Today is Saturday, January 22nd

I'm playing catch up again...  Sometimes life gets in the way.  T & I are renewed.  It's terrible that death should be the harbinger for living consciously but so it is.  I guess complacency is the opposite and for us, just NOT acceptable.  Joan will be a part of us forever even though I've never met her... I feel like we would have been fast friends... now she is a part of our memory and we thank her for being a part of our experience.  Carpe diem!!!

Thursday is usually Brokers tour day but this week, T & I spent the day at Stanford after consuming a big breakfast.  We are blessed.  Tracy is treated so well (a bed so he could doze) as he is given 2 infusions of blood and I go off to get some stuff done.... never realized that an oil change for my hybrid would be 2.5 times more expensive than a gas powered auto but there you have it... the car and our environment are definitely worth it, with all the driving we do...  anyway,  I made a run to Costco & a few other stops and then, for the very first time... drum roll please... I found a 2 hour parking spot on Pasteur Drive, skirted the garage and the consistent $6 please for any parking under 6 hours.  I picked up a panini to split with my honey and T & I relaxed while he was given his last infusion....made it back to my car before the avaricious meter maid.  My broker had called with an REO listing opportunity on the Eastside of San Jose so, that would be our next stop.  It took about an hour to reach the very dense neighborhood off King Rd north of 680 and it was dark and a little scary.  I knocked on the door as my honey stood sentinel outside the door of our car (T was too wiped out to venture any further).  Since the man who answered didn't speak English and I speak enough Spanish to get the point across; this was definitely not a match made in heaven.  He claimed he didn't live there & no one else was home.  I left my card but I won't be holding my breath for a call back.  Unfortunate situation and T & I decided that we wouldn't pursue this one.  Too far from Stanford to make it manageable.  Next stop home in heavy but moving traffic and Michelle's veggie soup for me and chicken soup & pastina for T....

Friday was to be a day off for me.  Wow!!!  I took care of business, made a French toast & bacon breakfast for us and played hooky with my buddy, Marilyn.  We hiked 6.5 miles in Wilder State Park and it was glorious!!!  I had never been in the park and it is truly worth the trip.  It's just north of Santa Cruz and it straddles Hiway 1.  So scenic and peaceful; I only felt a twinge of guilt that I couldn't take Riley along to play.  Meanwhile our buddy, Gary Whitney picked up my honey and transported him to Stanford.  Wow!!!  Friends mean so much!!  On their way back they picked up Deb and in the meantime, I met Barry & Dottie at the office so they could accept the deal and release most of their contingencies.  It was a very happy day!!!  I was back home when T & co. arrived and we drank some red and ate some brie to celebrate.  I topped the day off with a relaxing soak in my way too big tub (when we were building the house, we climbed into it for a test drive in the Saratoga Plumbing showroom to make sure we both would fit in it together, never considering that it might be too big for just one).  I like it much better when we're both in it but right now with a PICC line, T is relegated to showers only.  Oh well... the bath was needed and I didn't drown..

Saturday dawned early and we ate scrambled eggs & bacon and set off for T's last trip to Stanford for the week.  I claimed a parking space on Pasteur Drive after dropping T off... I'm getting pretty good at this... and joined my T as we chatted with Joaquin & Jerry and waited for T's RN to magically appear.  Joaquin starts his transplant this week.  I have a good feeling for him... my hair stood up on my arms in confirmation....  We talked about the fact that they spent about $25,000 on Residence Inn while he has been getting treatment.  I wish I had met them sooner.  They could have invested in a condo and had something to show for it.... that got me thinking... a new potential project in the making.  Anyway, we beat the meter maid and sped off in the glorious sun and decided that this was a day for the beach.  Riley, T & me together on the beach again... just for a little while and then, on to Linda & Jim's to break bread and drink some red....    Night all...

Today is Wednesday, January 19th

Tracy was driven to Stanford today by an old friend from the bay area, Michael Dougherty.  He actually drove over from San Jose, picked up Tracy and then, drove him to Stanford.   God bless him!!!  Michael dropped T off for his labs & hell shot and when T was ready;  he called Michael to pick him up and drive him home.  What an incredible favor!!!

I was free to attend the Women's Council of Realtors luncheon and meet with my clients this afternoon, while I tried not to worry about Trace.  After all, this was the first time someone else had driven T for his treatment and I had my fingers crossed.  I've been yearning for a break and today was the first one.  So, I took care of business and returned home about 5:00 to find my baby looking kinda sickly...

   All went well today but T's numbers are off so, he'll need two blood transfusions tomorrow.  That means I'll be driving him since it takes about 2 hours per transfusion in addition to his hell shot so, we let Linda off the hook for driving him on Thursday.  T also was feeling kinda nauseous from the treatment so, I made some chicken soup with pastina and T's stomach settled down.

I think it will be an early evening....

Today is Tuesday, January 18th

We've heard of three deaths in the last day... thank God that's over... they always come in threes: our neighbor, Debi's Mom, Joan Kelley Pariso & Sargent Shriver... T & I were very emotional.  Joan was a dear friend from T's high school & college years whom T'd  reunited with on Facebook.  Joan had been designing homemade cards and writing thoughtful, encouraging messages and heartfelt memories of their early days and sending Tracy 2-3 a week for months.  I looked forward to seeing those cards and sometimes reading them to Tracy, at times through my tears.  Joan had a way of relating that struck home on all levels.  She was our age or a few years younger and lived in Minnesota.  She'd started seeing a 39 year old and was enjoying life.   There was talk of her coming to California in February.  She died of a massive heart attack Monday evening.  I hope she was having fun when it happened!!!!!

