Support for LateToSchool

[binx]

<p>We’re never going to get sick, thanks to LTS giving us a daily laugh! (Reminds me of the time once when my loving, helpful 10-year-old son proudly made and brought me my morning coffee - my brother-in-law helped him find the sugar. Neither of them realized it was salt. I gagged, and said something tactful like, “This is the worst coffee I have ever had!” I also didn’t find the humor in it then - coffee in the morning is way too important to me. But I do now - enough time has passed!)</p>

[latetoschool]

<p>Eddieodessa, it was indeed a beautiful day. Today was my last day of chest radiation, and I am so thankful. </p>

<p>I am looking forward to the weekend - I have two wonderful books to read, some exercise goals from the physical therapist, some writing to finish, etc. </p>

<p>With days this beautiful, it’s simply impossible to not be very happy.</p>

[soozievt]

<p>Maybe the vanilla powder was part of the scheme to make you laugh each day. :D</p>

[latetoschool]

<p>LOL Binx. I am a very blunt person so my daughter is used to how I frame comments. But it also means she didn’t take me seriously at first- I think she just thought I was playing the cancer card. LOL.</p>

<p>Soozievt, it will be a very long time before I will be able to see that as funny. Oh - wait - maybe that’s the point. Can you imagine how that had to have tasted? :(</p>

[scualum]

<p>LTS: My son is also needing to add weight after a infection following surgery - he has had a lot of luck with </p>

<p>[Cytosport</a> - Products - CytoGainer?](<a href=“http://www.cytosport.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=7]Cytosport”>http://www.cytosport.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=7)</p>

<p>A protein powder with extra calories… He thinks it tastes pretty good - I have not tried it as I am trying to lose a few pounds… you would think I could just hand him some of my extra but he doesn’t want them for some reason :)</p>

<p>Hope you have a great night…</p>

[somemom]

<p>my DH used to cook dinner and parent the kids two nights a week when I worked late. At first I came home to a mess and the kids not ready for bed, in time he became an excellent “mom” but he will never live down the time he made gravy…mixed up the flour & water in a jar like I do and made a wonderful rich looking gravy; however powdered sugar is not an appropriate substitute for flour :eek: I think he even managed to laugh by the end of that night.</p>

[latetoschool]

<p>Scualum thank you, I will try that. If I don’t like it, one of my caregivers will gobble it up. He’s always running out of his protein powder, he uses so much of it. </p>

<p>Somemom, that is funny. LOL your poor husband, I am just imagining the dejected, “whoops” look on his face…</p>

[epistrophy]

<p>and another</p>

<p>

“Every moment counts for Sox’s strength coach”</p>

<p>Allen Thomas was almost giddy as he excused himself from the dugout Monday afternoon and headed into the clubhouse.</p>

<p>“He’s on a very tight schedule,” Thomas explained quickly. “I don’t want to keep him waiting.”</p>

<p>Thomas, the director of conditioning for the White Sox, knows all about tight schedules.</p>

<p>But this is Lance Armstrong, waiting in the Sox’s clubhouse to talk specifically to Thomas.</p>

<p>This was not a meeting Thomas was willing to risk tardiness. </p>

<p>Armstrong and Thomas had not met before Monday, and don’t know whether they will meet again. But cancer will always connect them, like it does so many who are afflicted with the disease, and it’s why this meeting was so important and unique for Thomas: Like so many cancer patients, living to get the opportunity to shake the hand of someone who knows your pain is monumental.</p>

<p>“This is a great opportunity for me,” said Thomas, minutes before his meeting with Armstrong, who was in town to promote his new initiative, Stand Up For Cancer, with Elizabeth Edwards and Laura Ziskin. “We went through some of the same things, and it’s always good to meet someone who knows your experience.”</p>

<p>Thomas was diagnosed just more than a year ago with testicular, stomach and lung cancer.</p>

<p>He was 33 and about to begin spring training with the Sox when, during a routine physical, doctors tested for cancer and the results came back positive.</p>

