Friday, May 28, 2010

Better Living Through Chemestry and Miscellaneous Ramblings

This morning I took the first of my last round of chemo. Two weeks and I'm done. I'll be pretty good for about a week and then the side effects will kick in. It won't be fun, but I've been there before so I know what to expect. I'm OK with it. It is the price that I must pay to completely regain my health. I just have to keep smiling.

Last night our lovely granddaughter, Alexandria, graduated from high school. It's hard to imagine that our little 2 pound 13 ounce preemie is a woman now. She has been living with us for the past four years so that she could attend a top rated school rather than the sketchy schools near her home. It was a wise decision. She did well, better than I did, by far. I, as you all agree, am a Boy Genius™, but it came from genetics and self education rather than school room experience. She will be moving back home now. We will miss her, but she's a short drive away.

Two weeks ago, twenty people showed up at my door with rakes, hoes, weed whackers and other implements of destruction and cleared my property. Two ladies helped with the chores as well as providing a big ol' pile of grub for the crew. These were all members of my church. This is what Christianity is all about. It isn't the nonsense that you see on TBN, with all of it's magic tricks, annointed dish cloths and pleas for as much of your money as possible from slick hucksters and cotton candy haired, walking cosmetics counters, living in multi million dollar, Newport Beach, mansions. It is about Christ-like servitude. Help people, reach out your hand when someone is hurting, bring them a sandwich and a cool drink. It's easy.

I think, either today or tomorrow, I will take the bike out for a short hop around town before I get sick again. It's a bit windy today, so maybe tomorrow. I've turned into such a fair weather rider. I guess it's from all those years when all I had was a bike. I hate riding in the rain or the cold. Could also be the decline in testosterone levels brought on by advancing old age. Crap!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Chemo and Weeds

Here I am, just beginning my second two week regimen of chemo. It sucked pretty good the first two weeks. Lots of pain in my hands and feet and one day (actually, about 3 hours) of feeling as sick as I've ever been in my life. It passed and I feel pretty good today. I expect to be back on the couch by this weekend, however. I had time to do a few, necessary, chores around the house. I reassembled my tractor which had been apart due to a blown head gasket. Put the end loader on today with, what was probably, my last surge of strength. I have 2 1/2 acres of weeds to clear, per fire department regulations, and I need my tractor. I have a gang of friends coming over in a week to do the hillside work. I can't stand or walk the slopes, nor can I handle the weed whacker with my bum feet and paws. Five or six weeks from now, I expect to be back at the top of my game. Granted, it's a bush league game, but it's good enough for me.