Day 342 - Inception & Stirr!

Today we went to Black Diamond where I did another quick shoot for Stirr! I was very excited when Clayton called me on Tuesday to ask me if I would be interested in taking some more photos for their business. Of course I was! I was ecstatic to get out of the house & have a challenge on my hands! 

They were on a tight time frame, so I raced home, edited the photos & then took them with us to Calgary, where I would drop them off after the movie. Movie? What movie? 

Jaco & I decided to go see Inception, which was playing at Chinook Centre in the Imax theatre. I had heard a lot of crazy things about the movie, so I was excited to see it. Jaco loved it. I did too. It was fantastic to see the special effects on such a big screen!

I was quite impressed with my Kinder Kids Pack. A bit of popcorn, a drink & a Kinder Surprise. It was a top. Yeah, that's right, a top. If you've seen the movie, you'll understand. In the movie, each character is supposed to have a totem. A little something you can carry in your pocket that tells you whether or not you are in a dream. If you have the totem, it's reality. Leo DiCaprio's wife's totem is a top. When she dies, he takes her totem, the top. 

It was quite bizarre, as I didn't open my Kinder Surprise until the movie was finished & we were watching the credits roll. We were the only ones in the theatre. It was spooky! 

I've since downloaded the Edith Piaf song they play in the movie too. Additionally, I seem to recall last summer while I was working at EVIC, I was told that Leo DiCaprio would be filming a movie in K-Country during the winter. I can't believe I missed my chance. Well, besides the fact that I'm married... Anyways, moving on...

We dropped off the DVD of photos after the movie & made our way home. I was happy to fall into bed &, gulp, dream... or not...

xxxxMJV&O


Just to make sure I'm not dreaming...

Click to double check!

The creepiest Kinder toy this big girl ever received!

Day 341 - R&R

Today was a quiet day of R&R. We slept in, watched some of The Office & that was about it. Sorry! Nothing exciting here! Check back tomorrow! 


xxxxMJV&O

Day 340 - KOOZA!

I have officially decided. Every hospital needs an in-house Cirque du Soleil show to distract its patients. Kooza was amazing. (To say the least)


I spent the entire day in bed. I felt horrible from yesterday's poisoning. I was 1700 before I hobbled out of bed, hunched over like a very old woman. We were supposed to leave at 1745 for town to meet our friends for the show. I had no clue how I was going to make it through the night, but I was NOT going to miss the show. I was fully prepared to 'yak' in my neighbours box of popcorn if need be. I have seen Cortéo & Varekai live thus far. Only 20 more to go. I signed up for their Cirque Club a few years back & was able to score a discount on the tickets, so they were plenty cheap! Yay!


Donning a wig & a bit of makeup, I was able to get out the door & into the car. Jaco drove us to Vistek, where we met Jacqueline & her friend, Kirk, whom Jaco & I both agreed looks like Clark Kent. We piled into Jacqueline's car & away we went. Just our luck, there was a Flames game that night, so parking was atrocious. 


We managed to get seated just before showtime. It was worth every single penny. Not only did it take my mind off of my body's nausea, it was completely astounding, amazing & jaw-dropping! The clowns were HILARIOUS, and yes, Jimmy was there, the entire show! I was so tempted to shout out, 'Yay Jimmy!' during a quiet moment, but decided against it! The contortionists, the unicyclist, the trapeze & tightrope artists... Wow! If you haven't been to Cirque du Soleil yet - TREAT YOURSELF! It's amazing & there isn't a bad seat in the house! 


Word of Caution:
I wouldn't recommend sitting in the front row - they like to play a few pranks now & then! Mind you, there were quite a few people who had pranks played on them & they were no where near the the front! One lady had her seat skyrocket 3' into the air! Then another 3'! She was pretty scared! We were all laughing, but I'm sure she was shocked! 


I snuck a few photos, but they didn't turn out so well. You're not supposed to take any photos & they are VERY strict - not even happy snaps with an empty stage in the background! The people sitting around us were pretty snooty, so I didn't want to push my luck. They grumbled about Jaco's oranges & the scent of citrus. (Can you see me rolling my eyes?) Don't make me take of my wig! This could get rowdy! Just kidding! I behaved myself!


Anyhow, we had a wonderful time with Jacqueline & Kirk. I think she's hooked on Cirque too! Perhaps we'll make it an annual date each time Cirque comes to town! Thanks for a wonderful evening that took my mind off of all the icky stuff! Seriously - they NEED to install Cirque shows in every hospital. Everyone would feel so much better! 


xxxxMJV&O

Kirk & Jacqueline

The Fabulous Four

 Ooh! The Fabulous Four again!

