The Whirlwind

Life has been crazy--in a good way, and this post is in two parts. This first part is all about the fun that's being had. What follows is all the post-treatment stuff going on later....

Let's Play!

The end of the school year was as hectic as ever. The week before school got out, Maggie co-hosted a party with several of her friends. Here they are: Shayna (whose parents graciously provided the house for the party!), Sarah, Maggie & Hannah (who both shaved their heads for kids cancer research--don't they both look fab?), Lilia, Nina, and Megan.

On Thursday, June 12, we went to the promotion ceremony for Albany Middle School. Here's a pic of Maggie in the dress that she & I made for the event, along with Siobhan, Julia, and Shayna (all girls we've known since kindergarten). The day after "graduation", the 8th graders all went to Marine World, and I hit the road for Santa Barbara. Em and I got her moved out of the dorms, and since she was the last of the three girls to leave, she got to take out all the trash/recycling and vacuum and get the room inspected. All went well and she and I checked in to the Days Inn in Buellton and then went to see Indiana Jones 4 at the local theater, after a nice steak dinner.

We got home Saturday and on Sunday, the 15th, we joined a Father's Day brunch for Frank's tennis buddies and then I got a wonderful birthday dinner of grilled lobster and Caesar Salad.

Monday we left for New York. I've cataloged our trip below, so for those of you who don't want/need all the details, you can avoid them easily.

Are We Done Yet?

Before we left for NYC, I had a brain MRI. (Purely cautionary--breast cancer can spread to the brain, and rather than worry, I'd prefer to rule things out.) This past Monday, I had a PET CT and today, Friday, I'm having a mammogram. Sheesh. But it's all for peace of mind, so I really don't mind.

I'll see Dr. Kuan on Monday, July 7, to go over all these test results and will hopefully get an "all-clear" sign. And then I can schedule having this port removed. Yay!

I'll post again after I see Dr. Kuan. But till then, no news is good news. :-)

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New York, New York, It's a Wonderful Town...

We got in Monday night, and met Ellen* & Mike at the very new & hip Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel for $20 martinis (images #2, 3, and 4 here), and then went to the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park for a less expensive, late night dinner (amazing shakes and cheeseburgers [Frank and Mike had theirs with a deep-fried portobello mushroom--I had a bite of Frank's, it was too much for me, but it was way yummy]). (*Ellen is Frank's youngest sister and Michael is her wonderful fiance. They live in Brooklyn.)

Tuesday we met Ellen for breakfast at Balthazar's, in SoHo--food was yummy and servings were *perfect*. Then we went to visit one of the two "Bird" stores in Brooklyn that Ellen manages and then on to Ellen & Mike's charming flat in Brooklyn. Wandered *all* over Greenwich Village and had pizza at John's (solid NY pizza). We got to the Daily Show at 3:30 (when they suggested you be in line) only to find that we were numbers #194, 195, 196, and 197 (out of 260). :-) The Daily Show was really, really fun. Then we went to the Garage in the Village for dinner and jazz (good steak, fun music, solid bar--thanks to John & Lynn for the recommendation.)

Wednesday.... Our anniversary! We wandered uptown (hotel was at 32nd between 5th and Madison ) and we got lunch at the Burger Joint (hidden in the Parker Meridien--Ellen showed me this place when I visited her last spring) and then walked the few remaining blocks up to Central Park and ate our lunch al fresco. Walked through the park where we witnessed, up close, the wacky phenomenon that is Upper East Side nannies and their charges in the park (mini soccer and softball camps set up within, while the nannies sat at the benches, visiting) and made our way to the Met so we could see Jeff Koons' rooftop sculpture (the balloon dog). Went back to the hotel and changed for dinner and then went all the way back up to Lexington and 74th(?) for dinner at Payard--really, really wonderful.

Thursday, whew! Mediocre breakfast in the hotel (eh, what do you expect?) and then made our way down to Battery Park and said "Hi" to Lady Liberty. We found Trinity Church and paid our respects to Mr. Hamilton, then headed back to our hotel's neighborhood which is now Little Korea. We found some really solid Korean BBQ and had lunch. Then changed for the evening and met Kevin Fitzpatrick (author of "Dorothy Parker's New York") for a walking tour of the places associated with the Algonquin Round Table tour. He was really gracious and informative and I would heartily recommend him to anyone visiting NYC. He left us very near our dinner/theater destinations, which also happened to be where my sister Dawn was staying with my niece Kiersten and so we went to see them in their hotel (Marriott Marquis). The four of us walked the five blocks to Natsumi for sushi dinner (Yelpers are the best--I found this place online and it was quite good). We said goodnight to them and went to the Music Box theater to watch "August: Osage County". Quite good. Frank and I still were talking about it, days later. Think "Sam Shephard with a sense of humor..." :-) (And as soon as I get Dawn's pics, I'll upload a photo of the 4 of us....)

