UPDATE and I enjoyed sitting outside for a little while yesterday afternoon

UPDATE: I woke up at 3:15 a.m. today and couldn't go back to sleep, no matter what I tried. I dozed a bit now and then, but when it was time to get ready to go take the group photo, I could tell I wasn't up to it. I had to call and back out which made me very sad. Someone else took a great photo, though--I've seen it on Facebook. I knew someone else would step up! Anyway, I finally fell back into a real sleep, for about two full hours. Therefore, I made it to meet my friend Pat from Seattle with Lamont and Leland at Pine State Biscuits for lunch on SE Division at SE 11th. The hugs, smiles, and talking made me feel wonderful. So did the lunch. She brought an actual photo album and shared with us photos of Canterbury, Brussels, and Alaska--she and her husband, the special man known to me as BobRobert whose house provided the perfect place for my wedding on December 31, 1972--travel every chance they get. Now I'm back home, fooling around with photos and the blog before I go take another nap.



First, while sitting in my folding aluminum lawn chair, I noticed a Red Hat Lady in front of Albertina Kerr. I figured a group had a lunch-get-together planned. The lady on the right must not be of the official RHL age since she's wearing a lavender hat.



Here they are with the lady who had caught their attention in the first photo.



Next I noticed this crow. At first, it was on a line going from a wooden pole over to the building across the parking lot beside where I sat. I couldn't get my camera up quick enough to get a photo of it there because the crow dropped what it held in its mouth. I got this one, by chance, right after it picked up the nut--I guess it's a nut--and before it flew off across the street.



At first I saw this squirrel walking toward me on the low, gray-painted wall that keeps in place the dirt in my building's front yard. Otherwise, it would wash away into the parking lot which is more than three feet lower. Anyway, I slowly reached for my camera and the squirrel--I couldn't believe that it also had a nut in its mouth--took of for the very tall evergreen to my right. Shoot. In a few minutes, I saw the squirrel's shadow on the parking lot as it walked around the pole with the lines going to it--the same lines that the crow had landed on a few minutes earlier. I lifted the camera and watched through it for the squirrel and managed to get this photo before it disappeared into the leaves. It's not a very good photo, but I certainly enjoyed trying to get it.



Three more ladies drove up and made their way into Albertina Kerr. The ones waiting inside greeted them with joy loud enough for me to hear all the way across the street. I remember thinking to myself how good it is to have friends who are happy to be with you.



Last but not least, I got a few photos of Lamont walking toward me from his parked car. He came over with a couple of boxes of sugar cubes (for me to use in my hot tea) and his hair clippers. About a week ago I noticed stray hairs on my head, here and there, growing longer than my stubble and catching the light. I found them disconcerting because I felt like they made me look like a sick ol' lady. He agreed to try to get rid of them for me since, although I am an ol' lady who has cancer, I do not consider myself sick. In treatment, yes. Sick, no. When he finished, my head had shorter stubble and very few stray hairs. Thanks, Lamont.

UPDATE and a photo that I took while out and about Wednesday evening

UPDATE: I rode the bus to work, then streetcar and one bus home from work. Hooray! I was pretty tired when I got there, but I was early enough that I had time to rest a bit before signing in and getting busy. I also noticed right away that I'd left my nibbles at home! No green grapes, Cacio de Roma sheep cheese or Ritz crackers! I had time to go to the coffee stand in the building lobby where I bought a bagel with deli turkey and ham, plus cream cheese. I only ate half of the bagel and the turkey and ham--no cream cheese. I made it just fine, too. Tomorrow I will remember the lunch bag because after I put the food and the ice pack in it, I'm hanging it on the door knob!



Yesterday evening I went out for one more short walk, to the corner where I sat down on the low wall around the bioswale. When I saw the cement mixer pump truck, I decided to take a photo to share. There used to be two houses in the space where a multi-story building is going up--five stories, if I remember right, with apartments on the upper floors and retail on the ground floor. The street we're looking at is NE Glisan. You can see the multi-windowed north end of the Albertina Kerr building at the right edge of the photo, behind their carefully maintained hedge.

UPDATE and a look back

UPDATE: Slept until 5 a.m. and have been awake all day, tired but not as exhausted as other times lately. Achy knees are back and peripheral neuropathy. I hope that I will be able to sleep tonight with all of this aching and humming/buzzing going on from my knees down. There's some in my right hand, too. We'll see. No nausea, thanks to the anti-nausea meds. I haven't had much of an appetite today, but I've made myself eat, not too much, but eat. All's well with the other bodily function, too. Leland came over today; I think he'll be back tomorrow to go to Fred Meyer for me. Lamont's coming over tomorrow, too. I am thankful for these sons of mine and for all of your continued prayers, love, and concern.



