Keeping Abreast of Ellen

When it came time to select the topic of this blog post it really was a no-brainer.  It came to me from so many different directions, and yesterday was the icing on the cake that inspired the post's title.  ...but first, Taxotere Round 7 Update - Coles Notes Version Version 1a) Zzzzz...if you are bored with my endless drone about side effects, skip to the next sub-heading.  Version 1b) Eagerly awaiting the next segment of 50 shades of Taxotere?  Read on! Ellen + instructions to self-inject Neulasta=recipe for disaster. Funny story here.  I was given three coaching sessions from my homecare nurse in order to teach me to self-administer my Neulasta injection the day following Taxotere infusion.  This is the super expensive drug that boosts my white blood cells and must be done within 48 hours of chemo.  I never intended to do it myself - who was I kidding?  I have no problem getting needles but look away as they go in.  So I had en...

This month we will celebrate 3 years of living in our first house.  When we moved in, I remember vowing to do the few minor repairs needed straight away, to never let the house go and to always fix things the instant they broke.  I recall a conversation with my realtor I believe, about people who live year after year with dripping faucets, patched but unpainted walls and loose doorknobs  - and then magically find time to fix them the moment they are going to sell the house so that some other family can live comfortably in their home.  I vowed never to be "those people" and to keep my castle pristine.  But as I looked around my home this summer, I realised my castle walls were crumbling.  Shower head with no pressure?  Check.  Sliding glass door that requires a running start to open?  Check.  Countless other jobs screaming "pick me! pick me!"  Checkity check.  And those dry wall patches?  Everywhere.  That...