Living in a Foreign Language

Crashing Down to Earth

I was thinking today, a month away from the two year anniversary of moving here, that I needed to find something to do...I looked into some photography classes and some volunteer options, nothing really lit me up yet.  Then I started wondering???  Hmm, what was I doing before now?  It seems like I was holding on by my fingernails while people, places and things just whirled around me at a frenetic pace. The I really realized all that had taken place in the almost two years since I arrived here...

The first six months beginning June 2010...how delightful, crazy, and scary they were.  Lauren and I flew here, we met Ken and picked up the DES and went to our new home.  I continued working, albeit long distance but still had my hand in the work world I'd left.  Six weeks later Lauren went back to Houston, our shipment arrived and unpacking fun was had by all.  We quickly realized what a mistake we had made in the house of our choosing.   A few weeks later Rogielyn came to live with us.  We subsequently traveled to Bali, Miri, Singapore and Perth.  That was all in the three months before October...then the dreaded "C" word entered our life and we flew to Houston for 10 LONG weeks of doctors, radiation, and of all things, a broken ankle.

We brought Mr. Ken with the broken ankle back to KL in mid December, to the house with 3 sets of stairs, Cobra snakes, chemo treatments, and more travel.  In early 2011, we went to Singapore many times, back to Perth in February.  Everything seemed to rock along.  I finally officially "retired" and ended my consulting agreement with my former company in February.  Then there were trips to London, Italy and Switzerland in March.  In April the storm that is named Lauren came to town with all of its various 18 year old things, some good, some not so good.  Sometime in May we started having security issues with every other night attempted break ins...Ken always traveling somewhere...Seemed like there would never be any sleep.  Chemo rocked along until June... then no more and gratefully went to a pill everyday and Mr. Ken's health seemed on the upswing.  Some trips were made to Singapore, Perth and Malaka. In July I broke MY ankle and did physical therapy all the way up to December.  Some trips were cancelled but some trips were taken..Cherating, Genting and Langkawi.  In November Lauren went back to Houston, and we found out we had to move houses (yeah!).  We searched for a house, found one, made a quick trip to Perth before the movers came and we all, Mr. Ken, Rogielyn, Desi and I, happily moved in by Christmas.  

In January we went to Houston.  We saw, we met, we drove, we saw, we met...we did alot in a short amount of time.  In February we were back home in KL.  Then we went to Perth, Singapore, and back to Perth.  In between we had an out of town visitor, our first!  Throughout all of the three months we bought fish, killed fish, kept fish, bred fish; bought turtles, kept turtles, bred turtles.  I worried incessantly over the pond...Mr. Ken traveled even more, as he always does, and came back from Vietnam sick.  A few tests and a lot of prayers and breath holding later, all results were excellent and he was as good as 18 months ago.

In between all of the above there were many spas visited, restaurants eaten at, friends made, and blogs posted marking each and every event...a new Ipad to learn, and a new MacBook to hate somewhere in the mix....

And, then here we are in May of 2012.

All I can say is - ALOT can happen in two years!!  

Why am I just today reminiscing over the last two years?  Well, because since we've been back from Perth for a week, I've been at loose ends.  I keep thinking I must have more things to do.  Though, honestly, everything I can think of to do...finally organize all the photos from the last three years, print them, scrapbook or put them in albums, take a class, find a hobby, volunteer...go to cooking school, book a trip. ..I just can't seem to muster up the energy required to do any of them.   I told Mr. Ken after Perth I wanted to stay home for awhile...until Phukett at the end of May.  So, suddenly, what was making me itch to do something when all I REALLY wanted to do was....nothing.

I realized.  I had come crashing down to Earth.  I was finally actually just living here, day to day, minus the next crisis or shoe to drop, minus the next bag to pack or unpack...minus work, minus worry, minus stress.  In other words - if I am not the stressed out, worried woman I once was or the globe trotting, packing a bag every other week, spajunkie I thought I'd become, who was I?

Here is the conclusion I came to...  I've come crashing down to Earth.  I like Earth, it's a good place to be.  I like no worry and no stress.  I even like having nothing to do in a day but make dinner, post a blog, feed the turtles and fish or, God help me, read ANOTHER book.  Oh, I know I need to do something...sometime...but...for now, I've decided to enjoy this time of laziness.  This season, as it were. This being, and having a relaxed, slow, lazy life. 

