Balboa Island Adventure

Brain cancer is...
...continuing to learn about living life like we're on vacation.

Here are today's lessons.

• Hang out with the people you love.  Today was our "date day" with Melanie and Gail.

• Go some place new, close to home.  (This was Lesson #7, learned by Brady and Linda Guillaume last weekend.)  Melanie and Gail took us to Balboa Island today.  They know it well, but it was new to us as a couple.

• Learn a fun new thing.    Melanie sprung for a Sister Adventure and took Andi paddle boarding, Andi's first paddling trip.  Thanks, Sis!

• Important sub-lesson:  Learn that fun new thing from a really good teacher.  There's a reason Melanie is an Educator.  I stayed upright, so you know she's a good teacher.

• Do what the locals do.  Gail and Melanie taught us the pleasure of Balboa Bars and Frozen Bananas.  Living life like you're on vacation requires tasty treats, or more specifically, according to Gail, Balboa Bars and Frozen Bananas.  

• When possible, take a ferry.  Today:  Possible.

We are still smiling.  Thanks so much, Gail and Melanie, for these important life lessons!

"You Take Such Good Care of Me!"

Brain cancer is...

 ...best crew ever!

Darrell launched our saying, "You take such good care of me!" with his regular statement of gratitude during array changes. We've discovered that, actually, we take good care of each other.

I am doing a bit of training for my birthday run (So soon?).  Today's run was at Yorba Regional Park, with Running Coach Extraordinaire Christine.  As Christine and I took big loops around the park, Darrell scrambled to intercept us with water and supplies.  You see Darrell in action, above.

Darrell is the best crew ever.

Here we are at the finish line.

 Best coach, best crew ever. You take such good care of me!

"I am sorry about what happened to your head."

Brain cancer is...

...touched by the kindness we reap daily.

Home following 24 Hours of Fun with our Oxnard family, we headed to In N Out for lunch.

In the parking lot, a 40ish fellow approached Darrell and asked, "What happened to your head?"  From his speech, we surmise that perhaps he had a significant hearing loss.  Maybe something that made him open to other people's stories?  Later, as the fellow left the restaurant, he approached us again and said to Darrell, "I am sorry about what happened to your head."

We continue to be amazed by how often and how many people, including strangers, bring warmth and kindness into our lives.  It makes us believe in the goodness of the world.

The Yoast Guillaumes:  An Update

Team D members are inquiring after the newlyweds.  Our California kids are acclimating to the myriad of ways life can be different from So Cal in their new hometown, Greeley Colorado.  One major difference is the weather.

Zach and Summer shared their day's extreme weather experience with us today:  A major hailstorm with 2-inch hail.  Summer shared these images.

Hailstorm:  The Video

Click here for the alternate YouTube Video Link

(Parental advisory:  Turn your speakers down if you don't want to hear the word s***. It does fit the context, for sure.) 

Summer said that when she started filming (see the opening moments of the video), she thought the sky might actually be clearing because it was incredibly bright.  Later she concluded, instead, that that brightness was the color of hailstorm.  Hailstorm sky:  A new crayon for our crayon box!

All's well that ends well.

Life's an adventure, right Team?

Happy Sunday Adventures!

Family Fun in Oxnard

Brain cancer is...

...enjoying the weekend with the Ventura County Guillaumes.

We hopped on the train this morning.

Lunch was Mexican food at Channel Islands Harbor, top picture (From left:  Bennett, Christian, us, Brady, and Linda).  We took a pleasant beach side stroll and appreciated the rock stacking.

The afternoon was a relaxed painting session, and dinner was at The Greek on Ventura Harbor.  Ufff.  We are stuffed.

We have additional proof positive that vacations can be short and wonderful, both.

Live Life Like You're on Vacation Lesson 7

Brady and Linda took us on a walk that was new to them, at Port Hueneme, and today's "live life like you're on vacation" lesson belongs to them.  They learned:  Take a vacation by going someplace new...at home.  Brilliant.

Take the Fun Indoors

Brain cancer is...

...wilting.

Everything enjoyable is occurring indoors today.  We laughed over breakfast with Gordon and then headed back home.  

