The Great Getaways

We were only gone for three days and two nights, but our little mini vacation was enjoyed by all. We stayed at the Virginia Beach oceanfront, and while the beach stretched for miles, the boys preferred the indoor pool at the hotel. That worked out well since I am supposed to avoid the sun while undergoing chemotherapy anyway. We also took the boys on a pirate cruise where they dressed up as pirates, fought Pirate Pete with water cannons, searched for treasure, and drank grog. We visited the Virginia Aquarium and saw an IMAX movie about the deep sea. The boys would have preferred to have seen Superman Returns, but unfortunately (?) there were no showings scheduled in the IMAX theater that day. I began training for next year's Pan Mass Challenge! I got in my first "official" training miles - six of them. We rented one of those family bikes and rode along the boardwalk, and Bo and I pedaled while Cole, Clay, and Lance fussed about who got to sit in the middle. It was a really nice getaway that I think we all needed, and I am glad we were able to squeeze it in before school starts in two weeks.

There's not much news on the cancer front. I have been watching my appearance undergo another transformation as my eyelashes and eyebrows fall out. I was hoping to have dodged that bullet, but no such luck. I am not sure if it is the cumulative effects of the chemo treatments or if the taxotere is removing the hair the adriamycin/cytoxin cocktail didn't. When I lost my hair, it all came out in one week, and what was left after that week, hung on - literally. (I have noticed that since the Taxotere though, my almost bare head is comes a little closer to approaching totally bare each day, but we're not quite there yet.) I was hoping the same thing would happen with my eyelashes and eyebrows - that whatever was going to fall out would make its departure within a week and that the rest would have the good graces to keep me company until the others returned. Each day, however, I lose more and more. My normally full, thick eyebrows are thinning rapidly, and I sense an eyebrow pencil in my near future. Between both eyes, I have about 18 little lashes left between the top and bottom, but their days are most likely numbered.

To commemorate my absent hair, eyelashes, and eye brows during their getaway, I have come up with the following advantages of having none of the above:

I save money on:
shampoo,
conditioner,
styling products,
hair cuts,
hair color,
hair accessories,
mascara, and
eyebrow gel.

I no longer have to worry about getting eyelashes stuck in my eyes.

I no longer have to pluck my eyebrows, and sprouting a uni-brow is a total impossibility now.

There is nothing blocking the view to my green eyes.

I no longer have to sweep up pounds of hair off the floor every week as was the case when I was endowed with a full head of hair. (Actually, I never did sweep it up, Bo does the sweeping.)

I no longer have to scoop the pounds of hair out of the shower drain each day as was the case when I was fully endowed. (Actually, I did do this chore myself.)

I no longer have to wonder whether to buy black mascara, brown mascara or brown/black mascara. Blue was never a consideration for me.

I don't have bad hair days.

I don't have to wash that gray right out of my hair anymore.

I get great scalp massages each morning in the shower - there is no hair in the way to block the streams of water.

I get to wear lots of cool hats.

I am sure I could come up with more advantages, but that's enough to keep me going until the hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows make their joyful return to my eagerly awaiting head.