Ethan’s Journey

 I woke up this morning and Paul asked me if I remembered him waking me up because I was snoring. I did not remember as I slept so soundly and beautifully. He then shared my response to his accusations of snoring. “You snore!…… I am a lady. I don’t snore.” He found this comical. I told him this morning….even in my sleep I tell jokes. I was most certainly snoring. Another day and more pressure from leadership to accept this new position. I tried to approach it with an open mind but my gut is screaming “No-Way!” My gut is usually spot on. I went to the dentist and got my crown. My idea of a crown is something that sparkles and is so pretty!  Did you know this crown looks like it was made out of tooth material? Not sparkles. What a rip off. It should be called a tooth hat. That is what it is essentially. I told them that the appointment certainly was not what I expected. Dropped $1400.00 and nothing is shiny or made of diamonds. I thought I was leaving with a crown!  I then ...

I was approached by leadership today with an opportunity to do a different job. It would still sort of be recruiting but working with students. I was flattered they thought I could make the program successful, but I am very hesitant as I like my team and where I am currently am. I made a pros and cons list. I have to give some sort of answer by tomorrow. It was heavy on my mind. It dominated my afternoon thoughts. I had a running pros and cons list. Ugh! After work, I went to dinner with a friend. I gave her a cottage core birthday mug. It had flowers on it with surprises in the middle. She loved it. We laughed! We had margaritas with dinner. We chatted and caught up. It was a nice evening. When I got home, Ethan had fed the dogs without being asked. Wow!!! This is such progress. I went to bed early.

  The dogs crack me up. They do live a good morning snooze in the sunshine. I visited and had dinner with Mom and Gene this evening. They are having a blast at their new place. Avery came to visit on her way home from work as well. I was delighted my mom kept the little snowmen that I would hide for her to find around the house. Avery and I hid some. I like the thought of her smiling when she finds one. Silly game meant to bring joy. Avery got the tour of the new place.  Mom and Gene took us to dinner at one of the restaurants. Everyone is so nice there. Everyone says “hello”, the windows are bright and cheerful and we enjoyed visiting. We were laughing at Mema and were talking about how she should run people over with her scooter if they piss her off.  Avery talked through her thoughts on her next steps. She has options and a plan. We had large bowls of ice cream for dessert. Yum! Gene got 4 scoops of ice cream! He was so happy! When I got home Ethan had already fed the ...

​Carrie- they did have Lake Shore Fog they were serving. 😁 Today we had a leisurely morning. Heather and I sat around and talked about the events of the weekend with Paul and Jason. We had many laughs about awkward conversations, high lights and just commenting on different people we met or spoke to. Paul and I got on the road to camp. We arrived at camp a little after 11 am. We stopped and grabbed a breakfast sandwich on our way. I didn’t spend much time at camp. I was able to put some things away, get an inventory of items that I need to bring up.  We visited with Lois and Craig for a bit as the rain was hammering down. We assessed the damage to the dock from wild weather several days ago. The dock has seen its last days and is currently in hospice.  I realized that I will be unable to go up next weekend with Father’s Day and not being able to juggle the dogs appropriately. That is fine. I will manage. Ethan said he got lots done with the fireworks and feels ready for his f...

 The beds are so hard. Shockingly, it isn’t too bad for sleeping. I slept well. We had beautiful weather today. A nice breeze so it felt “just right” outside. We went to the breakfast and lunch provided.  Heather and I walked around campus, went to the book store and listened to the birds through the Merlin app. It was disappointing there was nothing special that was recorded. I am not sure if I was expecting a blue footed booby to pop up on the ap. Bit there were just boring birds like Robins. After lunch, we stayed mostly in the courtyard of the dorm we were staying at. There were Adirondack chairs, picnic tables and tents to sit under to escape the sun. There was music on and it was a good vibe. One of our sorority sisters came out to visit Heather and I. We have known her well over 25 years. It was fun to visit with her. There were activities set up for us in the afternoon. They had a beer/wine tasting set up. They had good beer too. I had a hazy IPA -citrus fog by Souther...

