So far away

Got back from Kansas City on Monday.  What a whirlwind trip, kind of like the one to Philly.  Wish we lived closer sometimes or at least not so far away from all our family.  But, we love Chattanooga and it seems to like us.

The airports are already SO busy...busy like holiday travel.   Unbelievable.  On the way home from KC, I sat next to a guy from OKC. He knew a Dr. here that we have seen....small world.

Yesterday, was rest and recouperate day... I can't believe how much drier it seems in Kansas than here.  We always thought Kansas was humid but not really.  I was really glad to come back home to where my skin didn't feel so horrible.

Jenny is doing awesome!  She had some great stories to tell us all.  It is hard to believe how much she knows already...and has seen.  I am really proud of my kids! 

Pat worked on our new wine rack.  We will probably hang it up tonight.  I will take a picture and post when we do.  It looks really cool.  He also ....bought himself a tablet...(computer).  Kind of like an ipad but it has windows on it and that way he can manipulate it better..the engineer in him can't leave well enough alone.  I was just so glad that he finally did something for himself.  He takes such great care of us, he deserves something too once in a while.  He takes it to work and says that it is a big help instead of all that paper all the time.

Book club is next week.  I read The Paris Wife.  It is a good book and very interesting about how all the "artists" of the time hung out is Europe.  This trend was started by Van Gogh and Rembrandt.  It wasn't that they had all the money in the world it was just what was done.  If you like Hemingway at all this book from the viewpoint of his first wife is a good insight into his life and how he ended up in the Keys.

I am going to Atlanta tomorrow to see some family friends that I haven't seen in a very long time.  I am looking forward to it.

Living Sweetly in the South,

Miss Jan

A few new words...

I went to lunch with the gals yesterday...to celebrate October birthdays...they are going to be the death of me...  They are going out again on Thursday to the movies and then bridge on Friday.  I have got to brush up on my bridge!!!  Anyway while we were out to lunch, southern words and accents came up and I have two new ones for you:

A carbonated beverage in the south  :      Coke

(not soda or pop....Coke)

A shopping cart in the store :         Buggy

Going to Kansas City tomorrow to see JJ!  Looking forward to a great weekend.

Living Sweetly in the South,

Miss Jan

Prayers at a footlball game...in the South

We had a great time at the Tennessee/Louisiana State football game.  I have never been to a college football game where there was that much school spirit and pride in the football team....basketball yes....but not football.  It was incredible. Even when they knew they were 99% sure of a loss.  First of all the tailgating before the game was unbelievable...you would have thought you were at a pro game.  The stadium is SO old... I guess they don't build a new one for the same reason KU won't build a new Allen Field House.  I said to Pat that the field seemed so much smaller than other places.  The stadium was smaller because they don't have their track around the football field.  The place of completely packed!  I don't know what they would do if everyone had to wear a big bulky winter coat.  Guess they don't have to worry too much about that in the south because the season is really over before it gets that cold.  When the player all came out on the field they played "Rocky Top Tennessee".  Everyone sang it including the WHOO!!!  See the link for the words and tune...   http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=2DIM-KHiDj8 .   After all were on the field a minister came out and conducted the entire crowd in prayer!  It was amazing.  Everyone was quiet and respectful.  We never did that at KU and most people here say it is a southern thing.  It was pretty cool!  Of course they lost but it was really fun.

Friday night we had our Mexican Fiesta fundraiser for P.E.O.  for the projects to further women's education.  We gross almost $5800.00.  That was a really nice event.  There were about 90 people there.

Living Sweetly in the South,

Miss Jan

Too Long....Lots of Pictures

It has been so long since I blogged last...  I don't know where to begin.  Went to a luncheon today with newcomers and they asked me to be the secretary....I must have sucker written all over my face because I said yes.  Oh well,  if you don't get involved, you can't complain.  At least that is what I keep telling myself.  Then shopping and bought pants two sizes smaller than normal!!!!  Maybe they are a little tight but....buttt......ha ha.

