I Love Prednisone & I ain't foolin'

I love prednisone in the summer, I love prednisone in the fall, I love prednisone in the winter, and I got my hands on some today because I am very very lucky and this doesn't have to rhyme.

I've had two itis-es since Saturday: laryng- and bronch-, and finally went to the doctor today. I was already on the mend. That's how it always works. She told me to use my inhaler every four hours but the albuterol wasn't doin' nothin. So she gave me 10 20-mg tablets of prednisone--co-pay only $2.40. What can beat that?

I love prednisone because it's the one thing that always cures my very bad asthma or bronchitis. I try to avoid it because it's not good for you--I treat it as the last resort. In fact, I wrote a long poem about it as last resort many many years ago, when I was at a resort of sorts, an artists colony in the middle of allergens. The poem was almost accepted in a feminist magazine's special issue on invisible disabilities, but the editor objected to a line about breaking the back of something, maybe capitalism. It was ableist to be seeing a broken back as negative, that was the argument, though the back that was being broken was sheerly metaphorical. Maybe that made it worse. Anyway, it's probably one of the better poems in English about prednisone.

Stanley Elkin wrote a wonderful essay, Out of One's Tree: My Bout With Temporary Insanity, about craziness caused by high doses of prednisone he was taking to treat breathing problems caused by his MS. He might also have been taking it for the MS itself. I sent a copy of the Elkin essay to my cousin D, after our family dinner was briefly interrupted by a call from one of his patients. D is a psychiatrist, a psychoanalyst yet, and I think he had to admit his patient to a hospital because she was suffering from prednisone side effects. But I never take it long enough to be so affected. I don't think.

i'll take it.

No nausea.

No bad taste in my mouth.

No rage or sadness.

No aches and pains.

I'm just very, very tired.

I'm not complaining.

Press Conference!

I'm leaving for Orlando this Friday to attend the 102nd  annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.  I will be a mentor for new advocates this year, something I'd really hoped to be able to do one day, and now I am! I have three new advocates from all over the US and one from New Zealand.  I'm hoping to do a really good job!  Being at the conference is very overwhelming, especially for first time attendees. 17,000 attend, the convention centers are about six city blocks long and two to three stories high and there are hundreds of scientific presentation.  One former participant talked about his "shock and awe" at attending his first conference.  I was overwhelmed when I attended my first conference.  I'm trying to help my mentees be less overwhelmed.

Then early this week I was asked to be part of a press conference at the meeting.  I've never done that!  The press conference is in regards to proposed government cuts to the National Institutes for Health, which would decrease funding for cancer research.  A former congressman, a cancer research scientist and myself will be at the press conference.  They wanted a survivor who had benefited from cancer research...that would be me!!  I even have a media coach now!  I wrote out my presentation.  Please wish me luck!  I'll let you know about it when I get back.  A few friends say they are sending prayers my way...I'm very grateful for that!

third row from the top, second from the right

"gleeBE the Musical is the story of a group of talented, ambitious young people vying to get into the fictitious Arts Sanctuary school in the Glebe. GNAG’s spring theatre production, tells the story of their quest for this all-too-often elusive goal."

(Note: The Glebe is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario).

Chocolate cake

Yesterday I did a couple of nice things for WCK. First, I told her that I'd signed her up for an actual paleontological dig at a woolly mammoth fossil site that we'll visit during our summer vacation in South Dakota. (OK, so it's a one-hour program for kids where they get to sit in the dirt and pretend to dig for bones, but it sounds really impressive.)

She thought that was the most exciting thing to happen all day, until she found out about the other nice thing I'd done: I bought her some new crayons. New crayons are really exciting. They have nice pointy tips and everything. After the shock of the new crayons wore off, she composed a song for me:

"This is the Mom Song!
Because Mom is great!
Mom is better than chocolate cake!"

I'd better save this to show her when she's 15 and thinks everything I do is lame.

environmental chchanges

The radioactive iodine 131 being found in rainwater from Japan is the same kind I had to ingest for thyroid cancer. Interesting. Does this mean I can go singing in the rain, holding my tongue out? Is this what my healthcare will come to?

Isn't it fascinating how we combat disease by prescribing what causes it? Radiation for cancer, inoculations and vaccinations for infectious diseases. We cheat death with his own devices.

