. . .to go with my already glowing personality. Was on the table for about 3 hours yesterday getting the eight brain metasteses zapped. It's called stereotactic radiosurgery. You've probably heard of it's twin , the "GammaKnife" which sounds a lot cooler and is far better marketed. I have to make a decision on the last ditch effort chemo has to keep me alive a short while longer in the next few days. I'm leaning toward no.
Local Readers only: We've got corruption with a capital "C" right here in River City, which rhymes with "P" and that stands for prison. Federal Prison. Without further ado, let me present:
Tom's early line on the CIETC scandal:
Ramona Cunningham--5 convictions, 84 months.
Karen Tesdell --4 convictions, 48 months.
Archie Brooks --2 convictions, 12 months of house arrest due to medical reasons
Jane Barto --1 conviction, probation
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The Worst People in the World
(Or at Least the Most Annoying)
"And that's the way it was: Thursday, January 11, 2007."
--Walter Cronkite
A few of you may know this already, but we were sued in small claims court last week relating to the sale of our house in August, 2005. They sued both Melissa and I as well as my father, who had nothing to do with the drafting or the signing of the Purchase Agreement. The couple that bought the house tried to claim that a stove was included in the deal, even though the Purchase Agreement (which they were given several days to review and were urged to have an attorney review before signing) clearly and specifically stated that a stove was excluded from the sale, and they initialed that specific part of the Agreement.
On Saturday, November 12, 2005, they arrived at our old house at noon insisting that they be let in even though we had agreed to give them possession on Sunday. We were obviously still moving at the time. (This was after we had agreed to close the transaction more than two weeks early for their convenience). We explained to them that we were still moving and after cleaning we could give them possession. They told us they didn't care that the place wasn't clean, they just needed in. (A rainstorm was approaching.) At trial, a major claim of theirs was that the place was dirty when they moved in. In fact it was so dirty, they alleged, that they were unable to move in for forty-one (41) days (no, that's not a typo), and had to pay her mother $1025.00 in rent. Right. Any of you who have been in our house know what kind of housekeeper Melissa is. Despite several claims of how filthy the place was, the best they could come up with was a $50.00 receipt from some friends in Makoquoeta, Iowa, who had to drive down because "there are no cleaning people in Des Moines, Iowa." Right. As part of their forty-nine (49)(again, not a typo) exhibits, they introduced a photo showing a small wastebasket in the 1/2 bath with a Kleenex box in it, and another photo showing that we had left the special cleaner for the Pergo floor in a closet.
The next claim was that we had torn holes in and "ruined" the orange shag rug carpeting in the basement which had been there more than 21 years, by putting holes in it. The holes were there when we moved in, right in the center of the room. They were claiming $2000 for this "damage." Right. Note: these people were in the home at least six times between signing the Purchase Agreement and closing and never once mentioned any problem with the place.
The female part of the couple than began bitching during the trial about how the cupboards were "cheap" and how she didn't like the colors in the place. Makes you wonder why they bought it in the first place. The male part of the couple kept bitching thoughout the trial that they had no attorney and "there's three attorneys over there." I kept thinking "well, you sued two of them you fucking dummy. What did you expect?"
Their case took them 2 hours and 40 minutes to put on (which the magistrates always enjoy). Our defense was 25 minutes. We don't have a decision yet, but, regardless of the outcome, these are:
The worst people in the world for Thursday, January 11, 2007.
"And that's the way it was: Thursday, January 11, 2007."
--Walter Cronkite
A few of you may know this already, but we were sued in small claims court last week relating to the sale of our house in August, 2005. They sued both Melissa and I as well as my father, who had nothing to do with the drafting or the signing of the Purchase Agreement. The couple that bought the house tried to claim that a stove was included in the deal, even though the Purchase Agreement (which they were given several days to review and were urged to have an attorney review before signing) clearly and specifically stated that a stove was excluded from the sale, and they initialed that specific part of the Agreement.
On Saturday, November 12, 2005, they arrived at our old house at noon insisting that they be let in even though we had agreed to give them possession on Sunday. We were obviously still moving at the time. (This was after we had agreed to close the transaction more than two weeks early for their convenience). We explained to them that we were still moving and after cleaning we could give them possession. They told us they didn't care that the place wasn't clean, they just needed in. (A rainstorm was approaching.) At trial, a major claim of theirs was that the place was dirty when they moved in. In fact it was so dirty, they alleged, that they were unable to move in for forty-one (41) days (no, that's not a typo), and had to pay her mother $1025.00 in rent. Right. Any of you who have been in our house know what kind of housekeeper Melissa is. Despite several claims of how filthy the place was, the best they could come up with was a $50.00 receipt from some friends in Makoquoeta, Iowa, who had to drive down because "there are no cleaning people in Des Moines, Iowa." Right. As part of their forty-nine (49)(again, not a typo) exhibits, they introduced a photo showing a small wastebasket in the 1/2 bath with a Kleenex box in it, and another photo showing that we had left the special cleaner for the Pergo floor in a closet.
The next claim was that we had torn holes in and "ruined" the orange shag rug carpeting in the basement which had been there more than 21 years, by putting holes in it. The holes were there when we moved in, right in the center of the room. They were claiming $2000 for this "damage." Right. Note: these people were in the home at least six times between signing the Purchase Agreement and closing and never once mentioned any problem with the place.
The female part of the couple than began bitching during the trial about how the cupboards were "cheap" and how she didn't like the colors in the place. Makes you wonder why they bought it in the first place. The male part of the couple kept bitching thoughout the trial that they had no attorney and "there's three attorneys over there." I kept thinking "well, you sued two of them you fucking dummy. What did you expect?"
Their case took them 2 hours and 40 minutes to put on (which the magistrates always enjoy). Our defense was 25 minutes. We don't have a decision yet, but, regardless of the outcome, these are:
The worst people in the world for Thursday, January 11, 2007.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Warrior
"Roland was a warrior, from the land of the Midnight Sun.
