Bye-bye, El Chiweenie

 Anne went to radiation today only to find out that the machine is broken! They told her to call tomorrow about 7:15am before coming in to make sure that it's been repaired. so, she has to get up in the morning as if she's going in, get dressed and then call just before she needs to leave (assuming that it's working).
 If it's not fixed, then she'll miss another day of treatment. I'm wondering if she, perhaps, shouldn't go just on principal. My fear is the first person may be the "test subject" to see if things are working properly and I don't want her to be the one that finds out it's not! What a conundrum: don't go and fall further behind or go and risk getting burned (or worse).
 For those who liked the idea of a new addition to the family, I'm sorry to report that Anne took the new dog back to the Humane Society today. The little guy was, apparently, trained to go on a pad in the house. We don't have time to re-train him and Anne cannot be exposed to the bio-hazard that this entails.
 He was a very cuddly little guy and loved to sleep under the covers with you. The first time he did that, he sneaked in with Anne and his cold nose on the back of her legs was just too much. Anne started crying out like there was a spider of something in bed with her. (Well, perhaps just an overly friendly rat!)
 I had to drag him out (against his will) and tuck her in tightly, with a sham up against her so that he couldn't do that again. Monday morning he did that to me, but since I was wearing my long johns I barely felt a thing. But, once again, when it was time to get out of bed he was very reluctant!
 Today, when I got home there was a distinct, musty smell in the house. Searching around, I found several tiny turds by one of the plants. After disposing of them outside, we ran up the street to Ernie's and got some dinner. Anne ordered a hamburger and I had the grilled cheese. The grilled cheese is made with Texas toast and is layered with onion and tomatoes! Sadly, both items were soaked in grease. But, the fries were perfect and I intend to only have those from now on.
 (You may be wondering about dinner; we've decided that Anne will no longer eat a vegetarian diet. Her anemia has twice, now, prevented her from receiving the chemo she was scheduled for. This is unacceptable and she will be eating red meat from now on in order to get her iron levels up.)
 When we got home, Anne headed out to pick up Lady from the groomer's. Then, while Anne was gone, I doused all the lights and got out my U.V. flashlight. Making my way through the house, checking the wall corners and furniture edges, I spotted where the little bugger had lifted his leg.
  I attacked it with some Carpet CPR and that seems to have gotten rid of the smell for the most part. I'll have to check it, again, tomorrow after I've been out of the house in order to be sure. (this is exactly what we were afraid of)
 Well, Anne returned from picking up Lady and that dog was a proud as a peacock with her new haircut! She pranced around, smiling (I'm sure!) while we told her how pretty she was. Now, this may be partially because the "intruder" is gone, but she's always been just about beside herself whenever coming home from Dee's. She knows she's beautiful and she likes to show it off!
 We could all learn something from our animal friends. Take joy in the simple things and share them with those you love!

Don and Anne

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Of the things I've lost (part 2)

 There was one little tidbit that I completely left out: Heather pointed out that Tramp (the new dogs new name) has a very pronounced splayfooted stance and that this is probably due to some Dachshund in the mix.
 We'd notice this, along with the long-ish body and drooping ears. She said this is what people call a "Chiweenie". (ain't that cute?) This is good news for us as we prefer mutts like us to pure bred animals, believing that they have fewer problems with a little more diversity in the gene pool.
 Speaking of Gene: we received a call from the Window World installer (Gene) telling us that our windows and sliding glass door are here. He'll start the installation on Tuesday afternoon! We can't wait to see the effect on our power bill.
 Today, however, Anne's P.A. called and said that she's anemic again and there wouldn't be any chemo this week. That's two weeks in a row, now (just in case you're keeping count). I called her back and asked what, exactly, is it that she seems to be low on and what we can do about it at home. She said that they were going to give her an infusion and that the best thing we could do is eat food high in iron and magnesium.
 Our refrigerator list had everything but Iron covered. For that I went to Google and found not only a list of foods that are high in iron (beans, lentils, pumpkin seeds, enriched cereals) but also a list of iron enhancers (oranges, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapefruit, broccoli, brussel sprouts tomatoes, potatoes, green and red bell peppers, white wine) and a list of foods that inhibit iron absorption (spinach, tofu, wheat bran).
 Hopefully, next week Anne will be well prepared for her treatment. Because, as we've been told, the chemo treatment is an enhancer to the radiation and she wants everything working together to kill the cancer. As do I! As do we all!
 A dog's tail wags because it's connected to its heart. May you so easily express your love to those you care for.
 Don and Anne


PS
It's been raining here all day;
Isn't this supposed to be a desert?

