Home for 4th of July

I’m currently at home in Buffalo, NY at my parents to celebrate the 4th of July holiday with my family. After driving almost 9 hours Thursday to get here I spent time with a few friends, my god son, and my parents.

Today is going to be spent with a few one of my brothers, his wife, and three boys (Denver, CO), along with one of my sisters, her husband, and three boys (Columbus, OH). Relaxing and getting ready for the big party on Saturday, which includes my other sister, her husband, and two girls (Buffalo, NY), along with my other brother (Buffalo, NY), two aunts and uncles (Rochester, NY) and a bunch of their kids and grand kids (Rochester, NY and Centreville, VA).

Today should be filled with a seeing how much all my nieces and nephews have grown over the last year, since I have seen most of them. Mostly time will be spent playing hockey in the driveway, swimming in the pool, and a whole lot of cards. We are more of a gin and euchre type of crowd. Even my almost 13 year old (in less than two weeks) and his 10 (?) brother have been playing for a few years and are fairly good last time we played.

The big crowd of 34 people does not get to my parents until Saturday around 1:00 PM. At that time there will 20 adults, if you count me and a few of the others that act like kids most days and then 14 children that are 13 and under. Most are in the 4 to 8 year old range. It should be a nice quite affair at my parents.

Hope you all have a a great 4th of July and drive safely if traveling.

Please leave a message of your plans or what you end up doing for the holiday.

Being Thankful with only 3 Days Left

I’m thankful for a lot o  things this year. Mostly that my mother is doing really well after her operation to remove as much of the ovarian cancer that the doctors could. I’m also thankful that the chemo is going really well. I talked with her just today and she sounds the best I’ve heard her in the last few months.

Enough about that, I mostly started writing this post to remind you that there are only three days left (11/26/2007) for you to place your order for the One Laptop per Child (OLPC).  At this time people in the United States and Canada can give one laptop to a child in an under privileged country and also get one for a child they know back here. This will cost you $400 for the two laptops.

I ordered my the first day back about ten days ago. Instead of going to Future of Web Design in New york City and staying a few days I went to visit my parents and used the money I was going to spend there on getting the OLPC. I still have not quite figured out what I am going to do with my laptop, since I have six nephews and two nieces. I figure I’m going to see what type of tutorials, websites, etc. I can build to use on them. Once that is done I will find it a good home for it.

So, please do what you can and get one or gather your friends together and each pitch in twenty, forty, or even fifty dollars so you can help others that is what Thanksgiving and the holiday season is really about.

Mom Made it Home Yesterday

My mother made it home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. About 8:10 pm I got a phone call from my parents telling me my Mother had made it home. I figured that I was not going to call home until later today, so she could rest up some.

They gave her some chemo on Tuesday while still at the hospital. She said she had to call the doctor early next week to set up her appointment for the next set of chemo for her ovarian cancer that is still there in little bits and pieces in her abdomen.

She told me my aunt and uncle (my father’s sister and husband) stopped and picked up a Wegman’s whole cooked chicken for the four of them. I was not sure if my mom was allowed to eat much solid food yet, since she had intestine and bowel removed. She told me she could eat soft foods,but no steak yet even thou yesterday they gave her a pork chop. I figured that would mean no meats at all.

It was nice to talk to her even for a short time since she is in Buffalo, NY and I’m here in DC.

Posted in Mom

Why “PINK” for October?

Incase you are wondering why my website is now PINK it is to mark the month of October which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As some of you might know my mother went into the hospital about September 17. A few days later they in formed her that she had ovarian cancer. On Friday September 21, they operated and took out all the girl parts as my father said, along with some small intestine and bowel that had ovarian cancer on it. She’s doing much better now. Since, I’m here and she is they are had not been able to talk to her until today. She sounded really good and is waiting for them to chemo while she’s still at the hospital.

I know this is not the same type of cancer, but if I can help in anyway toget onemore person to be aware of this I am glad I could help. I would not ahve known about this it was not for the Twitter of Patrick Haney a friend from Boston, who by the way is not a sausage.

Pink For October was started last year by the one and only (that I know of) Matthew Oliphant as a way to promote and educate people about National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This will be the second year in a now yearly tradition after quite a bit of participation in 2006.

How Can I Participate?

You can show your support in a number of different ways, it’s up to you

  • Make your website/blog pink for the month of October and link back to Pink For October’s website
  • Donate money to breast cancer research
  • Add Pink For October badges to your site
  • Educate yourself about breast cancer facts and share those facts with other people to spread the word

Or any combination of the above.