Thompson gun for hire, fighting to be done."
--Warren Zevon
A New Cancer Term I can Live :-) With*
I've decided that's what I am. Not a "survivor", not a "victim." A fucking warrior. Bloodied but unbowed. It doesn't state or imply surviving, which I won't, but the connotation of having been through several battles even though at some point you lose the war is very accurate, at least in my case.
I've studied the enemy to be best of my ability, consulted with top members of my staff (i.e. surgeons, oncologists and my family), and live with results which are necessarily based on incomplete and imperfect information. Yup, a fucking warrior. That's what I am.
*Full disclosure. The term in the cancer context originated with a Ms. Lorraine Powell who was responding to Leroy Sievers' "My Cancer" column on 1/09/07,Comment 2. http://www.npr.org
Thompson gun for hire, fighting to be done."
--Warren Zevon
A New Cancer Term I can Live :-) With*
I've decided that's what I am. Not a "survivor", not a "victim." A fucking warrior. Bloodied but unbowed. It doesn't state or imply surviving, which I won't, but the connotation of having been through several battles even though at some point you lose the war is very accurate, at least in my case.
I've studied the enemy to be best of my ability, consulted with top members of my staff (i.e. surgeons, oncologists and my family), and live with results which are necessarily based on incomplete and imperfect information. Yup, a fucking warrior. That's what I am.
*Full disclosure. The term in the cancer context originated with a Ms. Lorraine Powell who was responding to Leroy Sievers' "My Cancer" column on 1/09/07,Comment 2. http://www.npr.org
Friday, January 05, 2007
Was I here at all?
"A man has to have goals - for a day, for a lifetime - and that was mine, to have people say, 'There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived.'"
- Ted Williams
And people still say that. He missed 4 1/2 years due to serving in both WWII and the Korean War and still managed to hit 521 homeruns. He batted .344 in his career, won two MVPs , finished second four times, hit a homerun in his last at bat in Fenway Park, and is the last man to bat .400 in a season. If he's not the best hitter of all time, he's second best behind Babe Ruth.
He was a fighter pilot in the wars and was shot down in the Korean War. He also was a world class fisherman, and quietly did a lot of work for the Jimmy Fund, a children's charity.
On the other hand, by all accounts, he was a lousy husband and father, a real horse's ass whenever he was criticized, and petty.
But people remember him and will continue to remember him long after he's gone. (He passed away in 2002).
Aside from Melissa, and my parents, will anyone remember me ten years from now? I suppose Joe and my sisters will, but will Jack? He's so young, that he'll probably all but forget I was here. I'd like to think that other people would remember me, but I really don't know if I've had that kind of impact, except maybe in a "oh yeah, he was a good guy too" sort of way. I never made it to the U.S. Supreme Court, which was always one of my primary goals. Did I ever make a positive difference in my client's lives? In my children's lives (since I am presumably "moving on up" in the next year or so and they are so young)?
In short, if you leave the planet and no one remembers you, were you here at all?
- Ted Williams
And people still say that. He missed 4 1/2 years due to serving in both WWII and the Korean War and still managed to hit 521 homeruns. He batted .344 in his career, won two MVPs , finished second four times, hit a homerun in his last at bat in Fenway Park, and is the last man to bat .400 in a season. If he's not the best hitter of all time, he's second best behind Babe Ruth.
He was a fighter pilot in the wars and was shot down in the Korean War. He also was a world class fisherman, and quietly did a lot of work for the Jimmy Fund, a children's charity.
On the other hand, by all accounts, he was a lousy husband and father, a real horse's ass whenever he was criticized, and petty.
But people remember him and will continue to remember him long after he's gone. (He passed away in 2002).
Aside from Melissa, and my parents, will anyone remember me ten years from now? I suppose Joe and my sisters will, but will Jack? He's so young, that he'll probably all but forget I was here. I'd like to think that other people would remember me, but I really don't know if I've had that kind of impact, except maybe in a "oh yeah, he was a good guy too" sort of way. I never made it to the U.S. Supreme Court, which was always one of my primary goals. Did I ever make a positive difference in my client's lives? In my children's lives (since I am presumably "moving on up" in the next year or so and they are so young)?
In short, if you leave the planet and no one remembers you, were you here at all?
Monday, January 01, 2007
New Year's Resolutions
"Ring out the old, ring in the new,
. . .
Ring out the false, ring in the true."
--Alfred, LordTennyson
I've often heard that you are a lot more likely to accomplish your resolutions if you put them in black and white. I've done this with some success in the past, but what the hell, maybe I'll get 'em all accomplished this year:
1. Lose 15lbs.—Weight on 1/1/07 is 208 lbs
2. Read the Bible 20 minutes/day
3. Read James Joyce’s Ulysses before going to Ireland
4. Read 20 books this year
5. Start Walking/Exercising 20min/day
6. Send Thank You Notes
7. Solve a Tuesday NY Times Crossword, then Wed., and so on
8. Write Congressmen re cancer funding in general, and stem cell research in particular
9. Write letter to Melissa and boys
10. B’day cards to boys
11. Be around to make 2008 resolutions
I'll tell you about the California trip later this week.
. . .
Ring out the false, ring in the true."
--Alfred, LordTennyson
I've often heard that you are a lot more likely to accomplish your resolutions if you put them in black and white. I've done this with some success in the past, but what the hell, maybe I'll get 'em all accomplished this year:
1. Lose 15lbs.—Weight on 1/1/07 is 208 lbs
2. Read the Bible 20 minutes/day
3. Read James Joyce’s Ulysses before going to Ireland
4. Read 20 books this year
5. Start Walking/Exercising 20min/day
6. Send Thank You Notes
7. Solve a Tuesday NY Times Crossword, then Wed., and so on
8. Write Congressmen re cancer funding in general, and stem cell research in particular
9. Write letter to Melissa and boys
10. B’day cards to boys
11. Be around to make 2008 resolutions
I'll tell you about the California trip later this week.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
A Great Christmas
If this was the Last One, at Least it was a Good One
"At Christmas play, and make good cheer,
for Christmas comes but once a year."
