We've had a heat wave...got up to 55 today! We've had such strange weather this week and it looks like it will continue next week. It will be in the upper 50s to upper 60s one day and the next day it will be in the 20s. But, we haven't had the snow and ice that so many have had to deal with. We did have some extremely cold temps this week, 6 the other morning and it's supposed to do the same next week. So, we stay in as much as possible, hope the pipes don't freeze, and sit in front of the fire.

I caught Bill's cold finally on Sunday and felt pretty bad for a couple of days. I didn't go to church Sunday and Bill only went in the morning. We didn't, I just found out, have a pianist that evening since I wasn't there, but that happens. Anyway, I'm still a little stuffed up, but I at least have had some energy, although I've gotten tired easily.

We did accomplish some things this week. We got most of the furniture moved out of our bedroom and taken to Ryan and Amanda's. Now to clean up the room, pack things away and get ready to start painting. Bill and I were able to move the furniture out ourselves and even got the mattress/box springs taken out. Didn't get them to the curb for trash pickup, but that isn't until Thursday so we have a few days. But, we were pretty proud of ourselves!

Other than working around here we haven't done much. Bill keeps asking when we are going back to Florida. He can't remember that we don't have to go until May.

That's about it for this week. Stay warm wherever you are!

We've had a good week. It seems like everyone in the local family has finally gotten over all of the illnesses now. Hopefully it will stay that way! Now if the weather would make up its mind! Thursday the temperature was 54 and yesterday it was 34 and very windy. Tuesday it's supposed to be nearly 60 and Wednesday it's only supposed to be 35. It's no wonder the flu is rampant this year. It's only about 40 today and now it has clouded up and just looks cold.

We've made a little progress in getting the furniture emptied and ready for Ryan. He wasn't able to get it this week-end like we had planned, so we didn't work as hard as we could. We're also getting it ready to paint, along with re-doing the master bath. Our painter/handyman isn't pleased as we're not gutting the bathroom like he wants. We had talked about it, but we're not going to remove the shower like we had planned. And that is mainly on me, it will take forever to do that. I'm not really looking forward to doing the bedroom. We're not going to re-finish the floor in there so Ron will have to be extremely careful and cover the floor. He wants to take down all of the molding and not put it back up, or put up another kind, but then that won't match the rest of the house. So, I get to be the bad guy again, and force him to do it my way! I've picked the paint color and I'm looking for curtains now.

We had some overnight guests this week. Ryan and Amanda's house was being fumigated and they had to leave it for 24 hours. So, they, along with Spooky the dog, were here Thursday evening/night and most of yesterday. They left when it was time to pick up the kids for the week-end.

Thursday was Brianna's 15th birthday. It doesn't seem possible that she's that old already. She decided she didn't want a party of any kind but the family was all invited to join them for dinner last night. There were 17 of us there. Some shouldn't have gone because they weren't feeling good...stomach virus. Emily's step-mother had been sick with it all week and ended up in the emergency room. They said it was Rotavirus and that's really nasty. So we stayed totally away from them. And her step-brother's wife was sitting not too far away and she said she had felt bed for a couple of days with her stomach. Bryan's sister's daughter ended up leaving early because she didn't feel well and she was sitting across from Bill. I hope we neither one get anything.

I know most people don't think about illness as much as we do because of Bill's compromised immune system. But, I don't understand why they don't think of spreading illnesses as a rule. I have a friend in another state who has been vomiting and running a fever and is still going to work, and she works in retail. I shudder to think of the people she has come in contact with that will also spread the illness. I know people need to work, but a little common sense is needed. Alright, I'll get off my soapbox!

We did some housework today, or I should say Bill did his housework while I did laundry. We also went shopping for a few groceries and gas and we've spent a quiet afternoon. It's been extremely windy today. We're on standby for Brianna and McKenna. Emily and Bryan had a business dinner in Little Rock, which is 3 hours away. So, if there is a problem, we're the ones the girls will call. We don't anticipate any problems, unless the wind takes down the power lines and since they live in the country it's entirely possible.

All for this week. I hope everyone has a good week.

Sorry this is so late tonight, I almost forgot!

We arrived home Wednesday afternoon and were watching the weather all the way. It was nice and sunny until we were about 2 hours out and the clouds had arrived. The "weather" wasn't supposed to get here until early evening so we were able to stop at the store and pick up some milk and bread. I had some pot pies in the freezer so once we were in we didn't have to go out. We did have a few snowflakes when we were about 6 miles from home but the sleet didn't start until we had gotten the car unloaded. We ended up with mostly rain, a little freezing rain and sleet on Thursday, but mostly rain so again we were lucky.

We didn't do much Thursday. We were both tired, even after going to bed at 7:30! I iad a nasty headache by the time we got home and woke up with it Thursday. It was mostly from sinus pressure but I didn't feel well most of the day. Must have been from all the driving.

McKenna was sick Wednesday and Thursday. Although she tested negative for the flu, and she has had her flu shot, they are still treating her for it as a precaution. Her aunt tested positive for it and she had been around her. Brianna and her friend Megan came over after school Thursday to kill some time before softball practice. The girls don't get the fieldhouse until 4:30 (the boys have it for the last 2 class periods AND after school until 4:30) and the girls aren't allowed to even sit in the gym. Since it was cold and rainy they came here. For those of you who don't know where we live, we're only about 3 blocks from the high school.

