that, I worked in some "family drama" on both fronts, meaning with my immediate family and Jason's family. Always a favorite! Luckily I was a bystander with Jason's family, and "drama" in his house is a like a day with flowers and butterflies and sunshine c...

On June 2nd, I touched down in Manistee MI, and it seems like forever ago and yet not long enough ago. My grandpa Gib used to tell me that as you get older the years go by faster. He said he just blinked and I got three years older! I giggled and tried my best to beat him at "golf" (card game). I sit typing now and it feels like that. I tell my students this same thing when I'm working, about how quick the college years pass. Now, for me, time takes on a lot more significance. There are a lot of things I "meant" to do that didn't get done while I was here. It's unfortunate, but I stay positive that there will be other summers. I did a lot of visiting, not as much as I hoped. I didn't make it up North to the UP, but other than that, my to-do list has been crossed off. I did a lot of sitting, more than plenty I assure you. Some days I felt awesome, and others (like today) I spent laying low. I took pictures, visited with friends, was relatively mindf...

Again, time flies when you're having fun. This week was the forest festival, so I had all my favorites: fresh cut fries with lots of vinegar and an elephant ear at the fair, spent $1 on a toy for Booger at the flee market, oogled the art and got some "ideas" for projects as well as had a big ole bag of kettle corn at the art fair, Karaoke with Jessica and Megan, went kayaking with Dad, Sherry, and Megan... taking the dogs to the beach so Booger could develop a love for the water, and Manistee fireworks for the fourth, and a really awesome sunset. AKA, biggest run-on sentence EVER. Too many favorites for proper grammar. =) Mom and I walked the carnival, flee market, and previewed the art fair. We love all the food and the doggie toys were a plus as she's got some doggies and I am loving being an auntie to Booger, he's such a sweet boy. The trip to the beach was amazing. All the dogs had a blast, Booger was a little hesitant, but he did it and he'll go some mo...

So, an eventful week! A whole day with Jeremy, Jess, and Michael, went and saw "bridesmaids" (meh), lots of visiting, and Sunday I went and saw a film due to personal invite from an old family friend. We went as saw Burzynski The Movie. It is about another form of cancer treatment. The movie itself is more about how the government is trying to steal his discovery. Some people think it's because they want to make money off his ideas, I think it's because they want to bury it forever because the US makes trillions of dollars on chemo and radiation. I talked with someone treated by Burzynski yesterday, she is someone I grew up with for a long time, she participated in his stage 2 FDA clinical trials. She and I had the same piano teacher, went to the same elementary school, have the EXACT SAME VERY RARE BRAIN TUMOR. We are the same age, grew up 25 miles from each other once I moved. Kendra Gilbert, in september 2006 was diagnosed with a non-operable stage 3 anaplastic a...

A week goes by fast! Now that I'm here it seems like time is flying. I waited and waited and waited, it took FOREVER for my Michigan trip to come, and now that it's here, WHOOOSH, I blinked and a week went by. Father's day was one of the highlights of my vacation thus far. I woke up Brett, we cooked dad french toast, bacon and eggs, took naps, saw "The Green Lantern" (which was good in 3D), and then went to my grandpa's house (Dad's dad!), and cooked steaks, broccoli salad, asparagus, and red potatoes, finishing up the evening with strawberry shortcake and entertaining Booger in the car. A full day, and lots of fun. Remember how last post I talked about pictures? Well, for father's day, made my dad a scrapbook (digital scrapping is AWESOME). He got to the second page and started bawling. It's only tuesday and he's already started showing patients the book. It's pictures of Brett and I since we were babies up to now, about 20 pages of pict...

So, since we last chatted, I made it through my 5 days of maintenance chemo. Round one of the two times I'll probably need to do this while I at home. No major side effects other than needing some "ACTIVIA!" (insert the way they say it in the commercial here). It causes a little nausea, but I can manage. Chemo makes me tired, which made me a little lax this weekend, not near as fun for my girl Megan who's up visiting. It's mostly sleeping, sleeping, sleeping, movies, driving around to take pictures for about an hour, sitting, sitting, more sleeping. Oh, and lots of Booger Babysitting, I'm getting a little tired of watching my nephew (Brett's new chocolate lab puppy!!). Poor girl, she drives upstate for the northern MI experience and gets plenty of conversations about bowel movements!!! Good thing we're besties and she loves me enough to put up with this shit, literally. We're doing "work" at Goody's Java and Juice downtown Manistee ...