Christmas Day 2013

Christmas Tree of Gillespie 2013

Joyous Christmas of Steiger

Happy dinner prep of Laurie

How to make Grandpa happy - Christmas with family!

How to make Dylan happy - a Honda Dirt Bike (DRF 250 L).   Santa really did come.

Happy dinner prep of Chip

Joyous Christmas of Jana

Christmas Elves
Best Uncle and Best Nephew

My favorite 2013 Christmas Picture
Hooray for Christmas!




My three kids took me to the movies this afternoon - it was very special.  We saw Philomena, which, it turns out, is a true story of Irish babies sold for adoption by nuns.  Philomena is the Mom of one of those adopted babies, and she has been obsessed for 50 years with finding him or at least finding out what has become of him.  It's an interesting search with kind of a surprise ending.  I was totally absorbed by it, and everyone seemed to enjoy it as well.

Christmas Eve Day

Yay!  We went to the movies today.  We saw Saving Mr. Banks, with Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks.  It's about the making of the film Mary Poppins, with Thompson playing the author P. L. Travers and Hanks playing Walt Disney.

Christmas Eve at Laurie's with Chip's chili and oyster stew, followed  by Dr. Who.  (???)  Sorry, but I still don't get it.

The Book of Mormon

Laurie, Dylan, Dick and I were treated to a spectacular matinee performance of this Broadway musical this afternoon at the Broward Center in Ft. Lauderdale.  The show is at times profane and even vulgar, but it is done in a humorous, light-hearted way which is really very enjoyable.

Jana arrives tonight at 9:30, and Tom arrives tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. 
It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas :)

Lunch with SuGarWar

Mulligan's in Stuart was the place for our lunch date with Sue and Gary.  It was one of those two hour lunches, with good food, and good re-connecting.  The last time we lunched with them, they had two birds, Kiwi and MacKenzie.  Now they have the birds, three cats, and a dog.  There's also a ten foot alligator who lives across the street from them!

We Have Achieved Cable!

And wi-fi too !  It's never easy, but when the comcast materials arrived, Dick got right to work setting up all of the necessary connections.  We wound up with a very funky password for the wi-fi, but it works just fine.
Chip is home, and Laurie had us over for yummy pot roast.
The weather here is just about perfect, while back in Michigan they're having snow, snow and more snow.  We feel so very lucky!

Happy Birthday Dear Dylan

Laurie treated us to empanadas and chocolate ice cream cake for Dylan's birthday dinner.  Today he is sixteen - wow.  He has his pre-calculus exam tomorrow, so no party this year.  Chip missed it - he was at work flying airplanes!

Moving In

Took our time unpacking things and putting stuff away.  Laurie came over with more lights for the tree, but I had already begun to hang the ornaments.  She decided to save the new lights for next year.
Dylan has final exams this week.

Snowbirds Trip to Condo, by RBS

I just love it when Dick writes the blog!!  Enjoy:


12/ 12 - 12/15, 2013  Snowbirds trip to condo.

Thursday 12/12

In the morning I finished loading the Rav. It was as packed as we’ve ever had it. So packed that the walker had to be strapped to the roof rack. I had a Dr’s appointment with my new personal physician Dr. Burke. For the past 22 years I had been seeing Dr. Lambert but the Munson Family Practice Center has become a teaching/intern adjunct and Lambert has become more of a teacher to his students than a doctor to me. He spends more time talking to the student than to me and his terminology is meant for them and generally indecipherable to me. After Burke’s outstanding performance in finding Nancy’s tumors she recommended and set up an appointment with him for me.

Since the Rav was packed, we took the Jeep. TC had been bombarded with lake effect snow for days and the roads were icy and slick. Twice we almost spun out and were happy to have made it into town and back safely. The forecast was for more lake effect here on Friday with a major storm in Southern Michigan for Saturday. We decided to leave first thing in the morning and just take it easy and see how far we could get. We usually get advanced motel reservations at distances from 225 to 260 miles each day. Since the roads and weather were questionable, we decided to just take it as it came and get as far as we could.

Friday 12/13

We were up and raring to go early. I pulled the car out of the garage and strapped down Nancy’s walker on the roof. I had to wait until this morning because it wouldn’t fit under the door opening. We checked the doors, turned down the thermostat, pulled down the shades, activated the alarm system, and away we went.

The roads were slippery and it was snowing steadily. The traffic was light and everyone was driving cautiously. We had heard that below 20 degrees the salt would melt the snow but the melt would refreeze causing it to ice over again. I held it under 50, even when we got on the 131 expressway at Manton, Some were driving faster but it didn’t feel real safe to me. Although the snow stopped, the roads remained slick until we reached Clare. From then on they were just wet because the temps were up in the 20’s and the salt was working. As we approached Saginaw, I was reminded just how little we use the Interstate anymore. Since we don’t stay in Ann Arbor for football season anymore, our annual Florida trek is it.

