Fall 2022

 Oh hi! I guess it has been a while.

Health-wise everything has been stable and boring (yay!). There are minor updates that feel trivial now, so I just don't write much about them any more. For example, I tried an adjunctive medication to help with low mood and nerve pain. I did not tolerate it well, nor did I tolerate the other one they tried. Those were some not-so-great days and so we just stopped them. 

Right now, I am at the hospital for an appointment and an infusion, and I am dealing with super annoying insurance nonsense because the insurance company won't re-authorize my infusion without a peer-to-peer conversation; meaning that they want to make their oncologist speak with my oncologist before paying for the medication. This is pretty absurd because there is no reason why it would not be authorized. I still have cancer. No one has come up with a cure for metastatic cancer, so I will always have cancer unless that changes. sigh.

I re-started physical therapy again to help maintain strength and balance; and, I engaged a personal trainer who is also a teacher colleague! With winter coming, it will be important to keep me moving-- and this is a good way to keep that going. Sidenote, LMK if you want to be my gym buddy. I am super-socially motivated.

As for life updates, we kept busy all summer with guests-- which was wonderful! 

We enjoyed another concert at Bethel Woods, the original site of Woodstock with a friend. If you ever want to see a concert there, we would love to be your crash pad! I promise to make you biscuits in the morning, and Chris will be thrilled!

We enjoyed a visit from Aunty Kathy and Uncle Rick *and* the Wisemans made it up to join! How special!

Jamie and Morgan came for a visit and we went on my new favorite hike to Mullet Falls, and earned a Quickway Twincone (another one of Chris' favorite reasons to have guests over).

We spent a week in NC with the fam for an annual sibling vacay: LeTooMan 2022. We went to the aquarium, built sand castles, swam, and created the first annual LeTooMan Summer Olympics. We had a variety of events including: bucket head, swimming relay (with inflatable pool toys), Kubb, Blink, Pictionary, Bones, Pokemon Go, and a smell-off (tapping into Max's really good ability to identify spices by smell). It was a lot of fun!

We started school again. Our first year without masks or testing. We have noticed that COVID has certainly taken a toll and some things feel very different. The adjustment back to school was made more complicated by a new schedule. I certainly struggled considerably through the transition back to school, but am easing in to a routine. 

And, of course, the fall is always nuts!!! Chris coaches, which means most of his afternoons and Saturdays are booked. He also decided to help save our Property Owners Association from going bankrupt by running and winning a two-year term on the board. He spends every spare minute writing budgets, communications to the association, researching gym equipment costs, calculating interest, and strategizing with other board members. Oh right, and he also has a day-job as the chair of the history department, and he teaches. It is busy. 

I spent the Fall adjusting to being back in school, which makes me pretty tired, but that doesn't stop me from keeping quite busy. The highlight of the fall for me was certainly Kristen's wedding. I was honored to officiate! It was such a beautiful day and a super-fun celebration!

We also had CVD and Mat visit which was so heart-warming to feel the grad school love again. 

While Chris is at XC meets or trying to do his eleventybillion responsibilities, I got to go to the Met with Regina, to the Botanical Gardens with Kristen, and to see the opening of &Juliet on Broadway with Roni! Chris did take a Sunday afternoon off and we celebrated our sixth anniversary by seeing SIX on Broadway and enjoying a delicious dinner at a French brassarie on the UWS.  I am living such a cosmopolitain life! 

I also popped down to VA to see Kenny's soccer game (holy smokes, he is really good!) and, of course, to participate in a Pokemon Go Community Day. I will literally do anything for the nephews. 

Now it is November and we just celebrated a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving with Iva up at Bluebird and then had a few friends from the EGPOA Board come for dessert. I think next year, we might make a point to do a Friendsgiving that weekend. 

This weekend we are off to California for a Thanksgiving Week Wedding of John and Janet. I am excited to have Janet join the fam--she fits right in! 

This year, as Thanksgiving rolls around, I am grateful for our lovely little home near a lake and that I can host family and friends and bake them biscuits in the morning. I am grateful that my body lets me paddle board in the summer and walk in the winter. I am grateful for the folks at NYP-Columbia who keep me alive and well; for Dr. Stein's time, Dr. Lowe's responsiveness, Dr. Callahan's respect of my voice, and for Dr. Gross' energy. And, I am grateful for Andy's dedication to keeping me healthy. 

I am grateful to colleagues for their flexibility, support, and grace. 

I am grateful to friends and family for being so understanding that my energy has limits-- and my delay in responding or reaching out it isn't because I don't care. 

I am forever grateful for Chris-- for everything. 

Oh yes, and I will be grateful for Tassie-- even if he has shown off his bad manners by leaping on unsuspecting guests shoulders!!! As the weather gets colder, he gets a little snugglier and cute, so I guess we will forgive him.