About the Death Penalty...

In just a few days, November 18th, Paul Ezra Rhoades is scheduled to die out at the Idaho Penitentiary.  As his death watch has gotten closer, he has decided to challenge Idaho's method of death as "inhumane."

Pffffffffffffftttt.

As I hear that, I can't help but think of the wonderful people in my life that I've watched die of cancer.  An old friend from Fish and Game who died from brain cancer.  It was a horrible death.  I had gone to see him once a week, every week when he was placed in a nursing home - something that was hard to see.  He was all man, a man's man.  A good Game Warden who loved his job.  I had seen him just the day before he died.  He had nothing left.  I'm sure if someone had offered him a lethal injection several months before he finally died, he would have gladly accepted it. 

The man Ival was named after.  He lived with us the last year of his life.  Thankfully, he didn't suffer like Don did, but I'm sure that he too, would have welcomed the opportunity to "just go to sleep" instead of the last few days he suffered.

And my old boss at Fish and Game.  She was so sick for so long. 

Paul Ezra Rhoades should be grateful he's getting a lethal injection instead of dying the way he killed the teacher in 1987 and the convenience store clerk in 1988.  Be grateful Mr. Rhoades, it could certainly be worse.

Adam's 18th Birthday Request...

Adam has decided what he wants for his 18th birthday.  It's a rather strange request.

As I've mentioned, he's planning on joining the military right after he graduates.  The other day we were sitting on the couch and he said, "I want a tattoo for my birthday." 

"Really?" 

"Yep, I think I want one of grampa's prints tattooed on my arm so that when I go into the Army, I'll be able to look down and see it and I'll always know that he's with me."

Well, damned if that didn't just make my heart melt!  He's not sure which print he wants done, but he's thinking right now about the Mountain Man, which is the print we used to raise reward fund money when dad was killed.

I'm thinking this one might be less painful!  But, it will be up to Adam.

We're going to have to find someone REALLY good to do such an intricate piece.  Anyone know someone really good locally?  Any idea how much this might cost?  I thought I was going to get away with giving him 50 bucks...

The Blame Game...

I recently read a post on my local Casting For Recovery Facebook page where someone asked if anyone had been off of Arimidex for long enough that they had noticed a change in their side effects from the medication.  They specifically named lack of emotion and energy and mood swings. 

WHAT?

I didn't know those were side effects of Arimidex!  I've been on it for 8 years and have 2 more to go, even though I asked Dr. Montgomery at my last appointment if I could stop taking it - he said no.

But, to get back to why I loved this question. 

I love it when I can come up with a good reason for my bad behavior.  Now, I feel completely comfortable in blaming it on the Arimidex.  Life really is good...

Woot!

Empty Nest...

Today something hit me.  In just 8 months I'll have an empty nest.  Wow.

Adam is planning on joining the Army and will probably ship out to boot camp as soon as he graduates from high school in May.  This of course, has made me wonder, what will Ival and I do?  I hope to be like that car commercial where the young girl has moved on and worries about what her parents are doing and says, "I'm an only child.  Except for my sister."

I hope we'll be off riding horses, taking care of critters, and spending some enjoyable time together.  But a family always seems to revolve around the kids. 

What did/will you do when you have an empty nest?

Our lives will definitely be different...

First Solo Hunting Trip - Could Have Turned Out Badly...

Adam and one of his best friends took their first solo deer hunting trip a few days ago.  They were both really excited but mom was a bit nervous.  I had to make sure they had enough food and water for 4 days, plus a lighter "just in case."  I'm such a boob!

They were only going outside of Horseshoe Bend - about an hour away.  They got up early and left in time to make it to their hunting spot by daylight.  They saw another vehicle parked where they wanted to hunt so they parked nearby and got out.

The minute they stepped out of their vehicle, they were verbally assaulted by 3 men in their 30s.  Calling them "anal assholes" and a bunch of other 4 letter words asking why they were hunting in the same area.  Adam finally said, "Before you get all nasty, why don't you ask us where we're hunting."  So, one guy asked where they were going and Adam pointed the direction.  The jerk said "Good, we're going that way." 

And they all parted ways.  I keep thinking that this could have turned out really badly.  I wish Adam had gotten a license number.  This grizzly mama would have run down the jerk and told him that he could have ruined my son's first solo hunting trip if Adam had allowed it to happen.  As it turned out, the boys saw a doe but no bucks and had a great time.  Why would 3 30-year-old men talk like that to 2 teenagers? 

Jerks.

Kitty in the Garbage Can...

My mother, bless her heart.  She feeds the birds and loves them.  She has one problem however, and that's neighborhood cats that tend to "sneak" on her birds and have often killed them.  She hates that.