Checking the weather on her iPhone, Nancy reported that the big storm was coming tonight starting about 9 and continuing through the night. We decided to push on as far south as we could, hoping to drive south of it. When we hit the Ohio border, I made sure I was in the right lane and was at or 1 mph below the speed limit. I have the feeling that if a group of cars are buzzing along 5 miles over or so, the one which gets pulled over is the one with Michigan plates. I think that is especially true f it’s an M plate. We both were getting tired as we drove through Lima and after getting bogged down in a construction zone that took us 45 minutes to go two miles, decided to stop for the night just north of Dayton. We got into our room about 5;30, freshened up, rested a bit and watched the weather forecast. It was scary! We went out to dinner at Smokey Bones Barbecue, great ribs!, and then back to sleep.

Saturday 12/14

When we looked out the window in the morning, the cars in the parking lot were covered in snow. While Nancy was attempting to eat her barely edible breakfast, I went out in the parking lot and brushed nearly three inches of the white stuff off the car. We went back to the room to pack stuff up and then while she was checking out, I brushed off another 1/2 inch which had fallen in the mean time. We were on the road by 7:30 driving through the never ending road construction in Dayton in a steady snow storm. Luckily, it was wet and melted as soon as it hit the pavement. As the temperature rose, the snow changed to sleet and then to rain. Saturday morning is not a bad time to get through Cincinnati. (Our least favorite city to drive through. (Except for Atlanta))

We crossed the Ohio river with a big sigh of relief, happy to be done with the Buckeye and into Ky. We made our mandatory stop at the first Ky MacLand for beverages and a muscle stretch. Back on the road the weather was crappy but at least it was just rain. I was glad to be back on a four lane stretch of I75 so I set the cruise at 75 as confirmed by Nuvi and enjoyed the most relaxed drive of the trip so far. We ordinarily would have stopped somewhere near Knoxville but thoughts of Dylan, warmth, and our condo encouraged us to push on into Jahjah. We discovered that no natives Georgians drive the speed limit. At 75 I couldn’t even catch a truck. When the limit dropped to 65 or even 55, I appeared to be the only driver to notice. I am not comfortable having cars pass me on the right and so I stay in the right lane as much as possible. Down here it can get lonesome. For the most part, not even trucks use the far right lane. If you are willing to drive the limit or slightly above, the road is pretty clear except for entering traffic.

We stopped in Smyrna, got a room,  and asked the gal at the desk for a restaurant recommendation. She recommended Papadeaux so we went down there. The parking lot was huge and packed. I dropped Nan at the entrance and drove off to find a place to park. The place I found was over a tenth of a mile away. By the time I got back to the restaurant, she was waiting for me and announced that there was an  hour wait. Obviously a very popular place on a Saturday night! We eventually made our way out of the parking lot and found a less crowded little southern place called Folks. The food was fine, I ordered a half rack of ribs and got three pieces. Must be small pigs.

Sunday 12/15

After I had a standard motel quickie breakfast, (Nancy took a pass, she opted for an Egg McMuffin at the coffee stop.) I loaded the bags in a light drizzle. We tiptoed through Atlanta. Traffic was light with no trucks and the Nuvi warned us of upcoming exits and showed us a picture of what lane to be in. Except for the habits of Georgia drivers, it went well. The only remarkable incident was when a white SUV came roaring up behind us in at right lane, swerved onto the exit ramp. pulled along side, and then zoomed back between us and the vehicle ahead of us just as the exit lane ended. It was remarkable but compared to some of the other white knuckle experiences on this trip, not outstanding. Before long we were back in normal traffic with only two southbound lanes. I was able to set the cruise and relax a bit as the miles piled up. The rain turned to mist and then ended. Soon we started seeing patches of dry pavement. and started hoping that we might make it all the way to Palm City.

It wasn’t until after we crossed the Florida line that we saw our first serious accident. We had seen where cars had slid off the road into the median, a few were still there but no sign of serious damage. This one was a roll over in the median with parts, hood, doors etc, spread all over. There were ambulance and multiple police cars on the scene. The gawkers were slowing to stare but since we were in the right lane, we breezed on through. Shortly after we entered the turnpike, the sun came out, the rain stopped and all was right with our world. We pulled into Martin Downs, the gate rose and we turned into Quail Meadow. At Unit E ,there were flowers by the front door which was decorated with a beautiful Christmas wreath, the garage door opened when we pushed the remote, there was a large Christmas tree in the living room and numerous decorations sitting about. Laurie was there to help us unload. After catching our breath we took trunks and boxes over to the Gillespie house, picked up the birthday boy and went out to dinner at his favorite Tai restaurant. After catching up with the days events and hugs all around, Grandma and Grandpa went off to our Florida home for a long night’s sleep and a well deserved day of vegetating.