I took this photo on September 15, 2012. 3S Consulting LLC, chemistry demo, as seen at the Portland Mini Maker Faire. I had been attracted to this booth because I noticed the man's old Aladdin Thermos, just like the one that my dearly departed husband LeRoy used to have. Then I started watching and listening. By the time the man asked, "Does anyone want to strike a match?" I hollered, "Leland does!" My son stepped right up and followed directions as his brother Lamont, in the solid red T-shirt and the sunglasses, looked on and I took photographs which turned out well, despite the loud pop.

Straight out of the camera, cropped only. Here's Leland holding the bottle in which something just ignited. Leland and I remember it as oxygen and hydrogen. I know you don't have any trouble understanding just how excited I was to see this photo of the explosion and the flame inside the bottle, as well as flying out the neck of the bottle. So was the man in the booth, wearing the red shirt and holding the match.

I'm revisiting this photo because, if I were well enough, I would've said, "Let's go, guys!" to the 2015 Portland Mini Maker Faire today; we'd have ridden there for free on TriMet and the Portland Streetcar, a special perk connected to the opening of the TriMet Orange Line and the brand new Tilikum Crossing Bridge. Alas, chemo and side effects made other plans for us. However, back then, those two sons of mine agreed instantly when I said, "Let's go!"

UPDATE and quirky, seen around Portland in September, 2008

UPDATE: Slept well, woke up a half hour before the alarm went off. Went to pre-chemo blood work and appointment with chemo doctor. He said that since my platelet count was low, I need to get there very early tomorrow to have the blood work done again before the 8:30 a.m. Chemo Round Three appointment time. So, Lamont's coming to get me around 6:45 a.m. We will have a long day tomorrow and be exhausted afterwards--both of us. Oh, when I got home today I had an e-mail of the test results and was also surprised to see that my white blood cell count and my hemoglobin had also been flagged as low. I wonder why the chemo doctor didn't mention them when we were at the appointment? I'm not needing any blood transfusions, yet. I do believe I now know why some days I'm very tired--thank goodness it is not all days, so far. Anyway, tomorrow's Chemo Round Three will add to the possibility of side effects. I'm as ready for them as I can be. And looking forward to going to Killer Burger for supper, when we're done.



I'm so glad that this Zapcar didn't turn out to be a Zipcar.



Three wheels? Not my cuppa tea.



Someone discarded their partially eaten sandwich on a TriMet bus, on top of the wheel well beside the front door. I took this photo because it reminded me of a Scottie dog, one of those terriers whose hair looks like a maxi-skirt, hanging almost to the ground between the front and back legs in a side view. Do you agree?



What are these three about? I have no idea, but I surely like the look of them.



Last of the quirky photos on this post, a lovely neon H that I photographed in the Pearl District. Naturally since both of my last names, single and married, begin with an H, I just had to take this photo.

UPDATE and I made it to work and back today!

UPDATE: I worked today from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., without needing a nap, dining on tidbits of cheese and crackers and fruit at my desk while I kept working--four hours means you don't qualify for a lunch hour, but I certainly didn't need one, and I know beyond any doubt that I'm not ready for however many hours you need to work to qualify for a lunch hour. I rode the bus to work with one transfer and not too far to walk from that last bus to the office. I rode the streetcar--boarding it right in front of the office, then transferred to the bus for the last leg of the home-bound commute. When I got off the bus two and a half blocks from home, I walked straight into Subway and got a six inch tuna on wheat with lettuce and tomato, a individual-sized bag of chips, and a cup of Coca-Cola. I walked on home, sat down in my apartment, and ate all of that Subway stuff. Now I'm ready to make an effort to stay awake until bed time and do it all over again tomorrow. Well, not the Subway part probably. I need to cook something to eat, but I'm not sure I'll have the energy this evening. We'll see. Thanks for every single prayer--I felt each one!



When I got off the bus at NE Couch and NE MLK to transfer to another bus for the rest of the work-bound commute, I saw the progress that has been made in building these two. I just read online that the one on the left will be 21 stories tall and is named Yard, not the Yard, just Yard. I'm not very happy about the changes in the view, nor am I happy about what the apartments in these two are likely to cost. Too many people are no longer able to live in inner Portland unless they have high-paying jobs. I believe that the city commissioners have dropped the ball about affordable housing in Portland. Shame on them.



Here's a short video that shows how the taller building on the left looked on June 10. Oh, well. I hope the building turns out to be not as ugly as lots of those which are being built in Portland's residential neighborhoods, also with crazy high rents, things like $1400 for a 570 square foot studio!



Not happy to be missing the Big Pink, I walked down to the corner for a look across the Burnside Bridge and took this photo to show you what we're missing.



Here's how I looked right after I arrived at the office today. Ready to go! I'm holding up my bus pass which we get for free--the best perk I've ever had--with its brand new 2016 sticker. The 2015 one expired today, so I'm thankful that I got to go back to work today early enough to get it before signing in at work.

