Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Look at those Snappers!

Brain cancer is...

...taking care of routine maintenance.

Darrell hates going to the dentist. He says its because he doesn't like sitting so long.  But today?  He did it!  And his extreme sitting efforts paid off:  Look at those snappers!

More great news?  No more dentist for Darrell until September!

(PS...If Darrell can do it, you can do it.  When was your last check up?)

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Rain Came.

Brain cancer is...

 

...dodging rain drops.


Darrell survived the morning storm, and the afternoon storm never materialized.  All fingers crossed for more rain later this week.

Happy Second Birthday, Mousse.

And thanks for all the happiness you've added to the family during those two years.

Monday, February 26, 2018

Temecula for Two

Brain cancer is...

 ...seeing Temecula as a twosome.

Usually we hang out with friends when we visit Temecula.  With Beth and Geoff choosing to work today (weird!), we saw some of Temecula on our own. 

While walking at the Duck Pond (above), we saw this beauty:

We apologize for our fascination with waterfowl, but look!  It's a black duck--the first in our adventures. We think it's a Cayuga duck.

(One day recently we spent a few miles of our walk trying to discern the species of Daffy Duck.  Let's just say we've never been closer to solving that mystery.)

Beth was spot on with her recommendation for the Goat and Vine for lunch.

We made it home in time for the Guillaume Alienist party.

Come on rain!



Sunday, February 25, 2018

Urban Trekking

Brain cancer is...

Ending the Day at Anthony's

...surprise! Enjoying another day in Temecula.

Readers' Advisory:  This post is not for readers who feel pressed for time.

Oddly, we woke up in our Temecula suite with another day ahead of us!  (Not all that odd.  Darrell often books a second day when he can, as you know.)

I had a tentative plan of heading back to the Santa Rosa Plateau for a wildlife hike.  However, after pumpkin pancakes for breakfast with Beth and Geoff, Darrell devised a different plan for us to get in our steps and still make it to dinner.  (Work! Work! Work!)

His solution:  Urban trekking.


We started with the best cheap date place ever:  Michaels.

Then we headed to a Big Lots that looked like the one in the commercials.

Next we stepped over to Armstrong's, where we'd actually like to live.


Then we checked out more garden accessory awesomeness at Home Goods.

Exhausting!  We recharged at lunch.  Urban trekking necessity?  Restaurants that offer an iced tea to go...for that final mile.


Phew!  Nice job, Darrell, devising another sort of plan for 12,831 steps.

Saturday, February 24, 2018

Here's to Local Wines and Friends of Longstanding!

Brain cancer is...


...enjoying the evening with Beth and Geoff.

First winery, now dinner.  Here's to friends of longstanding!  Happy Saturday!

(PSA:  Geoff wants you to know that the Gambling Cowboy has no corkage fee for any local wine.)

Friday, February 23, 2018

Writing His Wife Out of a Job

Brain cancer is...

Clouds:  Where you at?

 ...writing his wife out of a job.

Today was a great day.  Surprise!

In Glendora, we enjoyed stories and breakfast with Gordon and lunch and adventures with LuAnn.  However, we didn't take many photos (by "we" I mean "I").

On the way home, Darrell composed today's post.  Here it is:

"Today we didn't take many photos with the camera, but we took photos with our hearts.  Here's to Friday and the photos you took today in your hearts."

Yeah.  What he said.  Looks like I'm out of job.




Thursday, February 22, 2018

"It's Beautiful in Every Direction."

Brain cancer is...

 ...looking in all directions.

When I took the above picture looking south this morning, Darrell looked north.  He concluded, "It's beautiful in every direction."  He was, again, correct.

Here's the 15-second video evidence, if you can handle a spinning video:


Thanks for the reminder, Darrell.

We hope everyone is keeping warm!

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

We Love A.T.!

Brain cancer is...

 ...a great supporter of A.T.

