June 30, Thy Name is Hell

Amber closed on her new home yesterday, so last night, Jill, Susan and I started to help her move some things from her apartment to her new place. Her family came this morning to help load the heavy stuff - couches, dressers, beds, etc. - but last night, we tackled the boxes we could lift. Amber made a very decent dent in bringing over her clothes and kitchen items, so we spent a couple of hours unpacking boxes and finding new homes for her belongings. Unfortunately, right in the middle of setting up her kitchen, an enormous rain and thunder storm -- a derecho -- came from nowhere and knocked out all of the power in the region. So, there we were....in a new home, with no power, no light, no candles, no flashlights, and no sense of direction. Good times!

When we woke on Saturday morning, we discovered that not only did we still not have power, but more than 3 million homes from Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland had no power. Normally, this would be a huge inconvenience, but given that we're in the middle of a heat wave - we're on our third day of 100 degree heat - it sucked!

Suffice to say, Amber's moving day was from HELL. It was 100 degrees and we had to move all of her stuff into a brigade of minivans because the rental truck company was out of power as well. After one trip loading and unloading cars, there wasn't a friend or family member who looked fresh. It was flat-out miserable. Fortunately, by 11am we were done with the heavy lifting and by 2pm we had reached our tolerance level.

I don't do well in 100 degrees when I'm able to sit in an air conditioned house! I was downright crabby by the time 10pm hit and I was still without power! Fortunately, our neighborhood was one of the lucky ones....we got power back after 24 hours. Still, June 30 will go down as one miserable day!

A Visitor from Europe

My dad's cousin, Barbara Ferg-Carter, arrived from Italy last week for her month-long vacation in the States. Fortunately, she flew into Philadelphia to see family and friends in New Jersey and then she drove south to Atlanta and Florida, but not before stopping for the night in Virginia! She arrived at my place yesterday afternoon and we had a great time catching up and spending the evening together. Susan was able to join us for about an hour at dinner, which we all enjoyed.

She's officially retiring from federal service next Spring, so I need to get myself over the Europe pronto! I'm trying to convince Jill that we need to go in November, but I'm not sure the new home owner will be able to swing it. We'll see....it's been three years since I've gone to Europe, so I'm declaring myself officially overdue for a trip!

Officially Good Cancer News

Mom got her results back today and she officially does not have to have chemo!! Waa-Hoo! I have to say that the thought of my mother enduring chemo had me mentally in the fetal position, rocking back and forth with a woobie and my thumb in my mouth. I simply did not, do not, never want any member of my family to have to endure chemo. It's just the most wretched medical treatment and I'm convinced you're never the same afterward.

Happily, Mom will need to do six weeks of radiation (which comes with it's own set of side-effects, albeit less radical) and then take an aroma inhibitor pill for five years. It's not ideal - ideal would to never have been diagnosed with cancer - but it's far better than the alternative.

She starts her treatments on July 1 and will go through August 16. It's a rather lousy way to spend the summer, but she'll get through it and will be rarin' to go come September!

Christmas Dream in June

I woke this morning to an email from Jocelyn, tossing out the idea that she, Allen, Sawyer and Walker come to Washington to celebrate Christmas. Holy cow!!! Talk about a Christmas dream!! I would be beyond giddy to celebrate Christmas with our entire family! Watching Sawyer and Walker opening presents on Christmas morning? Dream come true! Now, let's hope the airline industry cooperates and helps us make his a reality!

Now Amber's a Home Owner

First Chappy bought a place across the street from me - a darling two-level condo that she has perfected - and now Amber has bought a place across the other side of the street! I have Amber to my left and Chappy to my right. I keep telling people that we could play the telephone game with a couple of cans and some string!

Traditionally, I've liked my private space - I don't need to live on top of friends or have them right around the corner from me - which is why I've always chosen to live a least a mile or so away from friends and even Susan. However, I have to say it's been nice to have Jill so close and I'm sure I'll love having Amber next door. At the very least, I have two places to go when I lock myself out of my home!

Happy Cancer News

Mom got through her surgery today and it looks like we'll be hearing good news! The surgeon said that she got the remainder of the tumor (a lot of it was taken during the biopsy a couple of weeks ago) and it doesn't appear as though any of the cancer reached her lymph nodes, which is a huge relief. No lymph nodes means no chemotherapy! Phew!

Susan is in Denver taking care of her, but I spoke with Mom tonight and she sounded great. To make the situation even better, her oxygen levels are also great. When I was on the phone with her tonight, she was registering a 96 out of 100. Double phew!!

We'll hear definitively on Thursday whether the lymph nodes are involved, but the surgeon thinks we'll be hearing good news! I think we're all taking very big sighs of relief!