The port removal was a great success. It hurt, but only in the moment, which is more than I can say for chronic pain. My surgeon was a professorial old black gentleman with massive white sideburns and a striped bowtie. He told the nurse all about the Prince concert he'd just attended. David Bowie's "changes" played on the radio in the background, which I am inclined to take as a good omen despite its ubiquitousness.

Here it is, looking rather like a purple heart:





The view today:




just so I don't forget it.

Cartoon for the day

The day after

Yesterday's Gemzar chemo resulted in some serious fatigue today and a couple of mouth sores. Luckily the pain in my mouth is kept at bay by vicodin and gargling with salt water helps the sores heal. The fatigue is harder to deal with.

I went back to the Swedish Cancer Institute for a shot of Neulasta today to bring up my white blood cell count. Then I had a meeting at the synagogue. By the time I got home around 2 PM I was hungry and pooped. After a quick bowl of soup, I headed straight to the couch and crashed hard.

I've taken to bringing my cell phone, the home phone, a book and a cup of water with me to the sofa before I crash. This time the book slid off my lap almost before I drew the quilt over my legs. I slept hard for almost three hours. I did wake up a couple of times as I bit down on my tongue and hit a sore spot, but went right back to snoozing.

What this seems to mean is that I have about two - three good hours every day in which to see doctors, attend meetings, deal with email etc. and run whatever household errands need to be done. That's limiting, but I will find a way to make it work.

Now it's back to the sofa....

Rainbow

Taken with my iPhone

Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals

1. 21st Amendment Bitter American 2. 21st Amendment Back in Black IPA 3. Sierra Nevada Ovila Dubbel 4. Ballast Point Big Eye IPA 5. Ayinger Jarhundereit Lager 6. Ayinger Brau Weisse 7. Port Brewing Old Viscosity 8. Port Brewing Midnight "Expressions" Black Lager (formerly Midnight Sessions) 9. Kasteel Donker 10. Lost Abbey Inferno (small bottles) cheers, dave hauslein beer manager 415-255-0610

what if nothing changes?

Today is a treatment day.

For the first time ever, I will have Herceptin on its own (if you don't count the Demerol and Gravol I get to keep the shakes and fevers at bay).

Some people have almost no side effects with Herceptin. Some feel like they have the flu.

Will the fact that my body has such a strong response to Herceptin mean that I feel more of its side effects?

The break from chemotherapy is meant to help me heal and rebuild - physically and emotionally.

The break from chemo is also a risk.

Here's hoping it all works out for the best.

Gemzar dose 4

I had a busy medical day. First a blood draw; then a visit with my oncologist; last my fourth dose of Gemzar. 

My red blood cell counts were good after the transfusion a few weeks ago, so no need for another at this time. I will get Neulasta tomorrow to bring up my white counts. 

Dr G is cautiously optimistic: "There are at least some peripheral signs that the gemcitabine and Xgeva are working." That is, the pain in my right knee appears to have gone bye-bye, and the largest of three scalp mets is no longer rounded but flat. I will get my CA 27.29 results tomorrow and if the tumor marker has decreased, that will tell us if the Gemzar is indeed working.

I think I should expect a couple of mouth sores this week, based on my experience with dose two, but hope they will be manageable.

Healthy Spirits: A visit from Dieu Du Ciel!

The day after the craft beer conference ended, Luc Lafontaine of Dieu Du Ciel showed up at the store with his entire staff! Of course we had to take a picture.

cheers,

dave hauslein

beer manager

415-255-0610

small changes: two steps forward...

It's high time I reported in on my plan to make small and lasting health-related changes in my life this year. 

It turns out that a small change every week is too much to expect, so I'm going to stop numbering them that way. It makes me feel like less of a slacker.

First change: Weigh in and record my weight every Monday.

My scale is broken and I have yet to have it fixed or replaced.

Second change: Do strength training exercises developed for cancer survivors. Work up to about thirty minutes, three times a week.

I've done these exactly six times in the six weeks since I last updated. It's too easy to talk myself out of doing the exercises. On run days, I tell myself that I'm too tired or don't have time and on non-run days I either don't think about it or don't want to do the exercises in my street clothes. I'm lacking both structure and discipline.

I've been pondering going swimming. I also did something last week that I may live to regret. I bought a twenty class fitness pass from a local gym. It only cost twenty dollars, and I have two years from the first class to use up the pass. It's pretty low risk but I'm worried I'm going to hate it.

At least it addresses the structure question.

Third change: Drink no more than five alcoholic drinks per week.