You never know when you might need all the energy you are saving up being lazy for the NEXT two years of frenzy.

Living life in the SLOW lane, FINALLY.   Two years after retirement, a year and three months after "official" retirement.  

Love, spajunkie

....And 18 Months Later Here We Are

A Mr. Ken health update is first and foremost! He called me on Tuesday from Vietnam and was clearly sick...stopped up, coughing, couldn't breathe...NOT GOOD! And, in a country too far away for me to do much! He changed his flight to come home on Wednesday and I called and got an appointment for him to see his doctor today. We went in, ... and...the dreaded words were said. "I think you need a chest x-ray." Peeps, that sentence changed our lives forever just 18 months ago! I was filled with anxiety...I was praying up a storm, Mr. Ken was calm and cool. He had his x-ray. The doctor showed us the x-ray...nothing there. I mean, guys, NOTHING there! At all. A mere shadow which is scar tissue from radiation, otherwise, zip, zilch, nada. How do you spell thankful? I spell it GOD but we all have our own things... Relief and some various meds to knock out an extremely bad allergic reaction to something and we were on our way. (Although we have collectively decided Vietnam is off the list of the to be seen for us.) Whew. Might I just also remark that we arrived at 11:30, we left at 2:30...and they "worked us in". We saw the doctor twice, had an x-ray, had lunch and waited for meds in those three hours and paid the equivalent of $80. We are always amazed at the medical care here, always...in a good way. Now that I can breathe again (and, here we thought it was just Mr. Ken with breathing issues!), here are some fun, happy things randomly added! Just because! Well, kids, I had a lot of really good, funny, other things plus pictures but yet again, I am stuck with this .... MacBook. And, because of some uploading of photos to it, my camera now uploads photos in a different way to even my Dell, NEF instead of JPG which my Dell cannot read. I would be frustrated beyond belief with this scenario right this minute! But, otherwise, man, life is GOOD! Super good. Love, spajunkie

The Year in Review - 2011

It has taken me some time to actually reflect on everything that occurred in 2011.  It was a year filled with blessings great and small.  It was also a year filled with surprises, some good, some not so good.  It was certainly a year filled with travel to a number of amazing places. 

Remembering 2011:

January started off with Mr. Ken doing physical therapy for his broken ankle and his first round of Chemo ( beginning a series of six treatments every three weeks).

February kicked off with a memorable stay at the Ritz Carlton KL for my BIG (new) 30th birthday and a Chinese New Year Celebration.  Following that up was a trip to Singapore and Perth where I fullfilled my life long dream of meeting a koala bear up close and personal!

March had us traveling in different directions ~ I flew off to London to meet Lauren, Sandra and Hazel.  It was just an amazing trip catching up with friends from Ireland!  It was long overdue and hopefully won't be as long again before we all meet up.  Mr. Ken went to Italy, and...I can't even remember where all!

April had us back on a plane headed for Europe.  This time we went to northern Italy and Switzerland.  There were a few bumps in the road as Mr. Ken experienced some altitude sickness in the Alps which was caused by lower oxygen levels from the chemo.  I had never been to either of these places before so overall it was a fantastic trip.  We ended the trip in Singapore where Lauren met us.  We showed her some of the sights of Singapore before heading home to KL.  April was also the last of the six series of chemo...now we were to wait two long months for PET scan to see if it worked.  Mr. Ken was very blessed to not have experienced many side effects and those were minimal, during the six treatments.

 

May was a visit to Melaka Malaysia for some local color.  It was also a month Ken traveled extensively without me...to Korea, Houston, Singapore, ect...

June we had one of the best trips we've ever taken as we stayed in Margaret River for several days with friends prior to exploring Perth again.  We also got the results of the PET scan which showed no new cancer, and actually tumor had shrunk considerably.  It was the BEST news and the answer to many, many prayers.

July Mr. Ken started on maintenance chemo (maintenance being the KEY word!).  He and I snuck off to Singapore for a week.  The day we got back I tripped and broke my ankle along with severely dislocating it.

August and September were completely a blur to me as I struggled to walk, entered painful physical therapy and generally was not very happy being semi-confined!  My constant companion during that time ~ the handsome, wonderful, dog-who-eats-anything, DES.

October we took a couple of long weekends to see some local spots, Cherating and Genting.  Then we went to Langkawi.  Quite possibly the best or one of the best vacations we have ever taken.  We arrived home from Langkawi to be informed we would need to find a new house and move by end of December.

