Trying to learn new skills

All right. I got a new camera cable and I was going to try to add pictures. It's not working. I need some of my geeky friends to show me what I'm doing wrong. I WANTED to include a picture of me in Canada, one week pre -surgery, on snowshoes. And I WANTED to show you all the cranial prostheses and maybe open it up to a vote. And I WANTED to show some of the sweaters I've done--especially the little girls' sweaters before I ship them off to Georgia. But NO. Geeky friends, I need you.
I'm doing ok at the moment, still on the pre and post steroid meds. All bets are off for the next few days, though. Maybe I can figure out how to get the pictures up yet...
xxooxx

Third Chemo

Not so bad--only four hours. I should be feeling pretty good till sometime Friday or Saturday. this time we will be pulling out the big guns for pain relief. I have strict instructions to call the doctor if it doesn't help. We'll see. I had Elaine take pictures of me in all my CP's--now all I have to do is find the cable from my computer to the camera then you can all vote on which one you like best. Not that it will matter--I'll still wear what I want to wear when I want to wear it. So the next project will be finding the cable--or buying a new one...I guess that is a worthy cause. I never got back to sleep this morning. When the sun came up at six, I finally got up and worked on the little girls' sweaters. They are ready to send to Georgia now and I'm working on two more projects. That's my news.
xxooxx

Insomnia

Oh--I haven't yet discussed this subject, near and dear to all chemo patients. That is why I am up at 3 in the morning when I have a 9 o'clock chemo appointment. I've been traveling through the wide wonderful world of sleep aids. Haven't found a favorite yet, but I haven't tried them all. I am beginning to understand how people overdose. So, do I get up and knit--seems overkill, besides, both arms are bright red from trying to finish the sweaters for the little girls in Atlanta. I'm so close, albeit less close than I was when I realized that two skeins of a different dye lot made it into my bag of yarn. One I had already used on the two year old's sleeves and also on the back ribbing band for the three year old. I discovered the error as I was about to start sleeve #2 for the three year old. So back to the yarn shop to trade out the last wrong skein for a right skein. The owner gave me a second one, since she loves me, I spend lots of money there, and I'd done so much work, and she should have checked the dye lots in the first place. So this afternoon, I finished sleeve #2 for the three year old--the rest of the sweater is done and just waiting for the sleeve seems and setting in the sleeves--and I got 2/3 through with the errant sleeve for the 2 year old. Sleeve #1 for her only has two or three wrong rows. I'll decide what to do about that when everything else is finished. It shouldn't take very long. With luck, I'll have them packed up and ready to mail off by Friday. So maybe I won't to that right now. I could read more James Patterson--I'm on "Violates are Blue," I think I have only three or four more Alex Cross novels to read, I've read all of the Women's Murder Club, but there are several other non serial books to read. Then I can move on to John Gresham. I've only read "The Appeal," loved it, and want to read more. I could just stare into space or count sheep or just give it up and wait for 7 to come and have breakfast and get ready for that 9 o'clock chemo. More later.
xxooxx

More little things

So now my Outlook seems to be corrupted. Now I'm talking to SBC Global tech support. What power thinks I want to spend my time talking to tech support? I could use Yahoo mail, but I like Outlook. All my addresses are there. My group update is there. I'm not a happy girl. And I'm not an excessively comfortable girl. I got my wound opened--again--yesterday. That didn't hurt because the area was numbed--but it did get a little achy when that wore off. Now I think I'm going to have an open wound for the rest of my life.
I'm being a blonde today, so life is more fun...Well, I was a blonde--I took my hair off because it was getting too hot and itchy.
So now we're holding for more tech support. It took an excessively long time, but I think it is now fixed. I have had my share of tech support for the forseeable future.
xxooxx

These little things...

Have you ever noticed that a good counter irritant will take your mind off your other troubles? Two years ago, I got a cute new cell phone because I wanted to be able to access my e-mails wherever I went. I know, I'm not that important to the fate of the free world, but I really like to keep in touch when I'm away from my computer. So I got this great phone. It helped me stay in touch when I was at the hospital.
So anyway, I've been getting these e-mails that I've ignored about how Blackberry was going to be updated and I needed to do something. Oops. Now I know the guys at Advent are already snickering because they know how tech savvy I am. After I got sufficiently frustrated, I called att mobility. after a long chat with customer service, she got as frustrated as I am. Now I'm on hold being transferred to Research in Motion (aka Blackberry). So you are holding with me...So we talked to RIM--they were useless. Now we're going to Nokia...hang on...Oops--Nokia couldn't help us either. Now we are back to ATT tech support. They weren't helpful either, but, I think the wonderful ATT rep fixed it herself. We're waiting to see how things work. I received a message, now we're trying to send. So this has taken two hours of my busy little day.
Let's hear it for counter irritants!
xxooxx

If I only have one life to live...

Those of you who are old enough know that the next line is "Let me live it as a blonde." Works for me. I picked up cranial prostheses numbers three and four yesterday. I haven't worn the redhead on the streets yet, but the blonde one is great. Glenn is worried that it will cost loss of brain cells. I say it leads to more exercise as I learn to flip it back. I love it.
So more good news--the wound is now only one cm deep. Wippee! Unfortunately, the opening is closing so I have an appointment Friday for the surgeon to open it up a little bit. I can handle that. It is uncomfortable for a day or so, but it beats having the thing close and get infected again.
I finished the first of the two sweaters for my night nurse's daughters and didn't have enough yarn to complete the second one, so I had to make a trip to the yarn store. Bad idea. Should have called and had her send the three skeins I needed. When I go to the shop, I want everything I see. Good thing I have LOTS of time to knit. Now I'm hustling on sweater #2 so that I can move on to other stuff and try to clear out some of the bags of yarn.
I'm now 2/3 through this chemo cycle. I know I need the next week for healthy cells to grow. Even so, this week I'll be pawing the ground, just waiting to get session #3 over. I still think the best idea would have been to put me in coma till the whole process is over--but then, I wouldn't get to knit. I guess life is always a series of trade offs.
xxooxx

38 years ago today

I have always been a numbers person and a recognizer of anniversaries. 38 years ago today I took the bus from Berkeley to San Francisco and made my way to 633 Folsom Street, for my very first day at Pacific Telephone. It was a desperation job--they hired me, I wanted to get my own apartment and start my life. I never expected to work for the telephone company, I never expected to work in an office, and I certainly never expected to be there 32 years and 26 days. It had a profound effect on who I am today. I made life long (at least I hope so, since some of us aren't dead yet) friends. I became a more tolerant person. I had fun and I had heartaches. I made the transition from paper records to computers. I found things I was good at. I remember tubs and tubmates, APO's, CDRP's, RRG's, ARF's, IRF's, K304's, and endless filing. I found joy in strange places-and I wouldn't go back there for a million dollars a day.
28 years ago today, to celebrate my 10th anniversary with TPC (The Phone Company for those of you who never saw The President's Analyst), Mount St. Helens erupted. It was perhaps a little too festive for the occasion, but there you are.
The fog didn't actually make it to our house today, but I can see it and it did cool us down somewhat. The Giants game hasn't started yet, so there is still hope for today.
xxooxx