Wishing We Were Somehow There Again

Its a lazy Saturday afternoon after a fairly productive Saturday morning. Roo found a deal on a treadmill on craigslist that has made a nice addition to our garage gym. I cut the grass...failing again in my attempt to cut a baseball field-like pattern into our yard...

...I admit I rushed through the job as I was racing the mercury. Its supposed to hit 100 degrees today. I'll give the grass a full-service treatment on July 3rd, in preparation for our 2nd Annual Red, White and Boom party. While I was sweating it out in the yard, Roo ran some last minute Father's Day errands. We rendezvoused in front of the TV for lunch and an afternoon Cubs game. The announcers noted that summer has arrived in Chicago and followed with a quip about the hot 81 degree day. I laughed. Roo admired the sunlit skyline on the screen and wished we were there, not recalling having been to a game in the heat of the summer. In the heat of our summer, we have yet to visit my brother Phil's community pool, but we will soon find our selves on the soft sands of Edisto Island. Our annual family trip is only 3 weeks away. We had to adjust the schedule this year to accommodate for Riley's mom's treatment schedule. Hopefully, while the trip for us will be an escape from work and weeds, Roo's mom will enjoy a much needed break in the exhausting treatment cycle. I wish we were there now.

Riley and I enjoyed Phil's Christmas wishes last night, as his holiday gift of two tickets to see Phantom of the Opera at Charlotte's Belk Theater came to fruition. Aside from school plays, this was only the second time I'd been to see a major musical, the first being Wicked in Chicago with Roo. Coming from a guy that spends many a lazy day in front of a Cubs game or playing on the Xbox, I wish we went to more plays like Phantom.

Phantom's opening scene presented an auction of old opera house items. As I type this, Roo is researching options to set up her own ebay auction-house. We missed out (snoozed through) the neighborhood yard sale a couple weeks ago and inspired by the treadmill find, Riley is going to try to clean out some room in the garage with some on-line sales. I wish her the best of luck, but hopes she patient. No rush...because the sooner she's got the garage cleared out, the sooner I have run out of excuses for not spending part of my lazy Saturday afternoon in our garage gym.

Mom's Myeloma Update

It's been awhile since I've updated everyone on my mom's battle with multiple myeloma. She's been in sort of a holding pattern over the last few months. Labs were good, bone marrow biopsy was good, therefore there was really no need to begin any sort of treatment. A few months ago she began having pain in her hip and was immediately sent in for a full body bone scan. It was determined that the hip pain was probably arthritis but during the scan a second tumor was found in her shoulder. If you've been keeping up with this story you know that her cancer was discovered because of a tumor found in her shoulder that was causing alot of pain which led to an MRI. She had radiation treatments to treat the first tumor. The second tumor signifies that the myeloma is progressing therefore more aggressive treatment is needed as opposed to radiation.
So last month the initial treatment began with oral chemo. The combination of medicines were causing allergic reactions and lab work concluded that the meds weren't really doing the job they needed to be doing. It was clear a new treatment plan would need to begin.

She'll now endure 16 cycles of induction chemo followed by a stem cell transplant. Her first chemo cocktail was Monday --- I was on duty for the first round. We attended a quick Chemo 101 session followed by an hour of fluids, Velcade, and Zometa. The room was filled with soft leather loungers and every chair was full. I sat there wondering to myself what kind of cancer each person was suffering from. I felt bad for the people who didn't have a loved one sitting with them. I wondered if the building architect thought that surrounding the room with floor to ceiling windows would help people forget that they're bodies are being filled with toxic drugs. The gigantic bird feeders positioned outside the windows were completely empty -- I wondered if they'd be filled by Thursday so my mom can sit by the window and watch the birds. I was mesmerized by the beautiful salt water fish tanks and pointed them out to my mom hoping she'd choose to sit closer to one of them next time I'm on duty. Due to her pretty pitiful veins she had to have a port put in this morning so her next round of chemo on Thursday should go a little smoother since the nurse won't have to poke and prod for a decent vein.