Dr & Mrs

Posing outside the Big Top Tent

Live music! Farewell! 

The Cast 

Crazy stuff! (those are chairs stacked on a ladder/stand) (I think there were 8 chairs)

Tightrope - Yes, they are cycling with a chunk of wood between them, upon which the other guy's chair is balancing on!) 

Because I ALWAYS skip rope on a tightrope! (Don't you?)

It's JIMMY!!! (the one with hair!)

Clowns. (No, they're the Contortionists, Silly!)

Jimmy the clown! (In the hat, kneeling down)

Day 339 - Round 6 of AVD

Yuck. Barf. Sick. Eew. Gross. Horrid. No. 


Those are a few of the words I would use to describe today. It sucked. Hard core. (sorry, it's not a positive post today!) 


My neutrophils were 6.2, so I was well high enough to have treatment. I shouldn't have taken the 2nd neupogen shot, as I had horrible bone pain again. The lab tech didn't hurt me when she took blood, so that was nice!


I wore the afro wig & Dr. Daly wasn't impressed. I guess he likes blondes better. :o) We talked about arm pain & we'll see how the next few treatments go, otherwise it's going to be a port-o-cath for me. Boo.


Marilyn, Sam & Noreen did my treatment today. The Vinblastine went in fine. The Adriamycin hurt. Usually it doesn't. It took 25 minutes instead of 10. The Dacarbazine hurt like a son of a gun. (to be polite!) And it took 2 hours. Talk about torture. I started to feel nauseated part way through the treatment. It didn't get any better. I was completely stuffed up in my sinuses, my eyes felt all puffy & swollen & my tongue felt thick. Great.


I nibbled on a garden fresh carrot for most of the treatment, just to keep something in my mouth & give it a flavour, other than the icky taste of the chemo. Mom stopped by in the early stage of the treatment & then left to run errands. Jaco also left to pick up a few things. In fact, he was so busy that he was late! I was finished my treatment, waiting to go home & try to survive & he was nowhere to be seen! I was the last person in the treatment room, so I held Noreen up too! I was getting worried that something had happened or he was lost. I called Mom & asked her to come & get me. She was just about to leave when Jaco walked in the door! Thank goodness! (He was picking up sushi & Jugo Juice - bless his heart, but I can't eat/drink much after treatment!)


I was VERY ill again tonight. In fact, I swore I was going to perish if I had to endure this 6 more times. Sorry if your stomach gets queasy, but I've never vomited like this before. I'm throwing up so hard I'm unable to breathe. It sucks. I managed to break blood vessels along my esophagus, so there was blood too. It's impossible to describe the feeling my body experienced, but I never want to experience it again. What's that you say? Weren't there drugs I was given to prevent me from getting sick? Yes, I was given a 24 hr anti-emetic, an 8 hr anti-emetic & a 6 hr anti-emetic. They didn't work. 


I do this bizarre groaning, grunting, holding my breath thing when I'm sick. At some point, Valentina was on my belly sleeping, but when she got up to crawl under the covers, she grunted & groaned the entire time she slowly moved under the blankets. It was cute. (Perhaps the best part of the night - my grunting dog!)


Worst of all, I'd just love to fall asleep & wake up the next morning. But no. It was midnight by the time I drifted into slumber. Brutal. I am so glad my husband is here with me. I don't know if I would have made it through the day without him. (Although if he would have been much later picking me up, I wouldn't have had a choice!) :o) Thanks Babe, I'm so happy you're here with/for me.


Here's to an expedited latter half of this hell they call chemo. I'll end it on a positive note - it was a beautiful, hot, sunny day today!


xxxxMJV&O

Beyoncé makes her debut.

Day 338 - Sushi & A Movie!

Whoa! I think I remember what it's like to have a social life! Today Jaco & I went to town & watched 'The Switch'. A movie! With my husband! A date! What a concept! 


We wanted to catch a matinée, but we were about 15 minutes too late. We passed the time by trying on stuff in Lululemon. It is a bit like torture to leave empty handed, but my physique leaves a little to be desired these days, so probably best I don't cover it in spandex! :oP 


We stopped at Community Natural Foods & picked up some more ginger. We bought what was left on the shelf & the gal suggested we talk to the Manager & order a box of it. We'll save wasting all those plastic tubs & we'll get 10% off. Hmm. Next time! 


