Long time no blog…

In this blog…travelogues and chemo #12 & photos!

We have had a full calendar during Mike’s and now Maggie’s spring break. Last week was my 4th week since chemo…my bonus week and I think I used it up!

Tuesday Mike and I headed up to LaConner. I had bought a Living Social Coupon at Hotel Planter in a great part of the small town of LaConner, just 2 doors down from the pier that has the best view of the Rainbow Bridge. We lucked out with a parking spot directly across from the hotel, with no time limit and never used the car until it was time to head back to Seattle.

We were able to check in early, got on our bike gear and headed to the tulips. I was behind Mike and he kept checking on me, but I have to say riding my bike in the country with the sun and farms and birds and flowers…I was screaming out loud happy! Freedom, that is what it felt like, freedom. On bike rides like this I always start singing the same songs…some Linda Ronstadt, some old kid songs that are forever stuck in my head, Bob Dylan of course and even some Bruce Springsteen. It is one of my favorite feelings…flat, warm enough, not too fast… perfect bike riding. We made it to the tulip fields and took our time taking photos, then headed back to LaConner. About 9 miles altogether, not too far at all, but a good first ride of the year for me. I convinced Mike to let me go back to the hotel and sent him on a fast ride, so he could get in a real bike ride. I showered, changed and went shopping while he rode. A win-win!

That night we had a great dinner, quite the splurge, at Nell Thorn. I had steak and fritz, the steak was from the Skagit River Ranch. A number of years ago I was addicted to their bacon and would buy it at the West Seattle Farmers Market. I know they do a good job with their cows and their beef. I even had a glass of wine! Mike had a cocktail (yum, I had a sip) and then a lovely seafood pasta dish. 

At the next table we were entertained by a very adorable 6 or 7 year old boy and what looked to be his dad and his grandma. They ordered a couple of desserts and when the little boy looked at the hazelnut brownie topped with ice cream and other bits of lovely items his eyes flew open and he exclaimed, “Holy what-the what-the!” So, of course, we had to order the same thing. Yummy and totally holy what-the what-the! 

The next morning after breakfast we put our bike clothes back on, checked out of the hotel and headed out for another ride. This time we went over the bridge where we had never ventured before. The land on the other side of the bridge belongs to the Swinomish Tribe, it is their reservation. We had hills today, the long gradual kinds, not to be confused with the vertical limit kinds. I did ok. We rode to a spot right across the water from LaConner. There are 3 round open venues with roofs like woven cedar hats. Inside each one is a display with information about the tribe, the history, the area. It was very informative and a beautiful spot.

We rode on two different directions but each of them had narrow shoulders, curves and gravel…not ideal biking conditions, so we headed back to LaConner.

A shorter ride today, but that is ok. I sent Mike on his way again and found a decent bathroom to change and don my wig. Then more shopping, I had a mission. I am finally ready to find a big bag, a real grown up lady bag, and leave my backpack behind (most of the time…). And I found it, another splurge, but it is made by artisans in Turkey using recycled fabric for part of it and lovely canvas for the rest. It has leather handles and it is beautiful. Mission accomplished. Mike met up with me, we had some lunch and headed home.

We had Thursday to do laundry, run errands and pack up for our 10 am flight to KC. The kids both came over Thursday and stayed all night which made it easier to gather up for the airport. Betty dropped us off and our family vacation started.

Thank goodness for Alaska Air and their non-stop to KC, rather painless. Upon landing we rented a car then headed to our condo a couple of blocks from the Plaza that I found on Airbnb. It was adequate for this trip where it was used really just for sleeping. Too much family time to get in to hang out in any rented rooms!

We quickly settled into the condo and then headed to moms. We had a great reunion with Mom, Matt, Kathy, Amy, and Paul. Then headed to Minsky’s Pizza for a bigger reunion. Jennifer and Bart and Kai were there. My Aunt Joann was there as well as all my girl cousins with the exception of Susan (we knew she was out of town and we sure missed her). These cousins include: Linda, Cathy, Julie, Jackie, Jill, Jean, Laurie, Nancy plus some spouses and kids, plus some friends of theirs, plus my niece Erica and her husband and daughter. I wore my blonde wig and a few of my cousins thought it was my real hair. Awesome! We had a great evening trying to catch up with all. Mike, Michael and Maggie were a little overwhelmed, rightly so, but hung in there and had a good time!

