I love my new home, but not my one neighbor

I'm so tired and worn out, physically and mentally. My eyes are bloodshot, and my back and boob hurt. However, I am in my new home, (slept here four nights now) and it's so much nicer! Even though the weather has been horrible the past week, the view is still amazing. Watching Puget Sound with white caps is pretty awesome. I am sleeping a little better because it's quieter, and the building is so much better insulated, I don't freeze. At the apartment, it was like there was nothing in the walls, so then I'd crank the heat up and get too hot. 

Moving is so hard. I've decided this is it. I'll die in this place! It's been challenging trying to figure out where to put stuff. I have more storage, but I am quite sure the living room is smaller, so furniture placement has been a bitch. Now I'm trying to figure out where to put a Christmas tree!

The only negative has been the weirdo woman directly below me. I'll call her Kim (not her real name - I'm afraid she'd sue me). Apparently everyone in the building has experienced the wrath of Kim. My God, there are only five units, but I think she is determined to make life hell for the other four homeowners. 

I couldn't get my beautiful pink bike into my storage locker, as it's too long (many of you have seen it - a pink cruiser with a basket that Abbey will ride in)! So, I talked to Chuck and Tessa, my wonderful neighbors across the hall, who are the treasurer and secretary of the association, respectively. They suggested I park it in the lobby since it's so cute. The lobby is secure, and there is only one unit on the ground floor, and the owner spends most of her time in Hawaii, so is rarely there. She doesn't care, either.

Then the first curt e-mail came from Kim. She wanted me to remove my bike because it's common area, and doesn't belong there. I responded that I really didn't have anywhere else to put it, and that I was a recent cancer survivor, and didn't have it in me to carry it up three flights of stairs. I also pointed out that Chuck, Tessa, myself and the lady in Hawaii is okay with it, so the majority didn't mind.

Then on Saturday, Kim sends me an e-mail, (mind you, I'm right upstairs) to let me know that to "help" me out, she put my bike into the storage area. I flipped. She set it in the middle so no one else would be able to get into their storage lockers, and where it could get all scratched up. That bike was the last really cool gift from Mom and Pop before they died. They bought it for me after I graduated from college in 2005. (Yes, I'm a late bloomer). So it has special meaning to me, too.

Kim says in her e-mail that Chuck is "not in charge of managing the building." 

I was livid, so with the help of my new friend, David, we moved it back into the lobby. I e-mailed Chuck, Tessa and the gal in Hawaii of the latest developments. Chuck sent Kim a message, which he copied to everyone, saying she's right, he's not the building manager, but neither is she and he said "if you do not specify a CC&R or by-law, your commands and threatening language carry no weight." I had e-mailed Kim pleading with her not to touch my bike again, that it is neither ugly, nor in the way. I also mentioned my donation of a much better rug for the entrance to the building - a real nice stormchaser rug from LLBean.

So, this was yesterday. I go out to recycle some more boxes and paper as I'm unloading, and my bike is gone from the lobby - again. That bitch shoved it back into the storage unit. This time I hauled it out, put it back in the lobby, and I left a note on her door (since she didn't answer when I knocked loudly - and I know she's in there) that if she touched my bike again I'd call the cops.

I had barely put the note up, when she's at my door pounding. I opened the door, and our first meeting began as a shouting match. She's crazy. She is trying to sell her unit – I looked at it over a year ago! It's overpriced and smells of her old dog. She's convinced that my bike in the lobby will deter potential buyers for her unit. Really? How about dropping the price and change out the carpet?

Kim went on about how we're all rule breakers, and how awful Chuck is. I shut her right down. Chuck and Tessa are a lovely couple - they even sent me a gorgeous Christmas floral arrangement as a welcome gift. She was just screaming at me, how she was going to get a lawyer, call 911, it was horrible. I asked her why she couldn't just be neighborly. She said I wasn't being a good neighbor, etc., then she crossed herself (like Catholics do). I looked at her and asked her why she was crossing herself - did she think I was Satan? Her eyes got huge, and she said, "oh, you're not a very nice person." I felt like saying, and you are a bitter, nasty woman.