 Paul and I worked and then drove up to SUNY Canton for our alumni weekend with our college friends. It was a long drive, but we finally made it. Heather came outside to greet us and was dancing. Today is her birthday!!!!! What a greeting! Paul, Jason, Heather and myself have a suite on campus. We each have our own room, but there is a living room and kitchen to hang out in.  There isn’t a lot of people that Heather and I knew, so we went for a walk on campus, like we were going to class. We saw a ground hog that was surprisingly not shy. We stopped and watched him for a bit. I liked his teeth. We met a couple that also met at Canton. They graduated in 1971. They were talking about how the campus has changed and where things used to be. They also shared the bars and hang out spots they would go. The guys went out to a bar. Heather and I took our bras off, did nothing and enjoyed the evening in. 

 Moe and Penny had their dental cleanings today. I was worried Moe was going to bite someone. Turns out he is far better behaved without out me. He doesn’t have to protect. No growling, no snapping. Perfect.  He keeps me on my toes. Penny had 5 teeth removed. Moe had a canine tooth and another removed plus a mass taken off of his gums.  Both got some good pain medications. Moe is quite out of sorts. His canine tooth, they kept it for me, was impressive! He is going to be SORE for a few days!  By Thursday afternoon, I am mentally exhausted these days. The long hours I am putting in turns my brain to mush. I was feeling it around 6 pm. Paul priced out doors today for Ethan’s building. They are special order and will take 6-8 weeks to arrive. I told Paul to get a move on!!!!! I made our final mortgage payment today. That felt good! Checking things off our list of feeling accomplished. 😊 Avery shared that she and Kendall will be joining us at the islands for the 4 th! T...

 I have heard from several people about facing the shower, putting your back to the shower or twirling. It seems the majority of people are twirlers. Little petite ballerinas in the shower! So funny. I am a stationary ballerina. 🩰 It’s probably for the best. I am not that graceful and would likely break a hip. I did some light reading during my coffee consumption time. It was a study on a medication that has been shown to help reduce protein in the urine, a side effect of kidney disease that Ethan struggles with. It seemed promising at first. All the cool things noticed in the study. Then I read the side effect of sometimes causing increase potassium. Potassium increases can be detrimental to heart health. Nope! Disqualified! I will keep reading, searching and asking questions! I asked Ethan if he would be interested in participating in stem cell therapy. They take donor stem cells (mine) and give them to the transplant recipient (Ethan). He said he would be interested in learning...

 I slept like absolute garbage last night. I felt tired but couldn’t fall asleep. There isn’t anything really stressful going on to put my “worry” module into a tailspin. Nothing other than the normal day in and day out business. Once I did fall asleep, I woke up dumb.  I say that because I lost my phone, forgot I was looking for my coffee -just wandering around trying to remember what I was looking for, put my shirt on backwards, used conditioner twice on my hair……my eyes felt heavy and my head hurt a little. I don’t care for that feeling. Two thumbs down! With some coffee and extreme focus, I made it through the day as best as I could. I had some help from other members of my team. They caught me up on some things which was so appreciated. This evening was party time. We celebrated my friend Sandy’s 25 th anniversary of her 25 th birthday. I sent Paul on a wild goose chase to Fairport when the pub was in Greece. Man, I am such a jerk! I didn’t know or otherwise I would not h...

Work is a lot. I knew it would be. I wish our software doesn’t break every day. Some day…..maybe? Moe was bugging me to go out and sunbathe at about 7:15 am this morning. He was out the majority of the day. I took him for a lap around the field. He jumped in the pond again. He also got a hose bath again. He will now be put on a leash prior to re-entering the yard. Dumb dog! He is very clean! Paul was pissed because the did some weed whacking in an area where there is poison ivy. His allergy is pretty sensitive. He saw that it looked like poison ivy, but still did weed whacking sending the poisoning to aerosol form.  He then asked questions. He didn’t like the answer. He even tried to tell me I was wrong and that it wasn’t poison ivy.  Any amount of denial won’t prevent someone from poison ivy onset. He had choice and colorful words after I confirmed that it in fact was poison ivy. He immediately showered and foreshadowed that his eyes would be swollen shut in the morning. Paul...