<p>Thomas reacted quickly. He traveled to Indiana, consulted with revered oncologist Dr. Lawrence Einhorn and underwent surgery shortly after.</p>

<p>Like Armstrong, Thomas’ body was strong from conditioning. There were certainly moments when Thomas wasn’t quite sure how this could have happened to him, and how the cancer had spread so quickly to his stomach and lungs.</p>

<p>“Initially, doctors couldn’t find it,” Thomas said. “We weren’t sure exactly where it was because I had taken a certain test to just test the blood and see if there is cancer in it. It was just amazing. Then, once we found out I had it, we did an ultra sound and found out more.”</p>

<p>Armstrong, too, had started with testicular cancer. Diagnosed in 1996, Armstrong also discovered he had brain, lung and abdomen cancer. </p>

<p>“We just shared stories about our disease and diagnosis and ultimately a little bit about cycling,” said Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France champion, of his chat with Thomas. “He seems to be doing great.”</p>

<p>The common thread, the tie that binds. Unfortunately for Armstrong, Thomas and more than 6 million other people worldwide, that common thread is cancer.</p>

<p>Armstrong and Thomas want to do something about that.</p>

<p>Armstrong’s contributions to cancer research are well-documented, and his LiveStrong campaign has raised plenty of money for cancer research and treatment.</p>

<p>Thomas’ contributions are perhaps not quite as world-reaching, but they are nonetheless significant.</p>

<p>“I think my situation woke some people up,” he said. “[Sox manager] Ozzie [Guillen] said afterward, ‘If [Thomas] is sick, we all gotta get checked,’ and I think a lot of the guys on the club really started to realize that this can affect anyone.”</p>

<p>The clubhouse responded empathetically to Thomas’ condition. Jim Thome bought Armstrong’s first book, “It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life,” and a bicycle for Thomas, who has read the book twice.</p>

<p>“I wanted to thank him today for being a silent supporter,” Thomas said. “I wanted to thank him for being inspiring to me when I needed it so badly.”</p>

<p>Many had a chance to do that, although perhaps not as intimately as Thomas, on Monday at U.S. Cellular Field.</p>

<p>Armstrong, Edwards, and Ziskin filmed what will be a segment of the upcoming TV special, “Stand Up To Cancer,” a commercial-free hour-long broadcast that will raise awareness and help raise millions of dollars for research, treatment and prevention. Major League Baseball was the first major donor to the initiative and commissioner Bud Selig has announced a $10 million contribution by the league.</p>

<p>The 39,547 fans that crammed the stands gave Armstrong, Edwards and Ziskin a rousing welcome before the Sox’s game against the Rangers, complete with a show of hands of how many people in attendance have been affected by cancer in some way.</p>

<p>There didn’t seem to be a single fan without a hand in the air.</p>

<p>“Every minute is important now,” said Thomas, leaning back on his seat in the dugout and looking out across the field. “There isn’t a single moment that goes by that I’m not grateful to be here.”

</p>

<p>[Lynch:</a> Every moment counts for Sox’s strength coach | Northwest Herald](<a href=“http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2008/07/22/sports/columnists/doc4885725621b51034404440.txt]Lynch:”>http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2008/07/22/sports/columnists/doc4885725621b51034404440.txt)</p>

[scualum]

<p>For what it is worth, son uses the vanilla flavor. Mostly he drinks as is - but also adds chocolate syrup and/or raspberry sorbet to change the flavor around a bit. It comes in a BIG container so he wanted something neutral to use as a base.</p>

<p>He has put on 30 pounds in 3 months and is back to his pre infection weight.</p>

[SBmom]

<p>When we were little kids, my sister made chocolate chip cookies that were truly revolting. It turned out that the recipe called for nuts and she’d dumped in a can of Jordan barbeque flavor almonds…</p>

[overseas]

<p>Talking of cooking gaffs: his sister made oatmeal cookies using our horse’s oats. They were crunchy. But as I remember lots of adult laughter…</p>

[scualum]

<p>As a kid I once made brownies with olive oil… thinking oil was just oil… needless to say inedible…</p>