At one point she said to me, "well, honey, I'm dying." I asked her what was wrong with her, and she said it was none of my business.

To make a horrid story short, we both finally calmed down and came up with a possible solution. The fifth owner, Catherine, is in Florida until Dec. 15. Kim said her storage locker is empty. If Catherine will let me put my bike in her storage locker, great. If not – get this – Kim says she'll take all of her stuff out of hers and we can put it in there. I said, "are you kidding, it means that much to you?" 

She said it did. She's absolutely nuts. I truly pray to God she sells. Every single person in there has been attacked by her on some issue. She said she's selling because the building has changed, with all of us "new people" who don't follow the rules. When she finally got out of my face I was shaking and crying. I had to take 1/2 a Xanax and drink some wine to calm down.

So, other than that (!!) it's all good. My bathroom turned out beautiful, I got new towels, shower curtain and rug, and with the gorgeous new tile, it looks pretty. Abbey seems to like the place. She likes looking out the big window at the world below.

Also, I've had four dates now with David, who I guess I shall refer to as my new beau. He's so sweet. I saw his home briefly Saturday night, and I was in awe of the Beatles memorabilia he has – he's like me! We have some of the same Beatles posters. He also owns eight beautiful guitars - nice ones, Fender, etc. His home is in the Mt. Baker neighborhood, a very nice area near Lake Washington on the west side. He is into classic sports cars, music, and he has a Harley-Davidson, which I can't wait to ride on when the weather gets better. 

I called him crying after the whole run in with Kim. I was so upset. I hope I didn't scare him off! He helped me with a few honey-dos around the condo, too. 

And I am so grateful to Nina for the fine job she did on everything for me. She's a wonderful person and very competent contractor. If you're in Seattle, look her up - Velvet Hammer.

So, more unpacking and getting a Christmas tree up are on the agenda this week in addition to work. Colleen is flying in Saturday night for a short business trip, so I'm going to have her help me hang art, since she's got the interior designer eye going on. 

She flys out the 13th, the day I have the remaining fat necrosis removed from my boob. It's a short surgery, but I will be IV sedated. David will take me and drive me home. He's such a sweetie.

I was supposed to have a massage yesterday, but I rescheduled for Friday. I was just too frazzled. So I have that to look forward to, along with Col coming, David and then of course my baby Taylor coming for Christmas.

If you're on my Christmas card list, and don't get one this year, it's because it's just too much right now. I've never missed a beat on this, but I need to allow myself to let it go if I get too stressed out. That doesn't mean I love any of you less.

Something huge to look forward to!

