YEAR OLD NEWS

July 29, 2010...will be one of those days that I will likely always remember...for it was on that date...1 year ago...that Cindy & I sat in a doctor's office and heard those words..."well...we got the test results back...and you have cancer."

The last year has been a blur of activities...tests...surgeries...recovery...more tests...more recovery.

Just days ago...Cindy & I met with my surgeon for my 9 month test results...and heard the words that just never gets too old to hear..."there is no sign of the cancers' return."

He is equally open to saying that...it's not over. He told me when we started this journey 10 months ago...that he would check me frequently over the following 5 years. If...at the end of those 5 years...the results are still negative...I will be able to say...I 'had' cancer...but don't have it any longer...but not until then.

We're 1 year into the diagnosis...and 10 months  into the recovery from surgery...and the reports are good.

Both Cindy & I still get a little emotional...a year later...when we think of that day...and those words...but life has been good to us...and our purpose here is not over.


Dan

WORKING HARD ?

On a frequent basis...someone at work will ask me...'working hard?'

On my way home today...with the thermometer reading in the 90's...I thought of this question...and thought of my dad.

Dad was one of the more hard working men I ever knew. His work days were long...not all...but much of his work was outside. Working outside...doing manual labor...in this kind of heat...now THAT is 'working hard'.

My work is inside...in air conditioning...with the benefit of equipment that does the manual labor...and simply requires me to know which button to push to make it work.

I try to work efficiently...and smart...but I should never answer the question...'working hard?'...by saying yes. That would be disrespecting my dad.


Dan

DEAR NITWIT

This morning when I walked out to the mailbox to get the paper...I found a 'big gulp'...one of those 42oz. fast food cups...in my front yard. The street that runs in front of our house isn't heavily traveled, but certainly has car traffic on it on a daily basis. It's not uncommon for me to find a can, or cup, or bottle in the yard...several times a week...thrown by some uncaring...'Nitwit'.

Seeing the cup in my yard this morning reminded me of my trip home from work on Friday that...at the time...put a smile on my face.

I worked late Friday at our downtown hospital and so my drive home took me through the downtown Lafayette area. Seeing as it had been a long day in a long week, I was in sort of a stupor...not paying extremely close attention to the events going on around me...as I headed home. I was aware however...of the police car about 50 feet in front of me. Suddenly...he stopped in the street...thus making me come to a quick stop too to avoid running into his car. His car door swung open quickly and I saw him yell to a man walking on the street in front of the Catholic Church that we were now stopped in front of.

I looked  behind where the man had just walked...and...still rolling on the ground...was a big gulp cup...with a reasonable amount of pop spilling from it...on the sidewalk in front of the church. It occurred to me then what had happened. The uncaring nitwit...that the officer was yelling at...had just thrown his half-full big gulp cup on the steps of the church as he continued to walk away. (Nitwits apparently aren't aware of things called trash cans...respect for others...and respect for our environment...so they just throw their unwanted things...wherever they want. In this nitwits case...it was on the front steps of the church.) Unfortunately for the nitwit...he did the wrong thing at the wrong time in front of the wrong person.

I then looked over to see...the nitwit getting an earful from the officer about his uncaring deed...and being instructed to walk over and 'pick that up'. By this time...I pulled around the police car and continued on my way home...but as I looked in my rear view mirror...the nitwit was headed to the back seat of the patrol car where...I'm guessing...he was told to sit while the officer checked his ID and checked the computer to see if he had any 'priors' he could be arrested for.

I smiled to myself as I continued home...thinking about how proud I was of that officer and the fact he didn't just turn his head and 'not see' what had happened.

Did the nitwit go to jail...for littering...or maybe on some unrelated charge? I don't know. But it would  be nice...whether he did or not...that he would have to do some community service like walking around town...picking up trash on the sidewalks and yards...that other nitwits...who didn't get caught...had thrown down.

To all the nitwits our there in the world...come on ...have some brains...and some respect. The reason you are 'down on your luck'...is because you do such things as this...and Karma is just paying you back. Learn to respect others...instead of just thinking of yourself...and maybe your luck will change...and good things will happen to you..

Until you do...expect to spend your life...drinking out of a big gulp cup...wondering why you can't get a break.

Dan

FATHER-SON PHOTO OP

Thought this was a pretty cool story. A father and son were in attendance to see the first space shuttle take off...and were at the last one 30 years later.

The picture is cool...and the story is touching...and the comments from some of the story followers is interesting too.

Nice story...about what appears to be a good father...and a good son.


Dan

HAND SIGNALS

Followed behind someone...on the way home from work today...and saw something I haven't seen in many, many years...someone using their hands for turn signals.

For those of you who didn't know...if you desire to turn to your LEFT...you extend your left arm out of your car window...as if pointing to your left. If you want to turn RIGHT...you bend your left arm up...as if pointing your arm to the sky, while at the same time pointing your finger to your right.

When I was a kid...most cars didn't have turn signals...and this was the common method to tell those cars behind you that you are turning.

Heck...now days...there's way too many people...who are too inconsiderate...or lazy...to even use their automatic signals...let alone use their arms. It took me 'back in time' to watch the guy in front of me use this old fashioned signal.


Dan

NEWS HEADLINES ON JULY 5

LOUSY MATH
I see a woman has ended up in the hospital, after consuming 10 5-Hour Energy drinks per day, for 2 weeks.

Let's see...10 x 5 = 50       

So, 10 bottles should get you through 2 full days...but this lady was drinking the equivalent...every day...for 2 weeks

I'm guessing it'll be awhile before she gets some sleep.


STOCK MARKET HEADLINES
They're driving me crazy. In a matter of a few minutes, I saw 4 headlines about the stock market. Stocks Waver After 5-Day Run...50 Hot Stocks for July...Why the DOW Will End Up Plunging to 7000...After a Big Run, Stocks Due to Fall This Week

Are they playing me? They want me to check out the 50 hottest stocks...to what?...watch them all fall?...and lose all my money?

They're killing me.


THE JURY DECISION
Sounds as if the mom...Casey Anthony...has been found 'not guilty' in the death of her daughter.

Well...I think we all have our opinion.

I guess our peers who served as the jurors...have decided she is guilty of being a lousy mother...but there was not enough evidence...to prove beyond a shadow of doubt...that the mom did the killing.

We have an interesting court system. It's been wrong before...convicting those who are innocent...letting those go who are guilty.

Guess this is when 'Karma' will have to do. She's certainly the lousy mother...but if she's the killer as well...one day she'll get her justice.


Dan

REMINISCING

Today was a day of reminiscing. We drove to Vincennes to help Cindy's mom with a little housekeeping. She was hoping to have her kitchen cleaned up...and we were the little helpers.

As we cleaned some things from the top of the kitchen cabinets...Marge decided to get rid of some of them and asked us to give them to 'the kids'.

One...was a cookie crock...that belonged to Cindy's great grandmother. Another... was a cookie jar that belonged to a grandmother.

Cindy's mother is approaching 80...and has LOTS and LOTS of S-T-U-F-F. It was a time of 'remembering' for her...and 'taking it all in'...for us.

A good day.


Dan