One of Trish's nurses, Katie, just made my day. She sent me pictures of one of the bricks I had laid in O'Donnell Square in Canton, just minutes from Hopkins. The pictures are below. There's one more brick there somewhere that thanks the nurses of Weinberg 5.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Welcome to my week or does a year make a difference?!
Was going to write on Monday, but had some computer problems...Why Monday? It was October 27 that started the week from hell last year. I just went back and read the posts from that day and my friend Brian made the posts for me and I never posted the story of that day.
Here's what happened that day..... We had a great day the Friday before. But at about 5am on Saturday, Trish felt she needed to get up and use the restroom, she couldn't get up and she called to me to help her. I tried to help her standup and she passed out each time. After three tries, I had to call an ambulance to take us across the street to the Hopkins ER.
After an intense hour or two in the ER, they did a CATSCAN and found that she was bleeding in her stomach, specifically a branch of her hepatic artery. Her liver got beat up pretty badly, but it looked like it would recover. They rushed Trish upstairs to surgery and I walked around the hospital and finally went to relax in the room they were holding for Trish in Weinberg (the cancer building we spent so much time in during 2007). I remember paying to turn the TV on, my team - the Florida Gators were to play the Georgia Bulldogs that day. We were favored to win and Tim Tebow was the shoe-in to win the Heisman Trophy. I needed something good to happen that day. I was sure the Gators would provide something for me to be happy about on that day. They started out well, but the tide turned (not an Alabama reference Barry) and Georgia smacked the Gators hard. Was this an omen on how my week would end or just an unprepared football team? It doesn't matter. It was, what it was and summed up the worst day of my life better than I could at the time. My best memory of that day was a backrub one of the new nurses gave me while I was waiting for the doctors call.
The doctor who worked on Trish called me about 3pm and explained that he had stopped the bleeding (he thought), but that it appeared that she had "lots" of aneurysms in the area of her hepatic artery and its branches. She finally made it to the room by about 6pm and it was the first ever time she was being wheeled not by orderlies, but by the purple people. The purple people are the crash cart transporters. They roll patients through the hospital while connected to monitors and have emergency gear in back packs they wear so that if something happens along the way they can work on the patient in the halls.
The roller coaster of prays, hopes and possible positive/negative outcomes lasted till about Wednesday that week - which was Halloween. Luckily everyone made it up either late Saturday or Sunday. The boys had a great visit with Trish on Sunday.
You all know the rest of the story or can go back and read it using the archive tool in the left column.
So, where are we a year later? I lost about 50 pounds during this week last year, not eating for obvious reasons. I am now about 70 pounds heavier than I was than. Andy is in his freshman year of college at UF - he's scared me a couple of times. I always promised Trish that he could handle the complex large school environment and stay focused. He's "worked" hard at proving me wrong since arriving there. Matt is doing well in his junior year of high school, just got his ring today. I am the Lacrosse team Dad and have automated everything for the team (http://www.novalax.org) . I cook dinner the way I did in college, which isn't a good thing. It was cold last night and I bought hot chocolate for Matt and remembered he and Andy liked lots of marshmallows in their chocolate. As Matt sat sipping his swiss miss, he remembered how Mom would make home made marshmallows to put in homemade hot chocolate. How can you ever get over that?
Some things have moved forward well, others not so much. I'd like to blame it all on the bad cold I had in January which seemed to knock the wind out of my sails. I decided to offer u our house to host Thanksgiving dinner this year in hopes that the deadline would help me get organized, cleaned up and unpacked by than. We'll see.
Here's what happened that day..... We had a great day the Friday before. But at about 5am on Saturday, Trish felt she needed to get up and use the restroom, she couldn't get up and she called to me to help her. I tried to help her standup and she passed out each time. After three tries, I had to call an ambulance to take us across the street to the Hopkins ER.
After an intense hour or two in the ER, they did a CATSCAN and found that she was bleeding in her stomach, specifically a branch of her hepatic artery. Her liver got beat up pretty badly, but it looked like it would recover. They rushed Trish upstairs to surgery and I walked around the hospital and finally went to relax in the room they were holding for Trish in Weinberg (the cancer building we spent so much time in during 2007). I remember paying to turn the TV on, my team - the Florida Gators were to play the Georgia Bulldogs that day. We were favored to win and Tim Tebow was the shoe-in to win the Heisman Trophy. I needed something good to happen that day. I was sure the Gators would provide something for me to be happy about on that day. They started out well, but the tide turned (not an Alabama reference Barry) and Georgia smacked the Gators hard. Was this an omen on how my week would end or just an unprepared football team? It doesn't matter. It was, what it was and summed up the worst day of my life better than I could at the time. My best memory of that day was a backrub one of the new nurses gave me while I was waiting for the doctors call.