Wow! I might get to close on the condo this week! Words cannot describe how excited I am about moving to my "deluxe apartment in the sky," which is only on the third floor, but I am on top AND I have a view of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. George Jefferson would be proud!
I don't plan to move in until the end of the month, but I want time to clean (my way) and Nina, my contractor friend, needs time to get the bathroom done.
I decided to re-tile around the bath enclosure. It's the original tile and not only is it ugly and doesn't match the new floor the seller put in, the grout is pitted, so ten to one it's wet behind the tile. So this will be mass destruction in the bathroom. I picked out killer tile, with a glass tile accent, which Nina will also put around the sink back splash to pull it all together. The glass tile has a little bit of mother-of-pearl in it for some bling, then I saw a shower curtain with little crystals in it, for a little more bling! I have to buy a mirror for the bathroom, too, because there isn't one, so I'm hoping to find something sort of vintage. And I'll get new towels! I am so excited to be able to get some of my personality into a place!!!!
I'm also having Nina put in a new hot water heater. The one there now works, but it's older than dirt, and I would just freak if it leaked on the new carpet, and it's in the master bedroom closet, so if it leaked it would destroy my shoes, and leak on everyone below me - none of it good.
To think, just a year ago I was still in a chemo haze and bald. I had a trim yesterday - my hair is just insane! It's so thick and curly! It's really looking cool now. I donated my wig and my breast prosthetics to the American Cancer Society, and they were thrilled! It made me feel good, too, not only to get rid of those things, but knowing there are women out there who don't even have insurance to get them, so hopefully someone will use these and feel better about the whole ugly situation.
On election day, it was also get a nipple day. It didn't hurt, but I have more fat necrosis over the new boob, and it does hurt. But I have to be sedated for him to do that, and I'm just too busy right now to take time to be knocked out again. So, it's scheduled for Dec. 13. I asked Dr. Isik if this is going to be a constantly re-occurring thing, and he said this should be the last time. But it really does hurt. It feels like my boob is going to explode. Once it settles down, then he will tattoo the aerola and I'm done! If I still can't handle the mastectomy/reconstruction scars, I have saved a newspaper article for a year now about a female tattoo artist here in Seattle who specializes in art over those scars. Maybe some vines, or John Lennon, Eddie Vedder? Who knows!
I still haven't gone back to Pilates, simply because of time. When I'm not working, I'm dealing with planning this move. I've packed maybe 15 boxes, and have been purging crap I don't want or need anymore. And work has been busy! Being the only reporter covering Issaquah, believe it or not, is hard! There's a lot going on over there mainly with growth issues. Then I covered two local political races, one which was nasty. God I'm glad the election is over. And I am so relieved that Obama was re-elected. I wasn't ready for my vagina to be sewn shut!
I'm still trying to have a little bit of a life. I did go to the ball with Mira, and it was fun even though I only danced about five times. But it was cool to see people dressed up in flannel Seattle! Almost all the women had on long gowns, some vintage, and all of the gentlemen had on tuxes except one dude in a suit, and two in kilts. Go figure.
Last night I went to the Broadway play "Wicked" at the Paramount Theater. It was fabulous! What a great story! It's about the witches of Oz way before Dorothy drops in. The two gals in the lead roles of Glinda and Elphaba, were absolutely amazing. There are some seriously talented stage actors out there. They both had such unreal, powerful voices. There were flying monkeys, the Wizard - it was very cool.
After packing boxes for awhile today, I had a coffee date with a nice man I met online. I've gone on several of these coffee dates, that have gone absolutely nowhere, but this was different. There was a connection. He's my age (imagine that - me possibly interested in someone my own age! Hahaha!)
We'll see where it goes. He's lived here all his life. Beautiful Paul Newman blue eyes.
I'm going to Mira's for Thanksgiving, since my kitchen might be in two places, and I have no one coming anyway. Taylor normally spends Thanksgiving with his dad, because they like to go hunting. Then he'll come here for Christmas. He's looking forward to seeing the new place. He really likes it down there (Alki-Beach Dr.) too.
So, if I can just make it through this move without falling apart, I'll be good!

