I'm trying to keep my blog alive!

The problem is that nothing of interest happens here.  We go shopping, sometimes if only to have an outing, and that's it.  Then we come home to sit around surfing or reading all day, and we watch television in the evening.  I cook a nice noon meal each day and experiment with the electric pressure cooker.  The grandson comes over to visit most days after work.  The daughter and her husband usually come to visit after getting off work on Tuesdays. 

So there's my life.  I guess I just completed this entry. 

Part of this inactivity is due to the fact Cliff hasn't been feeling well.  He's had several painful symptoms for which there seemed no reasonable cause, and he was sleeping away his time.  Of course once cancer has interrupted a person's life, every random pain or affliction seems to remind one that the "Big C" could return.  Especially if a couple of the painful areas are at, or near, lymph glands. 

Early last week, I suggested to Cliff he visit our family doctor, but he said something like this: "I don't know what they'd do about it, even if I went."  However, on Thursday I called and made an appointment with Stephanie, the nurse-practitioner we both prefer to the actual doctor.  I couldn't go along, since the appointment was scheduled for 3 PM; I knew our little girl would be down for her nap at that time. 

Stephanie listened to Cliff's symptoms and told him several different things it might be, from shingles to arthritis and several things in between.  She decided he should try a steroid, Methylprednisolone, and see what happened.  It's in one of those packs where you take six pills the first day, then one less each subsequent day until they're gone.  Now, I hate steroids, and couldn't imagine what good they would be for his symptoms, but I do trust Stephanie, who told him if they didn't help, they'd do an x-ray, but the insurance wouldn't pay for an x-ray until they tried this first. 

Cliff got his pills.  I gave him a whole sermon on what I hate about steroids. 

The next morning, after taking the initial six pills, Cliff got up saying, "This is the first day I've gotten up without that same old pain in ages!  Surely this stuff wouldn't work that fast, after only one day." 

"I'm going to go kiss her (Stephanie) right on the mouth," he said with enthusiasm.

So now he's had three days of feeling decent.  Yay!  He will be getting a PSA test this week, and we're hoping for a low score. 

BREAKING NEWS!!!  We're going someplace next weekend.  OK, so it's a swap meet, but hey!  It's in Adrian, which takes us "sort of" in the vicinity of Martin City, which has one of the best fried chicken places, a superior steakhouse, and a pretty decent barbecue.  All that in a town with a population of less than 700 people.  How will we ever decide which place to patronize?  Since we have a freezer full of beef, I think it will be either chicken or barbecue. 

You know, as I look back over this boring and depressing blog entry, I realize Cliff and I are practically living out a song John Prine wrote years ago:  "Hello In There".

Me and Loretta, we don't talk much more
She sits and stares through the back door screen
And all the news just repeats itself
Like some forgotten dream that we've both seen
Someday I'll go and call up Rudy
We worked together at the factory
But what could I say if he asks "What's new?"
"Nothing, what's with you? Nothing much to do"

Chorus:
Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger
And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello"

So if you're walking down the street sometime
And spot some hollow ancient eyes
Please don't just pass 'em by and stare
As if you didn't care, say, "Hello in there, hello"