Turning the Tables

Sunday we had a good time going to a movie at Downtown Disney.  We saw The Raven, which starred John Cusack.  I've always been a big fan of his.  In this movie, set in Baltimore, he plays Edgar Allen Poe in his last days.  An evil man is killing people by acting out Poe's stories, so the police enlists his help in solving the crime.  Great movie!

Then we went to lunch at Pollo Campero and had vegetarian chili before heading to Epcot.  We enjoyed some time at the Flower and Garden Festival, especially in the butterfly house. I held a gigantic orange butterfly on my finger!  We also went to the concert of Chuck Negron, formerly an original member of Three Dog Night.  Lots of fun.

Now for today.  Mark and I turned the tables on each other.  He had the doctor's appointment, and I sat in the waiting room.  He saw a dermatologist for three suspicious moles on the back of his legs.  The doctor took biopsies of all three, and we should know the results in about a week.  We can even get them online!  If they are benign, which the doctor thinks they are, he can cancel the next appointment he made for three weeks from now.  If they show anything, then he'll have the entire mole removed.  We are not really worried about it, but it will be good once we know for sure.

I took him out to lunch at Beef O'Brady's, a restaurant I have been wanting to try. Mark went there several times for NARFE meetings and said the vegetable bowl was good. He was right; it was good.  Then we tried to look up the calories online and found it contained a whopping 1079!!  I really don't understand how that could be.  Even considering that I left off the poblano cream sauce, mine probably still had 900 calories.  Ridiculous.  Next time, I'd better check the calories online BEFORE I order something like that. 

I made up for it by going to the gym and doing my weight routine for 15 minutes, walking 33 minutes, and swimming 15 minutes.  I also ate only four ounces of grilled chicken on leafy veggies for dinner, under 200 calories.  I'm still going to make my calorie count for the day, but it was just such a shock to see that an innocent looking vegetable bowl was so high in calories.

Beautiful days

I promised to talk about two things, Starliter awards and Magic Kingdom, and I will.  I also need to talk about my trip to the GYN/ONC.

Let's start with the ONC visit on Thursday.  Good news!  The most recent ultrasound that I had showed that the mass on the left ovary has shrunk by one-tenth of a centimeter, not a lot but it is still shrinkage.  It also shows conclusively that it is a fluid-filled cyst, the benign kind, with no doubt.  My uterine lining is also now of normal size.  All is good!  I don't have to worry or check on it anymore.  That's what we want to hear! 

Now to the fun stuff!  At the cast party Tuesday night for the Starliters show, I won three awards!  I didn't even know they were doing awards.  They actually set it up like the Academy Awards with nominations in various categories.  The winners came up and got certificates and one trophy for the group to share.  My three awards were in these categories:
1. The Ensemble with Rehearsal Longevity: The winner is "The Wedding Singer."  There were 11 of us in that ensemble, the largest one that they ever did.  We started rehearsing the first week of January.
2. The Finest Final Pose:  The winner is "Friends on Broadway."  There were 6 women in that one and we did a cutesy pose at the end.  I guess that's why we won this one.
3. The Best Audience Response:  The winner is "Do You Love Me?," my duet with Tom.  We got huge applause and a standing ovation one of the nights.  I actually got to take the trophy home for this one!  I think I'll give it to Tom to share in the fall.

Mark and I really enjoyed the dinner, the company, the awards show, and the rough cut DVD of the show that they ran afterwards.  All in all, it was a very lovely cast party.

On Wednesday, Mark and I spent the day at the Magic Kingdom. I wanted to have some time to do the new Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom card game. Mark has done it a lot and is a "master sorcerer."  He's actually completed the game because he went over several evenings while I was at the Starliters. Now it was my turn. I did two game sets, one in Main Street and one in Fantasyland.  It's a lot of fun, but if I was a vacationer with only a day or two to spend in the Magic Kingdom, I would not take the time to do this game. For people like us, it's a lot of fun to add something new to do there.

We also saw a fantastic magic show in the ballroom last night.  Today we went to shul and then went to our rabbi's house for lunch.  That was very nice.  I think I even controlled myself and didn't eat too much. Afterwards, we went to the pool for a few hours.  What a great day!

So much to say

I didn't have a chance to write a blog yesterday, so I have 48 hours of "stuff" to talk about today.  So much stuff!

