News from The Majestic

The new sign looks great!

The new sign looks great!

Readers, I am sad to announce that Poppy passed away today. RIP Poppy. As I had mentioned earlier this week, she hadn’t been looking all that good for the past few weeks. She was losing weight and wasn’t acting like herself. No chasing Zazzles or Terry Pete away from the watermelon and spinach treats.

RIP

RIP

I am happy to report that we were all out there with her. My Man hung the new Majestic sign, The Boy and I cleaned out the nest boxes, I refreshed the food and water holders, I clean out the coop and The Boy and I gave all the girls worms that we found in the compost hippo. Poppy’s last meal was a nice tasty fat worm.

My Man

My Man

Cleaning out the nesting boxes.

Cleaning out the nesting boxes.

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It was The Boy who noticed it first when he went in with another fat worm to give her. We are all sad but are happy that we got to spend three and half years with her. We are happy to know she lived a good life with humans around her who loved her. I am happy that her last year was in The Majestic, a nice comfortable coop. I think she enjoyed living with us and I know her best girlfriend Turbo will miss her as much as we will.

RIP Poppy.

Say goodbye…

…and there it goes…

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Look at those roots!

Look at those roots!

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Maybe I will stop here.

Maybe I will stop here.

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All gone!

All gone…almost.

Readers, my hair is gone…well almost. I have some fuzz left. Yesterday while I was in the shower washing my hair a small clump came out and I was freaked out. I knew that I was going to have to shave it because I did not want to have that happen again. No waking up with my hair all over my pillow. That would be too much. I will probably use a razor this weekend to get the rest. That picture will not be posted. You wouldn’t think that a little fuzz would make such a difference but it does. Shaving it wasn’t as big deal this time however, it still sucked. My hair was so soft! Hopefully when it grows back, it will be just as soft. Who knows what it will look like next time.

So soft.

So soft.

Me and Simon

Me and Simon rest in on the couch.

Such a good boy.

Such a good boy.

Shout Out

By Eve Sch

By Eve Schaub

Panny can't wait to try it!

Panny can’t wait to try them!

Stephen and Eve S.- Thank you so much for the syrup and maple cream. Since they live in Vermont I know they will taste great! I can’t wait to try them both this weekend. I am very excited to read Eve’s book. She has been on the Dr. Oz Show and Fox News to name a few shows and has been interviewed my countless of newspapers and magazines. Their whole family went an entire year without any sugar! I can’t even begin to think how hard it was…I will know soon though. If you are interested in lowering your sugar intake or stopping all together, take a look at her book. From what I have seen, read and heard, it is a great read.

Whatcha Reading?

Right now I am on a historical fiction kick. I am reading The White Princess by Philipa Gregory. I also read The Kingsmaker’s Daughter. I have read many of her books in the past that focused on the Tutor Royal Family aka Henry VIII. I like her books. I know there is a lot of fiction in these stories but they are somewhat educational. They have taught me that being King or Queen or a woman back then kinda sucked. You could trust no one if you are the King because everyone wants you dead and your job. Being a woman just sucked. You are property of your husband and your father before that. If they could only see us now.

The book that kicked off my historical fiction kick was Bittersweet by Colleen McCullough. It takes place in the 1920’s-30’s in Australia and it about two sets of twin female siblings. So four sisters growing up after WWI and the different paths they each take. It was good but I am not sure if the characters are anything like the women of the the time. These women were written as very strong, outgoing, outspoken women and I am just not sure if the women back then were like any of the sisters. Falling in love in one day? Getting married a week later? Telling your husband you are leaving him to live with another man? Telling a man off in public? Marry a gay man so he will fund your medical education? Sure things like that happen now but in the ’20s? I am not sure. Oh! and their father is a man of the Church so, I am just not buying it. That being said, I would recommend it. If anyone reads it or has read it, let me know what you think.

I also read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (I wrote about it before). I think I have read all her books to date and this one did not disappoint. It takes place in Australia present day. It focuses on three women and a death/murder in the town, so there is a little mystery. Read it.