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Of the things I've lost,

... I miss my mind the most!
 Anne and I slept in a bit later this morning than I wanted to. But, the bed was so warm and the heat doesn't come on until 9:00. So, snuggle down under the covers and go back to sleep! Then, once we did get up, we ate our Belgium waffles with boysenberry syrup, we checked the calendar and discussed the day.

  She had a luncheon scheduled and I planned to meet Dan at Anchor Auctions while she did that. They had several nice guitars and I had my eye on a Fender Stratacoustic that I'd hoped to snag. But when the bidding approached average used prices I dropped out.
 Afterwards, I headed down to Guitar Center for a sale they were having in order to pick up a better tuner for Shane. They had the Guitar Professor on sale for $5! This unit not only has a tuner in it, but also contains a dictionary of guitar chords. A great learning tool for any beginner.
 But I'm getting ahead of myself here... What actually happened is that as I entered the parking lot I spotted the Nevada Humane Society signs in front of Pet Smart beckoning me inside for their adoption clinic. They had several nice dogs, but most of the were medium or large dogs and we wanted something smaller than Lady.
 Heading to the back of the store where the NHS table was (and the cats) I found several Chihuahuas with the staff. Three of them were very active, with one jumping and yapping for attention. But, one of them was being held by the supervisor while talking to a lady about him. "He's 4 yrs old, quiet, walks next to you on a leash and is neutered. He doesn't have a problem with other dogs or cats, but is wary of birds."
 Thinking quickly, I wandered around the corner and down the isle out of ear-shot. I phoned Anne's cell and asked her what she thought of getting a Chihuahua? She was fine with that as it would be MUCH smaller than Lady and would't require any grooming.
 Stepping around the isle I watched as they continued to talk about the dog for several minutes. Then, when she stepped away, I approached and quickly engaged in a discussion of the dog. After a minute her asked me if I'd like to take him for a walk. "No," I replied, "I'd like to take him home." Much enthusiasm ensued and one lady remarked how she'd been disappointed that he' not been adopted last weekend.
 In the car he wriggled out of the car seat harness, so I had to attach the retractable leash and use that to buckle him in. Then, when he started whimpering, I moved him to the front seat. After pushing him back several times when he tried to get in my lap as I drove, he finally got the message and laid down.
 On the way home Anne called, all upset. We'd completely missed James' birthday party! It wasn't on the calendar and we hadn't thought of it earlier today. She'd called and explained, but she (and I) still felt terrible about it. Fortunately, Heather said that he was so busy playing with his friends, opening presents and watching the Planetarium's movie that he didn't seem to have missed us. (ouch) So they arranged to come over later with the boys to pick up our present and meet the new arrival.

  Once we arrived, El Chihuahua immediately sniffed the while house while under the watchful eyes of Lady and I. At one point he lifted his leg to mark the new territory, but I grabbed him up and we all went out back. He only tried that once more and seems to have gotten the idea that it's not acceptable. (this could be the deal breaker)
 I fixed cheese sandwiches and a pot of chili with fresh jalapeno for lunch. Shane rang the boor bell and this started Lady barking. After a few moments of uncertainty, El Chihuahua joined in. This was the first time we'd heard him bark and he wasn't very insistent. More like he was just backing up Lady.
 Shane liked the dog and thanked me for the tuner/chord thing. After he left, Anne took a nap and both dogs joined her. El Chihuahua even wanted to sleep under the covers with her! This, however, didn't fly with Anne. Later I came by and found the two pups sleeping on their backs next to her, just as happy as can be.
 When Justus and Heather arrived with the boys they, too, gave their blessings to El Chihuahua. His only draw-back seems to be what Heather said is a possible cold. He'll sneeze and cough afterwards. She told us that she had a dog that acted similarly which her vet said was a cold. We'll call the NHS clinic Monday if it doesn't start to clear up. Otherwise, we are now a family of four!
 Love is one thing that increases when you give it away,
Don and Anne