First, let me report that Mark really enjoyed the auditions on Tuesday for the radio drama.  He came home around 12:15 that afternoon just flying from having so much fun. He said that even if he didn't get a part in the show the audition time was worth it for the fun factor that morning.  Well, he DID get a part.  He will be playing George, the Head Angel, in It's a Wonderful Life, done as a radio drama.  I am very proud of him, and I know he will have a great time during October when the rehearsals run three days a week!  The show will be performed four times as a dinner theater the first weekend in November.  Hey, if the menu is good, I'll go all four nights!

Second, let me report that the surgeon does NOT need to drain the seroma in the left breast.  Let's all breathe a huge sigh of relief.  I was very, very happy to hear that. I liked this surgeon very much, so now I "have" a surgeon in case there is a need for one in the future.  He also told me some more interesting things about my particular seroma and seromas in general.  My oncologist had told me that it had basically stayed the same from last July to January on the two ultrasounds.  She was pleased that it had stayed the same, but she still wanted it seen by the surgeon in case he felt it was big enough to need draining. 

Here's where it gets interesting. The surgeon showed me the actual written reports.  The damn thing had SHRUNK, not stayed the same.  Last July it was 3 cm by 1 cm.  In January it was 2.5 by 0.7.  Definitely smaller.  Why did the onc say it hadn't changed?  Anyway, he drew a picture for me of the size and shape.  Bigger than I imagined that would be. He pointed it out in the breast, which I would have guessed because of the texture.  He said that because it's shrinking, he would not recommend draining it at this time. I said a BIG YAY!!!!  He also said that if it's drained, it's painful, so he doesn't do it unless absolutely necessary.  Let's all hope it doesn't become necessary.  He also said that the radiation causes them. I didn't know that really. He also said that if it got bigger it's a concern because (and these are his exact, medical words) it means "there's trouble brewing in there."  LOL!  I really liked this guy.

Anyway, I have another ultrasound scheduled for the end of July.  Hopefully it has shrunk some more!

Third, I didn't have a chance to write about Weigh-in Wednesday yesterday, although  I did get on the scale and record my weight in my notebook and in my phone app, LoseIt!.  I weighed 251.5 yesterday morning.  Oh, YEAH!  That's fantastic! Last Wednesday I reported a weight of 257, so I have had a five and a half pound loss.  I'm pretty excited about that, but I won't really be satisfied until I'm back in the 240s for awhile.  My goal is a modest 220 right now. I can be there by Thanksgiving, but there's lots of company coming and travel to do in between then and now!  LOL! 

Fourth and fifth (Starliter awards and Magic Kingdom day) will have to wait until tomorrow. If I'm going to make the 10 a.m. meeting of my cancer support group, I need to stop typing on this laptop and get myself ready to leave in about half an hour.  I'll be sure to write again tomorrow to tell you all the good news about awards and MK.  Enjoy your day!

Show is OVER, but it was a HIT!

Last night, Mark came to our final performance of the Solivita's Starliters show, "Live, Love, Laugh."  Some of you are going to get sick of hearing of this because I sent you an entire album of the pictures he took plus I put some on Facebook, and now I'm going to put them here.  That's because only SOME of you will get all three. 

It was a great experience.  Yes, it was also tiring and a lot of work.  So many people are involved.  Our director announced that there were 55 singers and 45 support personnel.  It's truly a group effort.  So here are some pictures that Mark took last night. 

On other notes, today I have another busy day planned.  First, I have to run up to the ballroom to rescue my shoes.  I left them behind after the show last night. UGH!  I love those shoes, so I don't want to lose them.  Then I'm running to the costumers house to return my outfits.  After that, I'm going to go to AAA to buy four tickets to the Cirque du Solei show, "La Nouba," for June 14 when Lowell and Emily arrive.  That will be so much fun to take them to the show and then a fantastic dinner at Boma's when it's over.  I am sure they will LOVE Boma's African buffet.  Everyone does! 

After getting those tickets, I will pop in next door to the imaging center to pick up the films of my last two mammograms and ultrasounds plus the written reports.  Those are being immediately delivered to the surgeon down the street.  I have an appointment this afternoon to have the seroma evaluated.  Hopefully, he will agree with the oncologist that it requires no immediate treatment.  I made the appointment for 3:15 because I didn't realize our cast party starts at FIVE!!  I thought the party was at 6.  Now I have to fly home from the surgeon's office, change clothes, and get up to the ballroom by 5 for our party.  Don't want to miss that!

