She’s baaack!

After mom got to her room yesterday, she announced that she was not eating any more hospital food and that all she wanted was a bowl of albondigas soup from Molina’s Midway. Jenna and Rick raced over to pick it up. She took one spoonful and announced “the anticipation was greater than the reality”. Nothing tastes good. (The night before we all had Athens takeout-that, she was happy about!)

I was here at 6 a.m.  but the first doctor came a little before 9.  So I basically blew the one day I could have slept in. Still trying to catch up. The surgeon will come by at some point. I’m hoping they move her out of the observation unit and to a regular room today. At least I can help her to the restroom there. I swear the nurses and techs were so much better over there! The night shift here is definitely lacking. 45 minutes to get help with using the facilities is unconscionable!

 

 

 

 

 

GREAT NEWS!

The surgery went really well! It was definitely the best possible outcome. Her surgery took less than two hours. When they finally called me in to the recovery room, mom looked at me, lifted her left arm and said, “Look, it works again!” I whispered in her left ear and she said “I heard that. Everything works.” And just like that, it seemed like this nightmare is over. I have a feeling we may be jumping the gun with that conclusion-that it can’t be that simple-but she does seem like herself again. Of course, now we get to the dealing with cancer phase of this ordeal, which I am sure will present its own challenges, but it is definitely something.

They originally thought she would go to ICU at first, but decided that was unnecessary. They put her in an observation room and are discussing possibly releasing her tomorrow. This excites her  beyond belief. They also discussed sending her to a rehabilitation center, like HealthSouth, for occupational and physical therapy after releasing her from the hospital, but since the left side has come back so quickly, this may not happen. I have to admit this terrifies me! So………Her neurosurgeon makes rounds around 6a.m., so it’ll be another super early morning for me!

More updates tomorrow-

Mom…..

Last Friday we went to the VFW with some friends and listened to some outstanding music and devoured some pretty darn good fish fry. If someone would have told me then what this Friday would look like, I wouldn’t have believed it. Not in a million years.

My mom went to Europe for a month and got back on Saturday night. Immediately after seeing her, Tyler and I were alarmed. She looked like she had aged 10 years since she left. She seemed confused and unsteady on her feet. She  was repeating everything she was saying, she wasn’t listening well, and in the days to come, we noticed she wasn’t taking as much care in her appearance, she just wasn’t my mom. She also was not listening to me one little bit when I voiced my concern. Luckily she went to her water aerobics class on Wednesday and one of her friends, Louise Hastings (a big thank you to Louise!), noticed the changes and called her at home later and talked to her about it. And then the lightbulb went on.

On Wednesday night I got a phone call at 3:15 a.m. My mom thought maybe she had a stroke and asked me to come get her and take her to TMC. She didn’t want to call an ambulance and have them take her to UMC. No offense to UMC….First of all the staff in the ER is amazing. Dr. Brian Tenelshof could not have been more caring and kind. (He even gave me the code to get in the back entrance) He called me in to his office and showed me the cat scan and explained what was happening. Unfortunately it was not a stroke, it was two tumors. One is quite large and is causing pressure which was causing the symptoms, and a smaller one, which is a little deeper and is inoperable. He decided to keep her in the ER until Dr Schroeder was on call in neurosurgery, because he says he’s the best. After all the CT scans, and MRI’s and neurologists, it was determined that she has multicentric glioma. 98% of which are malignant. So, tomorrow morning she is having brain surgery. After that, she will probably go to a rehabilitation center for a week or two for physical and occupational therapy and radiation and possibly chemo as well. For now she is in room 866 with a beautiful view of a lovely courtyard and is being cared for by a team of sweet nurses and techs that are keeping her comfortable.

Jenna flew in from Texas this morning, Tyler cancelled his San Diego trip, we cancelled our Texas trip and we are circling the wagons and ready for this battle. Her attitude is fantastic! She is positive and optimistic and we are all trying to follow her lead and not get too scared or think about worst case scenarios, which I tend to do sometimes. She is not done here yet and we expect her to pull through with flying colors. Her hospital room has been like party central with friends and family coming and going from before 7 a.m until after 9 at night with countless phone calls and face time with family in Germany. She is definitely feeling the love.

