Wednesday, June 26, 2013 ALL CLEAR!!

I saw my surgeon on Monday and he gave me the all clear, he said there were no visible signs of cancer, growths or "aliens around my uranus."  

On Tuesday I had a PET scan and got the results back from it on Wednesday afternoon when I met with my oncologist.  Again, ALL CLEAR!!  There was no evidence of cancer from my thighs to the base of my skull.  Whew!!  He wants me to have another PET scan in six months and other than that and keeping an eye on the back side were all good!  I do have to find an oncologist in the Durango area and I'm sure that wont be a problem.  Between Dr. Gerstenberger, my GI doctor, and the soon to be found oncologist I should be in good hands.  

We are leaving Tucson for home this morning.  Mikey has already packed the Tahoe and gotten us road ready.  We'll be home by Friday afternoon!!  

Thank you to everyone for their good thoughts, wishes, prayers and vibes you sent my way, they worked!!

Love to all!

Robert (& Mike!)

Sunday, June 23, 2013 My Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to me!!  I’ve been receiving a lot of texts and emails wishing me a Happy Day.  Thank you to all!!  I started my day by doing laundry and as many of you know that is one of my favorite things! 

Last week on Thursday we drove down to Nogales to cross the border to do some shopping.  I buy my omeprazole there since I can get a year’s supply for less than $30.  I’ve been to Nogales before with friends and knew how easy it was.  Mike had never been and he was curious to see how to cross a border on foot.  We’ve flown, driven and sailed across borders but never crossed on foot. 

The drive down is about an hour and a half and it is interstate highway the whole way.  You get off at the last exit and park in one of the pay parking lots.  It cost about $4 and is very safe.  From there you walk through the duty free shop parking lot, cross the street and head down the ramp to the border.  No one checks you as you enter Mexico, but you do have to walk through a portal where U.S. border patrol agents are watching.   As we entered Mexico I noticed the line into the U.S. was extremely long, longer than I have ever seen it. 

We walked through the “Valley of the Farmacias” and around downtown Nogales on the Mexico side.  It is a fairly clean city, at least what we saw was clean.  Of course the vendors want you to come into their shops but they are not as aggressive as the vendors in Egypt.  We turned around and went back to the Farmacia I was familiar with and purchased the omeprazole.  I asked the vendor why the line was so long into the states and he said one of the other port entries was closed causing the line here.  He said, “you don’t worry, you senior, go left line, you senior, no problem, get in fast.”  He was looking at me when he said that and Mike was standing right next to me!  Hmm, do you think I look older than Mike??  I do because of the gray beard and the bald head.  Oh, well, if it gets me back into the states quicker I’m OK with that!

I felt a little guilty cutting in front of all those people waiting to enter the U.S. but not enough to go back and get in line!  We went to the first kiosk to scan our passports then up to the border agent who was a young blonde woman.  She was smiling and when I walked up asked why I went to Egypt.  Gulp.  I guess when I scanned my passport it brought up where we had been last and it was Egypt.  I told her it was a vacation and she then asked if I was traveling alone.  Gulp.  I pointed to Mike who was coming up to her desk at that time.  She asked, is this your partner.  Double Gulp!  I said yes and she looked at Mike and asked him how long we had been together.  Holy Crap!  We’re going to jail, I know it!  We always get harassed when we cross back into the U.S.  I don’t know if our passports say “known homosexual” or “light in the loafers” or “friends of Dorothy” or maybe it has a pink triangle in one corner!! 

Mike looked like a deer in the headlights so I said 32 years.  She smiled even more and said that was wonderful, that she loved to hear about these stories and waved us on through with a have a great day!  What???  This was the first time in a long time where I didn’t feel like a criminal coming back into my own country.  She was absolutely the nicest border agent we have ever encountered.  Mike thinks they may have been having mandatory sensitivity training.  Whatever the case, I’m delighted to have had her as our border agent this time. 

Here is a picture of us happy to return to the U.S.  That's the auto entry behind us and the foot entry is directly behind me. 

