It's 10 PM and my day is finally over!  Started off getting up to use the bathroom.  It was still dark so assumed I could climb back into bed.  Glanced at our clock radio and it read 8:10 which of course was 7:10 because we had not changed it for daylight savings time.  Still, panic....In Hawaii it was totally light by 6:20 AM so I'm a little off kilter with this darkness thing then realize that I have 50 minutes to shower, have breakfast and be at the hospital for my bloodwork.  Didn't quite make it but I was there by 8:10 which was acceptable.  There was, as I anticipated a wait but not as long as I had expected so got in there relatively quickly.  Asked the tech how long it would take for the results to be processed and she said an hour to an hour and a half.  My treatment was booked for 9:30 so I'm already realizing it's going to be late.  Did my usual observation of patients....watched at least three throw various versions of hissy fits while getting their blood taken.  One was on the recliner balling, another bunched his face up and groaned and the third just looked at the roof with absolute terror.  All of these people were patients up in the daycare so can't imagine how they take their chemo when a simple blood test sends them into various fits.  (Here I should apologize for my callousness as I am sure there are readers out there who have this needle phobia.....I even know of a few of you but will be kind enough not to mention any names!)  Anyways...finished up there and headed up to the coffee shop to get a latte.  I have become quite spoiled since my visit to Maui.  Duane was up every single morning making us lattees before any of us even got downstairs.  This morning I didn't even have time for a coffee before leaving home so needed a little kick start at this point as I knew this was going to be one heck of a long day.  Got up to the daycare and found, as expected the blood work had not yet come in so was told to just sit and wait.  Well, you should have seen that waiting room this morning.  There was hardly a seat in the place, probably because of yesterdays closure.  I sat beside a man who was there for his first treatment.  He had tongue cancer and was quite nervous about what was to come.  On top of that he told me he was having trouble swallowing his pills so I shared the applesauce tip that Marion gave me and the crushed banana trick that I later discovered for myself.  I then told him about the dissolving anti nausea drugs that my daughter put me onto so he was pretty happy about that.  Finally got called in around 10:15 although my drugs had still not arrived from pharmacy.  You sit in cubicles with another patient and I had three cubicle mates over the course of the time I was there.  All, in my opinion were in a worse state than I.  And I gladly chirped away on advice and pep talks for the entire duration of my treatment.  I had taken my kindle, my i phone, my computer, and my journals to kill the time and I didn't pull one of them out of my backpack I was so busy chatting people up!  The funniest one though was the second fellow.  He was having chemo and radiation and had terrible sores on his lips.  I burned my lips in Hawaii and found that the polysporin lip stuff was an amazing cure for the problem so I asked him if he had tried that one.  Fortunately his nurse was there when I offered up this suggestion and countered my advice by saying you couldn't use polysporin because it is petroleum based.  I jokingly said "What happens....do you spontaneously combust?"  She looked at me with dead seriousness and said it was a possibility.  I don't recall getting that advice before I had radiation so am just grateful I didn't have lip sores as I very well not be here to tell this tale!  The second funny thing was I was telling one of my cubicle mates about the show of terror I had watched in the lab.  I then told him and the nurse that my Mom used to be a nurse and the one thing she didn't have patience for was people who carried on like Pansies!  For pete's sake it doesn't hurt a bit."  The nurse agreed with me and then proceeded to do this guys IV.  Oh boy....guess what....a pansy!

This was the first chemo I have gone to without the company of a family member.  Geoff of course is in China, Kelli is back in Vancouver doing a rotation and getting packed up to move back to Calgary at the end  of the month and Bill was heading out to our friends' place to pick up Boomer.  I was just thinking about this when my phone rang and surprised me. Upon answering there was my dear daughter calling to see how things were going.  Even though she couldn't be there in person she took the time to call me and check up on how things were going.  Thank you Kelli!  It made my day!  Then there were also several texts from Bill....again....thank you Bill!  He texted to ask if my drugs had arrived and I advised I was just having the appetizer (hydration), or as they would call appetizers in Hawaii pupus and I was awaiting the main course.  He texted back and said "You mean poo poos!"  My response....."Actually, Shit shits!"  Probably not funny to you but it was to me!