The doctor who worked on Trish called me about 3pm and explained that he had stopped the bleeding (he thought), but that it appeared that she had "lots" of aneurysms in the area of her hepatic artery and its branches. She finally made it to the room by about 6pm and it was the first ever time she was being wheeled not by orderlies, but by the purple people. The purple people are the crash cart transporters. They roll patients through the hospital while connected to monitors and have emergency gear in back packs they wear so that if something happens along the way they can work on the patient in the halls.
The roller coaster of prays, hopes and possible positive/negative outcomes lasted till about Wednesday that week - which was Halloween. Luckily everyone made it up either late Saturday or Sunday. The boys had a great visit with Trish on Sunday.
You all know the rest of the story or can go back and read it using the archive tool in the left column.
So, where are we a year later? I lost about 50 pounds during this week last year, not eating for obvious reasons. I am now about 70 pounds heavier than I was than. Andy is in his freshman year of college at UF - he's scared me a couple of times. I always promised Trish that he could handle the complex large school environment and stay focused. He's "worked" hard at proving me wrong since arriving there. Matt is doing well in his junior year of high school, just got his ring today. I am the Lacrosse team Dad and have automated everything for the team (http://www.novalax.org) . I cook dinner the way I did in college, which isn't a good thing. It was cold last night and I bought hot chocolate for Matt and remembered he and Andy liked lots of marshmallows in their chocolate. As Matt sat sipping his swiss miss, he remembered how Mom would make home made marshmallows to put in homemade hot chocolate. How can you ever get over that?
Some things have moved forward well, others not so much. I'd like to blame it all on the bad cold I had in January which seemed to knock the wind out of my sails. I decided to offer u our house to host Thanksgiving dinner this year in hopes that the deadline would help me get organized, cleaned up and unpacked by than. We'll see.
Monday, October 6, 2008
All my bricks about to be laid.....
I went on a memorial brick buying binge at the beginning of the year (see list of memorials on left), but now by the end of this month they should all be laid. UCF where Trish finished her college degree is expected to lay the brick there in the next week, St. Max, our church, just laid the brick there last week (I still need to go take a picture), and on October 25th the bricks I bought in Canton, MD -- just a stone's throw away from Hopkins will be laid. I got worried because this project had been delayed several times and when I recently emailed to check on it, my email came back as undeliverable. But, thanks to our good friend and one of Trish's nurses, Katie we know what is going on. One day after work, Katie stopped by the square for me, snapped the picture below and sent it to me. She made my day.
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Thursday, September 25, 2008
New York City visit to meet Trish's Donor
For those who still check and were wondering when I was going to finally write, I am just now getting to it, tonight from Orlando. We had a busy week and I had a cold most of the week. We had planned for a while to see the Gator football game today (lousy loss, so let's forget about it). So I thought I'd sit in the hotel and finally write something.
Trish would be so happy. Her donor Mike and his wife Jess are amazing. They made us feel at home. We wanted to thank them for Trish, much as I thanked everyone at the funeral and honestly they made us feel like royalty -- or even better life long friends and family.
Mike was a hospital dietitian before becoming a police officer and than a fireman. I always tried to get Trish to go back to school to get certified as a dietitian/nutritionist. She was so knowledgeable already and just needed the degree to go to work in this area. She often beat the dietician at Hopkins with what she needed and they often found other things to talk about. Everyone knows how much Trish enjoyed baking and Jess is a baker too. She has a business making cakes. My Aunt tried to get Trish to sell her cheesecakes, but Trish never was into selling her goods, she just liked watching people smile eating them. Every turn of our short whirlwind weekend revealed something we had in common, and something new that Trish would have liked to know about her fireman as we called Mike for so long. And Mike's sister, her name is Trish -- uncanny isn't it?
