Surgery's bounty

There is nothing like a little old fashioned tumor removal to feel love all around you!

The past week or so has been so amazing for me. There aren't words available to express the gratitude I feel for all the people around me--those that did whatever needed to be done, and those that would have if they could have. Donna, Dad and Norm dropping their lives to tend to me. Norm's extended arm to help pull me back into bed when I've gotten up in the middle of the night. I have received voice mails, e-mails, blog comments, get well cards, an angel, an author-signed inspirational book, flowers arrangements, a fruit arrangement, and wacky balloons. My cousins in Memphis and beyond make up the Dixie Division of the Prayers R Us Network and have been on bended knee on my behalf.

Thank you very much. I am truly touched by every one's generosity and love. I am humbled by it all.










































































And this greeted me as I walked into the kitchen last night. There is no respect around here!! Oh, well....I have to remember to buy more Windex!

Where have all the flowers gone?

When my Flight Attendant training class graduated last May 1, we had 33 people in my class. Even if you don't particularly like a person in your class, you have some sort of bond that makes you genuinely happy to see them when your paths cross. And, you are sad when you hear that one has left the job, whether it was their choice or not.

My company has a one illness in six months only while on probation policy. That meant that had I gone back to work earlier this month after my foot injury cleared up, then discovered the tumor on my ovary and had to have surgery, I would have been fired. Fortunately, it was discovered while I was already out with the foot injury.

Others have not been so fortunate. Some quit, some resigned. Some just never came back.

"K" was let go after not receiving a phone call from the Crew Desk. Her cell phone company had taken down two towers in the middle of the night for maintenance--and she did not get the call. After she found out, she even was able to get a letter from the cell phone company describing the actions that prevented her phone from working that night. Still, combined with a previous late show for work, she was let go.

"T" had been out with strep throat in June. In July, she decided to go to Toronto to a Caribbean Festival. Weather ensued, and she was stuck for three days, not being able to get home. Fortunately, she was already looking for another job and had it lined up when the airline said "bye bye" to her....

"S" just decided it wasn't for her and called out sick. And called out sick. And called out sick. And called out sick. She is probably still calling out sick--and has no intentions of ever coming back. It just wasn't for her.

"K" quit to join the Army. Yep, you heard me. She quit to join the Army. Her short stint as a Flight Attendant didn't produce the love of her life that would pay for everything for her, so she quit. I doubt seriously if she actually joined the Army, that's just what she told people.

"J" got a better paying job at Georgetown University--good for her!

"S" was trying to commute to work from Philly to Washington, DC and the flights were oversold. With no seats available, buh-bye....

"M" readily admits she just showed up at the wrong time. Told to be at work at 1845 (6:45 p.m.) ...her brain translated 18 to 8 and showed up two hours late at 8:45 p.m.

"H" just couldn't get it together and had too many sick calls.

"J" ended up getting a DUI--which made him miss a trip, and they fired him. I suppose it was because he was drinking within the time limits of the company. The good news is that he went to rehab, and had a choice to stay there or leave, and he chose to stay. He is so young, I hope this ends up being a huge wake-up call and he gets his life on the right track.

There are a couple others, but there are only 20 of us in the original class left. So, when we run into each other at the airport, it's a big deal. We have just moments to catch up with where our next trip is taking us, how our lives are, and oh, did you hear what happened to.......

Hospital food!

Get me out of here!!

These "eggs" were served to me this morning with a cup of coffee, orange juice and milk. Yummo--not! More like Gross-O!!

I am getting out of the joint today right around my next "serving" of Percocet--around 11:30.

Dad is non-revving back home today...just ahead of the weather we are expecting a little later today. He made his 8:30 flight and will be home by 11:00 am.

Blondie's Triumph over Tommy the Tumor!**

**Today's post entitled by Cousin Lil' Bit.

No Guest Blogger as I had planned...sister Donna was so busy taking care of me today, she didn't have enough time to do it before she left. Good news is that I am feeling so well that I can check in here myself. (Or maybe it's the Percocets??)

Always thinking of my blog, I took my camera to the hospital after asking my surgeon if would be alright to have pictures taken of my girly parts being removed and she agreed. A cutie pie med student did a great job of taking the photos, but, I'll refrain from sharing those! (You're welcome!)

This was my first surgery--and I was very afraid. It was an overpowering fear at times. I was concerned about having cancer, but was more fearful of not waking up from the surgery. I know it is a rare instance, but the thought of never being with the people I love was overwhelming, and I could not get that possibility out of my head. I am so very glad it is all over!