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Lunchtime

  Anne dropped off Tom's container at school today, which she'd filled with fudge as a thank-you for all the wonderful, fresh vegetables he's been providing. She also dropped off a bag of bottles for the Boy Scout recycling, making sure that she was there while the kids were all in class.   Then, she had lunch today with her friends Julie and Julie (who's birthday was on Tuesday). They picked up something to eat at SK Noodle and went to Julie's house. While there, she chatted with Julie about Scrapbooking and Julie, who has more experiene, made several suggestions to Julie. Later, Julie will be picking up Julie and the two Julies are going to a class on card making. (whew!)   After lunch she ran some errands and then came home exhausted and took a nap with Lady, rising later to putter around the house.   When I got off work and called the house, she suggested that we eat out as she had some coupons for Western Village's Pancho & Willie's and, also, the Marina Cafe. By the time I arrived, she'd already been seated and had ordered our virgin Margarita's.   I just found out that Margarita means "daisy" and I'm wondering what Cheeze's response will be if I call her Daisy when they come to visit! LOL   After dinner we both took a short nap. But the "alarm dog" failed and we slept for several hours! Of course, once we awoke, the "alarm dog" couldn't be put on SNOOZE! Most likely because it was past RedBug time and she knew it. Lady, as some of you know, just LIVES for that time of the day when she's allowed to charge around the house like crazy barking her fool head off.   No movie tonight, but we are considering switching to U-verse in an effort to consolidate our TV, land line and internet while at the same time reducing their total costs. We'll have to sign up for a minimum of one year to get the package, but there will be rejoicing in the house when we finally kick Charter to the curb!   Blessings on your house, Don and Anne     ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Quietude

 Today was a good day for Anne. She went to her radiation treatment, came home and lounged around with Lady. Later she sent some packages off and then went looking for Halloween ties for me! But, alas, none could be found.

 She was cold today, so she put on the knitted cap that Helen had sent. This warmed her right up! Silly girl; us bald men have known about head coverings for years. No need to freeze before covering up!

 After dinner I went to visit my friend Tim, who has pancreatic cancer. I took a stack of National Geographic with me for him to read/share. Being hospitalised is one of the most mind-numbing things the average person can go through. Nothing but four walls to look at as blathering spews from a TV and more noise than a casino floor assaults you from every direction.

 Wishing everyone the love they need and the peace of forgiveness,
Don and Anne

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

No soup for you!

Download now or watch on posterous

2 guys in coats.wmv (9954 KB)

  Despite the wonderful hospital food (?), Anne is not going to check in tomorrow for her usual day-long chemo. Although her new blood test came back wonderfully, Anne thinks that they were concerned that the chemo treatments were going to be too close together. The next one will be on Monday, only 5 days after instead of a full week.

  She, also, saw her radiation doctor's associate today after treatment and this lady, Anne tells me, is like an old school marm. She scolded her and told her to "take your Imoduim and get to your appointment!" She even has her hair in a little bun on the back of her head! Anne, of course, responded with "Yes, Ma'am!" LOL

  According to "the marm", the steriod shot may have added to her diarrhea but the primary cause is the radiation treatments. To this Anne says "Not any more!" as she's determined not to let it get that bad again, should it return.

  Dinner tonight was a wonderful, fragrant concoction of squash and potatoes. Tom had delivered more fresh vegetables from his garden and Anne is feeding us well on the bounty!

  The movie tonight is Two Guys In Coats. Don't look for it at Blockbuster because I've attached it her for your enjoyment!

  Hugs and smiles from our house to yours,

Don and Anne

 

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Out of whack

 Anne got a call today from her oncologist's P.A. telling her that the blood test came back showing that some of her mineral levels were low. So, instead of checking in tomorrow for an all-day chemo treatment she'll be going to the infusion clinic for hydration and to boost those minerals back up. (I think these are generally referred to as "electrolytes").

 This didn't come as any surprise, considering what she'd been through for the last three days. Anne's been drinking plenty of water, knowing that the diarrhea was dehydrating her, and eating yogurt but this wasn't enough to offset the loss of these nutrients.

 Tonight, for dinner, she made a truly delicious squash and cheese soup. Her idea is that this will help tighten things up. I told her that it was so good she could make it any time and didn't need a "special occasion" to fix it!

