Monday, February 29, 2016

Without fanfare and with little ceremony

Yesterday was not an uncommon day in the Upper Valley. The sun shone brightly, the wind blew with a vengeance and it rained, all at once.

I had been waiting for the perfect day, but perfect days don’t always come. I had wanted one of those blizzards when tree limbs crash to the virgin white ground and the world is silent and full of hope. Rereading that last sentence, I understand why perfect days don’t come. Sometimes our visions of ideal aren’t realistic; they will never materialize. So we move on and do what must be done.

I spread the ashes of Hazel and Claude and Ralph and Trixie and Tillie to the wind. For the dogs, this was their home. It is what they knew. They had to remain and be part of the world that they created. Tillie just went along for a ride with the big boys.

Over two decades of joy and happiness, of love and pain tossed to the gusts. They will be forever in my heart, but come on; it was time they got off the kitchen shelf.

If this don't scare the peewadens out of you


Nothing will!!!

Saturday, February 27, 2016

A rambling message

It hasn’t been a bad day. Actually ran into Hood River and did some errands… a number of errands. It was a full morning.

I came home and took all my new meds.  Can you spell “wasted”? I guess they are sending me back into the Paleolithic stage of my existence. Wow, this is cool!

And I got a letter from Social Security. I am medically cleared, with a retro date of 9/3/14. Soon I will be rich!

I qualify for “Compassionate Allowance”. They won’t dawdle. Playing the “Cancer” card to the max!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Oh, oh, oh

And I forgot to mention.

I had my caudal injection a week ago and I think it is helping. Could just be my wild imagination, but I really think I am getting around better. It ain’t perfect, but hey, at this point I will take what I can get!

The day after the day before

All in all, it isn’t too bad. One of the side effects of one of the drugs that I take to take care of the side effects of chemo is that I get wired. So although I am tired as hell, I can’t sleep.  None of the horrible side effects of chemo have kicked in, so I slowly get some things done! I am really pretty okay.

I am taking it easy today, because I want to go out tomorrow and have lunch with friends. And do some other errands while I am out. Hopefully, I will feet up to it and not overdo it. Keep some strength for when it all hits.

And Tommy seems better. He is to the point of being obnoxious again. I am happy, in my own strange way!

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Tomorrow is my second chemo treatment.

I feel like a convict being sentenced to jail; a common criminal being forced to pay for his crimes. The cold permeating my bones; the unbreakable exhaustion; the heinous sores on my lips, in my mouth and down my throat; the rash covering my torso and the itch that can’t be scratched: these are the joys to come. Throw in some delightful nausea and you know it’s going to be such fun.

And I have this morbid fear that I have been lied to. There was excess hair in the bottom of the tub when I showered and when I combed my moustache, too many hairs fell to the counter top. Cursed is the poison that takes my pride.

Fuck, I don’t want to lose my hair again. I don’t look good bald!

Monday, February 22, 2016

Another morning in paradise


Actually, the colors were much more beautiful than they appear. My photography skills rank right up there with my singing skills, obviously.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Junior is so proud!


Took him into Odell with his new plates. He had this cheesy grin from ear to ear as he strutted into town. 

Friday, February 19, 2016

At long last


The license plates have arrived. Junior is legal at last!

Thursday, February 18, 2016

I sit

With a candle lit and tears streaking down my face.

Two years and it feels like yesterday.

I still love you, Richard.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Some old photos I like




And yes, I had some 'splainin' to do when Max and Tom saw the first picture.

I discovered the most fascinating article on the internet.

It was an article written by Lord Monckton defending "... a courageous coucillor (Rosalie Crestani) of the City of Casey, a leafy suburb of the Melbourne megalopolis..."

And I quote:
"Official survey after official survey had shown that homosexuals had an average of 500-1,000 partners in their sexually active lifetime, and that some had as many as 20,000."

 "...and for the consequently short, miserable lives..."

Obviously, I have chosen just a small amount of the article to comment on, and it could be argued that I have taken them out of context. You can read the entire article at http://www.wnd.com/2014/11/calling-the-non-heterosexuals-bluff/#WRLHdPvb9SKM7bf8.99, and then decide for yourself.

But really, I just want to comment on the math. Okay, if you start having sex at 12 (it happens, just not to me) and you have a different sex partner every day of the year, you celebrate you 20,000th partner somewhere in your 76th year of life. Keep in mind that you would have to double up on some days to cover holidays, sick days, etc… And how can you really be sure that you haven’t done this dude before, and as such he doesn’t count toward your 20,000 quota?

Wow, you’re 76 years old and having sex with a different partner every day. Your dick is worn to a nubbins, your eyes are crossed, you drool incessantly and you are amazing! You are a total stud! I am in awe. Can I give you my home number?

You certainly can’t say that 76 is a long life, but calling it “short” is somewhat misleading. I have no plans for my 76th birthday, so from this angle it looks like an amply sufficient life span.

And “miserable”? Oh lord, give me such misery!!!

I think this just goes to show that if you believe everything you read on the internet, you will become insanely jealous of some senior stud and strive to be more like him!

Hey, good chatting, but I have to run. I need to find my sex partner for the day, and that ain’t gonna be no easy task!

Monday, February 15, 2016

My humor may be returning.


I laughed until I cried when I saw this!!!

Oh, and happy day-after your 157th birthday, dear Oregon!!!

Monday, February 8, 2016

Just a hint for those of you who are not as medically inclined as I


If you are concerned about having a fever, do not take you temperature immediately after a sip of hot tea. You will just freak yourself out.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Found this old picture in the kitchen

Lord only know what it was doing there, but guess it wanted to be shared.


 A picture of three generations. Grandmother Sarah Emily McNeal Newell, son-in-law, Ira Beam McCracken and granddaughter, Juanita McCracken.

Juanita was my mother, extrapolate your own relation!


Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Home, safe and sound

Chemo is done for the day. Nothing much to report other than my CT scan came back clear!!!

YEE-HAW!!!


Just a shot of Paige and I having fun at the infusion center in Portland!

Here we go again!

Before I get carried away, I would like to wish a Happy Birthday to my oldest niece, Julie (who is still a punk kid by my standards) and my sister-in-law, Marianne. Hope you both have a great day.

And as for me, I head back to Portland to start chemotherapy. It is fairly benevolent: four or five hours per session, but only four sessions separated by 3 weeks. The drugs, Carboplatin and Pemetrexed are supposed to be easier to handle than the horrible drugs I took last time around. With that said, the sheet they gave me about them did mention that they get cancer cells to commit suicide. Now, I know that cancer doesn’t want to hold my hand and sing songs, but driving it to suicide seems, well just rude.

The joy ride just keeps getting better!

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Mt. Hood on a cold winter day!


The picture does it no justice