Funkyjimmer's Blog

Friday, April 29, 2005

WOW! WHAT A CAR!

I'm a traveling man again! This week I've been able to work from my office. Beginning today, I'll be traveling through next Friday. I'll be in my office some, too. But I'll be out a lot. Fortunately I'll not have to be out over night any. That is enjoyable but it is hard, too. I'm not here to help Karon at night and in the mornngs. And being out in hotels is difficult in other ways, too.

So I have another rental car. But this time it's a great car! It is a silver '04 Pontiac Grand Prix --loaded! I'm not going to mind driving this car at all! It's cool!

I still like my Honda and Toyota very much. But this car is the best of all the rentals I have driven over the last year. It's loaded.

I'm off to Bloomington, Indiana, in a little while. That's the main campus of Indiana University. I'm not going to the University, however. But I may drive around the campus a bit.

Well, I've got to get ready to head out in my silver Grand Prix! Boy! I'll have to find the cruise control and use it. That car has a lot of "ponies" under the hood! And I can't afford a speeding ticket. Even though the State of Indiana is short of money, I've got better places for the money God has allowed me to manage for Him than to hand it over to the State for a speeding fine!

Jim

posted by jim 7:20 AM 0 comments

Thursday, April 28, 2005

IT'S A GO!

Karon's doctor decided her body was sufficiently recovered to continue the oral chemotherapy treatments again. He has decided to lower the dosage once again. He said, "I don't want your hands looking like that!" He is hoping this lower dosage will not cause such severe side effects but will still destroy the cancer. He said it would somewhat slow up the process as far as putting the cancer into remission.

We have always gotten the prescriptions filled at a large chain pharmacy. Since Karon has been on this expensive (and I do mean expensive!) cancer drug, it has been a really bad hassle to get the medication. They insist on shipping it from Florida and wanting to take 5 to 6 days to get it to us. We have insisted we need it sooner than that and they have gotten it to us in 3 days. But it has been a real hassle.

Finally I decided, "I'm not putting up with this any longer." So I went to a drugstore/pharmacy. It is still a chain but it is not a general merchandise chain. I am very pleased with the treatment I got. No hassle, they had the drugs in stock and filled the prescriptions in about 10 minutes after we completed the paperwork to get set up as a first-time customer. The pharmacist was kind and professional. She had a demeanor that made you feel at ease right away. And best of all, I walked out of there with the necessary medicines. And it didn't cost me any more than had I continued to put up with the ill-treatment I was getting at the other place.

I had been "threatening" to change for quite a while. Why did I wait so long to make the change? The new location is so quiet and less crowded. And it is more convenient to my house and work. It is located half-way between home and work.

Oh well, that's me! Not always able to make up my mind and act on something as timely as I should!

Jim

posted by jim 10:45 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

THIS 'N THAT!

I haven't posted in awhile. That's not because there is nothing happening! It is a time factor and where do you begin and end?

Karon and I go to her oncology doctor tomorrow. We are confident he will okay her to take her next infusion therapy treatment and start back on the oral chemotherapy. Her hands and feet have healed a lot in these past several weeks since she has been off the treatment. This is the longest she has gone between oral chemo treatments. But her hands just don't heal. It is sad to think that she has to go back to that pain and suffering so soon after it quits hurting so bad. But if it continues to bring the cancer into remission we can only be thankful. We won't know until May 18th if the cancer is continuing to go into remission or not.

So many great things happening at our church, Countryside Christian Fellowship. I personally am excited about all the mission trips in which people in our little church are participating. In May a person from our church is going to Costa Rica on a mission work trip. A team of 10 (four high school youth and six adults) are going on a work trip to Pennsylvania for a week in June. Also in June two from our church (and maybe more) are going to the Ukraine for two weeks. And some folks from our church are going on a mission work trip to West Virginia.

Besides all this, we are gearing up to provide at least half support for one of our young ladies who is going long term to minister in the Ukraine. This will challenge our church to have a global vision. We are also still planning to add on to our building to make more room for more people who need to know Christ and need to grow in Him.

In June a good friend, possibly my best friend, is coming from a long distance to visit me. I can't put into words how excited I am about that. This is going to be a highlight of my life. It will be a short visit, like the click of a shutter on a camera lens. But I plan to make the most of every second he is here. I have such high hopes and big dreams for this visit. I am praying that God makes it the highlight I am anticipating for this visit. When I think of it I can hardly wait. I'll be so excited--more than I ever am at Christmas. I already know how sad I'll be at our parting. But I'm praying not to let that take away from the joy of my friend being here. I will experience the gamut of emotions--joy, laughter, excitement. fun, fulfillment and sadness at his leaving. I know I'll cry. Hopefully not in front of him, but I can't guarantee it.

Enough of this rambling. I don't usually do this but I guess I needed an outlet today. This gives you a glimpse of the "tip of the iceberg" of things that are going on in my world. I know your world is equally busy, exciting thrilling and fulfilling.

Jim

posted by jim 4:25 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

NOT YET -- MAYBE ONE MORE WEEK

Karon had to go alone today to the oncology doctor. I had to be out of town for my company.

