Easter Prep and Bonus Purple

Brain cancer is...

...busy with holiday preparations.

Darrell, Summer, and Mousse triple teamed much of the Easter prep today.

Carrot eating skills?  Novice level.

We're looking forward to family and all the great things spring brings!

Bonus Purple

I know, I know, the purple in one lupine should be enough, right?  But, as Zachary and I walked Mousse around just a few blocks, I was on a greedy search for more.  Look how much bonus purple!

Wishing you the best in finding the simple things that make you smile...lots of them!

Gearing Up

Brain cancer is...

...gearing up for the next set of cancer eradication efforts.

In preparation for the next MRI scan and subsequent doctors' visits, Darrell had his blood tested today.  (Side notes:  He handled the blood test like a boss. The scan is Tuesday morning.)

As a reminder for frequent readers, because Darrell's MRI scan includes images "with contrast" (a dye that includes gadolinium, a heavy metal), they check his blood to make sure that his kidneys are functioning well enough to process the contrast.

Good news, Team!  Today's results indicate that Darrell's kidneys are working fine.  Specifically, his eGFR was 83/1.73m2.  According to my research, an MRI is fine as long as the patient has an eGFR greater than 30/1.73m2 (UCSF weblink here, for reference, and a major source of my information).  Go Darrell kidneys, go!

Nerd Alert:  Read on only if you want to know more about your friends, your kidneys.

• Kidneys filter waste products.  
• In fact, healthy kidneys filter approximately 200 quarts of blood every day.  (Thanks, kidneys!)
• Kidneys filter out the bad stuff while preventing loss of the good stuff, like proteins and blood cells. 
• Your kidneys' filters are called glomeruli. (No, Curt, no good pictures to share.)
• An eGFR test measures your estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate.  The higher your eGFR, the more blood you are effectively filtering.  The lower your eGFR, the less blood you are filtering effectively, and the more bad things (waste products) are accumulating in your blood.
• Specifically, an eGFR test assesses the amount of the waste product creatinine.  

In case we haven't said it lately:  Thank you kidneys!  You are an important part of (everyone's) team!

And because we all deserve a moment of beauty in addition to gratitude, we enjoyed the lupines at the park today:

 Happy (Purple) Friday! 

"California Traffic"

Brain cancer is...

 

...re acclimating.

Yes, we are back at home, and, yes, I am one dollar richer.

When we walked at the park today, Darrell saw these geese and commented, "California traffic!"

We are re acclimating after our great northwestern adventure.  Here are three points in the day when we realized that life is different at home:

1. Our toilets have water in them.  (Amtrak toilets are like airplane toilets.)
2. As I dressed to run this morning, Summer said, "Be prepared.  It's hot."  What? Where I live it's cold and rainy!
3. Driving a car?  Weird!

 Nonetheless, it's nice to be back.  Happy almost weekend!

 

The Stakes Are High! Who Will Win?

Brain cancer is...

Update:  Added after dinner.

...honing in on home.

Click here for the slideshow, terminating in SLO, as it did eight days ago, northbound.

We spent the day in California, traveling southbound.

The best story of the day? Shout out to community seating! It was so tempting to judge the 70+  retired couple at lunch based solely on appearances. Community seating gave us a reason to, instead listen for the story. (No photo for reasons that become quickly obvious.)

By dessert we learned that one of the partners is a smuggler, sneaking personal-use alcohol onto cruise ships.  His methods include duct taping plastic bags of bubble-free alcohol onto his person. Shout out to listening for the story!

Today’s  stakes are high because Darrell and I have a bet, the standard Guillaume high-stakes bet: one dollar.  I say that our train will pull into LA Union Station early. Darrell says it will not.

So, if you are having a slow Wednesday, you have that to look forward to.  And also you have the mental images of the beauty of the  California coastline between SLO and SB.

Update:

Making mental images real.

On second thought, focus on the mental coastline images.  You know I’ve got this bet.

Update:

Betting is all about the bragging, right?  Until everything goes wrong? So far Darrell is a poor, poor man.

Now This:  One final update:  Car Attendant Robin just gave Darrell a bottle of wine, on behalf of Crew 5.  Because he is so awesome. 

Whatever.  What's important is...Robin says we'll come into LA early.  Mmm hmmm. 

(Just kidding.  You know I appreciate how Team D grows daily with so much love.  And I agree that Darrell is awesome.  Especially when he's wrong.)

It’s been an unexpected, great trip. Here’s hoping your week has been awesome too.

So Long, Seattle!

Brain cancer is...

...heading south.

We boarded the train and left Seattle in the morning yesterday.

The scenery was lovely, and it was remote enough that we had no Internet connection when it was time to post last night (see above). Apologies! 

Here are Stephen and Betty, a son/mother traveling team headed for a 28-day Hawaiian cruise.  What a great idea.

Enjoy your travels today!

What the??

Brain cancer is...

....so happy to spend a spontaneous Seattle day with the Mayfields!

Yesterday we discovered that Guillaume/Mayfield paths were to intersect today in Seattle.  Neither family intended to be here.  Pikes Place Market? Owned it! 

Click here for the slideshow to watch: Anne Marie catch a fish (TT Anne Marie!), the gang spend way too much time at the gum wall, appreciation of gorgeous fruits and daffodils at the market, super important cheese curd info, and the end of Seattle for A and D.