I seem to be better at breaking old habits than starting new ones. I've had no problem with this goal.

Fourth change: Drink more water.

My original goal was to drink around ninety ounces a day. That was unrealistic and made me feel hungry,jittery and even a little nauseated. Also, I was constantly running to the bathroom. Instead, I am now aiming for the more realistic eight glasses a day. This is no problem for me.

Fifth change: Meditate every day. Start at five minutes and work my way up to twenty.  

I suck at meditating. I just can't seem to still my brain, even if only for a few minutes. I find myself making lists, wondering what to do next, even mentally writing blog posts about how hard it is to meditate.

I suppose I should keep trying, as lots of folks I respect tell me how much they gain from their daily practice. It's a struggle though. I'm comfortable with silence. I don't tend to listen to my ipod when I go for walks or running but I do find sitting still and silencing my thoughts to be hard, hard, hard.

And see above re "structure" or lack thereof.

Sixth change: Always sit down to eat.

It's a very interesting experience to notice how often I pop food into my mouth while standing up. Sometimes, I only think about my plan to change after I'm done. But it's a good habit to break and I'm glad I'm doing it.

And announcing...

Eighth change: Take all my vitamins and supplements.

A while ago, I became so overwhelmed with the amount of vitamins and supplements that had been recommended for me that I just stopped taking any of them. The bottles were taking up way too much room in my kitchen cupboard and I couldn't find a vitamin box big enough to accommodate them all. I everything up in a box and put it in the bathroom in my basement.

Last Thursday, I found a giant pill box and spent half an hour on the week end getting organized. Yesterday, I took most of the vitamins (at different times throughout the day) and had raging heartburn by early afternoon. 

Today, I have yet to take any. 

I have recently re-connected with my nutritionist and we're going to review the supplements I'm taking, at an appointment two weeks from now. I'm also confused about interactions. Some vitamins should be taken with others and some shouldn't. Some taken with food and some not. Is it any wonder I put them all in a box in the basement?

Perhaps I should be setting priorities. What should those be? Calcium? Vitamin D? Fish oil? 

Anyone else out there have the problem of getting heartburn when you take vitamins?

As always, I welcome your thoughts and feedback. What changes have you made for your health in the last while? How's it working out?

Healthy Spirits Beer of the Month Club April 2011

Now ready for pick-up! cheers, dave hauslein beer manager 415-255-0610

Yet another death from cancer

A friend from my support group died this weekend. D, a very spiritual person, was a regular at this group for far longer than I. His cancer progressed quickly and his doctor recently told me there were no more treatment options that were likely to be effective. D decided to stop treatment and enjoy his life for as long as he could; the doctors hoped through the end of the year

Sadly, the cancer seemed to progress faster than anyone expected. D began to fail a little more than a week ago and started hospice at that time. He came to group on the 17th looking pale but still giving us suggestions on where to take a walk to enjoy the spring weather. D was looking forward to giving a talk on spirituality last week when we heard that he was failing and slipping in and out of consciousness. I heard this morning that he had died. I imagine that his grown children were able to make it back to Seattle in time for the funeral today, but don't know if they each had a chance to say goodbye. Rik and I will try to make it to a shiva minyan this week (if my health permits after tomorrow's planned fourth dose of Gemzar).

Zichrono l'vracha, may his memory be for a blessing to all who knew him.

Cancer sucks.

For anyne interested in participating (I will!) below is information I was sent by Jessye Cohen, a doctoral student, about a survey for a study being done at Virginia Commonwealth University about social support networks after a cancer diagnosis.  I have participated in on-line and face-to-face support groups, so am interested in the subject.  While I think I prefer face-to-face support, for rare cancers like ours,on-line is sometimes a necessity.  They are really needing participants, so hope you will help!

Carolyn

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University are conducting a survey of individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer in order to understand use of different social support resources. If you are over age 21 and have been diagnosed with cancer, you are eligible to complete a 30-minute survey about your experiences using web-based and other tools or support groups. Please follow this link for more information and to participate in the survey:

http://tinyurl.com/SupportSurveyVCU  Please feel free to contact me at s3jcohen@vcu.edu with any questions or for more information.

Thank you for your time,

Jessye Cohen

__________________________________

Jessye Cohen, M.S.

Adjunct Instructor

Doctoral Student, Counseling Psychology

Virginia Commonwealth University

Update!