 After hearing about all the repairs that Cheeze and Dan are getting done, I'm only more convinced that things worked out this way for a reason. Hopefully, they're on the mend by now and will be able to come for a visit later. Anne and I send our best wishes for a speedy recovery!

 Take care of yourselves and treat yourselves with love and compassion.
Don and Anne


PS
Congratulations to Nancy on her promotion!

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Ache-y break-y gut

 Anne came down with a terrible case of G.I. distress on Friday and was bed-ridden all day! When she wasn't sleeping she was in the bathroom and in between she'd lay there and just moan. So, as you may have guessed, I stayed home from work to take care of her and see that she got her fluids and whatever B.R.A.T. items she was willing to eat.
 The B.R.A.T. diet is an old standby for treatment of diarrhea. It basically eliminates everything except bananas, rice, applesauce and toast (plain). This diet, combined with some Gas-X for bloating, helped ease her pain on Friday. Saturday she felt better and we attended James' last soccer game, which they won.
 After the game I ran out to Dave's to drop off a Dell OS disc and to deliver Jared's b-day card. Neither one of them was home, so it was a quick trip. This was, actually, convenient because we were expecting Justus and his family for dinner.
 Arriving home, we began preparations for Lemon-Dill Halibut, Julienne Au-Gratin potatoes and asparagus. I substituted crushed corn flakes for the Melba toast and, based on Anne's recommendation, cut the dill to 1/3 for Heather. This turned out perfectly and everyone seemed pleased with the food.
 This morning we had eggs and potatoes for breakfast, fixed with peppers and onions (as usual) and Anne poured on the Salsa Verde while I went for the western-style picante and some chipotle sauce. A couple of hours later, the symptoms returned in full force and Anne was, once again, laid up in bed. This time she tried some Pepto-Bismol, but when that didn't help I went straight for the Imodium-AD (actually a generic for it) in combination with B.R.A.T. diet.
 She finally got some relief about noon, but stayed in bed as she was just exhausted (and sore) form the ordeal. When Jane called on Skype to see how Cheeze and Dan's visit was going I had to inform her that they'd called it off because they were both down with the flu or flu-like symptoms.
 Anne commented from the bedroom that although she was sorry they didn't make it, we were glad they chose not to come. With her immune system so depleted, it would have been horrible if she'd caught whatever bug they are fighting off.
 The silver lining to this is that they may be able to come at a later date. Possibly, after Anne's surgery when we most assuredly will be needing the help. But, whenever it is that they can visit, we're certainly looking forward to seeing them.
 Next up is Janie and Lenita coming to visit and November 3rd. Hopefully, there will be no surprises in store for them!
 Movies this weekend: Spanglish, Yes Man, and Best In Show. My favorite part was "the world's greatest sandwich" in Spanglish where Adam Sandler plays a four-star chef. You have to see the bonus reel to meet the Thomas Keller, chef that worked on the set, and see how he makes this sandwich.
 Peace and harmony for you and yours,
Don and Anne

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Got it? No...

  Anne purchased a Black & Decker toaster oven yesterday which was on sale. The box, however, was partially open and when I removed the oven we found that the top was badly scratched. So... back to the store it went. I'm still pushing for her to spend a little more money and avoid the bargain stuff. This is just another example of "you get what you pay for."   On another note, Anne saw her back doctor today and her gave he an injection. Then, as she was leaving he came up to her and said that she'd been given the WRONG shot! It seems that the nurse had mis-marked her chart and, after "treating" her, THEN he went and looked at the information from her previous visit. Good one, doc! What are you going to do for the next patient? Pelvic exam for Mr. Johnson?   Well, to make a long story short, the doctor gave her the correct injection and her back is pain free now. Although she did have a numb leg for a while after treatment, she's now shaking her booty like my girlfriend does! I love happy endings.   After dinner we took a short nap and then I went over to Walt's. He has a new HP 8500mfp and needed help getting it set up on his router. While I was there he told me, "You know how the French language sounds so romantic? And German sounds like their giving orders? When you speak Italian it always sounds like an argument!" (Walt is Italian) He's got a lot funny stories to tell; and he should... he's nearly 80 years old! Hahaha...   Bless you many, many times over. Don and Anne       ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Catch you up

 Sorry about the missing days. I've been having some back pain and going to bed early.

