We have loved you, 2019!

Brain cancer is...

...wishing us all happy New Year!

We visited Monarch Grove, played in Pismo Beach, and then set sail for a dinner cruise on Morro Bay.  Great sunset for the end of the year...and the decade.

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

2019, you were a very good year!

Nature Day

Brain cancer is...

...impressed by nature.

The four of us enjoyed the Central Coast for spring break a couple years ago, and we are very impressed both by some old favorites and some new surprises.

Today we enjoyed lunch here in Pismo Beach before heading north to San Simeon and Cambria. 

Geoff named today Nature Day because of all we saw, serendipitously.  Here’s a partial list of what impressed us so thoroughly:

• Brown pelicans
• Elephant seals
• Bottle nose dolphins (the day’s favorite, impressing us by leaping fully out of the water)
• Turkey vultures
• Surf scoters

Here’s a slideshow for the day (Link).

All our best.

Photo credits:  Some great photos today are by Geoff (selfies) and Beth (elephant seal comfort shot). They contribute photos every day of the trip.

So Many Beautiful Sights

Brain cancer is...

...enjoying the sights on the California Coast.

Here’s a slide show (click here) of an amazingly beautiful day.

Guillaume Christmas 2019

Brain cancer is...

...happy to celebrate Christmas with the Guillaume clan.

Nova met more family members: Amanda, Stuart, Stephanie, Bennett, and Christian. 

It was wonderful to be together.

(Ps...this photo is low resolution because it’s a picture of a picture. Sorry.)

Happy 31, Alex!

Brain cancer is...

 ...celebrating thirty-onederful years with Alex on his birthday.

Alex chose brunch at the Dylan, above.  We had fun reminiscing over his past birthdays.

What's different about this birthday?

A tiny human who thinks birthdays are pretty cool.

Happy 31, Alex!

PS...Here's Alex at the same age as his daughter (two months and change).

Christmas with Nova

Brain cancer is...

...celebrating Christmas with Nova.

Nova and parents arrived today for more Christmas. The Christmas tree got triple approval.

So did the dingle balls.

More life gifts:  Christmas with kids and grandkid.

Merry Christmas 2019

Brain cancer is...

 ...happy for this holiday.

Above you see that we had a wonderful afternoon with LuAnn.

We started the day with our Life Gift Exchange walk at the park.

Then we had a great present exchange and ham dinner and more Life Gift Exchange with LuAnn for the afternoon (above).

We ended a great day with one more Dingle Ball Stroll.

When it comes to favorite holidays, more is more...obviously!

Merry Christmas or Happy Day, Team D!

Bonus Content:  Life Gift Exchange Update

Our non-gift-wrapped gift exchange was more successful than even anticipated.

Darrell and I started exchanging gifts during the first steps of our morning walk and continued for three miles. The first gifts were given long ago: "Thanks for breaking up with your first high school girlfriend.”

Good to know:  If you've been with someone for 40 years (5 dating, 35 married), you have received many gifts. More importantly, what we learned from our gift exchange is that some of the most precious gifts--in the eyes of the receiver--are not even remembered by the giver.  Here are two examples:

Darrell:  "Thank you for the gift of quitting my full time engineering position to earn my master's degree."  (Andi doesn't remember this decision as being a gift, only a necessity for our life's goals.)

Andi:  "Thank you for the gift of the two hours sleep that morning a couple days after we brought Zach home from the hospital."   (Darrell doesn't remember the incident, the fire in the fireplace, or the amazing three-guy tableau I saw when I stumbled out of bed that morning.  I felt just pure thankfulness for a true gift to a new mother.)

Spurred by our success, we continued the Life Gift Exchange with LuAnn.  Here are just a couple of the gifts we exchanged:

LuAnn:  "Thank you for raising my grandchildren to be awesome."  (Andi and Darrell:  "We'll see.")

Andi and Darrell:  "Thank you for doing every single thing your grand kids needed, and doing it according to their frantic time schedules."  (Examples included Granny constructing Star Wars Halloween costumes, sewing a breakaway cape for the Mr. Fullerton competition, and sitting for many days and nights on sports fields.)

If you have a few hours, we'll continue.  But maybe you just want to go say thank you to someone who gave you a Life Gift.  Go ahead.  We'll wait.

Okay, one more Life Gift as Darrell and I clean up tonight.  This one from me:

"Darrell, thank you for having both the interest in stuff that engaged people did way back in the '80's (Register for china!  Tee hee!) and the good design sense to pick a china pattern that still looks fresh.