Sorry I have not been posting more...been kind of overwhelmed with school and getting ready for my upcoming trip to Orlando for the 102 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.  Since I have more of a leadership role there this time,I'm kind of obsessed with doing it right!  I was asked yesterday to participate in a press conference at the meeting and agreed...what an honor!  But more I need to prepare for!  It will be a forum with myself, a former congressman and a scientist devoted to cancer research participating.  The topic will be the proposed government budget cuts to the NIH, which will negatively affect cancer research.  Wish me well!  I hope I can do a great presentation there and represent all of us who have been diagnosed with cancer.  I leave for Orlando in a week, and hope to post from there.

Power!

One of the reasons I wasn't blogging regularly lately is that my book club was reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Those of you who've read it know that you can't just stop with the first book; you must immediately go on to read the other two books, at the expense of everything else in your life. At one point, I pretty much forgot I had a child.



But I just finished up the final book last night, so I can have my life back. It turns out that I actually do have a child, a husband, a cat, and a fish. They're all still alive, but I'm not sure how.

Now I'm feeling a sense of power over anyone else who hasn't finished the third book yet. I could probably get them to do anything I say simply by threatening to reveal the ending. "Come over and clean out my closets, or I'll tell you how Mockingjay ends! HAHAHAHA!" I'm so evil. I could be president of Panem.

giving in to the monkey brain

Herceptin

I think I'm happy with the outcome of the brouhaha over Herceptin in Ontario. For those of you outside the province or outside the loop. Jill Anzarut, a 35 year old woman undergoing treatment for breast cancer made the news last week when she announced that the province had to pay for Herceptin because her Her2+ tumour was less than one centimetre (that's about 1/4 inch) in diameter.

The province initially refused to budge but eventually caved after a massive campaign played out in the social and traditional media. Access to Herceptin will now much more room for discretion when it comes to providing access to the drug.

I feel good about this. It's not that I think that every drug should be funded for every person. Her2+ cancers are very aggressive and, as best put by Stephen Chia, chair of the British Columbia breast-tumour group, “In HER-2 positive cancers, it’s not the size that drives it; it’s the HER-2 gene that drives it.” 

Election

Canadians are once again going to the polls. I am not happy about this. 

I'm sad that the long overdue Bill C-389 protecting the rights of transgendered people will die before it gets the chance to be thrown out by the Senate.

I'm worried that we will end up with a Conservative majority.

I have election fatigue. There was a time in my life when an election would make me feel excited and hopeful. Now I just think, "Ugh."

Presents in the mail

Did you see my scrabble pendant in yesterday's post? My friend Leslie sent it to me after I told her I'd like to have on with my initial on it. It made me very happy to open the envelope that held my surprise.

The bad with the good

Last week, I received my author's copy of the current issue of Canadian Woman Studies. The theme this quarter is Women and Cancer and I have a poem that is part of a piece called "Seven Reflections on Breast Cancer by Seven Women Who Worked Together." I'm happy about that.

I'm far less happy about another piece I stumbled on when I was leafing through the issue. It's called "The Private/Public Split in Breast Cancer Memoirs." It was written by a woman who came to my book launch in Toronto and asked for permission to speak in order to seek contributions - something to which I readily agreed. She also asked me to contribute to the issue, which prompted me to reach out to my writing group.

I had no idea that she planned to write a scathing deconstruction of my book - but that's what she did. I know that all writers get bad reviews but I found her comments to be very critical of me as a person (I guess you can't seperate the analysis of a memoir from its author) and quite unfair. 

I'm sure how to respond or react, or whether I should do so at all. I've actually been unable to finish reading the article. With a distinct lack of maturity, I threw the journal onto the living room floor and it stayed there for several days. I only just picked it up, in order to write this post.

I'll let you know what I decide to do. Meanwhile, I'm pasting my very own contribution below. It's a very small part of a greater whole (and not the strongest piece by the seven of us by any stretch) but it's mine and, like all my writing, expresses a little bit of what has been in my heart.

Snap shots

December 2^nd, 2005.

When I close my eyes, I see myself as I was then.

Short dark hair and boots with heels.

Irritable and excited in equal measure.

I knew big change was coming. And it did. But it was not what I expected.

I was getting undressed when I found the lump.

July 1^st, 2006

I close my eyes and see myself as I was then.

Round, bald and bloated. But happy.

Chemo is behind me. Or so I expect.

I am self-conscious but also hungry.

I eat two burgers at the barbecue.