Suffice it to say, I think we have a new very special branch of our family in Staten Island now. One that would have made Trish very happy and proud. (I'm tired, may write more later)
Friday, August 8, 2008
Happy Anniversary
This week marked Trish and my 20th Anniversary. On our anniversary Wednesday, I attended Mass at our church, which of course was said in memory of Trish. On the way to my car after Mass, an old friend of ours from St. Bart's yelled to me. He's in charge of the memorial pavers at St. Max. He wanted to let me know that the paver for Trish had just come in and it should be laid in the ground by the 17th of the month. So my memorial brick buying marathon is nearly complete. On the way to work I stopped by the cemetary and brought Trish 20 roses.
The week ended with Johns Hopkins giving me the contact info for Trish's Donor, so now that cycle is nearly complete too. I sent Trish's fireman an email this morning and hope to hear from him soon.
I may set up a forwarding service so that so many of you who ask me about him, could write with your appreciation and a "Trish story" or two, so that he knows just how much we appreciate him.
All in all, it wasn't as bad an anniversary week as it might have been, I think it went pretty good and Andy gets home tonight from his first semester at UF. So that will bring more challenges, fun and stuff to the next week before he heads back.
I'd now like to close by sharing some words, that aren't all mine, but they belong to a dear friend. I was happy to exchange some email this week with Annie who's husband also recently passed away from Leukemia. We were each other's cheerleaders as we whisked our spouses to appointments in the halls of Hopkins the last two years. We probably understand each other's happiness and pain better than most folks and our spouses were among the best adjusted to meet their diseases challenges and always kept a positive outlook. I'd like to share some of the words we exchanged this week. I hope that it can help you refocus and make your life better:
....I see so many people who don't get the "two become one" of the wedding ceremony. I know for Trish and I we couldn't imagine existing apart, we were one. It was so great to see you and Joe embrace that as well. People who simply get married, just don't get it and that is so sad for them......
....Look at all the things we've learned about life and people, all the good folks we've come to know, because our spouses had leukemia. I'm not cheering about that, but our lives are richer for it. We both learned something from Joe and Trish too. Didn't they set the bar really high? Didn't they show us so much courage, and what real love is--not the teenage, sex-crazed, reality TV version--but the sacrificial, sustaining, very deep version that maybe even approximates what God's love is all about. The physical aspects were a part of it, but it was integrated into the fiber of the WHOLE. Even Jesus spoke of himself as a bridegroom and his church as the bride--that's pretty heavy stuff--shows you how highly he held marriage......
The week ended with Johns Hopkins giving me the contact info for Trish's Donor, so now that cycle is nearly complete too. I sent Trish's fireman an email this morning and hope to hear from him soon.
I may set up a forwarding service so that so many of you who ask me about him, could write with your appreciation and a "Trish story" or two, so that he knows just how much we appreciate him.
All in all, it wasn't as bad an anniversary week as it might have been, I think it went pretty good and Andy gets home tonight from his first semester at UF. So that will bring more challenges, fun and stuff to the next week before he heads back.
I'd now like to close by sharing some words, that aren't all mine, but they belong to a dear friend. I was happy to exchange some email this week with Annie who's husband also recently passed away from Leukemia. We were each other's cheerleaders as we whisked our spouses to appointments in the halls of Hopkins the last two years. We probably understand each other's happiness and pain better than most folks and our spouses were among the best adjusted to meet their diseases challenges and always kept a positive outlook. I'd like to share some of the words we exchanged this week. I hope that it can help you refocus and make your life better:
....I see so many people who don't get the "two become one" of the wedding ceremony. I know for Trish and I we couldn't imagine existing apart, we were one. It was so great to see you and Joe embrace that as well. People who simply get married, just don't get it and that is so sad for them......
....Look at all the things we've learned about life and people, all the good folks we've come to know, because our spouses had leukemia. I'm not cheering about that, but our lives are richer for it. We both learned something from Joe and Trish too. Didn't they set the bar really high? Didn't they show us so much courage, and what real love is--not the teenage, sex-crazed, reality TV version--but the sacrificial, sustaining, very deep version that maybe even approximates what God's love is all about. The physical aspects were a part of it, but it was integrated into the fiber of the WHOLE. Even Jesus spoke of himself as a bridegroom and his church as the bride--that's pretty heavy stuff--shows you how highly he held marriage......
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
~ July ~
July is always a busy month for our family. This year is no different, but with a lot less urgency and excitement than last year's July. July is filled with birthday's for us. It starts with my Mom on the first, my Mom's Mom was July 6th, followed by my sister-in-law (8th), me (15th), my Dad (18th), my two nieces (20 & 21st) and probably some others I am forgetting.