Packing Pending

The car is mostly packed for our trip south.  Dick has been carrying trunks and boxes out to the garage all day!  It really is a herculean effort.  Hooray for Dick.  We're still planning to leave Friday a.m., but we don't want to drive in a blizzard, so we'll keep an eye on the weather.  We don't mind waiting until Sat. or Sun, or good weather - whichever comes first!

I'm working on laundry and my mental packing list - we have luggage and garment bags galore - just waiting to be stuffed.

We can hardly wait to head south.  Have you been outside today?

Feeling Good

The parking lot at Munson is not full at 7 a.m. when the summer is over!  The Radiology Prep and Recovery Department was not busy this morning, either.  Our room was exclusively for us, and at times we had four or five nurses working for us in that room.  If you have never done a procedure like this one, you really don't know what to expect, so some anxiety is involved.

IVs were hooked up - saline solution for hydration, 2 kinds of antibiotics, benedryl, a couple of unidentified things, and finally the happy juice.  At about 9:45 the oxygen mask was put on, and the happy juice was put in the IV.  Gee, that is nice stuff.  It makes you feel woozy in a good way.  The actual procedure took about one hour and fifteen minutes.

  When I got back to the room, Dick and Barb were there.  Barb had come to stay with Dick while I was gone.  They had a good conversation in the cafeteria.  It was so great to have Barb there - it was a good distraction for Dick, and a really nice, warm family feeling for me.  Thanks Barb -you really helped us through this!   I was a little loopy, so I wasn't quite aware of everything that went on, and I had some trouble talking, but it was a very happy time for me.

 .  The insertion area looks like a pin prick and is covered with a band aid.  I had been told that afterwards I might feel a lot of pain, or at least some pain.  Also I might be nauseated and have a slight fever.  Evidently I can't be left alone tomorrow because of possible serious bleeding.  Well I'm happy to say that I feel just fine - just the same as always. I have to say that I felt nothing, absolutely nothing At this point, I don't feel sick at all.  We shall see what tomorrow brings.

Dr. Picotte said that I could go home today, and not spend the night in the hospital.  What good news.  My own bed will certainly feel good tonight!

"Feeling Good"

Birds flying high
You know how I feel
Sun in the sky
You know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by
You know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good
I'm feeling good

Fish in the sea
You know how I feel
River running free
You know how I feel
Blossom on a tree
You know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good.

Visitor Center Christmas Party 2013

Photo Booth at the Christmas Party!  Kathee knows how to have a good time :)

This year we were in town for this annual event.  We enjoyed it so much.  It was at the Great Wolf Lodge - we're getting to be old hands there.

We sat with Pete S. and Dawn and it was a good table - sparse, but good.    Had nice conversations with Nancy and Don F., Kathee, Joni, and of course Pete and Dawn.

It's just always a good time, and a nice beginning to the Christmas season.  The food was great.  Dick especially loved the prime rib and the salmon.  My favorite was the meatballs - small, flavorful, and just the right spiciness.  I want that recipe :)

A good time was had by all, and the photo booth was fun!

Dick wore the hat prop, and he said it was for Dylan.

Bag and Bo

The day began with a ride through town in the blustery snow to see the beautiful bay being ferocious.  The waves were really high, with winds from the north.  The sun came out at one point, turning the western shore of the bay a deep blue with whitecaps, while the right shore was cloudy, dark and snowing.

Jana's bag did not arrive with her last night, so a trip to the airport was next.  If you ever lose luggage at Cherry Capital Airport, look for the big man wearing an orange vest.  He knows everything.  The bag is now in the guest room.

Bo Tangles is my hair salon of choice, and Christi is my girl.  Today she gave Jana a fantastic haircut.  Christi really spent a lot of time to get it just right.  Thanks to her.

Cedar Run Eye Center was next.  Dick picked up new lenses for his glasses.  Now he sees everything clearly.

Errands are over, now we're back home.  We braved the blustery winds, icy roads and relentless lake effect snow and got home safely.   Steiger Grundy for supper.

Think Snow?

Still no word on the condo.

The weather is giving us waves and waves of lake effect snow.  This is the most snow we've had so far.  It's definitely more than a dusting!   These big picture windows are more enjoyable in the summer!

Today's football game was such a disappointment.  I wish they would get their act together, but so far, it's been pretty mediocre in my opinion.  Heaven help them.  Soon.