Mark is having some fun right now, at least I hope he is.  He is auditioning for a part in a radio drama to be done in November.  He's always wanted to a do a radio drama!  I think he'll be awesome, so I hope he gets a part. The show will have four performances as a dinner theater in November, and the performers will literally stand in front of mikes holding their scripts, reading it, like in old radio studios.  This is right up his alley, so I hope he gets picked because I think he'll have as much fun as I have had doing Starliters. 

Earth Day

The new Disney true life adventure movie, Chimpanzees, opened this weekend.  Mark and I are going to the 11 a.m. show at Downtown Disney.  I think this is the fifth one in the series, and I've heard it's going to be the BEST!  If you get a chance to go to a Disney Store in your neighborhood today, you can get a free reusable tote bag if you turn in 5 plastic grocery/WalMart type bags for recycling.  In the past they have given away things like water bottles, hats, and totes.  Mark and I always went to the Disney Store at either Annapolis Mall or Arundel Mills Mall for these things.  We had planned to go to the one at the Florida Mall, an hour north of us, to get the free tote bags today, but the mall doesn't open until NOON!  No time for us to go today.  Sniff.

Still, we get to go to the movie at 11. 

Then I have to rush back to sing "Colors of the Wind" at a friend's piano recital.  She has two students who are each playing a few songs.  Then I'm singing my song while my friend Lana, the piano teacher, accompanies me.  Our friend Jonathan will play two flute pieces and Lana will finish the recital with a piano solo.  It will be a lovely afternoon, beginning at 2 p.m.

I should have said NO when she asked me because it really puts a squeeze on my day.  I have to be at the ballroom at 4:30 to get ready for the second night of the Starliters show.  That's not going to happen now.  I warned our director that I thought I'd make it by 5:30, so she wouldn't worry when no one saw me around.  Warm ups begin at 5:45, so if I get there at 5:30, I will still have time to put on my costume and have my make up checked before rushing out to join them for warm ups.

Last night's show was a complete sell-out, 375 seats.  They were a great audience and the choir did a fantastic job.  I thought my partner for "Do You Love Me?" did the best job he had EVER done. We were a hit, I think.  Tonight's audience is almost a sell-out, too! 

The good thing about all these rehearsal and early calls is that there's been very little time to eat!  I have had leftover lean turkey and broccoli for the last two nights for dinner.  My daily calorie count has not exceeded 1100 for the last three days.  Today and tomorrow should be the same, so I anticipate a nice weight loss this week.  I actually got on the scale this morning, and it's looking good!  Being back on track feels good.

Happy Earth Day everybody!  Recycle something.

Opening NIght

The Solivita Starliter's show, "Live, Love, Laugh," opens tonight!  Very exciting.

Last night's dress rehearsal had nearly 50 people watching.  A group of 35 high school students from nearby Liberty High School were bussed over!  I think they are part of the chorus there.  They were a fantastic audience, very responsive.  In addition there were many couples attending as part of Discovery Days.  That's the three day-two night program that Mark and I did in June of 2010.  You stay in a house here and explore the community and its attractions while looking at houses and seeing if it's the place you want to be.  Mark and I found this house at that time. I hope those folks enjoyed themselves and see what a wonderful place Solivita is.

The show has had its glitches.  Two of the main characters have had problems.  Three weeks ago, one of the star male singers (two huge solos) was gone for a week of rehearsal because he had tickets to a big golf tournament in Georgia.  Then when he got home, he fell on his tennis racket and cracked two ribs.  That caused him to miss last week's rehearsals, so he was gone two weeks.  I really don't see how he's doing it, but he made it this Monday and Tuesday for rehearsal, albeit in pain.  Unbelievable trooper!

Then at Monday's rehearsal the "bride" was missing from "The Wedding Singer."  (BTW, that's also where the man with the ribs has his solo and one of my numbers.)  No one knew why.  Then she didn't come Tuesday either.  That was our last regular rehearsal, so the powers-that-be scrambled.  They learned she started suffering serious vertigo and ended up in the hospital.  She is so sick she cannot perform.  The choreographer is the only one who knows everyone's steps, so they got the big wedding dress and quickly re-sewed it to fit the choreographer. She filled in at last night's dress rehearsal like nothing had ever been wrong!  Amazing!  Of course, everyone feels badly for the lady who practiced since last October for this show.  How sad for her to miss everything and be so ill.  We are all praying for her speedy and complete recovery.

