Surgical Success

Rob's Prostatectomy was performed today (da Vinci Robotic surgery) The surgeon is confident the cancer was contained within the prostate and had not spread. Everything went well and they think he may be able to come home tomorrow. YEAH!

Rob wasn't cleared for surgery until yesterday afternoon even though we have had the appointment for months. Talk about stress! He failed his EKG at the pre-op and needed to visit a cardiologist and ended up with a Nuclear Stress Test before he was cleared cardiologically. Of course, the cardiologist felt a mass in Rob's abdomen so he had a CAT scan yesterday morning. All tests came back negative.....so on to surgery at a moment's notice. Neither of us thought this would happen.

Do you remember having surgery in the olden days? You had an appointment for surgery and showed up and you stayed in the hospital until you were well enough to go home. Rob had a 4 hour pre-op urinary health class last week and returned home with about 10 lbs of directions and a video on catheter care. Yesterday, it was only clear fluids all day and he had to drink something special at 3 to clear the bowels.....and give himself an enema! He had to shower the night before and wipe the surgical area down with a special medicated cloth 1 hour after and wear clean pajamas to bed and do the whole wipe thing again this morning. How do idiots handle the 10 pages of directions? And don't even get me started on catheter care! A video? Do I look like a nurse? He will have a catheter for 8 days so it looks like I will learn.

I will keep everyone posted.

Nothing much going on....

1 -I am back to work...always sad...but only 9 more days until my 1st pay check since June.....always exciting.

2 - Last week I felt like Erika did several months ago when her appliances were dying around her. The computer has been in the shop for a week. Cafe.Net has always done a superb job on repairs buy this time they were stymied. The guy just kept repeating, "you know it's 8 years old." This time it wasn't the video card or the fan but the power switch. He jury-rigged the switch so it will turn on and stay on but it looks so bad. In order to run, the case can't be on. I will be shopping soon. I am thinking of a laptop for the portability but I hate those keyboards and the little screen. Decisions......

I received a letter from the Water Dept advising us that our reading showed a tremendous, out of the ordinary for us, water usage and that we should recheck the reading. The numbers corresponded and the toilets aren't running so where did all the water go?

I received a letter from Maytag letting me know that an electrical failure in the heating element of our dishwaher can cause a serious fire hazard. The solution? "Stop using the dishwasher immediately and disconnect the electrical supply and shut off the circuit breaker." I can call to schedule a free in home repair. Is that before the fire or after? Hopefully we will still have enough water to put out the fire since I haven't yet followed the directions.

3 - We received a package in the mail today...always exciting. Actually, I got home around 5:30 and the outgoing mail was still in the mailbox and I stomped around the house admonishing the mailman (using a myriad of stored up swear words since I was with kids today) for not walking up the steps to get the mail that was going out. About 8 tonight I opened the front door since the temp was dropping from our high of 90 and we had mail and a package! The white mailing bag was for Ian and from Syvertsen in Prague. Looked like Cyndy's handwriting but I thought it might have been Chris or Laura's too. Oh, the mystery. We went to Ithaca to visit Ian just yesterday, so I was kind of sad thinking he wouldn't be able to open it until Columbus Day. I texted Ian and he said, "OPEN IT!." Can you imagine how boring our lives are? The blue PRIORITAIRE stickers all over added to the mystery. The end of the bag was covered with tape bearing the message in bright red, " REWRAPPED - RESEALED- IN THE USPS - REWRAPPED." So exciting. Was this contraband? NO! Inside were 4 size small Hanes boxer briefs and a note," Ian - Tom says to tell you he only wore these a few times so they shouldn't be too stretched out. Haha. Cyndy & Tom." Very anticlimactic, although we all had a good laugh. When Ian was packing for school, I did make him look under his bed for boxers since it didn't look like he had enough. Who leaves 4 pairs of underwear? Who mails 4 pairs of underwear halfway across the world?

4 - Still haven't painted the guest room. I am waiting for inspiration.

Home improvements

Unlike Rich & Diane I am not adding a floor or a window. Who has the balls to add a window? I have to trust the architects to know how many windows the house is supposed to have but....
I have hated the wallpaper that covered one wall in the guest room since we moved into the house. Navy blue plaid...yuck! After 17 years, I finally had the time and energy to remove it. Easy afternoon job but now I have to pick a color so Rob can paint the whole room and the trim. We will need new bedding and window treatments too and maybe I will have the dresser refinished and hang some of Rob's art and maybe I will move in.

