Good Old Days II

Until We Meet Again

It's been 78 months since I started this blog as a way to keep in touch with the family back in Nebraska and the family to keep in touch with us.  78 months and 30,204 visits later, I think it's time to stop.  I've run out of ideas, I've run out of observations and am quickly running out of family.

Thanks to everyone for reading over the years.  I never say never.  I may start up again in a few months or years.  If/when I do...I'll let you know.  In the meantime I'll let you in on one last quirk of mine.  As you know I'm a big public radio - podcast fan.  I record Canadian shows, American shows, Scottish shows and one very funny (to me) British show that is hosted by an old Irishman.  I should say 'was' hosted by and old Irishman.  He just retired a few months ago and his goodbye show is better than anything I could write.  So...I give you Terry Wogan from the former BBC show Wakeup to Wogan.  

Goodbye for now...

Shady Character

 Two weeks and one picture.  To date, this is the only evidence we have that Willy is alive and in Europe.  Actually...it's not much evidence at all that he's in Europe...but this did just show up on his Facebook page and I'm pretty sure that's him...either that or James Dean...or Jack Kerouac...or Jeffery Dahmer.
 

Oil Spill

 OK...I must be missing something.  As this spill in the Gulf goes on and on I guess we're all supposed to believe two things...

1) It never dawned on BP (or any oil company for that matter) that something like this could happen.  Never occurred to them that they could have a leak and should maybe put some strategies in place to respond should it occur. 

2) That this is difficult.  What am I missing?  The oil goes to the top of the ocean.  Is is really that hard to suck that water and oil up off the surface?  Is it really that hard to suck it up...and separate the oil and water?   

Fair Enough...

I am quick to mention failures of the health care system up here so I should be just as quick to mention the successes.  For instance, 5 years ago Ontario went on a mission to lower wait times for patients to receive radiation treatment for cancer.  Their target was 28 days and now, 5 years later, 73% of Ontario patients receive radiation treatment within that 28 day limit.  The means only 4 weeks to sit and worry about the cancer growing in your body.

How did they do it even though the number of patients increased by 10% during the same time?  One of the main things they did was increase the number of radiation machines.  They now have 93 machines in Ontario.  93 machines for 13,000,000 people.  That means, if my math is correct, that there is one machine for every 140,000 people.  

I better stop now or I'll get in trouble.  Before you know it, I'll be mentioning the wait time in Nebraska is 28 hours and the ratio of machines to people is 1 : 10,000.  That would just be mean.  I refuse to stoop that low.

Barbie and Friends

 Here's daughter Barbie and a school friend on the shore of Lake Ontario.  One great thing about living by a Great Lake is that if it's hot at your house you can be guaranteed of a bit of respite on the shore.  This was taken on Monday.  I'm not sure how hot it was here because they still haven't switched to Fahrenheit up here for some reason.  They tell me it was 32...but I didn't see any frost on the lawn so I don't really know what they were talking about.

Just Checking

 If you're curious if someone you're talking to is partisan or not...just ask them to tell you whether or not they see similarities between Bush / Katrina and Obama / Oil Spill.  I heard it described nicely today.  The BP oil spill is a slow motion Katrina.  I think it is.  Both federal responses seem to be insufficient and late.  But, I'll defend Obama as I defended Bush by saying it's impossible to respond to something perfectly that's not supposed to happen.  Seems to me they both had/have other things on their minds.  And they should.

Cream of the Crop

 I haven't been in trouble with the Canadians lately so I thought it was about time.  As fate would have it, I've met two Grade 12 (Seniors) in the past month who are excellent soccer players.  They are so good that they play on regional and national teams up here.  What did they have in common?  They are both going to the US to play at University.  Canadian Universities don't have scholarship sports like The States so every spring up here great Canadian athletes graduating from high school find themselves choosing US schools so they can continue in their sport while at the same time getting a free education.  Truth is, guys getting soccer scholarships in the US is rare, but just have a look where many of the great female athletes up here go south for college and guys who play basketball, football, baseball or run track and field.

I'm the first to admit that there are abuses and explotation in the US college athletics.   But this says something bigger.  This says one of the neighbouring countries believes in recognizing a young person's strength and builds systems around helping them become the best they can.  I don't think this is limited to athletics.  There are some excellent Canadian Universities but the number and quality of some of the private universities in The States cannot be explained by the difference in population size.  There is a tough competition south of the border for the best young academic talent in the world...not just in the country.  Private high schools here have trained counselors to help graduates get into US schools.  The reverse is not true.

What happens, of course, is that many of these people from Canada and around the world take advantage of our Universities and then return to Canada or home country to lead productive lives.  But...what also happens is that many of them stay.  The ratio is 20 - 1 for Canadians moving to the States and Americans moving north.

Warning to Americans...don't feel too smug here.  Truth is, Canadians aren't really hurting for talent because the rate of immigration for people who already have degrees is much higher north of the border.  So...although there is some level of Brain Drain north to south the Canadians are still doing fine...that is until these new generations of Canadians have kids who then go to school in the States.

Speaking of kids...

Again, as many of you know Willy is in Europe for a few weeks.  He's there mainly as a way to protect me from going to jail if I had to watch him sleep until noon one more day.  In any case, we haven't heard from him for a week.  That's a very good sign.  We have heard through the grapevine that he headed up to Switzerland earlier in the week.  Then tonight, rumour has it that he rented a motorcycle there and rode through the Alps.  That's not a bad way to spend a May day.  However, it is one of those things I'm happy to know after the fact instead of before.