We went back to the condo after that and crashed. The other nights I ended staying with my mom and didn’t make it back to the condo until the morning we left. Mike, Maggie and Michael stayed there every night but showed up at Grandmas early and left from grandmas late every night.

Saturday morning we went bowling with Matt and his league. Well, some of us bowled and some of us who think sticking your fingers in those bowling ball holes is about as disgusting as it gets, well we just watched! It was a great competition among my family and it is always great to see Matthews bowling buddies, they are each so unique and lovely in their own ways. Mary Pat came to visit with us. She is the mom whose daughter, Rachel,  died not so very long ago at this very bowling alley; what a brave and strong woman she is . She and my mom are good friends and support to each other and she shows up at bowling periodically to visit. She came with us to lunch as well, our first KC BBQ of the vacation! BB’s Lawnside. Great BBQ, live blues/swing music, long communal tables, it doesn’t get more KC than that! There were 18 or 20 of us, quite a posse.

This trip included 2 more BBQ events: Jack Stack's Smokestack and Bryants, we also hit our favorite burger place 2 times, Winsteads. I had a chance to visit my Aunt Rose Evelyn who has been ill but thankfully is on the mend and recovering. I got to visit my high school friend Mig and catch up a bit. We spent time at Jennifer and Barts for game day. There was an epic game of capture the flag with humongous nerf guns,  Bart has about 7 pinball machines that quickly filled, the Masters was on the projector and those of us who prefer a movie watched Date Night in their movie room…something for everyone! There was also shopping, drinking coffee and general hanging out on the Plaza. We had lovely weather by day and epic thunder and lighting with torrential rain a couple of nights. The redbuds and dogwoods were blooming as well as the tulips and a various other blooming trees.

It was a great trip. We packed a lot of food and fun and family into a very tiny bit of time. I felt good, had good energy and looked healthy and that is what my mom needs to see in person. It is always hard to say goodbye to my momma, but we did after our final trip to Winsteads and a visit to the most beautiful fountain in KC that had been closed for cleaning all winter and was just turned on the day we left! Gorgeous!

I plan to return sooner rather than later, most likely by myself again, or maybe with Mike. But having all 4 of us there was very special and gave me the support I needed to do all that we did. A great spring break!

We arrived home 6:30 Tuesday and I went to chemo at 9:45 Wednesday morning. Maggie stayed all night and had a 9:00 dentist appointment and Mike had to return to work, so Lisa dropped me off at chemo and then Maggie came after her dentist appointment. She got there after my blood draw and port access and in time for my appointment with Dr. Kaplan. We brought him 3 bottles of BBQ sauce (as he had informed us of how much he likes BBQ) and he was thrilled. “You brought me sauce!” he exclaimed. Such a cutie! We discussed how it was going in general and he told us that I would get a PET scan not a CT scan as the last CT just couldn’t give us the details. One has to wait 63 days between PET scans, now I’m not sure if that is all your body can take or all your insurance can take or some combo of the two. He said, not to ask him, it’s just the rule. My last PET was March 12 and 63 days from that, by my calculations, is May 14. So, about one month from now I’ll be hearing whether or not I have any more cancer…I’m looking forward to that day! We did not talk possible scenarios depending on the scan results. Best just to wait and take it from there. I’ll be down 5-7 days now for what could be (and hopefully will be) my last time taking the big chemo hit. Then I’ll have 3 weeks until the scan. My sister and her husband are driving up for a visit early May, I have plenty of things to do around here and appointments to be kept…so time will fly…

I always feel ok the first day or so after chemo, while the steroids are in my system. It will be the weekend when I really crash. I’m ready, lots of things to watch on the DVR and the iPad, lots of tissue ready for the tears, I’ve got the diffuser running and I’m obsessed with not getting a cold this time round!

Until the scan Hope prevails!

I know many of you are on spring break and I hope you are enjoying yourselves immensely. 

Love, love, love to you all!

How bike riding makes me feel!

Holy What-The What-The

Jack Stack...the best!

Michael and Matt

Maggie, Amy, Matt, Erica

  

yum-o!

pinball wizards, Maggie, Matt, Amy, Bart and Michael

Maggie with a complimentary super-drink....super yucky that is!

On the Plaza
Erica, Maggie, Me, Amy Kathy and Jennifer

JC Nichols Fountain

Mom and us, last day in KC.