Her hands are not yet healed enough to allow her to go back on the chemotherapy treatment. The doctor hopes more healing of her hands will take place in this next week.

she goes back again next Wednesday. I hope I can go with her. I may have to be out of town again. I'm not sure whether I'll be out Tuesday or Wednesday--or both days.

Because she didn't start on the chemo she didn't get her monthly infusion treatment for bone strengthening either. Hopefully she'll get that next week also.

It is a strange waiting game!

Jim

posted by jim 5:35 PM 0 comments

Thursday, April 14, 2005

A GOOD REPORT

Karon and I went to the oncologist yesterday (as I mentioned we would in my last entry!) It was a good report. The cancer (tumor) count had been 145; then it went to 106 and yesterday it was 71! That’s a praise! God is using the chemo drug to kill off the bone cancer.

There are drastic side effects, which I have mentioned in a previous entry. The most difficult one is the destruction of tissue and nerve endings in the hands and feet. Karon’s hands were not healed enough to allow her to continue the chemotherapy treatment. So she gets to wait another week. She was happy to be able to wait! The hope is that the hands will heal enough for her to continue the treatment next week.

But the good news is that the cancer is “on the run”. Even better news is that we can praise God and use this as a testimony to some who need to know that God does hear and answer prayer. It re-affirms the faith of all of us who pray not only for this but also for many other things. Many of you reading this know that I pray daily for many of you. I will continue. God DOES hear and answer. It is not always the way we expect and sometime not the way we want. But He is in control of our lives. I’m happy about that.

Thanks to all of you reading this who so faithfully pray for us. It is not in vain!

Jim

posted by jim 5:40 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

I STILL LIKE IT…

My 1996 Toyota Camry, I mean. I got it about March 1st to replace the Hyundai I totaled. It took two additional trips to “Tom, the Toyota Technician”. But now it runs like a sewing machine—like the “well-oiled machine” it is! I got 34 miles per gallon on the most recent tank. That’s good considering the price of gasoline right now!

It’s good to be able to drive something you enjoy. I enjoy driving the cars I own more than any of the rentals I drive for work. We also have a 2002 Honda Accord EX, which Karon drives most of the time. That’s a really nice car, too! It has sunroof, dual air bags and dual side air bags, a cassette tape player and a 6-CD changer, among other features.

I listen to a lot of books on tape when I am driving. My Camry has only a cassette tape player. It is a very good player though, and I really like the way it sounds and operates. But a lot of things I like to listen to are on CDs. For my birthday Karon gave me a CD player with car radio converter. It is a really nice one and has a radio as well as CD player. It is equipped with a remote control. This will make it safer for me to drive and listen and operate the CD player! Now I’m all set to listen to either cassette tape or CD when I’m driving my Camry!

Also for my birthday I received a recorded version of John Eldridge’s book, “Wild At Heart.” Several people have recommended it as excellent reading material. I am anxious to get started with the “reading”.

Today is another of our many “doctor days”. This time it is the Oncologist. Yesterday it was the dermatologist. Today we learn whether this most recent round of Chemo that Karon has undergone has reduced the cancer count. We’ll learn if she goes on another round of the oral Chemo. This has been her “week off” of the chemo. Her hands haven’t healed much and they are very raw and painful. This is just one of the side effects of this treatment. She’ll also have her infusion therapy today.

I guess that’s what’s on my mind right now. At least what I want to Post!

Jim

posted by jim 2:10 PM 4 comments

Friday, April 08, 2005

A GOOD "BIRTHDAY"

Yes, it was all good. I was traveling for my Company. It was really raining had when I left home but as I got north, the rain stopped and it was a very nice day.

The business part went well and the rental car was good --a 2005 deep maroon Ford Taurus. It is one of the best rentals I've had.

I finished my first appointment before lunch. I treated myself to eating at a favorite place in Northwest Indiana--Strongbow's Turkey Farm in Valparaiso, Indiana. It is a hotel-conference center and really nice restaurant actually built on the site of an old turkey farm. I love turkey and they specialize in it. All ways to prepare turkey they do it. So I had a huge turkey leg, a bit of dressing and gravy and a better-than-usual roll. Then I really treated myself -- apple pie with ice cream! Umm! Good!

When I got home last night Karon and I fixed something else I like--Angel Hair Pasta. It s a box deal but easy to fix and I like it.

So it was a good birthday-anniversary. Thanks to all my friends who sent greetings either by I.M. or email.

Jim

posted by jim 7:30 AM 1 comments

Thursday, April 07, 2005

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

The last two Posts were about anniversaries. So now I have another--the anniversary of my birth! Everyone calls it your "birthday". But really there is but one "birthday". The rest are anniversaries of the day of your birth.

So, I'm traveling today. But I'll be home tonight. This is a really busy time so I'll not be doing anything special to commemorate this birthday anniversary.

How many years? I'm not telling! I'm not ashamed, just not telling. If you know, fine. If you ask me, I'll tell you.

Why am I even writng this? I have no clue! Oh well, "Happy birthday to me."

Jim

posted by jim 7:20 AM 2 comments