On a side note…….While mom was in Germany, her brother Hans and she had a bit of a falling out. Which is a kind way of saying he was a total dick. As we were in the ER she said, Hans is gonna feel like shit now. (Which is actually questionable, but one can hope). I said boy you won’t stop at anything to get even and make a point. We both laughed like crazy. Now she decided to name the tumor Hans (she does hold a grudge), and he is being removed. Once and for all!

The outpouring of kind words, offers to help, positive thoughts and prayers from so many wonderful people in our lives has been amazing (even though most of my friends realize I’m not a prayer kind of person, I will take any prayers and positive energy you can send our way). You have no idea how much it means to all of us!

Good stuff

There’s this really cool thing in Tucson called the 3000 Club Charity/Market on the Move. In the summer they have it every couple of Saturdays and the occasional Wednesdays at their headquarters, at other times of the year it moves around to various locations. You go there, pay $10 and you get about 60 pounds of vegetables and fruit. What they have changes. If you like their Facebook page, they let you know when they have them. We went this morning and we got a case of cucumbers, a case of yellow squash, a case of water and a pound of popping corn, all organic, oh, and 20 bags of potato chips. It was a random and limited selection, but you can do all kinds of things with cucumbers and squash…..not to mention you can share the bounty!

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There is another entity that does a similar thing, called Borderlands Food Bank. It moves around all the time. I’ve never tried this one though. The last time we went to the Market on the Move, we got copious amounts of butternut squash, honeydews, grape tomatoes, mangos, watermelons, and again the potato chips. It’s always something you can use and share.

 

 

Absolutely no clue

I thought I had published the last post back in April, but apparently forgot to hit the publish button. Oops. We did get the master bathroom and closet of my dreams finished and oh my god, it is fantastic! Getting ready and packing and even putting things away is so much easier. I have no idea why I didn’t do this sooner. If anyone is contemplating a remodel, start with Pinterest to get an idea of your likes and dislikes. It kept me moving in the right direction…..

The title of this post has nothing to do with the previous paragraph and everything to do with the wedding planning that is underway. The wedding is set for October of this year. I repeat, this year.  So, decisions are being made rather quickly and costs are spiraling equally quickly. I had no clue what flowers cost. Or music. Or transportation. Or photographers. Or just about everything else. Yikes. I finally chose my mother of the bride dress and my rehearsal dinner dress. I ordered 4 dresses from Nordstrom and am keeping 2. They have a pretty cool return policy-free shipping and returns. They truly have the best selection of anything I have seen in any brick and mortar place here in Tucson.

Meanwhile, we are experiencing the wonderful time that is summer in Tucson. I know that sounds sarcastic, but I mean it. Rick points out where we were last year at the same time almost daily. It was pretty great! But being here has its charms too. We have been trying to limit going out to eat to two or three times a week, for our waistlines as well as our wallets! There is a great new restaurant not far from us, called Commoner and Co. that is amazing! If you’ve tried Prep & Pastry, (and if you haven’t, what the heck are you waiting for?) this is owned by the same group. I highly recommend both of these places! If you like mussels, and I love mussels, the Commoner and Co. has the very best! It comes with an order of fries which are equally wonderful. The shrimp cocktail is also really good, the fried green tomatoes-not so much. I make fried green tomatoes, and if I do say so, mine are infinitely better. So I’d skip those. Can’t wait to go back and try a few more items!  Another place we revisited recently is Mariscos Chihuahua. They make a sauce that is called Culichi sauce. I have no idea what is in this delightful, pale green sauce, but it is pure magic! I order the shrimp with the sauce, but you can also order it with fish or chicken for those who are not seafood fans (which is something I just don’t get, but,  whatever). I could drink this sauce by the glass……

Last night we went to the Hut on 4th Avenue for some shuffleboard followed by a bite at our favorite restaurant in Tucson, Athen’s on 4th. They had the octopus on the menu last night, which they don’t always have. If you ever go there and you see it on the board and are feeling adventurous, try it. Make sure they cut it up for you. If not, it does look a little creepy-just saying. The lamb chops here are tied with the braised lamb for best dish on the menu. They gyro platter is also delicious, and for something tasty and simple the Pastitsio is a great bet.