Seventeen-Point Iowa Second Half Haunts Wolverines in Defeat

11/23/2013 - Photo Gallery 
The Wolverines scored 21 first-half points -- on a Brennen Beyer pick-six and two Devin Gardner passing TDs -- but Iowa outscored U-M 17-0 in the second half to prevail, 24-21.

                                                

Goldfinch

While Dick was working at the Visitor Center, Mary F. called and invited us to dinner at Boone's tonight.  Yaaay!   Dinner with friends, and no cooking :)

Mary and Jay, the recently retired Goldfinches have moved to Interlochen from the Lansing area.  Mary is much closer to her family up here.

We had a luscious meal, good conversation, and an overall great time.  Thanks Mary and Jay.

No word yet on the condo.

Bittersweet

Our house is sold at last - it has been on the market for five months.
 The buyer has agreed to our changes to the agreement.

The best part is that closing will be June1, so we have a lot of breathing room to prepare.  Also, we'll have another spring and summer at Basswood Bend.

The worst part is that it's sad to think of not having our river property any more, but it has just gotten too big to take care of properly.

Still no word about the condo.  Fingers are crossed.

Big Day

1. The Gym

2. Breakfast at Sparky's

3. My appointment with Dr. Ruch, the oncologist

4. Dick's appointment for eye exam with Dr. Cizek
    We order new lenses.  Dick's eyes are dilated.

5. We meet with Beccy about our house.


Dr. Ruch leads me to believe that the recovery from the TACE procedure will not be as long as I thought it would be.  We may be able to head to Florida before Dec. 15th.  That made me happy.

Dick's eyes are fine.  He needs eye drops, and there's a change in vision - hence the new lenses.

At the Real Estate office, we signed the purchase agreement with the potential buyer.  We changed a couple of items in the contract - we want the use of the pole barn for a period after closing, we're not leaving as much equipment as we previously planned to, and we want to stay in the house until our condo is ready for occupancy.  Let's hope he will agree to all of that.

We're hoping to sign with Calabyr Homes for the condo we want to build at Lone Tree.  We've had one meeting with their agent Lynne.  Lynne and Beccy are working together on that project, but we haven't heard anything yet.  I hope we can finalize that soon.

Apache

Got a call from Mary B. wanting to set up a date for dinner together soon.  Today is the day!

  We chose the Apache Trout Grill because it's so great.  I was a little worried because there's often a long wait at Apache - but having the summer season over makes a big, big difference.  We didn't have to wait at all.

It was so much fun to catch up with them - it's been a long time.  Mary gets emotional about the river. She doesn't even want to visit because she misses her river home;  but I know they're happy at their new digs.  They look great, and we're very glad we had the chance to touch base before they leave for Florida.

Laurie's New Profile Photo

Laurie at a family wedding.

This picture popped up today on Laurie's Facebook page!

 I love it because she looks relaxed, happy and lovely.  Especially lovely :)

Thistle and Thread

What a great morning - breakfast at Bubba's, followed by the craft show at the Civic Center.

What fun!  So many beautiful and appealing items, and really most of them were reasonably priced, too.  I had a great time looking at everything - just walked around with a silly grin on my face the whole time.  I bought several items - some for the girls for Christmas, and even one thing for myself.

Now at home watching the football game - not so much fun so far, but as Dick says, I guess it's the best we can do.  Having a pathetic team was more tolerable back when we could blame The Coach Who Shall Not Be Named.  This year, we don't really know who to blame.

Jana's coming home next week!  I promised her a Thanksgiving Buffet at the Great Wolf Lodge, and now we have reservations for 12:30!  Yay!  I'll be truly thankful.

Thanksgiving Celebration

Take a holiday from cooking and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at Great Wolf Lodge. Our culinary chefs are preparing a feast filled with traditional mouthwatering favorites that will please the entire family.

Our Thanksgiving Buffet is open to the public and will be held Thursday, November 28, 2013 in Camp Critter Bar and Grille from 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins welcome based on availability. Please call 231.941.3600 or email azehner@greatwolf.com to make a reservation today.

Campus Day

Today was Lifelong Learning Campus Day at the NMC University Center.  It was a very enjoyable day for both of us.  You could sign up for three different sessions on a variety of subjects.  Dick and I did different classes for the first 2 sessions, and after lunch we were in the same class. 

Dick's first class was "Is Peace an Option?", a TED talk by Jack Segal.  Segal is a life long (40 years)  US diplomat who has served in several capacities.  Dick was very impressed with Segal - his knowledge and breadth of experience.  It turned out to be Dick's favorite of the day.

Is Peace an Option?