I need more hours in a day

So much has happened in the past month I don't even believe it. I'm back to work as of Oct. 3, and I am in the process of buying the wonderful condo I talked about in my last blog. But I'm so damn tired all the time. It makes me angry with myself that I can't keep up the pace. I even woke myself up this morning because I was snoring! I never snored before.
Going back to work has been a real adjustment. I wasn't used to getting up and having to pretty much step on the gas right away. Combined with working through the condo transaction, I barely have time for all the things I was taking for granted like nice walks with Abbey or practicing my ukulele.
I'm still not my old self. September 27, I had the little nip and tuck I mentioned before. This included lifting the right breast. Dammit, everything hurts worse than I think it's going to! I had a follow up Oct. 10, the day before my birthday, and Dr. Isik said it looked good, but I still have so much swelling on the new breast. He prescribed me some antibiotics, which helped, but I still feel like a freak because they don't match.
Then, the words I never thought I'd hear in my whole life - November 6 is nipple day! Oh yay....but that will be the end of surgeries. So, since I had a skin sparing mastectomy, I've got enough tissue there for him to push it together and make a new nipple. A few weeks after that, comes the tattoo of the areola.
But I'm tired, and bummed because I'm not exercising as much as I'd like to because I'm so tired. Hopefully things will settle down one of these days. I'm going to have to hire movers when I move into the condo, because it's on the third floor and I can't lift much these days. Which brings me to my back. No, I don't have bone cancer thank God. But I do have arthritis in my back now, and my L5/S1 are a bit worn out, but this doesn't require surgery, which I wouldn't do anyway! No more cutting on me!!!!
I went to a rehabilitative doc, and he said given my history of Pilates, to get back into it and it will strengthen my back again. I know it will. I've just been to tired to do it. He was a cool guy.
That said I did get Abbey to the park today for our usual hike, and I did fine. Tonight I'm going to a ball. You heard right. A ball. As in Cinderella went to the ball! Although I don't feel like Cinderella.
Mira talked me into this a long time ago. It's called "An Evening in Vienna," and this year it's at the University of Washington in their huge ballroom that's apparently very beautiful and newly remodeled. It's black tie, so I had to buy a dress, a gown if you will. I got a good deal on a very flattering long black "mermaid" dress. It's ruched through the bodice, so it's very figure flattering. It has a higher neckline, but is sheer on top, so it hides all my scars that might otherwise be revealed. I'm so self-conscious.
Friday night Mira and I went to a three-hour ball prep, which focused on brushing up on waltz and foxtrot, with a little bit of polka, which may sound dorky, but it was the most fun. It's like how they danced in "Gone With The Wind." Waltz was considered far too scandalous then because of the closeness with your dance partner! Hahaha! Anyway, God I hope there are some decent leads there tonight (guys) because I was stepped on more than once, and even have a bruise on my left big toe. A follow is only as good as her lead, and if they push you down the dance floor or invade your dance space, it's a drag.
But, I guess it's good I'm getting out amongst them! I was too tired to even go to a movie last night after my day of chores and errands.
I did go over to my old stomping grounds for my birthday and Taylor's birthday. I drove over on my birthday and came home Sunday. He is living with a couple of guys now, and it's a typical bachelor pad, but it looked fine. I saw a lot of my old pals, but again it was too short and fast. It's good to go over there, but I really don't miss the place, just the people.
I think I'm going to get back into the condo Tuesday and hopefully get a couple of contractors in to bid on a new hot water heater and possibly new tile around the tub. Everything else is pretty much done, but the seller's representative re-tiled the bathroom floor with nice new big tiles, but the tub still has the original old icky white tile around it with a black accent, so it looks weird. I want shit done before I move in.
One more thing. I had applied for an MFA program in creative writing, but I didn't get in. I was very disappointed, but as my friend Taryn has said, and I believe this, God opens the doors that are meant to open, and closes the other ones. It would probably kill me to add school on top of all of this other stuff right now.
So, if all goes well I'll be in the condo at the end of November. If I don't do Christmas cards this year, don't freak. I can only do so much.
Time to put the pretty on. Hopefully no one will step on me!

The end is near

As I sit in the treatment chair, right now, I'm getting my last Herceptin infusion. I never thought this day would come. I'm also getting a flu shot, as I do every year, but I am even more vigilant because of my white blood count still being low. It's weird; it was 2.3 today. Three weeks ago it was at 3. In the 4 range is normal. It takes forever for all of the chemo effects to wear off.
I have a new problem, and I hope it's not serious. My back has been bothering me a great deal. This started way before cancer. It's where disc L5 joins the SI, and is most prevalent on the right side. There have been a few incidents recently where I thought it was going to go out on me. It hurts terribly. So, next Tuesday I'm having a bone scan and MRI to see what's up with that. I got sort of scared. Bone cancer of course shot through my head, but Dr. Kaplan said that's an odd place to get it. Hopefully it's just pressure on the disc or something.
But, I'm thrilled to say, the reconstruction mess is getting much better. I saw Dr. Isik yesterday, and he's ready for the next step. So, next Thursday, I'll have another little surgery, this time in the OR in his office. This is to remove the fat necrosis over my new left breast, and lift the right side so I am symmetrical. I was really surprised that he thought I was ready. Since he's already going to have me down for the count (under anesthesia) he will remove this damn port that's been in me since March 2011!! For that I am super stoked.
There will still be a few more little things to do, but I'm beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.
Fear of cancer coming back will always live with me, however.
Still no job, but two people are leaving the Bellevue office of the company I worked for. One is leaving for a job with a business journal, the other is having a baby. So, I applied - it's not like they don't know me. So, I'm going to visit with Craig, the editor, on Monday. It's certainly not like they don't know my work. I'm to the point now where I just want to get back to work.
I'm also psyched because there is a new condo on the market, that is even better than the one I was close to making an offer on before I was laid off in March. This one is in a building with only five units; I actually had looked at another one in the same building, but she wanted too much money I thought and it did not have a covered parking place. I saw this in Sunday's paper, and thought I'd go check it out (it was an open house). I figured it was the one I looked at before, but NO! It's the one above it, so it has vaulted ceilings, which makes it feel much bigger, and it has a covered parking space.
Not only that, it's an estate sale, so the son of whoever died, put in an all new kitchen - cabinets, flooring, counters and stainless steel appliances! It also has new paint and nice new carpet. All this, and a view of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. So if I get re-hired, I'm going to give it a shot. I will feel much better in a better neighborhood and lovely place.
I have been sort of down due to concerns about other people in my life who are having even greater struggles. It just seems like there's so much bad ju-ju going on. I hope things turn around for all of us very soon.