November was spent looking for a new house, finding the house, and then waiting patiently for the house to be ready.  November also saw Lauren go back to Houston and us once again peacefully and blissfully just us! (Well, and Rogi and Des!)

 

December we took a quick trip to Singapore and Perth and celebrated Mr. Ken's birthday.   Then we came back and said goodbye to the monkeys and hello to the fireworks... and we just couldn't be happier to start our new year here! 

Heading into this new year we are grateful and blessed that our health is good, our new home is magnificent and I think we've enjoyed this past two weeks here at home more than we've ever enjoyed time at home since we left Houston!  We are actually planning to stay home more and travel less this year!  (That's what we keep saying anyway, we will see if the two gypsies can actually pull that off.)

Can't wait to see what 2012 brings! 

Love, spajunkie

 

 

 

Mr. Ken's Health Update (and a few other updates for those in the know)

To start with, Mr. Kens recent doctor visit...he just couldn't be doing any better!  Great check up, it seems all the blood work was normal and even an increase up to where we wanted the hemoglobin, which indicates the oxygen level in the blood, is back to normal.  I asked how long we could reasonably expect him to take the current maintenance drug and the doctor said as long as it is working.  He further said he has a patient with the same diagnosis who has been on Tarceva for four years!  That was really some amazing news to hear...I almost feel like I can stop holding my breath and exhale.  At least for now.  Adding his new workout routine to the mix and it seems like we are more or less back to normal...some 14 months later.  Thank you to God for these blessings!

I also got some good news at my doctor visit this week.  It appears from x ray all bones have healed.  Even the small fracture on the back of my femur has healed itself.  So, broken fibula, fracture on femur, dislocation moving things three inches out from ankle joint socket...more or less healed in four months.  At least when I do it I do it well!  Just saying.  At any rate, arthritis has set in now in the ankle joint (is there no end to the really "old" words used to describe me these days??). So, I am taking Glycosamine....and using gel packs for rheumatism.  Lol.  Maybe I do belong in the senior classes at the gym.  Oh, and four more weeks, twice a week of PT.  But, again, thankfully, no more shock wave treatment to the Achilles tendon, that is all healed and stretched out like it should be.

We got news this week that our moving expenses have been approved to move everything we own!  There was talk of only moving what we came from Houston with, and actually the approval for this in city was 1500 lbs less than what we brought originally.  Imagine that we shipped overseas, 15,500 lbs of stuff.  Wow!  Said like that really makes me feel like cleaning out!  I mean, do we have that much crap  stuff?   Anyway, seeing as moving was no fault of our own, Cameron did the right thing and approved all furniture and fixtures moved, no weight or specific carrier length necessary.  Huge weight (so to speak) off our shoulders!   And, just for the record, I have cleaned out!!!  A bunch!  Maybe a whole 500 lbs worth!!  Lol.  And likely added another 2,000 lbs worth in stuff we've acquired here.  How does that happen???

We went to the new house today and, oh my, is it looking good!  New grass and trees making the backyard space very cozy and inviting.  New paint, polished floors, curtains hung.  Okay, I'm not a huge fan of curtains but I appreciate what they are going to provide us, darkness at night!  Plus a break from the huge electric bills we pay.  Okay, we get reimbursed for them but we've tried to be good stewards of Cameron's money because well, after all, a penny saved here might be one on the bonus next year!  Also, the pond has been cleaned and filled with water, checking the filter now, when we return, FISH!!  

So, our proverbial cup runneth over this week.  There was good news on all fronts...and I just want to shout out to my dear cousin Sheila and her wonderful Jay, that YOUR news topped all the news there was!  We are so very happy for you guys.  GOD is indeed good!

It has been a truly busy, busy week but much has been accomplished.  We are now off to Singapore, the Elephant parade and Christmas lights, then off to Perth for some much needed bonding with dear friends.  (Hey Deb, Robin, Patra, et al...).  Can't wait to see you guys!

So, when we return it is full steam ahead with moving, and gosh, we are so excited about the new space it is hard to even leave!  I want to be there everyday.   I get in on the 12th, movers start the 13th and Ken gets back in the 15th.   Plus there is Christmas, etc...overwhelming!  NO!!!  FUN!!!  Cannot wait.  Bring it.