I never imagined I'd be going through something like this with someone I love. My mom is a tough cookie and in my heart I know we're going to get through this. I'm not naive enough to think it's not going to be a battle but I know it's a battle that my mom can fight surrounded by the people that love her. When she was diagnosed I really struggled with trying to find the reason that this was happening. I'm starting to realize that there probably isn't a reason but my personal struggle with dealing with this has brought me closer to God and helped me realize the importance of prayer and for that I'm grateful.

I've thought about starting a separate blog to chronicle our journey through chemo and the stem cell transplant. I'll leave that one up to my mom. So for now I'll keep everyone up to date on her progress here as long as everyone who reads this entry promises to add her to your prayer lists!

Let's Eat Year Old Cake! Celebrating 5/17 for the 1st Time!

Well it's fifteen days later and I'm finally posting about our First Anniversary Celebration. On our way back from Edisto we decided to take a detour and check out Irvin House Vineyards on Wadmalaw Island.

Irvin House produces five varieties of wine. The wines range from semi-dry to the regular sweet muscadine. Muscadines are the only grapes that will grow in the humid climate of the Lowcountry. Local Charleston artists created the wine bottle labels.

We enjoyed a wine tasting followed by a tour of the winery. Irvin House is also home of the Firefly Distillery the producer of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. They aren't licensed to provide vodka tastings and distillery tours yet so we're hoping we'll get to do that sometime in the future. A case of wine (purchased not drank) later we headed north and checked in to the Oak Manor Inn. This B&B is where the bridesmaids and I stayed during wedding preparations and where EJ and I spent our first night as Mr. & Mrs. This photo was taken on the morning of our wedding day as a few of my aunts were heading home after my Bridesmaid's Breakfast. The innkeeper had a special anniversary gift waiting in our room when we checked in!

We spent the evening dining at the same restaurant that catered our rehearsal dinner - Shrimp & Grits and Chocolate Cobbler. Delicious!! We headed back to the B&B to relax and ended up ringing in year two as Mr. & Mrs. at midnight. I think we were both anxious to exchange gifts so we went ahead and did so before calling it a night. Keeping with tradition I gave my Cubs crazed hubby, tickets to an Atlanta vs Cubs game in ATL (we're headed to the game tomorrow). My ever creative hubby combined tradition and modern gifts and gave me the gift of time on paper. I'm all set for massages, mani/pedis, and salon visits for the summer!!! He also gave me a copy of The Love Dare and made the comment that we don't have to be struggling in our marriage to read it!

The next morning we slept in then headed to my parent's house for lunch and year old cake. I'd heard from a friend that it's good luck to eat the entire cake -- not just one piece. We tried, well EJ tried.....

Who needs luck when you've got a love like ours anyway?

The Fever

Forget swine flu, the pandemic working its way into our household is baby fever. A co-worker recently quipped that she got a 3rd dog to buy some time from her pressuring husband about having a baby. I shared this with Riley and was greeted the next morning with a circled husky ad in the classifieds. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I pressure Roo into anything but I can’t say I’d settle for a 3rd dog right now either…especially after the latest trip to the vet. We seem to pay an awful lot of money to get the dogs groomed in ways that don’t seem to be of much more value than me shaving them myself. One of Roo’s facebook friends remarked that it is faster to teach a puppy to poop that it is a baby.

Our friends’ baby Buxton first crawl was revealed in this week’s blog. We are taking baby steps ourselves. With Roo’s new promotion, its probably best to let her settle into that role for awhile and I am not quite where I want to be in my career to be comfortable enough where she doesn’t have to work at all. All that said, it will happen when it happens, when its meant to happen. For now, we’ll fall back on the old saying starve a cold, feed a fever. I think it is actually the other way around but we’ve got some good eats ahead of us this Memorial Day weekend.

We kicked it off with ballpark dogs at the local minor league baseball affiliate Friday night. Tonight, Roo is making homemade guacamole. Sometime Monday, marinaded pork ribs will be strewn over a bed of hot coals and smoking hickory chips. I picked up a watermelon from the farmer’s market as well as a couple pounds of fresh green peanuts, so sometime in between guac and grilled corn-on-the-cob, boiled peanuts will be had. I can eat boiled peanuts until I am sick to my stomach. I don't think a baby or a dog could ever cure my crave for those delicious summer treats.

Edisto Maycation Highlights

A photo shoot with a tutu clad beach baby.

