Michelle continues to keep her nose to the grindstone. Her infection has gotten better but it has not subsided yet. IT treatment went well this week. She had some nausea and vomiting the day after treatment, but I was able to control this with steroids.
I’ve had a lot of people ask me what a PET scan was this week. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a type of imaging test. It uses a radioactive substance to look for disease in the body. In general, PET scans may be used to evaluate organs and/or tissues for the presence of disease or other conditions. PET may also be used to evaluate the function of organs, such as the heart or brain. The most common use of PET is in the detection of cancer and the evaluation of cancer treatment.
The PET scan results came back, and they were a lot better than I expected them to be. The oncologist was excited to report that all the tumors in the lungs, liver and lymph nodes had reduced in size, some more than others. Michelle is scheduled for chemotherapy again starting right after Christmas. IT therapy will continue weekly.
Next week we will meet with the neurologist to discuss the tumor changes to the brain and spine. Hopefully we will see molting results here too.
Highlight of the week Chele helped me crochet this week. It was only a cord. I needed to make a name for a stocking. I was being a little chicken to get it started but loved it once I did. It was cute watching her try to help me with the cord. I can tell it is frustrating for her to think she used to be able to do this mindlessly and now she can’t even do it. Watching her try and having her teach me was priceless.
Random Fact of the Week From the 1830s until the 1910s, Grindstone City Michigan produced the premier grinding wheels in the United States. In 1888, the Cleveland Stone Co. purchased the property owned by Worthington and Sons and became the sole owner of all quarry properties. They continued to operate the store and quarries, but the salt works were discontinued, as a means operating costs made it no longer profitable.
For a significant part of the late 1800s, grindstone quarries dotted the shores of Lake Huron from Port Austin to Harbor Beach. The most notable competitor to Grindstone City was in nearby Lake Township. Here the Babbitt Sandstone Company found the stone was harder and had color. Thus, they switched to making gravestones. The Wallace quarry near Bay Port was the other. These stones were used to sharpen tools and knives, and axes. Farm tools such as plows needed sharpening, as did scythes that cut wheat or rye.
Did you know? Michelle hasn’t always had a green thumb. When we met, she had a hard time keeping plants alive. As time went on and we moved to a place with more space, she spent more time and had more patience. Now she loves it. She keeps houseplants alive and always has a garden full of fresh produce in the spring.
Throwback Love Story Courting Part II In 1999, I lived 56 miles from work and usually drove my motorcycle to save gas money. Apparently wearing chaps isn’t a common sight in Austin, but it is a needed apparel when the weather is cold and rainy. I didn’t care that people were staring at me when I came in after a long ride. I even caught Chele smirking a time or two, function over fashion was my motto at the time.
I shared the largest cubicle with a good friend and colleague of mine, Christine. She too was strong willed and very smart. I definitely knew how to surround myself with smart ones to make myself look successful. Christine and I got into a pickle of a problem and needed some serious high caliber help. We went to upper management, and they suggested we summon the help of Spence. “Spence?” I screamed. “Not Spence. She has a crush on me”. Christine gave me a devilish smile and said, “nah, it’ll be fine”. I knew better, but there was no other choice, we needed the help.
It was late in the day and Chele had already gone home. We used instant messaging (IM) to contact her for help. Christine was asking the questions on my computer on IM then verbally telling me what to type into the computer screen on the other side of the cube. After a few hours we finally were able to get our environment stable and everything working that needed to be working. Just as Christine was about to close out the chat, Michelle types in IMs “you owe me”. Christine lets out a chuckle and says, “Hey Brian, Michelle says you owe her”. I scoffed and said, “Yea right, I guess sex is out of the question.” Well, I was kidding of course but Christine didn’t think so, she started to type this into IMs. Seeing this, I freak out. I jumped up and grabbed her hands and stopped her immediately. I tried to explain AGAIN to Christine that she should know Spence has a crush on me and that I did not want anything to do with entertaining that crush. I begged her to stop and to not encourage this futile behavior. Christine backspaces out of the rude comment and promises not to type it. I waited for Christine to change screens before I stepped away to the other computer. Just as I walked away, I heard her typing again. Dag gum it, I thought. I should have locked my computer. She is typing as if she is me and Chele has no idea that Christine is the one using my IMs, Chele thinks I am typing the response. I once again race back to my computer but not before she sends the response of “I guess special favors are out of the question?” OMG Christine, seriously, what the heck were you thinking? No sooner did I get these words out did a new bubble show up and the words popped up saying “Dinner and a movie?” “See what you did now?” I said, “Now I must go on a date with her.” “You could cancel”, Christine said. That would be rude, was my reply. It was a movie followed by dinner at a karaoke bar. We had a good time. We don’t remember the name of the movie and neither of us sang. There was only going to be one date, right? Oh, and the chaps, apparently the leather looked good, it matched the bad boy look a lot of women are attracted to. Who'd thunk it. Function over fashion became fashion.
Deep Thoughts Love language came to my mind this week. When catastrophic events occur, they jolt us into a sobering awakened state and awaken our true connection to the language of love. A state of being focused on what is important, what really matters. This week my focus has been to show Michelle my love in every way possible. Michelle hasn’t put makeup on for years yet somehow, she wakes up with makeup on. I tell her this every morning to let her know how beautiful she looks.
Sharpening Daytime “MasterChef” (Tubi), “Wipeout” (TBD) “Great British Bake Off” (Netflix), “Chopped” (YouTube TV), Football
Hard work Primetime "Lawmen: Bass Reeves" (Paramount +) (★★★) From executive producers Taylor Sheridan and David Oyelowo, the untold story of the first Black U.S. Marshal, Bass Reeves.
“Ghosted” (Apple TV) (★★★) Cole falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie, but then makes the shocking discovery that she's a secret agent. Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world.
“The Grinch” (Freeform) In this live-action adaptation of the beloved children's tale by Dr. Seuss, the reclusive green Grinch (Jim Carrey) decides to ruin Christmas for the cheery citizens of Whoville. Reluctantly joined by his hapless dog, Max, the Grinch comes down from his mountaintop home and sneaks into town to swipe everything holiday-related from the WHO’s. However, the bitter grump finds a hitch in his plans when he encounters the endearing Cindy Lou Who eating eggs.
“Sandstone Saloon”
The Menu
Grit
THC Gummies
Peach ring candies
Pears
Grind
Baked Salmon (★★★)
shrimp (★★★★)
Fried Tilapia
Onion Chicken (★★★★)
Garlic Chicken Voila
Pork Roast (★)
Sirloin Steak (★)
Stone
Cauliflower Rice
Sweet Corn
Broiled Asparagus
Ranch Style Beans
Pebbles
Crème Bismarck
Sour Patch Kids
Mint Cookies
Love you,
Brian
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