I twisted my ankle in the last week so it wasn't too great for working out today..but now it is feeling better.  I am trying to do the elliptical and then walk and then weights...  Maybe too much too fast.  No pain, no gain but according to the experts exercise shouldn't hurt just exert you.

Yesterday I went back to the endo doc and talked about doing the follow up WBS (whole body scan) as is the protocol for thyroid cancer follow up.  They have a new drug out called Thyrogen that is made in only one place in the world.  It is a radioactive type drug that allows you to do the scan without going off medicine and feeling so rotten.  It has been in short supply due to a shipping problem - hopefully they will get that fixed before January when we talked about having the scan done.  Otherwise it is off meds for 4-6 weeks and then 4-6 weeks to get the meds regulated again. UGH!  We agreed that it is not an immediate threat or requirement that I have this done so I will wait.  I learn something new every time I go or at least I start to understand it a little bit more...  If my kids would hurry up with their studies they could explain it to me better.  They monitor the TSH level in my body.  I thought this was the thyroid level because apparently I still have quite a bit of thyroid left even after the radiation.  The TSH is the hormone released by your pituitary gland in your brain to tell your thyroid to make more thyroid hormone.  They give you medicine so your brain will not tell the remaining thyroid tissue to go active and risk growth etc.  Enough Dr. 101.

Katie in front of Temple School of Medicine (also a Shriners Childrens Hospital for Research)

We had a terrific time with Katie in Philadelphia (and Ryan).  They have a really nice place and are so happy.  We are happy if they are happy.  We got there on Friday and ordered out pizza, played cards and to bed...we were beat.  Saturday, Katie and I got up and went to her work out center.  Pat and Ryan worked on Ryan's car.  His car was not starting in the morning without some sort of time delay that had to do with the security system...Pat figured it out and fixed it I think.  We will wait to see and hear from them if indeed it is still working.  We then got dressed and went downtown to the Med school.  It is beautiful.  It is brand new and SO interesting!  She took us all around and we even got to see the Gross Anatomy lab with someone in the lab working.  It is not like a college with bulletin boards up everywhere with hundreds of fliers on them and dirty trash in the common areas etc.  It is more like a business building with lots of theater classrooms - a training center. 

Katie at Temple in front of the gigantic bacteria sculptures!

The students all behave as if this is their job....to go to school and do what they are there for.    Really neat.  Ryan didn't go with us as he had to do some case studies.  He is on his pediatric rotation.  We went out for lunch to California Pizza Kitchen - my new favorite place except it is not located in Chattanooga .        :(     Then we went to the largest mall in the America - King of Prussia and did some late birthday shopping.  Katie needed some winter type going to class clothes.    We then went back to the apartment to go out to dinner.  Their choice ...Thai.  It was interesting.

                                                                 Thai Food!

  Not really my cup of tea but it was in a really neat location called Manyunck  (Man E Yunk).  Kinda like a Soho in NYC. I was glad that I had stepped out of my box and tried it. We walked up and down the street afterward and I had to try this frozen yogurt place that everyone was carrying around...such a cute name.....Whirled Peace.  It was fun and good.

                                                          At Whirled Peace.....(should we open whirled peace or sno to go?)

Sunday up, dressed and then to QVC!!!!!!!!  I had so much fun. It was so neat to see and SO interesting to learn about how they do what they do and SO amazing how much and how fast they sell stuff.  We saw In the Kitchen with David doing the Temptations and then Mr. Food and his cookbook!Way cool!!!!

From there off to Valley Forge...George Washington slept here!

  We had no idea that the park was that big.  It went on for miles but then again they housed a lot of troops there over the winter.  I can't imagine living back then and how hard they had it and still persevered to win for freedom!  I know no war is easy but their conditions would be against the UN now.

It was such a long drive. The leaves are changing in the Shenandoah Valley and very pretty.

Tomorrow is P.E.O. and then Friday is the big Fiesta for P.E.O. philanthropy.  Hope to raise a lot of money.  I guess about 90 people are going to attend.

Living Sweetly in the South,

Miss Jan