Building Crab Cities (what happened to sand castles?)

52 lb Bill Fish

Spending time with old friends

Turning off the blackberry and catching up on some reading...

We're already counting down the days until our return to Edisto in July....

The greatest of these is love...

We have spent the better part of the last few days reflecting, recollecting and remembering where we were at "this time last year." Our wedding weekend is filled with special moments, simple laughs, thoughtful tears, and emotions that I truly don't have the words to describe. We are quickly and easily overwhelmed with joy by the vivid memories of how we came together, how we've grown together and how we've loved together. There have been laughs and less than joyful quibbles as we have also learned to live together.

Some say the first year of marriage is the toughest, I say every day of every year of a marriage should be a challenge. It should never be too easy to love and live for Roo. Challenge is a good thing and not the same thing as a struggle. It may not always be easy, it may not always be fun, we make mistakes big and small. But you can never stop learning and loving. We've done plenty of both in the past year.

We all have those defining moments in our lives that we think back to...if it would have broken this way or split that other way, where would we be now. If I could go back and do it all again... As I look back at the past year (and beyond), I've never lived my life wanting to do it over again because I wouldn't want to miss any of the moments, learned any of the lessons, or loved any part of the past year any less than the amazing way it has all unfolded in the early years of our lives together. For all the support, love, lessons and more, we thank the Lord, our family and friends.

As clearly as I can see Riley walking up the aisle or hear Jessica's made of honor speech or taste the rehearsal dinner shrimp and grits, I can feel the faith in our hearts, the hope for another year of countless blessings and love in our home that we share and grow...the greatest of these is love.

And now, time for some year-old cake...

From the Island!!

EJ & I have spent the last two days soaking up the sun on Edisto Island. My bestie Aly Kat and her adorable family are down here as well. Jackson and Nola Zee have definitely given EJ a major case of baby fever.....

Our first anniversary weekend celebration begins tomorrow. We're headed to my hometown after a pit stop at Irvin Vineyards (home of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka) on Wadmalaw Island. We'll then spend Saturday & Sunday at the Oak Manor Inn -- the super cute B&B that was home to our wedding weekend last year. My mom's in charge of taking our top cake tier out of the freezer -- let's hope she remembers.....

EJ's in charge of our first anniversary post so more to come from him on Sunday!

Happy Mother's Day to our Moms!!

We love you both!!

On the road again...

Its been a busy couple weeks since our trip to Chicago. Roo has hit the road again for work and I've maintained the homefront, more so on my own as Jessica has moved home to the parents' place for summer vacation. We will check in with her this weekend as we visit for Mother's Day. I expect and look forward to being put to work in the yard. Roo's dad came up to help us in our yard last month. More travel next week, a quick trip for Riley early on then we head to the beach for a taste of Edisto a couple months prior to our July vacation. Next weekend, we will celebrate our anniversary in the same bed and breakfast that we celebrated the wedding in almost one year ago.

For My Husband

You're everything

I always wished for,

better than

I dreamed of,

and all I'll ever need.

Happy Birthday!

xoxo

By this time tomorrow we'll be here...

We'll have a hot dog (or two) here...

We'll do a little (or alot) of shopping here...

and catch some zzz's here...

and since I've never been (surprisingly) we'll spend a little time here...

and have an amazing dinner with Art Smith (if we're lucky) here...

We're off for a 4 day birthday celebration/vacation to the Windy City!

11 months later...10 Ways Marriage is Like Being a Cubs Fan

With Roo on the road this week (Phoenix), I retain control of the blog and in keeping with the theme of the Cubs, I borrowed the following from a friend of a friend. Anna and John joined us for dinner tonight, bringing along baby Buxton. Riley put together a delicious meal, as usual. Over dinner, John...an exceptional writer and the author of Bringing Up Buxton...alluded to a list he had penned for another couple upon their marriage. This couple, also devout Cubs faithful, had recently posted the list on their blog. Intrigued, I tracked it down and with the expressed verbal consent of John, minus the expressed written consent of Major League Baseball, I share:

10 Ways Marriage is Like Being a Cubs Fan

1) The more important it is, the more more likely it is you will lose. She will always be right, so just hope that she still finds you lovable.