And, over it is! Tommy the Tumor is dead--I have the photos to prove it!! And, he wasn't cancerous. And, the silver lining is no more visits from "Aunt Flo" each month. (My family is shakin' their collective heads that I wrote that!!)




Norm took this picture as I was waiting to go into surgery yesterday.













My Dad's grin was like this all day...it's his "No Cancer Smile!"

So, Donna has been my mother while here...she has been through this kinda stuff a couple of times, and she has the "getting out of bed part with staples and stitches in your belly" down pat. (Thank you, Didi!) She also walked me up and down the halls today.

In addition to Donna, Dad and Norm have been my escorts around halls this afternoon. I think Dad enjoyed looking at the pretty women working at the nurses station, while Norm was content just being next to me.

My belly hurts, but I'm am doing just fine. Hopefully going home tomorrow afternoon. For now, I am going to just lie back and let the Percocets do their thing!

Ramblings from my camera

We had friends visiting last week, and in one of the Washington, DC souvenir shops, I saw this magnetic Obama Mix and Match wardrobe! Love the super hero outfit! And, I wonder if his abs really look like that.....

















They didn't have a Sarah Palin mix and match wardrobe--but her face was plastered on a gazillion other things....






Miss Emmie made herself comfortable in a box I was going to put into the trash....

My CA-thee Cwaire*

The doorbell rang last week, and I was surprised with these gorgeous lilies.

But, the tears came when I read the card and saw who the flowers were from: my 20 year old daughter, Casey Claire.

On the card, Casey quotes an old Joshua Kadison song, "Beautiful In My Eyes, " that I just love. My favorite line is "and the passing years will show that you will always grow ever more beautiful in my eyes."


A phenomenal young woman, Casey reminds me of another quote, this one from Maya Angelou: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”


Today, as you can tell, I am bursting with pride!


*When Casey was a a toddler/pre-schooler....she had a lisp. When someone would ask what her name was, she would reply "CA-thee Cwaire." And, she is always CA-thee Cwaire to me!!

Liam is home from Iraq!

My awesome, accomplished, handsome, smart, and fun son-in-law Liam, who serves in the US Navy, returned home safely two days ago! As you may be able to tell, he is a Yankees fan--and today they are on their way up to New York to see the final game in Yankee Stadium. Now, he has to find the time to put together the massive Lego kit I bought for Brendyn!! (I think it has over a thousand pieces in it!! Welcome home, Daddy!!)



Liam and Brendyn, last year. (Any excuse to post a picture of my grandbaby is a good one!!)













Daughter Jennifer with her terrific husband.


I just love "Benny" to pieces and am so happy he is home!



In other news...

I am having surgery on Tuesday--to take out that big ol' ovarian mass. And other girly parts. Fun, fun, fun. I'll find out whether or not it is cancer that day, too. I'm opting for not...

Take a walk down memory lane...

Gadling posted some vintage airline commercials--oh, how things have changed!

Where were you?

Seven years ago today, I dropped Norm off at the Metro and he headed to work at the Pentagon. On the ride back to my house, I heard the radio announcer talk about a traffic plane that had hit the World Trade Center. Once inside my home, with the TV turned on, I watched the horror unfold in New York City and soon realized the Pentagon was attacked. Our phone service after that was spotty--I was able to call my boss in Miami (I worked for a cruise line then) but local calls were difficult. Norm did not have his cell phone with him at the time--they don't work in the Pentagon--but, it wouldn't have mattered--no cell phones were working around here.

It was several hours before I heard from him--and he was safe in his home. I was lucky. 184 people lost their lives at the Pentagon seven years ago--and thousands more in New York City and Shanksville, Pa.

Today, the Pentagon Memorial Park was dedicated. It consists of 184 benches on the western wall of the Pentagon, where American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the building. The memorial benches are designed so that if you read the name of a person who was on Flight 77, you face the sky. If you read the name of a person who was in the Pentagon, you face the building. The park is open 24 hours each and every day.

My life, changed so much that day, as did everyone else's. The biggest for me was that I lost my job with Royal Caribbean, and Norm and I moved in together. I think about September 11, 2001 in some fashion every single day--whether it is driving past the Pentagon like I did last night, or draggin' my bags through security at the airport, or just seeing an airplane in the sky on the Mount Vernon approach up the Potomac.

I hold close in my heart the families of the people who were killed that day--and hope that they have the strength and peace they need to continue to carry them.

Happy Hour

Saw this bottle of Pinot Grigio in the store--it made me think of Sue over at Happy Meals and Happy Hour. Go on over and say hello to her!