My little bits in the show, including the "Do You Love Me?" duet, are going well.  I hope it continues for the three shows with no issues!  LOL!! 

I have loved singing with this group.  It's really so much fun.  It's a lot of work, two nights a week since October, but it is therapeutic, mentally and physically.  I'm pretty sure everyone in the group feels the same way.  We have 55 singers and 45 support people (sound, lights, props, costumes, make-up, stage crew).  That's over 100 senior citizens having fun!

One other bit of good news: no migraine yesterday!  YAY!  I just want that to stretch out to many months of no migraines.  Sadly, Evey reminded me that she started getting them in 2008.  She's had several truly debilitating ones, beginning when she was in college in Boston.  They are few and far between, but they are incapacitating when they hit her.  I feel so sad for her.  She visited her doctor about them and has some sample meds to try next time.  Like me, she's not too interested in a lot of meds that make you drowsy and bring their own set of side effects as long as Advil and a dark room can help. Genetics does play a part, so I guess she got them from me.  I really don't remember my mother ever having one, but maybe she just didn't tell me.  She tended to keep her health issues to herself most of the time.  Well, I hope Evey doesn't have one for a very long time, and I hope the same for me!

Ocular Migraines

I have had three ocular migraines this week.  That's very unusual for me.  Even more unusual is that two of the three were followed by headache pain, nausea, sensitivity to light, all the classic migraine symptoms.  Worse, those two lasted over six hours.  I found them quite debilitating.

I don't know if I ever mentioned these migraines on my blog before. I've been focusing on three basic topics: weight loss, breast cancer, and daily activities.  I guess it's time to discuss migraines.

Ocular migraines, also known as an aura, are pretty common.  I had my first one in the fall of 1994 when I was 44 years old.  I know the year because I had just started teaching at Pikesville Middle School.  When the classic bright light, jagged line started to appear in my eyes, I was in a classroom full of seventh graders.  I realized that I was seeing this jagged line, that it was getting bigger, and that it was interfering with my ability to see the kids and my work. I panicked!  I thought that I must be having a stroke!

I immediately called the office and said I was having a medical emergency.  I asked for coverage for the rest of my classes that day, and they granted it. I flew out the door and drove immediately to my family practitioner. I had NO IDEA what was happening.  Of course, because it was just an ocular migraine, a word I had not heard of at that time, it was OVER before I got to the doctor.  They typically last 15-25 minutes at most.  That first one was followed by no pain at all.  I was feeling pretty stupid for panicking by the time I got to the doctor.

She did not make me feel stupid; however, she explained all about ocular migraines.  Mine was classic.  She also suggested that I should seen an opthamologist just to rule out any actual eye issues or possible retinal damage.  I did that and all was normal.

So from then on, I was not surprised when they came on periodically. They came and went quickly and never left me with any pain or other migraine symptoms.  They were a brief nuisance, and I mostly worked right through them.  If you've ever had one, you know that you can't avoid seeing them.  They are just as bright if your eyes are opened or closed, and they are in both eyes simultaneously. In fact, that's one of the things to watch out for. If it's only in one eye, it can be a retinal migraine, which is a serious condition.  Typical ocular migraines are not considered a serious condition.

Over the last 18 years, I have had many ocular migraines.  Mostly they popped up two or three times a year.  I never had any after effects, so it was just a small annoyance now and then.  About five years ago, I remember having the first one with pain and nausea following it.  That surprised me. I took some Advil, lay down in a dark room (fortunately this was in the summer when I wasn't working), and waited for it to go away.  It only took a couple of hours.  That one surprised me, so the next time I got one, I was worried the pain would return; however, it did not. 

Then there was a time about three years ago when I got three in one DAY!  THAT was truly surprising.  In fact, I started having several a week at that time for several weeks, but none caused pain.  I did mention those to my family doctor.  She suggested that if they continued at that frequency and started causing pain regularly, she could prescribe some medications.  I didn't need the meds because they stopped again.

I had not had one in quite awhile.  Last October I got one that lasted about 15 minutes and left no pain.  Then I had another this past January, again lasting only 15 minutes and no pain.  That's why I was so surprised by this week.

I had one Monday evening around 7 p.m. when I was sitting in the rehearsal for the Starliters show.  It only lasted 15 minutes and left no pain.  Not too surprising, I thought.  Bad timing, but not too bad.  Then BOOM!  I got a big one on Wednesday.

