Don't worry...in 5-7 days it should all be better.

Hey blog readers. It is with a heavy heart that I report that I have officially switched to long sleeves. I also am disappointed to report that I had to break out my stocking cap. I am not even going to go into the fact that the other night we got a 4 letter word on the ground.

Sharkboy however woke up and was really excited to see the snow. He looked at me and emphatically said..."I didn't even know it was Christmas time..." I immediately replied with..."that is because it isn't". Now he was confused but nothing more was said. We will see how this unfolds.

Also on a sad note, Jenny and I dropped the laptop off at the Dr. It has a really bad virus, however the good news is, they are confident they can eliminate it.

Well that is about all I have now. When I get the laptop back I have some pictures and funnies, but without the pictures they aren't nearly as funny.

So until the next posting...

Be Kind, Be Safe (use your virus scan)...

Shalom my peeps.

The Ketchup and Mustard...

Hey blog readers...just like with everything in life there is filler. Some filler is good, some filler is bad...but filler is filler. Lately though there hasen't been much time for filler in my life. So I picked Ketchup and Mustard as the theme...you know, to add some filler.

This past week has been quite busy. Sharkboy had his 2 last sessions of Soccer. Sadly, the super speed button will be put away for a session. He has decided to sit out a session and take in some other interests. We may venture into martial arts. Here are the pictures of his last night in this session.

Ethan and Coach Ashley

Ethan with his trophy.

As you can see he had a great time. I hope he really wants to play again. He has all of the skills he needs. He is just 4 and lacks focus, but don't we all...

In other news. Jenny was a little tired of her fossil fuel guzzling mini-van. Not to mention she really didn't want to fit the stereo type of a minivan driver. She has been on the hunt the last 6 months or so for the perfect fit. She has looked at cars, SUV's and everything in between. But until Monday had no luck. She finally found what she was looking for...We purchased a 2006 Saturn Vue. This thing is loaded too...leather, power everything, sunroof and upgraded trim package. The only thing missing is the Headrest DVD player for Sharkboy...but we are working on that. So here are some pictures...

The cockpit...

Sharkboy calls it "Chick Hicks" from the movie Cars

Grrr....look out here comes Jenny!

Sorry that all the pictures are from my camera phone. We keep forgetting to bring the digital to everything. I should have better pictures in the near future.

Well that is about it. I am going to finish my coffee here at Starbucks, go get my hair cut and then head home to finish up a gazillion projects.

So until next time...Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps!

The birth of Gadge Girl...

Hey blog readers...I almost forgot to mention. L.A. recently got a digital camera. She has entered the gadget world. Well she was lacking some confidence in getting the pictures from the camera to the computer. Well...she has moved up to "Gadge Girl" has been born.



Last night it appears that she sat down and figures some things out. She sent me an e-mail this morning with pictures she took and downloaded to her camera. I have to admit, a little tear formed and I was a bit choked up. My little "Gadge Girl" is blossoming into a full fledged "Gadge Gal"...


You go Mimi...


Here are her pictures she sent me...

Jenny and Sharkboy...I love those 2 tons!!!

Sharkboy golfing...he is going to be a great golfer

Ok, well that is what I forgot. Keep up the good work L.A. The writers and staff here at Plays with Sirens...love you and are proud of your accomplishment.

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

We hit "The Patch"

Hey Blog reader...today was Sharkboy's pre-school trip to "The Patch". It is an annual trek to the pumpkin patch and farm to learn about growing food, raising animals and picking out the perfect pumpkin.

We met everyone there since it is really close to the house. We got to get their early and check things out. They had a pasture area that had chickens running around in it. Sharkboy was convinced they were turkeys and that his parents had no idea what they were talking about. The nice lady at the farm confirmed that we were right and they were chickens. He was shocked that we would know that.

Then everyone got there and we started the tour. We got to pick sun flowers out of the plant, picked up apples to feed the horses and ate raspberries right off the plant. Then we went over and fed the farm animals. It was funny, all the Mom's really weren't that interested in feeding the animals. The horse was sort of drooly, and slobbery and it was grossing them out. So I stepped up and fed the horse like 5 apples. Then we fed the goats, chickens and pigs. It was pretty neat.

Then on to the straw ride to pick our perfect pumpkins. The kids were instructed on how to pick pumpkins and we were off. It was muddy, but not too bad. We picked 3 pumpkins that were just a little bit smaller than basketballs.

Then they all went back to school...and I was off to work the part time gig.