--Thomas Tusser
I truly enjoyed this Christmas season. It probably was the most shopping I have ever done. This unemployed thing is not without its perks. Stress free shopping during the day (and early in the season) at the mall. I even used the handicapped permit I have for parking a couple of times.
Dinner was marvelous as usual (after all Melissa cooked it), the company for Christmas was delightful, and I received a bunch of gifts (almost as many as Jack and Joe!!). The Puerto Rican rum and the Crown Royal Reserve were especially appreciated, as were all of the Books and gift cards I received.
Amongst the other books which she bought for me, Melissa bought me Miriam Engelberg's "Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person." It's great and I have read it already (okay, okay, it is a cartoon book). You can purchase your own copy from Amazon.com but if you need a preview, it's availible on her website, which you can find here: http://www.miriamengelberg.com/comics_mainpg.htm
The lights were brighter, the music better, and people more enjoyable than probably any Christmas since I was a kid. In short a great holiday. Hope to hear from you all soon and hope your holiday was as wonderful as mine.
"At Christmas play, and make good cheer,
for Christmas comes but once a year."
--Thomas Tusser
I truly enjoyed this Christmas season. It probably was the most shopping I have ever done. This unemployed thing is not without its perks. Stress free shopping during the day (and early in the season) at the mall. I even used the handicapped permit I have for parking a couple of times.
Dinner was marvelous as usual (after all Melissa cooked it), the company for Christmas was delightful, and I received a bunch of gifts (almost as many as Jack and Joe!!). The Puerto Rican rum and the Crown Royal Reserve were especially appreciated, as were all of the Books and gift cards I received.
Amongst the other books which she bought for me, Melissa bought me Miriam Engelberg's "Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person." It's great and I have read it already (okay, okay, it is a cartoon book). You can purchase your own copy from Amazon.com but if you need a preview, it's availible on her website, which you can find here: http://www.miriamengelberg.com/comics_mainpg.htm
The lights were brighter, the music better, and people more enjoyable than probably any Christmas since I was a kid. In short a great holiday. Hope to hear from you all soon and hope your holiday was as wonderful as mine.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Merry Christmas
(and drink your Gin & Tonicah's, cause it's time for Hanukkah)
Not Happy Holidays. Not Holiday Greetings. Merry Christmas. It's a celebration of Christ's birth. My sons' school which we've otherwise been very pleased with has changed the lyrics on the Christmas songs, placing "winter" where Christmas is supposed to go. So now it's the "Twelve Days of Winter" and so forth. Political correctness run amok.
To add insult to injury, this public school is teaching my kid Hanukkah songs. When asked for an explanation as to the discrepancy, we never really got one from the teacher or the school. So, instead of wasting what little time I have left arguing with school administrators about the issue, I went the subversive route: I played Adam Sandler's "The Chanukah Song" for my older son knowing that by the end of this week every 5th grader at his school would be singing it as well. :-)
Thanks for the help on the rain songs. I can't believe I missed the Prince, Led Zep and James Taylor entries. Must be chemo brain. I trust no one cheated by using iTunes, Napster, Google and the like. I mean, hell, I can do that. I actually came up with four more on my own that oddly enough, weren't mentioned by anyone:
No Rain Blind Melon
I Love a Rainy Night Eddie Rabbitt
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head B.J. Thomas
Fixing a Hole The Beatles
BTW, there's a new link on the left. She's funny and clever, and unfortunately, recently widowed due to cancer. Check out her blog.
Not Happy Holidays. Not Holiday Greetings. Merry Christmas. It's a celebration of Christ's birth. My sons' school which we've otherwise been very pleased with has changed the lyrics on the Christmas songs, placing "winter" where Christmas is supposed to go. So now it's the "Twelve Days of Winter" and so forth. Political correctness run amok.
To add insult to injury, this public school is teaching my kid Hanukkah songs. When asked for an explanation as to the discrepancy, we never really got one from the teacher or the school. So, instead of wasting what little time I have left arguing with school administrators about the issue, I went the subversive route: I played Adam Sandler's "The Chanukah Song" for my older son knowing that by the end of this week every 5th grader at his school would be singing it as well. :-)
Thanks for the help on the rain songs. I can't believe I missed the Prince, Led Zep and James Taylor entries. Must be chemo brain. I trust no one cheated by using iTunes, Napster, Google and the like. I mean, hell, I can do that. I actually came up with four more on my own that oddly enough, weren't mentioned by anyone:
No Rain Blind Melon
I Love a Rainy Night Eddie Rabbitt
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head B.J. Thomas
Fixing a Hole The Beatles
BTW, there's a new link on the left. She's funny and clever, and unfortunately, recently widowed due to cancer. Check out her blog.
"For there is born to you this day in the City of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:11
Surprised you mom, didn't I? Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Couldn't Stand the Weather
That's that the title of a Stevie Ray Vaughn album (or as Wendy (26 years old) calls them, "Big CD's"), but the weather here today is just plain, old fashioned, crappy. It is currently 35 degrees and raining on the shortest (2nd shortest?) day of the year. The only weather I hate worse is when it's real cold (like negative 20 degrees farenheit with a wind chill of about 40 below).
One thing I've been doing between researching my cancer, planning trips, planning my funeral (but more importantly my Irish wake) :-) is thinking up themed CD's. I have one entiled Rain and here's what I have so far:
Rain
1. Like the Weather Natalie Merchant and the 10,000 Maniacs
2. Who’ll Stop the Rain CCR
3. Rain The Beatles
Any Suggestions?