2) When all of your single friends are out having fun in October, you will be sitting at home. Asking permission will not help. Even if she lets you out of the house, you will only be able to watch all the fun. Then again, there is always next year.

3) You understand how, after years and years of devoted service, even the heaviest of hitters might need to add a little cork to his bat. Hey, when the long ball leaves, you have to do what it takes to get that hop-skip back into the lineup.

4) At some point, you will think yourself cursed.

5) You will always prefer day games. After a few years, you will think anyone up past midnight to be a fool. You will think about all the money you are saving on electricity bills while getting all your work done in the matinee hours.

6) Blame will be distributed to everyone save you. Bartman, in-laws, some old dead goat, youngsters nowadays. Remember, it is never your fault. You are cursed.

7) You will always find other people just like you with which to commiserate. Everywhere you go, all over the country, you will see hats and T-shirts that you know the pain and suffering experienced by you are not only yours. Somehow you should feel better in light of this common experience, but you will not.

8) Your best decisions will always be made in hindsight. That two-strike pitch with runners on when you blew the save, that strikeout when you sat dead-red on fastball and got the change, that time you thought you were safe and argued until you got thrown out of the game altogether. You will lament each mistake, and there will be many, until the next day, when you will undoubtedly make it all over again.

9) You understand the importance of wearing a cup. It is dangerous out there. A man needs to be protected.

10) Finally, you understand that whether you win or lose (though losing will be the all-t00-common experience), you are playing a team game. One guy hitting for the cycle means nothing if another guy blows the save. One guy winning twenty games means little if the team only wins fifty more. You are part of a team. The season is a marathon, not a sprint. Good luck my friend. May marriage bring you the joy and fulfillment being a Cubs fan never has.

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Well, one of them at least…Our preacher last Sunday talked about passion, and as a side to the main message noted the importance of being passionate about some things strictly for the same of fun. There are two things that come to mind when I think about what I am truly passionate about in this manner. The first is playing softball. With Morgan Construction undefeated at Cherry Park, I am excited for our church league to get started. The second and more significant fun-filled passion I have is Chicago Cubs baseball. I bleed Cubbie blue and not just that I follow the Cubs almost religiously, but I enjoy baseball. The nerd in me gets excited about the stats, the math behind the game. Maybe my second passion part 2 is fantasy sports. But back to reality…

Last Monday marked the first game of ‘next year’ and superstitious folk may tell you that the first batter is a good indication of the game ahead and the first game is a good indicator of the season ahead. Soriano homered for the Cubs on the first pitch so…Ok, I won’t get ahead of myself but they look to have a good team this year and many ‘experts’ are predicting good things. But we’ve heard that song and dance before only to end up at some point in the fall, wondering where the season went and what to do now that it is over. It’s like watching the series finale of ER…but with the Cubs, that final episode plays out every year with just as much if not more heartache.

Alas, it is spring. Another fresh start, another clean slate and hope of good things to come. There are so many great things about Spring: leaving the windows open all day and night, McLeod strawberries, sunshine into the early evening, blossoming and blooming of flowers and trees. Hopefully, spring will stick around for awhile and not yield to 90 degree temps too quickly. If the past couple months are any indication of what’s to come, I may be mowing the grass twice a week. We have had a considerable amount of rainfall recently, so the lawn is well fed. It always seems that by the time I am done cutting the front yard, the previously groomed grass in the back has already grown an inch. I can’t imagine the Southeast isn’t out of its drought. Most of the showers we’ve had have been heavy downpours. Yet, it never seems to be enough to wash the constant dusting of pollen from the back porch.

Also with Spring comes cleaning…dusting inside is under way, along with vacuuming and sweeping and mopping. Roo has compiled a list of Spring cleaning tasks for us to complete by next weekend. We have slowly worked our way through some of the items on the list but somehow, like the grass, the list is growing exponentially. I cross out one chore as complete, and two more have made there way underneath it. In all fairness, I’ve been the one adding several items, so I can’t complain. I am just hoping for no rain next weekend, when a majority of my to-do’s will take place outside, battling the weeds, trimming, landscaping, pruning and most certainly more mowing and some deep cleaning indoors as well. All of that and more and perhaps getting done in time to catch the Cubs-Cardinals game. For now, all I can do is wait ‘til next weekend.

