9-9-09 Wed.

What a date, and I was there, when it was 9-9-09 at 9:09, so there. Well I have not been as active on this blog as I would like, but I now have some good thing to talk about. This past weekend was wonderful. I had Margo and Don, Larry, David, Moe, Jesse, Cate&Klye the .com stars.,Jan Bowler the long lost cousin from Colorado, Brian and Sammy, better later than never, all here for my birthday party. They all started to arrive on Sunday afternoon. David came first to get ready for the rib cook off. Then came Margo and Don with all the side dishes. A few hours later Cate and Kyle showed up as did Moe and Jesse.

David and I had a real competition going. I have a formula for cooking the ribs that I've used for many years, but David seems to think it's just about low and slow. I had to let him think that so I could kick his ass at the end. Sharon loves my ribs and other parts of me I'm told, but she doesn't like BBQ sauce on them. So I have always just had dry ribs and then add your own sauce as you like it. In the past however I have cooked them with a killer sauce that is added one hour before you take them out. You also have to turn up the heat so the sauce will caramelize on the ribs. As Larry said, I've not had ribs like that since you were in Marmion and we went to that place in Aurora that had this kind of sauce. You never forget the taste of something that good. It also helps to listen to the cooking channel. Any way, I won the cook off according to the family.

I also have to mention Moe's great ham and Margo and her beans and her salad and her red skins. Thank too all that make the weekend great. That doesn't count for you Jessy, swimming nude in the pool Monday morning.

I should also mention the pool tournament that started after Sharon and I went to bed Sunday night. I guess it went on until 1:30 or so on Monday morning. I did not hear an official report, but Jesse told me he kicked ass.

It was also great to see and hear from Jan Bowler. She has recently married and man from Colorado and just returned from a great trip around the world. Oh, and by the way Bob, she invited all of us to go with you on the next one.

Now to Tuesday, and the reason for this blog. I went to the first day of radiation. I had been told by a lady that we met in chemo that it only took about 5 minutes for radiation. So I walk in thinking this is going to be a piece of cake. They are so nice when you come in. Hello Mr. McLaughlin, My name is Danyell, and I will be with you today to get you started on the radiation procedure. You can sit here in the waiting room and I will come and get you as soon as we are ready. Within five minutes she was back and escorted me to the room where they sit while you get the treatments. It has five different monitors and it had a picture of my are in an x-ray. She then pointed out how they had taken half my bicep, and placed little metal markers in my arm as to where there the tumor was, for the radiation procedure.

I was then led into a large room with a very large x-ray machine in it. They had the cast of my head and where I had to place my head and arm so they could pin point where the machine would take the radiation pictures. So I lay down thinking this would take five minutes and then they started to move me first, then the table, then move me again and then had me sit up again while they moved the cast to another position. They then laid me back down and started to move the x-ray machines all around me and taking pictures etc, Now when I lay down I have to have my left arm up behind my head and to the side so that it is not close to my head but still up and behind it. You try that position for fifty five minutes. When they were finally finished she had to personally remove my arm from the cast. I was so sore I could not able to move it at first. I laid their for a minute or so before I would let her try to get me up. I had to fart so bad I was embarrassed, but I didn't know what to do or say. I then told her to let me try to do it myself like I do when I get out of bed. I locked my leg under the machine to get some leverage and then pulled myself up to a sitting position. As I did that I cut a fart that sounded like a lighting burst. I had had to do that for the last half hour, but they kept coming in and out and I didn't want them to have to smell that. I'm sure now that she would have rather smelled a small one, rather than the one I let fly at the end. I can't say I'm looking forward to the next visit, but they said the first one is always the longest. They had to take all the x-rays to make sure they were lined up correctly. I'll keep this more up to date now that I'm back into treatment.

I also want all of you to know I am feeling much better and hope this will come to a healthy conclusion. Keep up the prayers.