Wednesday was a lovely day.  I wasn't feeling any stress at all.  I was happy about the little weight loss. I was having "The Works" at my nail salon.  The salon appointment lasted about three hours.  During the last few minutes, when I was preparing to pay and leave, I could see the jagged line appear.  I thought, "Darn, that's weird. I just had one two days ago."  I also had to go to a little rehearsal for a recital on Sunday afternoon. I'm singing just one song, "Colors of the Wind," so I was rehearsing with the accompanist in the venue.  It was a short car ride and walk from the salon.  I sang the song three times with the accompanist, and by the time I was on the second time the aura was gone.  Unfortunately, I was left with a nasty headache.

When I got home, I ate a snack so I could take some Advil. I took 800 mg of Advil and lay down for awhile.  The pain continued along with nausea and sensitivity to light.  About three hours later I also took 2 extra strength Tylenol.  About an hour after that, I could tell the pain was gone.  The whole episode left me feeling very fatigued.

Then the really shocking thing is that yesterday I had the third episode of the week. In the morning, I had gone to a water aerobics class which lasted about 40 minutes, then I swam a few laps when it was over. I got out of the pool feeling very happy and relaxed. I sat in the shade, relaxing, enjoying myself, and waiting for Mark and some other friends to join me for lunch at 12:30.  BOOM!  At 11:45 I started to see the jagged white line.  DAMN!  I was angry that it was happening again.  I called Mark and asked hm to bring Advil and Tylenol to lunch, which he did.  I took the 800 mg of Advil and the two extra strength Tylenol simultaneously about 12:45 while I was eating lunch.  I did not mention my headache to our other friends. I just continued to act normally, but I really couldn't wait to get home and crash.

We got home about 3 p.m.  I laid down in a darkened room until about 5 p.m. when we headed out to dinner.  By then, I still felt tired, sluggish, foggy in the head, but I did not have as much pain as before, fortunately.  After dinner, we went to see The Descendants, and I was feeling fine by then.

So, that's my ocular migraine story.  This morning, I have a headache.  Hm...no aura, but a pounding headache over my right eyebrow.  I have had breakfast while I was typing the blog, so I'm going to go take another 800 mg of Advil and hope to get rid of this headache ASAP.  I don't know if it's related to the migraines of the last few days or not. 

I have not mentioned these to my new family doctor in Poinciana. I have an appointment with her in July, so I put them on my list of things to discuss.  If I get more bad ones like these last two, I will probably call to get an earlier appointment.  Unfortunately, there's not much she can do other than prescribe some migraine meds. I don't really want them.  She could give me anti-nausea meds, but I don't want them either. It's not that bad.  It's not like chemo nausea.  I don't want to take any meds that are going to make me feel tired, foggy-brained, or sluggish. I already feel that way anyway when I get the pain after the aura!  I have read a lot about them on the internet.  There are no particular causes and no great remedies.  They are common.  They are something people just live with, so I will live with them. I don't have to like them, though.

Quicky

I weighed 257 this morning, so I'm pleased. That's down several pounds since last Wednesday, although I still have six or seven to go to beat the week before Passover! I'm back on track today. Mark and I took a 30 minute walk this morning. I went 1.25 miles. That's not my fastest pace, but I'm ok with it.

Thanks to Rhonda and Robin for your supportive comments yesterday. I went to my Starliters rehearsal last night, and singing helped boost my spirits. Today I woke up full of energy. I made appointments for two blood tests for the future, my next mammograms and breast ultrasound in July, and a surgeon appointment for next week. The seroma in the area of the lumpectomy has been there for two ultrasounds now. Although it has not changed, the oncologist wants a surgeon to evaluate it. I don't think he'll want to do anything. It's not large, causes no pain, and has not changed for six months. I also balanced my checkbook, an odious chore but necessary. I did some laundry, practiced the piano, and tidied up. What an exhilarating morning!

I am heading out now for "The Works" at my local salon: pedicure, gel manicure, hair color and trim, and waxing. Oh, YEAH! I'm pampering myself and getting ready for the big shows this weekend. We have an audience of local high schoolers coming Friday night for the dress rehearsal, then it's show time Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I'll be exhausted but happy when it's over.

Wishing everyone a fantastic day!

Where to start?

When I wait almost a week to write another blog, I don't know where to start or what to include. I'm going to start with today because it's been bothersome. Maybe tomorrow I'll cover the days I missed.