Until the Elephant Parade post...., be thankful for all you have guys!  It's amazing to be this blessed!

Love, spajunkie.

A Really Good Milestone(s) to Celebrate

Wow!  Can it really be a year already?  A year ago today we were preparing to leave Houston after a successful radiation treatment for Mr. Ken and he, sadly, broke his ankle, delaying our trip another three weeks.  

It is amazing to think in that year his ankle has healed, he has done six rounds of Chemo three weeks apart, and  he is now on a maintenance Chemo pill.  God is good!  Many, many prayers have been answered in a year.  Many, many other things have happened to test us but we've made it out through the other side, thank you God.

And now, as of yesterday, Mr. Ken has started going back to the gym, doing some light cardio on the treadmill.  I just couldn't say enough how remarkable I find his positive state of mind, his drive, his general cup half full mentality.  His weight is good, he sleeps well and has virtually no side effects from this daily pill, once the original skin rash side effect calmed down with medication.

I am, hopefully, reaching a milestone in about two weeks with the end of physical therapy.  I am finding each week with a renewed round of pounding on the Achilles tendon that things are healing and stretching back to their appropriate position.  I did, today, have to (gasp) get insoles for my shoes!  Which means I have to actually wear shoes, not sandals!  Man, does that make me feel old!!  Insoles!!  The things your great auntie wore because her feet hurt!  Darn it.  I have been assured it is only for a time while my foot once again learns to walk normally and not turned in a bit....and that it will help long run with knee, hip and spine issues.  Well I hope so!  Ruins all of my outfits as I just really no longer own real shoes, all sandals...Or tennis shoes which is a dreaded, dreaded fashion choice for me...and actually it is only an accompaniment to my work out clothes truth be known!

This weekend we went to Shook and had brunch.  We were supposed to meet some people but it ended up just Mr. Ken and me.  It was so much fun, we had a ball.  Here is a picture...oh, the theme of the brunch is masquerade.  We are going back another time to take better photos, I was not prepared!  A nice celebratory day nonetheless.

And then, today, after a great weekend and awesome milestone marker, I received this in the mail:

From my dear friend Angela.  She said she saw it and it reminded her of me...hmmm, I wonder why??  Angela, thank you so much, it was the icing on the cake of our day!  A lovely, lovely surprise!  And, in case no one knows this I LOVE to receive real mail!  I seriously do.  And surprisingly her sweet card only took 14 days to get here!  I think that is a record!   Say what you will about the instantaneous amount of connecting we can do these days a good old fashioned card or letter in the mail soothes my soul.

Love, a very happy, milestone celebrating, soul satisfied, spajunkie.

KL Update #89

Progress!  It is such a small word with such big meaning.  Two months ago I was in the hospital with a broken ankle.  Yesterday Mr. Ken and I went to the wine store, pharmacy; grocery store (actually three of them in three different shopping centers…all to find the spices I needed), the pet store AND I came home and started on the Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup (Pho Bo) I am making for dinner tonight.  But, the real point is I did all of that walking and standing.  Okay, so I walk a little slowly but still.  I guess painful physical therapy works after all…and thank you God I only have three left.  I’ve also been released to drive and to go to the gym…but easy on the leg weights. 

Mr. Ken is getting along very well on his maintenance program.  He has good energy, good appetite, rests well and has been able to put an end to a pesky rash (side effect of medication).  I am amazed and thankful on a daily basis how well he handles everything. 

I finally got all of our travel for October booked.  We actually went to Cherating beach last weekend.  Located on the South China Sea due east of KL, this quaint little place was a bit like hanging with the locals.  It was different, but fun.  I will blog it and post some pictures this week.  This little getaway was much needed for this gypsy girl.  I haven’t traveled near enough this summer at all.

Mr. Ken goes to Singapore next week so I am taking Lauren and Rogielyn to the Genting Highlands.  Aside from being really beautiful it sports the largest amusement park around.  While they amuse themselves there I will be enjoying the gardens and a spa or two.  This area is where all of our local produce comes from so I also want to check out the strawberry farm which is supposed to be amazing.  The berries are delish.  I would post a link but I was so frustrated trying to navigate booking a room I will just wait and post pictures.