Last year, Trish received her transplant on July 10th. Admidst a lot of fear and worry and hope. Both Trish and I never lost hope, ever.
This is the month that the NMDP will release our contact information to Trish's donor. We are very grateful to this still unknown fireman. We still hope that we can thank him in person for his generous gift. Everyone in the family hopes this is a connection we can still make and asks me about it often. It, like everything we have been through these last three years, is not something we can control. It is up to him to contact or agree to be contacted by us.
This was also a good month for memorial activities...The plant at Nova High School is blooming (see pictures below), the memorial brick at the Delta Gamma Headquarters in Ohio was laid (see pictures below), the memorial brick at the Humane Society of Broward County was laid as well. Just a few more bricks to be laid (UCF, St. Max, Canton Square in Baltimore), and three more memorial Masses at St. Max (see the list on the left).
The boys are doing well. Matt is chilling mostly, but heads up to Georgia for vacation with my parents, brother and Aunt, etc while I stay home and work. Andy is getting good grades and having lots of fun in his summer semester at UF. I expect him to have a more rigorous schedule in the Fall.
I am determined to get the cook book put together sooner than later and will also redo this website into more of a memorial and less of a blog. While there are still some of you who use this to check up on us routinely -- it's not that many and the current site isn't as much a memorial as it can be. We'll see how well I do on these to do's..... Take care for now. Chip
Last year, Trish received her transplant on July 10th. Admidst a lot of fear and worry and hope. Both Trish and I never lost hope, ever.
This is the month that the NMDP will release our contact information to Trish's donor. We are very grateful to this still unknown fireman. We still hope that we can thank him in person for his generous gift. Everyone in the family hopes this is a connection we can still make and asks me about it often. It, like everything we have been through these last three years, is not something we can control. It is up to him to contact or agree to be contacted by us.
This was also a good month for memorial activities...The plant at Nova High School is blooming (see pictures below), the memorial brick at the Delta Gamma Headquarters in Ohio was laid (see pictures below), the memorial brick at the Humane Society of Broward County was laid as well. Just a few more bricks to be laid (UCF, St. Max, Canton Square in Baltimore), and three more memorial Masses at St. Max (see the list on the left).
The boys are doing well. Matt is chilling mostly, but heads up to Georgia for vacation with my parents, brother and Aunt, etc while I stay home and work. Andy is getting good grades and having lots of fun in his summer semester at UF. I expect him to have a more rigorous schedule in the Fall.
I am determined to get the cook book put together sooner than later and will also redo this website into more of a memorial and less of a blog. While there are still some of you who use this to check up on us routinely -- it's not that many and the current site isn't as much a memorial as it can be. We'll see how well I do on these to do's..... Take care for now. Chip
Monday, June 16, 2008
Back at Hopkins
Last week (June 7-11), I returned to Johns Hopkins. Matt was attending Lacrosse Camp with several members of his high school team and it provided an excuse for me to visit some good friends.
It was less weird on me than on those I visited or saw accidentally. After dropping the boys off at camp I headed over to the hospital and went to Mass in the Marburg conference room as Trish and I did often when she was in the hospital. Fr. Paul recognized me immediately and ran over to greet me and chat before beginning Mass. While we were talking Dr. Bolanos-Meade walked in and upon seeing me turned white. We were both surprised to see each other -- he apparently more so than me. When he is the attending on the bone marrow ward, he always attends Sunday mass. After Mass, I made a point to thank him, we never really did.
The next day I had lunch with two of the many nurses that became good friends over the two years. Holly, who had Trish on her first night after starting chemo in October 2005 and Vanessa who had Trish every weekend after her transplant. It was a great visit and these two get it. They wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see them. They weren't scared or worried about seeing me. They wanted to know that I and the boys were ok. Holly took a picture and hopefully she will send it to me this week and I'll post it. Say a pray for Holly's family she had to rush back to Louisiana for family stuff right after we met.
On Tuesday, thanks to a tip from Holly. I was able to meet with some friends. Woody and his Mom. Woody was celebrating his "graduation" from IPOP to the outpatient center. He has had a long round of chemo and appears to be doing well. It was great to see them and all of the other nurses in IPOP and on the floor that day. I also got to see Dr. Griffiths without whom I think the last two years would have been so much tougher on Trish and I. She was our super hero.