I think the universe is opening up for me.

The past week has been sort of extraordinary. I went to Whidbey Island the 26th through the 28th of August, and although I didn't see any cheap real estate that I loved, or groovy job opportunities, I may have stumbled onto something completely unexpected.
I met this very nice lady who was going through a program right now to get her MFA in creative writing. As it turned out, I know someone else who just graduated from the same program. It's quite interesting, fully accredited and is through the Northwest Academy of Literary Arts. You spend two 9-day stints on the island at the lovely Capt. Whidbey Inn, and do the rest online. My friend who just graduated and this woman both raved about it. It's just for creative writers - and there's absolutely no math involved! So, I'm contemplating applying.
Meantime, all sort of interesting opportunities are coming my way. Nothing has solidified yet, but I do have one for-sure interview this week for a job that is related to another field I've been interested in but I haven't pursued it before because it would involve eventually opening my own business. But if I got this job, I'd get a taste of the industry. Ditto for one other opportunity. I don't want to say too much more, in case none of it works out.
Meantime, my old boss, Mary, called me. She's such a dear. Always looking out for me. Next Sunday, the Susan Komen Foundation is having a hosted luncheon for breast cancer survivors on the Holland America Cruise ship, the Oosterdam, while it's at the cruise terminal. They want me to go, as a survivor, and to also write a story about it for the Pink Pages which they do for breast cancer awareness month (October). So of course I said yes! I can't wait to see what one of these big ass cruise ships looks like.
But there's more to this one, too. One of the executive VP's with Holland America is on the Mercer Island City Council, and Mary has access to him. And they're hiring. So, she's going to try to arrange a meeting for me. I've applied with them before (PR type jobs) but they ignore me. I am telling you, it's connections that get you a job anymore. I paid $40 to one of those head hunter web sites, and they either send me jobs that I know I don't qualify for, or some dingbat calls me and wants me to enter the exciting world of insurance sales. No thanks. I did my time with commission sales. I couldn't deal with that stress again.
I continue to get better and better. I saw Dr. Isik (the plastic surgeon) Wednesday, and he is ever impressed with my progress. I have a lot of swelling still over the new breast, and he said it's called fat necrosis. It really bugs me - it feels like I have a lot of pressure on my chest, and like I've got something under my arm all the time when it's down. But he said it will go down, and settle into one little spot, then he'll pluck it out. So, I see him again in three weeks.
Then on Friday I had my next to the last Herceptin infusion! Yay! Then I can FINALLY get my port out. I've had it in since March of 2011 and I'm real sick of it. Dr. Isik may take it out rather than my surgical oncologist, since he's still got work to do on me. There will be another procedure to lift the right breast and get them both to match once the swelling is down.
I can't believe I'm almost done with Herceptin. My heart is doing well, in fact they scheduled me for an echo cardiogram the 10th. But I just saw a new study come out that said women who have undergone chemo for breast cancer and then used Herceptin are at greater risk for heart disease. Super. But I'm not too worried, because my heart has been stalwart so far. It's a good ticker, thank God. I credit exercise to that.
I start restorative yoga next weekend, and Tango lessons Sept. 11 for six weeks, which should be fun. I'm not ready for Pilates again because of the abdominal incision, but I'll get there.
But Abbey and I are walking the woods again in Lincoln Park and it's been great.
The only downer is my car. After I left the cancer institute Friday, my car would not unlock. The key less entry hasn't worked for some time, but this time even the key didn't work manually. I called two locksmiths, but they both said BMWs are too secure, and they can't get into them. So, I had to be towed to the dealer. I got there 10 minutes before they closed. They were kind enough to give me a really, really nice loaner (a 2010 328I) but it's going to cost about a grand to get into my car again. Shit. They had to order the new tumbler assembly, so it could be I won't get my car back until Friday. But being the dealership, they took it upon themselves to comb through the whole car and rattle off this laundry list of stuff I had better get fixed at outrageous cost, and I told the service advisor, forget it - just get me in the damn car.
I have a wonderful mechanic with a little shop right here in West Seattle, and I'm going to have him look at all these so-called repairs I need, and if he says it's all B.S. then fine. If it's not B.S., then I'm going to start shopping for a new car, because I just won't put any more money into this one. It's been a fabulous car, I've loved it, and I feel very safe in it. But I just hate repair after repair. I need a dependable car. I just hate the bus. Too many weirdos.
So for now, I'm not ready to leave the city. I still like it here, the culture, the restaurants
and I have to say, the weather! No kidding, we're on day 43 (I think) of NO RAIN! If we make it another week it will be a record! Of course the rain will return - it's Seattle! But like my cousin Sheila says, at least you don't have to shovel rain. Seattle hasn't experienced the horrible drought or the horrible storms like they get in the gulf coast. Really, it's pretty mild here. The gloom gets tough in the winter, but at least it's not dark like Alaska gets in the dead of winter. Things could be worse.