Finished up around 3 and discovered I had lost my parking pass for the day.  Oh well, not to worry, I knew I was at the maximum $13 anyways and that is what they charge you for a lost ticket.  Headed off, picked up a few groceries and returned home to discover my fur child, Boomer, had returned home looking fat and happy!  It's great to have him home, although the first few walks with him are painful.  On our afternoon walk (which was short) I figured he marked at least 21 spots to let all the canines in the community know he had arrived home.  Then tonight we did the short loop around the block and he managed to pee a dozen times along the way.  I am totally awestruck by this capability.  When I reflect on the good old urine test we have all been subjected to where you are told to void a small amount, stop  and pee in the plastic cup to a certain level, stop and empty the remainder of your bladder into the toilet bowl.....This I find a total challenge, don't know about the rest of you.  So I cannot even imagine doing it 12 to 21 times on a walk around the block. Boomer, you are my hero!

Had a quick dinner and headed off to Sait for my Basic Photography class that I am taking with my friend Brenda.  She said she would wait for me outside the classroom and gave me some instructions where to go.  I got to Sait and parking was impossible.  I tried three different lots and all were full.  I thought the course was at 6 so was in major panic.  Finally went down a road in the complex and miraculously found a spot where there was no signage and another vehicle was parked there.  Took a second and third look and couldn't see anything saying you could not park there so pulled in but put the steering wheel lock on thinking it would be difficult to tow the vehicle if the steering wheel was locked.  Found the class and all the students (except Brenda) were sitting outside the class at tables and chair awaiting the instructors arrival.  All  had tripods as Brenda had told me we would need one for this weeks class.  Well, the instructor arrived but no Brenda so I went in, sat down and saved her a seat.  The instructor counted how many people were there and said "One missing so we will get started."  Well the subject matter didn't seem to jive with what Brenda had told me they had done last week but I was madly scribbling down notes and resisting asking questions as it was probably stuff I should know from the previous week that I had missed because I was on holiday.  Then he asked a question about the assignment and although I had done the assignment Brenda told me to do, it didn't seem to be the same subject matter that this guy was talking about, however, I miraculously put up my hand and got the right answer.  There were three possible answers so I guess my guessing average was pretty good.  I'm sitting there wondering where the heck Brenda was when two other girls walked in.  "Ah, the teacher said....everyone is here!"  I'm thinking, Brenda's not here and he said only one was missing and two just walked in.  Do the math.....I'm starting to figure it out.  I'm in the wrong place.  Finally at 7 he told us to take a break because he was going to introduce us to some heavy stuff before we changed location to go do some shooting with our cameras.  As far as I was concerned we had already covered the heavy stuff.  I didn't have a clue what he was talking about.   I took this opportunity to slide up and quietly ask if there was another photography class happening tonight because I had suspicions I was in the wrong spot.  Sure enough, Basic Photography was next door.  So I walked in 30 minutes late with my tail between my legs and missed the first half hour of teaching.  There was Brenda sitting there wondering where the heck I was.

Good class though....lots of info to process and I am quite distressed there is an exam and assignment you need to do to pass the course.  I haven't written an exam since I took the open water sailing course with Bill, Jenifer and Gary when we did a week of Sail and Learn out on the west coast a few years back.  If it hadn't been for Bill not covering his test paper,  and the instructor looking the other way, I'm not sure the three of us would have passed the test!

Class finished at 9:30 and I'm starting to think about where I had parked, hoping I didn't get a ticket!  No SUCH LUCK!  I came around the corner and there it was pinned under my windshield wiper!  Darn, darn, darn!  I whipped the ticket off the windshield but couldn't read it in the dark, walked around and checked again for signage and couldn't see any, got into my car and turned on the light and tried to read what it was for....illegal parking on private parking whatever the heck that means!  Just then Brenda drove up and laughed at me!  I hopped out and said do you see a sign saying "No Parking" and she didn't at which point I said "I'm not paying this damn thing!"  The only problem is they probably won't let me sign up for future courses if I don't.   Think at the very least I should write a letter.  Maybe I could take a photo of the lack of signage (although I'm suspecting if I go back in daylight I may see it) or perhaps I could try the sympathy approach....I was suffering from chemo brain?" Or maybe I should take my lumps and pay the darn ticket?????!!!!!

So the worst thing that happened today....."I SPENT $53 ON PARKING!"  The best thing that happened today...."I'M GOING TO BED!"