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.