 Cousins weekend is over. The Diiulio’s (not us) have left the state. Paul and I caught up on yard work today. I was able to try out my mini chainsaw and cut up branches for kindling. I collected 4 bags worth so far.  We had a tree fall in our back yard a while back. Paul cut up the big pieces and I told him I would pick away at the smaller branches. We can use it for our campfires in our back yard or for more kindling this year. Ethan worked a bit in the garage. He took several rests. Yesterday morning he had to go to the lab. He signed in and had to wait for the 7 people ahead of him. He typically has several blood tests. They check his two rejection medication doses, CBC, chemistry panel to look at his organ function, some kidney related tests, electrolyte levels, tryglycerides, thyroid level, ferritin/ iron level to help assess kidney function. And more. He has an elevation in his potassium again. He has been so careful with avoiding potato’s, bananas, and potassium rich f...

 We had breakfast and headed over to the in-laws. Avery, Julie and I took a lengthy walk and it was quite humid and warm out. We spent the afternoon poolside at cousin Chadd’s house. It is right across the street. The tunes were on, we were listening to music and chatting away. Avery, Julie and I did our Target run. We picked up some hair essentials and sun screen.  We ordered a bunch of pizza and wings. We gathered for a picnic and ate together. Yum! We had some cake for dessert to celebrate Marcus’s birthday. We watched in real time, the 6 year old go from pre cake, no sugar state to a wound up Tasmanian Devil from the sugar. He started oversharing, telling us he pooped his pants on a roller coaster. I told him that Paul does the same thing…..you know, so he wouldn’t feel embarrassed by sharing that information. He looked at Paul and you could tell his 6 year old wheels were turning with many questions to answer. He chose wisely and didn’t ask any further questions. Ethan ar...

 I am pretty sure I got into the poison ivy. But t is that time of year. I don’t have the rash yet but am itchy all over. Even the inside of my ear is itchy.  I spent several days in the garden. It is my own fault.  I googled what the purpose of it is on this earth. It seems everything has a purpose.  Poison ivy apparently provides food to wildlife and birds in the winter (and summer). It also prevents erosion because it pretty much grows every which way. Really? There isn’t a plant that does those things that is less itchy? I headed over to spend time with my in-laws. Avery arrived late afternoon. We all worked together to make dinner. We tried to keep it as easy as possible. After dinner, the cousins were across the street. We all filtered outside. There were 6 teens plus Avery and the 6 year old….who was in his glory. Little Luca. He saw the big kids playing corn hole, badminton, bocce and throwing the football around. Luca said that it looks like a family carniva...

 Do you stand in the shower facing the shower or back to the shower? I assumed everyone had their back to the shower. I read an article today saying that there is a fair split for face towards the shower head vs. facing anway from the shower head and spinners….that just rotate between the two. There is no right or wrong answer. I did admit I kinda of laughed when I thought about “spinners”. I pictured a spinner as a little ballerina on a music box slowly twirling the entire time. I never really thought about it before. I keep my back to the shower (except when washing my face). Then I put my face into the hot water to rinse off the soap! I was able to work outside today. I had the dogs out with me. We all enjoy it. Heather and Jason came to visit. They bought our 4 wheeler and Paul is so happy it found a good home. It was nice to visit with them. We see them again next weekend. Looking forward to cousins weekend this weekend. So glad tomorrow is Friday!

 Man, today I kept thinking it was Thursday…..June 11 th. Nope, June 3 rd…AND a Wednesday! The dogs get their teeth cleaned next Thursday. Thankfully I realized it before i took them anywhere. My lunch group cancelled and rescheduled for next week. In keeping with the element of surprise today, I called Avery spontaneously and asked if she wanted to meet me at Goodwill for some thrifting. We spent some time there and then went to dinner….and sat outside for ice cream! It was a great unplanned evening. I came home to find Ethan and Paul working on his mower!

