What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Nancy Wilson - What Are You Doing New Year's Eve

Maybe it's much too early in the game
Ah, but I thought I'd ask you just the same
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's Eve?

Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it's exactly twelve o'clock that night
Welcoming in the New Year
New Year's Eve

Maybe I'm crazy to suppose
I'd ever be the one you chose
Out of a thousand invitations
You'd receive

Ah, but in case I stand one little chance
Here comes the jackpot question in advance
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's Eve?

Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it's exactly twelve o'clock that night
Welcoming in the New Year
New Year's Eve

What are you doing New Year's Eve?

The Meaning of Christmas

Book: This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin

Music: Manassas by Manassas (Stephen Stills, Chris Hillman)

Endless Love

As we approach 2008, we look back on one of 2007's enduring relationships...



Book: This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin

Music: Their Satanic Majesties Request by The Rolling Stones

Merry Christmas!

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Merry Christmas from John and Maryse (and Philippe, Megan and Matt)

Procrastination

Saw this on the eBaum website, http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/view/62720/, and loved it. Its a "demotivational" poster. Kind of made me think of me and the infrequency of my posts.

I'm doing well; feeling good; looking forward to the holidays and family get-togethers. Maryse's mom, brother and nephew are all here now. Pierce is enjoying all the snow before we get all that rain Sunday.

Next week we're off to Maryse's cousin's for a Pesant/Trudel Christmas.

The following week Megan, Selo, Miko and Matt are all expected, for the Bray version, New Year's Day.

Life is good; the weather forecast: so-so.

Book: This Is Your Brain On Music by Daniel J. Levitin

Music: Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan

What a Difference a Day Makes

24 hours after yesterday's post, the wintery view of the backyard has changed somewhat. The Ottawa area got about 40 cm of snow - while quite the wallop it was still less than had been forecast.

Snow, Snow, Snow

The big storm that blanketed the American eastern states has blown into the Ottawa area this morning. The forecast calls for between 40 and 65 cm of snow before all is done Monday morning. Before the storm they were saying the area has already received more snow to date than by March last year. And it isn't even officially winter yet!

I guess all we can do is get the tree in...

Light a fire...

And sit back and watch New England extend their winning streak!

Music: Christmas is Calling by Roch Voisine

Book: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Another Busy Week

My first trip out, other than to the hospital, occured Wednesday this week when Maryse and I drove out to Megan's for dinner. We spent some quality time with Miko before he went to bed, had dinner with Megan, and got a chance to chat with new, big, flat screen TV-owner Selo after he got home from work. It was a most enjoyable evening. We got home around 10:30, well past my nightly bedtime of 8:00.

I was a little tired the next day, but not too tired to welcome Matt for dinner and a visit Thursday evening. While we talk or text fairly regularly we hadn't seen each other since Meg's wedding in September. It was great to see him.

Seeing both Meg and Matt this week also allowed us to nail down holiday plans. I'm really looking forward to having them over for New Year's Day dinner.

Maryse's mom arrives tonight from Kelowna for a holiday visit. Philippe joins us briefly from Montreal. And then Jean-Marc and BooBoo arrive next week. Then we're off to Montreal for a Pesant family Christmas at Maryse's cousin's, Louise. Should be a busy place around here as Christmas approaches...

Still getting stronger, slowly but surely. I was somewhat fatigued after my late night, Wednesday. I could tell, because it took considerable effort to sit at the table or stand for very long. It's a tad frustrating. I wish I was stronger. But I guess I have to be patient. It's only 2 months since the transplant and I'm told it takes 4-6 months before I'll be 100%.

But I'm developing a healthy appetite and I've gained 5 lbs. I'm now 175lbs soaking wet!

Music: Bring the Family by John Hiatt

Book: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

The Two Ronnies

One of my all time favourite British shows used to be The Two Ronnies. This routine is called Swedish Made Simple or F.U.N.E.X....

Computer Comics

My friend Alec e-mailed me a bunch of these. These 4 are among the funniest...

Book: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Music: Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers by Gene Clark

Latest Visit to the Clinic

I visited the folks at the Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic at the Ottawa General Hospital this morning at 9am. Things went swimmingly.

Doctor Anstee's very pleased with how I'm eating, how I'm drinking, how I'm peeing, my energy levels and so on. She says my bloodwork shows I'm slightly anemic (funny looking word) but since I'm not tired and have a good energy level they're not worried.

My next appointment isn't until early in the new year, and after that I'm being transferred to the Multiple Myeloma Clinic - somewhat of a graduation, says the doctor!

She again cautioned that the transplant hasn't rid me 100% of the multiple myeloma, but that it has reduced it significantly according to my creatinin levels. They'll have a better handle on this once they start monitoring my myeloma in 2008.

Nevertheless, I'm feeling great - better than before the transplant, and certainly just after - and the doctors are very pleased I'm feeling great.

Maybe I'll celebrate with take-out Chinese food tonight! As Megan said yesterday, "So, Dad, I guess the worse you eat, the better you get." I guess so...

Book: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Music: Elite Hotel by EmmyLou Harris

Modern Keystone Cops

In Training

Mid-October and the immediate after-effects of the bone marrow transplant seem like such a distant memory now (thankfully).

I feel so much better as Christmas approaches.


And I'm getting back to my old habits: reading, music (both listening and buying - gotta love Amazon.ca!), surfing (the internet), blogging and so on.





And just when I was getting tired and bored with daytime TV, along comes the Mulroney-Schreiber affair. There's nothing quite like a good political scandal to keep an old political junkie entertained.

My taste in food is getting more and more varied: french toast for breakfast; hot dogs for lunch; and real dinners like chicken, potatoes and vegetables. Well, of course I still like tuna salad sandwiches, too!

I've gotta work myself up to a Christmas dinner of turkey and all the trimmings. It's like I'm in training.

Book: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Music: The Last of the Red Hot Burritos by The Flying Burrito Brothers

George Bush Imagines

Found this on You Tube while looking for something else. While it's a litle old it's still well done and quite provocative.