They had a retirement party the other day for Barb, one of the librarians who's been around here for something over 30 years ... and she loves to play golf, but often can't go with her friends because split hours at the library, etc. meant that she couldn't - so - now she's free!

It developed that her birthday was Friday ... mine's today ... and the other older librarian has one on Sunday ... so we agreed that we're all Aquarians ... but there's a large aquarium in the waiting room at the cancer centre, so I hope that they don't immerse me there.

Barb just brought over a donut hole, saying that a little bird had told her that I have a birthday today, so she wanted to mark it: nice to be remembered!

When they began the radiation in early January, they told me that I might need to visit the bathroom more often ... and they weren't kidding! They gave me a special large cup (with my name on it, yet, inscribed by the doc that evaluated me) to drink almost full of water, just over an hour before the treatment, as they want my bladder full (to keep it out of trouble, I guess) ... but they want the personal portable solid waste disposal system to have made a shipment shortly before the treatment ... which usually isn't a problem.

Seventeenth shot (if you'll pardon the expression) on Thursday, just reaching up to the half way mark, and eighteenth on Friday, the first one past half way ... so it's more or less downhill to 35 from here.

I've been having substantial discomfort when sending out a shipment from the personal portable liquid waste disposal system that we all carry with us ... felt somewhat like burning ... and I think that I'm going to suggest to the gals in the department that it seems to me that there must be some raw flesh down in the urethra, as it feels sort of like rubbing salt into an open wound.

But ... early this morning, it seems that there's less discomfort associated with the shipping of the liquid waste (but looks as though perhaps more often - but not now for more time than usual).

Could be the body's offering me a gift, as well.

It has spoiled me over the years, as it hardly ever gives me trouble - don't know what it's like to have Aspirin in the house.

Seldom says, "Listen, you darned old fool - I can't DO that for you any more": reason to be thankful, every day.

Planning on dinner tomorrow with son and his lady.

Plus - it's mild outside, around freezing, and the substantial wind that's been around for a few days seems to have mostly departed.

A good day to be alive.

ole joyful