Skipping Town

A busy day but I worked from home, which was a nice way to end the week. The girls and I relaxed with two episodes of Lost and the season finale of The Way Home. Dinner was a mishmash of leftovers that the kids eschewed in favor of making their own grilled cheese sandwiches. Not too much else to report from this ordinary end to the week.

Full day in the office for the third day in a row, and I'm tired. But it's been a very busy week and, as I always say, busy-ness is best. Tonight Lucia had musical rehearsal, and both girls had piano. Andrew went to a parent meeting at the Steel City boathouse, the official start of Greta's spring crew season. The girls and I squeezed in an episode of Lost. Some possibly good news in the Story of the Retaining Wall: Andrew met another mason today, and this guy said that part of the wall (the part that didn't collapse) could be preserved, and that we don't need to take down the big tree. He didn't give an estimate yet but this sounds like a potentially lower cost.  I wore the Amazon wig to work today and a colleague I don't see very often complimented me on my new hair style. Lesson from this awkward encounter, where I announced it was a wig and then realized this colleague had no idea I'm going through chemo: if someone compliments one of my wigs, just s...

Work has been so incredibly busy, which, at this time, is exactly what I need. There's not even a minute to start worrying about next week's blood work and chemo. And for the past few evenings Andrew and I have been catching up on the new season of White Lotus, which is also excellent distraction. Not as good as Lost, but good. For any spare moment, I'm reading a thriller. Keep the brain occupied. Andrew had the gall today to point out what appears to be some water damage in our bathroom, suggesting we have a leak. A few years ago, we had an issue in the exact same place when some ice froze (?) somewhere in a gutter (?) or on the roof (?). I chose to do the responsible thing today, which was announce that it's almost spring and I'm going to pretend that what he showed me doesn't exist.  My new Amazon wigs came today. One is a keeper, a blunt-cut shoulder-length bob, a little more severe than my usual look especially when paired with my new black-framed glasses; ...

Disaster. A mason guy met Andrew today to assess the retaining wall damage and my joking figure from yesterday turns out to be not a joke at all. We're going to get more estimates, but this is a huge huge huge job. The wall must be completely rebuilt, and a giant tree whose roots were partially the cause of the wall's undoing must be taken down. Homeownership. This is the absolute worst. And also the absolute worst time for this malicious, inept government to be tanking the stock market. But. But! I have chosen peace. This is a homeownership travail, but we'll get the work done, and then the Story of the Retaining Wall will be over. My capacity for getting stressed out and upset about anything that's not, you know, SURVIVING CANCER has decreased almost to the point of extinction. I literally have one thing to worry about and focus on: becoming and remaining disease-free or -stable for many many many years.  This is a perspective shift. I wish I could return to my previo...

A regular, uneventful day. That can't be said for Sunday morning, which I forgot to write about yesterday. Mid-morning, I was puttering around the kitchen when the doorbell rang. When I saw a young-ish male stranger through the window, I put on the aggrieved but polite face I wear for solicitors and, corralling a freaking-out Farrah, said "Yes?" without opening the storm door. He said he was our backyard neighbor. Important note: our "backyard neighbor" is actually very far below us, as our street is at the top of a hill; the houses on the street below ours are separated from and protected by a series of retaining walls on each property on our street. (Note: this was news to me; I'd never peeked over the wooden fence at the back of our yard to see this wall.)  I should have given a spoiler alert. Obviously the neighbor was there to announce that our retaining wall had collapsed into his yard. "Usually I park the car there," he said. "Good thin...

Spent most of the day relaxing by reading and crocheting a leprechaun hat. Lucia and Andrew went to a hockey game, and Greta and I walked with Farrah to the library for pickups and then to Starbucks. On the way home, we talked about all of the toys and collections that were the backbone of her and Lucia's childhoods: Lego Friends figures, My Little Ponies, Shopkins, Splashlings, American Girls, Calico Critters, Playmobil animals and foods, Barbie-sized princesses, Maileg mice. Formative. The deep playing the kids did with all of these things never ceases to amaze. Hours upon days upon weeks and months. I can think of others that were important to them in their very earliest years: Magic Clip princesses, Strawberry Shortcake dolls. Each collection is vast, and now organized and tucked away. I assured Greta we'll never get rid of any of it.  Homework and piano practicing and dinner took up the evening. I also put away, finally, the last of the Christmas things that I like to keep...

I picked Greta up from her sleepover this morning, and then she, Lucia, and I caught up on last night's The Way Home plus and episode of Lost. Then Greta took a nap and Lucia began preparing for her semi-formal. Andrew and I took Farrah on a long walk in Schenley--it was bitter cold outside but we persevered. Then we spent some time planning our New York trip, booking all our dinners.  Tonight was the Upper School's semi-formal at Heinz History Center. Three of Lucia's friends came over for pictures beforehand, and Andrew drove them to the dance. Lucia's dress was so cute--very long and shimmery metallic Barbie pink, with a corset back, plus very high black heels. She looked beautiful.  Greta hung out at home with the pets while Andrew and I went to the club for dinner with the Clarks. I hadn't been up there for months, since my diagnosis; I miss taking tennis lessons. I'll get back to it later this spring. Laundry and groceries and plant watering filled the res...