No News is No News

Met with Dr. Cheson on Tuesday.  No real news to report.  I'm still progressing according to schedule and it looks like we switch to the Revlamid (that's the pill that is at the heart of my clinical trial) probably next month.

Robbie and I are bachelors again this week, with Liz in Fort Worth.  Tonight we went for Mexican, but last night I was Googling "How to Waterboard a 5-year-old".  Now to be fair, he wasn't all bad last night.  Here's a picture of one of the times he was not being a total screaming (literally) pain in the butt (who I love with all my being.)  As you could see, I was still recovering from our early discussions.

Pumpkin Sunday

Nothing earth-shaking from last week.  Liz went to Seattle again on Wednesday, returning this evening around 6:00.  Robbie was really good this week, all things considered.  Today he and I went to the annual pumpkin carving party hosted by my friends Dennis and Christine.  It was a great time, as it usually is.

I see Dr. Cheson again on Tuesday, then probably have another month "off".  After that, it's back to Georgetown for another bone marrow sample and another CT scan.  Then on to the next phase of the clinical trial.  Apparently I can anticipate neutropenic episodes under the new regime, but I hoping we'll still offset those with the growth factor shots.

And, OBTW, who dat said dey's gonna beat them Saints?  7-0:  who'd a thunk it.

Marathons are for wimps...

Greetings from the Bayou State, where our state motto is "Thank God for Mississippi".  By now you've probably heard about the local justice of the peace who refused to marry the mixed-race couple.  That happened about 15 miles from here.  Not since Britney Spears has Tangipahoa Parish had such a distinguished national celebrity.  Makes you proud.

Now, I could have focused this entry on celebrating my 100th blog entry, but I was upstaged.

Liz, now bored with the lack of challenge offered by 26.2 miles, took it up a notch and--BAM--ran a 50-kilometer trail run today.  That would be 31.1 miles for the conversion-challenged.  That's a long way.  Today was as pretty as a Louisiana Fall day can be.  Liz said the trail, which followed an old railroad right of way, was the prettiest trail she's ever run.  Even the one-mile section of calf-deep mud couldn't put a damper on things.

Beyond that,  we're having a great time in Louisiana.  Robbie is having a particularly great time playing in his Aunt Nina and Uncle Buster's house.  He is exhausting Nina and Buster's dog, Gracie, with marathon sessions of "fetch" in the grand hallway of N&B's house.  He has also been playing down at the old barn and today found the courage to climb on his grandfather's tractor (see picture).   This is the tractor on which I spent uncountable uncomfortable hours as a teenager (pre-Ipod), so it's kinda sweet seeing Robbie on it, knowing he won't have to spend quality time in the Louisiana sun, breathing the diesel fumes.

I went to church today and met many of the people who prayed (and are praying) for me.  It was heartwarming to hear how many people read this blog regularly (Hello!).  I also met a young lady who confessed that many years ago, when she was in the third grade, she decided that she was going to marry me.  I think she was a student in my mother's elementary school class, so I have to believe that was the link.

We head back to Maryland tomorrow and I'll be taking Tuesday off to catch up on the things at home I missed this weekend.

OBTW, this is my 100th blog entry.  I believe this is a tipping situation.

Most direct route from BWI to New Orleans? According to Southwest Air, it's via Tampa.
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Fun in Baltimore

In one of these pictures, you'll see what the feet of the mother of a 5-year-old look like post-marathon, after the next-day blister-popping party.  Colorful band-aids, no?

In the other, you'll see the male contingent of the Southern Maryland McMichaels aboard the USS Torsk, a retired WWII-era submarine, now part of a four-ship exhibit in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. We had already toured the USS Constellation and finished up the day with lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe.

26.2 Miles of Crazy

As reported earlier, Liz ran her first marathon today, finishing in 4 hours, 45 minutes. She found the wall at 18 miles, spent a while deciding she couldn't possibly finish, then finished. I am very proud of her.