Here are some pictures from the trip...unfortunately Jenny's batteries died mid-trip so we didn't get too many.

Dad and Sharkboy when we arrived

The assembling of a group photo.

Feeding the horse, Goliath.

Well that is about all I have for today. It was a fun day...not really much on the plans for tomorrow. I will try and catch some pictures at soccer for the blog...

So until tomorrow...

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

Hosedragger Golf is born...

Hey blog readers...in my constant quest to do "guy stuff" I have acquired a winter project. I will be restoring a golf cart.



F.i.L. has a 1970's 3-wheeled Harley Davidson golf cart that he has had behind his shed for several years. It is in need of much tender love and care. It has not been used and been exposed to the elements all of that time. I asked if he would let me restore it and make it a theme cart and he has agreed.



So here begins my golf cart restoration project. I have to park my truck outside for the winter, but I am hoping the sacrifice will be worth it. My plan is to have it look like a little fire engine. I have tossed around the idea of calling it Engine Fore (get it???).



Here are a couple of pictures of the cart in it's current condition. I have removed one of the tires and rims and need to buy new ones to make sure we don't have any mishaps in moving it from New Carlisle to South Bend...well here are the pics.

Once I get the tires on it and pull it out of it's current location, I will be posting some actual shots of the carts condition. I don't want to try and disturb it's current covering since I don't think I could get it back on.

So stay tuned...

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

The weekend rundown...

Hey Blog fans...just thought I would do a little blogging tonight. I was looking at the numbers and noticed that my hits on the blog are way down. I look back and it seems to directly correlate to my Breast Cancer daily facts. So in addition to hunting for facts being a hassle, it isn't nearly the hit that I thought it would be and I have decided to scrap the plan of a fact a day...if you want more information about breast cancer or any other cancer, I encourage you to go to cancer.org or click on the title of this post and look around. It is a very informative site and is pretty easy to navigate.

Well here is the usual blog foder. We started the weekend by going to a movie...see my blog Fireproof. It was a really good movie. Sharkboy stayed with Dan, my driver, while we went to the movie. They had a blast...I am not sure who had more fun. Saturday I worked...

Sunday we had a little family day. We started by all going to church...then we came home and regrouped and then headed for Mimi's. Sharkboy got to ride his jeep and do a little golfing with Jack Swanson (aka L.A.). I went to help with the removal of a bush from their front yard. They had a bush that had overstayed it's welcome in it's position and they wanted it gone. Well, I packed my chain and some tools and headed for the project. I dug around the base, since there was some wires that were in the area. I wanted to make sure when we pulled on it that we didn't yank the wire out. Well the wire was clear of that area. I connected the chain and hooked it to the truck. Now, my last outing of pulling a bush almost cost me my religion, so I was ready for a fight. I got in the truck, put it in 4-wheel drive and put it in drive. I slowly pulled forward waiting to put some tension on the chain. Well I kept pulling forward and never really felt tension. The bush just popped right out of the ground. It was a bit of a disappointment, I was ready for a fight. I guess that bush was no match for the ol' Ford.

The rest of the afternoon we sat around and visited with L.A. and F.i.L. It was a really nice afternoon. A couple of beers, a cigar and some great catching up.

In the evening UNC and Ms. Croft came over and hung out for a bit. We invited them over for some Jen & Tonics (since she makes a killer Gin & Tonic, we call it that). It was a nice little visit.

Today we took Daisy to the vet...she has been hacking and coughing around the house like a 60 year old smoker, so we thought we would have it check out. Long story short. She is now on antibiotics and she was violated by the vet. I almost threw when he gave the explaination of what they did.

Sharkboy today got his first filling. He is a great little patient. He was such a big boy. So we went out and bought a new truck for him to play with. Jenny is still a little mortified that he had a cavity, but some wine and time should heal that wound.

Tomorrow we head for the Pumpkin patch with Sharkboy's school. I am taking the camera and should have some pictures up in tomorrows blog.

That is about it, so...

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

Breast Cancer Fact for 10/12...

Hey blog readers...welcome back from your intellectual vacation. Today is the the last of the risk factors that I could find. I am reviewing them all, just to make sure I understand them.