The year was 2006.  Ruth, Hallie, and Andi published a book called 50 Strategies for Active Teaching (AT for short).  Based on research about classroom life and about how people learn, the book gives many (50) ways for teachers to take charge of engaging their students in deep, interactive, meaningful learning.  Darrell thinks it's a pretty good book.  Correction:  Darrell thinks that it's a great book.

Ruth, Hallie, and I need to do the math (we like to count things), but I estimate we've done perhaps100 workshops to help new and practicing teachers hone their active teaching skills.

Today was the last AT workshop on our calendars.*  We presented to a group of nearly 100 secondary--middle and high school--teachers in Irvine Unified School District.  

Above Darrell sent us on our way.  Here are a few pics of what happened next.


Ruth leading True/False Sort

Andi leading Group Graphs


Hallie leading Up and Out
We love clean up time.  Really.
Here's to good teaching, good times, and good friends.


------------------------------------------
*We will happily do more AT workshops; we just don't have others booked currently. This workshop was also the last scheduled teaching on Andi's spring 2018 calendar. 

Photo credits: Some photos by Ruth, Hallie, and Mary Beth.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Just Sitting Around

Brain cancer is...

...just sitting around all day.

First

at the optometrist.  Scratched eye, healing nicely.


Next
Checked into our Claremont hotel.
Then


enjoying the Village.

Until


Back in our room.
The grand finale for sitting around?


Date Night with Melanie and Gail.

We hope you're sitting in some choice places today too.  

Monday, February 19, 2018

Midway Monday

Brain cancer is...


...halfway through the Alienist.  

Darrell grilled burgers for Episode Five (of ten) of the Alienist.  We have seen the face of the suspected killer.  Will there be other plot twists?  Stay tuned!  (Side note:  The plot has diverged from that of the book, so I am of no assistance.)

You see by the attire, perhaps, that it's chilly!

Warm wishes on a cool evening.




Sunday, February 18, 2018

Darrell Gets His Snack Pack

Brain cancer is...

..a snack fan.

You know it's going to be a great day--despite the fact that you have to return home after a great mini vacation--when the Amtrak snack bringer gets you your snack pack before your train stop.

We hope you're having a great day too.


Saturday, February 17, 2018

Family Fun

Brain cancer is...

...enjoying family in Oxnard. 

How to know we are with our Oxnard family?  See above (peanut brittle).

What a great day in the sunshine with...

...Linda, Brady, Christian, and Bennett!

We enjoyed fish tacos together on the pier, conversations at home, and Brazilian for dinner.


Does it get any better than family?


Friday, February 16, 2018

Always Check Your Dots or The Magic of Team D

Brain cancer is...

..always learning.

We had a tough time at the park today.  Some four miles into our walk, and about a mile from the car, Darrell's Optune unit gave one strangled chirp and the battery went dead.  That's not a new event, and it shouldn't have been an issue. 

"No problem!  I'll just pull out the spare from my backpack.  That's why I carry a backpack," I say.  Then we discovered that the battery in my backpack was also dead.  (My mistake.)  Darrell went off treatment for about seven minutes as we made way for the car for the other spare battery.   

It was only a few minutes, and Darrell has such a great compliance rating that it shouldn't have been a big deal, right?  Wrong.  It threw me.  It felt like a bad dream to be stranded without a battery, and it felt like I failed at my one job:  care giving.  I had a hard time recovering from the incident.

Fortunately, as is always the case, it seems, the appropriate Team D member was magically present to help us (me in this case) through a rough spot.  Enter:  Meridyth and her phone call. 

Meridyth let me process what happened, which allowed me to discover that it wasn't just about a dead battery, it was about brain cancer and the feelings of helplessness it provoked two years ago.  Meridyth, as a cancer survivor, understands just how little it can take for cancer and its aftermath to break down the emotional door and barge back into current experience.

Meridyth also asked the great question, "What did you learn from it?"  We learned to always check our dots. And in case there's anything for others to learn, there's the lesson:  Always check your dots.

