Starting with my brother's arrival soon. He is driving an hour from outside Philadelphia to see me. He will drive me to radiation at 11am, then to Rahway to solve a license issue for a new one. I can't order a new one online since it ends in 5 days on my 62nd birthday of March 12. Apparently, you get this close and they want you in reality rather than handling things online. So after that, we'll grab lunch and possibly walk some - I am finally feeling exercise.
I signed up for a poker tournament locally. I've never played PLO and I've won that tournament for Texas Hold 'em several times. So that was always pleasant. But since my times are shorted, it's time to learn a newer version. I do well playing Hold 'em online - oddly the removal of my tumor has actually vastly increased my intelligence oddly. If you've never seen the movie with John Travolta, "Phenomenon" it isn't too bad. It's a larger intelligence expansion than I'm experiencing, but the testing (outside of a few words I have trouble remembering for speaking or misspelling, which was non-existent a month ago) is different from me knowing and understanding. The doctors have started at me with suprrise at how much I understand and speak of everything regarding me, my relationships, my business and other items which they fully did not expect after this operation. They recognize I understand my own situation extraordinarily well compared to many others. Both the depth of my issues and the knowledge of the problems and how it is often trialed for testing.
Finally feeling well enough to get started on fixing my January travel expenses for business on 2 trips I'd taken before my illness. I was too messed up after operation to do anything with that. I'm now 2 days past a month, so that's a benefit. And my health is vastly improved. The doctors are getting me passing for local NJ Cannabis Dispensary for edibles. I do not use cannabis, haven't many years. I have not liked it ever since college, really. However, edibles apparently (based on several friends using chemo) that stop several illnesses from chemo. That has not happened yet. But I'll use a little if I get messed up.
Also, many things need effort and interest over the weekend. Finalize taxes, work on the house, and spending to improve the house. Frankly I suggested to Mrs. Bulldog to sell one old 15 year car which needs a new timing belt (over $4,000 to fix, but just trading it will add $2,000 to a new car). She'd rather pay too much to fix it and keep it for 2 years as after 2 years with me gone - who needs a second car? We have a disagreement on that. Also suggesting we sell the house rather than pay to fix it all. I told her a smaller place for her to live in is preferable after I'm gone. Let the buyer pay for our home now, pay way less for a smaller home. That's a conversation for this weekend, I suppose.
Pastor next week on my birthday to speak with students so they can learn about life difficulty. An odd conversation with the sociology administrator at the hospital was learning a lot. She loved my very rare attitude and approach. She pointed out people rarely consider or think about the fact that everyone dies. As a result, life is often managed over the fact they are living now as is - often leading to difficulties and disagreements (or worse). Once you know the ending (as I do) your life and efforts change. Few change it the same way - often it's related to fear, annoyance or scare. She was pleased with my open conversation and belief that death happens, anyway - so why get upset or worry now? It's a waste of time. When you don't have a timing like mine, she pointed out, there are lots of other issues people engage. Because you forget you never know when things happen or end. It is intriguing.
One final conversation. Dogs. I love my little dog. Not an English Bulldog like my first two. A French Bulldog we rescued after a mill planned to kill it after it had several puppy birth groups. Many of these mills are just awful and do not care about dogs except to make money from puppies. Rescues get a push from people saying helping mills is poorly thought out. I disagree. We originally planned to just foster the dog for 2 weeks and release it to someone who wanted it. But at her 5th year, when we rescued her, I fell in love with her. A co-speaker commented that, as I die, I will have the chance to finally se"e my last 2 again, as well as my current one someday. I agreed and reminded her that there is a wonderful Twilight Zone TV show - one I think is the best. The link to The Hunt. I studied Twilight Zone while I was studying TV Production in college as part of my 3 way major/minor. Serling was from Syracuse and it often aired in his shows. All his programming was genius while I was a child. Double, if not triple true today. So many people pass on it now. My sons still love it - and my boys are film/TV geniuses, even though neither had it as a major as I did. I could share their lists and I may after my birthday. Lots worth seeing.