P.S. to Aaron: How you coming on your top 25 all-time albums? I'll give you two of mine: The Who, Who Are You? and Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill.
One thing I've been doing between researching my cancer, planning trips, planning my funeral (but more importantly my Irish wake) :-) is thinking up themed CD's. I have one entiled Rain and here's what I have so far:
Rain
1. Like the Weather Natalie Merchant and the 10,000 Maniacs
2. Who’ll Stop the Rain CCR
3. Rain The Beatles
Any Suggestions?
P.S. to Aaron: How you coming on your top 25 all-time albums? I'll give you two of mine: The Who, Who Are You? and Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Don't Look Back
"Don't look back. Something might gaining on you."
"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching."
"You win a few, you lose a few. Some get rained out. But you got to dress for them all."
Can you match these quotes with the people that said them?
Wrong. They are all attributed to Satchel Paige, the great Negro League pitcher. Satchel was both a great quote and perhaps the greatest pitcher of his generation. Though he didn't get to pitch in the major leagues until he was 45 years old, he acquitted himself well, going 6-1 with a 2.48 E.R.A. to help Cleveland to the 1948 pennant. He pitched regularly until 1954 when he was 50 years old. A major league lifetime ERA of 3.29. Amazing. I knew the first quote came from Paige, wasn't sure about the second, and thought the third quote was from the movie Bull Durham. I should have known that Hollywood writers were too dumb to come up with a line like that.
Anyway, people seem to want to know "how you got cancer", as if it was some social disease. Damned if I know, and it doesn't really matter anyway. The fact is I have it, and I need to deal with the cards I've been dealt. There's something that Melissa and I did at the outset of this ordeal back in late 2002. We made a deal that win, lose or draw, we would not ever second guess our decisions because: (1) It can drive you insane; and (2) It's pointless. The current situation is what it is, and no amount of second guessing is going to change that.
Our last visit to the doctor didn't go so good. My lung is still filled with crap, and the brain MRI discovered a couple of small metasteses, including one on the brain stem. It looks like the end game is in sight, but we'll try to find the right balance between quality vs. quantity of life. Don't look back.
"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching."
"You win a few, you lose a few. Some get rained out. But you got to dress for them all."
Can you match these quotes with the people that said them?
Wrong. They are all attributed to Satchel Paige, the great Negro League pitcher. Satchel was both a great quote and perhaps the greatest pitcher of his generation. Though he didn't get to pitch in the major leagues until he was 45 years old, he acquitted himself well, going 6-1 with a 2.48 E.R.A. to help Cleveland to the 1948 pennant. He pitched regularly until 1954 when he was 50 years old. A major league lifetime ERA of 3.29. Amazing. I knew the first quote came from Paige, wasn't sure about the second, and thought the third quote was from the movie Bull Durham. I should have known that Hollywood writers were too dumb to come up with a line like that.
Anyway, people seem to want to know "how you got cancer", as if it was some social disease. Damned if I know, and it doesn't really matter anyway. The fact is I have it, and I need to deal with the cards I've been dealt. There's something that Melissa and I did at the outset of this ordeal back in late 2002. We made a deal that win, lose or draw, we would not ever second guess our decisions because: (1) It can drive you insane; and (2) It's pointless. The current situation is what it is, and no amount of second guessing is going to change that.
Our last visit to the doctor didn't go so good. My lung is still filled with crap, and the brain MRI discovered a couple of small metasteses, including one on the brain stem. It looks like the end game is in sight, but we'll try to find the right balance between quality vs. quantity of life. Don't look back.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
General Observations
"Do you ever notice that....?"
--Andy Rooney
That the brightest, most articulate couples that you know are always the ones that can't have children or least have trouble conceiving them, whereas every trailer park family has six kids with collective I.Q. of about 70? And let me tell you, as someone who represented a fair number of these people, it ain't because they don't smoke and don't drink.
That the problem with cancer blogs is that your friends keep dying? It makes you think you're bad luck after a while.
That the font size of mail notices that say "IMPORTANT" or "DO NOT DISCARD" is in direct inverse proportion to their actual importance? The IRS never stamps that stuff on their notices.
That when you are behind some moron driving erractically they are invariably on a cell phone?
That when someone is talking too loud in a public place, the conversation is never interesting even though the person wants us all to hear it.
That the losers from your high school all ended up with good paying federal jobs. Unfortunately, they all ended up with the same job, working at the TSA screening for dangerous people like the 90 year old lady in the wheelchair (and 60 year old judges :-) ) and dangerous carryons like shampoo and toothpaste.
That customer service is an oxymoron? I have a Pioneer Airware unit (basically a portable XM unit) that cost probably $250-300 new. I enjoyed the unit but springs that hold on the back door sprung. After 1 1/2 hours on the phone, I was told that "It's not a warranty issue." I called the boss, had to leave a message, and he finally called me back a week later. This is for a part that costs $9.44 on their website (retail).
That people with those Bluetooth phones and headsets are some of the most self important people you will ever meet. I always walk up to them when they are in mid-conversation (of course it's always in public that they have these things) and ask them if they need help landing the Boeing 767. Well, not really, but it would be pretty funny, wouldn't it?
That people are now more shocked when people display common courtesy such as saying "please" and "thank you", open a door for them, or letting them pull in front of you in traffic, than they are by expletives. I guess common courtesy really isn't that common anymore. Maybe we all should see if we can shock a few people this holiday season.
Have a good weekend. Feel free to add your own "did you ever notice" in the comments section.
--Andy Rooney
That the brightest, most articulate couples that you know are always the ones that can't have children or least have trouble conceiving them, whereas every trailer park family has six kids with collective I.Q. of about 70? And let me tell you, as someone who represented a fair number of these people, it ain't because they don't smoke and don't drink.
