Somebody please tell me where October and November went? 

I checked out on 10/19 and got over the anesthetic about 36 hours ago, it seems.  The world went on, and apparently I had conversations I recall nothing of, and am delighted to hear I have agreed to a date at the opera in Houston next year!

So, since coming home it's just been hanging around getting over the Big Slice…  My Halloween surprise this year, and it looks it.

Sunday Jerry and I ventured out to church, and I sat in the pew with Jerry and listened to our magnificent choir and our terrific preacher. Only missed one Sunday in the whole ordeal!  Got seasick in the car for the first time but it quickly passed.  Later in the day my friend Maria came over and took me to get my shingles vaccination, having convinced me that among my other woes, I really don't need that one.

Then today Kyle came over and we caught up on our life adventures, went out for a bit at Cover3 in the 65 degree weather with the warm sunshine on my shoulder.  Oy, I feel a country song coming on…

Afterward I had Kyle take me to get a buzz cut on the hair.  I'll see Kelly tomorrow, or–more to the point, Kelly will see me tomorrow–so I promptly took a picture of myself and put it on Facebook, hoping to lessen the shock of seeing me for the first time.  We've broached the “c” word with Kelly now, and she knows I'm going to have chemo and will lose my hair.  Jerry feels I went a bit extreme, but I feel it will lessen the shock when it starts falling out for serious.

We've encouraged Kelly to go ahead and have Thanksgiving with promised-one Sterling and his family this year.  Sterling's folks moved to Galveston several years ago just in time for Ike to wipe their home and his step-dad's job off the map.  Since then they've been regrouping and finally have built their dream house in Elgin, after a long stretch in the RV.  It's a very exciting Thanksgiving for them, with all the grandbabies and family. 

Sterling and his family are a vital part of Kelly's network of support, and again, we are actively taking advantage of this episode in our lives to strengthen it.  Kelly has known the family for as long as she can remember.  She  loves them and they love her.  They are our older daughters' ages and will be here when we are gone.

I can hardly wait to start hugging all my buddies at the Ranch.  We've had a virus going around and I've stayed away as long as I can to avoid it.  But now…it's time.