Robbie and I went to the National Aquarium. Our hotel is faces the Inner Harbor, so it was walking distance for us. He enjoyed it.

We're staying one more night in Baltimore, so if any of my fellow church choir members reads this, please let Herself know I won't be there tomorrow. Thanks.

Liz finished her first marathon!

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Liz just left the hotel to run her first marathon.

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How to Post a Comment Painlessly

If you would like to post a comment (and I love every comment) but don't want to go through the pain of registering with Google, there is an easy way to do it (as provided by my dear friend Peg (aka Puddles)).

1. At the bottom of the post you're reading, you'll see some gold letters saying 'X Comments'. X often equals zero (he whined). Click on these words--they will link you to a page with just that post, plus the Comments section. Go ahead and do it now--you'll still be able to read this on that page.

2. Once you get to the page, look below the post for the box labeled 'Post a Comment'. It's down below all the comments currently posted. Type your comment in the Comments box. It doesn't have to have anything to do with the post. "Hey Tim, this is Antoinette! I'm following your blog." would be a great post (Of course, posting that quote verbatim would be juvenile). Please include your name if you want me to know who you are (and I'd really like to know).

2. Below the comments box, you'll see a line that says 'Comment as:". Select the arrows on the far right of this column to pull down the pull down menu.

3. Select the last choice on the list: 'Anonymous'

4. Click on the 'Post Comment' button.

That should do it for you.

Now let's see all you lurkers out there post a comment. Surprise me with who's reading this stuff.

Your pal, Tim

The Comments line should be just about directly under the word 'just' in this sentence.

A Favor to Ask...

A favor to ask from those of you who post comments anonymously occasionally: could you write up a brief description of just how you do that? I've had several people tell me that they wanted to leave comments, but couldn't break the code. Rather than give them my account password, I thought I would make this appeal. Once I get a consensus, I'll post the process for the technically-challenged to use.

On a personal front, it been a continuing week of post-June "firsts" since my energy has returned: first time pushing Robbie on the swings at his school, first walk around my 2.5 mile evening stroll route (under a beautiful full moon on a 55 degree night), first time mowing the lawn myself. These are good firsts.

Crazy Woman Alert

Just to let you know, Liz--in prep for the marathon she's running next weekend--just finished a 20.1 mile run. I, on the other hand, just finished a bloody mary. Who has their priorities straight in this family? That's what I thought.

Four Months Later, I'm Back on the Mat

I finally unrolled my yoga mat yesterday after a four-month sabbatical. Decided that with the onset of Autumn, on the first day of October, it was a good occasion to start to get back to where I was before my summer vacation in June.

I locked my office door, rolled out my extra-long green yoga mat, put my Ipod in its player (I have several yoga lessons on the Ipod), donned my yoga duds, and got ready to down dog. I purposely chose what I consider the easiest of the lessons, one designed to be done when you first wake up in the morning. Let me say up front that the yoga felt great. It felt good physically, it felt good mentally, and it felt good spiritually. It was also a hell of a wake-up. What used to be the lesson I did when I didn't feel like expending too much energy kicked my ass.

I have a secret vanity that I'll now share. When my weight is down and I'm in shape, I have great legs. Great legs with big, impressive thighs. I really do. I've had non-gay guys comment on my legs. Last June, after two years of walking 3 to 5 miles a day and practicing yoga for a year, I had really great legs. There's a very fundamental yoga pose named "Downward Facing Dog" that gives you a good chance to check out your legs. Back before I was hospitalized, I always took great pride in Down Dog as I saw the bulk and definition of the muscles in my thighs and calves.

Yesterday, looking backward during my first Down Dog, I was shocked. Those were NOT my legs. My legs are sleek and powerful. Those legs looked like skinny old-man legs wrapped in loose-fitting burlap. Yikes. And I have a sneaking suspicion that those aren't the only muscles that need a little attention and tough love.

So: back on the road, back on the mat, time to start setting the house in order again. And having done it once I know I can do it again.