It's Like a Nice Dip in Cool Waters

For the first time in weeks Barb and I don't have to go anywhere. No medical facilities, no nurses or doctors, no radiation, no needles, it's just us and Freckles.

Well we do have someone coming here, the guys from the natural gas company. From what we understand they are planning on increasing the pressure in the pipes through Marietta and they'll need access to our basement up to four different times today. I don't understand the benefit of increasing the pressure in the pipes. But that's why I'm an artist and not an engineer.

If they're rude we'll sick Freckles the attack cat on them.

The Phils won the first game of the world series in New York City last night. I've been a life-long Phillies fan so it was great news for me to wake up to. Growing up I would fall asleep to the Phillies on the radio every night a game was on. Although I was never a great baseball player, baseball has always been an important element in my life.

The same reason I like baseball is pretty much the same reason I'm no good at baseball. It is a laid-back, leisurely kind of sport. George Carlin did say it well, "Baseball is played in a park. Football is played in a stadium, War Memorial Stadium."

My difficulty playing baseball was the overall pace of the game. I would stand out there in the outfield, watching a butterfly, looking at the people who were out to watch the game, and then all of a sudden, "CRACK!" All of a sudden the ball would be flying in my direction and I'd have to go from standing still to running at full speed in half-a-second.

I did better with sports that had constant motion, like basketball or soccer. But I still loved to take in a leisurely afternoon baseball game.

Go Phillies!

Yesterday we pulled together all of the medical records that Memorial Sloan-Kettering required to book an appointment with a doctor there for us. It required a lot of phone calls and faxes and the phone rang through most of the day yesterday.

We still need to collect a few more medical records that we're expected to hand carry to Sloan-Kettering. Our main objective for today will be to secure train and hotel reservations. We were a bit surprised yesterday to learn that our first choice of hotel was completely booked due to the world series and the marathon both occuring in New York City.

We have found some available options. But we'll have to jump on those options early this morning.

I'll be talking to Amtrack to try to discover if really tall guys have any options at all for comfortable seats. When you're 6'4" you learn that the world is not necessarily built for you.

I learned this past week that I need to take two pain pills to get the effect that most people get from one. I learned that with the nurse's help. But that really is not something new to me. I've always known that I've needed a little higher than the recommended does of medicine that works for most people.

I haven't been on a train for many years. I imagine they're about as comfortable as an airplane. Airplanes do not work for me at all! So I'm really hoping a kind Amtrack employee can guide me into a comfortable seat.

So it's a day of trains, and hotel reservations, and gas company employees dragging their dirty boots in and out of our house. At least no one is planning on sticking me with a needle! Woohoo!