Mind if I call you McDreamy???

I feel like I'm guest starring on an episode of Grey's Anatomy surrounded by loads of interns and residents. I wonder if their lives are filled with as much drama as Meredith's?? I've already given a few of them new names --- Dr. Reeves has been dubbed McDreamy (sorry EJ) and the chick who came in to do a swallow test could easily be mistaken for Little Grey.

Most of you are probably wondering why I'm surrounded by these less exciting versions of my Seattle Grace favorites and who exactly had to have a swallow test......

My grandfather was in a car accident on Sunday night on his way home from his girlfriend's house. The accident occurred in an accident prone location, at night (what 76 year old can see so great after the sun goes down?), oh and he wasn't wearing his seat belt!! He was immediately taken by ambulance to the local hospital in Hartsville then transferred during the wee hours of Monday morning to ICU at Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia, SC. For those of you that don't know, this is a teaching hospital hence my reference to Grey's.

God is Good....

• He has a fractured nondisplaced C2 and will have to wear a neck collar for 12 weeks.
• He has several gashes on his head that have been stitched up.
• He's alive and will fully recover.

Due to the sensitivity of the fracture's location and his existing cardiac issues he was put in the ICU. All of his scan/test results have been good and he was able to get through the swallow test this morning. McDreamy even said he can be moved out of the ICU later today!!!

We're counting our blessings and thankful he's going to be okay.

-Roo

18, 263 days old, but who's counting?

HAPPY 1/2 WAY TO 100!!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Yesterday's SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY was a big success. We celebrated my mom's 50th birthday surrounded by nearly 50 of our family members and friends. She's spending today (her actual birthday) in Greenville at the Cancer Center for an appointment -- say a prayer that we'll be blessed with good results again. She and Daddy will wrap up her birthday with a yummy dinner tonight at High Cotton followed by the stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird at The Peace Center. Ironically Harper Lee's timeless novel is celebrating its 50th birthday as well.

Happy 20th anniversary of your 30th birthday!!

When the cat's away...

...the mouse will play. Usually, when Roo is out of town, I play a lot of xbox. She'd probably tell you that when she is home I play too much xbox. But that's only one aspect of me fending for myself, especially during longer trips. This week's 4 day trip was longer than most and it also sent room mate Jessica (Riley's sister) with Roo to Daytona Beach leaving me completely on my own. Sunday came and went as it normally would, church, lunch, menu planning for the week, Amazing Race, etc. They left on Monday and by 8pm that night, it probably looked like I'd lived by myself for a month. My work clothes scattered over the floor...on top of my pajamas from the night before. My dinner menu transformed from lasagna and garlic chicken pasta to Cheerios and pimento cheese sandwiches. The shower I took before work this morning was the first since Tuesday morning (I worked from home on Wednesday). I was too lazy to search for the remote yesterday evening that I watched back-to-back episodes of Will and Grace on Lifetime. But its Thursday and following a softball game, I was able to get home and tidy up in time for Roo's return. I semi-cleaned the bathroom, cleaned up all the dishes, vacuumed half the house and relocated my piles to the dirty clothes basket. And I think Riley would prefer to assume I just play too much xbox when she isn't home.

Happy 10 months!

No lists or stories here or best of's here, just a thank you and I love you sent from Rock Hill, SC to my wife currently in Daytona, Fl...we've been married for 10 months, together for 7 years and looking forward to an uncountable number of memories and moments for the next 70 years and 10 months. Always. xoxo.

A night at the movies...at home

March has indeed come in like a lion. Three weekends ago, we were faced with 6 inches of snow. Last weekend, we saw the mercury climb into the 80s. Unfortunately, those temps were cut in half this weekend accompanied by a slow and steady sprinkle. Its raining just hard enough to have to use your wipers and carry an umbrella but soft enough to really just be a nuisance more than anything else. A good rain is one you can nap to. This mist is mostly just moistening everything in sight. It certainly messed with my plans to cut the grass this weekend, but for that I am not completely complaining.

