Use the Chicken Egg Timer Instead

We were invited to Jen and Derek’s on Saturday to celebrate Bella’s birthday and Easter.  I offered to make the lasagna.  Wait a minute; I offered to make my famous lasagna.

I decided to put it together on Thursday.  I could do it a t leisurely pace, no rushing to get it done.  I had plenty of time.

As the sauce was simmering on the stove, I debated on whether or not to add that extra can of tomato paste.  Nahh, I thought, it will thicken as it cooks.  It didn’t.

As I was layering the pans with way too thin sauce, lasagna noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses, it was looking very soupy and pretty watery.  So I figured I better be a little more conservative with the sauce, and ricotta cheese and more heavy handed with the mozzarella.  I shouldn’t have.

When the first pan came out of the oven it was rather sad looking. Sort of dried up and crusty.  But, I thought it would probably still taste okay.  After all it was my famous lasagna, right?   

I was pretty bummed out at this point.  Everyone looks forward to my lasagna, I mean my famous lasagna.  Such pressure.  But I had another pan to bake.  Maybe this one would come out better. 

As I was waiting for the second pan to finish baking, I wandered into the kitchen for something and noticed that the microwave was running.  And then I noticed that the timer on the microwave was not. 

I’ll let Ross tell you what happened next.

Ross assured me that he would take the blame for pressing start on the micro wave instead of timer.  But somehow it got out that I was the one who did it. 

Okay, so needless to say, I was not having a good time making the lasagna.  And at this point I was pretty sure that when my family described my lasagna from now on it would not be Mom’s famous lasagna.  It would instead be Mom's  hehe famous haha. lasagna.

Yes there would be a lot of jokes about how Mom is up to date with technology but don’t let her near the microwave.  Or “Mom I’m putting the ham in the oven now, can you put the timer on…do you know how to use this?  

Well you get the picture.

And you know how once one thing doesn’t go quite as planned, everything else you do after that just doesn't seem to go as planned either?

Let’s just say that one of the incidents involved aloe and ice.  But that story is for another time.

  

Anyway, taste wise the lasagna turned out fine.   No, it wasn’t up to my famous standard, but it was still pretty good.   We celebrated Bella’s birthday and Easter and most important we were all together.
  
What's that saying?  "All's well that ends well...as long as you don't let Mom near the microwave..."something like that.

An April Day at the Jersey Shore & The Good News

As we were waiting for the phone call from Joe,  Ross and I decided that the 20 minute ride to the beach might take the edge off.   As you can tell from the pics, it was a beautiful day at the Jersey shore.  

Beach Haven Water Tower
 Long Beach Island, New Jersey

What? Our bikes?  Uh, no.  But it is a neat pic, isn't it?

Let's go surfin' now

So we like to build castles, so?

A few people we don't know

I know,  pretty corny :)

There was an email from Joe when we got home.  The CT scan showed no change.  And believe it or not that is good news, very good news.

Quite the Ride

Every 8 weeks or so, my son goes for a CT scan.  The results of the scan will determine how well he is responding to the Chemo treatments that he receives every other Wednesday.

I have the date of the scans marked on my calendar.  My anxiety level rises a little each day as the date gets closer and closer. I play mind games with myself.   I go back and forth between trying to be as positive as possible to preparing myself for the worst-case scenario. This is what I call the emotional Cancer Roller Coaster Ride.  I've been on that ride way to often during my life and know it very well.  Don't we all?

While thinking about writing here today, I thought that perhaps it would be somewhat of a relief to express my feelings about the what if’s....

And then I thought I would rather write about what is.... what I know right now.

I know that today is the day Joe goes for his CT scan. I know that my anxiety level is almost at its peak. I know that I won't come down or calm down until we find out the results.  And I know that wishing and hoping will not change the results of today's test.

I know that my son is here today.  I know that he will kiss his son good-bye before he leaves to drive himself to go get the CT scan.  I know that after the scan, he will pick his son up from day care and take him home.  I know that the best part of the day for him will be the time he gets to spend with his wife and his son.  

I know that I will spend the day worrying but trying not to.  I will be on pins and needles waiting for the phone to ring.  That's the truth and that's the way it will be for me.  He is my son and he has cancer.

The test results last time were that the cancer was status quo. That is good news when dealing with stage IV.
When my son called me to tell me I was of course very relieved.   I wanted to know how he felt.
I said to him, "Joe, I know this may be a silly question, but do you get nervous waiting for the results of the CT scan?"
He said, "No, not really.  I don't think about it.  I get a little anxious when I am in the examining room waiting for the doctor to come in.  But before that I just don't think about it."

The way Joe handles his illness is inspiring.  He seems to have accepted that cancer is just part of his life now.

Going for his treatments every two weeks and CT scans every 8 weeks are just as normal to him as going to work every day, watching a Mets game with his wife or holding his son.

And even if it doesn't make a difference...

"Please, please, make it okay today"