This morning at 8:30 a.m. I was scheduled for a follow-up pelvic and transvaginal ultrasound to have a second look at the mass on the left ovary. I did not expect it to be any problems. The biggest thing is that they want you to drink a lot of water and have a full bladder for the pelvic US. I left at 7:40, drinking plenty of water in the car on the way. I arrived at 8:24, already desperately wanting to pee, but I waited a half hour for them to sign me in. At 9:10 I had not been called in yet, but I was going to wet the floor soon, so I went to the bathroom. That was a good call because they didn't call me back until nearly 10 a.m. By then, my bladder had filled up again anyway! LOL!

The nice lady technician performed the test, but she could not find the right ovary. She looked and looked a long time, though, and finally gave up. I did have an ovarian cyst on that side when I was 14. It was misdiagnosed as appendicitis, and they saw the cyst rupture in the operating room. I was never told whether or not they removed the ovary or just the cyst and appendix. I've also had a transvaginal US twice before, once at age 48 and then just a few months ago in January. Neither of those techs mentioned not being able to find the right ovary! Weird. But she was trying very hard to find it, so I was quite sore when I left.

In the meantime, today's tech became quite chatty. She did indeed see the mass on the left ovary. She asked if I remembered how big it had been back on January 24 when it was first picked up. I didn't, so she didn't bother to tell me the size this time. I have an appointment next Thursday with the OB/ONC to go over these results.

Meanwhile, I got home near 11 a.m., exhausted, tired, sore, and worried. It is now 3:15 p.m. and I have literally done nothing but sit on the lanai sleeping, reading, or eating. I will admit I'm depressed.

The doctor had said that it was probably a benign cyst that would go away on its own. That was my hope today, that it was gone. Maybe it's at least smaller, on its way out. On the other hand, I did a lot of internet reading on ovarian cysts in postmenopausal women. They are not as rare as they used to think they were, in fact, more common than rare. Still, they are more worrisome in older women because they are more likely turn into cancer. If it has shrunk, then I expect to have another follow up US in three months to see how much smaller it gets. If it has stayed the same, I expect the same follow up. If it has expanded, then I expect the doctor will want to remove it. Some articles said an MRI is helpful as well before a surgery. I'll find out next Thursday afternoon exactly what is happening. Stay tuned.

Very Bad!

Yesterday, I said I probably gained back half of the 12 pounds that I lost over two weeks. Well, I was wrong; I gained three-quarters of it back. I'm up NINE whopping pounds. So...yes, it looks nice when I lose 12 in two weeks, but it feels terrible to gain nine in one week. I have always known I could do that.

The first time I had realized my body was capable of this was in the summer of 1968. During my senior year of high school, I consciously tried to diet. I did not do it in the most healthy way because I didn't know much back then. I skipped breakfast and lunch every school day and ate only 450 calories total in the evenings. Remember Metracal soups and drinks? I ate one can of soup for dinner and one shake for a bedtime snack. I did that most every day of my senior year. Slowly, I went down from 185 to 165 on graduation day in June, 1968. Then my parents took us on a two week vacation which included a cruise to San Juan and St. Thomas and a driving tour of Florida. When I got home, I weighed 203. That was a 33 pound gain in two weeks and the first time I had ever gone over 200. I was stunned. I had had no idea that was happening, although I knew my clothes were tight!

I immediately went back to my old eating habits, or non-eating habits, and dropped down to 185 by the middle of October of 1968 when I was a freshman at the University of Maryland. That didn't last. Four years later, when I graduated, I weighed 245.

I am a classic yo-yoer, and my yo-yo swings are BIG. So, yeah, I can drop 12 in two weeks, but I could also gain it back in half the time and more.

Passover is only half over. Today is day five of the eight days. Hah! Eight days! It always feels longer than that. It really starts two days earlier with turning the kitchen over, eating dinner and breakfast out because the kitchen is done, and having the first seder the night before it begins. Then at the other end, there is putting everything back and eating pizza out to conclude the holiday. Many, many calories are consumed!

Yes, I KNOW it doesn't HAVE to be this way. There are appropriate calories to be consumed; exercise regimes can be continued; dieting is not impossible. Uh huh. Sure. How many people are willing to give up all their favorite holiday goodies, especially when the holiday extends 8+ days? Not many. There are people with more self-discipline than me who probably do, but this year I have been a colossal failure during this holiday, in terms of what I have eaten. Sigh.