Readers, thank you for all the writing suggestions. I will keep them in mind as I think of topics to write about. Have a wonderful Friday! Be Good and Be Safe!

Hair today, gone in a few…

Well, shit.

Well, shit.

Good Day Readers! It has been a few days. I hope they have been good ones for you. I have been riding the roller coaster that is now my life. I have good days, I have bad days. I have energy, I can barely get out of bed. I have a full head of hair, my hair is getting thinner and thinner. I think the razor will be coming out of hibernation later this week. I knew this was coming so it is no surprise but still kinds sucks. At least this time, since it is so short, it won’t take as long.

Pickles

Pickles

Yesterday was Round 2 Part 1 for me. I went in had my blood drawn and port accessed. We then met with Dr. D. They said my numbers look really good. That horrible shot got my bone marrow back up and my white and red blood count went up. They are very happy with the way my body recovered from the first round. Good news. We did find out that the bump on my back that is sore and hurts is probably one of the tumors. Wonderful. She did say that if doesn’t shrink all the way, that later they can zap it with radiation. Which is good. Cause it hurts. The main problem is its location. Right under the bra strap. Couldn’t be in a worse place. The strap rubs up against it all day. I hate wearing a bra! So painful!

The infusion center was could and packed. There was no room for My Man to sit so he was stuck in the lobby. That sucked. Luckily I was only in there for about an hour. Right now I am feeling ok although I feel a nap in my future. They said it should be day three before I start to really feel bad. Yeah! Great way to start my weekend!

Shout Outs

Tia B.- LOVE the peanut butter!! it is so good. The Boy loves the chocolate peanut butter the best and I have to admit, he is right. Thank you so much for thinking of us!!

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Bob H.- Thank you do much for The Majestic sign! How cool is that!? It is going to look fantastic on the coop. My Man and I will be hanging it up this weekend. I know The Girls are going to love it. Felix too!

Poppy

Poppy

Speaking of The Majestic and The Girls, Poppy is hasn’t been her self lately. She has always been smaller than Turbo (she is a chucky one) but she feels even lighter now when I pick her up. She is in the middle of molting (growing new feathers) and is showing all the signs that she is broody except for sitting on top of the eggs her mates lay. She isn’t eating as much as the others and seems like she is stoned. I am not kidding. They tend to get that way when they are broody but usually if you pick them up, they will snap out of it. Not Poppy. She has been sitting on my lap and lets me pet her, which she has never done before. We are not sure how old she is since we bought as an adult hen. Cross your fingers she will snap out of her funk and go back to her regular self.

Terry Pete

Terry Pete

Zazzles

Zazzles

Terry Pete and Zazzles are doing great. They have grown so much and are laying 4 to 5 eggs a week. The eggs are smaller than Turbo’s and one hasa pink look to it while the other is more tan/brown. Plus at night, they roost up in the coop all by themselves, while the other two are in the nesting boxes pooping them all up! Such a proud chicken Mama I am (of the roosters, not the poopers).

It is going to be a hot and rainy day here in the ATL. If you have any suggestions on what you want me to write more about, let me know. I don’t want write about my condition all the time, it gets old!! I am so over it! :)

Be Good and Be Safe Readers!

One Big Sweaty Mess

Good Day Readers!

Me on Friday

Me on Friday

How are you this Monday? I am actually feeling ok. That is big! Huge! Friday I was a mess. Worse day yet. I was down and out for the count. I mainly laid on the couch and tried nhttp://myhotelyorba.com/?p=3462&preview=trueot to move. Everything hurt. My ears hurt. My toes, my back, my side, my head…oh my bloody head! Massive headache along with a sore throat and clogged ears. My ears!? What is up with that? They have been feeling clogged/stuff etc. almost everyday now. I have heard about other people on the same chemo I am on that also suffer from it. So annoying.

Saturday I felt better until the afternoon. Then my stomach started acting up. Ugh. Grab the tummy meds! Grab the wastebasket! Have I mentioned the sweating? Ick. I am sweating so much during the day/night. We have maroon sheets on the bed and this weekend you could see white sweat lines on them! Gross! I wake up during the night hair soaking wet, shirt and pants wet and wet stain on the pillow. I move closer to My Man to get to a dry spot until I bump up against him. Not fun. Sticky. When I do wake up, I feel like I have run a marathon, sweat and all.