A few years ago, she watched as a neighborhood cat caught and killed one of her tweety birds.  She was having none of that.  She ended up catching the cat, set it into her big plastic garbage can,  shut the lid, found a BIG stick and spent the next few minutes banging the garbage can.  KAPOW!  KAPOW!  KAPOW! Needless to say, neighborhood kitty was scared shitless and when mom finally opened the lid, said cat flew out of that garbage can never to return.

Well, this spring mom kept seeing a cat out laying under one of her bushes.  She was sure the kitty was stalking her tweety birds.  This cat however, was very friendly and would run up to her as soon as she opened her door.  After watching kitty lay under her bushes for several days, she finally scooped kitty up and gave her "the trash can treatment."  Yep, my sweet 80-year-old mother.

This time however, she noticed that kitty kept coming back.  Only it was getting thinner and obviously wasn't eating - not even her birds.  It was instead, eating her bird seed.  Poor kitty, somebody had obviously moved and abandoned her.  So, trash can kitty stole mom's heart and she started feeding her.  As time has passed, mom felt so sorry for her that she now lives inside mom's house.  On mom's wonderful bedspread, on her beautiful furniture - wherever she wants to sleep.

Trash can kitty now has a home, although she tends to sit and stare at mom sometimes - like she'd like to scratch her eyes out.  I wonder if she's having flashbacks...

Pinterest

My sister sent an invite to Pinterest a few weeks ago.  I went to the link and set up an account but had no idea what I was supposed to do with it.  I went to websites I like but couldn't figure out how to copy the pictures to my page.  I then discovered that they have to be linked to the site in order to do so.  So, I started going just through the Pinterest website and starting finding all kinds of things that I love!  They have lots of categories and it's a great way to keep track of ideas that I love for our barnhouse. 

If you have a Pinterest account, send me the link, I'd love to see what you've pinned.  Or, if you don't have one and would like one, let me know and I'll send you an invite.

You can look at my page by clicking on the Pinterest logo on the right hand side of my page here.  It's great fun when you have nothing better to do.  I haven't pinned too much yet but I'm working on it.

Well Shoot!

I tend to find that life is much easier to deal with if I ignore anything/anyone that bothers me.  I didn't say it was a healthy solution, but it generally works for me.  However, I don't usually ignore a medical condition.

After my second time with chemo, I noticed that my hands and especially my feet, were always tingling.  Kind of like when your feet fall asleep and then tingle as they come back to life.  Except it was constant.  My hands aren't so bad but my feet have always been quite noticeable.  Lately, they seem to be getting worse with hardly any feeling (yet I can definitely feel the constant tingling).  It's the hardest thing to describe.  They feel numb, yet I can feel almost constant pain in the balls of both feet and the constant tingle.  I was told it was called neuropathy.  I'd just as soon not know what it's called 'cause the less I know about it the better I like it.

Today I bought new slippers and when I tried them on, I scared myself.  I kept trying to cram my foot into a size that I know I always wear, trying to get them all the way on.  I suddenly realized they were on, I just couldn't tell.  I couldn't feel my toes.

Luckily, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow.  I started doing some checking and found that quite a few people have what is called Chemo-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN).  I had no idea that neuropathy could get worse over the years, in fact, I expected it to get better.

And as for the slippers, I bought them, but I still can't tell if they fit.  I can't tell if they're too tight or too loose.  I wonder why this is happening all of a sudden. 

The doctor had better come up with a solution for this tomorrow as this is totally unacceptable.  I won't tolerate it!

Happy First Day of Fall!

Yes, it's my favorite post every year.  Welcome, first day of fall!

and, I just had to add this picture because, damn, that had to hurt!

Not Quite Home...

Jake, along with his fellow soldiers, returned to the US about 2 weeks ago.  Unfortunately, it wasn't the happy return we had all been waiting for.  Jake has bad knees and they're keeping him in Seattle until they can figure out if he needs surgery to fix them.  Most of the soldiers from the 116th have all now returned to their families in Idaho, but not my son.

If he has surgery, he'll need physical therapy afterward so he could be in Seattle for a long time.  I was happy that on the spur of the moment, his wife decided to pack up the 2 girls and drive to Seattle yesterday to spend a day or two with him.  They all need this time together.  Jake posted on Facebook that they all had dinner in a food court together last night - and it was the best dinner he's ever had.  That made me happy.

If he stays in Seattle, here in a few weeks we'll all chip in and help send Heather and the girls to see him again.  Only this time we'll make sure they fly so they can have those 18 hours spent driving on this trip, together.

I'm so happy to have him back in the states, but so sad that he's stuck alone on a military base.  I know how hard this last year was for them all - it's time to be back together.