Monday, June 22, 2009

Monday, June 22, 2009 -- Here I am!! :)

Hello Bloggy-mates!

I know, I know... it's been awhile! And I knew it had been awhile when people started sending me email reminding me that the last entry was June 5th. Oops! Sorry about that :)

Yes, I'm still around and busier than ever! Who would have thunk it, eh?? Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) is getting closer and closer to opening... and the closer we get, the crazier it gets down in the office. I swear, at times it's like we have 10 things on the go at any given time. Why, it's been so busy down there that it just hit me today (Monday) that tomorrow, I'm training a few new box office volunteers on the Tickets Tonight ticket system... and do you think I have any training materials put together? Nooooo... I haven't had time! LOL! Ok, does this mean I literally am going to do a Box Office training session on the fly? It's looking like it might be so since it is already 10pm and I've just finished dinner. Bridget and I didn't get home until 8:30pm, and then I had to make dinner. So the chances of me actually starting tonight to put something together are pretty slim indeed.

Speaking of Bridget... for those of you not on Facebook, you probably have not seen the little Diva's newest pictures. We aren't exactly sure what she did to her front right paw, but it has been bothering her for about 2 weeks. Dr. Joan thinks she may have stepped on something sharp or, it's possible there is a sliver of glass that managed to get embedded. The skin between her pad and toes is a little on the inflamed side, although there's no puncture wound. So, Dr. Joan applied a poultice with the hopes that this will soothe the inflamed area and if there is anything embedded, will draw it out. Meanwhile, the poultice is wrapped in gauze and then cotton and then more gauze and then the stretchy tape that they use on animals. Bridget LOVES her blue sock and let me tell you, she really does milk it for all it's worth :)

"Look at my owie, Mommy!!"


And then there's the, "Oh, poor Bridget... do you have a sore paw?"

Of course, if you don't make any mention of it, she runs around as if it's totally natural to have one foot in a blue bandage. It's not until someone says, "Oooooh, poor puppy!" or "Ohhhhh, poor Bridget!" that she then remembers and goes into "poor me" mode :) She is such a little diva actress!! :)

The other week, both Bridget and I had our headshots done by our friends, Mike and Lisa who are setting up their photography business for people in the Arts. So here are a couple of pics of my headshots, followed by a few darling ones of Bridget :)







And then there's Bridget.... she is a natural in front of the camera! Always has been and she played right up to Mike's camera :)











Hehehe... well, as you can probably see, the two of us had a fun afternoon with Mike and Lisa, out in the park having our pictures taken :)

Oh, and I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not in the last blog entry... but I've taken on the role of doing Publicity for Metro Theatre. I know, I know... I'm totally crazy!! :D I look at it two ways... 1) If I keep myself busy, then I'm just too damn busy to be sick. And in all fairness, I do feel like I have a lot of energy... certainly a lot more than when I was recovering from surgery and going through the 8 months of chemo. Now, I don't know if it's totally fair to Metro Theatre, not knowing when or if I'll have to go back on chemo and if I do, then how much can I actually do. BUT, no one knows when something might happen in their lives that disrupts their routines, family life, work life, etc. So I don't want to be sitting on pins and needles, not taking on any of the things I really enjoy, on the off chance I won't be able to do them. Since both theatres have been so supportive of me, I have decided to continue on and just go for it. And the 2) I'm in denial :) I know that I've been diagnosed with cancer and I know I've had a heck of a journey with it so far... but I refuse to believe that it is going to win. And if I am going to win, then I have to make plans for what I'm going to be doing with my present and future.

One of my all time daydreams has always been that IF I had enough money to live comfortably, the I would totally immerse myself in my passion for theatre. I would be involved during the day and evening... and in many capacities. I'd like to be involved with the administrative side, the box office and training of box office staff/volunteers on a ticket system using the computers, publicity, promotions, and basically promoting theatre and the arts. But the reality has always been that I couldn't be immersed in theatre because I needed to work at a job that would pay the bills and put some away for a rainy day :) Well, guess who is officially retiring Feb 1, 2010 (just in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics)? Lo and behold, my retirement pension will see me comfortable, financially... not wealthy but definitely comfortable. So, my daydream actually is about to come true!

Right now, I'm feeling perfectly fine! Other than the arthritis/joints (which will be ongoing), I feel great! Like I said above, I feel like I have more energy... and I can take on more than I have been doing. My next scan will be July 20th. On that day I'll be having my CEA blood work done, as well as a CAT scan of my lungs.... and then that same day will have an oncologist appt. to go over the CAT scan and blood work results. I have to be honest... leading up to that day and until I get the results, it will be nerve wracking. Even though I feel great, I won't be totally breathing a sigh of relief until we know that all is still status quo. If it is and there is very little to no growth, then I'll be free to relax for another 4 months :) So hey, even though it's not July yet, if you all could start sending those healing, positive thoughts out to the universe on my behalf, I would be forever grateful! Just send thank yous to the universe for keeping my lungs healthy... and the more grateful thoughts that go out, the more that will come back tenfold :)

Ok... I think this is plenty long enough, don't you?? LOL!! And I just know I've missed out on a whole lot of stuff. If I remember what, I'll be back :D :D

Huggggggs,

Cheryl