We are reminded of the fragility of life and our mortality; the horrible specter of living without each other.  Joan was an important piece in the checkerboard and now she's gone.  She will be missed yet we go on; saddened by the ghost of what might have been and that nothing ever stays the same... there's nothing so constant as change.

Upon reading the email, Tracy went to the beach with Riley; first time since a few days before he was hospitalized back in October.  I missed the adventure but I thank God that there will be another time... I hope it will be soon.

Today is Monday, January 17th

Stress does terrible things to us.  It works it's insidious way into our psyches and makes us do and say things we regret.  I realize that I am stressed to the max and I have to look for ways to let go... that is a fact.  I will work some walking in to my schedule again.

Tracy had a big smile on his face when I got home today.  He had rosy cheeks and he wanted me to relax with him for a little while.  I had a myriad of things to do but I decided that spending some time with T was more important... I'm soo glad I did.

I'm about to change my whole working set up.  I am going to get rid of the tools I don't use or don't like using, my PC for one, and convert everything over to my mac.  I'll have to buy a CRM software program but that should make things easier and me much more efficient.  We'll see now, won't we?

All is well...

Today is Sunday, January 16th

Tracy is looking good!!!  His eyes radiate his strength again.  He's back!  And this after a full first round of treatment... second round coming up...
i ran out to Castroville this morning to let my clients in and do my visual inspection.  Ran back home and put the chicken & veggies in to roast in my clay pot and realized we needed eggs, Italian bread and a pie for my love.  We were going to celebrate his health with Jim & Linda and we did!!!  And the Bears won!!! The Patriots lost so next week should be very interesting... all the way around....

Today is Saturday, January 15th

Friday was a whirlwind of activity starting with my board meeting and then, our third trip to Stanford in as many days.  Tracy had had some side effects and we were keeping our fingers crossed that they'd subside.  It was such a stunningly gorgeous day that we just relaxed and made believe we were just taking a drive.  Tracy, as DJ, spinning Stevie Winwood, Stevie Wonder and Boney James while we enjoyed each other's company and the beauty of our drive north through the Santa Cruz mountains, highway 85 and ultimately, the scenic views of 280 and Alpine Road winding our way to the hallowed halls of Stanford Hospital and Tracy's next hell shot.  We met another couple in the treatment area. Jerry and Joaquin are from the gold country, a little town near Jackson.  He has been treated almost every day for a year for AML so, they stay in a Residence Inn while his bone marrow transplant is being readied.  He's very lucky.  He has 5 matches and they aren't relatives.  We are truly blessed!!

 I usually work while I wait for Tracy and I was able to set up an apt with Barry & Dottie at my office upon my return.  We went over all the disclosures and reports and set up a time on Sun. to revisit the ranch with a contractor to get estimates on work needed.  I was pretty pooped by 7:00 and finally, went home to grill some salmon and green beans while sipping on a glass or two of red.  It was an early night since Thurs night I had gone to Sam Farr's Remembrance for those who were killed in Arizona and hadn't gotten much sleep.

Saturday was another just phenomenally beautiful day.  We chuckled along, listening to "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" and arrived right on time for T's 12:00 apt. when Gary called.  That's when my ride to celebrate Cathy's 60th birthday in San Jose that evening disappeared.  Oh well, he must have stayed up all night to come up with that excuse.  Anyway, Jerry & Joaquin were just leaving the treatment room.  T was primed and ready cause he didn't want to miss any football....  and we got some great news!  No transfusions or platelets needed!!  A couple pills and the hell shot and we were on our way. .. as DJ Tracy played Diana Krall and then, the Steelers battled the Ravens; we wound our way home to Rio Del Mar... gassed up on the way to the office to kill some more trees, CVS for protein drinks, Deluxe for range free chicken & organic veggies and finally, dropped T at home and met my stylist, Michael for some "me" time.... the roots gotta go...  home to a cocktail with my honey as we watched the Packers trounce the Falcons.  Our picks were on the birds today and they really were for the birds...0-2.  Let's hope the Bears and the Patriots show up to play tomorrow!!!
And to all a good night!!!

Today is Thursday, January 13th

Reports begin to stack up.  I find I need a physical piece of paper to digest the importance of the text rather than reading the report online....I feel badly 'cause I kill a lot of trees in the process but reading online just doesn't work for me.  I do wonder about reading a book on an ipad.  I know I enjoy turning the pages of a book but the page turning sound effects are pretty cool on an ipad.  We'll see... next generation ipad here I come... so, I printed out the septic, home inspection and preliminary title reports for the Castroville ranch and redid the purchase agreement for Janet & Mike's Boulder Creek duplex (the hedge fund seller still hasn't acted on it and they've had it for almost 3 months!!!!  no wonder I have gray hair) and scooted to Stanford with Tracy.  Tracy seemed rested and ready for the next hell shot and I had plenty to keep me busy.  Mr. T seems to be tolerating it even though last night was a tough one for him...

                             T says bring it on!!!