Drowning in paper

Went out for the paper (to get the TV Guide) and a latte.  When I finished reading, I tackled the piles of paper around the computer.

Paid bills, approved BCCT criminal record check...

Gathered up nearly all the physio receipts and will mail them to my lawyer tomorrow.

Enjoyed the Canucks tonight!

Cycle 7 Day 1

Drove Mae to the Cancer Agency and had my bloodwork done at 10:00.  Left the link in the port-a-cath for the afternoon.  Had a latte and scone with Mae and Darline at Bean So Good.

Hung out in the lounge reading my papers until my treatment at 1:00 -  Cycle 7 Day 1.  Each cycle is 15 days, so I've been on this trial for 105 days!  Things went smoothly and I was out of the building by 2:00.

Picked up some groceries at Granville Island and had a bowl of soup.  Home just after 3:00.

My lawyer called to see how I am doing.  I'll gather up my physio bills and send them to him this weekend.  Then we go fo a settlement.  Maybe by Christmas?

Hail!

Blood test was 7:45 this morning - had to set 2 alarms!  Had breakfast at Sunshine Diner.  As I returned to the Fairmont Building at 9:30 the sky turned pitch black and the hail came pounding down.  By the time I got in the parking lot, everything was covered.  I finally got out and made for the entrance and got soaked.  Bought a wrist splint in the pharmacy.  I'm supposed to wear it to bed.

Dr. Gelmon was pleased with the results of Monday's CT Scan.  My cancer is certainly behaving itself.  She thinks the arthritis could be caused by the drug I'm taking every morning.  If that it true, it is an acceptable trade-off.

I was so tired I just stocked up at Safeway and headed home.  Missed the end of Murder She Wrote when I fell asleep.

Ouch

Went to Dr. Shojania's office in Richmond this morning.  Last time I saw him was at Seymour.  He's the rheumatologist who kept pushing for more tests and found my cancer.

He did a complete exam and thinks the pain in my hands is coming from the wrists.  He ordered several Xrays and blood tests and I'll see him again in a few weeks.  I'm to buy a brace for the right hand to help when sleeping - forgot today.  He doesn't think it is rhematoid arthritis, but might be a kind that comes with breast cancer.  That would be a relief.

It actually wasn't raining.  Did some shopping at Northern Reflections and Roots and then headed out geocaching in Surrey.  Found 6 so am at 425 - 3 ahead of Pam!  Not that I am competitive.

Came home via Queensborough and got groceries at Price Savers on Marine Way. 

The rain cometh

Glad I could be inside for the worst of the rain today.  Had to be at the Cancer Agency at 3:30 for a CT Scan.  The nurse actually found a vein in my arm!  Had to drink 2 bottles of water first so had to plan the rest of my day!

Met Louise for dinner at the Cactus Club.  There were 11 at our support group tonight.

U.S. Visit

Crossed the border before 9 this morning and there were only 3 cars ahead of me.  Outran the rain and started looking for coffee and bathroom in Bellingham.  Wandered around a bit and ended up back in Ferndale.  Tried to find a cache but failed!  Had to give up to get to the airport.

Picked up Pru and Nellie at noon and we had lunch and shopped a bit at Bellis Fair.  The rain picked up as we headed north.  The border lineup was short.  I blew it and moved forward before the green light.  The guard jumped in front of me and yelled to get back.  I was appologetic and she didn't strip search us!

Took Nellie home and she made us tea.  Was home by 5, after dropping Pru off.  The rain wasn't so bad but there were rivelets on several streets.

Rain is back

Didn't wake up until 10 and it seemed to take all day to read the papers.  I did do other stuff in between.  Called Hydro when my bill was over $114 - last time was about $50.  They think they made a mistake in the reading and fixed it.  Pays to check those automatic payments.

Busy week coming up so stayed in today.  Feeling pretty good except for sore hands.

COSCO

Started my day at the Hasting Community Centre in a COSCO (Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC) meeting.  Always interesting.

Since the sun was shining when we finished at noon, I started geocaching.  Found one nearby in Burnaby and drove out the Barnet Hwy.  Went over the new Pitt River and Golden Ears bridges.  What a difference they make.

Had lunch in Fort Langley at Village Coffee & Tea and then bought some wine at The Fort Wine Co. 

First time I've used my iPhone for geocaching without maps or preloading GPS units.  Worked like a dream.  Found the nearby caches and picked the one I wanted.  Then added it to the car GPS to drive to it.  The handheld Garmin seems more accurate so I still used it as well.  Found 3 more to bring me up to 419.  Had to stop as it was dark and cold!

55 Plus

Up early to attend Vancouver Retired Teachers' 55 Plus Seminar at the Hellenic Community Centre on Arbutus.  First was a presentation on the state of our pensions from the BCTF.  This was a repeat of an earlier one I went to but, with a different presenter, I did stay interested.

Next was Identity Theft with George Greenwood.   Picked up several useful tips and bought his book, "In Your Good Name!  Identity Theft: A Canadian Perspective". 

Lunch was Greek Salad, Chicken Souvlaki and pastry.  Very good and nice to be served for a change.

The afternoon was a session on Legal documents you need: Power of Attorney, Wills, and Representation Agreements - a joint BCTF/COSTCO workshop.  Good handout and I learned a lot.  It is time to do that will again.

I left as it finished to get to the BCTF to take off the mailing labels from our big list so they won't get our newsletter mailed.  Only 22 but it is a start in going green.

Had to go to Best Buy to buy a charger for the iPhone battery I bought in the states.  The twit there only sold me half of what is needed.  The fellow serving me gave me ideas for saving power as I have been using it up quickly.