More importantly, thanks for picking a design where the coffee cup stays put in the saucer, even at zero gravity.

Dang, Darrell.  Why you gotta look so smug?

Thank you, Team D, for the gifts you've brought to our lives.

Our goal is to give to yours.  Merry Christmas and Happy Day.

Christmas Eve? Thumbs Up! (With Side Notes)

Brain cancer is...

 ...making a series of great decisions on Christmas Eve.

We chose to spend this special day together, just the two of us. That choice left us with a whole day full of decisions, and all of them have turned out well thus far.

Above you see evidence that we set the alarm early to get to the blood lab before the crowd, launching the next cancer course.

Blood draw on Christmas Eve at 7:00 a.m.?

Thumbs up!  (Side note:  Slightly off camera was a staff member with a Christmas tree on her head.  I couldn't stop myself from exclaiming, "Oh!  I wish I had a Christmas tree on my head at 7 a.m!")

A morning walk at the park on the sunny day between rainy days?

Thumbs up!  (Side note:  These colors are real.  And Darrell was really standing on that rock.)

Lunch at El Torito?

Thumbs up!  (Side note:  As a tradition, when our boys were young, we went to El Torito for a date to celebrate finishing Christmas shopping.  Then our El Torito closed.  And the boys moved out.  Thank goodness we have GPS for the boys...and for the 69 remaining El Torito locations.)

Singing Christmas carols while cooking for the holidays together?

Thumbs up! (Side note:  Yes!  I'm allowed back in the kitchen with Darrell, full privileges restored.)

We wish you all happy things tonight.  Thumbs up, Team D!

Coming Christmas Attractions:  Life Gifts

We look forward to seeing family and friends for the holidays soon, but we have one more morning alone together:  Christmas tomorrow.  We won't be exchanging presents under the tree.  Instead, we hope it's dry enough to take a walk and share stories of the best "life gifts" we've given each other.  We might be on to something.  We'll see how it goes.

Fourteen Cards in One Day!

Brain cancer is...

 ...happy about today's holiday card haul.

Darrell developed and administers a sophisticated holiday card distribution, tracking, and display system.  (Perhaps in today's photo you can see the twine line that stretches across the room, starting at the star?  That's part of the high tech display system.)  

Imagine Darrell's joy, then, when we received not just a few cards today but more than a dozen!  Yippee!  Darrell's hard at work adding them to the display.


Card Disclaimer:  We know that sending cards is not everyone's thing, for many good reasons.   No pressure coming from this house. Let's all just enjoy our days.

And That’s a Wrap!

Brain cancer is...

...finished holiday shopping.

It was odd to finish our shopping with a few days to spare because we count ourselves “ready for Christmas” the day someone else puts lights up.  

We’re spending our evening wrapping gifts by the fire.

All our thoughts to you and yours, loved ones.

Christmas Date Two, 2019

Brain cancer is...

...enjoying his second Christmas date of the year.

Exactly one year to the day that we enjoyed our 2018 Christmas date with Beth and Geoff (the first with them)...we enjoyed our second.  We had a delicious dinner at the Ranch, toasting Christmases past, present, and future.

To Geoff

Perhaps it is altogether fitting and proper, on this day, the first day of winter, and a day spent with Geoff, that we should post a bird sighting.

At the park this morning, Darrell spotted a Ross's goose.  We know, we know.  It looks like a snow goose.  But look again.  It's about 40% smaller than a snow goose and it's missing the black grin patch.  Easy mistake.

(You know that we actually know little about birds and do our research on my phone as we walk our miles, right?  We mostly like that birds bug Geoff.  But we also think they're cool.  Ross's geese nest in the artic and head south for the winter.  Today's the first day we recall spotting one. Welcome to So Cal, Ross.  Merry Christmas.)

Back in Time for Dingle Balls

Brain cancer is...

...back and enjoying dingle balls with the Mayfields.

“Get Me to the Ritz!”

Brain cancer is....

...at the Ritz Carlton.

Everyone at CSUF is working hard to end the semester.  Christine has been saying, “Get Me to the Ritz!” for a few weeks. Non stop.

Christine deserves to be at the Ritz Carlton, in Palm Springs. And now...here we are!

Parent Peeps

Brain cancer is...

...hanging with the parent peeps.

See?  We sent from six days of solitude to all peeps...all the time.

First was breakfast with Gordon:

Then we had  Korean barbecue with LuAnn. 