December 24^th, 2006

I close my eyes and see myself as I was.

I rallied for Christmas Eve but in the end the pain got the best of me.

My liver was riddled with tumours. And I had waited too long for the morphine.

My mother had to put me to bed. That comforted me.

And so did the drugs.

June 25^th, 2007

I close my eyes and I can taste

The strawberries on my tongue

The sensual pleasure of the whipped cream

And the Niagara ice wine as it slid down my throat.

I knew I would soon have something to celebrate.

December 16^th, 2009

I close my eyes so I can think.

I have now been in remission for 30 months.

And I will be in treatment for the rest of my life.

Some days I wake up celebrating.

Some days I grieve for what I have lost.

Today is a sad day.

Tomorrow will be better. Or maybe the day after that.

Scar project

I just came across this. This is one of a number of pictures of young women 18-35 who had breast cancer. The photographer is David Jay and you can find info about his book and project here.

I don't particularly love this picture with its S&M overtones (Hang 'er on the rack! It's not enough that we've sliced off her breasts!) but at least she's pretty and sexy in a Hollywood noir kind of way, and more importantly, it was the only photo from the web site that I was technically able to copy and paste.

yet another PET/CT scan

My four year transplant(versary) starts on Friday. I have my CT/PET scan, bone density, abdominal aorta sonogram...and..other test including labs. I will be getting an extra test to check my CMV levels since I have been so tired an sick lately. I hope to meet with doctors from Baylor hospital in Dallas, TX next week during the lung cancer walk in Dallas on 4/3/11. I fell like UTSouthwestern has dropped the ball and no longer see me as patient I fell like a walking / talking medical white paper.

Oh well short post as I need to eat before the magic hour arrives hat means I can't eat after a certain time for fear that the food will mess up the pending test.

bad weather

I've just taken a bath. It's a ritual I am practicing more and more, a kind of cleansing of the self, a time for unhindered introspection, a warm moment. My baptism to the bed.

As I lie in the bathtub looking at the body below me I was struck by how similar it was to all other women, in shape, tone and size, my hipbone disfigurement barely noticeable now, just a lopsided permanent tan and some atrophied muscle. I feel increasingly alienated from my body, as though it's something entirely separate from my mind. It doesn't accurately express the disfigurement within, all that scar tissue and all of that pain. It's normal, it's not mine. It is the archetypal woman, it's not mine. If I expressed outwardly what was inside, I'd look like the elephant man.

I foundLucy Grealy today through a friend- she lost half her jaw from Ewing's Sarcoma as a child and wrote a book entitled Autobiography of a Face. She died of an opiate overdose in 2002.


Out of bath. Into warm bed. I am grateful that my body remains intact. Port comes out tomorrow.

how i fill my days (for better or worse)

Healthy Spirits:New Arrivals

1. Pretty Things Jack D'Or
2. Aecht Schlenkerla Helles
3. Leipziger Gose
4. Ninkasi Spring Reign
5. Rogue Hazelnut Brown

cheers,

dave hauslein
beer manager
415-255-0610

Hill of Beans

The Huffington Post reports that scientists at Stanford have figured out a way to turn anxiety off and on in mice. About one-fifth of Americans are anxious in any given year, says the Huff Post, allegedly quoting the NIH, but the link didn't lead me to the source.

The scientists found ways of stimulating cell projections in the amygdala section of the brain, causing mice to be less anxious, and seem emboldened, spending more time exploring open spaces than control mice.

They sound like the mice I had in my old place. They would run around the kitchen with impunity, and stand there in the middle of the floor with the lights on, looking around. I don't know what emboldened them. Maybe their drinking water was contaminated with Prozac.

So here are many questions: What does it mean that one-fifth of us are anxious at any given time? Have humans always been anxious and are we only now finding a way to keep track of the numbers? Are we more anxious now because of our fast-paced life? Or eating food additives, or living with the minute hand so close to midnight, or with constant reminders of war and terror and uneven distribution of wealth?

Maybe we should be anxious. Since the invention of the telegraph, we humans have been able to transmit news of death and destruction immediately all over the world. Our species has grown cognizant that the earth is fragile. At the same time, we've been assaulting the earth with toxins, pollution, strip mines, cement and so on and so forth. Nature (tsunami, earthquake) combines with culture (nuclear reactors) to extend disaster.