My brother-in-law would say (and has said) that I all I write about is food. Okay, I’m somewhat guilty. I love great food! Last summer I had several people mention that my blog made them hungry, so I figured why not write about places right here in Tucson, that are easy to try if so inspired. Well, that’s all I’ve got for now…..

 

I hear wedding bells…..

Our daughter, Jenna and her boyfriend got engaged a couple of weeks ago. We are very happy and excited for both of them! I know the next few months are bound to be a wild ride. We had such a simple, romantic wedding on an island in the Adriatic. There is so much to think about and plan (and pay) for this wedding…… and there is something just a teeny, tiny bit sad about it, but I couldn’t begin to explain where in the hell that is coming from. It makes no sense to me…. If I figure it out, I will pass it along.

In the meanwhile, it looks like they finally came up with the “where” part of the equation. And, it took some time getting there. Tucson-nope. Abilene, briefly, but, no. Several destinations in Florida, both Carolinas and Georgia were considered, but Texas Hill Country was finally decided on. It is beautiful there, and I am happy that it’s not on the east coast so we have a chance to check things out…..In fact I plan to fly out next week for some scouting and dress shopping. I think we will have a great time!

We are currently smack dab in the middle of the bathroom remodel. It is changing daily and it will be beautiful when it’s done, which I had hoped would be tomorrow. But it looks like next week some time. This means I will likely not have time to move in to the new space until I return from Texas. I really do not want to rush that part, I think you need to think it out so it is organized from the get go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still hanging in there…….

I started writing this post on Friday the 20th of February. It was the day after my friend Vivian had some pretty major back surgery. 8 hours of surgery. We had dinner with her and her husband Steve the night before. She went in to the ordeal with the most positive attitude and incredible determination. I think I would have been terrified. And oh my god, so organized, she even made her own hospital gowns. This woman is crazy impressive! Fun, kind and always looks amazing. I can’t believe how much I missed being able to text or talk to her. I patiently, or actually not so patiently waited for the word that she was ready to see visitors.

It was great to finally start visiting with her and doing what I could do to help, which just didn’t feel like nearly enough. Anyway, to make a long story short, tomorrow is 5 weeks since the surgery and her recovery is nothing short of miraculous! She has worked her butt off. Today was our first outing to La Encantada, where we like to check out the J.Crew sales, and today was a spectacular one! J.Crew is always followed by a visit to North for happy hour, where we always get the Sangria, Zucca chips and cheese board. Predictable, but in a comforting way. Sometimes we mix it up and stop in at a couple of other stores or follow with a trip to Frost for some gelato.  Today we concentrated on the two important destinations. Vivian walked all the way from the car to J.Crew, up to North and back again with her cane and wearing her full body brace. I can’t begin to convey how happy this outing made me!

Between the surgery and today’s outing we managed to squeeze in a couple of little trips. Naturally. On March third, Benco sent us to Cancun for 4 days. We added on a fifth, because it sounded like a good idea…..it kind of wasn’t. But that’s a long story. The short version is this: the resort, Moon Palace, was a sprawling, beautiful resort sort of far from town, which by the way, we never saw. Not our kind of place, but I can understand how some people would love it. It’s an all-inclusive, so that’s kind of nice. So, now we can say we’ve been to Cancun, but we haven’t really-lol! The best part was spending some quality time with the Benco friends we have made over the years. Benco honored the recent retirees and we all had a very nice dinner with Larry and Sally Cohen. I think the highlight of the trip was this really fun activity where they had us all make pinatas with local children who were either handicapped in some way or disadvantaged.