A TED Talk with Jack Segal

Join Jack Segal as he shares a portion of a new course

he’s developed to explore whether the military-industrial

complex that has taken hold since President Eisenhower’s

1961 warning can be brought under control.

Jack Segal served 40 years as a US diplomat, a member of

the National Security Council, and a senior official at NATO.

He has negotiated arms control agreements with Russia,

dealt with dictators in Belarus and Uzbekistan, and worked

on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

My first class was a breathtaking presentation by Mary Murphy, who told of her strenuous and demanding trip to northern Greenland last year.  She is an amazing woman, who dares to do amazing things!  I was spellbound for the entire period, and really wanted to hear more when it was all over.

Life on the Ice: Northwest Greenland

Travel 600 miles north of the farthest Northern point in

Alaska with Mary Murphy, retired R.N. and avid traveler.

Experience flying across the ice pulled by 13 Greenland

dogs; chasing seals with Inuit hunters; living on the ice

among glaciers, mountains and magnificent icebergs. En

-joy stories and scenery of her 12 days immersed into the

Inuit culture – a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

We were both a little less enchanted with our second choices.  Dick felt that his presenter was just trying to sell his book.  While the class title said "Civil War", I guess the Civil War was not really the subject of the presentation.

The Civil War—A Story behind the Story

Frank Slaughter, author of the Civil War historical novel

“Echoes of Distant Thunder”, will share some of the in

-teresting facts and stories he uncovered while doing re

-search for his book. His slide presentation and talk focus

on the life of a returning veteran in Northern Michigan

immediately following the Civil War and will include a

look at the local logging era.

Frank Slaughter is a gun corporal in the Battery D First Mich

-igan Light Artillery reenactor group and produces a weekly

show on IPR.

In my second class I was hoping to find out how to take care of my aging skin.  The doctor who gave the talk had a nice outline, and spoke continuously for the entire class, but her focus seemed to be more on general health and not just on skin issues.  She used a lot of statistics,  and got involved with questioners on topics that were not always of general interest.

Healthy Skin at Any Age

Skin, the body’s largest organ, is a great protector, sen

-sor, shield, and communicator. And it is largely under

appreciated—just skin. Learn what you need to know to

take better care of this organ and keep it functioning at

its best. Get updates on research and find out how to en

-hance the look of your skin as it ages.

Dr. Ann Kuenker, D.O., has worked in family practice for

over 20 years and currently works specifically with skin care,

aesthetic procedures, and wellness.

After a really nice box lunch. we both went to session 3,  Lighthouses of the Manitou Passage.  Stephanie Staley is a dynamic young woman with deep knowledge of the Great Lakes, lighthouses of the US east coast, and especially of the 104 Michigan lighthouses.  She had a charming teaching style - it was humorous, interesting, and enlightening (no pun intended)!  She has an impressive command of her subject matter, delivered in a light hearted way. We both enjoyed it to the max.

Lighthouses of the Manitou Passage

Explore the stories of the beacons of safety that guided

ships, crews, and cargo through the treacherous waters

of the Manitou Passage. Grand Traverse, South Fox, South

Manitou, and the North Manitou Shoal Light will be high

-lighted in this up-close look at the waters, navigation pat

-terns, and shipping that made the lighthouses an integral

part of our regional history.

Stef Staley is the Executive Director of the Grand Traverse

Lighthouse Museum

Lighthouse Museum.

So my first and last sessions were equal favorites of mine.  But if I had the chance to have dinner and spend some time with one of those presenters, I would pick Stephanie Staley.

 For his part, Dick said he would also pick Stephanie.  She charmed both of us!

Halloween

Dylan, Laynie and Taylor.  I think Laynie's costume is the best one ever.  It's so dramatic!

Back to Kasky

Another Fall Sunday, another colorful ride to the Kalkaska area.  Their colors are still vibrant, while ours are beginning to fade.  We found some terrific back roads to explore, some less bouncy than others!  We were lucky enough to find eight geocaches, and unlucky enough to not find two others.  Maybe next Sunday?

We enjoyed the drive, the backwoods, the searching, lunch at Big Boy, and being mellow.  It's been a good day.