Does anxiety to lead to working for social change? That's the real question. If we weren't all medicated, would we be up in arms more? Are we sedated and inert? Probably not. When I was at my deepest level of anxiety, I wouldn't answer the phone because I would start weeping. I was not in the mood to go to a rally or knock on doors. On the other hand, does political action lead to feelings of connectedness and mastery and increased self-worth? Yes, it can. So as the song says, Don't mourn, organize (while it's still legal).



... it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. Now, now... Here's looking at you kid.

where i've been

Update: I've decided that my habit of using initials instead of names makes some sentences confusing and nearly unreadable. Henceforth, I will use my discretion - and mostly use names.

Hey there.

March has been a busy month for our little household. And last week was March Break. We all drove to Toronto and then our oldest, Sacha, went to visit two of his parental grandparents in Florida. It was his first flight (other than a short hop between Toronto and Ottawa) on his own (and he's now too old to be an "unaccompanied minor"). 

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It seems that I'm not so great at multi-tasking these days. I have lots of blog posts in my head but before I write them, I thought I'd catch you up on what we've been up to since my last post.

On Saturday, March 12, I ran a bunch of errands and packed for our week away. We also went shopping for new clothes that my 7 year old could wear for a theatre date with his Grandma in Toronto.

He was very pleased with this outfit. The photo doesn't do him justice.

On Sunday, March 13, we drove to Toronto. That evening, Tim and I went out for a delicious Indian meal to celebrate our 20th anniversary (we celebrate the anniversary of our first date because our wedding anniversary is September 7. At that time of year, our lives are so busy. Besides, March needs a reason to celebrate). It's hard to believe it's been that long - and we still like each other.

I started my day on Monday, March 14 by lining up outside the Toronto office of Passport Canada, since we had realized the previous Friday (at 4:30) that our son's passport had expired (I can now safely confess this, as he has been and returned to Florida and you all can know that our parental ineptitude didn't lead to tragedy). I was second in line (well before dawn) behind a woman and her two young children from Northern Ontario who had been turned away from their flight to South Carolina the previous day (the woman's MP had assured her that her son could travel to the US on an expired passport. He could not). Her name was also Laurie and her boys were also five years apart. We bonded, as we stood on the pavement outside the passport building for 90 minutes.

Once the new passport was sorted, Tim and I took our youngest to the zoo (Sacha opted to go check out the  TIFF building with his Grandma). I didn't take any pictures but we had a great time. It's a sprawling place with animals that appear to be reasonably content. At least I hope so. Daniel was ecstatic. His favourite animals were the gorillas and the bats (no photos. I was too distracted and perhaps still groggy).

On Tuesday, March 15th, Tim drove Sacha to the airport in Toronto (I was happy not to go, since I was beside myself with anxiety) and then headed back to Ottawa to work (he was extremely patient with me as I texted him every forty-five minutes for updates).

I was happily distracted by the wonderful company of my friend Andrea We went out for brunch and then spent a few hours at the Purple Purl, one of my favourite places in the world. Andrea's spouse Patchen joined us for dinner and we three had a lovely meal. I was back at my Mom-in-Law's place before my seven year old who had spent the day with Grandma and gone to both a Second City kids' show and Billy Elliott.

On Wednesday, March 16, Daniel and I took the train to Guelph, where we hooked up with some cousins and went to the Butterfly Conservatory. Despite the heat in the building (I looked with envy at the folks who'd worn shorts), we had a great time. Besides the amazing butterflies (a gorgeous blue one landed on Daniel, to his great delight) there were many kinds of birds, fish and turtles.

Daniel and his young cousin Y. had some strong mutual admiration going on.

On Thursday, March 17, was primo cousin hanging out time. Daniel loved being the oldest cousin. Five year old N. (whose two older sisters were in Florida with Sacha) seemed equally pleased to have some boy time. 

I took the boys to see Mars Needs Moms in 3D (great animation, problematic movie) and then we went to a really great park. That evening, the boys entertained each other happily over dinner out (at Swiss Chalet - the pubs were packed with partiers dressed in green) and my brother-in-law and I had the chance to converse in complete sentences (my poor sister-in-law was at home recovering from a very bad case of food poisoning. She was more of a trooper that day than I would have been in her shoes).

On Friday, March 18, we returned to Toronto and I got to spend the afternoon and evening with my dear friend Leslie. We had lunch, browsed the Distillery District, went for a big walk along the Boardwalk and then had dinner at our favourite pub over pints. Meanwhile, Grandma took Daniel up the CN Tower and for a swim at the Y.