Since we will all be gone for a couple days I had to break down and try to find a place to board the DES.  We asked our groomer who directed us to another location, same management that will board medium and large dogs.  It is located in an area called Subang Jaya that we had never been to before.  So today Mr. Ken, me and the DES drove out there to check it out.  Let’s say this…at one point the DES looked at me with those big old cocker spaniel eyes and I swear he was thinking “momma, please don’t leave me here!   I might wind up dinner.”  No, baby, we will NOT be leaving you there no way no how.  I was so hoping for a doggie spa experience.

Anyway, as you might recall we had a trip to Bangkok planned for tomorrow but I just can’t do it yet.  BUT, on the 19^th we fly to Langkawi for our long, long awaited trip.  We have (tried) to plan this trip four separate times and now finally it is happening.  We are so excited!  We are meeting up with friends from Houston who now live in Manila.  So cool we are all meeting in Langkawi.  You can check out the resort here: https://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=283

And, yes, I did book the villa with private pool and ocean view.  It is what SPG points are all about…free resort nights.  It almost makes up for all the time my hubby is gone acquiring the points.  Speaking of, then Mr. Ken has to turn right around on the 22^nd fly from Langkawi to KL to Singapore to Milan.  And come right back from there after five days so we can leave November 2^nd for…………………………

HOUSTON, TEXAS!!!!!

Speaking of Houston, I have so much food to eat  I have so many people to see!  I am really, really getting excited.  The list of people I want to spend time with just seems to get longer and longer.  Our last trip home was not a lot of fun for a lot of reasons.  This time, GET READY, we are hitting H-town with a vengeance.

Mexican Food anyone?

Chemo, Crutches and Chocolate ~ all in five days

This week turned out to be pretty busy.  On Monday, Mr. Ken had his chemo treatment.  This is the first one he has gone to without me.  It felt really strange to me not to go ~ I’ve been at every single appointment since last October.  At any rate, it went fine (without me).  He also started another round of B12 shots and Zometa which always makes him feel better.  He has tried to rest during the week some and definitely this weekend.

Also, this week they started building our new crime deterrent - across the back of our fence in the jungle.  Here it is ~ Criminals Beware!:

 
 
 All I have to say is thankfully it didn’t go ON TOP of our fence to the jungle thereby ruining our view like the neighbors next door!  We’ve had no more instances of attempted or successful break-ins in a month or two but now that we’ve got the fence, well!  Aren’t we just snug as a bug in a rug?

The first day they started work we had this rain storm come up…we get rain storms all of the time but this one had a super, duper wind in front of it.  Like gale force winds.  Here is the 14’ tree it blew over  and completely uprooted (It had rooted through the pot and into the ground).

 

And, here are our trees beside the house, normally upright.

 
And, here they are lying on the house next door with the wind.  It was crazy.  The rain storm proved to just be rain, nothing exciting about it.

 
Let’s see.  On Wednesday I begged Ken to bring me a little snack…some skittles or something.  Ken, being Ken, brought me Twizzlers, Skittles, a handful of chocolate chips and Peanut M&M’s which I poured into a sealed Tupperware container to keep on the same floor I’m on for little snacks here and there.  (Hey, I’ve lost 15 pounds! I can have a little snack here and there!)  Thursday morning I came in from the patio and looked over at my bedside table…to find the container open, no lid, and only two Skittles left.  I immediately panicked knowing for sure the Des had struck.  How in the world he managed to get the lid off, and eat all of the candy while the container remained on the table is a mystery to me still.  At any rate, I screamed for Lauren and Rogielyn to grab him and bring him up.  Lauren, knowing this drill well, brought salt with her.  We tried to get some salt down his throat (this induces them to be sick) so that maybe all of it would come up.  And, it did only about an hour and two and three later.  I called the vet and told them what was going on and they said just to monitor him.  I monitored him all thru the night; he didn’t keep down dinner either.  The next day he seemed happy, not at all sick, had breakfast, and kept it down.  Until…late in the afternoon when he didn’t.  At that point I knew he had to go in.  Lauren took him to the vet and they called and said they wanted to do blood work and keep him on fluids overnight.  To be honest if I’d been mobile I would have taken him in the day before but…I regret that decision truly.

He came home today with a couple of prescriptions.  His liver function is still elevated but they expect he will make a full recovery ~ and they believe that is in part to making him sick and getting rid of what was in his stomach...very little made it through the whole digestive process.  Here are some helpful hints for if your beloved pet is a master magician also:

How to make your dog sick…to get rid of that chocolate he ingested!