 Anne has been to the hospital the past two Mondays for her all-day infusion with radiation. The other days, she takes herself to the radiation treatments. The only side-effect so far is fatigue. She feels bad about not being able to do all the things she used to, but this will all be over in a couple of months. Then it will be past us and we can get back to living large!

 John and Jannie's visit was highly enjoyable. Lady loved the company nearly as much as we did. Apparently, there's either a contest to see who can spoil her the most or some conspiracy to make her an official Wick sibling! If this continues, we may never be able to train her as the killer guard dog we'd hoped for. Hahaha...

 On Monday we all visited Anne in her room at Renown, mid-day. After work I went by again and, after a few hours of chatting, John, Jannie and I went to El Rincon Salvadoreno Restaurant where we had a very nice meal. We ordered a couple of side dishes, papusas and something else (sorry, "old-timer's"), for appetizers before the main course.

 Then I had the Chile Relleno and John shared some Chile Verde with Jannie. The Chile Verde had the largest chunks of pork I'd ever seen in it. Usually it's made with shredded pork, but these were 1-1.5" cubes and covered about 1/3 of the plate! The waitress offered to bring us some in-house salsa that was very good and we ate most of it by the time we were done.

Tuesday morning seemed to come too soon and I headed to work while John and Jannie packed for the trip home. They went by to see Anne and gave her a ride home before heading out. I swear, when I got home yesterday Lady was disappointed that I was alone. She'd gotten as attached to John and Jannie as she did to Jim and Bob when they were here. I can't wait to see the look on her face when Cheeze and Dan show up this Saturday. Let the spoilin' begin!

 Alas, the season is over for Logan's soccer team. It was a very disappointing loss tonight. After such a brilliant season, it was disheartening to see those boys that had done so well get shut out in the end. We're looking forward to next year when they'll have a bit more stamina and be able to carry their winnings into the championships! Go Bombers!

 Justus is still doing his best to get back up to his old self. He felt well enough today to have practice with the Water Warriors, James' soccer team. Although, when you see him on the sidelines or talk to him on the phone, it's obvious that something just isn't right. So, keep sending him your prayers and best wishes for a speedy recovery!

 Love the one you're with and don't let a day go by without saying "I love you!"
Don and Anne

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Yowza!

It's getting to be "The Jetsons" era. Next, I want my car to fly!

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Google is testing cars that drive themselves

(Mashable) -- Google announced Sunday that it has developed cars that drive themselves automatically in traffic, and that it has been testing them on the streets of California for months. It might seem like an unusual project for Google, but it could actually have big benefits.

We're not just talking about cars running Google Android. This is the stuff of science fiction. The only accident that has occurred so far: One of the cars was rear-ended by a driver at a stop light. Human error!

The vehicles have been tested on 140,000 miles of California road, from Silicon Valley to Santa Monica. Read more at www.cnn.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/cd9l

They're here! (two)

  After a hearty breakfast of waffles, Anne and I headed over to watch Logan's team play soccer in the play-offs. Then home for a quick snack and out again to see james' team play. Unfortunately, both teams were sacked. Anne and I are both very upset by this, especially for Logan's team. As you know, except for a single game, they were undefeated the entire regular season!   Justus coached james' team and couldn't move around very well. It was very obvious that he is not 100% yet, but he loves his team so much that wild horses couldn't keep him from the game!   While at home between games, the text messages started coming in from John and Jannie. They'd arrived in L.A. and needed our address for the GPS. I texted back and also suggested they stop in Bishop for a little something to eat, as it's about half way. We love eating at Jack's and often stop at Schatt's Bakery for something sweet.   Then it was off to Dave's house to troubleshoot his son's computer. The machine was donated to them by a previous employer and it seems that they couldn't get past the Administrator's login. Using several of my best kung-fu moves I finally identified the culprit: the hard disk drive had a bad sector right in the middle of Windows!   I headed home to Anne and helped her put some Halloween things up around the house. Then John and Jannie texted that they were in Gardnerville. I warned them about the proliferation of officers between Carson City and Reno attempting to raise money for the state's coffers, and warned them about the construction they were heading about to encounter. Meanwhile, Anne put the Beer Bread into the oven for their arrival. (Beer Bread and Tzatziki recipes were both provided by Jim)   We started watching the 25th anniversay of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame concerts on DVD. These have just come out and anyone interested in popular music is encouraged to see them. About 45 minutes into the video I texted John and Jannie to watch for the new US395-to-I80 ramp. This, I was told later, arrived just in time.   Shortly thereafter, we received a knock on the door and they were both standing on our porch! Weary from the drive, we fed them ("I learned that when people travel they get dehydrated so you feed them soup" Anne said), chatted a bit, then got out the hide-away and let them get some shut-eye (which is what I intend to do next).   Be thankful for family and friends in your life, Don and Anne     ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Week one