That the problem with cancer blogs is that your friends keep dying? It makes you think you're bad luck after a while.
That the font size of mail notices that say "IMPORTANT" or "DO NOT DISCARD" is in direct inverse proportion to their actual importance? The IRS never stamps that stuff on their notices.
That when you are behind some moron driving erractically they are invariably on a cell phone?
That when someone is talking too loud in a public place, the conversation is never interesting even though the person wants us all to hear it.
That the losers from your high school all ended up with good paying federal jobs. Unfortunately, they all ended up with the same job, working at the TSA screening for dangerous people like the 90 year old lady in the wheelchair (and 60 year old judges :-) ) and dangerous carryons like shampoo and toothpaste.
That customer service is an oxymoron? I have a Pioneer Airware unit (basically a portable XM unit) that cost probably $250-300 new. I enjoyed the unit but springs that hold on the back door sprung. After 1 1/2 hours on the phone, I was told that "It's not a warranty issue." I called the boss, had to leave a message, and he finally called me back a week later. This is for a part that costs $9.44 on their website (retail).
That people with those Bluetooth phones and headsets are some of the most self important people you will ever meet. I always walk up to them when they are in mid-conversation (of course it's always in public that they have these things) and ask them if they need help landing the Boeing 767. Well, not really, but it would be pretty funny, wouldn't it?
That people are now more shocked when people display common courtesy such as saying "please" and "thank you", open a door for them, or letting them pull in front of you in traffic, than they are by expletives. I guess common courtesy really isn't that common anymore. Maybe we all should see if we can shock a few people this holiday season.
Have a good weekend. Feel free to add your own "did you ever notice" in the comments section.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Back from Philly
The Sights and Sounds from the Birthplace of A Nation
Got back from Philadelphia late Sunday. Dad and I flew out with "The Uncle" and my aunt. It was beautiful (about 70 degrees and Sunny) when we got there. We were met at the airport by my aunt's friend, Gar Joseph, who's a newspaper columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News , and he drove us back to the hotel after we waited 1 1/2 hours for our luggage to be unloaded from the plane (thanks American Airlines).
We went out to dinner at Spasso's, at Gar's suggestion, and it was great. After, dinner Dad and I had a drink at the Penn View Bar & Grill, across the street from our hotel. On, Friday, we went to see Constitution Hall, the U.S. Mint, the Liberty Bell and the Building that initially housed the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court shared the building during this initial time period with Philadelphia Municipal Court so the courtroom had a jury box and a prisoner box.
I also had my first real Philly Cheesesteak at a hole in the wall convenience store located somewhere around 12th and Market. It was awesome!!
On Saturday, we went to the Army-Navy game at Lincoln Finanical Field. My cousin Tim is a cadet at West Point. It was very cool with all of the pagentry including Navy jets and Army helicopters buzzing the stadium, the cadets in their dress blues (Navy) and grays (Army), (attendance is mandatory), great bands and 70,000 of the best behaved most polite football fans you've ever seen. The only person who swore the whole day was me and that was only one "goddammit" when the Army QB let his 2nd interception fly (which was returned for a TD). It was a good game until there were about 10 minutes left. All in all, a very good time. On Sunday, we came back after getting a picture with "Rocky" at the Philedelphia Museum of Art. Our first flight was cancelled (thanks again, American Airlines) so it took a while to get back.
The football Hawkeyes are playing Texas in the Alamo Bowl. They're gonna their collective butts kicked.
Once again, Steve Alford's underacheiving basketball team (has their been any other kind since this asshole has been around?), achieved yet another "first": the first loss to UNI at home in 25 years, which if memory serves, makes it the first loss since Carver-Hawkeye was constructed.
On the cancer front, I felt okay this weekend, and felt real good yesterday(I actually did some Christmas shopping).
With fear and arrogance (or maybe it's ignorance?),
Tom
Got back from Philadelphia late Sunday. Dad and I flew out with "The Uncle" and my aunt. It was beautiful (about 70 degrees and Sunny) when we got there. We were met at the airport by my aunt's friend, Gar Joseph, who's a newspaper columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News , and he drove us back to the hotel after we waited 1 1/2 hours for our luggage to be unloaded from the plane (thanks American Airlines).
We went out to dinner at Spasso's, at Gar's suggestion, and it was great. After, dinner Dad and I had a drink at the Penn View Bar & Grill, across the street from our hotel. On, Friday, we went to see Constitution Hall, the U.S. Mint, the Liberty Bell and the Building that initially housed the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court shared the building during this initial time period with Philadelphia Municipal Court so the courtroom had a jury box and a prisoner box.
I also had my first real Philly Cheesesteak at a hole in the wall convenience store located somewhere around 12th and Market. It was awesome!!
On Saturday, we went to the Army-Navy game at Lincoln Finanical Field. My cousin Tim is a cadet at West Point. It was very cool with all of the pagentry including Navy jets and Army helicopters buzzing the stadium, the cadets in their dress blues (Navy) and grays (Army), (attendance is mandatory), great bands and 70,000 of the best behaved most polite football fans you've ever seen. The only person who swore the whole day was me and that was only one "goddammit" when the Army QB let his 2nd interception fly (which was returned for a TD). It was a good game until there were about 10 minutes left. All in all, a very good time. On Sunday, we came back after getting a picture with "Rocky" at the Philedelphia Museum of Art. Our first flight was cancelled (thanks again, American Airlines) so it took a while to get back.
The football Hawkeyes are playing Texas in the Alamo Bowl. They're gonna their collective butts kicked.
Once again, Steve Alford's underacheiving basketball team (has their been any other kind since this asshole has been around?), achieved yet another "first": the first loss to UNI at home in 25 years, which if memory serves, makes it the first loss since Carver-Hawkeye was constructed.