Nor am I complaining the choices for our Saturday night double feature. Friday night was dinner in Charlotte with friends from work and we hit the ground running Saturday morning. Following a birthday lunch with my dad in Columbia, we attended a SC start-up support group with Roo's mom for the International Myeloma Foundation. We were spent and thus decided to spend Saturday night on the couch. We returned from Blockbuster with Burn After Reading and Changeling. The first was light and easy to follow and just sort of ended. It wasn't a ridiculously complex plot, but the acting was enough to keep it going. We followed that up with the thicker and darker story that may have won Angelina Jolie an Academy Award (I didn't watch them this year and Roo is out shopping so I can't confirm or deny this statement).

Our evening was catered by a local Chinese restaurant. Riley enjoyed the Coldstone that followed dinner more than her Chicken Lo Mein for. I rarely stray from the safe favorites on the menu so had no complaints about my Sesame Chicken (even the second time around with leftovers for lunch after church). With all the places we've been and all the things we could be doing on a Saturday night with all of our friends, more times than not, there is no place I'd rather be than on the couch with Roo, in like a lamb.

Simple-minded posts for 200

A week ago, I spent the week working out of our Philly office in the University area of the city of Brotherly Love. Just over a week ago, we had around 6 inches of snow in South Carolina. A week later, Roo is now outside Philadelphia and I am typing from the back porch enjoying 70 degree weather in the early evening. This follows spending 30 minutes during dinner with my friend Alex. Our friends at Nielson would tell you that Jeopardy is popular pre-prime time programing in our household...if they ever asked. I used to get bummed out when an unsuspecting Teen Tournament would sneak onto the set. Tonight, just as equally as I craved any of Roo's menu items over the meal I was forced to feed myself, at the end of the show, I longed for that Teen Tournament and the remote chance at a challenge on any of the questions. Instead, along with Alex, the girl from Big, the second-rate Bob Saget AFHV and Dancing With the Stars host and some other lady joined me for dinner as they kicked off another Celebrity Jeopardy tournament. I have taken serious issue through my facebook statuses against ABC and their ratings push by staging the Bachelor finale(s) and then bringing the dumped back to DWTS (mark my words, she will win). But, Jeopardy has over-responded to Saturday Night Live parodies claiming dumb celebrities simply can't answer real questions by throwing really dumb questions at simple celebrities. Halfway through the first round, I felt pretty good about all the questions I was answering. Before the first daily double was uncovered in the Double Jeopardy round, I was un-challenged and had returned my attention to the equally stale meal in front of me. This presented me with two realizations. 1. I should pay more attention to the Food Network. 2. I should have been a celebrity, because I could have then been on Jeopardy and challenged that Ken dude for longest run.

Life Update

Over the past 17 days since our last post....

• We had dinner at Cantina 1511 with a work friend of mine who was in town on business. EJ had been here a few times for lunch but it was my first time and after our delicious meal I've already made reservations for us to go back next weekend! The guacamole is the best I've had in Charlotte!

• My parents came to town for an impromptu weekend visit. I tried a few new recipes out on my Dad. We went to Beef O'Bradys on Sunday after church, a place that doesn't serve "real food" as my southern fried daddy likes to say. We ended the weekend with a trip to Sears to purchase a freezer. EJ and I had been discussing getting one for a few months. My dad had his truck so it made sense get one while he was in town. Little did we know that my parents would decide to cover the remaining balance after we used up a gift card we'd received for Christmas!! We're spoiled. EJ has plans to fill the new freezer with steaks. My vote's for ice cream....

• I went to West Palm Beach for work.
• I went to Atlanta to interview for a new job.
• We spent a rain saturated weekend celebrating Winthrop's Homecoming. Saturday's basketball game was followed by an evening of grilling under the tent (not a good idea), reminiscing with friends, flip cup, beer pong, and of course Rock Band.

• We enjoyed a SNOW DAY!!

• EJ went to Philly for work.
• I went back to Atlanta for meetings and to accept a new position with my company!
• EJ spent the better part of Friday delayed at the Philly airport.

That brings us to today. In the same week we saw 4 inches of snow and insanely cold weather we're now out on the deck enjoying the Carolina blue sky, birds chirping, and 78 "unseasonably warm" degree weather. Hello Spring!!