Who can ever know about tomorrow?

Sunday in Seattle

Brain cancer is...

...soaking up sun today in Seattle. 

With rain predicted for the coming days, we enjoyed time outside and beautiful views today.

Click here if you’d like the slideshow of the day.

Team News

We heard from Kim C. today, back in California. Kim was at the car wash when she noticed Mike’s Optune unit.  She said hello and told Mike about Darrell and his team.  Thanks, Kim, for growing Team D., and for giving us the news about Team Mike.

Mike:  Darrell tips his hat to you.

 Team Mike?  We're in!  All our best for the journey ahead!

Seattle? Surprised!

Brain cancer is...

...a little surprised when a plan comes together.

All it takes is one voice message from Amtrak to make one wonder about the efficacy of future train plans.  (How like life!)

Another morning in Portland provided time for the Voo Doo Doughnut experience. Thank goodness.

You can check out the Voo Doo Doughnut experience in today’s slideshow, if you like. (Click here.)In the slideshow, you'll also see that the three hours between Portland and Seattle are like a series of paintings.

Happy Saturday from Seattle, Team D!

Bonus Content

Balcony debuts...Seattle.

Darrell debuts...the Arctic Club bathroom!

Big D's Big Day

Brain cancer is...

...happy for the Portland bonus day!

Today would have been a train day, a Darrell day, so we granted it instead a Big D Bonus Day.  We spent the day seeing more of Portland on foot.  And eating.  Apparently Portlanders are great eaters. We are IN!

Click here if you'd like to see the day's slideshow.

Chicago Ho..... Nooo!

Brain cancer is...

...staying in Portland!

Above is Darrell, thinking he'll be on the Empire Builder to Chicago soon.

And here is Darrell moments after hearing that there won't be an Empire Builder to Chicago for days, thanks to some blizzard.

He adjusted quickly to the changing adventure. With the help of a bacon gorgonzola cheeseburger and sympathy from this lovely person at Wiefls

we're staying in Portland for a couple more days and then heading north for Seattle.

We checked back in to the Duniway, 20th floor.  Same great espresso maker, new awesome view:

With the chance for Extended Portland, we're off to wreak some more havoc.  Please do the same, Team D, wherever you are.

Let's all just keep living the adventure, writing the story.

(PS:  Note to self:  Pack the passport if you want to go farther north for the story.)  

Museum Day in Portland

Brain cancer is...

...much enriched after a day in museums.

Okay, more like half a day.  We needed time for delicious meals and an array change too.  First we enjoyed the history museum and then the art museum.  Once we discovered that "in room coffee" was actually "in room espresso," I needed plenty of time for sipping from tiny cups as well.

Hello, rain!  See you again tomorrow!

Click here for the day's slideshow.

Oh, Portland!

Brain cancer is...

...enjoying Portland.

Today offered great views and good people.  We arrived in Portland an hour early, hoofed it to the hotel, and--to beat tomorrow's predicted rain--Ubered it to Washington Park to enjoy the Japanese Garden and Hoyt Arboretum.  Drinks and dinner were at our hip hotel, The Duniway. Wish you were here, Team D!

Oh, Portland!

Click here for today's slideshow.

Portland, Ho!

Brain cancer is...

...northward bound.

We are back on the train, Babies!

If you would like images, click here for the slideshow.

Signing off from SLO!

Murder Scene [Recreated]

Brain cancer is...

...such a jokester.

Darrell is funny 24/7.  In the middle of the night, when I return from the bathroom, I often find him lying peacefully in the space I just vacated, snoring quietly, feigning sleep.  I "wake him," whispering, "Darrell! you fell asleep on my side!"  He replies, as if dazed after a deep sleep, "Oh, what? What? Sorry!"

Usually that's how the game goes.  However, in the dark, early hours today, when I returned from the bathroom, I saw something a lot like this:

faithful recreation of the scene

I tried our regular routine, whispering:  "Darrell! you fell asleep across the bed! Wake up!"  His reply had us laughing all day:  "I'm dead.  This is a murder scene!"

Here's hoping that any murder scenes you encountered today were humorous.

Adventure Quota? Met!

Brain cancer is...

 ...letting the women do what women do:  Have adventures!

Denise and I met for an early morning hike today, with the only plan being that we were out for an adventure, exploring some trails in Brea and Fullerton.  Old shoes, ready for mud:

Adventures galore:

Proof of adventure completion:

 Old shoes post-walk.

In addition to meeting our AQ (Adventure Quota), we were surprised to check our devices and see that we had covered eight miles in two hours...and we weren't done talking yet.

Yay for friends!
Yay for adventures in our own backyards!

And:  Yay for more adventures to come today...our and yours.  Let's meet that AQ, Team D!

 AQ Updates

 Yes, there were more adventures in store at our house. 

First:  You know it was St Patrick's Day, right?  You know all the luck that comes to you if you catch one or more leprechauns? 

Yusss!  We did that!  It's been 25 months of sneaky leprechauns, Easter bunnies, Super Bowl Strollers, Halloweeners, Secret Santas...and this very day--today--we caught a couple few key players! Extraordinarily lucky!!

What an adventure.  But wait!  There was more!  We prepared for the final festivities...

...and then called it a wrap...

...before dinner at the Cat and the Custard Cup with Beth and Geoff.

AQ x 2.

Love you, Team D!