[binx]

<p>Cooking mistakes when we were kids are cute.</p>

<p>I am a master of the embarrassing adult kind. When we lived in Germany, much of the food was “the same but different.” Looked the same; tasted different, or looked different; tasted the same. My neighbors were kindly leaving me produce from their garden regularly. They brought way too much zucchini (just like here!) so I tried to make good use of it. One time they brought me some that were a bit skinnier than usual, but about the same length and color - perhaps a bit more green.</p>

<p>I made up a bunch of zucchini bread, and left some on their doorstep as a thankyou.</p>

<p>Had a couple veggies left over, and H saw them later that day. “Binx, those aren’t zucchini. They’re European cucumbers.” Never found out if my neighbors liked their cucumber bread. I didn’t think it tasted bad. Explained why the dough was a bit watery, though.</p>

[Threekids]

<p>Epistrophy:</p>

<p>Wow…I had no idea Lance Armstrong’s cancer was so extensive. Amazing, really given the rate of survival. Thanks for always posting those, they really do give hope.</p>

[latetoschool]

<p>I am so deeply saddened by Randy Pausch’s passing. I just don’t have words right now. </p>

<p>Threekids, there are some simply amazing stories in the Epistrophy links here. Perhaps that is why Professor Pausch’s death is so upsetting. So many miracles granted - one wonders, where was HIS miracle? Did someone get the wrong mailbox?</p>

[shelley14]

<p>So very sad. But, perhaps his miracle was teaching us all about living life.</p>

[CountingDown]

<p>LTS, I’ve been thinking about you all day today and imagining how you must feel about the Prof’s death. He was only two months older than me, and I am humbled and shaken today that I’ve been able to see my kids grow up and he didn’t. It’s not stinkin’ fair.</p>

[epistrophy]

<p>more on lung cancer “survivor” Ben Westlund (#3627)</p>

<p>

“Democratic state legislator from Tumalo is running for state treasurer”</p>

<p>In an effort to win election as Oregon’s next treasurer, state senator Ben Westlund campaigned in Baker City Saturday during the Miners Jubilee parade.</p>

<p>Westlund, a Democrat from Tumalo, near Bend, plans to campaign right up to the Nov. 4 election. On his current trip Westlund will visit Baker, Hermiston, Pendleton and La Grande.</p>

<p>“Time is a valuable commodity,” said Westlund, who’s on the road more often than he’s home these days.</p>

<p>This is the motto by which he plans to run the treasury. Westlund is running against Republican candidate Allen Alley, who also participated in the parade.</p>

<p>Alley’s positions were chronicled in the June 6, 2008, edition of the Baker City Herald. The story is available online at: [Baker</a> City Herald - Online](<a href=“http://www.bakercityherald.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=6699]Baker”>http://www.bakercityherald.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=6699)</p>

<p>“Running for state office is like climbing Mount Everest barefoot without any oxygen,” Westlund said Saturday. He added that it can be time-consuming, exhausting and immensely rewarding in the end, much like climbing a mountain.</p>

<p>Westlund, whose 11-year career in the Legislature includes stints as a representative and a state senator, said it’s experience that matters most in the race for state treasurer.</p>

<p>“I’ve shepherded Oregon through its best and its worst,” Westlund said. During the Legislature’s 2002 session, for instance, lawmakers were faced with a poor economy and some tough decisions.</p>

<p>“I was forced to cut all those budgets,” Westlund said. “I cut more money from more budgets than any other Oregonian in history.”</p>

<p>Though the decisions were not easy, Westlund believes he did what he had to do.</p>

<p>“There’s such instability in the Oregon tax structure,” Westlund said, shaking his head. “Our revenue fell further and faster than any other state in history.”</p>

<p>But through it all, Westlund learned a great deal about money management.</p>

<p>“It was some of her (Oregon’s) very worst times,” Westlund said. “But it’s that experience that gives me the experience to run for state treasurer.”</p>