And then the Lions put the icing on the cake with that fantastic win over Dallas!  What an exciting finish! So glad we got home just in time to see it.  Go Hawaiian Blue  ;)

Cowboys 30

(4-4, 1-3 away)

Lions 31

(5-3, 3-1 home)

52°
Overcast

1:00 PM ET, October 27, 2013
Ford Field, Detroit, MI

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10/27/2013	You couldn't find Aarwood Trail Access Site		Visit Log
Not good enough to make the find today
10/27/2013	You couldn't find Log Lake Campground And Disc Golf		Visit Log
GZ took us to the corner just inside the fence. We looked for something which matched the clue. Expanded our search back outside the fence, explored a couple of other sites which matched the hint with no luck. Pushed the search across the road, still a blank. If the cache is there, we just aren't good enough to find it this day. I must say that searching that area gave me a strong impression that disk golf players are slobs. Despite the trash barrel sitting right there, the ground is covered with trash. Good spot for a CiTO.
10/27/2013	You found Old Boney Tree		Visit Log
We were enjoying this rain free Sunday by going for a ride and enjoying the fall colors. The amount of snow on the ground, especially the piles in yards next to metal roofs, was a surprise to us, you must have gotten a lot more snow here than we received in TC. When this cache was published, we, a couple of retired teachers, put it on our "must do" list. So, after our Big Boy Buffet, we came to make the grab. Enjoyed the walk and made the find. Signed the log, took the coin and left our flashlight and our new pen. Thanks for the fun, we'll give it a favorite.
10/27/2013	You found You've been horsed		Visit Log
Quick grab, signed log. TFTC
10/27/2013	You found Trouble		Visit Log
This one was too much "Trouble" for us the last time we looked. Thanks to kkoehlert for bringing it back into reach. The log was full so we added a page and signed it.
10/27/2013	You found North country spider cache		Visit Log
We really liked the container for this cache. Signed the log and left our pathtag. Thanks for the hunt. BTW Can anyone tell us the story behind the peanut?
10/27/2013	You found Do you smell what I am cooking?		Visit Log
We started our search on the wrong side of the road but figured it out. TFTC
10/27/2013	You found Farkle		Visit Log
The log was completely sodden when we found this cache and could not be signed. We signed a replacement. The piles of snow that have slid off the neighboring garage is scary. We aren't ready for that yet. TFTC
10/27/2013	You found Excuse ME!!!!!		Visit Log
A quick grab while in town today. Thanks for the fun.
10/27/2013	You found Yahtzee party		Visit Log
We decided to take advantage of the lack of rain to go for a ride and enjoy the colors. We wound up in Kalkaska and decided to finish off the caches we hadn't gotten to previously. Made the find and signed the damp log. Thanks for the smilie.

Pippi

Laurie and Chip hosted a Halloween party at their house last night.  In this picture, Laurie reminds me of Pippi Longstocking!  Looks like a fun party :)  And Laurie is definitely the cutest one!

Happy 50th !

Tom's Birthday!   Now we have two children in their fifties...holy moly!   We both would have been  27 years old when Tom was born.

He's spending the day in Hollywood - yes, that Hollywood!  They Might Be Giants is performing their children's songs this afternoon, and tonight he'll be going to a play - can't remember the name of it.

Anyway, his 50th should be memorable!

Our day might not be quite as memorable - we went grocery shopping, and ran errands at the P.O. and the Library.

While we were doing our daily cruise of Downtown, we saw a huge Lake freighter of some sort maneuvering around West Bay.  We tried to get around for a better view, but it turned and headed north.  It looked huge to me.

We called Tom for a verbal birthday hug, and Bill called to catch up and to give us their winter schedule:  Wisconsin for Halloween, Hank's for Thanksgiving, Wisconsin for Christmas, January in California again - whew!

We'll be here for Thanksgiving, and Jana is coming home.  We've promised her a big buffet at the Great Wolf Lodge :)

Now we're watching State v. Illinois.  Go Green!

There's Interventional Radiology in My Future

It turns out that I have had liver cancer for two or three years totally unaware.  It also seems that I will always have liver cancer, because it continuously recurs as time goes by.  My lovely liver will need to be monitored every six months or so.  The TACE procedure seems to be the current state of the art treatment for it.  My interventional radiologist Dr. Picotte believes that it will take two procedures to treat it correctly.

 My first appointment is for Dec. 3.  I'll spend one night in the hospital afterwards, and recovery takes approximately two weeks.  I'm not completely sure of the follow-up treatment date - it may be sometime at the end of January, 2014.

We're still planning to drive to Florida for Christmas, just not as soon as originally planned.  We'll probably fly back in January for the second treatment, stay here for the two week recovery period,  and then return to Palm City for the rest of the winter.  Those are our current plans - although you know what they say about the best laid plans!  We are really not quite sure what we're dealing with yet.  Whatever comes up, the two of us make a good team, and we'll try to stick to the game plan!

Meanwhile, I'm living with cancer from now on, and so far it seems do-able.

