Long Time, No Blog!

Holy cow, I can't believe I haven't updated this blog since January. It's been quite a year, so it doesn't really surprise me. When I had time, I focused on my photo blog rather than this one. So what made me think of posting here again? It's a bit of a long story, so bear with me and I'll try to hit the highlights...

Ten weeks ago tonight, I had dinner with my dad for the last time (at the Outback Steakhouse in Surprise, AZ). He had an AVM (arteriovenous malformation) in his brain that ruptured not quite a week after that dinner that eventually led to his death. Today I was craving Outback as I left work, so I decided I'd head there for takeout. I had purposely avoided going to that specific Outback for a while, but wasn't really thinking about it tonight. At least, not until I was driving along on my way to pick up the food. I don't really drive to Surprise very often, and as I was driving along, I realized the last time I had made the drive was with my dad exactly 10 weeks ago tonight.

As I mentioned, it's been a rough year.  My dad was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer (it had spread to his liver and his stomach wall) back in November of 2009.  He had major surgery the day before Thanksgiving in San Diego and started chemotherapy at the Cancer Treatment Center of America (CTCA) hospital here in Goodyear, Arizona in January.  We all thought it was a sign that the center was just about 2.5 miles from my house.  So since January, my parents had been flying out here every other week, and I got to see both of my parents more regularly than I had since I moved to Arizona.  As my dad said, it was great getting to see each other so often, but we wish it was under better circumstances. 

Though he was determined to beat the cancer beginning the day after his surgery, we all had a rough January and February as my dad started his treatment.  He tolerated the chemo well, but he just wasn't his usual self because he didn't feel well.  After a few months, though, he showed great improvement and kept getting better each trip.  That night in July that I had my last dinner with him, he seemed pretty much like his usual self (the way he was before the cancer).  That trip he was by himself.  After 6 months of flying out here every other week and with my dad feeling better, my mom had started coming out every other trip back in June.

It's hard to ever think of cancer as something positive, but the memories of our times together and hours long conversations during the last 7 months of his life are some of my most cherished memories of him.  I just can't believe that he's really gone.  It's hard to think that he's not there when I want to talk to him; that he won't be there if (when?) I ever get married and have kids.  I miss him like crazy, and some days I don't know how I'll manage to go on without him.  Tonight after my trip to Outback has been one of those times, so I thought maybe blogging about it would help...

2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Here's my last update for the Support Your Local Library Challenge.  I'm not really good with doing reviews, so the links are just to where you can purchase the books.  I have enjoyed those I've read, though!

Here's my updated list:

1. The Billionaire Next Door by Jessica Bird
2. Mouth to Mouth by Erin McCarthy
3. 7 x 9 = Trouble! by Claudia Mills
4. Out of Order by Betty Hicks
5. Science Fair by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
6. Triple Trouble by Lois Faye Dyer
7. Valentine Frankenstein by Maggie Twohill
8. His Brother's Secret by Debra Salonen
9. Kiss and Tell by Suzanne Brockmann
10. The Fairy Tale Detectives (Sisters Grimm Book 1) by Michael Buckley
11. Nanny to the Billionaire's Son by Barbara McMahon
12. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

I finished the challenge (a while ago actually) and am just now posting!  I like having discovered my libraries and I plan to keep visiting them.

Fun Contest...Win a Nook!

Anya Bast and Lauren Dane are having a contest to win books and a Nook to celebrate their releases on January 5th.  Click here to enter their Curl Up with a Book…and a Nook Contest

Deleted???

Deleted?  I received an email today that my blog had been deleted.  It's still here for now...

Cow Parade Part VII

This is the last of the Cow Parade posts. It's been months since I first took the photos, but I've really enjoyed going back through them and re-discovering each of the cows!

Flower of Life

Cherry

Moo Jack

There's More Than One Way To Milk A Cow

Ribbons & Bovine

San Dieo MOOves You

Cow Parade Part VI

Second to last cow parade post!

emoo A Reason to Survive

Tribal Bovine

San Diego Nightlife Cow

Moo Indigo

It's a G Thing

Running of the Bulls

Cow Parade Part V

Here are more of the cows. I plan on 2 more posts and then that should be all of them! Enjoy :-)

Cowsablanca

Vibrant Village

Fearless

Crazy Quilt

Prime Cut

Cowmunity

Another Update: Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge

Here's my latest update for the Support Your Local Library Challenge. I'm not really good with doing reviews, so the links are just to where you can purchase the books. I have enjoyed those I've read, though!

Here's my updated list:

1. The Billionaire Next Door by Jessica Bird
2. Mouth to Mouth by Erin McCarthy
3. 7 x 9 = Trouble! by Claudia Mills
4. Out of Order by Betty Hicks
5. Science Fair by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
6. Triple Trouble by Lois Faye Dyer
7. Valentine Frankenstein by Maggie Twohill
8. His Brother's Secret by Debra Salonen
9. Kiss and Tell by Suzanne Brockmann
10.
11.
12.

I feel like I'm farther away from my goal, but I guess I'm pretty close. If I finish all of the books I have currently checked out (which I've had for longer than I should have taken), I'll be done and even over the quota!

Cow Parade Part IV

And still more cows! Enjoy :-) There are even more to come later on!

Beautiful Life

Crow Cow

From Wild to Weighed

CloWds

Cow With a View

See One, Be One