Had a slow start but rallied and decided we would visit a couple of adventure travel agencies and start investigating a trip we would like to do to Africa in the fall with Geoff and Lindsey and Kelli and Mike.  Bill and Kelli were in Africa a few years back.  Kelli had gone to Ghana to do a volunteer stint in a hospital with Projects Abroad and Bill met her when she was finished and they hiked up Kilamanjaro.  I stayed home and worked and have regretted that decision ever since.  Africa is a dream trip I have always wanted to do.  Having said that I would tell you that almost any trip is a dream trip for me.  If you haven't guessed it...I LOVE TO TRAVEL!  When I was growing up it just wasn't something most young people did.  My parents expected me to get an education and start a career.  I was married at 23 and had Geoff when I was 27.  One thing I have really noticed in the past few years is how much young people travel with young kids.  Our travel with kids consisted of trips to Windermere which I in no way regret.   I just finished doing two baby albums, one for each of my kids and it made me smile to see all the wonderful, happy times we enjoyed up at the lake with my Mom and Dad over the years.  My own kids however, are following a totally different path.  Geoff and Lindsey have the goal to see 30 countries before they turn 30.  Lindsey still has time to reach her goal but Geoff turns 30 on February 25 and he has made it to 30 different countries!  Kelli too, has done extensive travel to many exotic and interesting places all over the world.  It has shaped them into the people they have become.  I will always remember that trip Kelli did to Ghana.  She was trying to get into Medical School at the time and thought a volunteer stint in Africa might be beneficial.  She also had a genuine interest in participating in that experience, however, soon learned that if you are going to travel to these countries to provide medical aide you need some medical skills.  Her very first patient was a man with malarian.  As they were wheeling him down the hall he seized and bit his tongue off.  That very same day she had a young boy come in who had severed his hand from his wrist.  Her job was to walk him down the hall with a bucket under his bleeding stub.  I always said that if she still wanted to be a doctor after those experiences it would be a miracle.  The sanitation conditions were horrendous, the hospital was under equipped and they treated unskilled volunteers like Kelli as if they were trained medical staff.  It was quite the sobering learning experience.  I know she hopes to return to do some volunteer work in some of these countries in the future with a whole new skill set and something to actually offer, other than enthusiasm and compassion.

We finished up with the travel agencies and headed over to the Main Dish in Bridgeland where we had lunch.  When I first got sick my badminton buddies gave me a gift card for there and I still have a little money left on the card.  It is quite the place.  You can have lunch there but you can also purchase pre made, delicious, healthy gourmet meals.  I have enjoyed numerous meals there courtesy of my friends over the past year and the food is always really good.

We came home and Boomer and I headed up to Nose Hill for our afternoon walk.  The paths up there are pretty icy and the going was slow but it was a beautiful day and the slow pace was welcomed by me.  I don't know if you remember my story from back when I was first diagnosed where I met a fellow whose kids I had taught a number of years ago.  I told him about my diagnosis and his response at the time was "Well, when your numbers up, your numbers up!".  I ran into him again today.  Now don't get me wrong.....he's a very nice person but he just has a knack for saying the wrong thing.  Today, after commenting on how "fat" Boomer was looking he asked how I was doing.  I told him that things were going very well and we were hopeful that I was going to be clear after these Mop Up Rounds of Chemo.  He said he hadn't seen me in awhile and was concerned that well......you know....he was concerned.  I told him that we had been packing a lot of living around my medical schedule and had been doing lots of travelling.  "Well, that's good"....."You should do it while you can!"    Man, I wanted to pop him in the nose!  I don't even think he gives a thought to what comes out of his mouth.  Perhaps I'm a little sensitive but these are not comments most people would make even if they were thinking them.

I was supposed to meet a couple of friends for coffee tonight but the gas tank was empty. Instead I'm cuddled with my blanket in my chair cheering on the Flames.  1-1 in the third......fingers crossed.  I actually think they deserve this game!