Finally on Sunday I broke out of it (mostly). I had my energy back! Woot! I vacuumed, mopped the pets bathroom floor, cleaned the pets bathroom, put The Boys clothes away, put my clothes (that were piling up so high) away, cleaned the gross shower, cleaned up the kitchen, did work to get ready for work today. And more! I was energized bunny, sweating my entire way through the whole day. I could not stop sweating. Thank goodness My Man had taken The Boy to see a movie so they have to see my hot mess self. It felt so nice to have energy, to do something.

Feeling Better Today

Feeling Better Today

My Man was kind enough to change the (gross) sheets last night so I had some fresh one to gross up. Today I went into the office for work. Shocker! I had a face to face meeting and was worried how I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I had my moments when all I wanted to go was pack up my car, drive home and go to bed. But I kept on going! Go Bunny Go! The meeting went well, I got caught up on some work and I felt like I accomplished something.

Look what I found when I got home!

The Glove state!!

The Glove state!!

How cool is that?! Super cool! Thank you Andy and Dee. You people rock! Can’t wait to see you on Friday! I also received some beautiful flowers from my Great Aunt Doras. She is my GREAT Aunt. She is in her 90’s and is thinking of me. She Rocks!!

Pretty

Pretty

Have a wonderful night Readers. Be Good and Stay Classy.

Hair, Hair Everywhere!

Readers, painkillers, when used as instructed by your doctor, can be a marvelous thing. On Tuesday I was able to finally pick up my main pain controller. I had been having to lower my dosage for the past few days due to the fact that I was running out of pills. I got a new prescription last Friday but was not able to get it filled till Tuesday. I was a painful few days. I was a mess. My pain level went from a 3 to 4 up to a 7 or 8. And when I coughed or got the hiccups… sweet son of pickle! It hurt so bad, like being stabbed over and over again in the ribs. Ugh. It sucked!

Now I am not saying life is perfect now, there is still some pain. I got a “booster” shot Wednesday morning. It effects my bone marrow by making it grow and get stronger since it is being depleted from the chemo. This is a good thing but it is such a big boost, it can hurt. Like right now. I am at a pain level of around a 4 or 5 but in the center of my chest there is a pain that throbs and is spreading to my other joints. It is kind of hard to explain and I fear I am not doing a good job at it. Sorry Readers. Anyway, when Candy called me last night (she calls almost every night) she warmed me that this could happen and that I could feel it in my chest area along with other parts. I tell, you if it is not one thing, it is another!

The Boy

A few posts ago I wrote how The Boy got in trouble and was being punished. Can I say that it has been a great week with him! I mean wow! He has been really good at home. Who knows how he is being at school but here he has been great. He gets home, gets a snack and works on the homework he did not do on the bus.

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Then we have 20 minute reading time (part of homework). I set out snacks and we both sit at the table and read for 20 minutes together. He is reading a book sores and read through book one pretty quick. He is reading all the time now. One of his punishments is an 8pm bedtime (instead of 9pm) and he gets to stay up till 8:15 reading in bed if we say it is ok. He has his watch that his grandparents gave him and shuts everything off then his time is up. After reading we usually go out to feed the girls and have a talk. We talk about all kinds of things.

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Like body hair!! It is a growing Readers! Not only is it growing in his pits, but it is on his legs and toes and other areas too! Woot! We discussed why we have hair and how back in the day people were covered with lots of hair as a form of protection and warmth. How over the generations we humans don’t need as much as we use too and therefore we are not as hairy as we use to be.

How you doin'

How you doin’

Another topic we discussed is 4th grade dating. DATING!! Wait? What? That is what I said to him when he brought it up. He said it was like a rule that you waited mid year to date in the 4th and 5th grades. Everyone knows about it. You know about this, right Readers? Where the hell have I been? I asked him where he would go (pizza place), how would get there (walk), all kinds of details. Needless to say, it was a long conversation and some guidelines (you date when we say you can), rules (you do not make the girl walk or pay) and suggestions (maybe a day movie first) were discussed. Very entertaining.

