Point Made

 If you watch "The Bear," Hulu/FX's fabulous series about a long-time Beef Sandwich restaurant. After the founder's death, the restaurant is reluctantly taken over by the prodigal son, who has been off-educating himself in finer, more famous kitchens. One of the team-building things he insists on is the habitat of calling everyone in the kitchen Chef. It's yes, Chef, and thank you, Chef, to everyone on the staff, no matter their job. My lady, Jeanne, and I have tried to replicate this behavior as we prepare our meals. I braise the meat. "That smells good, Chef," she says. "Thank you, Chef," I reply. We even extend this to the improbable. Jeanne scoops up the ice cream. "Thank you, Chef," I smile as if to imply she made the ice cream. Health Report: We got the results of the scan I had last week. Verdict NED. No Evidence of Disease . My Doctor remarked that she was pleased and surprised at two aspects of my treatment. First, the comple...

 It was the perfect alignment of the stars that presented me with well-separated visits to my doctors and clinicians in one day.  First, a visit with my nurse to have a port inserted into my pod. Then, they will take a blood sample to inform the application of my immunotherapy later. Then, it's down to have a P-scan of my bladder to see if the treatments are affecting my Cancer. Here's where the baby fell out of the buggy. I was informed that the cup of coffee I had was okay, but the sugar and cream were not. After much consultation, we went ahead with the scan after testing my blood sugar. Was it low enough? Viola! It was. But, we had delayed the procedure, so the results couldn't be shared with me. My Doctor was overbooked. Come back next week.  That's one thing about Cancer: you get used to experiencing it. You're always waiting for the results of a test that determines whether you're going to live or die. To be fair, the technician who read my P-scan publish...

 Many of us in Milwaukee have put away the black armbands recognizing our grief for the Brewer's early exit from the playoffs. The Packers are going through their season, letting Jordan Love grow into the vacancy left by the departure of Aaron Rodgers. The Milwaukee Bucks are daring anyone to try and take this year's championship away from them. Marquette, UWM, and the Badgers have an abundance of hope. Marquette, however, has the talent. My Treatments We are at a checkpoint. Along with my immunotherapy next Monday, I'm having a scan. It's felt that my body has shed enough radiation so we can get a look at the infected area and evaluate the progress. Watch this space. I am feeling well. I had little reaction to the second round of the Keytruda and don't anticipate any from the next injection. I went to Walgreens to get my Flu shot and my COVID booster. Remember when we used to go to the drugstore because they had a soda fountain. Wanderings Jeanne and I decided to g...

  Twice, I have attended a hootenanny in Kenosha. My access to this event came from my girlfriend, Jeanne Kornkven. While she is no longer active, her mother, Marialyce, was a founding member and organizer of this group for over 30+ years. Jeanne and I attended for my first time this last spring.  As it turns out, It is similar to my association with The Expansion Band  in the Fox Valley. While The Expansion Band meets in members' homes every week on Wednesdays, this group meets once a month in a public museum on the Lakefront in Kenosha. The format is similar. In each case, They use a huge book of songs built over the years, almost like the fabled songbook of the participant's lives. In the case of Kenosha, the songs are scripted on a theme by the leaders. Later it's open to suggestions from the members. The selection in The Expansion Band is made by going around the room and asking each member what they would like to play. In both cases, talent and experience are appr...

 My lady, Miss Jeanne, went shopping one day. She was driving a KIA Soul. Since there was an ongoing rage of thefts of this model by mostly joy-riding teens, who were well versed in the flaw in the ignition system that allowed the car to be started without the key quite easily, Jeanne reinforced her defenses by using the 'club' to immobilize her steering wheel. After a trip to the grocery store, Jeanne took time to put away her groceries, thinking her car was safe in the driveway outside her kitchen window. It was when she saw the blinking of her hazard lights that she went out the door to investigate. She saw only the car with the driver's side door open and evidence that the ignition wires had been tampered with. The thief had failed and ran.  Flabbergasted by the audacity of the assailant, she mentally kicked her own ass for not placing the club on the steering wheel. Surely, the attempt would have been quilled, knowing there was no way to steer the car even if they star...

  Why I didn't publish and why you might have thought I died. My life has been full of activities for the last week and a half. My tutoring responsibilities and return to facilitating with the Zeidler group took much of my time since, besides the classes, there is prep and travel time involved.  Then there was the time Jeanne and I sat in her living room holding our breath as we waited for the Milwaukee Brewers to clinch the National League Central Division. To some, it was inevitable. For us, it was possible. We saw three plays last week.  Laughing in Spanish performed by the Milwaukee Chamber Theater at the Broadway Theater. Then, a couple of days later, Splash the Hatch On The E Going Down at Next Act. A weekend in Door County included a Penninsula Players production. This last week, I had to put together an "About Me Bag" for my K5 student, whom I will be helping learn to read. The contents are items that represent my interests. More about that later, but for now, I...

 When I received my first dose of Katruda, an Immunotherapy drug for my bladder cancer, I was advised about specific side effects. I was dosed on Thursday and was aware of one of them creeping up on me by Saturday. Having to be a few steps from a bathroom wasn't the worst thing I could have suffered. However, the weakness and nausea that accompanied it put me down and put me down hard for roughly twenty-four hours.  As Jeanne and I often remind ourselves, the alternative is unacceptable. I'm feeling better as I recovered reasonably quick with a good night's sleep and a few healthy meals.  Tutoring: I wander into new territory this week as I begin a volunteer gig, tutoring young people in reading. I've been assigned a K5 student. I hope the youngster looks forward to our journey as much as I am. As a member of the Golden Book generation that moved on to the Classic Comics and a Minneapolis Library card in the fifth grade, I'm anxious to share my love of reading. The ...