Uncertain risk factors
High fat diets: Studies of fat in the diet have not clearly shown that this is a breast cancer risk factor. Most studies found that breast cancer is less common in countries where the typical diet is low in fat. On the other hand, many studies of women in the United States have not found breast cancer risk to be linked to how much fat they ate. Researchers are still not sure how to explain this difference. More research is needed to better understand the effect of the types of fat eaten and body weight on breast cancer risk.
The American Cancer Society recommends eating a healthy diet that includes 5 or more servings of vegetables and fruits each day, choosing whole grains over processed (refined) grains, and limiting the amount of processed and red meats.
Antiperspirants and bras: Internet e-mail rumors have suggested that underarm antiperspirants can cause breast cancer. There is very little evidence to support this idea. Also, there is no evidence to support the idea that under wire bras cause breast cancer.
Abortions: Several studies show that induced abortions do not increase the risk of breast cancer. Also, there is no evidence to show a direct link between miscarriages and breast cancer. For more detailed information, see our document, Can Having an Abortion Cause or Contribute to Breast Cancer?
Breast implants: Silicone breast implants can cause scar tissue to form in the breast. But several studies have found that this does not increase breast cancer risk. If you have breast implants, you might need special x-ray pictures during mammograms.
Pollution: A lot of research is being done to learn how the environment might affect breast cancer risk. At this time, research does not show a clear link between breast cancer risk and environmental pollutants such as pesticides and PCBs.
Tobacco Smoke: Most studies have found no link between active cigarette smoking and breast cancer. An issue that continues to be a focus of research is whether secondhand smoke (smoke from another person's cigarette) may increase the risk of breast cancer. But the evidence about secondhand smoke and breast cancer risk in human studies is not clear. In any case, a possible link to breast cancer is yet another reason to avoid being around secondhand smoke.
Night Work: A few studies have suggested that women who work at night (nurses on the night shift, for example) have a higher risk of breast cancer. This is a fairly recent finding, and more studies are being done to look at this issue.

Well as a reminder...I am getting all of this information right from Cancer.org. If you click on any of the titles of the Breast Cancer Fact series...You will be hyper linked to Cancer.org.

Be Kind, Be Safe...Be well informed.

Shalom my Peeps.

Fireproof...

Hey blog readers, just jumped on here to tell you about a movie Jenny and I went and watched last night. It is called Fireproof. It is a very good movie. If you are in or going to be in a relationship you should watch this movie. It is a low production budget movie, but it is a very well told story and message.

If you want to do some research about this movie, click on the title of the blog. It is a hyperlink to the movie website.

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

Breast Cancer Fact for 10/11...

Hey blog reader...well here it is, the long awaited vacation from intellectual facts about breast cancer. I have decided to take this break to make you aware of what is occuring in South Bend today. Today is the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. It is located in Howard Park, and I posted this early too. It isn't too late to to go walk if you are so moved. If you aren't doing anything, maybe go to Cancer.org and check out the route. Maybe you could go down and cheer for the people that are walking. But in the very least, take a moment of your busy day and think about what these people are doing by walking. I personally am not walking...instead I am working, but I will be thinking about the walk through out the day.

So that is your fact today...as of Tuesday they had raised $64,133.38, I will make sure I check back and see the final number...

Be Kind, Be Safe...Be well informed.

Shalom my Peeps...

Breast Cancer Fact for 10/10...

Hey blog readers. Here are the lifestyle risk factors. I know...you thought I was done with the risk factors. I actually did too, but the last post was a getting a little long. So here they are.