Friday, packed and had the bags ready to go. Then wandered the city for the three hours until time for the limo to pick us up. Ran into my sister Dawn and her daughter Kiersten (don't you *love* cities?) and ended our walk at Bryant Park. I had already dragged Frank through NYPL, so this time we just sat on the grass and enjoyed relaxing for 10 or 15 minutes before time to leave NYC.

As you can see, a really wonderful trip.

On the Road Again...

When it rains, it pours, right?

Today is Maggie's 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony, so we're a bit hectic at home about that. After the ceremony, she and Frank and I will have a nice quick dinner (her choice: hot wings) and then she'll head off to the 8th grade dance at Albany Middle School.

Meanwhile, I hit the road first thing tomorrow to go bring Emily home from Santa Barbara. We're spending tomorrow night at the Days Inn in Buellton/Solvang that was in the movie Sideways. We'll head home on Saturday.

Sunday is Father's Day and my birthday. We'll start the day with a brunch after the Dads' tennis game at the home of Beloved Husband, Tom Weimer, and his Lovely Wife, Carol. :-) Then I'll enjoy some quiet time at Azul Spa, getting ready for the week.

Because, on Monday, Frank and I head off for a week in NYC, to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We're staying at the Avalon, in midtown, and we've got quite a week lined up.

Tuesday, we'll be catching the Daily Show (hopefully with Frank's sister Ellen and her affianced, Michael). Wednesday we're enjoying dinner at a sweet bistro/patisserie (Payard), and on Thursday, we're dining with surprise friends (more later) before taking in a performance of the Pulitzer winning play August: Osage County.

In between the evening engagements, we hope to get to the Metropolitan Museum and maybe Battery Park and maybe the Guggenheim and maybe the Museum of Natural History, and maybe Central Park, and oh my. We might need to extend our stay.... Catch you on the flip side!

The Performing McKeowns

So, Emily went to a summer theater program at Columbia University a couple years ago and came home declaring that she could never major in Theater. Having gone through a similar epiphany after my freshman year of college (and a year of Theater classes), I heartily supported this decision. She went off to UCSB in the Fall and dove into some really interesting classes in Philosphy, Art History, Comparitive Lit, Geography, and more. She was thinking she might major in English (this was beginning to feel a bit too familiar: I majored in English Lit).

Meanwhile, she had been "dabbling" in Theater at UCSB. She worked costumes for the Fall production. She took a Theater Movement class second quarter and a beginning acting class this quarter. But still, her communication with us indicated a "probably English" major. So, imagine our surprise. ;-)

After writing in her livejournal last Fall that she would *never* major in Theater, since that would probably just kill something she loved, she found it impossible to ignore the siren call. She auditioned for the BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) program in Theater last weekend. And out of 40 kids who auditioned, she was one of the 13 who got in. Heh. Heh heh.

I've asked her if "Table Waiting 101" is part of the curriculum. She mostly ignored me.

But Maggie will not be outdone. She has been singing with the middle school choir this year and has been enjoying it tremendously. And she was fortunate enough to be asked by the 8th grade Jazz Workshop if she would sing a song with the band for the Spring Concert last night. Here she is, bookended by the passing BART trains.
And stay posted for the further adventures of the Performing McKeown Girls.

I'm a Media Star!!!!

When I was in Chicago with my sisters in April, we chanced upon the Cottonelle Comfort Haven® on the Navy Pier. After getting chair massages and learning some exercises to help tone our gluteus maximi, we all filmed a "Be Kind to Your Behind" video testimonial.

Two weeks ago, we each got a check for $200 via certified mail to pay us for our services. And now you can see us on their website (go here). We're third on the video.

Now we're all just waiting for Cottonelle to realize what a gold mine we are, and ask us to appear in a regular ad. :-) Don't you think?

(Oh, and for those who don't know my sisters: Lynn=Banker, Dawn=Endoscopy Nurse, Bonnie=Cop. And you know me.)