The heat is encouraging indoor activities, such as getting back into the art journal.  Optune-inspired art.  Can you see why?

Happy Friday, Team D.  Good job making it through another week!

How to Live Life Like You're on Vacation Lesson 5

When you pack, wrap your things in tissue paper...

... just like they do on the cruise ship.

How to Live Life Like You're on Vacation Lesson 6

Take another vacation.  More tomorrow.

Hosting

Brain cancer is...

...hosting.

Even Emeriti faculty "work."  The word "work" is in quotes because work feels like play when we are with great people like Teresa (also Emeritus; go free parking!) and Kim (somewhere-in-the-future Emeritus), above.  Christine, sorry your second meeting beckoned before this meeting ended...and we took the pic.

Our meeting also felt like play because Darrell hosted.  Everyone needs a Darrell to host their meetings.  To conjure your imaginations, try these two words:  Bagel Bites.  And each attendee brought her own version of awesomeness.

Darrell hopes your meetings today were as much fun as ours.  Happy Thursday!

The Professors Emeriti

Readers' Advisory Alerts to Geoff and Curt:  Geoff, food photos follow.  Curt, we don't keep it simple today.  Click away from this site.  Be free.

Brain cancer is...

 ...married to Andrea M. Guillaume, Professor of Elementary and Bilingual Education, Emeritus.

Today I received notification of my emeritus status.  So soon?  For one point (grade your own work), which of the five bullets in the above list do we most immediately appreciate?

Check your work.

Yes, free parking.  We'll stop having parking deducted from my check and, at Kim N.'s suggestion, put it toward funding the next vacation.

The sound of "emeritus" is also cool.  It sounds like I am immediately wiser, yes?  Darrell should listen to his wise, Emeritus wife.  So should you all.

In other news:  I spent the day with terrific friends and colleagues from CSUF.

Darrell and I traded Alaska stories with Kim N. over coffee.  (Kim and her family's Alaskan trip overlapped with ours.)  Kim and her family spent more time on Alaskan soil and went farther north.  Kim also learned things I couldn't possibly learn (remember the necessity of 3-hour breakfasts).  Here's just one example:

This is a photo from our southernmost port, Ketchikan.  That purple-flowered plant, according to Kim, is fireweed.  Fireweed blooms from the bottom up.  See how the blooms end and the buds begin half way up?  According to Kim, when the buds become blooms at the top of the stalk, summer is over.  

Here's the same flower at our northernmost port, Juneau:

Why do you have to be such a braniac, Kim?  (Kidding. It was great to fill in the blanks of our experience with vicarious ones from you.)

Even though I spent the day with great people, all I got was pictures of food.  For 0 points, because I don't want to hear your answers, what does it say about me that here's what I saw today:

Christine's famous brownies

Kim's Homage to Guillaumes' candy bowl

Breakfast for days from Kim:  Nothing Bundt Cakes!

Thanks for being a part of our life, CSUF friends and colleagues and all y'all.  (So sayeth the wise Professor Emeritus of Elementary and Bilingual Education.)

Bonus Content:  Yesterday's Photo, for Two Points

Yesterday's photo was taken in the family room, where we really did get rid of a fridge that held burritos, La Croix, and in the freezer, meat.  Here it is:

January 2017:  Fridge...and Mousse practicing his social skill of blending, or matching the actions of his cool wiser cousin, Beowulf

July 25, 2018:  Same view, no fridge, no dogs.

 Good night everyone!

Rethinking Our Real Estate

Brain cancer is...

 ...rethinking space in our home.

For the past 21 years, the above room has been "the kids' room," and usually two people (in different combinations) lived there. 

We are currently thinking about what to do with it.  Ballroom?  Roller rink?  And what should we name it?  Darrell considered naming it something from the game Clue, but "the conservatory" just doesn't work.  Andi is voting for "the rumpus room," which has such wonderful connotations.

Stay hydrated in this heat, Team D!

Bonus Question

Here's another space we rethought, just today. 

 For 2 points, what occupied this space until this morning?

Confirmed Stable

Brain cancer is...

...confirmed stable.

