karmaville

The worst day of my life.

I can easily say that last Thursday was the worst day of my life.  My mom was tentatively diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a cancer with a one-year survival rate of anywhere from 1-20% and a five year survival rate is 4%.

The diagnosis is tentative only in that they tests they use cannot confirm that her tumor is malignant, yet they are confident it is pancreatic cancer.  The tumor is located such that they feel surgery is not possible.  The only silver lining is that as far as they can tell it has not spread beyond the pancreas.

Needless to say, I would appreciate any good thoughts, prayers, and referrals to good oncologists and pancreatic surgeons in the Northwest you can provide.  Posting will be light for the indefinite future.

Oops.

Indulging the fetish

I have had a long, long torrid affair with periodicals.  At my worst, I subscribed to more than 30 magazines.  I have decided to indulge the fetish again.

Magazines of all stripes have fascinated me and provided me with hours and hours or enjoyment each month.  In the move to a new apartment, a convienent bump in my credit card limits (I can buy a gi-normus TV now too!), and the loss of some shared subscriptions, I have decided to subscribe to every magazine I want to read.

Here is the list so far:
GQ, Wired, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, ESPN the Magazine, Playboy, Time, Esquire, Outside, National Geographic Explorer, Vitals for Men, Vanity Fair, Details, Maxim, Stuff, Blender, Men's Health, The Week, Entertainment Weekly, Premiere, and Rolling Stone.

I already subscribe to some, my new brother-in-law-to-be likes to send me free ones through his on-line travels, but most are new.  I figure this is a good way to have one of my friends visit come visit since he enjoys stealing my magazines.

However, you suggestions for ones I may have forgotten are more than welcome.

It's official

Well, as of today, my family took the next steps to having three more people in it.  My sister is now engaged to her boyfriend fiance.  He popped the question last night at Niagra Falls.  From all accounts she was surprised.

I have known for about six weeks now that this was coming today and I am glad I can finally share.

Fortunes and fortunes

I had Chinese food last week and received two fortunes in my fortune cookie (bonus!).  They were:
"Your present plans are going to succeed." and "You will make a fortune with your friend."

So, which one of you is it going to be?

It was the best of days, it was the worst of days.

Today was one of those really weird days.

- You wake up late, but get to work on time.
- A school bus driver freaks out about the car in front of you, but because of the traffic tie up, you find a better way to go to work.
- All hell has broken loose in not one, but two of your primary job responsibilities, yet co-workers step in unasked to help out.
- Your presentation at the staff meeting gets all screwed up as you try to send it to the right computer, but it works and everyone, literally everyone finds you after to tell you what a great job you did.
- You have to lay the hammer down on a malcontent, yet they thank you for being considerate.

It was just a weird, weird day.