Breast cancer risk and lifestyle choices
Not having children or having them later in life: Women who have had not had children, or who had their first child after age 30, have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer. Being pregnant more than once and at an early age reduces breast cancer risk. Pregnancy reduces a woman's total number of lifetime menstrual cycles, which may be the reason for this effect.
Recent use of birth control pills: Studies have found that women who are using birth control pills have a slightly greater risk of breast cancer than women who have never used them. Women who stopped using the pill more than 10 years ago do not seem to have any increased risk. It's a good idea to talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of birth control pills.
Postmenopausal hormone therapy (PHT): Postmenopausal hormone therapy (also known as hormone replacement therapy or HRT), has been used for many years to help relieve symptoms of menopause and to help prevent thinning of the bones (osteoporosis). There are 2 main types of PHT. For women who still have a womb (uterus), doctors generally prescribe estrogen and progesterone (known as combined PHT). Estrogen alone can increase the risk of cancer of the uterus, so progesterone is added to help prevent this. For women who no longer have a uterus (those who've had a hysterectomy), estrogen alone can be prescribed. This is commonly known as estrogen replacement therapy (ERT).
Combined PHT: It has become clear that long-term use (several years or more) of combined PHT increases the risk of breast cancer and may increase the chances of dying of breast cancer. The breast cancer may also be found at a more advanced stage, perhaps because PHT seems to reduce the effectiveness of mammograms. Five years after stopping PHT, the breast cancer risk seems to drop back to normal.
ERT: The use of estrogen alone does not seem to increase the risk of developing breast cancer much, if at all. But when used long-term (for more than 10 years), some studies have found that ERT increases the risk of ovarian and breast cancer.
At this time, there are few strong reasons to use PHT, other than for short-term relief of menopausal symptoms. Because there are other factors to think about, you should talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of using PHT. If a woman and her doctor decide to try PHT for symptoms of menopause, it is usually best to use it at the lowest dose that works for her and for as short a time as possible.
Not breast-feeding: Some studies have shown that breast-feeding slightly lowers breast cancer risk, especially if the breast-feeding lasts 1½ to 2 years. This could be because breast-feeding lowers a woman's total number of menstrual periods, as does pregnancy
Alcohol: Use of alcohol is clearly linked to an increased risk of getting breast cancer. Women who have one drink a day have a very small increased risk. Those who have 2 to 5 drinks daily have about 1½ times the risk of women who drink no alcohol. The American Cancer Society suggests limiting the amount you drink to one drink a day.
Being overweight or obese: Being overweight or obese is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, especially for women after change of life and if the weight gain took place during adulthood. Also, the risk seems to be higher if the extra fat is in the waist area. But the link between weight and breast cancer risk is complex, and studies of fat in the diet as it relates to breast cancer risk have often given conflicting results. The American Cancer Society recommends you maintain a healthy weight throughout your life and avoid gaining too much weight.
Lack of exercise: Studies show that exercise reduces breast cancer risk. The only question is how much exercise is needed. One study found that as little as 1 hour and 15 minutes to 2½ hours of brisk walking per week reduced the risk by 18%. Walking 10 hours a week reduced the risk a little more. The American Cancer Society suggests that you exercise for 45 to 60 minutes 5 or more days a week.

So that is a lot to digest...I promise a less intellectual post tomorrow.

Be Kind, Be Safe...Be well informed.

Shalom my Peeps.

Breast Cancer Fact for 10/9...

Hey blog readers...here it is, the final installment of "How do women get Breast Cancer".(and if your one of the readers that cheated...well, I hope you are well informed...cheater).

Risk factors you cannot change
Gender: Simply being a woman is the main risk for breast cancer. While men also get the disease, it is about 100 times more common in women than in men.
Age: The chance of getting breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older. About 2 out of 3 women with invasive breast cancer are age 55 or older when the cancer is found.
Genetic risk factors: About 5% to 10% of breast cancers are thought to be linked to inherited changes (mutations) in certain genes. The most common gene changes are those of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Women with these gene changes have up to an 80% chance of getting breast cancer during their lifetimes. Other gene changes may raise breast cancer risk as well.
Family history: Breast cancer risk is higher among women whose close blood relatives have this disease. The relatives can be from either the mother's or father's side of the family. Having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer about doubles a woman's risk. (It's important to note that 70% to 80% of women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of this disease.)
Personal history of breast cancer: A woman with cancer in one breast has a greater chance of getting a new cancer in the other breast or in another part of the same breast. This is different from a return of the first cancer (which is called recurrence).
Race: White women are slightly more likely to get breast cancer than are African-American women. But African American women are more likely to die of this cancer. At least part of the reason seems to be because African-American women have faster growing tumors. Asian, Hispanic, and American Indian women have a lower risk of getting breast cancer.
Dense breast tissue: Dense breast tissue means there is more glandular tissue and less fatty tissue. Women with denser breast tissue have a higher risk of breast cancer. Dense breast tissue can also make it harder for doctors to spot problems on mammograms.
Menstrual periods: Women who began having periods early (before age 12) or who went through the change of life (menopause) after the age of 55 have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. They have had more menstrual periods and as a result have been exposed to more of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Earlier breast radiation: Women who have had radiation treatment to the chest area (as treatment for another cancer) earlier in life have a greatly increased risk of breast cancer.
Treatment with DES: In the past, some pregnant women were given the drug DES (diethylstilbestrol) because it was thought to lower their chances of losing the baby (miscarriage). Recent studies have shown that these women (and their daughters who were exposed to DES while in the womb), have a slightly increased risk of getting breast cancer.

Well...I guess that was a few more than I thought. So you will have to wait until tomorrow for the lifestyle risk factors.