Yesterday started the year of ORDER. We're giving our old bedroom set to Ryan and Amanda so we started cleaning out dresser drawers. Or I should say Bill started cleaning out his dresser while I did laundry. He did more looking through things than anything, but he did find a bank envelope with his name on it in a drawer...with $206! I told him it was probably left over from a trip and he just put it up for the next one! I also told him he had to take me out to eat tonight!

I met a friend for lunch today and spent a nice 2 hours catching up with her. We did go out to eat, but we had gotten a gift card for Perkins for Christmas so used that instead. Bill still owes me a dinner!

Tomorrow is dinner at church and I'm cheating with a store bought cake. But, I just didn't feel like making anything this time.

All for tonight. The movie Bill is watching is almost over and we've both already had our medicine for the night. Hope everyone has had a good week and good week-end.

OK folks, here's the results of the biopsy (drum roll) NO REJECTION! They are also making no med changes so we have been switched to yearly visits starting in May! Stephanie said that all of his numbers looked good as far as his labwork went.

We headed home this morning and have made our stop for the night. I learned something on this leg of the trip...Florida's rest stop restrooms ARE NOT heated! It was a little uncomfortable stopping, but when you gotta, you gotta! It was 27 this morning in Jacksonville and it's only 30-32 here in Alabama. It's also windy. Hopefully tomorrow it will be a little warmer. At least it wasn't raining or snowing and the traffic was very light after we left Jacksonville.

All for tonight. I'll have a regular post on Saturday! Enjoy your day!

The biopsy today went well. Dr. Yip himself came to get us, 45 minutes early! Usually we have a short consult with Stephanie first, but Dr. Yip said since he was there and could see that we were checked in that we would go ahead and start early.

He didn't anticipate any problems and actually gave us some good news. If there is no rejection and there are no problems with the bloodwork, this is the last neck biopsy he will have. He will go to yearly in May instead of every 6 months. He actually told us that we would now be able to put health issues on the back burner and be able to plan fun things to do without worrying about making a trip here every 3 months!

The trip down was uneventful, but tiring. It's also gotten cold here, not just in the Midwest. It's 12 at home and it's already in the upper 30s here. Yesterday when we got here it was 78, it was 66 this morning and then the wind and rain arrived. It's supposed to be about 20 in the morning. But, we have warmer clothes to wear home so we'll be fine.

We haven't done anything since the biopsy but veg out in our hotel room. We've been to get something to eat and we're waiting for bedtime. A program I've been interested in on television is showing it's season finale tonight. It won't come on until 9 here and it's a 2 hour program tonight. I don't know if I'll make it through it. I may have to watch it on hulu later! But, we don't have to get up and leave early in the morning. We're going to wait until after rush hour. That will still get us in rather early so we'll be able to rest up for the tough drive on Wednesday.

Since we don't have the biopsy results yet, I'll update again tomorrow after we arrive at the hotel. We should hear something tomorrow afternoon.

Stay warm!

Early post this week since we are leaving tomorrow for Florida.

Bill has had a nasty cold all week. It was apparently starting on Sunday because he didn't want to go to church Sunday night. He woke up with a constantly streaming nose Monday and was sneezing. I called Mayo Tuesday morning when he wasn't any better and talked to Kim about rescheduling his biopsy and she thought it would be better to keep the appointment. So, I started pumping him full of cold medicine. He can't take very much, only Tylenol cold/sinus/flu. He finally said he felt a little better yesterday afternoon. He also started with a little diarrhea yesterday morning, so I was afraid he was also getting the stomach bug going around, but I think now it was from the medicine. He slept better last night, so hopefully he has turned the corner. With his immune system compromised, he's more susceptible to everything.

We didn't make it until midnight for the new year. We didn't even make it until 11 to watch the ball drop in New York! The gunfire started a little after 7 and was pretty sporadic until 11 but then...oh my goodness! It sounded like a war zone and it sounded like it was in my front yard! Don't these people understand that the bullets have to come down somewhere even though they are firing in the air?

I thought I was trying to catch Bill's cold Wednesday. I started feeling bad with a sinus headache and sneezing. So, I started taking the medicine I take for colds and felt much better yesterday. I woke up at 5 raring to go. Bill had to get up at 7 for medicine and by 8 we had eaten bacon and eggs and I had laundry going. The laundry was finished by noon, completely folded/hung and put away.

I did watch it snow before the sun came up. Didn't get much but it was really coming down. It's cold this morning, only 22 and supposed to be much colder while we are gone. We're going to see if Ron with check the pipes while we are gone. All we need is to come home to water everywhere!

I read an extended weather forecast and Wednesday, the day we are supposed to arrive home, we could get freezing rain/sleet/snow. So, we may end up staying somewhere on the road. I'm hoping we can make it home, or stay closer than where we are staying Tuesday night. We could possible extend the stay there, but there are only 2 restaurants (at least that Bill would like since he's not fond of Mexican). And, that would mean that the weather that we get at home Wednesday would be in that area on Thursday. If we could make it almost home before having to stop, I wouldn't mind. But, the forecast also said that it was too far out to be sure.

So, there's this week's update. The plan now is to leave in the morning (Saturday), arrive in Jacksonville Sunday afternoon, have the biopsy Monday morning, start heading home Tuesday morning and get home Wednesday afternoon. Of course this is always subject to change depending on results and weather. I'll update again on Monday after the biopsy since we're just going to sit around the hotel and rest. We're not even planning on seeing our friends while we are there.

Hope everyone has a good week!