This is our last weekend in Tucson and it’s also my birthday weekend.  Mike baked a banana bread loaf yesterday and is making a banana cream pie today.  Not that these are my favorites but he just bought a bunch of bananas at the .99 cent store and they need to be eaten!  He made one of my favorite meals last night, shrimp and pasta, sautéed shrimp with garlic and olive oil over pasta.  Yummy!!  This afternoot we are going to see 5 chorus’ perform downtown as part of the Gay Pride festivities in Tucson.  We are going with two women from the park and meeting Lee & Gail at the show.  After the show we’ll all go to dinner.  The mayor of Tucson decreed that today was Gay Pride Day in Tucson.  How sweet of him to do that in honor of my birthday! 

My work hours next week will be light because of doctor appointments.  I’ll work half days on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with Wednesday being my last day.  Thursday morning we’ll head for home with a stop on the north side of Flagstaff for the night.  We should get into our driveway early afternoon on Friday where we will unload the Tahoe and the motor home.  Dinner that night will be at Mike and Marie’s where I’m sure she will have prepared something fabulous!! 

I’ll probably post one more entry on the blog after I get the results back from the PET scan on Tuesday. Keep sending those good vibes my way, please.   

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

We have been in Tucson since Wednesday, May 29 and have been very happy to be back in the hot and dry until now.  OK, now it is just too hot!  Tucson has had triple digit weather for several days and it is really taking its toll on the air conditioners in the coach.  If we run both AC’s we can keep the inside temp in the low 80’s.  In order to run both AC’s we have to turn off everything else in the coach.  We have to switch the refrigerator and the hot water heater both to the gas setting.  Even doing that we still popped the breaker at the main box outside.  We’ve gotten very good at running the AC’s one at a time and using a fan to circulate the cool area from one end of the coach to the other. 

Sunday, June 9, was the last outdoor performance of the Tucson Pops.  We went with some friends from the RV Park and had a great time.  A lot of people show up early to get a good spot and to have a picnic lunch.  The friends we went with usually stop at Subway and pick up a chopped salad so we did the same.  The salad was quite yummy and really not a bad price!  It was hot when we first got there but as the sun sets behind the trees it cools down to a comfortable temperature.  Ah, dinner and a show…

Us at Reid Park

This past Thursday I took the day off and we rode up to the top of Mt. Lemmon.  It was about 30 miles and took about 45 minutes.  The drive was beautiful and the temperature at the top was wonderful!  The town of Summerhaven is at the top of Mt. Lemmon and it has a few shops and restaurants but is mostly summer homes for people escaping the heat of Tucson.  We turned right before Summerhaven on Ski Run road and went another mile and half further up the mountain.  The road dead ends at a gate for the UoA Sky Center.  There is a trailhead next to it which is where we parked.  The elevation was 9,114 feet!  We had planned to hike an 8.5 mile loop hike but after looking at the trailhead map we decided against it.  There’s no way we can hike 4 miles down then back up!   The part we did hike was a smaller loop a little over 3 miles long.  It was half way down then back up.  The up was brutal!  We are both out of practice hiking in higher elevation.  Even Jenny was tired when we got back to the trailhead.  All of us rested for about 45 minutes before driving back down the mountain. 

Mt. Lemmon hike.

A couple of Friday’s we have gone out to eat with our friends Lee & Gail.  Last night I was craving country fried steak and the closest place to Lee & Gail’s house is the Denny’s at Broadway and Wilmot.  Rex Adams joined us and it was “boys night out” again.  I have to admit my meal was quite delicious and everyone seemed to enjoy theirs as well. 

To keep cool we have been spending many afternoons at the pool.  I usually leave work about 2ish and go home for a nap.  After napping we head to the pool for about an hour.  Most days we have it to ourselves but sometimes there are 2 or 4 other people there.  Our tans are coming along nicely which we will hear about when we go see the dermatologist this summer. 

Our very own pool!

That’s all for now, folks.  I’ll post more after my doctor appointments on June 24, 25 & 26.  Those are my last follow up appointments as well as the PET scan.  Until then, keep cool!