So Be Kind, Be Safe...Be well informed.

Shalom my Peeps.

Breast Cancer Fact for 10/8...

Hey blog readers...here is the second installment of How do Women Get Breast Cancer...

While we do not yet know exactly what causes breast cancer, we do know that certain risk factors are linked to the disease. A risk factor is anything that affects a person's chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, such as smoking, drinking, and diet are linked to things a person does. Others, like a person's age, race, or family history, can't be changed. But risk factors don't tell us everything. Having a risk factor, or even several, doesn't mean that a person will get the disease. Some women who have one or more risk factors never get breast cancer. And most women who do get breast cancer don't have any risk factors. While all women are at risk for breast cancer, the factors listed below can increase a woman's chances of having the disease.

So now I guess you will have to wait until tomorrow to get the risk factors...I love this suspense portion of the blog (Unless you are one of those that are just waiting to read these and then...your just cheating...)

So Be Kind, Be Safe...Be Informed

Shalom my Peeps.

Breast Cancer Fact for 10/7...

Hey blog readers...The next couple of post will go together. The topic will be, how do women get breast cancer. It will be in about 3 parts...so stay tuned and check back (or be lazy and check back in a few days and read them all at once. I have to fill 31 days...)


What Causes Breast Cancer?

Certain changes in DNA can cause normal breast cells to become cancerous. DNA is the chemical in each of our cells that makes up our genes -- the instructions for how our cells work. Some inherited DNA changes can increase the risk for developing cancer and are responsible for the cancers that run in some families. But most breast cancer DNA changes happen in single breast cells during a woman's life rather than having been inherited. These are called acquired changes, and most breast cancers have several of these acquired gene mutations. But so far, the causes of most acquired mutations that could lead to breast cancer remain unknown.

I guess that is why we need to keep supporting research huh....?

Until tomorrow...same blog time, same blog channel

Be Kind, Be Safe...Be informed.

Shalom my Peeps.

Breast Cancer Fact for 10/6...

Hey Blog readers...here is todays fact. More of a statistic with some explaination.


How Many Women Get Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.
About 182,460 women in the United States will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2008. About 40,480 women will die from the disease this year. Right now there are about two and a half million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is about 1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 35. Breast cancer death rates are going down. This is probably the result of finding the cancer earlier and improved treatment

2.5 million breast cancer survivors...that is impressive. I had no idea...

Well until tomorrow...

Be Kind, Be Safe...Be informed.

Shalom my Peeps.

Tailgating and Corn Maze...in review.

Hey Blog readers...well yesterdays outing to Notre Dame was, as usual, a great success. I was joined by UNC and Absofab for some fun on campus.

We met at Absofabs house due to her proximity to campus. For those of you that are curious, it is about a 2 beer walk from her house. We arrived on campus and began our Gypsy like search for beer and food...

Our first stop...well at least our planned first stop did not pan out. The people that Absofab thought would be out there, ended up being responsible adults that stayed home to assure soberness for a birthday party later that night(crazy, I know).

Second Stop...well it was a fine stop. Martin, one of our engineers at the fire house, his Mom and Step-Dad have a big tailgate every home game. Well they were there, but Martin was in Paris. I know rough life huh...well it was Julie, Martin's Mom's Birthday, so we wished her a happy birthday and enjoyed a beer and some great conversation with them.

3rd Stop...we hit WDC's tailgate. This guy is awesome...another fire fighter friend. He had a nice spread. They were having an Italian theme to their tailgate. With Wine, Cheese, and Sausages. They also had shredded beef sandwiches, but I am not really sure their connection to Italy. WDC's son is a commercial airline pilot, the only thing that alarmed me about him was the fact that he had substituted a koozy for his beer with a glove. His explanation was, that his hand will conform to whatever he is drinking...genius(unless you see a pilot climbing into the cockpit with one glove on). Well WDC's tailgate was a frequent stop for the rest of the afternoon, he had beer and was very generous in it's distribution.

4th Stop...we hit one of UNC's friends from work's tailgate. It was a nice little stop. I scored a yummy Bloody Mary...and it's proximity to WDC's was nice, since Taylor (UNC's friend) only had Bud Light (Bud Light + Jay = certain headache). While at this stop however I may have made my only mistake of the day. Absofab needed to visit the facilities. Well she has an eagle eye for quality facilities, so we headed for the ACC to use the indoor bathrooms, that facilitated this great little thing called hand washing. Well I didn't particularly have to go, but since I was there I thought what the heck...well friends, the seal was broken(and at this point about every 30 min. or so I was looking for a location to pee so just keep that in mind for the rest of the day). So we treked back to Taylors to see what was next up. Well, UNC was waiting to meet up with a friend, so this is when Absofab and I headed for another party...

