Second Opinions And Purple Bandanas

My sister went down to SF today to see "an expert" on her type of cancer. I haven't heard anything back yet, nor will I until she returns later tonight. While driving down the road on errands, I saw a woman walking her dog. Around her dog's neck was a purple bandana, which are being sold all around town to help raise funds for Sandy's treatment. On the bandana, are the words "Dogs For Sandy".

My sister has always had a "gift" with animals. It seems she has cracked the human code in recent years, and for this, I am so proud of her.

I went up to see Pops yesterday at my old home. I hadn't been there in a few years. Pops is suffering more from being "diagnosed" with an illness, than any illness. He now has Parkinson's, and it is affecting him some. But hell, for a 73 year old man, he still kicks some ass.

I told him straight up to not let the diagnosis become a self-fulfilling notion. He is depressed about his new disease, as well as news about my sister.

"You're too damn old to get depressed over shit like that," I told him. "Go out and grab some titty and pinch some ass and challenge your friends to games of raquetball, you old codger, you..."

I think Pops is far too proper for any of my suggestions, but I think he got what I was trying to say.

I smell like steer manure typing this. I put down new layers of shredded bark to shut down the weeds growing in my sister's front yard. I then went out and got some compost, and put her herb beds and flower beds in a state of plant-bliss by giving them a layer of green compost and water...

I can grow a wart on a mole in a hole if you ever need gardening advice...

Santa Rosa's freeways have been torn up for a couple of years now. They are redoing EVERYTHING. It makes my hometown ugly and dusty and a little bit weird.

If you like the burbs, this is still a pretty nice area of the world to live.

The weather is some of the best I have ever come across. Anywhere.

ADDENDUM- Sandy returned from her doctor in good spirits. The prognosis is reasonable, considering the type of cancer. They are not going to remove the tumor, they are going to starve it of estrogen (by removing ovaries) and the doctor feels like Sandy could live many years with that condition in stasis.

"If it starts to grow, then we'll have to have another approach, but for now, we'll just starve the tumor and see how many years we can keep it under control."

This is all a far cry from what her insensitive and not very adept Kaiser doctot told her.