Day 135 - yummy!

I feel badly because I really enjoyed today and I know it was a miserable day for a lot of other people. My day started with Tommie and a trip to Manch for labs. I ran into a couple of people I knew which was nice and had my labs drawn without complication (or pain/discomfort). My labs were great: ANC 1,130, hgb 8.7, platelets 152. This means I do not need a transfusion and I can still eat a regular diet.

Once they called me to let me know, we decided to celebrate by having lunch at the Green Bean. Since I will not be able to have brie soon (too much fungus), I had a grilled brie sandwich with tomato and took home a salad for dinner. Ellie always gets the same: french roll, provolone, ham, potato chips so she is never disappointed. Tommie and Terry looked pretty happy too.

Terry and I continued to look at the surf (bad, citizen, bad, bad! "Avoid parks, beaches and low lying areas") which was incredible. I didn't really get any good pictures of it, but here's what I got.

Lots of churning surf and gawkers like us

Jenness beach which is usually very wide and the water which is usually pretty flat

There were times when you could look out to sea and see that the surf was higher than the top of the car. Going out to look at the surf was probably not our smartest move, but beautiful and fortunately we lived to tell the tale. It made me think of what it's like on a summer day when the waves get going a little and the ocean sucks the sand out from under your toes while at the same time the waves push forward. Except it was doing it at a huge scale. The whole of the ocean in the zone closest to the beach where you sometimes see surfers was filled with white foam. When you looked out further, it looked like a crazed cake froster had thrown vanilla frosting at a canvas in a not particularly artistic pattern. There were huge drops in height of the water at times and spray going over onto the road.

Next, since again I can eat brie for a couple of days, we stopped at Nancy's for cheese. Nancy's theory about why I've done so well with my chemo is because I am not afraid to eat anything. I have to think that there is some wisdom in that. Surely brie, Matt's locally grown produce and all the salmon have been good for my marrow. If nothing else, they've been good for my psyche. I *would* like to take this opportunity to point out that this doesn't mean I don't do the (hated, much maligned) neutropenic diet, because I think I do adhere pretty well to it.

On our way home, we stopped at Matt's and he had one basket of my favorite variety of raspberries. I am not quite sure of their name; it's similar to Polonia. They are huge, not as sweet as most raspberries and have a mild floral taste. They are late in the season so if there is an early frost, you don't get them. I think Matt does not really favor them because of this, but with global warming, we have had them the past three years. I have not really had raspberries this year because it just hasn't worked out: when I've had cells, Matt hasn't had berries or vice versa and, well, I only like the raspberries varieties that I like, but today was my payoff. I took a picture of them with a little gold pin so you can see their size and texture. 

Queen of fall produce

Then we came home and I had a three hour (!) nap from which I woke refreshed and ready to take on the world. Sadly, all that I needed to do was a little email and then it was dinner time. Again, taking advantage of my white cells, I had the gorgonzola salad from the Green Bean (mold, lettuce that may or may not be washed appropriately, have the walnuts been thouroughly toasted? otherwise, fully neutropenic compliant--i.e., totally and completely wrong). Then Terry and I lay on the couch and watched the big trees between our house and Doug's get tossed around. Our house is 140 years old or so and it is nice to think of all the people it has sheltered over the years just like it was sheltering us tonight.

I think I'll do a little weaving tonight. I remember one time reading where a woman said it took her nine months and nine days to make a huge dining room table cloth. Nine months to be intimidated by the size of the warp she had to deal with and procrastinate, then nine days to do the actual weaving. I think I am responding similarly to Ellie's blanket.

Tomorrow, I will not, not, not be getting any blood components which makes me happy. I hope I will be cozy in my little house and that you will be too. If you are in an area where you are not affected by the storm or you do not wish for a cozy day, I wish you something that fills you with as much happiness as late season, huge raspberries did me today. Otherwise, may we all be safe and cozy.