On the positive side, we did take a nice little walk around the Glendora Pond yesterday afternoon. We were rewarded with a nice big alligator sighting. He was so peaceful looking. I also had another great rehearsal at Starliters. That was our last "nuts and bolts" rehearsal. Next week is production week. We will be in the ballroom with the entire stage constructed, all the set pieces, stage crew, prop people, dressers, everything. There are two huge run-throughs Monday and Tuesday nights to get the stage, prop, and dresser people ready. There is a big tech rehearsal Wednesday night, which currently is not asking for the choir to attend. Then Friday night there is a dress rehearsal with a bus load of kids from the local high school coming as an audience. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights, April 21-23, are the show nights. It will be a long week next week. Maybe I'll drop some of this weight.

Sadly, I'm seeing my oncologist for my six month check up on Monday morning. I just checked on my weight last October when I saw her. It looks like I'll be showing a ten pound gain since that time. She probably won't care, but I do.

It's been awhile, I know.

I have not written a blog since last Thursday. Robin had arrived last Tuesday, and we had a lot of fun together. Our first and second seders came and went, also a lot of fun. Also so, so, so MUCH FOOD! OY! We had six each night, which was a nice number. I wasn't sure one turkey would be enough, so I actually cooked two turkeys on Friday! Now I have enough leftover turkey for about five meals, and I'm currently boiling down the carcass to make soup. The kitchen smells really good right now.

Robin said she was jealous that I could lose 12 pounds in two weeks. I bet she won't be jealous when she sees my weight gain tomorrow. I bet I have gained more than half of it back in just one week! YIKES! It's been tasting really good in this house, but I will be sad on the scale in the morning.

Frank came last Thursday, and we've been very busy every since. He came to my Starliters rehearsal last night and enjoyed hearing the whole show. It was nice having a bit of an audience out there.

I have not much else to report, but I wanted to put a little something out here for those who check everyday and might have been worried that so many days went by without a post.

I will write tomorrow about my weight. It will be bad, but I'm going to report it anyway.

Robin is here!

Robin arrived yesterday, and there's been non-stop girl talk and fun ever since! We got her settled in and then took a drive around the community, looking at the Village Center and all the pools. Then we decided to go to the Palms for pool and Mahj. The pool temperature was so nicely warm that it was delightful to float around until we wrinkled. We got out and played two-handed Mah Jongg under a nice umbrella. The new card had arrived, but Robin had not seen it yet. We shared the card and played for a couple of hours. Robin won three games, and I won two. We both liked the new card.

Mark made us a great spaghetti dinner, and the evening was full of TV and relaxing. It was a great day.

Today we have a lot of work to do to turn the kitchen over for Passover. I have gotten a good start, but I have to wait for Mark to come back from shopping because I need massive quantities of aluminum foil to cover all these surfaces! LOL! My cleaning lady will be here in the late afternoon while we are going up to the airport to pick up our friend Frank P. It's definitely starting to look like Passover here.

Since I never got around to writing a blog yesterday, I didn't report my weight. I was massively disappointed. I thought I had had a good week, although I knew I went over my limit last Wednesday for our big dinner party. I thought the rest of the week would make up for it. I was under the limit the rest of the week. Well, I gained one pound. I have several theories for this. First, I did go over the calories last Wednesday; I ate out Sunday night and might have underestimated that day's calories; I had hot dogs for dinner Monday night and a small bag of chips with a tuna sandwich for lunch Tuesday. Both of those things fit into my plan, calorie-wise, but they probably had a lot more sodium in them than I used to eat. The scale may have been reflecting some water retention. My other theory is lack of exercise. I only took one walk the entire week that I logged in, although I did walk all around Epcot and the Studios on Sunday. Finally, the other possibility is that I wrote down too low a weight last week. I wrote 250.9, but my scale is crazy. If I get on and off several times, or kick it around the floor, or stand in a different spot, I will get a different number. So...last week I had gotten three different numbers: 250.9, 251.9, and 252.9. I was so excited with the lowest one, which I got last, that I wrote that down. Perhaps I should have picked the highest one. I still would have shown a loss last week and THEN I would also have shown a loss this week. Yesterday I weighed 251.9. Officially, that's a gain of one pound, but if I had written the higher number, I could have reported a pound loss. Well, maybe I'll write that higher number in the future if there's a choice!! LOL!

