Cold... COLD!

I am SUCH a wimp when it comes to cold.  And tonight's low should be around 32.  My sisters went through the farmland wrapping up the produce.  I would hate to see my artichokes freeze to death before I could even eat one. :)  And I really, really want that red cabbage to survive!

Tomorrow I have a meeting and I want to be there in person, so I am going to head in to the plant, and then have lunch with my friend Annette at the cafeteria.  You know, I couldn't do this without my trusty scooter.  Mine is an older version than the one pictured, but you get the idea.  The battery weighs more than any other part of the vehicle.  Thank goodness I have that lift on the back of the Equinox.. oh and thank you, too, General Motors!

Today was wonderful, despite the cold.  I got quite a bit accomplished at work, and it's SO good to be stretching those little grey cells, as Poirot would call them.  It just felt so GOOD to interact with people in a way that not only challenges my brain, but delights my gregarious nature.

On the Cancer front, tomorrow morning is this round's last bunch of Xeloda, but not the last bunch forever.  My hands are happy, though, that they get a break for a week.  I'm going broke on hand lotion. :D

I almost forgot my Arixtra shot again, so I put a reminder on my calendar at work.  Shoot up at 1PM. :)  That might raise a few eyebrows.  Hehehe.

Does the weather have anything to do with the pain in my leg?  Yes, I had it in the summer, but I wonder if the cold weather exacerbates it.  I go to bed with a heating pad on it, but tonight I just might have to hit the Vicodin.  I can do it, if I sleep after I take it.  And just one doesn't seem to make me barf, but any more than that and it's good-bye to my stomach contents.

Yes, I am so happy to be working again.  I have this silly smile plastered to my face, even when it hurts to get up from a sit, I'm still happy.  I may grimace, but the smile comes right back.

Take care, everyone... keep warm, and be safe!

Hookah Power!

It's 4:33AM and I am using my nebulizer once again.  Actually, I am doing MUCH better since yesterday morning when I went to get my PT/INR.  I had to take the scooter because I was WAY too weak to walk.  That's nothing to worry about; mostly a combination of the chemo and this cold I have that is running its course.  I hope to be back to walking on Thursday when I have to return to the lab for more blood-letting.

There really is nothing new and exciting to tell you about for this post, but I wanted to let you all know that I am feeling better.  And most happily, my breakfast dose of Xeloda this morning will be the last of this round, and then I have my chemo week OFF. :)  YAY, I need a break.

My hands are definitely beginning to feel the effects of Hand-Foot Syndrome.  There are many things I can't do with my hands at the moment, like open bottles, make coffee (our carafe's handle, the one we fill with water to pour into the coffee maker, has a very uncomfortable handle for me.)  It hurts to grasp anything, which is a bit problematic for someone who, when she walks either uses a cane or a walker.  But the good news is that Hand-Foot Syndrome clears up once the chemotherapy drugs are withdrawn.  So, I shall just suck it up. :)

And that's it.  I'm looking forward to Halloween on Monday; hopefully we will have trick or treaters, and I can watch them from a distance. 

Love and hugs to all.

Happy Birthday, my dear sister, Jane!

Without you, I probably would not have gotten through all that chemo and radiation with such ease.  You kept me fed and kept my spirits up, and generally ensured that I knew I was loved and well looked-after.  I love you so very much!

Of course, once she discovers I've posted this picture of her on my Blog, it might be the end of me. :D

That's my orange wing amazon parrot, Vinnie the Vampire posing with her.  Oh, and .. that IS her Halloween costume from that year, not something she habitually wears around the house.... hehehe.

I am thankful every day that you and Nancy came to live with me after your stints in the Navy.  I would not be here without you, that's certain.

Now, if only you had the power to make this horrific cold weather go away!  It was 28 this AM, but the wind made it feel like 17.  I don't think I have ever experienced cold like that in my life, except for a business trip to Chicago, or maybe it was that February wedding in Boston.  Who gets married in FEBRUARY in Boston? ;)

But at least I can stay home tomorrow and keep warm, and listen to some great music while I work.  Yes, I'm really, really tired again, but I think not quite as bad as I was Monday after going into the plant, so maybe I am building up my endurance. :D

I hope this post finds you all safe and home and warm and loved.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I don't want to whine about being cold, when in reality, it's a hell of a lot better out here than in most of the rest of the country.  And yet... it's so cold!  I think it hurts us so much because we are not prepared for it.   It's like when Chicago gets to be 100.  They are not prepared for that, either.  And by prepared, I mean we're not USED to it; we don't really have the clothes for it, nor the fortitude.

Got to telecommute today, as I mentioned in yesterday's blog.  This was good in several ways.  One, I doubt I could have got myself up to my desk in a timely manner.  Like ... oh, in time to get ready to go home.  But I am going in to the plant tomorrow.  Despite the physical exhaustion, I get a quite amazing emotional boost from being there.  It's something I really need to sustain my optimism as I fight this cancer.  I see such hope for the future in our programs, and in our youngest team members.  How can you NOT be optimistic!  I want to be around for many more years yet, and I think being engaged in the workforce, and doing a job I adore is definitely part of the equation.

It's kind of odd, the enjoyment I got out of some of my more mundane responsibilities today.  Things that normally would have made me roll my eyes in disdain actually perked me up today.  Oh the joy that is administrative tasks. :D

Oh, and I haven't missed playing World of Warcraft one bit.  I mean think about it; I got to play it any time I could drag myself to a computer, while I was out on leave.  Of course, yesterday by the time I got home from work, all I wanted to do was sit in my green chair and click on my TV's remote while wrapped up in a cozy blanket.  I did get in a little play time after dinner tonight, though.

Yes, life is amazingly good to me, all things considered.  Now, all of you out East, please be safe and warm.  I love many of you; and you know who you are. :)

To Heat, or not to Heat

Last year we never turned on our heat pump.  Arizona is a little different when it comes to utilities; we spend most of our utilities budget on cooling the house down, rather than heating it up.  In this household, we try to keep electric use to a minimum during the winter so that we can afford to cool the house in the summer.

Currently, in my bedroom, the temperature is 64.4.  While this might seem lovely to many, it's a bit nippy for me. :)  But, I have a sweater on over my pajamas, as I sit here at my computer, sipping really yummy hot coffee.  Outside, it is currently 36 degrees.  It was a very chilly night. 

The point is that for us, it's simply easier to wrap up, put on more blankets, or more clothes and be warmed in the winter.  In the summer, you can only take OFF so many things before your neighbors call the Police.  Besides, don't we all sleep better when there is a bit of a chill in the house?  Kind of like a hibernation switch flips on; you cuddle under the blankets, and BOOM!... you sleep.

Oh, and lest we forget, we have furry insulation devices here.  For me, it's Cisco and Quito.  Though both are so old now, I have to PUT them up on the bed, boy, do those chihuahuas give off some heat!  And they are soft and cuddly to boot!

So, unless it really gets like Arctic cold here, I guess I have answered my question; no heat!