 Anne has made it through her first week of radiation therapy with nary a problem. Getting up at 6am and scooting out the door on time has been the second biggest challenge. The first being the traffic at that hour! Little did I know how many jerks were on the road until getting the reports from Anne.
 After her morning round today, she came home for a nap and then on to Costco for some "light" shopping. I use the word "light" with caution for, as most of you know, Costco isn't known for selling anything light! But, she did well and made it out with only $100 worth of stuff. LOL.
 Once at home, she fired up the computer and got Jane and Jim on Skype. They chatted a while until I arrived and we had to leave to catch Logan's  soccer game. This one was a make-up for the Wednesday game that had been cancelled because of the threat of thunderstorms.
 The game was very exciting, as they were pitched against a formidable team. Justus said that he'd seen them practice and their coach was putting them through some heavy drills. The advanced concepts that he'd bee teaching them were paying off on the field and they scored several unanswered goals on our boys.
 Not to worry, though. The system AYSO uses assigns points to each team for the games played and rankings are evaluated after three games. Since this was the first playoff game, there are two more contests to go before we'll know where we stand. I'm confident they'll overcome this set back, because there was only only one team that beat them in regular season. It just happened to be the first team they faced in tournament! But, it ain't over until it's over.
 After the game I took Anne out for Chinese at a local restaurant that I'd not been to in a while. The decor had changed so radically that I asked the host if the place was under new management! It was  beautiful inside, with huge jade dragons and large glass murals. They'd sunk a lot of money into the place since I'd been there last.
 I order my usual, vegetable Mu Shu; Anne ordered the Szechuan eggplant. I had to have a glass of plumb wine with dinner, but Anne refrained because of her chemo. This is the only time we have this sticky-sweet nectar and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Dinner was delicious and the plumb sauce was perfect, although there could have been mushrooms in the MuShu.
 John and Jannie arrive tomorrow and will probably be tired. They are flying into L.A. and renting a car drive up here. We're not planning anything special for tomorrow, but hope to have Justus , Heather and the boys over for dinner on Sunday. We sure love having the house full of family! Especially since Anne's cancer. It's great for the love and support, really lifting her spirits in a way that buoys her up for weeks afterwards.
 Share your preciousness with those you love and let them know you care,
Don and Anne

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

I really wish EVERY woman would read this!

The main take-away on this is that men are not women. Men come to conclusions by a process of eliminating the most unlikely answers. Not by picking up on some subtle body language. Words matter to a man; emotion only keys up his fight/flight instinct!

Amplify’d from lifestyle.msn.com

The Six Worst Things You Can Say to a Guy

Insulting his mom or screaming out the name of an ex in the heat of the moment? Yeah, those are bad. But the most damaging mistake you can make is to continuously drop loaded phrases that you don't even realize are harmful.

1. "You're so much better than all the other jerks I've dated."

2. "Can you really afford that?''

3. "So we're running a little late. Relax."Read more at lifestyle.msn.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/c3ot

interest

  Well, it seems that there's a bit of interest in toaster ovens! A few people wrote back with their experiences (all good) with GE, Hamilton Beach, and Black & Decker units. One person said that price doesn't necessarily equal value, which is basically true. All manufacturers have some lemons. But my thinking is that you get what you pay for. The one that costs $100 is most likely going to outlast the one that costs $40, given the same circumstances.   All of this may be moot because, as I told one respondent, Anne will buy what she wants regardless of what I say (LOL) and I support her in doing so. I just want her to make the decision based on quality of the item. I've told her "You're worth it" for so long that it's become a little inside joke with us!   I'll let you know what she gets (and what we do with it) as soon as she brings one home. Until then, keep on loving your loved ones and telling your friends that they're special to you!   Don and Anne     ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Correction

