Sasha in the news

Brookline TAB
6/28/18

Enough about me! Sasha got her picture in our local weekly paper! I haven't mentioned Sasha in a while and she's such a huge part of my life. In fact way back in 2008 when things were looking quite dismal, The Vixen strongly suggested that I NOT get a chocolate English lab puppy. That was about the only thing on my "bucket list" at the time. And I dutifully followed her advise and did not get a dog. That was a mistake! I finally got my "bucket list" checked off in 2010 when I got Sasha. Kind of like the bumper sticker - "who rescued who?".

I spend more time with Sasha than anyone else.

She just turned 8 on June 2. We joke that now she is our age in dog years and we need to be more careful with her energy. She's not the puppy she used to be.

Anyway last Friday we were at my friend Amy's art studio as we often work together on Friday mornings. The local reporter stopped by to do a story on Amy's fundraiser to help kids at the US-Mexico border. And we ended up in the paper. You can hardly see Sasha but there she is sitting with us. Always in on the action whatever it might be.

An Extra Piece of Cake

Biking to Otto's Studio in Berlin

I am following Suzanne's recommendation and celebrating today's "good news"/non-news. I had blood drawn at 6:30am and met with NP at 7:30am. She said that my blood work looked good. I got up on the exam table for a few minutes and she asked if I have any pain - rash - vomiting - difficulty breathing - etc. So all good. How did I celebrate? I had a piece of sour cream chocolate bundt cake tonight.

In a month I'll get scans then see The Vixen. I'm hoping that if all is well, she will give her blessing for me to go to scans every 6 months. With Zumeta every 3 months. That requires blood work so I'd go in just 4 times per year. Let's see... I'm feeling great.

The only way to deal with this is to give it very little head space. Which I've gotten pretty good at. I've been living with this shadow for almost 10 years - I was diagnosed August 25, 2008. With 5% chance of living 5 years. And look! Out on the far edge of what was most likely. So even though The Vixen has given me shit for years about "denial", it has worked beautifully for me.

Glenn and I just booked for our cabin in Southwest Harbor, Maine for late September. We have stayed in the same place for the last 2 years. We liked it so much that we are going back for a third time. And we're training for a century ride in early September. And anticipating a huge peach harvest at our house in Connecticut. The two trees are loaded. So I'd better learn to can - soon!

Ich ein Berliner

My room 

Berlin! If I could do my life all over again, I'd adopt Berlin as my hometown. I was there 20 years ago - it was winter - but it didn't somehow capture me then like it did this time. I arrived on a Saturday afternoon after having hardly slept all night. I changed into shorts, and we (Otto and Claudia) got on the bikes to explore the city. The most remarkable thing to me is the bike culture. I am a year-round bike commuter, like the Pony Express. I go to work on my bike no matter what the weather. And Glenn and I are century rides. But I've never seen anything like Berlin and the surrounding area. There are bike lanes throughout the city. Sometimes on the street, sometimes on the sidewalk. But it's very clear where you are supposed to be. There are turn signals at stops for bikes. Pedestrians stay out of bike lanes or at their own peril.

Over the 12 days, I biked 200 miles. Otto keeps track. Maybe even a bit more as our last evening we biked to dinner.

Otto's art studio is 12 miles away and we went there twice, once on the bikes. We rode both ways and stopped at a beer garden on the way back.

Mid-week the three of us took a train west of the city, biked 60 miles, and got on another train to go back to the city.

Grocery shopping, out to eat a few times - always on the bike.

I'm feeling well. Will go see the NP next week for blood work and physical exam. The non-visit visit. Then scans in a month. All good.