Stop 5...We met up with BOP(I should make the introduction...BOP is another Jen, that works with my Jenny, she will be making appearances in the blog I am sure...I will add her to the blog characters). Well BOP's boyfriend and his business partner have a great little tailgate at all the home games. They could put out some crackers and cheese, and have a great tailgate just by their proximity alone. They are right outside Gate C of the stadium which is on the South End Zone portion of the stadium. They had yummy food, and the drunks were entertaining too. One in particular learned that they owned a company and in his drunken, F-bomb and drooling state was trying to land an internship. I am sure that is how it is done...so I am sure he is right on track for a successful career. Well while at BOP's tailgate she cleared up the question that had been in the back of my mind since I met her..."Why does she carry such a big purse"...now you have to understand why it is that I call her BOP. It is and acronym for Big Ol' Purse. Well she cleared up at least one reason why she carries this enormous bag...

Her purse doubles as a beer tote/Koozy. This particular bag also had a mesh like look to it that I am sure it so control the internal humidity. Keeping things dry and safe in their enormous shelter. (But it is a stunning bag). Well we met some of their friends, talked cigars, talked about some over looked freedoms...you know, typical drunken conversation. Scored a tasty cigar from Dave...and hung out until kick-off...We love you BOP and Dave...and company thanks for a nice time.

Well we started our trek home. At this point we had lost UNC. We tried to call him several times but to no avail. I called Jenny to express my loss and that fact I felt bad we had lost him and she said she was going to try to call him to see where he was. Well, just as we were about to cross the street we looked back and there he was...what are the odds....well we walked back and bid each other a fare the well(still a 2 beer walk...but they were skipped to sober up enough to drive home). Oh yeah...Athena, you are always welcome to tailgate. Our next outing will be on Nov. 1st. against Pittsburg....just let me know and we can figure out the logistics.

Then last night we did the corn maze with UNC, his girls, AAK and AUJ. It was really good time...we acquired some pumpkins for the fall/Halloween season and enjoyed a bit of a stroll through the corn field...

Well that is about it...we are planning a productive day of yard work and fun for today. Jenny went to church and sang, Sharkboy and I were just not feeling it. So that is all I have for now...

So until next time...Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps!!!

Breast Cancer Fact for 10/5...

Hey blog readers...here is todays fact. It is more of a description today. I think this is one of the last building blocks. So here it is...

Fact:


The lymph system

The lymph system is important because it is one of the ways in which breast cancers can spread. This system has several parts.

Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped collections of immune system cells (cells that are important in fighting infections) that are connected by lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic vessels are like small veins, except that they carry a clear fluid called lymph (instead of blood) away from the breast. Breast cancer cells can enter lymphatic vessels and begin to grow in lymph nodes.

Most lymph vessels of the breast lead to lymph nodes under the arm. These are called axillary nodes. If breast cancer cells reach the underarm lymph nodes and continue to grow, they cause the nodes to swell. It is important to know whether cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes because if they have, there is a higher chance that the cells have also gotten into the bloodstream and spread to other places in the body. This could affect the treatment plan.

Ok...so there it is the Lymph System. Until next fact.

Be Kind, Be Safe, Be informed...

Shalom my Peeps.

Tailgating...

Hey Blog readers...I will be out on campus today tailgating. So if you want to hang out and have some adult beverages, hit me up on the cell phone.

And remember nothing is better than adult beverages over asphault on the campus of a division 1 school, about to play some football.

So Be Kind, Be Safe...GO IRISH

Shalom my Peeps!!!

Breast Cancer Fact for 10/4...

Hey blog readers...here is todays fact. As you know, I am doing this to try and teach myself as well as share with you...the reader, some facts about breast cancer. Well todays fact cleared some things up for me. I know that many of the lumps that women find on their monthly exam...but this clears up what causes them and what they are...

Benign breast lumps

Most breast lumps are benign. This means they are not cancer. Benign breast tumors are abnormal growths, but they do not spread outside of the breast and they are not life threatening. But some benign breast lumps can increase a woman's risk of getting breast cancer.

Most lumps are caused by fibrocystic changes. Cysts are fluid-filled sacs. Fibrosis is the formation of scar-like tissue. These changes can cause breast swelling and pain. They often happen just before a period is about to begin. The breasts may feel lumpy, and sometimes there is a clear or slightly cloudy nipple discharge.