On the cancer front, I felt okay this weekend, and felt real good yesterday(I actually did some Christmas shopping).
With fear and arrogance (or maybe it's ignorance?),
Tom
Monday, November 27, 2006
Feelin' Alright (Not Feeling Too Good Myself)
SEEMS I'VE GOT TO HAVE A CHANGE OF SCENES
CAUSE EVERYNIGHT I HAVE THE STRANGEST DREAMS
IMPRISONED BY THE WAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN
LEFT HERE ON MY OWN OR SO IT SEEMS
I'VE GOT TO LEAVE BEFORE I START TO SCREAM
SOMEONE LOCKED THE DOOR AND TURNED THE KEY
FEELING ALRIGHT
I'M NOT FEELING TOO GOOD MYSELF
--Joe Cocker
Long time, no write. Lots of news to catch up on. I started on a massive dose of steroids (80 mg/day initially) and have been tolerating them remarkably well. These are Prednisone which different than what I had been taking (Decadron). I have been sleeping 6 1/2 hours night without any of "Mother's Little Helpers" (Lunesta). I do sleep a couple of hours longer with the Lunesta, but despite what they say, there is a hangover effect. The steroids appear to be working, and my cough has all but disappeared. It reappeared over the weekend, but seems to be better on Monday, worse on Tuesday and Wednesday. We took a picture of the lung. A little bit of improvement but not much. Going to continue on the steroid course until further notice.
We had a great Thanksgiving this year. Melissa outdid herself with dinner, and I think most everyone agreed. The only bummer was that it was so good that there wasn't any leftover gravy, and only about 2 lbs. of turkey (out of 22 lbs.) left. The leftovers after everyone is gone is one of my favorite parts of Thankgiving. Given that the over/under on my life span according to the doctors (and most of the medical literature) is up on November 12, 2007, I can't help but thinking that this was my last Thanksgiving, next month is my last Christmas, and so on. I usually don't dwell on this stuff, but I have been crying a lot lately and not sleeping very well the past few nights.
My youngest sister, Stephanie, got engaged on Sunday onher drive home to Chicago. It's nice to have some good news for a change. She's talking about a wedding in Des Moines in August which works out well for me.
I'm going to the Army/Navy football game in Philly this weekend with Dad. We're leaving tomorrow morning bright and early. It should be a good time.
CAUSE EVERYNIGHT I HAVE THE STRANGEST DREAMS
IMPRISONED BY THE WAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN
LEFT HERE ON MY OWN OR SO IT SEEMS
I'VE GOT TO LEAVE BEFORE I START TO SCREAM
SOMEONE LOCKED THE DOOR AND TURNED THE KEY
FEELING ALRIGHT
I'M NOT FEELING TOO GOOD MYSELF
--Joe Cocker
Long time, no write. Lots of news to catch up on. I started on a massive dose of steroids (80 mg/day initially) and have been tolerating them remarkably well. These are Prednisone which different than what I had been taking (Decadron). I have been sleeping 6 1/2 hours night without any of "Mother's Little Helpers" (Lunesta). I do sleep a couple of hours longer with the Lunesta, but despite what they say, there is a hangover effect. The steroids appear to be working, and my cough has all but disappeared. It reappeared over the weekend, but seems to be better on Monday, worse on Tuesday and Wednesday. We took a picture of the lung. A little bit of improvement but not much. Going to continue on the steroid course until further notice.
We had a great Thanksgiving this year. Melissa outdid herself with dinner, and I think most everyone agreed. The only bummer was that it was so good that there wasn't any leftover gravy, and only about 2 lbs. of turkey (out of 22 lbs.) left. The leftovers after everyone is gone is one of my favorite parts of Thankgiving. Given that the over/under on my life span according to the doctors (and most of the medical literature) is up on November 12, 2007, I can't help but thinking that this was my last Thanksgiving, next month is my last Christmas, and so on. I usually don't dwell on this stuff, but I have been crying a lot lately and not sleeping very well the past few nights.
My youngest sister, Stephanie, got engaged on Sunday onher drive home to Chicago. It's nice to have some good news for a change. She's talking about a wedding in Des Moines in August which works out well for me.
I'm going to the Army/Navy football game in Philly this weekend with Dad. We're leaving tomorrow morning bright and early. It should be a good time.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
[P]Neumon[itis]
The Operation was a Success, But the Patient Died
"Hello, Newman."--Jerry Seinfeld
"What, me worry?"--Alfred E. Neuman
I thought I had something simple like pneumonia, but NO-O-O-O. It now appears that I have something called pneumonitis which is an inflammation of the lung tissue, caused by either radiation or possibly chemotherapy. I'm going to confer with Dr. Heddinger tomorrow, but he was ready to go with the steroids without seeing me. We've basically ruled out everything else already. Treatment consists of a 3 month course of massive amounts of steroids. I'll basically be up 21 hours/day between now and February 15. I'll say hello to Santa for y'all.
P.S. for "the uncle"--Passing the drug test at the NFL combine is going to be a bitch.
"Hello, Newman."--Jerry Seinfeld
"What, me worry?"--Alfred E. Neuman
I thought I had something simple like pneumonia, but NO-O-O-O. It now appears that I have something called pneumonitis which is an inflammation of the lung tissue, caused by either radiation or possibly chemotherapy. I'm going to confer with Dr. Heddinger tomorrow, but he was ready to go with the steroids without seeing me. We've basically ruled out everything else already. Treatment consists of a 3 month course of massive amounts of steroids. I'll basically be up 21 hours/day between now and February 15. I'll say hello to Santa for y'all.
P.S. for "the uncle"--Passing the drug test at the NFL combine is going to be a bitch.
Feedback and...
the Hawkeyes on Cheap Street.
It's been nice getting feedback from everyone I know and don't know. Talking to a wall, while it can be therapeutic outlet, does eventually get old once you figure out the wall isn't going to say anything back no matter how long you talk. So thanks for the feedback everyone near and far.
