Don't Let It Bring You Down

I will have to admonish myself early here, as sometimes I share too much.   A little later in the blog I will show some current pictures...   This entry could have come straight from a Three Stooges episode.
I know most people are readying for Halloween, some eschew this made up almost-holiday.   For the third year in a row we won't have our outside light on, and no candy given out.   I don't dislike the neighborhood or bussed in kids, we will be missing the Halloween fun since I will be having dental work done for somewhere near six hours on October 31.   Two crowns, and four other fillings all in one fell swoop.   I visited the dentist a little bit back and discovered in six short months I developed a lot of decay probably due to the lack of saliva or dry mouth.   One of the side effects of graft vs. host disease and Leukemia.   Yvonne will be with me to drive me home as I will be partially sedated.  
And then...
I am one of the clumsiest people I know, this week alone I ripped skin open three times, two on my right leg and one on my right arm.   Every time I bump into something, the skin tears.   We've had some plumbing problems and decided while we are fixing that, let's finish the master bath remodel.   We have most of the stuff ordered, sinks, a new vanity, tile, and faucets.   Today we started to demolish the old vanity.   Then oops! I break a water valve while hammering a stubborn old vanity piece, rip open another piece of skin on my left arm and I forgot to shut the water off at the street.   I created quite a flood in our upstairs, the water made its way down through several weak spots in our first floor ceiling and it took me two minutes to shut the water off (couldn't find the right kind of wrench!)   I am glad I was not caught on video, I fell while running outside in my already soaked clothing, luckily it was in the grass and no more ripped skin!   After all the calamity, I had to play an ode to Neil Young and his melancholy Don't Let It Bring You Down.  Neil's song couldn't come at a better time.   Neil wrote "Don't" in or around 1970 while he was also a member of the CSNY super group.   It was on the After The Gold Rush album, staying pretty obscure to almost anyone who is not a fan of Neil. 
Today's message is simple- we all face setbacks.   Most of us continue to forge ahead.   If I can't swim I ride a stationary bike.   If that doesn't work I walk more.   In my case taping my arms is the next step before I do any potentially dangerous work. 

Today's rip

 My blood clots seem to have improved to the point that I almost don't notice anything wrong.   Other than some stressful times I am AOK.   So please keep at whatever you are doing, give it your all.   Live Happy! 
 

One Step Beyond

It is time to teach some people how to dance.   I don't know if you the reader are one of those people, I know I sure could use some help.   Thanks to Carol who reminded me that I like Ska music, I was reminded that during the late 70's and early 80's the post punk crowd was heavily into Ska.   A style of music first brewed in Jamaica in the 1950's.    Reggae actually came from Ska, then went on it's own.   Ska was reborn a few times since the 1950's but generally kept the danceable aspects all along.   The attached video might make you laugh instead of dance, and it might frighten those easily scared during our Halloween time.   I chose One Step Beyond from Madness as my title today since it made me want to walk more, dance, or just get moving.   I seem to be in a good remission now, my blood clot issue is also improving so I can exercise more, eat more, and enjoy life more.   With every positive there is a step back or two.   This time it is my very thin skin, and me running into things ripping the skin open.   I always have an open sore or bleeding that won't stop.   Then to top it all off our bathroom plumbing sprung a leak, Sadie developed an infection, and I need dental work (no dental insurance, dooh!)   We were planning a trip to Boston that has to be delayed again to get these expenses covered... I am not complaining, we can eat rice and potatoes for awhile. :)   Sadie is on the mend, the plumber sent us the bill, and payday is just around the corner.   My health insurance is actually going down next year almost $80 a month since the County switched from Aetna to Regence.   Good and not so good news abounds!  Please enjoy the video, and live happy.

Your Mother Should Know

Shopping in the scooter at home depot

I am still alive and kicking, just took a little break in the sun for a week to rest and recuperate.   Just before we left, my condition from the blood clots was making life a little harder to get around, so I was taking advantage of scooters, and Yvonne bought me a cane.  Yvonne and I had a airplane credit from a canceled trip to San Diego that we had to use up- Arizona and sun sounded good so we went to Tucson this past week.   Thanks to my son Andrew who works for Starwood Corp, we got a great deal at the Westin La Paloma, a very nice resort.   I am back in gray Washington now, 49 degrees today.   It was 103 when we left Tucson.  

View from the outside dining area

Thanks to Hank, I tried and fell in love with green corn tamales, and had some good relaxation time in Tucson- we were able to swim in the sun at the Westin's country club lap pool, and I spent some serious time relaxing.   We walked Sadie today for two plus miles, which is a lot longer than I have been able to do during the past two months.   I am very hopeful that my Doctor visit on Tuesday will be a good one.   My sister Cathy had a birthday this past week, turning 53.   She is living with ALS as best she can, has a lot of faith and can always use some prayers. 

The Beatles and their handlers made the Magical Mystery Tour  movie and album from Paul's idea to follow up Sgt. Pepper's.   Paul wrote most of the new songs, the U.S. album also included singles like Strawberry Fields Forever, Hello Goodbye, and Penny Lane.   I get a kick out of the segment when they are all in white tuxedos and dancing down the stairs trying to act like older song and dance men.   The video also goes into Magical Mystery Tour as the movie finishes.   There is no real message in the song, just like my recent sojourn.  Like Paul said,   "Let's all get up and dance to a song that was a hit before your mother was born."

Everybody Loves Somebody

Greg/Yvonne Grand Canyon 2007

Today is my anniversary of sorts.   I really try to avoid "I" as much as possible when I blog, but will be using it today as this is my second anniversary of being diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.   Anniversaries don't necessarily elicit songs like birthdays, so looking around the jukebox I chose a happy song made famous by Dean Martin.   Once recorded by Frank Sinatra, and others, written in 1947, Dean made E.L.S. his own standard in 1964.   The clip shows Dean in his normal early 60's fashion, drink in hand making nice with the crowd, then crooning.   I happen to be watching our president say that the "occupy wall street" people are representing the American people's frustrations and he basically supports their movement.   Oh my God!   It's bad enough that there is a class war, now the commander in chief legitimizes and supports income redistribution and anarchy...   O.K., back to my anniversary.   Two years after the diagnosis I am still kicking.   I was fortunate to find a willing Donor (Edie) who sacrificed for me in May of 2010, sooner than most patients and now I am coming up to survivability odds that were not very good.   I plan on exceeding those odds by as much as I can.    This 2nd anniversary makes me more determined to keep at this fight while I comment and become more controversial.   Like Dean Martin with his drink in hand, being real is a lot more fun than the opposite.   I really appreciate my family- especially Yvonne and the love and support from all.  Edie's selfless donation, her and her family's support have also been extremely important.  The prayers and kind words from everyone keeps me going even when it is tough, Yvonne and I are blessed for sure.   I am continuing to improve from the blood clot issues, I swam two times this week, very slowly.   We might hit the sun for a week's R&R to continue our improvement too.   I sincerely hope that the future is bright for everyone out there, even the protesters who want someone else to pay their way.   Live Happy-


           

  Dean Martin-Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.