This is The Man:

Dr. James Patrick Picotte MD

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Dr. James Patrick Picotte MD is a male doctor, has 7 years of experience and practices in Radiology, Diagnostic Radiology, and Vascular & Interventional Radiology.
Video profile

This is the letter that Dick sent to the kids:

We met with the Dr. this morning. The MRI shows two masses on the liver, one large, one small. Because they are on separate lobes, surgery is not an option. The large one is 6 centimeters and was not there in '09.  It is the first order of business.  He will enter the femoral artery, go up to the liver, enter the cancer and deposit small glass beads covered with chemo which will eat the tumor away. She will check into the hospital at 8 AM and stay overnight. 

He told us the side effects would be a level of pain and discomfort which varies from person to person. There is a two week recovery period. After 6 - 8 weeks, the procedure must be repeated. He feels that the second shot should take care of it. The smaller tumor can be dealt with by a lesser procedure at a later date. He also indicated that because of cirrhosis, once the liver cancer begins it will continue to crop up, so she will need to be checked at least annually.

The procedure is scheduled for Dec. 3.   We will stay here until about 12/15 and then head south through the end of Jan.  We will come back here for the second treatment and then back down until ?.  One possibility we have discussed is flying up and back for that trip.

Off the Market

The offer that we received was not satisfactory.  It was a real low-ball offer.  We countered, and the prospective buyer's response was also way too low.  We've decided to take our house off the market for the winter and try again next Spring.  I feel that we really need to find a condo first before we get serious about selling our home.  We have other things on our minds this Fall, and the real estate dealings were getting a tad too stressful.

Beccy, our agent, was very understanding and is taking our property off the multi-list and she's agreeable to waiting until Spring.

This is the letter Dick sent to Beccy:

Beccy,

We're sorry to have taken up so much of your time dealing with the sale and purchasing of housing for us, but we have discussed the latest counter offer and have decided to let the matter rest at this time. 

Nancy's health is our main concern and until we get that matter resolved and have a clear path to the future, we want to put the matter of selling the house off to the side for the time being. 

We have an additional diagnostic test today and then further consultation before scheduling the anti cancer procedure itself. We don't yet know for sure when and where  that might be done.  The treatment, the results, and a prognosis going forward are foremost in our minds, and right now, at this point in time, the selling and buying of housing is an additional distraction we don't need and are not prepared to deal with. 

We feel that we will have a better view of what the future holds for us in the spring and hopefully we will be better able to focus on the housing situation then.

Again, we thank you for the effort you have put forth on our behalf and apologize for taking up your time, but we hope you understand.

Sincerely,
Dick and Nancy Steiger

And this is Beccy's response:

I certainly do and respect your decision completely.  Yes, Nancy's health is a priority and know that selling a home can be stressful.  I will let the buyers know, should they still have interest in the spring we can pursue it.  Plus, Nancy, the Lone Tree Condo most likely will be finished....smile.

With that, I will remove your home from the MLS and hold off until are ready to sell.  Dick if you want to pull the signs and set next to house, will pick them up when I'm out that way.

My prayers to you both.  Please keep in touch and let me know how things are going. 

 Sincerely,

Beccy Janis

Thus ends our latest real estate adventure!

I had the endless MRI this morning.  Well, it was really only 50 minutes, but it seemed endless.  I get the results on Thursday.

Offer?

Beccy came out for an hour this morning to present the very first offer that we've had on our property.
We had a nice visit, a good chat, and some needed explanations.

So we've had an offer on our property, and we've countered but won't have the response until next week most likely.  This offer is from a person who has never been in the house - he's a river enthusiast and conservationist who is only interested in the property and the frontage.  We're not very optimistic about this deal, but at least it's nice to have our first offer.

 We told her about our plans to replace the septic drain field and how that would affect the buyer as far as closing dates, taking possession, etc.

 It's a good thing we have an agent - there's so much paper work, signatures, initials, etc.  I'm glad Beccy has a grasp of what has to be done, because I sure don't!

M & G

Our October Meet and Greet was really enjoyable.  There were lots of people there. old and new.  Tim and Susie were there for the first time in a while, and it was great to have Jay and Mary there as well.  I had fun meeting Brian - nice conversation.  I wasn't able to go to the last one around the campfire, so I was especially glad to be able to get to this one.  Enjoyed talking to everyone.

basswoodbend Premium Member 3695  Attended 10/16/2013 Another fun evening sharing tales and catching up on the lives of fellow cachers. Good to see you all and to meet some folks we hadn't met before. Thanks Vante and Sammy Pants for bringing us together.

TACE

Transarterial Chemo Embolization (TACE)

Transarterial chemo embolization therapy involves administration of chemotherapy directly to the liver tumor via a catheter. With this technique, the chemotherapy targets the tumor while sparing the patient many side effects of traditional chemotherapy that is given to the whole body.
Following chemotherapy, your physician will embolize (cut off) the blood supply to the tumors. In this manner, the tumor is treated using two different techniques. If necessary, TACE can be performed multiple times to achieve the desired response in the tumor.