Thank you Heidi!!

Thank you Heidi!!

Wait. What???

Wait. What???

Refuses to look at me.

Refuses to look at me.

Have a great weekend Readers! Be good to yourself and others!

Booty Time is drawing near!!!

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24 hours of Booty!

Readers! Some of you have been so generous to be and my fund-raising for 24 Hours of Booty. I have around 42 days to get ready for the ride and am already thinking of the fun stuff like shopping!!

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This weekend we will be going to REI to look at tents. They are having a Labor Day sale starting on Friday I and I plan on checking it out. I am looking for a tent that can fit two adults and one child. I am not sure if My Man will spend the night but I know The Boy is all ready for it. I will also need to bring in my bike for tune up. I don’t think I have brought it in since I bought it, so it is due for one. Luckily there will be food set up, part of the fee goes for meals, so I won’t have to by too much camping gear…unless I just feel like it!

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My dad and I are getting a white tent to be out home base from my brother. Yo! Brother! Come join the ride with us! That goes for all of you out there. I would love to more to join my team. The more the merrier! Check us out at Team Hotel Yorba!. There is a registration fee and you have to raise at least $200.00 to ride. What a wonderful tax write off for your personal taxes or small business.

If you live far away and still want to participate you can always donate to my personal page. My goal is to raise $1,500.00 and I am getting close! Please help if you can. Why? Because it is a dam good cause that is why! Plus I really want to get the jersey. :)

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I want to send a bog shout out to my sister-in-law Robin. She did the ALS ice bucket challenge and asked that the people she challenged donate to my cause instead. How cool is that? She has nothing against ALS but is just a kick ass woman trying to help me out (she knows I want that jersey). She ROCKS!

Late and Breaking!!

Guess what Readers! I have been asked to be interviewed by the 24 Hours of Boody  public and media relations! What? Me? I got an e-mail form Jackie T. asking me if I would be interested in giving an interview about My Hotel Yorba Team and my experience as a cancer survivor, current ass kicker. My interview will be today around 10:30am. I will let you all know how it goes and post the interview (if I give a good one) once it is done. How cool huh?

Round 1 Part 2

New scarf

New scarf

Readers! For yesterday’s chemo treatment I thought I would wear one of my new scarfs and wear some make up. So fancy. What do you think? So pretty! I love the soft pink of the lace. My Man came to the hospital with me today. I took little cat naps. Due to the study they have to check my vitals every 15 minutes for 2 hours! So you really don’t get to get a good nap while you have to open you math for a thermometer and hear monitor.

Cold!

Cold!

The infusion center go pretty full while we were there. It is crazy how cold they make it in there. I had a sweatshirt on and two warm blankets. I think next time I will have to wear a warmer jacket. I brought my iPad to read my new book.

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I finished The Silkworm and am now reading Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. So far it is pretty good. I have read many of her is the past and have enjoyed them all. They all take place in Australia so there is a lot of tea drinking going one just like in The Silkworm. makes me want some hot tea!

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I thought about down loading a movie or tv show to watch but could find anything that I was interested in. There are TV shows but I know I will get hooked and end up buying the whole season.Am I ready for that commitment? Maybe I should just bite the bullet. Any movie suggestions? Any TV suggestions?

This morning I went in bright and early and got what I am calling my “booster” shot. My immune system will be going crazy  after this second dose and the shot should help me level out and not get too sick. I was super tired driving there (along with having serious stomach cramps) but luckily it didn’t take to long at all (so speedy). The shot was given to me in my stomach and then I was free to go. I came home and proceeded to take an hour nap. I had hoped the shot would have given me some extra energy but not so. Pus the stomach cramps are back. I took some pills for that which will hopefully kick in soon.

New Scarf #3

New Scarf #3

I am going in to my office to look at some paperwork and then I am treating myself and getting my nails done. Hope the nap was long enough to keep me awake! Have a Happy Wednesday Readers!