  Anne informs me that she didn't actually sleep all afternoon yesterday. She watered plants, washed some clothes, and a few other errands before taking a nap.   We regret the error.     But, toDAY was completely different! Rising at 6am to get ready for her 7:45 radiation treatment really threw a monkey wrench into our morning routine. I'd have thought that at that hour of the morning the traffic would be fairly light, but she tells me that she barely made her appointment on time.   Afterwards, she went by the Target pharmacy, but they weren't open yet. So, she looked around the store and decided that we need a toaster oven. Since she wasn't sure which model to buy, she didn't purchase one on the spot.   Later we checked the Consumer Reports magazine that had just come the other day and listed the best products of the year. I'd prefer to get a Cuisinart, which lists at $180, thinking that the extra money will get a product that lasts. She prefers to keep the cost down and wants one of the units at Target for $40. As always, I'm of the mind that she's worth the extra money!   If you have any experience with Toaster Ovens, please let us know. Good or bad, all input is welcome. (and needed!)   <insert nap time here>   This evening the threat of thunder showers resulted in Logan's soccer game being cancelled. We were very disappointed. Especially since his team is in the play-offs! I'm sure they'll make it up later, but we had the umbrella and chairs all ready to go.   Be here now; stay focused on what matters, Don and Anne     ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Smoothly sailing into the future

  Anne came home this morning at 11:00. I picked her up and brought her home, fixed some lunch and answered the doorbell. (?) Yes, apparently Anne had visitors scheduled for noon(!) and the guys from Windows World were here to measure windows, for replacement.   We've already replaced about half of the windows in the house with better insulating types and WW is offering a new window with each 6 you purchase AND interest free loans! So, we're going to finish the house while we can still get the rebate on our taxes.   While I went back to work, Anne spent the rest of the day catching up on her sleep. With Lady curled up in her preferred position, cuddled up right behind her knees, she was still sleeping when I got home!   We enjoyed the rest of the evening just lounging around and enjoying having Anne back home.   No movie tonight; Anne watched her favorite TV shows while up updated my Google Docs shared Blues folder.   Relax and enjoy your life and loved ones, Don and Anne     ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

Lonely days and lonely nights...

 Well, just tonight for now. Others to follow, though. I took Anne and checked her into the hospital this morning. They were VERY glad to see that she had PICC lines, as that made their job much easier. (it doesn't take much to please the staff at Renown! Hahaha...)
 They'd run the most part of a large bag of saline by the time I'd gone by for lunch. Anne had lasagna and I ate my PBJ. Shortly after I'd returned to work they started another saline just before the Radiation tech came to get her.
 I asked whether the "Tomo" machine moved around while running or if she did (it's a "3-D" type of radiation machine). She said that she didn't move, but couldn't tell if the machine did as it was totally enclosed and she laid inside it like a PeT scan. She did say that it made a lot of noise, though!
 The tech asked her if she had any problems getting into one of these things and she listed all the other machines that she'd been into for her tumor without any trouble. I think he was duly impressed! I had some trouble with an MRI machine, but that was because of hydrocodone-induced panic attacks. Anne simply took them in stride.
 After returning to her room, they started the chemo treatment and followed that up with another saline. I went by after work and took my classical guitar. She had a semi-dry pasta with mushroom sauce and I brought the leftovers from Olive Garden. Her dinner was very bland so I shared mine with her.
 Then I pulled out the guitar and a binder of acoustic music and began serenading her while she was in the bathroom! Once she came out we spent a couple of hours singing songs together between interruptions with IV changes.
 Tomorrow she should be released just before lunch and I'll pick her up and take her home. There don't seem to be any side effects from this treatment and Anne plans to drive herself to the rest of the radiation treatments.
 Turn on your love light and let it shine,
Don and Anne

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

On in; one out

  Anne went to St. Mary's to hang around until the doctor came by to see him. Meanwhile, since getting released is such an extended process, I stayed home and set up for the the jam.

Fortunately, Justus was released today!
Unfortunately, only Walter showed up for music. :(

Read more at: http://dpeer2000.blogspot.com/

 

Posted via email from Don Peer

One in; one out

Anne went to St. Mary's to hang around until the doctor came by to see him. Meanwhile, since getting released is such an extended process, I stayed home and set up for the the jam.