<p>Westlund said he genuinely looks forward to a good, healthy debate with Alley. He’s not afraid to disagree with other politicians or voters on certain matters, and he likes to spark a discussion.</p>

<p>“For instance, I’m a huge Second Amendment rights fan,” said Westlund with a mischievous smile. “We can talk about that, or whatever else we want.”</p>

<p>Westlund said disagreement over particular matters is simply political nature. He enjoys traveling through towns like Baker City and igniting a passionate fire.</p>

<p>“But it’s the whole mosaic of the trip, the fabric of it all, meeting people, talking about ideas,” Westlund said. “It’s that gestalt of politics,” Westlund said, that constantly makes politics so fierce and exciting.</p>

<p>“Baker is one of my favorite places,” Westlund said. “I know a lot of people here.”</p>

<p>He said a key to his campaign is talking with as many voters as possible.</p>

<p>“I want to hear their ideas,” Westlund said.</p>

<p>After the parade, Westlund met with the Baker County Democrats over lunch at Paizano’s Pizza.</p>

<p>Westlund believes he appeals to Baker County voters because of his deep-seated roots in the region.</p>

<p>“I’ve spent my entire business career east of the mountains,” Westlund said. “I care about rural economy issues and natural resources.”</p>

<p>**Healthcare reform remains his greatest passion when it comes to changing the state treasury’s expenditures. Westlund, a non-smoker who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2003, said it was an eye-opening experience to see how the healthcare system works firsthand.</p>

<p>“Every Oregonian deserves the same health care I got when I was sick,” said Westlund.**</p>

<p>“We have double the healthcare costs of any other first-world country,” Westlund said. “But we have the best hospitals, the best medicine, the best doctors. Something’s horribly wrong.”</p>

<p>Westlund’s other political platforms include increasing financial literacy in schools and adding fairness and stability to the tax code.</p>

<p>Josh Balloch, Westlund’s travel coordinator, said of all the places he’s called to make arrangements, Baker definitely boasts some of the friendliest people.</p>

<p>“Everyone was just very helpful,” Balloch said. “These are just the nicest people, genuinely friendly.”</p>

<p>Along with Chuck Butcher, vice chairman of Baker County Democrats, Balloch worked to ensure Westlund’s visit went smoothly.</p>

<p>Westlund said he hopes to win the November election to introduce greater political change from a new position.</p>

<p>“I love my time in the House; I revere my time in the Senate,” Westlund said.</p>

<p>But he said he often felt there wasn’t enough time to make major changes.</p>

<p>“When you’re in legislation, what you don’t have time to do is build a coalition to move big policy initiatives.”</p>

<p>But even after the utter political chaos that comes with the territory, Westlund said he hopes to slow down and really focus on a few key issues in the state treasury.</p>

<p>“It’s all good after you have cancer,” Westlund said. “I’ve learned to focus and prioritize more, and the office of treasurer allows you to move big policy issues.”

</p>

<p>[Baker</a> City Herald - Online](<a href=“http://www.bakercityherald.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=6968]Baker”>http://www.bakercityherald.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=6968)</p>

[epistrophy]

<p>Randy Pausch’s death brought this to mind (which I encountered a while back while in the midst of an “LTS hunt”)</p>

<p>

Death is nothing. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains the same-exactly as it was. I am I, and you are you, and the old life we lived together is untouched, unchanged. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak to me the way you used to. Put no difference in your tone. Wear no forced air of sorrow. Laugh at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Think of me. Pray for me. Let my name be the household word. Let it be spoken without effort and without the ghost of a shadow on it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. What is this death but a negligible accident?. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you somewhere near. All is well.

</p>

<p>[A</a> Reading Of Inspiration In De - Dealing With A Death - TeeBeeDee](<a href=“http://www.tbd.com/group/272/discussion/52844/show]A”>TBD - Shows)</p>

[latetoschool]

<p>Oh, my. The gentleman died today and I didn’t even spell his name correctly. Twice. Can a moderator do a fix please…</p>

<p>Epistrophy, thank you. That fits, and is comforting.</p>