so thankful

Good news – my dad’s PET scan did not indicate any abnormal growth.  They think its just residual pneumonia.  They’ll be CAT scanning him every three months for the next year just to be sure.  What a relief.  I know my dad has done pretty well with chemo the three previous times, but he’s older still and his immune system still hasn’t fully bounced back.  Every month/six months/year he goes without having to endure the treatment means a better quality of life for him.

Oof.  Now, if only my gut didn’t do a number on me every time something stressful was going on…

In other, and happier, news, I am still living a very sweet and cozy life with Teh Smitten.  Tonight we had dinner with friends at Brasserie Beck, a hot Belgian place.  Very nice menu, food and service.  Their website could do with better music – my one complaint.  I had Duck Congolese Almondine and Teh Smitten had the rabbit.  The rabbit was awesome.  They had a robust beer menu and the boy took advantage of their holiday offerings.  I had the Belgian Bread pudding for dessert and enjoyed it muchly.  Our friends both order the skate wing, which I thought was okay.

Tomorrow we see K of D at Woolly Mammoth Theatre.  I’d hoped to get into Rasika for dinner, but failed to book enough in advance.  Looks like we will have to do with Jaleo or Oyamel instead.

Teh Smitten is just so good.  He has already gotten us tickets to see Teller’s (of Penn and Teller) production of Macbeth at the Folger Shakespeare Theatre in March.  You can read more about the vision on Teller’s blog but this pretty much sums it all up:  “The premise is that “Macbeth” is Shakespeare’s supernatural horror story, and should be done as violently and amazingly as a modern supernatural horror movie.”

request to convene a karma/prayer/best-wishes circle

Its been nearly 11 years since we first found out about my dad’s lymphoma. He’s been in remission now for about 3 or 4 years, which is a pretty good run. Lymphoma is a highly treatable form of cancer. However, he’s had this awful cough (he had walking pneumonia – very resistant to antibiotics) for a couple months now, and the doctor had him in for a CAT scan last week. The scan indicated something in the lungs – inconclusive but odd enough to warrant something they call a PET scan. He had that today and now we’re sitting tight waiting for the results.

I’m worried. Hopefully its just residual pneumonia. That would be the best-case scenario. Worst-case is that the cancer back, and that it isn’t just lymphoma anymore (having something turn up in the lungs indicates its no longer just lymphoma). Looks like my tax refund will be spent on several airline tickets home this year.

Also, I have a friend out there who is really hurting right now. If you have extra good karma, please send it towards either MO (towards my dad) or NC (towards my friend). If the Ritalin Poster Child is reading, you’re in my thoughts, sweetie. Hang in there. And know that I am wishing a lifetime sentence of shriveled and shrinking penis on that man. With no chance of parole.

Oh hell, forgive me for this…  If anyone knows a slut that’s dating a Dr. Littlejohn – please tell her that he’s still married in addition to being a lying, narcissistic piece of shit (which, sorry, is something I’ve known since the rehearsal dinner).  Tell the whorebucket that he’s been lying to his wife about her.  She should be ashamed of herself, but probably deserves everything she gets.  Did you know that, in NC, you can sue the person your spouse cheated with?  Fascinating…

only in dc

Guess who got to watch My Fair Lady from the President’s box at the Kennedy Center last night?  The show was a total rip-off of the Rex Harrison/Audrey Hepburn movie (the movie is better), but the Presidential m&m’s were delicious!  Teh Smitten and I shared a wee bottle of Korbel champagne and marveled that the President only had Budweiser beer in his fridge.  After the show, we expressed a little sadness at not having one of W’s Buds.  On the upside, I snagged an extra box of the Presidential m&m’s to send home to my family.  We tried out the various snacks available before the show and during intermission, and, separately (I may not have voted for the current CiC, but I do have respect for the office), tried out the private bathroom (which was nice, but spartan).  The folks who invited us to join them took photos, and I will try to post them at some point.

no obligatory new years post

Lots of people do these end-of-year posts capturing what happened over the year (kind of like those relatives and college friends who send out copies of long and non-personalized letters at Christmas), or to identify their resolutions for the coming year.  I’m not much one to revisit things unless absolutely necessary and think resolutions are usually crap (as people rarely keep them).

I can say that Teh Smitten andI made it back from MO intact.  He claims the family wasn’t so bad to scare him off.  My niece and nephew really took to him, particularly the niece.  We were reading to her one afternoon – she was all snuggled up in my lap between us – and she gently reached up to touch Teh Smit’s beard.  She is new to facial hair so seemed to feel that there was something wrong with his skin.  Her reaction was, “Its cracked!  You gotta go to the doctah! You gotta go to the doctah!”  She is a very dramatic little thing (at 2.75 years of age) and most of her declarations begin with a dramatic gasp or, “Oh my god!!” (blame her mother for that one).  She’s pretty funny.

Christmas was pretty good.  Teh Smitten gifted me with the new perfume I wanted – Tom Ford’s Black Orchid Voile de Fleurs, the Pride and Prejudice dvd box set, the High Fidelity cd, Foreigner’s greatest hits, and Journey’s greatest hits (I have this odd gift – a sort of sub-superpower – of locating Foreigner songs on the radio).  Before the holiday, he gave me some goodies from Crate and Barrell such as excellent cheese knives, a magnetic egg timer, and a beautiful wood mortar and pestle.  He did so well by me, and I feel like I did not do as well for him.  First Christmases are difficult to gauge, giftwise.  May favorite gift from the family was the digital camera (a Canon) – I’ve taken some photos and need to post them…  Just haven’t gotten around to it.

We spent  New Years with friends – the Manic Bride and her Husband-Apparent (they are getting married in June) flew out from CA to hang out with the Literary Chef, his “Monkey” (a lovely and witty lass who isn’t at all monkey-like) and his parents.  The Chef’s parents had a posh little party at their beautiful home just south of Old Town Alexandria – right along the Potomac – and we were very pleased to have been invited.  However, I really missed spending New Years with The Bunny and Carmencita, and with their Boston cronies.  I hope to get to see them sometime this year.

The job continues to be a drag.  I have to work with a person who has been very clear about not liking me.  For example, on Thursday I was told how I am a very nice person with a very gentle writing style that needs to change – that it was okay considering current management (which she called “laid-back”, implying half-assed) but that it wouldn’t fly anywhere else.  Utter bullshit – I wouldn’t have risen from GS-11 to GS-14 levels in 4 years if that were true.  This person is one who embraces being an apologetic (and condescending – how I hate that!) bitch as opposed to being a red-blooded one (long live Bette Davis in All About Eve!).  I actually found the Guardian article via this link on Jezebel.com.  So, the job application process is on!  Any ideas, connections, and recommendations would be most profoundly appreciated!