Good news.  Above, Dr. Cloughesy compared this month's scan (right screen) with the previous scan (left screen) and confirmed the other reports:  No change.  The whitish areas that appear could indicate tumor or scarring, and in Darrell's case, it's scarring, Dr. Cloughesy reasons, because the white areas haven't changed in so long.  He says scarring won't likely go away in the future either.  Brain scars.  Huh.

Brain scan fun fact:  By Darrell's count, he has had 20 MRIs of his head.  How many have you had?  I have had 0.  Twenty is a lot of scans, right?

With this post, with the exception of Optune, and if all goes well, we give our cancer eradication activities a break for 11 weeks. Hurrah!

Thanks for seeing us through, Team D.  Again.

Dramatic Bonus Content

Before Dr. Cloughesy sees us, Darrell first sees one of the doctor's associates, such as a Nurse Practitioner, who administers a neuro exam to check for any signs of changes to the brain.

We can usually anticipate who will give the exam, so Darrell starts practicing days in advance ("What's the date?"  "Spell world."  "Spell world backwards."  "Remember these three words.") Today he was seen by a new Fellow, Dr. Chow. New Fellow = New neuro exam.  Here's Darrell's highly dramatic reenactment of day's exam:

"As fast as you can:  Touch my finger.  Touch your nose.  Touch my finger."

He passed, but he reports that the pressure was intense.

Tucked in at Tiverton

Brain cancer is...

 ...having another great day.

After a  relaxed morning, we headed to Westwood in anticipation of tomorrow's 8:30 appointment with Dr. Cloughesy.

A room was ready early (view, above), so we headed to the only place for lunch:  The Napa Valley Grille.

Kale salad and a Wagyu cheeseburger.  Could life get any better? 

Yes!  It could!  One of our all time favorite people, Tara, was there.  Tara:  You know we love you!  Art trade is ON!!
Today is done.

We'll post early tomorrow, probably by 9:30 given Dr. Cloughesy's oncology-at-the-speed-of-light practices. Fingers crossed.

Happy Sunday, Team D.

Live Life Like You're On Vacation:  Lesson 4

Eat amazing dessert...

 ...especially if Tara is buying.  Basil cake with marscapone cheese, berries, and strawberry frozen yogurt?  Vacation on a plate. Thank you Tara!  And thanks to Allison for the bottle of wine.  We feel so grateful. And like we should maybe come to Westwood more often. 

Yay Parents!

Brain cancer is...

hanging out with the cool kids:  The parents.

Which was better?  The conversation with Gordon over breakfast, or the first mimosas in three weeks?  Separately, we vote for breakfast with Gordon.  Together, the three of us vote for the mimosas. 

Lunch with LuAnn was in a dark, cool space:  Fratellinos.  Then she gathered up the bromeliads that Summer bequeathed to her...

...and we enjoyed living room conversations before she sped safely back to Glendora with her new plant children. 

Okay, maybe it is good to be home. Yay, parents.

If You’re Not Early, You’re Late.

Brain cancer is...

...punctual.

In our enthusiastic “cancer eradication” mode, we arrived at Dr. Park’s office more than an hour early. Oops.  We began our daily walk there around the St. Jude Cancer Center, and Dr. Park was able to see Darrell 30 minutes early.

With us, Dr. Park celebrated both the radiologist’s reading of this week’s MRI and Darrell’s great progress.  He scheduled the next MRI, then sent us on our way.  Yahoo!

Dr. Park's visit is good news in the larger view (of course) and also in the close-up view because this is the point in the cancer eradication efforts where our energy start to flag a bit, and we give up the notion of sprinting across the finish line.  Lots of emotion and energy, but just one more appointment.

There are worse problems to have, right?

To end the day's post on an upbeat, today we learned a couple more "Live Life Like You're on Vacation" lessons, Lessons 2 and 3.  

Live Life Like You’re on Vacation Lesson 2

Check out the public art.

With our extra minutes spent walking at the Cancer Center this morning, we appreciated the above sculpture.  If you were to climb the pedestal, put your back against the sculpture, and face the camera, you'd see the parrot mosaic (click here for a reminder from 2016).  Despite 29 months at the Center, we didn't appreciate the sculpture until today.  Thanks, vacation eyes!

Live Life Like You’re on Vacation Lesson 3

Use nice hand towels.

