Some chaos, some fun

Hi everyone:

I seem to be doing this a lot lately, but I must apologize again for falling behind on my updates to this blog. Whenever there are seven of us in the house, things tend toward the chaotic, so I find it a bit harder to carve out the time to write much of substance.

Last night, I took all five kids into the city for the Wolfmother concert at the Riviera Theatre. After the long train ride (almost all the possible stops) and a not-insignificant cab trip, we arrived at the venue only to find our names had been left off the guest list for this sold-out show. I think my facial expression must have spoken volumes, because the kids were remarkably quiet for a good long time while we awaited some resolution. I just could not comprehend how I would be able to make this up to the kids -- especially for Devin and Colin in this instance, because this was to be their first-ever concert.

Fortunately, I was able to provide enough background information about the arrangements for things to be resolved in our favor. I am grateful that the staff of the Riviera, the tour staff of the band and whomever they reached at the band's management company all worked toward getting things ironed out. To be honest, I had low expectations for what I would take from the evening; going into things, I was convinced I would only enjoy one song. I ended up being pleasantly surprised, because this band was so energetic in concert. What's more, all of the children had a great time, and that was the goal, so...mission accomplished. I was feeling happy enough about their experience that I didn't even mind too much that with the return cab ride and train journey, we didn't get home until almost 2:15 a.m.

Today, we didn't do much. We watched the Bears game (sigh), ran a couple of errands, and watched the film Shadowlands, which is a film both Patty and I love. Given Patty's situation, this movie is a bit rough for us to get through, but it's still a beautiful story. Patty felt well enough to cook a fairly elaborate Italian dinner for the whole family -- linguini with clam sauce and both chicken and veal parmigiana. Lest anyone think I'm being a slave-driver, Patty insisted on being in charge. The meal was delicious.

On the subject of Patty, since she is the intended subject of this blog, she has been faring pretty well of late. She still falls short of the average person on energy levels, and from time to time is teased by weaker headaches and nausea, but all in all is feeling much better than when she was taking Cytoxan. She also seems to be experiencing arthritis-like symptoms; we'll see if this evolves into anything more. This week, we will press a little harder for some answers about what to expect in the weeks and months to come. Right now, it's nice to see Patty feeling better, even if to a degree it may be just a mirage.

Devin and Colin will be leaving for Canada tomorrow. Whether their visit is for three days or for six weeks, the time always seems to pass too quickly. The only thing that eases the sting of their departure this time is our plan to bring them back for part of the Christmas holidays.

Love,
Brian