After Cancun, Rick came back and worked a couple of days, I unpacked and immediately re-packed for a trip to Texas to visit Jenna. She is in the middle of decorating her home, and it was fun to be a part of it. As usual, we had a great time. We went to some wonderful restaurants, and I got to participate in Jenna’s book club. Rick and I took a side-trip to Fredericksburg in Hill Country, wandered around some antique stores, wineries and LBJ’s Texas White House. We found some great Texas wines and managed to bring some home…..I LOVE this area! We really enjoyed LBJ’s Ranch. It was 2800 acres, but the Johnson’s gave 600 acres to the State and Federal government to turn it in to a Park with all the main buildings included. What a fascinating man! After this we went to Austin for a few days where the South by Southwest music festival was in full swing. We checked out some music and went to the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library. This was my first presidential library and I loved it. No, we did not go to the Bush library. Someone asked me that…….

I just got a notice that the first year on the blog is up and I think I will keep it up for another year, although sometimes it feels like I’m really just publishing my diary……

57

Well, today I’m 57.

Sounds like such a nondescript number. And getting painfully close to the number 60. Uh-oh! All things considered, I’ll take it. But seriously, what shall I do next?????

This year so far is pretty darned good! We had our 11th annual Super Bowl Party a couple of weeks ago and a few of our friends played some terrific music under the ramada for those of us who aren’t terribly in to the game part of the party. The food, as usual was a great mix of wonderful tasty things contributed by all of us. My gumbo, which I make every year, just wasn’t up to par this time.

Last Wednesday, Rick was contacted by his company and offered a free trip for both of us to Cancun at the beginning of March. Hmmm, let’s think about that. YES! We have never been to that area before and are very excited about it. Especially the free part! So that’s happening. And right after that another trip to Abilene and Austin, Texas. It really is all about the next trip……

We are finally remodeling our master bathroom, which Rick has been after me to do for about 4 years now. The contractor and cabinetmaker are coming tomorrow to finalize the plans and we are scheduled to begin the last week of March. All the decisions have been SO hard! And I have no idea why-I have never liked the tile in our bathroom (or the oak cabinets!). I should post before and after photos so that everyone can hate our tile as much as I do. Rick is hoping that with the new cabinetry I will have a neater vanity. We shall see about that. I am a little too neat all over the house, but my vanity is usually a total disaster. Hair product, jewelry, face creams, toothbrushes, make-up, pens, paper, receipts, you name it, it’s there. Hope all this new cabinetry helps………maybe the pretty marble countertops will be so pretty that I won’t want to cover them with my mess……

Rocky Point in January

I have to admit my heart was not in this trip. I would have liked to have stayed in Abilene longer and been there for Jenna closing the purchase of her house. And to share the celebratory bottle of her favorite wine…..(Prisoner, yum!) Plus this trip is me, Rick and our friend Bill. It would be so much better to have another woman along. These two old guys-yikes!

The beach is totally deserted and beautiful. It is amazing that it is a 3 1/2 hour drive from Tucson. Our first stop is always a Mexican grocery store to stock up on fresh vegetables and Margarita ingredients-duh! And god, those Margaritas are always so good! Thanks to the bartender at the old J-bar for sharing the recipe. The first night always seems to include way too many….. and then we taper off.

On our second evening we went to La Curva, which, while lacking in atmosphere and ocean views, has some of the best food I have had down here. I mean, this isn’t fine dining, but still…As I was perusing the menu, and silently lamenting the fact that there was no killer seafood combination plate, the waiter came over and told us about the special of the evening. A seafood combo that included shrimp prepared 6 different ways and fish prepared two ways with a drink, steamed veggies and Spanish rice for about $14 per person. Score! I am so upset with myself for not taking a picture of that work of art. I was too busy diving in and going for it. Wow. Just wow. One of the preparations of shrimp was the drunken shrimp, which I don’t think I ever would have ordered, but I sure will in the future.

