Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day




Hi VP's...Happy VD!!! That's Valentine's Day...get your heads out of the gutter. Brenda and I hope you all had a wonderful day full of warmth and love with your special someone, or your extended family, or your friends, or your dogs or cats...or ALL of the above! We took Mom to lunch and, because of the weather...we ate OUTSIDE! Sorry easterners! Then we went to the movies (one of our favorite past times ) and saw "Crazy Heart" with Jeff Bridges. It was slow, but Jeff played a really good drunk country singer. He actually has a pretty good voice!

So we've heard that a lot of you have really been getting hit hard by the winter snow storms...I've read that many cities have experienced over 3 times the usual snowfall. Michele...we laughed and laughed about your battle with the snow plow driver. Yes, it is exercise, but I'd rather go to the gym where it's warm.

We've heard so much about the horrible, snowy, cold, weather back east that we thought we would give you a visual tribute, Arizona style, of your winter situation. We feel your pain!!! Actually...we DON'T. It was sunny and 75 today! We thought you'd get a chuckle out of this picture.

All continues on track here in the Mesa-hood. Brenda has good days when she can get a good amount of sleep...quality sleep. Not the kind where you wake up every hour or so. She's working on some quilting projects and continues to work on real estate dreams of buying a cabin on a beautiful large wooded lot up in the White Mountains with our buddy Toni, our resident real estate expert. We do have a cabin up in Strawberry, about 2 hours from our home, but we'd like to sell that and find our dream vacation home and property in Pinetop-Lakeside. It doesn't cost anything to search and dream.

I seem to be going through a mid-life crisis...many of you will think I'm going through a lot more after looking at the pictures we put together today. My brother-in-law planted a seed in my brain and now we're searching for a decent 1966 to 1972, or maybe later, Triumph Spitfire for us to finish restoring. I have a long history with that type car. It was my first car back in 1967 and I drove that little thing for 10 years until it literally fell apart! Now I'm trying to reclaim my youth!! Ha! I'll keep you posted. I nearly had one on eBay but I was outbid. Poop! Well, Mark my word...I'll find one. Like I said...It doesn't cost anything to look and dream.

So folks that brings you up to date for this beautiful Valentine's Day. Bren goes to the ENT tomorrow for a check-up, she continues to work with out trainer on her rehabilitation, and next Tuesday she has chemo #3 and the half way mark will be met. YEA!

Stay warm out there...happy shoveling! OUCH!
Dee and Brenda

6 comments:

  1. Well it was not quite that warm up here in the mountains of Payson but we have been close to 60 degrees most of this last week.

    Wishing you both a great and happy Valentines Day and lots of good wishes for the upcoming appointments and half way mark on the final chemo regiment!

    Thanks for all the entertaining pictures... and sending lots of Love, Hugs and Blessings
    Cathie & Evelyn

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  2. Not fair, not fair at all. What were you thinking sending photos like that to us snow bunnies??? There are so many things wrong with that action. There is one significant observation to which I take issue - what's with the brown themed outfit and black boots? I think that is a fashion faux pax, you need brown boots. Actually I'm not sure if it is a fashion no no, but it is fashion week here in NYC so I felt compelled to respond with the miniscule knowledge I learned watching the fashion shows. Perhaps I should pay more attention.
    What made me laugh out loud over these photos was the fact that I know this is the front of your home. I can see your neighbors laughing while you were "shoveling sunshine". Perhaps you are right, it is not a midlife crisis but rather a new way to look at life, one where you find the humor in everything and don't give a rat's pa toot about what others think.
    Glad to hear my snow ballet with the plow driver gave you a chuckle. Looking back now, I can hear him telling the same story to his friends. I am sure his rendition will be a bit different. I just pray he does not have me in a tutu - arrrgh.
    Karen and I spent the weekend preparing for the Amazon Riverboat trip. We leave on Friday the 19th. We have our shots all complete; malaria pills ready to take starting Thursday; tourist visa secured and as of yesterday, travel clothes sprayed with mosquito repellent. Sounds sexy right? I tried to get a Valentine's Day card to memorialize the event, but they don't sell cards that specific.
    I am not sure what I was thinking signing up for this trip since I have such an aversion to bugs and all things smaller then an elephant. I am hopeful the, shall we say wildlife encounters, are few to none and only in the environs where we expect to see them. I am not big on the element of surprise either - shocking I know. On a positive note - I am not at all fearful of a cottonball :)
    It will be nice to get away and share a week with friends. I will miss you both but know that my meditation beads are with me. This way I can take you on the entire adventure. I'll share photos when we see each other again but hopefully the beads will work to give you the feeling of being there. If they don't work for that, then Karen can use them to smack the crap out of anything that scares me during the hikes.
    We will call you this week before we leave.
    Brenda in the last round of photos, the one before Dee totally lost her mind, you looked great. Your smile seems to be getting broader which tells me some of the muscles are starting to cooperate again. I hope so. I am sure I can speak for all of the people we know in the 49 states and the District of Columbia that have snow on the ground when I say we cannot wait to hear your soft demure laughter booming through the restaurant on a trip - in the near term. Keep keeping on you are absolutely amazing.
    Love you guys

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  3. You can't fool me, those are cowboy boots, not snow boots, and thats not a snow shovel either. We are going to get 6-8 more inches of the white stuff tonight.