Measure 3 cc’s. or roughly ½ teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution per 20 pounds of dog’s weight.  Wait 10 to 15 minutes, then repeat every 10 minutes until the puppy pukes!  Alternatively, (my personal method because its handy and quick) 1 large TBSP of salt for every 15 pounds of body weight.

Once they are sick you are supposed to feed them activated charcoal moistened with water to absorb toxins.  Use 1 tsp for a dog under 25 pounds and 2 to 4 tsp for a dog over 25 pounds.  I didn’t have any of this on hand but I’m going to look for some to keep in my new dog first aid kit!

This is a link to a chocolate chart that shows the type and amount of chocolate and what harm it could cause your pet. 

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/10/pets/chocolate-chart-interactive

Here he is, my much beloved companion, who I spent a good three days worrying and crying over.  Never again!  Neither one of us will be having chocolate anywhere near us!

 
And, as for me…  I am mending … I am still not doing a great deal of walking because I am just a disaster on crutches.  I’ve fallen three times so far.  I, we, have decided better for me to get well with no further injury than for me to spend a lot of time and energy going up and down the stairs.  I went to the doctor on Friday and he said the incision is healing very well.  I asked why there was still so much pain, bruising, and swelling.  His answer was that the “injury was so violent that dislocated your ankle it will take much longer to heal than a broken bone.”  Okay, then.  At any rate, I am one more week with no weight on my foot.  Next week I can start with some weight and then the next week I get a boot for full on weight.  I guess progress is being made if but slowly.

That’s all our news!  Until next time…guard your chocolate and watch your step!

 

 

Mr. Ken Health Update

Well, the day we have been patiently waiting for 8 months finally arrived.  Mr. Ken had his follow up PET scan today.  He last had one in October 2010 and since then, as most of you know, he did 10 radiation treatments and six chemotherapy treatments.  We've been hoping and praying that the results would be good.

AND THEY WERE!!!!!  At least in this world of cancer anyway.  The PET scan shows NO new cancer anywhere, no movement to nodules or organs.  In fact, the tumor in the lung is very small now, and quite possibly non-existent as the PET scan will also pick up any scar tissue from the radiation so it's impossible to tell if what is left of it is tumor or scar tissue.  We know for sure that his voice is 95% back to normal which indicated the tumor had shrunk and was no longer sitting on the vocal cord nerve...the PET scan did confirm that.

It also confirmed that while a couple of bony areas still show up, they are the same bony areas with nothing whatsover larger, grown, spread or otherwise increased.  What the doctor said to us exactly "there is limited evidence on your PET scan of disease and what is there we already knew about."  Additionally, his bloodwork, liver and kidney function are all in complete normal range.

PRAISE GOD!!!  And, many thanks to all of you for the thoughts and prayers these many months.

So, the path forward will still be a maintenance type chemo drug.  Dr. Lim just attended a conference of ACSO (American Cancer Society Oncologists) two weeks ago where the merits of using Alitma (part of the chemo cocktail in the previous six rounds) as a stand alone drug for maintenance.  It has had extremely good results in trial and the board has issued a protocol of same for any doctors interested in going that route.  When comparing this known (to Ken's body) drug, and the unknown drug, Tarceva, we pretty much decided we felt better about the Alitma.  One reason is that during all of the treatments he experienced little to no side effects and now that the Alitma will be used on its own even those should be less.  Tarceva exhibits side effects of skin rash, irritation and your skin taking on redness.  He said it can be very bad especially in a position where you interact with clients as Mr. Ken does.  The biggest difference is that the Tarceva is a once a day pill and the Alitma is an every three week injection. 

He will start the Alitma when he returns from Houston the week of July 4th.

We are SO thrilled with this news!!  We feel very blessed that eight months into this we are still basically living our life as we wanted to.  You just can't ask for anything more than that!  I leave you with a really good picture of all of us taken in Margaret River a couple weeks ago.  Doesn't Mr. Ken look GREAT?!

 

 

Love, spajunkie

A (sort of) Long, Haiku!...or maybe its just a Poem! Or Maybe Not...

First we were Three, then Four, then Five

Almost a year ago I moved here with the DES. Lauren was here for a bit, then Ken, I and the DES went about setting it up...

There were many fun escapades, lots of dancing, travel and meals...some good, some bad but mostly it was stupendous.