We took the train home on Saturday, March 19. We watched far too many episodes of The Magic School Bus  but not once did Daniel say, "How much longer?" or "Are we there yet?"

It was a very good week.

The last couple of days have been focused on re-entry - catching up with friends, going to appointments and making endless lists of things to do. As of this evening, Sacha is safely home. Tomorrow we can return to routine (bring on the fights about homework and cleaning up bedrooms). Whatever form it takes, a break from routine can be a very good thing.

Healthy Spirits: New Stuff

1. New Belgium La Folie 2011

2. Wychwood King Goblin

3. Ballast Point Sea Monster Stout

4. Anchor Old Foghorn

5. Allagash Odyssey

6. Oskar Blues Dale's Pale is back!

cheers,

dave hauslein

beer manager

415-255-0610

Wedding anniversary

Last week Rik and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary at Teatro Zinzanni, a wild cabaret Cirque du Soleil-type performance with a delicious dinner and a very expensive price tag.

We subscribe to a ticket discount service called Goldstar. Every week we get an e-letter with the latest performances that need to sell a few more tickets right away. Last week Zinzanni was on the list for about 40% less than the usual cover price. We decided to grab that opportunity right away, and fortunately our friends G & W were able to join us.

The four of us were seated in our own booth, which would have been large enough for six or even eight people. Guests are urged to dress wildly, and there is a lovely gift shop filled with feather boas and the like to encourage people to get a little zany. Rik and I wore the LED light-up heart pins which we received as a wedding present so many years ago, and I pulled out my mother's mink stole and a fancy rhinestone necklace.

Zinzanni takes place in a European spiegeltent decorated with mirrors, a "big top" for aerial acts, a stage, and many booths lining the heavily decorated wooden walls. It was extremely comfortable to sit back and enjoy the three-hour extravaganza.

G, W and Rik each wanted a cocktail, but I opted for "nothing but champagne from now until the finale!" (That's a quote from a favorite Broadway show, La Cage Aux Folles.) The menu, designed by local chef Tom Douglas, was delicious:

Appetizer

Smoked Salt Spring Island Mussels, Brie, marinated artichoke hearts, shaved red onion, and cucumber spears. Drizzled with light Balsamic vinegar.

Soup

Carmelized Sweet Onion Soup, seasoned with thyme, sage and Italian parsley in a beef-based stock. Festooned with Beecher’s Pike Street Gruyere toasted crouton.

Salad

Crisp arugula and red butter lettuce, lightly dressed in classic red-wine vinaigrette, sprinkled with Laura Chenel chèvre and toasted green pistachios and topped with roasted red baby beets.

Main Course

Prime Beef Tenderloin

Northwest prime cut beef from the Double R Ranch in Okanagan, slowly roasted to medium rare perfection and dressed with a savory merlot demi sauce, served over olive-oil and herb oven-roasted celeriac and seasonal vegetables.

~or~

Steelhead

Broiled Steelhead topped with sautéed capers, cherry tomatoes and lemons, set atop a chive-potato croquette and finished with nutty brown butter sauce. Served with seasonal vegetables.

~or~

Mushroom Strata

Medley of Mushrooms, Cauliflower, Chard, and Beecher’s Flagship Cheese in a savory Custard, with a side of Garlic-fried Chick Peas and crisp Green Beans, garnished with Tomato Confit.

Dessert

High Frequency Molten Chocolate Cake

With a dollop of crème Anglaise.

The entertainment was even better! "Radio Free Starlight" takes place at a 1930'-ish radio station and features sophisticated clowns, wonderful singing, and acrobatics and aerobatics like we could hardly believe. Each course of the meal is paced with care so that the hijinks and music complement the dining. The entire cast was terrific! And because we sat so close to the entertainment, we were even more wowed by everything.

There were only two down sides to the evening: 1) They don't allow any personal photography, so we couldn't take a picture of ourselves without paying for it, or unless we stepped outside in the rain; and 2) EVERYTHING except the dinner and show has an extra charge: a photo; the bar (understandable); extra side dishes, even bread and butter. It took further inquiry to determine that the $10/person service charge represents a tip mostly to the kitchen and bus staff, with a very small portion going to the wait staff. One is expected to tip on the balance.

But we had a fabulous evening, that ended with a lively chat with a cast member from Montreal who did not already know about the bagels at Eltana. All in all, a wonderful way

to celebrate our anniversary!