We had our huge family and friends tailgate (roughly 20 people) for the Hawks' last home game. They disappointed as they have all season, once again blowing a winnable game. What a disappointing season. I lasted about 1 1/2 quarters inside the game, and then came out and watched the remainder of the game from the van we rented on the stadium big screen. It was nice seeing family and friends that we don't get to see very often. It looks like the Hawks and their families will be spending Christmas in Detroit for the Motor City Bowl which, if memory serves, is on December 26. Uh, thanks, but as tempting as that sounds, I think Melissa and I will be sitting this one out. For the first time in six years, we will miss the bowl game.
It's been nice getting feedback from everyone I know and don't know. Talking to a wall, while it can be therapeutic outlet, does eventually get old once you figure out the wall isn't going to say anything back no matter how long you talk. So thanks for the feedback everyone near and far.
We had our huge family and friends tailgate (roughly 20 people) for the Hawks' last home game. They disappointed as they have all season, once again blowing a winnable game. What a disappointing season. I lasted about 1 1/2 quarters inside the game, and then came out and watched the remainder of the game from the van we rented on the stadium big screen. It was nice seeing family and friends that we don't get to see very often. It looks like the Hawks and their families will be spending Christmas in Detroit for the Motor City Bowl which, if memory serves, is on December 26. Uh, thanks, but as tempting as that sounds, I think Melissa and I will be sitting this one out. For the first time in six years, we will miss the bowl game.
We will being going to Minneapolis next weekend to see their finale against the Gophers for Joe's birthday. I hope they do well. Joe is bringing three friends with him and we'll be staying over Friday night because of the 11:00 a.m. kickoff.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Good News (Really!)
Melissa chastised the doctors into getting the results to us today, and we were told that there is no additional cancer in the lung! There is a bacterial infection so hopefully the antibiotics I'm on now will kill that. The coughing up blood is apparently a "normal side effect" of the bronchoscopy. Hopefully, we'll get more complete results on Monday, but this is about the best news it could have been, so I'm pretty happy. I think I may go to the game tomorrow.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
What the hell happened to me?
I went to Doctor's today for more tests. Tuesday, they took another X-Ray and all the white crap in the right lung was exactly as it had been the week before. I guess I'm done with chemo now.
Dr. Heddinger had referred me to Dr. Greg Hicklin a pulmonary specialist and a good guy. After reviewing the X-ray, he concluded that their definitely was some sort of viral thing going on, and possibly additional cancer, so we needed to swab the inside of the lungs. Apparently, excepting Dr. Hicklin, it is a requirement that all other other doctors and other employees in the pulmonary field have a surgical removal of their personality before they begin working in the field.
They decided to put me under and started taking samples of all the crap in my right lung. They blew air into the lung and apparently stirred up some shit because I started running a fever which reached as high as 103.8 before finally breaking earlier this morning. My throat hurts from the tube they stuck down there yesterday, and it hurts to talk. I'm on some new antibiotics so hopefully these do the trick or else I probably have pneumanitis and will have to have a three month course of steroids.
Dr. Heddinger had referred me to Dr. Greg Hicklin a pulmonary specialist and a good guy. After reviewing the X-ray, he concluded that their definitely was some sort of viral thing going on, and possibly additional cancer, so we needed to swab the inside of the lungs. Apparently, excepting Dr. Hicklin, it is a requirement that all other other doctors and other employees in the pulmonary field have a surgical removal of their personality before they begin working in the field.
They decided to put me under and started taking samples of all the crap in my right lung. They blew air into the lung and apparently stirred up some shit because I started running a fever which reached as high as 103.8 before finally breaking earlier this morning. My throat hurts from the tube they stuck down there yesterday, and it hurts to talk. I'm on some new antibiotics so hopefully these do the trick or else I probably have pneumanitis and will have to have a three month course of steroids.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Vote Early
and Vote Often. I let you all in whatever the hell's wrong with me when the docs get around to figuring it out.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Courage
The most overused word in the dictionary
"Mr./Ms./Mrs. ______________ died Monday following a courageous battle with cancer." Nearly every obit you see where a person died of cancer starts this way. I don't feel courageous and neither does anyone else I know that has cancer. People who have fought in wars, don't feel courageous either from what I have seen and heard. Even decorated vets typically say (if they talk about it at all), "I was just doing my job. " Having cancer is a lot the same. You do what you have to do and move on.
And generally speaking annoucers that use this word when referring to athletes, and (God help us) athletes that use this word when referring to themselves need to be smacked. The day it takes courage to be paid $5 million a year to go across the middle, you can sign me up.
Maybe my obit can start, "Mr. Clarke died of cancer Monday like 550,000 other Americans will this year, and over five million have during the past decade. Severe underfunding of basic research at the federal level, and ignorance and/or intentional misrepresentation by various governmental officals of what would occur if stem cell research were allowed and funded at an adequate level, contributed to his death."
"Mr./Ms./Mrs. ______________ died Monday following a courageous battle with cancer." Nearly every obit you see where a person died of cancer starts this way. I don't feel courageous and neither does anyone else I know that has cancer. People who have fought in wars, don't feel courageous either from what I have seen and heard. Even decorated vets typically say (if they talk about it at all), "I was just doing my job. " Having cancer is a lot the same. You do what you have to do and move on.
And generally speaking annoucers that use this word when referring to athletes, and (God help us) athletes that use this word when referring to themselves need to be smacked. The day it takes courage to be paid $5 million a year to go across the middle, you can sign me up.
Maybe my obit can start, "Mr. Clarke died of cancer Monday like 550,000 other Americans will this year, and over five million have during the past decade. Severe underfunding of basic research at the federal level, and ignorance and/or intentional misrepresentation by various governmental officals of what would occur if stem cell research were allowed and funded at an adequate level, contributed to his death."
