Let's catch you up

Yes, it has been a while. Trust me, I'd rather be sharing a tale of two months of fun and frolic, but unfortunately, that isn't going to be the case.

As you may remember, my Dad has been battling both lymphoma and pancreatic cancer. We were hopeful that the latter had been removed via a very nasty, extensive surgery. He had started up with chemo for the lymphoma, which seemed to be going very well. The chemo was a bitch, but he was keeping a stiff upper lip, as is Dad's way. The biggest issue was the recurrent fevers, which happened about a week in to each course. His blood grew out bacteria, which was thought to be the problem. He went on antibiotics, the fevers went away, and we went on.

Thanksgiving came, and Dad couldn't enjoy it with the family because of the fevers. Soon after the holiday, he was back in the hospital with another fever. More bacteria grew out of his blood. As part of the workup, the docs did a CT scan, which showed spots on his liver. We were told it was most likely the pancreatic cancer that had spread, and that Dad was unlikely to see 6 months.

Merry Christmas.

The biopsy, however, gave us a different diagnosis: liver abscess. Dad was put on six weeks of home antibiotics, got a one month reprieve from chemo, and was able to enjoy the holiday. Two weeks later, the follow-up CT showed the spots were increasing. The biopsy this time wasn't good. It is the cancer.

So, my Dad is dying. God, that's hard to write. Right now, though, he feels great. He has gained weight back, is active, and seems to have taken the news as a call to arms. He is now in the process of, for lack of a better term, checking off items on his own personal bucket list. Mom is encouraging him to ask for anything that would make him happy. They're hoping to get up to Maine one last time to partake of the lobsters, as well as take a trip to a bed and breakfast they frequent once or twice every year. We're going out the the local Brazilian steakhouse Thursday--a place Dad has never thought reasonable to visit because of its cost.

This isn't easy. It's a day by day thing. You just hope there are going to be a lot of good days before the bad ones arrive. Right now, it's all about making it to one important event, then moving on to the next. He needs to get to Toledo to watch my nephew play basketball, then my niece is the title character in "Annie" at the end of March. It would be awesome for things to be good through June, when he and Mom are to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

We just don't know. Day by day.

So, on top of all of this, I met a guy. We started dating soon after the abscess diagnosis, which was very good timing. I thought we were hitting it off, at least it seemed that way from everything he was saying. Then the lines of communication shut down. I haven't seen him since just after Christmas, and every time I actually have been able to make contact, he has had one excuse after another about why he can't see me. I think I'm being blown off, but I really hate the cowardice of not telling me straight up. On top of all that's going on with Dad, I have been an emotional waste product of late.

Thankfully, I have my friends and my job to take my mind off stuff. There's some knitting, too, but you'll excuse me if I don't get too picturesque tonight. I promise the happy Leona will return in due course.

So, the Browns go another Sunday without losing....

Of course, they didn't play either week, but I'll take anything positive I can get this season. They'll get killed tomorrow night on national TV, which will be lovely.

Go Cavs.

Things around here have been fairly non-descript of late. Dad is coming up on the halfway mark for his chemo next week, which is nice to see. He's done pretty well, for the most part. A couple of fevers have thrown wrenches into the works, though. Personally, I think one of the drugs he's receiving (the white blood cell enricher) is doing it to him, but the docs have to play it safe whenever he gets the fever and work it up like it's an infection.

Even though I know this, it's still frustrating.

Mom has been doing her best to fatten him back up again. The new endocrinologist on the case has made it clear that low carb is not the way to go. He has been given permission to eat anything he wants, and adjust his insulin as he goes. Strict glucose control, for a surgically-created diabetic, isn't that important.

Good thing, because Mom has come up with 700 calorie protein-enriched fruit smoothies that are very tasty to Dad, whose taste buds aren't too happy on the chemo.

On the knitting front, I finished a project. Remember the Red Rocks Pullover from early this year? Well...

....it's now the Red Rocks Pullover Vest. I was working on the sleeves, and the enthusiasm just wasn't there like it was back in February. I held up the body of the thing, and the light went on. A couple of hours of ribbing, and voila!

Given that the heating and cooling system in my office is shaky at best (my exam rooms are usually hotter than Hades), the vest may be the better way to go.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

There's one plus to a cold fall day in Ohio

Ohio apples on sale today. Yum!!

And today's daytime high in hades: 32 degrees

Hold on to your hats, folks. You're about to see a finished project that has been languishing for, well, forever. Thanks to a serious case of inspiration (and some seriously lousy weather), I present the finally completed Great American Afghan!

I put the blocks together with single crochet, then did a half-double crochet edging. There are a couple of blocks that are a bit wonky from a fitting standpoint (generally, they're green in color and a bit larger than the others), but I really could care less at this point.

The damn thing is no longer in pieces parts sitting in front of my TV!!!!

Not sure where I'm putting it. Doesn't that just figure? I'm sure Grady will use it as a bed wherever it goes.

And, frighteningly enough, I will be working on another afghan in the not-so-distant future. Just waiting to see where my nephew winds up going to college. Thankfully, KnitPicks has an array of superwash yarns to fit any university's colors!

I also managed to crank out another vest in the past two weeks:

This is a simple ribbed pullover vest done in Crystal Palace Merino 5, which is the nicest superwash wool I have ever used. The top half is done in a K1/P1 broken rib, the bottom in a K1/P1 broken rib. Best part of all: no blocking! Of course, now that it's done, the temperatures have been in the 60's, and I'm wearing short sleeve shirts to work.

I'm not worried. This is Northeast Ohio. In late October. Grossness is inevitable.