So, I hope you learned something...I know I did. And if you want to find out more facts on your own, I have made the title of this post a hyper link to Cancer.org. It is filled with more information than most people could digest in one sitting...

Be Kind, Be Safe...Be informed!

Shalom my Peeps!!!

A little plug...

Hey blog readers...make sure you check out Awesome Aunt Kelly's blog (AAK's blog). You can find the link to the left, or you can just click on the title of this post and it will redirect you. She has a little video of the shrimp boil. Not to mention, she is a pretty cool lady too.

So show some Love and visit her blog. You can see me recieve some steam burns to my hands...and what makes better video than someone you know getting hurt.

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps!

The usual stuff...

Hey blog readers...I thought I would try and catch you up with some stuff. I haven't really blogged about "my daily life" lately, and thought I would do some blogging. So grab a libation and enjoy...I am enjoying some Stout sent from Athena, and I love you a little more with each sip.

Well I last left off the updates with us in Ludington. Well on Saturday we had our Shrimp Boil...it seemed to be a big hit. I think we will be doing that on an annual basis. It was yummy and it was really great to hang out with friend/family and just grub and catch up. The shrimp boil was the culmination of a very relaxing day...

Sunday morning we woke up and packed to head home. It is always a little sad to leave the gang. On the way home we stopped in Holland at Red Robin Restaurant. Rumor has it we are getting one and we wanted to see what it was all about. It was yummy...Bottomless drinks + all you can eat fries=yummy and full.

This week has basically been a lot of work. The Pink Fire truck came to town...see previous blogs.

Last night we had a visit from Alyssa...Athena's sister. It was great to catch up and hang out. We enjoyed some chicken on the grill and some "adult beverages". She was also the transporter of Heaven in a growler. Athena sent us an incredible surprise and gift. Our only fear is that we will never be able to enjoy this Hazelnut Stout again.

Today started out with Daisy getting poopy foot and coming in the house. She managed to track poopy foot prints in the house and that meant we had to clean some spot in the carpet. It wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't very pleasant either. I dropped Sharkboy off at the babysitter, and while going home to hang some pictures and stuff I ran into Marci...she is in town from Florida. I got to say hello and got a hug, which I later found out was more than her sister has recieved(Sorry Absofab).

So tomorrow is my maiden voyage for this years football season to campus to tailgate. I am looking forward to it. Absofab and I will be hitting the lots a little after 10. Jenny and Bang Bang girls will meet up with us a little later.

Well that is about it for now, I am sure I will have stories tomorrow. So look for an update in the near future...

Well, tummy says I am hungry, so I must go eat.

So until next time...

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps!!!

Breast Cancer facts for 10/2 and 10/3

Hey blog readers...to continue my commitment to provide a daily fact about breast cancer...today is a 2-fer. Yesterday I was at work and we were busy. Between fixing toilets, running calls and training, I didn't have a chance to post. I also took some time off last night, since Alyssa was in town. By the time dinner was done and I had drained my last pumpkin ale, it was time for the Vice Presidential debate (but this is not a political blog, so I will not elaborate). Well after that...simply too tired. So here they are:

Fact 1:
Cancer is surrounded by many confussing terms. I thought, since we are just building our understanding of the disease we could start with some common terminology. I got these right from Cancer.org :

Carcinoma: This is a term used to describe a cancer that begins in the lining layer of organs such as the breast. Nearly all breast cancers are carcinomas (either ductal carcinomas or lobular carcinomas).

Adenocarcinoma: An adenocarcinoma is a type of cancer that starts in glandular tissue (tissue that makes and secretes a substance). The ducts and lobules of the breast are glandular tissue (they make breast milk), so cancers starting in these areas are sometimes called adenocarcinomas.

Carcinoma in situ: This term is used for the early stage of cancer, when it is still only in the layer of cells where it began. In breast cancer, in situ means that the cancer cells are only in the ducts (ductal carcinoma in situ) or lobules (lobular carcinoma in situ). They have not spread into deeper tissues in the breast or to other organs in the body. They are sometimes referred to as non-invasive breast cancers.

Invasive (infiltrating) carcinoma: An invasive cancer is one that has already grown beyond the layer of cells where it started (unlike carcinoma in situ). Most breast cancers are invasive carcinomas -- either invasive ductal carcinoma or invasive lobular carcinoma.