Friday, November 03, 2006
The Fear is Gone
Crash Davis: "You gotta play this game with fear and arrogance."
Nuke LaLoosh: "Right. Fear and ignorance."
Crash Davis: "No. Fear and arrogance, you, hayseed, not ignorance!"
Nuke LaLoosh: "I know. I just like to see you get all worked up. "
--Bull Durham
Andy Dufresne: "I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying. "
Red: "Get busy living... or get busy dying. That's god damn right..."
--The Shawshank Redemption
Fear. Everybody has had it. Fear of getting fired, fear of not getting the promotion, fear that we love someone who may not love us back, fear of having and raising kids, fear of dying or fear of living alone, fear of pain, and so on. However, once I got the diagnoses that I was a bonus winner in cancer game (that's two primary cancers (brain and lung) for those of you keeping score at home), the fear is gone. All of the fears I had before the lung cancer diagnosis are gone. They are completely irrelevant to my life now. The only real worries (not fears) that I have are that I don't have enough life insurance for Melissa and the boys and whether or not I'm going to heaven, hell, or purgatory. (At least I think purgatory is still an option in the Catholic church).
The fear has been replaced with an almost overwhemling feeling of sadness that I feel at times. Sad that Melissa and I won't grow old together and I won't be able to drive her crazy by wearing dark socks with tennis shoes all the time. Sad that I won't see the boys grow up and graduate from high school, college, and graduate school. Sad that when Melissa and I talk about our future and living in a condo downtown somewhere after the kids are grown, it seems about as likely as winning the lottery.
But nevertheless, I've decided to play the rest of the game with arrogance (or hell, maybe it is ignorance) because the fear is gone. But averages are just that. The Clarkes have always been above average, so I'm planning on outliving my November 2007 "drop dead" date. We're getting busy living and making travel plans for 2007 and hopefully 2008 pretty soon.
Without fear, but with arrogance (or maybe ignorance), I'll see all of you soon.
Tom
Nuke LaLoosh: "Right. Fear and ignorance."
Crash Davis: "No. Fear and arrogance, you, hayseed, not ignorance!"
Nuke LaLoosh: "I know. I just like to see you get all worked up. "
--Bull Durham
Andy Dufresne: "I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying. "
Red: "Get busy living... or get busy dying. That's god damn right..."
--The Shawshank Redemption
Fear. Everybody has had it. Fear of getting fired, fear of not getting the promotion, fear that we love someone who may not love us back, fear of having and raising kids, fear of dying or fear of living alone, fear of pain, and so on. However, once I got the diagnoses that I was a bonus winner in cancer game (that's two primary cancers (brain and lung) for those of you keeping score at home), the fear is gone. All of the fears I had before the lung cancer diagnosis are gone. They are completely irrelevant to my life now. The only real worries (not fears) that I have are that I don't have enough life insurance for Melissa and the boys and whether or not I'm going to heaven, hell, or purgatory. (At least I think purgatory is still an option in the Catholic church).
The fear has been replaced with an almost overwhemling feeling of sadness that I feel at times. Sad that Melissa and I won't grow old together and I won't be able to drive her crazy by wearing dark socks with tennis shoes all the time. Sad that I won't see the boys grow up and graduate from high school, college, and graduate school. Sad that when Melissa and I talk about our future and living in a condo downtown somewhere after the kids are grown, it seems about as likely as winning the lottery.
But nevertheless, I've decided to play the rest of the game with arrogance (or hell, maybe it is ignorance) because the fear is gone. But averages are just that. The Clarkes have always been above average, so I'm planning on outliving my November 2007 "drop dead" date. We're getting busy living and making travel plans for 2007 and hopefully 2008 pretty soon.
Without fear, but with arrogance (or maybe ignorance), I'll see all of you soon.
Tom
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Last Minute Election Issue
What you should know about Stem Cell research
If you are still undecided on who to vote for, or which side you should be on on the stem cell research, here are some additional resources. An article entitled "Stem Cell Politics" from the New England Journal of Medicine can be found here:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/355/16/1633?query=TOC
A pretty dry article from the same source regarding FDA Regulation of stem cell research is here:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/355/16/1730?query=TOC
A quick and dirty rundown of the issue can be found here:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/medtech/0,71401-0.html
and this is just plain interesting for those of you that think it's a political issue:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3700015.stm
and this link is funny in the sense that I stumbled upon it in a footnote from a familyresearchcouncil.org position paper, wherein three of the four doctors in the citation actually support expanded research into stem cells. The fourth doctor is employed by the Family Research Council:
http://commerce.senate.gov/hearings/witnesslist.cfm?id=1323
Stem cell research probably won't do me any good personally (I expect my time to be up before any cures are found), but it is the right and moral thing to do. Thanks again for taking the time to look at this stuff.
Tom
If you are still undecided on who to vote for, or which side you should be on on the stem cell research, here are some additional resources. An article entitled "Stem Cell Politics" from the New England Journal of Medicine can be found here:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/355/16/1633?query=TOC
A pretty dry article from the same source regarding FDA Regulation of stem cell research is here:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/355/16/1730?query=TOC
A quick and dirty rundown of the issue can be found here:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/medtech/0,71401-0.html
and this is just plain interesting for those of you that think it's a political issue:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3700015.stm
and this link is funny in the sense that I stumbled upon it in a footnote from a familyresearchcouncil.org position paper, wherein three of the four doctors in the citation actually support expanded research into stem cells. The fourth doctor is employed by the Family Research Council:
http://commerce.senate.gov/hearings/witnesslist.cfm?id=1323
Stem cell research probably won't do me any good personally (I expect my time to be up before any cures are found), but it is the right and moral thing to do. Thanks again for taking the time to look at this stuff.
Tom
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