Happy Birthday, Evey!

Big doings today!

First, it's Evey's 25th birthday. Amazing. Happy Birthday, Evey! I am sorry I can't be there in person to celebrate it with you. You are too far away, but I will call you later tonight. Maybe even with Facetime! Yay for iPhones!

I can't tell you how proud Dad and I are of you. You have accomplished so much in such a short time in your life: excellent record at the CES/JDS, great time on your Europe/Israel trip in 2005, a fantastic record at Northeastern as you sang with Distilled Harmony and still graduated with high honors as an Athletic Trainer, getting a great job in a PT clinic, getting married to a wonderful man, then completing your Masters in Applied Nutrition in the record-setting time of a year and a half. And while you accomplished all of this, you have been a sweet, loving person who has surrounded herself with wonderful friends who also love you.

Wow! You are just amazing. I can't wait to see how the next 25 years go. God Willing, Dad and I will be around for a lot of those years.

As I type this blog, I am listening to the piano tuner in the living room going plunkety-plunk trying to make this piano get somewhere near the right pitches. I have not had this old piano tuned in about 15 years. The last time I tuned it was when Evey was taking lessons. I think she stopped around age 10. It's pretty bad. He's not guaranteeing he can do it, and he's saying strings may break. Yikes. This is going to cost a fortune, I know.

On the plus side, he has excellent credentials, so I know the piano is in good hands.

Later today, Robin O. is arriving! She flew to Tampa yesterday to see her son and will drive over here sometime in the late afternoon. I'm excited to have a friend from Maryland come down and see the house. She will be here through Saturday morning, which means she gets to celebrate the first seder with us.

PS. Just got a phone call from Robin. She has so much to do in Tampa with son Evan that she is not coming until tomorrow. That's fine. It's way more important to spend time with her son!

PPS Piano tuner has just left. It cost a bit more than I expected, but he actually got it to A440! That's a miracle that won't last until I have him back in June. I might do it because it will cost less than today for the touch-up service.

WDW with Barb and Al

First, it's baby sandhill crane season. I just had to post one picture of the cute family strolling through our neighbor's yard.

Yesterday was a lot of fun. The weather was great; the companionship was better! We met Barb and Al at the Studios around 2 p.m. and headed straight for the Tower of Terror. What a hoot! Barbara talked me into putting my arms up. As you can see in the picture, I only had enough nerve to put up one arm because the other one was hanging on to the handle for dear life as my butt lifted off the seat by several inches. Whoee!! I think we rose and dropped four times.

Next we did Toy Story Mania, which I had only done in California. It's the same ride, but it's still a lot of fun. It's the only game of skill that I seem to be able to do well on. In fact I beat Mark, which is saying a lot. Then the main objective of the Studios was for Mark to ride Star Tours a few times. I rode it once because I had not been in there since they renovated it. Mark rode twice. Then he decided that it is in four segments, each segment has two to three possible choices that can come up, so mathematically that means 54 different rides are possible. He has now seen virtually all of the individual segments, just not in all of the possible combinations. Nevertheless, after two times, he decided it was time to head to Epcot. Riding these rides with us was Barb and Al's birthday present to Mark to make up for missing everything on his actual birthday. Thanks, guys!

We went to Epcot to see The Spinners and then went to dinner at BJs Brewhouse. None of us had been there before, but we liked it. We decided it was great food but pricier than we expected. It's along the lines of an Olive Garden price range, not terrible but not Denny's either. I got a Santa Fe salad with blackened salmon. I left off the avocado and the dressing, so I think the calories were pretty good. I had a skinny Cosmo, 130 calories, and the trio dessert, 583 calories. I ate less than 2/3 of the dessert and I had eaten only 300 calories all day before dinner. I think I came in just under my daily calorie count and was pretty happy about that. The scale will tell me the truth on Wednesday!

Today I almost forgot about my fasting blood test. It was at 7:55, but I didn't set my alarm. I got up at 7:45 and leisurely brought up the computer, sipped some coffee, then looked at the calendar. YIKES! It was 8:10. I threw on my clothes and drove the five miles to the Quest lab. They were nice and had no problem fitting me in. I was back by 9:15. I will NOT forget to go play Mah Jongg at 1 p.m. today. I haven't been there in two or three weeks, so I'm determined to play today.

It's going to hit 90 degrees here today and for the next several days. Way above the usual for early April, but I don't care. I love it.