Fortunately, Justus was released today!

Unfortunately, only Walter showed up for music. :(

We had some fun and he showed me how to play taps on the harmonica. Then I put things away and called Anne to see if she needed any help. They were hearly finished checking out (3:20pm) and she wanted show times. Pulling up Fandango I found we had nearly an hour before the next showing.

When she and Justus arrived, Jim and Bob had just Skyped in. So, I sat Justus down in front of the computer while Anne and I packed a couple of drinks and some candy for the movie. They kept it short, knowing that we needed to head out and off we went to see "Money Never Sleeps", the sequel to Wall Street w/ Michael Douglas. Boy, was it good. Justus liked it so much that he commented later it had taken his mind completely off things! Can't get a better recommendation than that.

After the movie, we returned back to the house where Anne and I gave Justus his birthday presents. Mostly, though, everyone was just glad that he didn't have to spend his b-day in the hospital. Especially with his family out of town, also.

Tomorrow morning Anne checks into the hospital for her 24-hour stay. They'll be giving her the new chemo treatment while making sure that she's well hydrated. Then on Tuesday they'll take her for the radiation treatment. Afterwards, I'll pick her up and take her home where she'll probably want to catch up on her sleep. As Justus informed us, it's so noisy all the time that it's hard to get any shut-eye!

Love to you,

Don and Anne

... and the beat goes on

  We spent most of the day at St. Mary's with Justus. I left for a bit to cover for Heather at James' soccer game. One of the parents stood in as coach for Justus and did a fairly good job. She rotated the players throughout the game and didn't show any favoritism. In fact, it wasn't until about half way through the fourth quarter that I figured out which kid was hers!

  When I got back to the hospital, I gave Justus the Nikon D50 Heather had loaned so that he could see shots of the game and took Anne to lunch. It was after 2:00 and she'd not eaten since 9:00, so I needed to get her fed before her sugar levels got "whack" and made her grumpy!

  After lunch, Anne went home for a nap while Justus and I watched TV. Then, about 4:00, the nurses came and said that the section Justus was in is being closed. It's, apparently, an over-flow wing that they open when extra beds are needed. Taking advantage of the situation, Justus requested a room with a view!

  After checking a couple of them in the new wing, he was placed in a room approximately half-again as large with an East-facing window that looked out over some trees, grass and bushes! I called Anne with an update as the staff got Justus settled into his new digs. Shortly thereafter Anne arrived joined us for some cable TV time.

  Along about 8:00 we headed home for dinner, leaving Justus to catch up on his sleep and healing. The new staff was on top of things and it had rained outside, giving things that "fresh" smell. A good end to a good day.

  Keep Anne and Justus in your prayers,
Don and Anne

 

 

---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer

One extreme or the other

  Anne has been spending her days at the hospital with Justus. Heather and the boys are not due back until Sunday, I believe. Originally, his doctor had said that he should be released on Saturday. But this has changed.   Thursday night was pretty rough for him. He couldn't sleep all night and, then, this morning he was nauseaus and vomiting. He still doesn't have the strength to walk the halls unaided and that is a major stumbling block. They will not even consider releasing him until he's ambulatory.   Today, they changed his pain medication from morphine to dilaudid (with a control button for him) and took him off of solid food and back onto liquid diet. The nurse, who was very attentive, told Anne and I that they believe he'd been moved to solids too soon.   Needless to say, he's very disappointed that he's not going to be able to coach James' soccor game on Saturday (tomorrow). One of the parents has stepped up to fill in and I promised to be the substitute photographer for Heather, though. So, I think we've got it covered.   Anne got some interesting news from the doctor's office today. They are going to check her into the hospital on Monday morning and keep her for 24-hours while they hydrate her and give her the new chemo treatment. Then, on Tuesday morning she'll go to receive her radiation treatment. This will be followed by four more days of radiation only and repeated every week.   The new schedule is mostly upsetting to her because of tour planned visitors. However, she assures me that she's going to have the schedule shifted to make sure that she's free while family is in town.   Double up on your prayers! "I need more power, Scotty!" LOL   Bless you & yours for a happy, healthy life. Don and Anne   ---
Love is the music of life;
Compassion is its melody.
  - Don Peer ( o)==#

Posted via email from Don Peer