Well I guess if I needed "closure" (whatever that really means) I got it. I think more importantly, I got to visit with some really good friends who meant a lot to Trish and I while we struggled with an incredibly tough time.
Time marches on for all...When we arrived at Hopkins in October 2005, their new building was still a parking garage. We watched it get demolished. We watched them dig the hole in the ground for the new buildings and start the base of the structure. In the 6-8 months since we left the skeleton of the building as risen to its complete height. See the pictures below....
It was less weird on me than on those I visited or saw accidentally. After dropping the boys off at camp I headed over to the hospital and went to Mass in the Marburg conference room as Trish and I did often when she was in the hospital. Fr. Paul recognized me immediately and ran over to greet me and chat before beginning Mass. While we were talking Dr. Bolanos-Meade walked in and upon seeing me turned white. We were both surprised to see each other -- he apparently more so than me. When he is the attending on the bone marrow ward, he always attends Sunday mass. After Mass, I made a point to thank him, we never really did.
The next day I had lunch with two of the many nurses that became good friends over the two years. Holly, who had Trish on her first night after starting chemo in October 2005 and Vanessa who had Trish every weekend after her transplant. It was a great visit and these two get it. They wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see them. They weren't scared or worried about seeing me. They wanted to know that I and the boys were ok. Holly took a picture and hopefully she will send it to me this week and I'll post it. Say a pray for Holly's family she had to rush back to Louisiana for family stuff right after we met.
On Tuesday, thanks to a tip from Holly. I was able to meet with some friends. Woody and his Mom. Woody was celebrating his "graduation" from IPOP to the outpatient center. He has had a long round of chemo and appears to be doing well. It was great to see them and all of the other nurses in IPOP and on the floor that day. I also got to see Dr. Griffiths without whom I think the last two years would have been so much tougher on Trish and I. She was our super hero.
Well I guess if I needed "closure" (whatever that really means) I got it. I think more importantly, I got to visit with some really good friends who meant a lot to Trish and I while we struggled with an incredibly tough time.
Time marches on for all...When we arrived at Hopkins in October 2005, their new building was still a parking garage. We watched it get demolished. We watched them dig the hole in the ground for the new buildings and start the base of the structure. In the 6-8 months since we left the skeleton of the building as risen to its complete height. See the pictures below....
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Andy's Graduation
Andy and his cousin Kristi graduated this past Sunday from Nova High School. Andy completed his high school year with impressive credentials. He was captain of the Lacrosse team, a debate team captain, and received recognition cords for service (over 250 hours), National Honor Society, GPA in the top 10% of his class (over a 3.75 or better, his was better), all of this while completing a tough senior year schedule of mostly AP classes. In fact he received the second highest recognition for AP scholars as he consistently received a 4 or better on his AP tests (scale of 1-5). Whew, don't mean to brag, but his Mom would have been proud. It's been a stressful few years, but he crossed his own finish line and did it well, despite the challenges we have faced as a family these last few years.
Some pictures, not all very good, but hard to shoot with a big zoom lens in an auditorium.....
We had a great dinner at Ruth Chris' steak house afterwards....
Some pictures, not all very good, but hard to shoot with a big zoom lens in an auditorium.....
We had a great dinner at Ruth Chris' steak house afterwards....
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Gator Update
Andy and I survived UF "Preview". He is good to go, registered for classes in the summer and fall terms. He is set to double major in Finance and Political Science and has his eyes on law school.
I forgot just how hot and humid and breeze free summer in Gainesville is and it is only going to get worse. Andy has plenty of friends starting this summer and more coming up in the Fall.
I was happy to see the memoial brick for Trish had already been laid. It was not due till June (pictures below). It is the first brick to be completed. Hopefully, the one in Baltimore will be laid by the time Matt and I get there for his lacrosse camp.
I forgot just how hot and humid and breeze free summer in Gainesville is and it is only going to get worse. Andy has plenty of friends starting this summer and more coming up in the Fall.