UPDATE and I finally felt like sitting outside in the shade!

UPDATE: Slept pretty good last night, too. I am so pleased with that! I have felt OK in the brain and the body today, too. I am amazed that for two days in a row I've felt that way. Amazed! And oh so thankful! Y'all are a big part of this progress, with your prayers, love and concern. Thank you so much!



While I sat outside in my folding aluminum lawn chair, watching all sorts of vehicular traffic and pedestrians, I noticed my neighbor Birdie and her Daddy walking back to the building. I said, "Hi!" They walked over for a visit. Birdie's Daddy asked, "Do you want a picture with her?" after I kept on praising her coloring, her shiny coat, her sweet personality--which I always do because they are all true. Naturally, I wanted a photo, so I handed him my phone. Here's the last one he took; right afterwards, she gave me some sugar on my chin! Y'all not from the South may not realize that means a kiss, but, I promise, that's what it means. I'm a lucky ol' lady, y'all!



Here's the first photo, with her sweet face looking up at me. It is wonderful to have such good neighbors!

UPDATE with a video - Public art at Kaiser--I like it and what I believe it says about my current situation.

Today's video and a new hat! Lamont will be here in less than 30 minutes, ready to take me on this latest field trip, y'all! Thanks for the continued prayers, love and concern. I'll need them today since I've been awake since 2:30 a.m.--it's 6:40 a.m. as I typed. However, I did take all of my prescribed pre-chemo meds, including the Decadron which oughta rev me up like well-tuned muscle car engine! Hey, I've got lots of photos of those that I can share, not that I will know what sort they are, unless I took a photo of the windshield placard at the vintage vehicle event. I have a new goal as I search through my photos at Flickr. I love it!



The sign that explains the public art in the courtyard at Kaiser Interstate. I had to read the quotation twice to really get it, so I'm typing it here, just in case you're having the same difficulty - Anchored in the Future: I always have to dream up there against the stars. If I don't dream I'll make it, I won't even get close. Henry J. Kaiser. This interpretive historical sculpture commerates Henry Kaiser and his family, the physicians and countless others who have contributed to the health and growth of Portland and Vancouver.



The sculpture itself. The sign is on the leftmost rust-colored tip of what looks to be a ship aground. I prefer to think of it as a ship that has arrived for refurbishment, which is exactly what I'm doing at Kaiser Interstate, first at the Oncology Center and after that at the Radiation Center. I don't know if those are the official names of both, but you get my drift.

UPDATE, with a video - Some soothing photos that I decided to share with you.

UPDATE: Here you have it, my latest hat to cover my easily chilled, stubble-covered head. Plus my newest cup to use when I enjoy Twinings English Breakfast Tea. I lucked into it on Saturday at the Albertina Kerr thrift shop, known as Albertina's Closet.



Click on the video and you'll go to my Flickr account, then click on it again to watch. Enjoy!

Slept plenty last night, woke up right before 4 a.m. and stayed up because I didn't feel sleepy any longer. Tomorrow by this time I will have had blood drawn for the pre-chemo Round Two tests. Then on Wednesday morning, I have an 8 a.m. appointment with my chemo doctor which is scheduled prior to Round Two Chemotherapy.



Ginkgo tree leaves and April sunshine, taken at Lownsdale Park, downtown Portland.



Blossoms in the spring sunshine. I don't remember for sure where I took this photo because I see so many beautiful blooming trees in Portland. It's a lovely place in the spring.



My favorite shadows, these undulating along the sidewalk. I lucked into this photo in August, 2007, as I walked to the bus stop. We used to live in the Alphabet District in Northwest Portland, so my early morning work commute took me eastward.

UPDATE with video & photo - Look at these four fine young people enjoying one of my Portland Trail Blazers' season ticket holder perks!!

Update: Well, I got my hair clipped down to a Velcro-like stubble yesterday, professionally and in no time flat, by Rosa, my sweet friend and hairdresser.



Here's the big reveal! It's video, so when you click on it, you'll go to my Flickr account and have to click one more time to see and hear it. Thanks! Now, over 24 hours later, I'm completely at ease with how I look and ready for whatever is next. Chemo Round Two is Wednesday.



A photo that I took today, wearing a scarf which soon became loose. I'm not so sure about scarves. Maybe I'll come around because I believe I'm gonna have plenty of time to find out!



Back on August 5, I had hoped to go see the Portland Thorns play soccer at Providence Park. However, it turned out that my chemo port placement procedure got scheduled for first thing that morning, be at the hospital at 6:15 a.m. to check in. I knew I'd be very tired, still recovering from the July 29 Chemo Round One, plus the early rising to make that appointment. So, Lamont, Leland, Rachel and Brody enjoyed the soccer outing instead. They had a blast! The Thorns won 5-2! The kids also got a meal voucher for a hot dog, chips and soda. Oh, and the each got a cool pair of shades!