Chemoembolization animation © 2009.  Created by Joseph Sampson, graduate student in Dept. of Art as Applied to Medicine, in collaboration with Division of Interventional Radiology, Johns Hopkins University.

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Dr. Ruch called this morning with the results of his conference yesterday with the U of M liver cancer clinic team.  TACE, which is explained above, is evidently the preferred treatment for my tumor.  Now I'm waiting for phone calls to set up appointments for an MRI, a radiologist (Dr. Picotte), the TACE procedure, and another with Dr. Ruch.

Prospects

Beccy called to say that the couple who looked at our property really, really liked it, and thought it was beautiful.  She thinks they may want a showing next week when everything is back to normal.  They are more interested in the property than in the house. 

They would not live here, they would most likely rent it out.  It seems that he is a conservationist, environmentalist and investor in river property.  He wants to preserve the riverside properties.  If that works out, it would be the ideal way to sell our place.  Of course we haven't had the showing yet, and we haven't had an offer, but it's nice to speculate.

Gout Week

Wow!  Gout week is finally over!  (I think!)  The Tylenol is working.  No headache and minimal residual pain in the foot.

 I showered, shampooed, got dressed, and walked (with the walker) to the living room.  I'm feeling ecstatic.  Waved good-by to Dick as he left to volunteer at the Visitor Center, fully confident that I am now able to take care of myself. 

We knew that our geocaching friend Nurse Nanna (Anne) was in town and was going to stop in and see him.  He called and asked if it was OK if he took her out to lunch after his shift.  Of course!  I'm fine (but not quite ready yet for the out to lunch thing), and it will be a nice break for him.

THIS IS THE WEEK THAT WAS:

Last Monday, I literally couldn't walk.  Each time I tried to step on my right foot, it felt like I was walking on razor blades.  I sorted laundry in my room. because Monday is wash day:)  It took  mighty effort and about 45 minutes to get to the living room. 

Dick brought in the walker, and that did help,  but mobility was at a serious standstill.  Sat in the recliner all day, with Dick waiting on me, hand and (ouch) foot.  He kept the ice packs coming, the the ice did make things feel better for a while. 

He brought the laundry basket with darks into the laundry room, so the next time I went to the bathroom, I started the machine.  When the washing machine was done, Dick put the stuff into the dryer.  Later, I was able to fold while sitting in the recliner. That was my accomplishment for the day. Dick picked up Subway for dinner.

Tuesday - Everything seemed worse.  I did manage to get dressed and get to the living room.  I practiced in my mind how I was going to reach the things I needed from my bed without putting my feet on the floor. I spent a lot of time on visual imaging, as Olympic athletes do, (well sort of).  So I did manage to get dressed and make it to the living room.  

Beccy called that morning and said that she wanted to schedule a showing this afternoon from 3 to 5!  I was just devastated that we couldn't possibly have things spotless for a showing by 3 o'clock, or any other time.  I would not be able to get into the car to leave for a showing anyway - that would take gurney and a staff of helpers.  Fortunately Beccy understood - both of her parents had experienced gout.  She asked if they could just come and look at the property and not come into the house.  It was the perfect solution.  So the couple came, and walked all around the property, and even spoke briefly to Dick.  They thought that the property was beautiful  (but we already knew that).

Dick brought the whites to the laundry room, and during the day they got washed, dried and folded - it took all day.  I did write some checks for a couple of bills, and paid a couple more online, and those things were all that I accomplished for the day.

 By 7 o'clock I just could not get comfortable in the recliner - that foot was so sensitive to every little movement it just got to be unbearable.  We used the walker in a unique way - sitting down and going backwards down the hall to the bedroom.  Dick would help me navigate by pulling me along while I just dragged that godforsaken foot.  Getting undressed was too hard to think about, so I went to bed wearing jeans and socks.  The most bearable position was to have my right foot out from under the covers and almost hanging in mid-air, off the mattress, not touching anything. 

Wednesday - Now it's really horrible, and I thought it had already been horrible.  On top of the hated gout, I now have a headache, I think it's from having the constant pain.  This was a lost day.  I stayed under the covers, with all lights off.  NPR was playing very softly on the radio, and I slept on and off all day.

Thursday - Another lost day.  Read Wednesday.  One difference - the gouty foot was feeling a little less caustic, but I was beginning to feel gouty twinges in my other foot.  So I took a small amount of Tylenol, which I'm not supposed to have because of liver disease.  It took away my headache, and made both of my feet feel some better.  My mood was improving at last.  I ordered tapioca pudding and jello for dinner - just couldn't bear the thought of a plateful of real dinner.  Dick is the perfect nurse and right hand man :)