Saturday

I don't know where to begin... it was a busy week. Jody had 4 Radiation treatments this week. They fitted him with what he calls his Hanibal Lector mask and his non-jumping jump rope and gave him a tattoo the week before. He started treatment Tuesday. After sitting through chemo for hours, he was quiet surprised at how quickly this treatment is given. Last night he said that he had sort of timed the proceedure. He said he puts his hands through the handles of the 'jump rope' then somehow they hook it under his feet. It's then attached into place with velcro where he can't come out of it or release it, it's purpose is to keep his shoulders pulled down and, I'm guessing exposes his neck fully. Then the machine 'zaps' the right side of his neck for what was about 10 seconds, it moves around (like a robot) to the left side where it 'zaps' for about 15 seconds. Then it's repositioned directly over his face and the platform he's lying on is elevated up very close to the machine for it to 'zap' him right in the middle of the forehead for about 25 seconds. Then it's over. The worst part is when they sneak up and RIP the velcro off the jump rope. He says they could at least warn you.... scares him everytime.

He said he hasn't really noticed any changes yet other than his tongue tingles for a little while after the treatment. I started noticing that his voice was a little raspy the other night, but didn't notice it last night. He has a very deep, radio announcer voice as it is and then you ad in the mumbling.... I never know what I'm hearing.

Jody said last night he was glad it was Friday and he had the weekend to sort of re-coup. Once again... I guess they know just how much to give you so they don't turn you into a glowing Homer Simpson.

In other news, Jolea is still waiting to hear from a boat. She's very stressed over this. I think she should get a part time job. It never failed with me, I could be jobless for months and go apply with a temp service, walk out the door and bang, a new BETTER job would land in my lap. It's easier to find a job when you have a job. Maybe it's a Karma thing. She continues to cook and clean for me so I'm not complaining. It's too bad she hasn't been going to some sort of cooking school at Sur le Tab while she was home.

Thursday night I was awakened by light in the hallway around 1 in the morning. I got up and found the light was coming from the smaller bedroom, the room that Jody has claimed for his guitars and mandolins to live in. This room is set up as a sort of office but we still have Jeff's Cargo Bed in there just incase someone needs a place to sleep. It's a pretty tight space, with the bed and a huge desk and a plotter to make vinyl signs. Then you add in some of Jolea's boxes and some of Jeff's boxes. Needless to say this room drives me crazy. The light was on but no one was in there. Then I heard someone in the kitchen... "Jolea? Are you doing something in this room?" She answers back "I'm moving the guitars, Jeff's coming over to sleep someplace warm." Hmmm, OK and I go back to bed.

The next morning there is a really cool bike in the entryway and I remember getting up during the night. Jeff was living with a buddy in a VERY old house in McKinney. Seems the house has no heat other than gas heaters spread out here and there. I had mentioned to him a few weeks ago to be sure to crack a window in his bedroom at night or he would end up with a massive headache in the morning.

I came in from work/chiropractor last night and Jody said Jeff was coming for dinner. He wanted to discuss the kids just hunkering down here with us and riding the 'recession/soon to be depression' out. When we moved into the neighborhood 14 years ago, our neighbors across the street had both their grown children living at home. These kids were in their late 20's. Jody said it was such a smart idea... the kids both had nice cars that they were paying off before moving out and into a place of their own. They helped with bills and in the meantime kept from going into debt too deep. At the time I thought.... they're grown, kick their butts out.... but now, I see it much differently. As we sat there last night and Jeff asked if he could move back in, and Jody and I saying it was fine with us, he was able to pay off one of his credit cards. This wouldn't have happened if he was facing having to pay rent and bills next month. Hey they're your kids, what are you going to do? Help them as much as you can.... but not to the point of enabling them!

The Thompson Twins (Jolea and Jeff) decided to go out last night... Jolea said she was going stir crazy, another reason she needs a little day job, and Jeff never has been one to sit with us and trash talk TV shows like Whale Wars with Jody. It's a national passtime with Jody and Jolea.... they like to trash talk shows like Whale Wars (the Captian of the boat is an idiot with a huge ego), Survivor (the people do and say some really crazy stuff on that one) and then there's the boxing matches and UFC fights. I just sit there and knit. Jody has watched more TV in the last 6 weeks than he ever has and I think it's because Jolea is here. The Sagittarian in both of them is coming out.... they work well as a team, a tag team. They feed off each other.

One last thing.... I went to a new Chiropractor for my aching neck the other day. About 18 mos ago I had a disk in my neck that was bulging. I had done some Acupuncture treatments and it went away. But recently I've had pain in both my neck and my right leg and hip. The Chiropractor made some xrays to check things out. Besides finding that some of the disks in my back are beginning to fuse together from mild Scoliosis (hip pain), also causing a pretty serious neck fusion (neck pain) that really needs attention and therapy, he found a calcification on my pelvic bone, it just looked like a thick white mark on the xray. He asked me if I'd had a bad car wreck and broke my pelvic bone years ago. NO, but I had some bad horse wrecks a few times. I had xrays with the first wreck back 27 years ago, I had jammed my hip and tore my pelvic muscle.... Dr. said "stay on your back 6 weeks and don't get pregnant for at least a year..." I went back to work after two weeks and was pregnant in 5 months. Hmmm, it must have been that time about 9 years ago.... crazy horse, threw two of us that day. I was the unlucky one who didn't land in sand. I didn't go to the Dr that time, I went back to work... yeah I walked with baby steps and was afraid to go to the bathroom, but I got over it. The Chiropractor said I'd fractured my pelvic bone!!!! Whoops! Nothing we can do about it now, but we'll be working on the neck.

I'll post pictures tomorrow.... more ornaments, not my neck.