And, then, suddenly, there were four. We met some people moving to Australia, they became friends at least for the moment. They were all set and ready to go except for Rogielyn. We said she can come to us...never really realizing it was meant to be.

And, so, three became four, after all what's one more?

It reminds me of that saying...or was it that movie, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

It was the BEST, we had so much fun, we traveled, we played, we did whatever we could. And then...on October 5th... it took on a life of it's own, and while by no means the worst of times, certainly not what we thought we had bought... Suddenly, we were thrown back in our "old" life, but yet not....We were back in Houston, seeing old friends and making new ones...that we really didn't want...friends with Dr. attached to their names and scary things like radiation and PET scans it seemed... I was back "working" for a company I didn't really know. It was weird, crazy, people we hadn't talked to in years suddenly reappeared...and we quickly picked up where we left off, but there were so many things that occurred in such a short time...two and half months...it seemed like a lifetime.

But we persevered. We held fast, and we leaned on our family and friends and Rogielyn ALOT. After all we had left her In KL, with the DES, some cobras, and other living hell.

We returned in December, me exhausted, Ken on crutches, and all of our twenty pieces of luggage. Rogielyn more than ever had lots to take care of. Finally, in mid January, things settled a bit...a routine was established...and we all seemed to get it.

Then in April, four became five. SHE hit. SHE arrived. No, not a hurricane, cyclone, or tsunami, the beautiful Lauren, arrived in all of her eighteen year old glory.

It's been quite an adjustment this girl, her things, her wants, and her needs. I think back and wonder, was I really like this at eighteen? Then I think about my mother and how she is certainly laughing at this, my life, slowly playing out on this screen.

And this I will say to her, and you, now, I wouldn't miss this part, her things, her wants, or her needs... But I also will tell you, just between us, I'm again so thankful for Rogielyn, I could just about bust!

Love, spajunkie

KL update, #543...

Just kidding.... Hello all!  Due to some internet difficulties I can't post my already completed blog for Milan.  Since I can only post words I thought an update might be in order. Mr. Ken has been doing well after the last treatment...he is rested and eating well.  Hopefully that will continue through the very busy months of May and June. Many of you are aware that the beautiful Lauren has joined us in KL.  We think she may stay here permanently and attend an international college next year.  It's great to have her here and we are going to take some fun trips this summer.  It is really different to have a third person in the house though...one who is happy and chipper from the moment she opens her eyes until the moment she closes them again!  I'm not nearly that happy, especially in the mornings. We've had a myriad of different house problems which always begets stress at just how difficult getting someone out to repair them is...Internet is off for no apparent reason so Ken is camped at his office and we are camped at various cafes around town!  We are still trying to get our alarm system hooked up, cable tv for Lauren, the electric on the first floor is wacky again, and the worst of worst, the aircon in the master bedroom is out which has us playing musical beds to find a cool room to sleep in.  The aircon started going out by blowing the fuse box at four in the morning the other night.  If we aren't jumpy enough with all the robberies, guards, flashlights shining, etc, a blown fuse box at four is pretty eye opening!  (But I must give credit where due when we were out on the driveway with flashlight rummaging around in the fuse box the guards were there in minutes asking what we were doing....so kudos!  We may only be the residents but at least they were paying attention!) What's super annoying is in order to repair the Internet issue we have to have a signed document on Cameron letterhead saying we can use Ken's login and password to fix it.  .???  Okay, we have the phone it's attached to which does work I just don't see the need for this paperwork!  And for the cable company to hook up the tv in Lauren's room we have to send Ken's passport and a utility bill...even though we already have TWO hook ups and TWO accounts...and the utility bill isn't even in our name!  Why all of the hook ups aren't on one account just baffles me!  As difficult as all the cable companies could be in the US at least you only had one account per address.  Anyway, I guess slowly but surely it will get done, this is, after all, DELAY-sia! Ken leaves for south Korea tomorrow until Thursday and Lauren and I leave for Melaka tomorrow until Tuesday.  Melaka is supposed to be a really quaint seaside town with lots of history - it was settled by the Dutch and Portuguese originally. It's only an hour and half drive from KL. I want to wish my mom and Janie, my mother-in-law, a very Happy Mother's Day!  We miss you and love you!  ...and if my Internet were working I'd have posted pictures of you both! And, a big happy moms day to all of my friends and family but especially to my dear friend, Angela, on her very first Mother's Day with Karsten! Love, spajunkie