I was happy to see the memoial brick for Trish had already been laid. It was not due till June (pictures below). It is the first brick to be completed. Hopefully, the one in Baltimore will be laid by the time Matt and I get there for his lacrosse camp.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Proud Parent Posting
In the proud parent department.....Last night was Senior awards at Nova HIgh School and Andy did pretty well. He received an award for very high Advanced Placement test scores (forgot the actual distinction). They had four categories of distinction and he was in the second highest group. He also received gold cords to where at commencement for his high GPA (top 10% of his class) and silver cords for having done at least 250 hours of community service in his four years of high school.
We head up to Gainesville on May 14th for orientation, graduation is June 1st and he starts classes at UF on June 30th.
That's all for now. Chip
I promise I am still working on the cookbook....
We head up to Gainesville on May 14th for orientation, graduation is June 1st and he starts classes at UF on June 30th.
That's all for now. Chip
I promise I am still working on the cookbook....
Monday, March 24, 2008
Recipes and Donations
Recipes.
My apologies to those wondering where the cookbook is...I promise I am working on it, but it is taking more time than I realized and of course life is getting in the way. I promise when it is available I will send out an email to the mailing list - so if you were on it you are good to go. If you were not, see the instructions to sign up in the left column and sign up for an email when we have it together.
Donations.
Below is a link to Pat Padraja's "Driving for Donors" Campaign. Trish and I encouraged folks to check this out last year and support his campaign and he is gearing up for 2008. Please consider this in your giving plans for 2008 - and feel free to donate in memory of my beautiful wife.
Speaking of donors, I submitted the information release letter to Hopkins on Saturday. This allows our contact info to be released to Trish's donor so that we can contact each other, but it will be July (after the one year mark) before the NMDP will release the info to the donor and than we wait and see if he contacts us.
My apologies to those wondering where the cookbook is...I promise I am working on it, but it is taking more time than I realized and of course life is getting in the way. I promise when it is available I will send out an email to the mailing list - so if you were on it you are good to go. If you were not, see the instructions to sign up in the left column and sign up for an email when we have it together.
Donations.
Below is a link to Pat Padraja's "Driving for Donors" Campaign. Trish and I encouraged folks to check this out last year and support his campaign and he is gearing up for 2008. Please consider this in your giving plans for 2008 - and feel free to donate in memory of my beautiful wife.
Speaking of donors, I submitted the information release letter to Hopkins on Saturday. This allows our contact info to be released to Trish's donor so that we can contact each other, but it will be July (after the one year mark) before the NMDP will release the info to the donor and than we wait and see if he contacts us.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Haven't posted in a while and thought an update was in order
I survived my first week of the new job and am halfway through my second week of work. Last week Matt and I went up to Orlando and did the theme parks. Andy stayed home, worked and did some senior year stuff at school. All had a good time.
We have had some more "issues" crop up, but none too critical as to cause us more than annoyance at this point. The boys car, my hand me down Oldsmobile Alero, died. The engine was unusable and not worth replacing in an 8 year old car. So we started and ended the process of replacing it this week.
On Last Friday, while Matt and I were in Orlando, Andy was headed to my parents house for dinner and was minding his own business at a red light when a landscaping truck barreled around the corner and the fork lift on the back fell off slamming into my year old car (Trish bought it for me in 2006, so the boys could have the Alero). The good news is that Andy was unharmed and the only apparent damage to my car is the bumper. Had the forklift launched a little later in the turn it could have been tragic.
On Monday, I bought the boys a certified pre-owned 2004 Audi A4. While I was concerned about this being too good of a car for them, it was a really good deal. It cost about the same a new Honda Civic. It comes with a two year 70K mile warranty extension and insuring it is almost $100/month cheaper than the Honda Civic. It should last a long time if well cared for. It was the easiest car purchase I have ever made. Negotiated the price down via e-mail and just had to show up to sign papers and write a check. The actual time at the dealership was only about 30 minutes and while you never feel like you got the best deal. I am quite happy with the price we paid vs Kelly Blue Book and consumer reports pricing on the car.
This Saturday, my last act of "retail therapy" will be completed. We will receive delivery of a new entertainment center for our living room. Before Trish was diagnosed in 2005, we had planned to redo the flooring and other items in our dinning and living room areas. After she got sick, the money to do this was gone. As we prepared to come home and knowing we no longer had the money -- Trish's Mom replaced the floors in both rooms for us so that Trish could come home to a clean house. Both rooms still had the original builder carpet in them. I felt compelled to finish the job now that I can, by buying an Oak looking entertainment center to match our Oak furniture in the room. I think Trish would approve. It's Thomasville and is actually some South American wood that has a mahogany grain pattern. But it matches our golden oak furniture very nicely.