Go Button

 That's my daughter.  Her name is Audrey.  At work they call her Barbie.  She thinks that's a compliment.  I'm not so sure.  She took this picture in the mirror of the car on the way to work last night.  I never thought I'd say these words..."Audrey really likes her job".  She's bussing tables at an Italian restaurant in downtown Oakville.  Get this...she volunteers for extra shifts and, when things are slow, actually cleans and organizes on her own.  I think I should tell her things are slow and send her to her bedroom for some cleaning and organizing.

As many of you know Audrey turned Sweet 16 last week. In Nebraska that would mean she would have a full driver's license by now.  I have to tell you...16 is too young...well, too young in everyone's case except mine.  I'll never understand the graduated licensing system up here but I do know that Audrey needs to take a written exam soon and then she can drive with me in the car.  We started practicing yesterday.  I never realized just how little attention she had been paying over the years.  When I was pointing out the pedals on the floor it was like she'd never even seen them before.  She asked (and I'm not kidding), "Which one is the Go Button?"  On second thought maybe Barbie isn't a bad name for her.

Unfair

I think my last post was unfair to Doug.  It was the only communication I've had with him in the last two years (since the diagnosis) that had even a hint of despair.  I thought I'd show you what a regular communication from Doug looked like.  The following is a message he sent to a few of us just this past January.  Now that's Doug.

 January 30, 2010

 

First disclaimer, Erica asked to be cropped out of the photo BUT she was holding the sign.  I had neither the time nor expertise to work magic Photoshop.

 

Second disclaimer, there are other staged aspects to this photo!

 

Third disclaimer, our political tendencies are more purely independent—curious, thoughtful, and informed we hope—so this is not a "shout out" to the new political vanguard. 

 

Number four, as an innocent aside, I am really tubby in this photo.  Don’t dwell on petty indignities such as this but have been told I’m “really looking good” now.  I should probably attach a current photo so you could judge.  Puffy guinea pig jowls and tummy have receded not exactly into model-esque heroin chic look but thinner with a great head of hair.  OK, great hair is an exaggeration.  I have hair again but Erica describes it as the mad scientist look gone rogue.  Not that I care either way but really am slightly disappointed.  Was told by more than one person that following chemo and radiation, my tresses would return more supple than ever.  Somewhere between Michael Bolton and Kenny G I assumed.  Has not happened but will give it another month or two.    

 

Anyhow, main point of the disclaimers, don't interpret this picture as any more than a tongue-in-cheek stab at humor while vacationing at tea party regional headquarters in Bozeman MT this past summer.  Per cowboy etiquette, we left our sidearms and spurs in the garage.  Erica’s pink-handled Lady Smith & Wesson was a great find…feminine, stylish and MAGNUM FORCE!  Can’t really recall why I thought having a picture taken would be a good idea.  Could potentially jeopardize my future political viability in the YouTube age!  We were just trying to fit in...didn't realize the mass insurrection that was unfolding!  The pic has grown more topical and amusing as time passed though.  As been said, “lead, follow or get out of the way”!   

 

The tea party is a really big tent including reasonable folks and whackos, just like society at large.  They do believe in the ballot box though and the old maxim “you have no basis for complaining if you don’t vote” has stood in good stead.  Be it Obama cohorts, tea partiers or other muckrakers, it’s always great when voters get hot and bothered and are motivated to actually participate in participatory democracy.  Participatory democracy cannot withstand apathy.  Stupidity, that’s another issue entirely (as is proven every day)!  Personal accountability and common sense seem to be entirely passé these days.  Is ‘limited government’ really an oxymoron?  Thanks to the elders in both our clans for maintaining a steady focus in that regard.

 

On the health front, the song remains the same.  Overall energy, quality of life etc. still good given the circumstances.  And now that my athletic physique and follicle robustness have been restored, I’m baaacck!  My gimpy, toe dragging right leg is not expected to improve but the tumor itself has gotten marginally smaller over the past three months.  Pretty immaterial in the grand scheme but at least it’s not going the other way.  I also get the impression that my docs don’t know exactly what is causing the shrinkage.  Could be the residual effect of radiation from way back, the chemo drug, or the total regimen.  I will always believe of course that PPT (power positive thinking), emanations from friends/family and plenty of carrots, broccoli, spinach and cauliflower are providing a big assist.  Thanks for your role in keeping on -  keeping on.  Regarding the new fangled chemo drug I’ve been taking, some trepidation currently as we’ve decided to discontinue for a month or two or three.  Originally thought I’d take the drug for six months following radiation but since the situation remained stable month-to-month, extended a couple of times out to twelve or thirteen months.  The break is an experiment to an extent but can always resume the regimen.  Should also provide a good opportunity to recharge my body’s natural defenses and restorative powers.

 

Everything goes well on the family front.  Both kids fine in school.  Henry deep into hockey season and

making nice progress on the electric guitar.  Emily’s not playing hockey this year in favor of mock-trial, science club and her first real boy friend.  She’s even wearing his hockey sweatshirt which I guess is the new version of a class ring!  Boy am I truly an old curmudgeon!  And the “dancing” they do these days…hmmm.  Emily has also been lining up more “real” jobs with supervisors, co-workers, customers, W-2s and all the other associated character building aspects of an honest day’s labor.  As Erica and I had hoped, the conversational dynamic (between parent and child) has changed materially since we’ve become less a dispenser of cash and more a fountain of wisdom!  Emily has also been looking at colleges.  Our spring break trip will take us to Maui this year.  Reminds me of a great anecdote.  Friend of mine was accepted into the Peace Corps to undertake well and fisheries development in Mali.  At his going away party, we had t-shirts printed up ‘Mali…I thought they said Maui’!  ha, ha.  Our first ever visit to Hawaii.

 

Be well, Doug R