We went in to town for a few odds and ends on Tuesday morning. Rick absolutely hates walking around being hounded by the shopkeepers. The only kind of shopping he is up for is of the grocery variety. Our third evening was a seafood and carb-free delight cooked at home, followed by the viewing of the State of the Union Address. God, I love this President. It feels so good to not only love what he is saying, but how he is saying it. No shame, only pride. I remember during the last Presidency, cringing with embarrassment every time that man opened his mouth. Feeling great hope at this point!

Wednesday morning found the beach obliterated by a thick fog, or probably more accurately, a marine layer. It was both eerie and beautiful. It was also much chillier than usual. It turned in to a pretty lazy day followed by an amazing dinner out at a place we have never tried before. It is called Chef Mickey’s and it was rated as the number one restaurant in Rocky Point on Tripadvisor. It certainly deserved that ranking. The atmosphere was stylish and immaculate, the service was excellent, and the food better than any food I have ever had anywhere in Mexico! I had a macadamia nut crusted fish and Rick had a dish called chicken New Mexico which was stuffed with some creamy chile laden concoction in a creamy sauce that also had mushrooms in it. It was all perfect. So happy to try it.
The way home was interesting. As we were coming in to Sonoyta, we got stopped by a Polizia who stopped us for speeding. We were going approximately 35 and the speed limit was apparently 25. No matter that it wasn’t posted anywhere. Details, details. Luckily for us the ticket cost $80. Cash. No paperwork. Payable to the same guy who stopped us……. Hmmmmm. Sounds fishy to me. Dinner on us A-hole! And you wonder why some people don’t want to go to Mexico. Sitting in the backseat of the car with the boys in the front seat. Way too much talking for my taste…..There is nothing wrong with peace and quiet! Every now and then, just shhhhh!  I’m ready to throw myself from the moving vehicle. Wish me luck.

Made it!

 

 

 

Back to Abilene

On January 8th, we headed back to Abilene to visit Jenna and Tyler Krager. The fact that we call him Tyler Krager still seems to drive Jenna nuts, but we have our own Tyler. That’s what you get when you have a boyfriend with the same name as your brother! Before leaving, our friend Andreas, who owns Athens on 4th, put together a gyro care package for Jenna, consisting of a huge container of sliced gyro, two packages of pita, a container of tzaziki, two tomatoes, a red onion, a handful of mints and a stack of napkins. It was a huge success and much appreciated! Abilene has some pretty great restaurants for a town of 120,000 people, but sadly, not terribly diverse. You can’t get a bowl of pho, or a gyro sandwich, although I hear a new Japanese restaurant came to town, and Sushi may be on the horizon for our daughter. If you want steak, barbecue, fried chicken or Mexican food, you are definitely in the right town.

Jenna is in the middle of buying her first house and we couldn’t be more excited for and proud of her! We were so happy to be there during a part of this process. She is buying the house she and Tyler have rented for the last few years. Closing is set for Tuesday and we are all keeping our fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly and with as little last minute stress as possible. Rick did neat dad stuff for Jenna, replacing light switches with dimmers and talking Tyler Krager through the mounting of a new crystal bathroom light fixture. I walked around with my little tub of spackle and a putty knife patching things and sanding. We made way too many trips to Home Depot and Ross. It was fun getting caught up in Jenna’s excitement for the house and decorating it.

Our friends, Buddy and Carol came to visit for a couple of days while we were there and we all went out to our favorite restaurant, The Beehive, for a wonderful steak dinner followed by a visit to a little winery in town, The Mill. A great time was had by all! While having dinner, of all things, a man both Rick and I noticed earlier, came up and said “Rick Rogers, what are you doing at The Beehive in Abilene?” You guessed it, a dentist from Tucson, who contracts with some chain practice, and goes to Abilene a few days a month. They are starting to follow him-lol!

It was fun as always and sad to leave, as always! The drive back was interesting-bad weather and a little traffic holdup outside of Odessa where a prison bus went off an icy overpass and hit a train. Yup, that happened…. We are planning to go back in a few weeks and help with painting and such, but first we are going to Mexico on Sunday for a few days at the beach. How did we ever fit full time work in to our schedules?