On the food front, I occasionally get compliments from the boys a a surprise good dinner, but none of it is really good. I think we would all gladly live in a box under a bridge to have Trish back -- not just for her cooking. The new job does help me get home early enough to try making something, but it is mostly grilling and hamburger helper and pasta. The boys appreciate how good they had it now more than ever.
We have had some more "issues" crop up, but none too critical as to cause us more than annoyance at this point. The boys car, my hand me down Oldsmobile Alero, died. The engine was unusable and not worth replacing in an 8 year old car. So we started and ended the process of replacing it this week.
On Last Friday, while Matt and I were in Orlando, Andy was headed to my parents house for dinner and was minding his own business at a red light when a landscaping truck barreled around the corner and the fork lift on the back fell off slamming into my year old car (Trish bought it for me in 2006, so the boys could have the Alero). The good news is that Andy was unharmed and the only apparent damage to my car is the bumper. Had the forklift launched a little later in the turn it could have been tragic.
On Monday, I bought the boys a certified pre-owned 2004 Audi A4. While I was concerned about this being too good of a car for them, it was a really good deal. It cost about the same a new Honda Civic. It comes with a two year 70K mile warranty extension and insuring it is almost $100/month cheaper than the Honda Civic. It should last a long time if well cared for. It was the easiest car purchase I have ever made. Negotiated the price down via e-mail and just had to show up to sign papers and write a check. The actual time at the dealership was only about 30 minutes and while you never feel like you got the best deal. I am quite happy with the price we paid vs Kelly Blue Book and consumer reports pricing on the car.
This Saturday, my last act of "retail therapy" will be completed. We will receive delivery of a new entertainment center for our living room. Before Trish was diagnosed in 2005, we had planned to redo the flooring and other items in our dinning and living room areas. After she got sick, the money to do this was gone. As we prepared to come home and knowing we no longer had the money -- Trish's Mom replaced the floors in both rooms for us so that Trish could come home to a clean house. Both rooms still had the original builder carpet in them. I felt compelled to finish the job now that I can, by buying an Oak looking entertainment center to match our Oak furniture in the room. I think Trish would approve. It's Thomasville and is actually some South American wood that has a mahogany grain pattern. But it matches our golden oak furniture very nicely.
On the food front, I occasionally get compliments from the boys a a surprise good dinner, but none of it is really good. I think we would all gladly live in a box under a bridge to have Trish back -- not just for her cooking. The new job does help me get home early enough to try making something, but it is mostly grilling and hamburger helper and pasta. The boys appreciate how good they had it now more than ever.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Life continuing in other ways too!
I am happy to report that pending finger print and background checks I expect to start a new job as early as next week. I think I have found the perfect mix between going back to work and having more time to work at my new role as a single and primary parent. I have been fortunate for much of the boys lives, I have pursued great careers, been a director at a global level -- traveling much, doing great things and earning enough money to keep Trish mostly at home. This allowed her to fulfill her best role ever as a great Mom and family cook.
I am hoping the new job will allow me to be half the Dad that she was a Mom to the boys.
My new job will be in the IT department at Broward Community College (BCC -- http://www.broward.edu). Assuming all works out with the backgrouund check the plan is that I will start next Monday and than the following week I will get a week paid vacation courtesy of the college's Spring Break. Since this may be our only chance for a vacation, as any other days I earn will probably be used with Andy's departure for college and Matt's Lacrosse Camp, The boys and I will take a quick trip up to Orlando and do the parks and stuff. Next year, we will do what Trish asked of us and take a European vacation in her honor.
That's all the news for now.
Take care,
Chip
I am hoping the new job will allow me to be half the Dad that she was a Mom to the boys.
My new job will be in the IT department at Broward Community College (BCC -- http://www.broward.edu). Assuming all works out with the backgrouund check the plan is that I will start next Monday and than the following week I will get a week paid vacation courtesy of the college's Spring Break. Since this may be our only chance for a vacation, as any other days I earn will probably be used with Andy's departure for college and Matt's Lacrosse Camp, The boys and I will take a quick trip up to Orlando and do the parks and stuff. Next year, we will do what Trish asked of us and take a European vacation in her honor.
That's all the news for now.
Take care,
Chip
Friday, February 15, 2008
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