Thanks, Meridyth.

And On Happier Notes

1.  Team D members are indeed sharing "interesting things" for the list.
  • Curt's "things" reminded us to find the interest in daily events.  Great phrases from him:  "The sound of the water trickling down the St. Francis fountain at the house.  The sun reflecting a twinkle of light through a leaf."
  • Chris's three things reminded us that we need to travel farther than Craig park.  She shared: A coati, a salp, and a pink-footed chinstrap penguin.  Check out the penguin, whose feet are indeed pink:  


2.  The completed analogical reasoning quiz item from 2/13/18 is: 

  • Wigeon : Pelican :: Purple Van : Mercedes RV
3.   The "words of the year" pieces are now firmly in the hands of their owners, as follows:



Darrell's and Andi's word, which you have met.
 
LuAnn's Word
Roene's Word
Sharon's Word

Christine and Family's Word

May all words of the year serve their owners well for 2018!




4.  Finally, in case you need further convincing that Team D always magically comes through for the tough spots:

Dear friends Kathie and Franceen just spontaneously delivered four gourmet cupcakes.  


The Magic of Team D!




Thursday, February 15, 2018

Our List of Interesting Things

Brain cancer is...

...making a list of interesting things.

Darrell and I are like Marco in Dr. Seuss's first children's book, And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street:  We "keep our eyelids up and see what [we] can see."  We've been keeping a mental list of the interesting things we see in our wanderings.

Today we committed our mental list to text.  Here's Our List of Interesting Things that we have seen, collected during our walks:

  • A cat on a leash
  • Tightrope walkers
  • A dog wearing boots
  • A sword fight
  • A stilt walker
  • A tiny village for fairies
As you see, things need to be really interesting to make the list; they can't be just the daily interesting things we encounter, no matter how lovely.    Given how many miles we've walked (1,875 miles in the last 13 months, but who's counting?), you can see just how particular we are. 

"Keeping our eyelids up" and looking for really interesting things helps us approach each walk with discernment.  It's pretty rare for us to see something that makes the list.  Things can be interesting for the day (relatively interesting), but it's pretty hard to make a list that includes a tiny fairy village. 

Today is a good example of "relatively interesting."  First I thought the most interesting thing we saw would be...


...an alternate spelling of the word "nettle."  Not that interesting.  But things got better with mallards who...

...repeatably line up in the shade of a single tree trunk rather than choosing a larger shady patch.  Mildly interesting.  Then things got really good when Darrell...
...took off running.  Darrell will walk forever, but he does not run.  (And yes, I had to chase him to get the shot.)  What would make Big D take off like this?  The cause of engineering:  He wanted to test the rate (mph) function of the Charity Miles app (Side note:  The app failed Darrell's test). 

Darrell running?  Interesting indeed.  Almost interesting enough for our list.

Team D., what goes on your List of Interesting Things?


Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Hip Hip Hooray for Love!

Brain cancer is...

Dinner Date at Les Amis

...celebrating Valentine's Day.

Happy Any-Holiday-that-Celebrates-Love, Team D!
  • Love of lovers
  • Love of family
  • Love of friends
  • Love of the earth, humanity, pets...Love!
Thanks for keeping us full of everything that is good in life, including chocolate chip banana bread. 

In case humor is what you love, here's a Valentine Throwback:  2017:

Hip Hip Hooray for Love!

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

"It's a beautiful Tuesday!"

Brain cancer is...

 ...right again!

Darrell gave the titular quote for the day's post as we enjoyed the sky at the park today (above), but his words had wider applicability as well.  For example:

Darrell started GBM Year Three out strong with another 98% compliance rating.  And:

Optune Amy remains a key member of Team D.  Thanks, Amy; we're so glad you're here!

A beautiful Tuesday indeed!

Bonus Content:  Analogical Reasoning Quiz

Wigeon : Pelican :: _______ : ________

Need a helpline?  Here are the images:

Stay tuned for the answer in tomorrow's post!