We picked up sushi from Kinjo on McLeod Trail. $20 for supper for 2 of us. I think that's pretty good! The sushi was delicious! Jaco doesn't normally eat (or like) sushi, but he enjoyed this. I was chuckling inside as he generously applied wasabi to his sushi. His watering eyes shortly after had me chuckling out loud... But, he liked it! 


The movie was really good! It was funny, cute & entertaining. We had a tough time deciding, as Jaco wanted to see Inception, but the IMAX version only plays at 2100, which is too late for Chemo Eve. We'll go another time - hopefully before it's gone! We still haven't seen Avatar & Mom & Ken want to take us to see that. Looks like more popcorn in my future! 


Oh, we also saw one of the crew from Cirque du Soleil at the movie! Him & his wife were sat next to us. If only I could get out more, I'd know the entire cast & crew on a first name basis! And that dream of joining the circus one day would suddenly materialize... Although I've lost nearly all my hair, so my Bearded Lady routine won't be happening... Perhaps Valentina can be my trick dog... I do love Cirque du Soleil! If you haven't been, do yourself a favour - GO!!!


We rushed home, I felt terrible - partially from bone pain & partially because I COMPLETELY FORGOT about my Skype date with my friend, Luis, from Colombia. Argh! I checked to see if he was still online - nope. Darn. I worked on Mom's calendar for a few hours & then my back screamed louder than my iTunes. Time for bed. And now I'm going to dream about Corb Lund. '...The Chev got stuck & the Ford got stuck...' Sigh. Serves me right. Should have listened to Michael Bublé...


Wish me luck tomorrow... It's half way day! xxxxMJV&O 


'...mighty neighbourly...mighty neighbourly...'

 Our gift from Kinjo.

 Peter - the Boss & dressed for the occasion - Sweet guy!

 Out with my Baby!

Busy place!

Day 337 - And That's More Like It!!!

Wow! What a stunner of a day today was! I was so shocked when I stepped out onto the deck & was blasted with warm air! What a concept! I can't believe it! It's almost like, *gasp* summer! Whoo hoo! Bring it on!


I took the dogs for a walk to EVIC to see Joe, as it's been awhile. We chit chatted about this & that. Hard to believe next weekend is one year since their wedding! Time is flying by! The girls are becoming quite the guard dogs. They would give a little growl at every person who walked into the centre! 


However, the best part of my day was when we walked back & found a few cows & calves in front of the house. Valentina spots them & goes charging over, barking the entire way. She was running around one of the cows like it was on fire. It was the funniest thing I think I've ever seen. Do wiener dogs generally herd cattle when given the chance? That poor cow didn't know what was going on. It couldn't keep track of Valentina as she ran circles around it... I'm still chuckling! What a dog...


I took the recycling (finally Mom & Jaco are saying) & forgot to take the back way into Bragg Creek. On weekends when the weather is wonderful, the traffic can get pretty ridiculous at the 4-way stop. It took me about 15 minutes to get through the intersection! Crazy! 


I'm hoping tomorrow will be just as stunning. The Fall foliage is at it's peak right now... I just love the look of bright yellow poplar leaves dancing in the wind, the white bark of the trees & the perfect blue skies sitting as a backdrop. If only it would hold on... Another month of Fall & one less of winter would suit me just fine. 


I managed to do my injection myself today, but I'm starting to feel some bone pain, so I'm off to bed... Have a great rest of the weekend & get some Vitamin D while the gettin's good!


xxxxMJV&O

 Oceana & Papa passed out for the night...

Papa in his jeans - what a looker!

Day 336 - Finally - She Escapes!

Wow! Today I actually made it off the farm! I managed to escape to the city for a whole 5 hours. I went to town by myself (Jaco had to do his exercises) (Nice to know where I rank in the scheme of things!) & exchanged shoes (unsuccessfully) & jeans (successfully) for Jaco. I wandered around Southcentre & Winners for the better part of the evening & also managed to follow my Mom home from her tradeshow in HIgh River. 


I enjoyed strolling around the mall, people watching & chatting with the clerks. I helped one lady pick out a rockin' pair of boots for the winter. It felt good! I think I might have frightened a few people, as I didn't wear a wig or scarf today, only a hat. My head is pretty bald under it all! Adding to that I wore mostly brown, so I'm sure I looked *ahem* fairly masculine! Oh well... Nothing like a bit of drama. 


I also wandered into Restoration Hardware. I found another desk (& a whole lotta other things) I love. Maybe the day is coming for Jaco & I to have a house... Here's the desk. It is a giant old style truck that opens up, sideways, & becomes a desk. Crazy!