Picked up a couple of reserves at the library and then home.  I was so tired that I fell asleep.

Laundry day

Slept in but up in time for the Remembrance Day ceremonies.  Like it when the announcers on CBC stop talking for 25 minutes.  Too bad our local stations don't follow suit.

Mel could only use 1 machine last week so I did a couple of loads of laundry today. 

Spent the day watching stuff I'd tapes and reading.

Road Trip

Went to the Oakridge Library for a tape to listen to in the car.  Had to go back home to retrieve forgotted iPhone.

Picked up Pru and Nellie at 11.  We stopped at the Bay so they could buy Olympic gloves to take as presents to San Francisco.  Nellie got me a pair, too.  Mad that they are made in China but at least some of the money goes to the athletes.  They are comfortable.

We had about a 30 minute wait at the border and then headed for the closest Starbucks - love my GPS.  They checked in at Bellingham Airport early and we headed back to Bellis Fair for lunch (really good chili at Red Robin's) and some shopping.

Left them at the airport at 2:45 and headed south.  I was out of everything I like from Harry & David's.  I realized yesterday that the store at the outlet mall near Burlington had been closed, so had to drive to Seattle Premium Outlets at Marysville.  Loaded up on goodies and headed back.  Stopped at Ivar's for dinner at Bellis Fair and was home by 8:10.

Geocaching didn't fit in today.  Maybe when I pick them up on Sunday? 

I'm feeling pretty good but have a new rash.  It could be a side effect of the trial drug.  When I have to do a survey for them, they keep asking if I am embarrassed by a rash. 

Ready for the snow

Took my car to Open Road to have regular check-up and have the snow tires mounted.  Arrived at 2 and left at 5.  They now have wireless so I could use the iPhone.  Love that I can switch from the cell 3G network to WiFi when it is available. 

Finished the extra issue of the Vancouver Tabloid and sent it off to the printers.

Road trip to Bellingham Airport tomorrow!

Dim Sum

Stayed up playing games too late last night and slept in until 11:30.  Met Pru, Lucas and his girlfriend for Dim Sum at Li Garden Restaurant on Victoria Drive.  We ordered far too much food!

Did a bit of shopping and then home.  The day drifted away.   Address:

Drizzly day

Glad to stay in and get caught up on paperwork (sort of).  Finished 1st draft of RTA newsletter and sent it to my proof readers.

Played with iPhone.  Stuff from iTouch moved over nicely.  It used my WiFi in the apartment so doesn't count as air time.  Now I need to sell my iTouch, GPS and Palm.

Had dinner at Chris's and watched Secret Agent - early Hitchock.  Didn't spot him in the background but learned that he was coming down the gangplank in the beginning.

iPhone!

Met Lori in New Westminster.  Ran into Mr. Gulllable at the 1st site and he was raving about his iPhone.  He also found the cache that had eluded me on several occasions!  I counted 11 finds.  One was a multi that took us on a tour around the heritage houses.  We stopped at the Waffle House for lunch and bathroom.  

Stopped at London Drugs for the toilet paper I forgot yesterday and then to Telus at Oakridge.  Bought 16GB iPhone.  Figure I haven't gone on many holidays since starting this clinical trial.  Also should be getting money from the car accident.  Anyways, Louise says I should spend, spend, spend!  I have to stop playing with it and finish reading the papers.

Signs of mice in the kitchen.  The landlady came up this morning and got an exterminator in.  

Fur in the kitchen?

Spent the whole day at the Cancer Agency.  Started with bloodwork at 10:00 and then saw one of the trial nurses at 10:30.  Had my chemo at 2:15 and things went well.  Always easier when they leave the needle in after the bloodwork.  Saw Dr. Drysdale at 4:30 and didn't get back to my car until after 6 ($12 in parking).

Stopped at Oakridge for groceries and then home to find fur on the kitchen floor.  I thought I heard a mouse last week but Mel cleaned out the cupboard with food and there were no signs.  Where did the fur come from?  A ghost cat fight?  I don't have a cat.  I've left it alone and will get the landlady to come in tomorrow morning.

Walking in Burnaby

It is supposed to start raining so I went caching in Burnaby today and found 4.  Didn't find more and that!  Some people just don't get how hard it is to bushwack when you aren't a Boy Scout.

Met Matt and Andrea at the Oakridge White Spot after the kids got their H1N1 shots.  Didn't seem to phase them at all.  They were really well behaved and enjoyed their Pirate Paks.

I am really tired tonight and my knees are cranky.

400!

It was such a nice day, I headed off caching.  Found one in Richmond and then my 400th in Delta!  Failed on the 2nd part of 2 multis. 

Running out of time to get through the tunnel and to Tupper by 4 so had to stop.  Just made it in time for talk on problems with our pension plan. 

H1N1

Off to my GP's office this morning to get the results of blood tests.  Three of them indicate that I probably have rheumatoid arthritis.  He called Dr. Shojania's secretary and said I needed a quick appointment.  I got a call later to book for November 17th.  I've seen him several times in the past and like him a lot.

Got my flu shot.  The clinic had set up a nurse in an office just to give the shot and I only had a wait of a couple of minutes.

Picked up some groceries at Granville Island just as the rain started.

Although I slept well last night, I fell asleep this afternoon!

Monster Ball

Mel and the kids came to clean and do the laundry.  Could only do 1 load so I'll have to do some myself.

Found the Monster Ball cache today after finding several monster movie caches to glean clues.  Pam and Lori worked it out and we found it!  Much easier than a couple of nights ago when we were looking in the dark and rain.  I carried on to find a few more and am at 398.  Had to stop when it got dark - an hour earlier!

This little fellow was in my way at one cache.  I think it is a weasel.