(S)He Who Laughs Last...

I've been quiet on the subject of weather, but then what is there to say other than I now know how the rest of you felt during the first Arctic blast. Great Scot, glad to see we have balmier temps on the horizon, I'm tired of wearing a damn knit cap to bed! ;) Sedona has been a trooper through it all despite the near paw-freezing she endured because I foolishly exposed her tootsies to single digit temps on the annul Winter Hike at Hocking Hills. I tried to make it up to her by hanging out the rest of the day in a cozy state park cabin and rubbing those abused paws.

Within the last two weeks I had one of what I call my "mega check ups." What that means is I made the rounds at the Spielman breast center for the dreaded mammo, blood draw, cardio inspection, intro to a new surgeon (God forbid I ever need one again), the person who oversees the clinical trial I am participating in and, last my oncologist. End result? 1) According to a letter I received yesterday, the mammo "showed no malignancy." Of course, I put little faith in that procedure since it didn't find anything the last time, even after the medical folks knew exactly where the lump existed. [Side Note: For those of you ladies who get squeamish about self breast exams, all I can say is "get over it" and do them, they are life savers.] 2) While my white blood cell count is still low they think that's just my normal, but want to retest in three months [ugh]. 3) The ticker is ticking just dandy. 4) A 30-minute wait for a five-minute nice-to-meet you with the surgeon. 5) Oncologist says all looks good and, finally, 6) the clinical trial peeps gave me a big jar of pills that will last me through the next six months. Nothing like missing nearly an entire day of work to remind you that the cancer beast is ever-lurking and it wants to rule your life. Well, sorry, CBitch, not mine.

Pic o' the Post 

Can't share photos yet from the Winter Hike as my computer is having issues with downloads, etc., so sharing a different snowy visage of "the girl" in her backyard.

My snow angel

A World of Difference

A New Year's Day rainbow

We are not cold. Well, I am not cold. For my parents, anything below 65 degrees is cold. My dad says he needs to move south. ;)

After a day of putting away Christmas decorations, we met up last evening with several of my parent's friends at the VFW for fried shrimp, prime rib and live music. My folks left just after the start of the ill-fated Buckeye game. I stayed behind with some of the gang and danced. What fun! And, conveniently, the VFW is just across the street from my parent's community. Walked home with my mom's friend, Betty, watched the second half of the game and hit the sack. Woke up around 8:30 and bundled up to take Sedona out into the frigid 54-degree weather. Ok, I'll quit rubbing in the temperature difference between here and the rest of the Midwest.

Sedona's suggested panacea for the weather
up north: earmuffs 

My suggested panacea for the weather
up north: sun & a cuba libre!