Cold turkey

Well hell, I wish the doctor had told me to wean myself off the painkillers. After my last post, they ran out and I thought, okay, I'm done, because I didn't want to become dependent on them. I was on oxycodone. Bad shit. Real bad shit. I didn't leave the house for two days, and Tuesday - it was in the 80s outside - I laid on the couch rolled up in a ball in a blanket crying, freezing and sweating. God it was awful.
Wednesday I had to go to Swedish to talk to the social worker about continued assistance, so I had to go out amongst them, which was a good thing. I took care of some other business and went to Costco, too, and I felt much more human.
Sandy, the social worker, told me something I didn't know. For every hour you're under anesthesia, it takes a week to recover and get it out of your system. I was under for five hours. Tomorrow is four weeks out, so I figure another week and I may feel like myself again, and hopefully in another two or three I can get into some restorative yoga.
I am able to walk Abbey longer now. We went to Lincoln Park for the first time in a month, and it was a gorgeous, hot sunny day. We just walked along the water though, as I still don't have it in me to trek through the woods. But it was wonderful.
I had another massage with Naomi, which really helps my back. What a goddess with her hands. My belly incision doesn't hurt so much anymore either, so I'm trying to stand in the Pilates stance when I'm standing, and tuck my tailbone under. My new breast does hurt still. It's still very swollen and bruised. I'm going to call the doc tomorrow just to make sure that's normal.
I'm also sleeping better. I was having God-awful night sweats and now that I'm off the oxy - surprise! The night sweats are gone. Imagine waking up every morning soaked and freezing. I can't even imagine how people get hooked on pain killers. It's awful.
But now I've been burdened with GI problems all week from going off the oxycodone. Nothing looks good to me. So I'm forcing myself to eat a BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) and it's working. As much as I know I need fruits and veggies again, which I love, it's hard right now. I did eat some cucumber and tomato, and today some cantaloupe, banana and blueberries. Consequently, I've lost weight! Yay!
But yesterday was a great day. I met up with my old pal from the Coeur d'Alene Press days, Tyler Wilson, and his wife Angie, and their little girl Marion, along with some other people I didn't know, and had a lovely visit in Sodo, before they went to a Mariner's game. Tyler is a great guy. Then, I went to a dive bar called Linda's Tavern of all things, for Linda's Fest, to catch a new band, "Walking Papers," and I was blown away! I even met the drummer and on bass, the one and only Duff McKagan, formerly of Guns n' Roses! I was so stoked! They were totally killer. The lead singer/guitarist, Jeff Angell, is awesome. The drummer, Barrett Martin, and Angell are the main guys - who knows if Duff will stay with them, but I was right in front! I love being able to see all the details, setting up, plugging stuff in, the set list. It electrifies me.
Today I went to an uke jam and had fun as usual. I've been working on "Norwegian Wood," by the Beatles for weeks, and finally got the lick down. It's a hard one. We didn't do it at the jam, but I'm enjoying it as part of my repertoire. I watched Duff and Jeff very closely last night - their hands on the frets and their strumming, plucking patterns. Geez - I'll never be a rock star, but I sure do admire the talent. I know it's only rock and roll, but dammit I love it!
Taylor is coming over for a couple of days, then I'm taking off again in a week for a couple of nights on Whidbey Island. I haven't been there in ages. I found a quaint pet-friendly Inn in Coupeville, so I'm taking Miss Abbey on a little adventure. I'm going to scout around. I figure if I don't find a job here by the time all my cancer care is over, I might be outa here. I don't know. I love Seattle, but Whidbey is close enough so if I wanted to go to a show or something, I could still do it. God knows I love the San Juan's, but that's quite a commute. I need to find a place where I can live cheaper, and I want to stay near the water.

