Thanks

What do you think of the new theme? Seems seasonally appropriate. Feeling thankful tonight. Finished decorating the Christmas tree a little bit ago. I read a Facebook post from a friend talking about home being your sanctuary. Your place to detach, find peace and be comfortable. Well, putting up the tree definitely helps. The only downside is that it semi-blocks the remote control signal when sitting at the dining room table. Oh boo hoo! I’ll just start eating in the Lazy Boy. Got it almost in center of the room in front of the big screen but close enough to play nosey neighbor out the curtain. It’s raining fairly hard cause I can hear the drops patting against the window. Anyway, posting tonight because I’m busy tomorrow and leaving town Wednesday for extended holiday. Looking forward to watching the Eeers Pitt Panthers from the sidelines at Heinz field on Friday. Hopefully get to call a few plays…ha ha! Seriously though, the best place to watch a game is from the sidelines. I’ll be sure and take some pics! Speaking of football. Have a great analogy a friend shared with me today. Life is not about touchdowns because you can never reach the goal line. Life is about first downs. You get knocked down, you get up and try again. Repeat often until you cannot anymore, physically. Not much else to report….you know me. Any day above ground is a good day.

I sincerely hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving, count all your blessings and if you’re travelling, are safe.

God Bless,

Chip

Good weekend

Friday eveing looked to be uneventful until I got a call from my good friend Mike Collins. Mike was in town for a book signing and decided to call and see if I was up for dinner. A chance to visit with Mike? Of course!! Really made my evening.

On Saturday morning I had breakfast with my good friend and mentor David Clayman. I have such incredible respect and admiration for David. I respect him for his accomplishments and contributions to the community and admire him for his uncanny ability to tell it like it is. Spent the rest of the day test driving sports cars. Seriously considering the Mazda RX8 but I really love the Subaru. After hiking at the forest this afternoon I stopped to get groceries and they had fresh Christmas trees for $29. So I threw one on top the Subaru, strapped it down and it’s up in the house already. Can’t do that in an RX8. Maybe I could buy a beater truck and spray paint “farm use” on the side for the dirty stuff. By the way, they do make bike and kayak racks for the RX8. Went to River Ridge Church this morning. Been struggling with finding a church home for several months now. I had been there several times before but it didn’t click with me. Today it did. I look around and think I could call it home. Already have many friends going there, the pastor is good and music is moving while staying succintly on message. Is that what they call a trifecta? Feel like there is so much more to write about but my eyes are so heavy and it’s only 9:15p. I think I’ll give in and go to bed.

PS- 19,000 page views on blog since it’s inception on 7-13-07. Thank you Paul for getting me started!

One last thing just for fun…. video.

G’night.

Perspective

Earlier this week I attended the event celebrating the “Young Guns” in WV. WV Executive Magazine accepts nominations from across the state for people under 40 that are recognized as rising stars and those that are working to make WV a better place. Interestingly enough I met a man that has had a successful career in medicine. At age 60 he actually died and was brought back to life. He said he remembered sitting in a chair looking at the white light and people kept swooshing by him. Men, women, kids, people with briefcases were passing by at an incredibly fast pace. He said he remembered asking why he was in the chair and when was it his turn. Just when he did that the light went away and he was brought back. Only memory from being unconscious for three weeks. As he told the story his wife stood by and I could just feel her warmth and love for him. He’d been to death’s door and she stood by him through it all. A real testament to their love, companionsip and life together.

The second story I want to share is one from today. I was sitting in the doctors office when a couple about my age sat in two chairs next to me. They were reviewing his CBC blood report and talking about the same things my Oncologist talks about. I can’t say for sure but it really sounded like he has the same Leukemia as I do. I could hear the concern in his questions as his wife explained to him about the changes in his neutrophil levels and what it possibly meant. When the neutrophil levels start getting far out of range it means that the condition is worsening, the drug isn’t working, etc. I cried for them both as I know their fear but was comforted as I glanced up and saw them embracing each other and reassuring each other. I can relate to that too. We don’t want to face things alone and often we don’t but when we have to we have to look to what makes us strong like family, faith that God will provide and comfort us and that our lives are meant for a reason. Reasons sometimes unbeknownst to us but we have to wait and listen patiently for that reason and find peace with it. So please find peace with your reason for living and live it.

whet appetite

There is a storm front moving in tonight but it will be just warm enough to get a few hours in on Woodrum Lake tomorrow. I can’t resist. I have to get my new/used kayak on the water. Hopefully, there won’t be anyone out on the lake. It’s a little secluded and it is primarily used by fisherman as it has a 10 horsepower motor limit. I have much of the necessary gear thanks to Paula McCoy. It’s supposed to be raining with a high of 56 but I’m going anyway. Need to get out on the water.

Well, it’s about 10:30p on Saturday now and wow, what a day. I made it to the lake about 8a and got to paddling fairly quickly. It rained hard off and on, the wind blew hard and the lake was beautiful otherwise. Fish weren’t biting but I didn’t care so much. It was just great to be out there. Docked for a while and went hiking looking for a spot to bury some memories and demons. Found a great outcropping of rocks and a grand daddy of an old oak tree to do so. There were so many interesting things to take pics of…I’ve put them below. I’m pretty sore now…that’ll happen after 6 miles. I was dry for 5.5 miles of it. Yep, I dumped the kayak. Yes, I was alone. Yes, I was wearing my lifevest. Yes, the water was cold. Yes, a canoe weighs about 300 lbs. when full of water and is hard to paddle it to shore. Yes, I managed to save everything including my dignity. I’m no Survivorman but I’m no dummy. Had dinner with friends/Rotarians from the Vandalia Club and went to the symphony concert. Very good but I’m so tired…have to wait another 20 minutes because rain suit is still in dryer. 

never seen this beforeole stumpy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

weird log

Buried something here

fuzzy log

Ok…g’night.

kayak!

Well, thanks to your support my friend won the “Best Radio Station Website in America” award from the Radio Advertising Bureau! This is a significant accomplishment for an entrepreneur from Charleston, WV. His work was up against multi-billion dollar companies like Viacom’s CBS Radio. Congrats Gregg and thanks to all who voted!

I went to Cincinnati this past weekend to visit with Cuzn Tommy. He sold me one of his kayaks and we celebrated Carly’s big promotion. Congrats Carly! The girls, Amber and Laurel, are beautiful, behaved and doing great. Went for a hike this am to see where Tommy hunts and saw a deer rub bigger than I’ve never seen in my life. So, that bodes well for hunting season for him. Then I strapped my new toy to the Subaru and made my way home. Spent the evening cleaning the house and am adjusting to some of the recent interior desigb changes. Still need to purge more clothes. I think I may have to allow myself to keep only three or less t-shirts that I haven’t worn in the past two years. Am doing well and hope everyone who stops by to read is doing great.

Chip

3 month doc visit

On Friday I went to see my Oncologist, Dr. Frame. Happy to report that the complete blood count results are great. Now that the white blood count has stabilized the Dr. is looking at the “neutrophil” related reports with more scrutiny. I’m not equipped to elaborate but I can say that the neutrophil data points on the CBC are directly related to normal white blood cell production which is consistent and constant. Basically it means that the medicine is working properly and I am getting the best possible results that can be expected. The DNA test that can detect as few as two leukemic cells out of 2 million will be back in two weeks.

Many people on Gleevec don’t get the results that I’m getting or as quickly. Many people go years and years without it going into a controlled state. As I say, any day above ground is a good day.  In the movie Shawshank Redemption Andy Dufresne refers to doing time in prison quite simply. Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’. I think you can apply that to anything in life. Me, I’m for livin’…..