Duck, Duck, GOOSE!

What a few days it has been....

I packed up a bunch of stuff, anticipating a fun weekend at Duck. A lil' hurricane at the beach house is always good for the soul. (A little one, not a monster storm, okay???) Packed up the essentials: fat-free hazelnut coffee creamer, flip-flops, some board games, and a couple of bottles of wine. My cousin Elizabeth was coming in from Arkansas with her two munchkins, I was picking up sister Donna in Virginia Beach, and Dad was coming in from San Antonio. We had everything we needed to hunker down for a good storm. It was all good.

Until we arrived at the house and I sent everyone else on to get some dinner--I was hurting in my belly and wanted to just lay down. Around 10 pm, it was too much, so I had Donna take me to the Emergency Room. (Note to self, avoid Friday nights at the ER...)

9 hours and one CT scan later, I am informed I have a mass on my ovary and there is concern for cancer.

Spoke with my doctor on Saturday and we developed a plan. I'll be seeing a GYN oncologist this week and I'll keep you posted. I'm not one to worry until I have been given something to worry about. So, I am not in denial, I just haven't been handed a plate of trouble, yet. In the meantime, I am researching and thinking and praying.

The rest of the weekend went by so quickly--it was so great to see Liz and her children! She and her husband have done such a great job with them--they are so smart and well behaved and funny and a joy to be around!

Hurricane Hanna was (thankfully!) a dud on the Outer Banks. We saw a sign at one of the hotels that read "Hanna, go to Montana!" Loved that! She did push water up in the Currituck Sound--here is Dad with the Sound (bay) in the background...the water line is usually well beyond that stand of bushes--you can see one of the piers is almost underwater. But, the high water was about the only issue I saw there.

On Sunday morning, we drove down to the Nags Head Pier and had breakfast--and the surf was up, just a bit.

Now back home, just chillaxin' with the pussycats!

I'll keep you posted on what happens--hopefully, this is a very short journey and I can get back to my regularly scheduled life!

Had to fire my Guest Blogger today...

Our little grey kitty, Spikey was slated to be my Guest Blogger this week while I was busy, busy, busy...and what a surprise when I found her sleeping on the job! The slacker!! You can't get good help anymore these days! Last time I saw her, she was heading for the unemployment line...and I will not give her a good reference!

I've been off work for a few days--I have a toe injury that requires I not wear closed-toe shoes until it is healed. And, you can't wear open-toe shoes and be a flight attendant, so I will be off until the beginning of next week. (Can you tell how sad I am?? Not!)

You may have heard, my airline announced it was going to run a test market with some of our European flights. We were going to charge our customers in coach $9 for a meal on these flights! (The same one they were getting for free before...) The thought of this--and the logistics--seemed impossible for the Flight Attendants. One of our planes, a 747, has 310 passengers in the village (coach)..... Yes! THREE HUNDRED AND TEN! That's a small town! Just trying to figure out how this was going to happen...with the same (or fewer) Flight Attendants, and our passengers had to get their meal while still hot, and their change back from a twenty dollar bill--well, it just seemed nearly impossible in my mind! Fortunately, the feedback the Company received was so negative that they decided not to move forward with that plan. But, make no mistake. It will come in the next couple of years--whether to my airline first or another--and it will become the standard. (Just another free prediction from Blondie-damas!)

Here at home, for the last couple of weeks, we have been greeted with the sound of heavy equipment banging away starting at 7 a.m. and going all day. The Metro parking lot in my backyard is being replaced with condos, apartments and some retail and commercial spaces. (Norm and I are hoping we end up with a good Thai restaurant or pub there!)Anyway, my view is changing and this is what it has been for the last two years: cars, cars, cars--and brightly shining parking lot lights at night....

Currently, this is our view! For now, no more cars, and no more parking lot lights shining in our eyes when we sit out on the deck! This is a huge project and will be ongoing for a few years. Oh, joy....

Tomorrow, I am driving down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a couple of days. My Dad is flying in from San Antonio and will be in Duck for a few days. And, my Cousin Liz and her two kids are driving in from Arkansas to spend the week there. I'll swing by Virginia Beach and pick up my sister Donna and then we'll drive down the 90 miles just in time for the leftovers of Hurricane Hanna! Promises to be a great weekend, even if we are house-bound because of the storm! (It's always a great day in Duck!)

Since I can't trust my cat to blog for me, I'll have my laptop and camera with me. I'll be sure to post before we hit Margaritaville!

This should be a bumper sticker!

Saw this sign in a HomeGoods last week.