    Vicky

    PS I would like to have that hat , though.

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  4. Peeker Peeker Peeker,,,,,,you just kill me......Love the outfit!!! Such good humor you are giving my Sis. No wonder she loves you, keep it up !!! Anything you can do to stretch those smile muscles is just what she needs :) Wow such nice weather you are having for sure. We don't have the snow just gloomy gray cloud cover with the sun peeking out once in awhile. But spring is around the corner and softball season is about to start WUHOO!! Brenda can relate to that time of year, right Sis? Was nice talking to you Bren, always makes my day and of course lots of laughs. Wishing you another great #3 chemo day with no problems. We will be thinking of ya and will watch for my next call after haha... Love that :)

    Michele and Karen have a wonderful trip, will be fun to see the pics. Will travel with you gals again one day. Need to size up another Sue size 9 LOL

    Vic maybe Dee had too many of your "special" brownies to wear that "get up" and shovel sunshine with yes you called it a poop shovel!!! Notice even how CLEAN that poop shovel is.....it's Dee's hahaha

    Love you all!
    Love you Sis!!!!
    Rhonda

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  5. Hey Brendita & Dee:

    Well, I've just completed my marathon update on the blog site. Something about being employed full-time and going to school full-time doesn't leave a lot of time for perusing the web (unless we're talking research. uggggh)... I loved the cotton ball cut. And, had I known the fear of cotton balls all those years ago, there would have been some creative gift for her at the PD. Ha ha. Glad you had beautiful holidays with family and friends. When will the chemo be done? I would love to stop out in Mesa one of these days, but need to know when it would be a convenient time for all of you. . .

    CPS, and the mindset of many of the parents/families is enough to make me wonder why I chose Social Work. We are short on resources and staffing, so the days are long and stress-filled. Nothing better than getting a lecture from your ASU instructor when you show up exhausted, after being held-over and are asked, "Where have you been?" as if you are ten years old or were just out at happy hour instead of coming to class on time. Boy, I wish. :)

    Anyway, just wanted to send you a note to let you know that I was thinking of you this week and wondering how my friend Brenda is doing. From the looks of the taxes picture, I can say she's a trooper. . . that ALONE, would be enough to bring one to tears. But I'm still hearing laughter. God is good! Prayers for continued strength and good health! Love you!!

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  6. Hi Rosie,
    Dee hasn't updated the blog because she has a new obsession, a 1977 Triumph Spitfire. The is a collectable vehicle and I am amazed at what she is doing on this vehicle. She and our friend Julie replaced the gas tank and now she wants Julie to help her with other things on this vehicle. I call it an adult tinker toy. She is having so much fun and quite honestly it is nice that she doesn't have to think about cancer all of the time. She swears that she will update it tomorrow during my chemo infusion. I have infusion #4 tomorrow. I have 2 more infusions that will commence April 27th.

    I resigned my position at ASU effective April 6th because that's all the university allows for time off. I am way too fatigued to work right now and with 2 more chemos on board there was no way to make that deadline. So I will be officially done with law enforcement and am moving on with my healing and thinking about my counseling practice in the future.

    I remember the days working with CPS on child abuse cases and know that they were grossly understaffed 15 years ago. Some things never change. The pay wasn't that great for the workers either so they had to do the job for the love of the kids. Good for you for pursuing your masters!!

    I generally sleep until 0930 or so. Some days are longer depending upon where I am in the chemo cycle. I am generally good until 8-9pm. I am doing PT and getting my neck worked on to build range of motion 3 times per week around the noon-1 hour. I have some doctors appointments interspersed but for the most part I am home by 4 each day.

    I remember grad school and having my face buried in books and the library. My hats off to you! Give me a call in about a week if you check this message or give me a week. The chemo zaps my energy for about a week before I start coming up. The best week is the 2nd to 3rd week after chemo.

    That instructor should be glad that he has someone with drive. You can't buy that in today's workforce. Keep at the grind and it will all pay off!! You go girl!!

    love,
    Brenda

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