All of the restrooms--sorry, Washrooms--on our Silver Shadow ship supplied white hand towels.  No paper towels.  Welcome to the SS Guillaume.  If you visit the washroom, do use the towels.

Happy Friday, Team D!

Bringing Vacation Lessons Home

Brain cancer is...

...insisting on a table with a view.

Whenever we vacation, we think about all the nice little touches and the things that make us so happy, and we try to bring them back home to keep the vacation spirit alive.  We might say that we are on the quest for perpetual vacation, no matter where we are.

Above you see we had a table with a prime view at breakfast.  Sure, breakfast was just 300 calories.  Sure the meal was from McDonalds.  Sure, it was before 8 a.m. to beat the heat.  But what a view, right?

The Cruise:  That's a Wrap

We've finished updating our Northern Vacation posts with some videos and photos.  If you aren't yet sick of us going on and on about the trip, here are links to the posts we updated last night:

• July 5:  Living the Dream
• July 6:  A Day at Sea
• July 10:  Speeding Southward

Until the next!

Stable Scan? Check!

Brain cancer is...

 ...stable.  Phew.

Darrell breezed through his MRI this morning, and the results were posted before we could make it to Panera to celebrate.

No, not tuna sandwich.  Salad.  Because cruise.

The findings, top image, indicate that Darrell's tumor/surgical site remains stable.  That's very important because when GBM progresses, it typically does so at the original tumor site.  Also, findings indicate that the brain muck is not as visible as in earlier scans.  Finally, the doctor who read the scan sees no new problems such as swelling or other brain changes.  Break here:  Happy dance.

Next up on the cancer list?  Dr. Park.  Then Darrell sees Dr. Cloughesy on Monday.  The UCLA visit always gives what we consider to be the final word.  Then we breathe deeply for three more months. 

One good thing about getting MRIs every three months:  Darrell keeps up on the newest trends in scan fashions. 

Disposable puffy shorts? Fashion game changers!  You're welcome.

On to the next.  Happy Hump Day, Team D.

Back in Time for the Cancer Eradication Business

Brain cancer is...

 ...back to business.

Amy visited us this morning for an Optune data download.  As you see, above, Darrell maintained a 97% compliance rating this month...again.   Super hero?  Fighting brain cancer while visiting Alaska on an amazing trip.  Go Big D!

Amy works closely with us--as she has for more than two years now, since the beginning of this cancer journey--but we are mostly interacting remotely these days.  We haven't seen her since February.  She's been such a part of our lives that it was a treat to be in her presence today.

Imagine how much has happened since we saw Amy in person last, in February: So much change in Guillaume World.  What a happy reunion.

Then we moved on to matters with Darrell's Social Security.  Today we learned that the Social Security Administration is an actual place.

Ha ha.  Issues resolved.

Tomorrow is Darrell's next cancer job, the MRI.  Check in is at 8:30 for a 9:00 a.m. scan.  We'll keep you posted.

Adventure Resolution

In case you're wondering how the Northern Adventure ended, it ended with its own mini adventure, as is only fitting:

• Our Coast Starlight train was indeed two hours late to LA Union Station, causing us to miss the last Surfliner out.
• Our Starlight room attendant, Robin, saw to it that we were on the first Red Cap shuttle to the bus plaza.
• The Red Cap sped us right up to the bus, with three minutes to spare.
• The ride to Fullerton was smooth.
• Our Uber driver provided an exclamation mark for the trip.  He sped up in an old car (we thought that couldn't happen for Uber) and a full trunk.  (Side note:  Darrell's pretty sure the driver had a body back there.)  We packed the luggage into the backseat and around us.
• Seriously:  The driver's braking system alarmed at every stop.  We tumbled gratefully out of his car and made it home around midnight.  If we weren't happy to be home before that moment, we certainly were when he screeched up to our driveway.  Perfect!

Trip Highlights Video

We are still working through the photos of the Great Northern Adventure.

For those of you who can tolerate more on the topic of the trip, here's a five-minute highlight video. The file is too large to upload, so choose either link:

• Animoto Video Link
• Alternate YouTube Link

We hope all is well with you and yours in your own adventures!