Bon Voyage

Well later today Holly and I take off for our grand tour of Europe. We are taking this trip to celebrate her upcoming 50th birthday. In my family, birthdays are a big deal, and a fantastic trip for turning 50 yrs old seemed in order. She has been to Europe, and we've even been to Italy/London together. So I wanted to plan a trip somewhere that she had not been previously. Scandinavia seemed just perfect. We fly out of RDU later tonight, straight through to London. Then we shuttle down to the coast to board our cruiseship. The actual cruise leaves Saturday afternoon and heads on to Brugge,Belgium, then Copenhagen,Denmark then to Helsingbor, Sweden, then to Oslo, Norway and back again to London-all in one short week. We've never been on a cruise together but this seemed an easy way to sample some ports, unpack only once and require less time/planning than most Europe trips. I know that we will have fun, but I've been pretty nervous and excited about everything working out well. I know that we'll have a spendid time.
Hopefully you'll have a splendid time during the next week too and enjoy your Labor Day!

Bon voyage!

Summer Fading Fast

Holly and I have been enjoying the w-e in Asheville. It's been mild and breezy-that kind of late summer weather that is so gorgeous in the mtns. Friday evening we had dinner with friends, enjoying their house which is nestled among the hardwoods, rhododendrons and mtn laurels. What a beautiful spot to enjoy a delicious dinner with such terrific hosts.

Saturday morning we did another section of that challenging half-marathon course which we will run Sept 12th in Asheville. The course begins downtown near the historic Grove Arcade and winds its way through town to a beautiful neighborhood near the Grove Park Inn (i.e. it's some up), the Kimberly area, over to the golf course (again, it's up), around Beaver Lake, then down to the River (what goes down must come up), turning on to a winding road that passes our house (that one is really up, up, up), around the university and down a long street heading back toward town to complete the 13.1 mile route. This Saturday we ran a little over an hour and a half. We have been reading in the local newspaper about all the people training for the half-marathon who have already completed the course for their training. I like a little more excitement and mystery in my life. If I'd already completed the whole thing, I wouldn't feel the need to do it on Sept 12th. I mean, the purpose of the thing is to see if you can do it. It's a kind of health celebration for me-to prove that I can run that far after all of that horrible chemo last year. I need and want the mystery of wondering how I will feel running that far. As far as I am concerned, all of those other people can train by doing the entire course if it makes them feel better. Me, I'll stick with a little uncertainty on this one.

Saturday afternoon we attended the Beer & Baseball event held downtown at the stadium. It was a showcase for about 30 microbreweries with several bands playing on the actual field (there wasn't a bit of baseball, go figure). Anyway, we got turned on to a new artist named Kellin Watson, a bluesy rock singer who did a terrific hourlong set. Really cool to catch some new live music and enjoy some great fresh beer. My two favorites were the ESB from Sweetwater Brewing Co and the new offering from the Hebrew brewery. However, there were lots of other great styles to try. Water was a very popular beverage too as it was fairly sunny and warm early in the day.

Sunday we ate brunch with our friends Susan and Donna before they had to head off to work. Great to catch up with them over eggs and bacon. I got to show off Bella, my new mtn bike. Susan tried it out briefly. I think she liked it, especially having that extra shock in the back. Afterwards, Holly and I rode the mtn bikes in Bent Creek, and we did one of those routes with the big hill climb (59 mins of continuous up but who's counting...) followed by the big whirlygig down, down, down (Green Lick, it's called). Wow what a blast on my new bike. I love that Bella girl. It really does make a difference in the amount of jostling and jerking when you ride over rocks or roots. And there were just a few of those.

We saw the "Julie & Julia" movie Sunday evening. What a treat! I love seeing Meryl Streep in anything, and getting to see her play Julia Child is incredible. She does such a good job laughing in that sing song way that Julia did, lumbering around in all of those old outfits, and wrestling with all that poultry. She made the movie so fun to watch. Just don't go hungry, or you'll be starving by the end. Even I am tempted to cook beef bourgandy after seeing it in the film, and I don't even eat beef.

Next Friday, Holly and I leave for a trip to Scandinavia to celebrate her 50th birthday (which is actually in October). In her honor, I wrote a message in stone (well sort of...) The pink bit is an orchid bloom.

Meet Bella

Things have been more than a little hectic the past few weeks. I am extremely busy at work with more than my share of patients, their phone calls, refill requests, and the mounds of paperwork every primary care doctor has to wade through. Actually, work has been pretty stressful lately with more than a few patients now homeless and unable to afford their medicines due to the economy, another few with new diagnoses of cancer, and many more with complaints of depression and/or anxiety due to work or family issues. Some of the time, it is all I can do to keep from drowning myself in the 20-30 stories I hear each day, but then I remember to breathe, relax my shoulders, take a walk at lunch, and enjoy some delightful patient or co-worker.

Though we schedule our w-e's in Asheville to the max, I finally found time to buy that full suspension mtn bike I have been talking about for over a year. I named it "Bella" which means beauty- so attached is the photo of Bella AsBike. Tee-hee as Susan would say. For those of you who care, it's a Trek Fuel EX 8 Woman's Specific Design, and the technology with that rear shock certainly does make a difference. Now I can bound up the hills faster, higher, easier and all that. I am very happy with my purchase as is Holly who was already way past my long wait to (finally) buy something so nice for myself.

Our Buddy Jo's birthday is coming up Sat Aug 22th. Happy Birthday Georgia Girl.

No Needle Until November

I was scheduled to have my next bone marrow biopsy and general check up yesterday at Duke. My blood counts looked so good that Dr Long gave me a reprieve from the bone marrow biopsy they had planned. I have been getting them every 3 mos since I finished my chemotherapy last November. My white cells are behaving themselves as are my other blood components.

My only problem has been soreness in my right hip near the spot of my past biopsies. We think that I have a little scar tissue aggravating the nerves in that area. I took an X ray to make sure everything is okay, but I haven't heard back yet. I was certainly relieved to get away yesterday without another big needle stick in my rump. Thank you Dr Long.

Holly and I were on vacation in SC last week with my family. My Mom rents a large beach house right on the front beach at Folly near the park area (i.e. fewer homes and lots more wildlife). We had a great time enjoying the sun, the relatively mild temps (upper 80's mostly), and hanging out with family. I got to see both of my sisters, their kids, both of my parents and their spouses as well as my Mama. I think I'm the only one who looks older. Everyone else has managed to age in reverse except for the kids.

Our first day there was my birthday (July 25th), and Mom cooked my favorite - fried shrimp. For dessert, we had a 4 layer chocolate cake that she adorned with 47 candles. We ate famously well during the week-what with Mom cooking all the time, one night out at my Dad's, a dinner downtown at a ritzy restaurant, and plenty of Bessinger's barbeque to fill in the gaps.

Emma and Ethan sure earned their water wings. Emma jumped at least a million breaking waves until she learned to go with them and bodysurf. Ethan may still be submerged peering through his scuba mask. He collected a veritable treasure trove of ocean goodies including starfish, all manner of shells, eggcases, and seaweed. I suspect he'll announce the opening of his ocean exhibit later this month. Next year we'll be lucky if we see him at all. He'll probably have a boat or surfboard by then and merely playing in the surf won't do.

Here is a photo from the birthday-a gorgeous cake not yet decorated with all 47 candles.