Back to normal - sort of

                With all my caregivers gone, I'm trying to rest up, get caught up and pursue looking for work with more enthusiasm, although I don't know if I could work yet. I get so darn tired. I'm three weeks post-op  now. Made it to Aerosmith with Col last Wednesday night, and slept in the next day. Yesterday I did make it to yet another concert, this one an earlier show because it was at the Zoo (part of their Zootunes series), and they always start at 6 p.m. sharp and don't go much later than 9 because of neighboring homes I imagine. So, I was home by 8:45 or so.
I saw Melissa Ethridge, one of my favorite ladies of rock. I saw her once before, years ago, before she had breast cancer. I could tell it changed her, too. She's one of those artists who talks to the audience between songs, and you can actually understand her! She said she's eight years cancer free now - I figured it had been awhile - plus her hair is long again!
So when she opened her encore with "I Walk For Life," which she wrote after the whole cancer thing, it was really emotional for me, tears welling up in my eyes.
I had an epiphany, too. I think one of the reasons I love rock so much, is that I understand the message so well. Rock and blues musicians speak to me - I get it. It's the soundtrack of my life. They express thoughts and feelings about life as I would like to.
Before "I'm The Only One," one my favorites of hers,  Melissa pointed out that we are the only ones who truly get it - about who we are. I  need to take care of myself - it's my life, you know? I mean, I know this, but it's good to be reminded.
So, enough of the philosophy of rock and roll! She is a rock star, but not flashy. She opened with "Fearless Love," and "Your Little Secret," before launching into a killer blues jam. She can certainly hold her own on the axe, let me tell you.
"I Want to Come Over," was performed with a whole lot of yearning, then she did "You Can't Always Get What You Want," doing the Stones proud. Loved it.
She's funny, too. Her belt broke, so her wardrobe/hair/makeup guy had to come out with a new belt or "her britches would fall down." She turned it into an amusing little dance while she strummed guitar and he circled her putting on the new belt. She said she was helpless, hapless (?) without him!
She also applauded her male fans, saying they were the best, because it took a lot of guts to admit they were Melissa Ethridge fans! She's gay if you don't know.
Of course she did "Come to my Window." When she travels she said people will ask her what she does, and she tells them she's an entertainer. They'll ask, "Do you play guitar?" Yes. "Do you sing?" Yes. Then she says, you know that window song?? OOhhh! They immediately know who she is!
She's got a new album coming out Sept. 4 and did a couple of songs off of it, one called "Falling Up," that was particularly good.
The rest of my week is pretty dull. Right now I have a massage scheduled for Thursday with Naomi again, still trying to get my back straightened out. I may also have an informational interview for a  job; keep your fingers crossed.
 No doctors until the last week of August. I'm going to have withdrawals! It's really scary to have the doctor's appointments thinning out. All normal, or so I hear.