Back to school

I drove Ian back to Cornell last Thursday. All of his stuff fit nicely into the Prius...even the 150.00 of groceries we picked up at the Wegmans in Ithaca. Ian is no longer on campus but is in an apartment with 4 other guys. Apparently, Cornell doesn't have enough rooms for all their students and Ian had a high lottery number so he was shut out of housing. This apartment is just down the hill from West Campus...very close to where he would have ended up anyway. He found 4 friends and they rented a place in Ravenwood. His room is the upper window with the fan. Big livingroom with tv (it was working when I left) and a dining room with only 4 chairs (I seem to be the only one who cares)
Decent kitchen (or at least it was when I left) and even a dishwasher5 bedrooms in the place each with double bed, dresser and desk (bigger than his room at home)
His closet is huge and very neatly organized (when I left.) They must rent to a lot of girls.

I made his bed, helped him unpack his clothes and dishes and food, cleaned the kitchen and kissed him good-bye. I didn't even cry this time.

The next day, as Rob and I were on our way to a wedding, I received a text from Ian. "Seamus and Nick are on their way over to pick up a saw and a hammer. And they will need a drill too." I immediately called Ian back to find out what was going on and let him know we were not at home to lend tools. After badgering him relentlessly, I found out that his Syracuse friends were coming down to visit and they all want to build a beer pong table.

Good lord. He may have inherited some drinking skills but I have neglected to teach carpentry. Luckily he has health insurance and the rental company is only authorized to take out the rent....not the damages.

Ian's new address is:
516 University Ave Apt B 5
Ithaca, NY 14850

I can't wait to see what this place looks like when the other 4 guys arrive. I will post pictures.

Right before I killed it....

Syracuse Arts and Crafts Festival

Rob had a booth in this festival, officially held at Columbus Circle last weekend. We have done this show in the past but didn't sell much and we thought to try again...maybe Syracuse got cultured in the meantime! While wandering around, I took a picture of this statue that I have seen a 1000 times but never really looked at and thought, "Oh, that's why it's called Columbus Circle" and then, "why is there a statue of Columbus in Syracuse?" We had a nice spot among the trees on Onondaga Street and the weather was perfect all three days. So unusual for this festival! I love doing these shows with Rob because, frankly, it is like a mini vacation for me. I help set up, take down and watch over things when Rob leaves the booth but I spend the rest of the time sitting in a chair reading or browsing other booths. In Syracuse, I also spent a lot of time visiting with people I knew who stopped by to say hello. Rob is the one who has to be "on" for the entire time and I just do what I want....love it!

I had fun with the camera this year...taking unsuspecting pictures. Like Common Councilor Bill Ryan buying a Buffalo Bills picture from the booth across the street. I felt like one of the cops from The Wire and this sure looked like a drug deal. I spent a lot of time across the street helping out Claudia. CLAUDIA CARREON She hails from Ohio, has stunning jewelry pieces and was fun to talk too. Originally from Mexico, she works as a translator for the Rochester and Columbus, Ohio newspapers. She was here alone, so I watched her booth when she needed to use the facilities or get something to eat. Of course, I took pictures of Rob visiting with people while across the way. Rob saw a lot of people he knew....even his XC coach from SUNY Cortland. They recognized each other after 30 years. So many people came up to Rob to tell him that they knew Tim, Tom, Joe, Ed, Jack or Jim Glisson that Rob started keeping track. Jim won the tally.

We were entertained all weekend by traveling musicians and Drumming Dan. Dan was not officially hired by the Arts Festival promoters, but travels with Lisa from Two Son Jewelry. Dan set up his drums and drummed all day. Dancers and other musicians joined him throughout the weekend.

He was a fun guy and I wouldn't mind having a booth near their booth again next year. I imagine he was one of those kids in school that tapped and pounded on anything. Lisa did say the drumming on the dinner table can be a bit much to take. Dan even traveled down the street to drum with my favorite, the Kambuyu Marimba Ensemble. They are so interesting to watch...

The best part? Rob won an award and he sold 4 paintings. He really was happy even though he doesn't look it!

In the news....

I got a lot of ink in this article about Say Yes....perhaps if I had sped away from the cops in a SUV after a shooting or diverted 78,000 dollars of state funds for my personal use people would care.

Syracuse school board wants to hire a search firm to find a new superintendent