​Today I had to bring Moe in for his bloodwork. Drugs really help this go smoothly. I was able to ask him to sit and lay down. I restrained him while a coworker drew his blood. I was shoving tiny snacks in his lips so he would focus on his crunchy mouth surprises and it worked. Each time gets a little better. Moe needed bloodwork for his dental cleanings on Thursday. Penny is getting her teeth cleaned as well. We will be a commercial for dental hygiene….well…maybe after I get my crown next week. I am in the process of navigating things in my new role which keeps life interesting. I did more gardening tonight while Paul was mowing. Little bits at a time keeps my back happy. Ethan and Paul had a nice conversation this evening. Ethan was sharing his ideas with Paul about what he needs to do to his new mower and how he thinks he should approach it. Paul chimes in with things he may or may not have thought about. This is huge progress since 2022 and 2023.  HUGE PROGRESS! Kendall is set ...

 I went to the pharmacy today to pick up my medication. Turns out I might also need a prescription for something that makes me less of a jerk! Do they make pills for that? The lady next to me was a stage 5 yapper. The worst kind of yapper! She was yapping about her health problems, yapping about her Covid vaccine from 2020 (6 years ago lady….find a new topic) yapping about her cardiologist, yapping about A-Fib…….blood pressure medication, the weather, her summer plans….yap yap yap! The person behind the counter was so polite and answered the questions she asked. I really thing she is just fond of her own voice! Why did her yapping annoy me? I felt like a jerk because I was inwardly annoyed. She was just being a conversationalist….I just found her to be nails on a chalk board. Shut! Up! Lady! Later this evening I told Paul about the pharmacy lady! I told him “this is why I am better off working from home! It is not safe for the public for me to be out of the house!”  Other than...

​ Jiminy and Ethan have a special bond. This morning I saw Jiminy “guarding” Ethan. He was going to pick a fight with anyone that tried to hurt Ethan. Isn’t he threatening? Jiminy is just perfect! I did some yard work today. I exercised what my Mom does. Do a little bit and rest. Do a little bit and more rest. It helped preserved my back. I will be shocked if I don’t get poison ivy. I had the dogs out all day. I saw snakes with Ethan. I saw a baby fawn in the neighbors yard. Ethan showed me a pile of bones he found while mowing. It appeared to be an adolescent deer. 1/2 the spine and back legs were in one spot. The other half of the spine and skull were in the bushes.  We suspect it got hit by a car and then the wildlife took care of the clean up. The dogs were out the majority of the day again today and they loved it. Jiminy found a spot in the sun near Penny. They were doing dog stuff. Laying on the warm porch and napping rent free. Another beautiful day. I pulled out a lot of ne...

 Ethan was up and out of the house by 6:30 this morning. He was helping out at Cars and Coffee by the Little Speed Shop! The people there have been so kind to Ethan over the past several years. He has a special place in his heart for them! He returned home and his buddy came over for the entire day. It was nice to watch them do young 20’s men things. Shooting BB guns at a target, working on things in the garage, trying out the go-cart in the field…it got stuck so they had to tow it. Ethan mowed what will be his new back yard. I was surprised he did that. He shared it was to combat having ticks near his “house”. Smart thinking.  He and his buddy worked on fireworks….well mostly Ethan did as he is very cautious and does NOT want anyone to get hurt. He has the chemistry figured out and enjoys the process. I told him he should go become certified so he can run firework displays for towns, companies and such. I did meal prep of 52 meals. I utilized crockpots so it didn’t really tak...

 I was able to get a bunch done at work. I was hyper focused and my lists had lists to keep me on task! I met a friend for a late lunch. We sat outside at the restaurant for a couple hours enjoying a nice chat and the sunshine and beautiful weather. It was a good visit.  I did my grocery pick up, stopped at the liquor store to get Paul’s wine. Chatted with Kendall, who works there.  Paul was on his way to check out a car for Kendall. It was in Syracuse. He got hung up in traffic and called me to vent about it. He had some colorful language (not judging because mine can be worse in a traffic situation). He was worried that he was going to be late to meet up with the seller. I hate that kind of stress. I am sure there is a more official description, but I call it “time stress”. When you don’t want to be late, but you are running late. That feeling of anxiety that twirls in the air. I would rather be 30 minutes early than 5 minutes late. I feel like my time is as valuable as...