I should know better than to give those two weapons.

We just love our peeps.  And we've got more time with more peeps...coming in hot.

Bonus Content:  Our Peeps are Red... 

...from head*...

...to toe.*

*Thanks for the pics, Peeps!

Melanie caught the redhead ducks at Lake Arrowhead. Great idea, rojos! Rock on, you and your red heads!

Cheri's Skelly just keeps partying.  Above Skelly is hiding in the shower with eggnog, brandy, and red stockings that should really be hung by the fire with care.

Kristmas with Kristine

Brain cancer is...

...enjoying Kristine’s company.

We talked and laughed for hours.

Happy Tuesday, Team D!

Darrell Releases His Transition Plan.

Brain cancer is...

 ...recommending "minimal supervision" for Andi's reintroduction to the kitchen.

So you see our kitchen, above, yes? You see how clean and functional it is, yes?  As is the remainder of our home, the kitchen is Darrell's domain while Andi works.  

Today Andi's 13 graduate students presented their master's projects on this, the last day of their credential and master's program.  

Darrell took me to Islands after the presentations and ceremony.  Sure, he congratulated me on a semester well lived.  But he also launched his transition plan.  Now that the semester is nearly closed, I am to be allowed back into the kitchen with more than meal privileges. But don't let’s get ahead of ourselves. 

His quote at lunch was, "I think we can do this with minimal supervision.  I mean, we're not going to half a** it, but I don't think it'll take much to get you back into the kitchen with full privileges."

So that's what it comes down to.  At work, with no questions asked, I manage spaces like this:
 

 But at home, I need a transition plan back into the kitchen.

I'm not so sure.  Maybe I'm okay not going back into the kitchen.

We'll see...

First Christmas Date 2019

Brain cancer is...

...celebrating Christmas with the Welshons. 

First we invented the Christmas Date tradition, years ago.  Then, in 2017, Darrell negotiated successfully for two Christmas dates each year.  

Tonight we enjoyed our first Christmas Date of 2019 with Curt and Barb.  Merry merry!

We also celebrated...

...Curt’s birthday.  Hurrah!  We remarked on the fact that it’s such a privilege to grow older.  And to get dessert with sprinkles.  Happy Birthday, Curt!

Christmas Dates Past

(Here are some links to past dates.)

• 2018
• 2017 Date Two
• 2017 and 2016

Date Night in Emerald City

Brain cancer is...

 ...loving date night with TK and Matt.

We did warn you: We are back with our peeps, starting yesterday. 

TK and Matt hosted a caloric and wonderfully delicious dinner at their place in Emerald City.  Actually, maybe it was Chinatown, LA, tonight. 

Sure, we could have done a better job with our picture, above, but we had a train to catch. 

Such a great night.  Here are some images of the day and the train ride, out and back.

All the cool kids have Metro Tap cards.

Oh, hello, Chinatown.

Guillaume family:  Bruce Lee is REAL!

Here's how every course looked...and tasted.  Great.

Back to the station.

Emerald City! (Or maybe LA City Hall.  We think Emerald City.)

Darrell, train sprinter, door holder.

Thanks so much, TK and Matt.

Happy Saturday, Peeps! 

Day One with the Peeps

Brain cancer is...

...hanging with peeps of longstanding and with a new, bristly peep.

It was great to be with Gordon then LuAnn today.  At LuAnn's, we met our new peep, Tucker (above), who belongs to Susanne and Monica.  

If Tucker hasn't yet starred in a Mad Max movie, he should.

No, he's not dressed for Halloween.

Hypotheses, Team D?

Happy Weekend, Peeps!

Wrapping Up a Quiet Streak

Brain cancer is...

Sunset:  Pink Day at the Park.  Click here for the 5-second video version with widgeon sound track.

...wrapping up a quiet streak. 

Starting with our Home Alone weekend, we have had quiet stretch of six days.  We had few responsibilities or engagements (exception: Today’s dentist appointments, which Darrell sailed through despite his misgivings) and instead focused on home, holiday, and continuing to wrap up the semester.

We'll keep wrapping up the semester for the next week or so, but tomorrow we’re back to hanging with our peeps.

It’s been a productive and satisfying quiet streak.

P.S.:  We thought it was Pink Day, as you see above and here:

Then Kristine showed us sunrise at her house. 

Perhaps it was Orange Day too.  Mom, what's the name of that version of orange?  Vermilion?

Happy Thursday, Team D!