I also stopped at London Drugs & picked up a few things. While I was there, I noticed they still had the 'Clean Kanteen' bottles on sale. I thought about getting another one, seeing as I got the others so cheap. When I looked at the sale price, they were $19.99. That's double what I paid!!! Ha ha! Looks like I got a great bargain! 


Winners had some organic lollipops for $4, so Jaco gets a sweetie. They actually carry some really decent food items. Organic whole wheat flour, agave syrup, organic jams... 


I have often said I should start my own shopping show. You know, on the travel channel. I would flit about the globe, taking my viewers to the most amazing cities in the world to the best deals in town. I've been around... I know where to go to get the good stuff!!! Napoli, Istanbul, Roma, Venezia, Curaçao, San Diego... Okay, I'll stop now before I bore you with random cities... I think it would be a blast! Of course, I'd include the best places to eat while out shopping. You can't shop without having a meal along the way! If you know a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a guy... send him my way. I'm ready to take this global & get paid to shop! :o)


That little rant/dream out of the way, I'll call it quits for the night. Sleep well & lotsa love...


xxxxMJV&O

Day 335 - A Headache & A Walk

Today was a gorgeous day! It was a little cool, but I felt well enough to go for a little walk with the dogs & Jaco. We walked down to the bunkhouse to grab some winter clothes & then down the driveway. Jaco suggested we go over & sit on the hillside, which I've never done - in 10 years of living here. It was a great idea. Jaco & Valentina ran up & down the hill until they were both breathless. Valentina chased her ball, Jaco gave his legs & lungs a workout & Oceana chased bugs. 


I laid in the sunshine & contemplated life - past, present & future. I thought I was feeling well enough to venture in to town, but by the time we got back to the house, I had a headache, so no go. 


On our way back to the house, I was throwing the ball for Tweet Pea. I accidentally threw the ball into a big mud puddle. She barrelled in after it, without a second thought! What a dog! 


We watched a bit of The Office & that was it... Pretty mellow day... Maybe tomorrow I'll get out!


Enjoy your freedom folks! It is a wonderful thing! :o)


xxxxMJV&O

Brilliant colours!

Stormy skies 

My Man

Tweet Pea & Papa playing fetch on the hill

Snapped this one mid-shake

Just about to get a wet-willy from my dog. 

Valentina's version of 'cheese'

Papa running up the hill

I was fascinated by all the veins in the leaf.

 The other side was pretty cool too.

Blue skies & poplar trees. 

Who doesn't love the sunshine?!

Home sweet home. 

The good life.

I was fascinated by these small trees. Side by side & one is green, the other is yellow. Why? 

Tweet Pea waiting for me to release the ball from under my foot.

The cows that climbed through our fence all summer long.

After her bath, Valentina curled up inside my shirt. Then she decided she wanted out, but couldn't figure out how. She figured the only way out was up.

Oceana's done for the day.

Day 334 - Cars & Insomnia

Another day of post-chemo rubbish. I'm struggling to find the upside of things these days. My arm is getting somewhat better, no more codeine, but it still aches. I'm so anxious to get away & go somewhere - do something! But I'm just not there yet. 


Today we took Contemplate to the mechanics to pick up Mom's car & I made arrangements to leave Contemplate there next week. The brakes are a little shoddy & I'm not sure why. Hopefully it will be an easy fix! The mechanic, Duane, is a wonderful man. I visited with him & his wife for quite some time today. It's nice to have a mechanic you can trust & you know isn't going to tell you the 'caneutre valve' is cracked & needs to be replaced for $2000. (When I was in flight school, I trained with a fellow named James & he used to joke about telling women their caneutre (kah-noo-turr) valve was busted & of course, us non-mechanically inclined women would just nod & say OK. 


I wore the mullet wig today. I think I may have overdone it. I also wore legwarmers. What!? They are back in style! Okay, granted, maybe not with a mullet wig, but it was fun anyhow! I had some pretty funny looks when I stopped at the grocery store. All in good fun. I felt a little like Joan Jett, only without the leather & denim.


Shortly after we got back from the mechanics, I got another headache. I was in bed by 2100 - a record for me! Unfortunately I woke up at 0030 & could NOT fall asleep until 0600. Yes, six in the morning. I have never had insomnia quite like that before! Ridiculous! I feel sorry for anyone who suffers regularly with it! What a horrible thing to deal with! 


So, rather groggily, I say goodnight... or good morning...


xxxxMJV&O

 Valentina LOVES the heater - she gets SO close to it!

 I think she's on some tropical island at the moment... Wish I was too!

 Jaco on facebook... Or YouTube

I'm thinking of submitting this to Acana - good to the last kibble!