Sarcoma: Sarcomas are cancers that start from connective tissues such as muscle tissue, fat tissue or blood vessels. Sarcomas of the breast are rare.

Fact 2:

And now for the differenct types of breast cancer. I had no idea there were so many forms...see I am learning something. (again, right from www.cancer.org)

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): This is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. DCIS means that the cancer is only in the ducts. It has not spread through the walls of the ducts into the tissue of the breast. Nearly all women with cancer at this stage can be cured. Often the best way to find DCIS early is with a mammogram.

Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS): This condition begins in the milk-making glands but does not go through the wall of the lobules. Although not a true cancer, having LCIS increases a woman's risk of getting cancer later. For this reason, it's important that women with LCIS make sure they have regular mammograms.

Invasive (infiltrating) ductal carcinoma (IDC): This is the most common breast cancer. It starts in a milk passage or duct, breaks through the wall of the duct, and invades the tissue of the breast. From there it may be able to spread to other parts of the body. It accounts for about 8 out of 10 invasive breast cancers.

Invasive (infiltrating) lobular carcinoma (ILC): This cancer starts in the milk glands or lobules. It can spread to other parts of the body. About 1 out of 10 invasive breast cancers are of this type.

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC): This uncommon type of invasive breast cancer accounts for about 1% to 3% of all breast cancers. Usually there is no single lump or tumor. Instead, IBC makes the skin of the breast look red and feel warm. It also gives the skin a thick, pitted appearance that looks a lot like an orange peel. The affected breast may become larger or firmer, tender, or itchy.

In its early stages, inflammatory breast cancer is often mistaken for infection. Because there is no defined lump, it may not show up on a mammogram, which may make it even harder to catch it early. It usually has a higher chance of spreading and a worse outlook than invasive ductal or lobular cancer.

Well, there is your 2-fer. I hope you got something from this. I know I did, and don't worry faithful readers...the next post will be an update of all things occuring in Sharkboy, Jenny and my lives.

So Be Kind, Be Safe...Save the Ta-Ta's

Shalom my Peeps!

Breast Cancer fact for 10/1/2008

Well here it is blog readers...the Breast Cancer fact for today. So I thought we should start at the beginning. You know...can't build a building without a foundation. So I thought what better way to start than with what is Breast Cancer. So here it is...

So simply...Breast cancer is cancer that occurs in the breast. Cancers are a group of diseases in the body that cause cells to grow out of control. Most forms of cancer form lumps (masses) called tumors. And these are named after the part of the body they occur in.

Breast cancer begins in breast tissue, which is made up of glands for milk production called lobules and the ducts that connect the lobules to the nipple. The remainder of the breast is made up of fatty, connective and lymphatic tissue.

Ok...so that is todays fact.

Be Kind, Be Safe...be educated.

Shalom my Peeps.

REAL MEN WEAR PINK!!!

Hey blog readers...today is the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Well Clay Fire decided to jump on board. I can honestly say that I have never truely been affected by breast cancer. I know people that have been diagnosed and survived, but I would be fooling you if I said it affected me, touched me, yes. I am more aware of it, but it has not changed my daily life. That would be my definition of affected. However, I have decided to look into breast cancer closer and am going to use my blog to point out some of the things that I will discover. Maybe even help you all learn something you don't already know. I am not usually a band wagon jumper, but this time I have decided to jump in both feet and learn about this disease.

Glendale Fire Department in Glendale Arizona has a Pink Fire truck they are touring the country with right now. Our Fire Marshall decided to contact them and see if they would stop by our station on their tour. Well they did and it was today. It was a very moving tribute (no pun intended). This Pink fire truck was signed by Breast Cancer survivors, and it was completely covered. Our department decided to put all of our fire fighters in Pink t-shirts, for this occassion. Here are some pictures from the visit...(if you want to see more...visit my myspace www.myspace.com/clayfire40 and look at the album).

Our sign...announcing the Pink Ribbon Tour

The back of our modified Uniform shirts.

The Pink Fire Truck arriving at Clay Station 1.

The door emblem of the Pink Fire Truck.

The window decal of the Pink Fire Truck

Custom Pink Turnout gear for the "Guardians of the Ribbon"

The Ribbon Statue.The Clay Fire crew with the Pink Fire Truck.

So as you see from the pictures...things were a big success. I will close this post for now, but I will be adding todays Breast Cancer fact in another post.

So as always...

Be Kind, Be Safe, Be Aware

Shalom my Peeps.