Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation to be Featured on Thurday's TODATY SHOW

Dear Friends,

We are writing to share some very exciting news. The MMRF will be featured on NBC’s Today Show this Thursday morning!

This special segment, which includes Ann Curry’s up-close and personal interview with our Founder and CEO, Kathy Giusti, will highlight the powerful progress the MMRF and its partners have made in bringing patients new, life-extending treatments and closing in on a cure.

Don’t forget to tune in on Thursday!

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation

This Actually Works!!! Absolutely Amazing!

You'll be surprised at how this works.  BE HONEST and don't look at the movie list till you have done the math! 

Try this test and find out what movie is your favorite.  This amazing math quiz can likely predict which of 18 films you would enjoy the most. GUARANTEED!!

Movie Test:

Pick a number from 1-9.

Multiply by 3.

Add 3.

Multiply by 3 again.

Now add the two digits together to find your predicted favorite movie in the list of 18 movies below.

Movie List:

 1. Gone With The Wind

 2. E.T.

 3. Beverly Hills Cop

 4. Star Wars

 5. Forrest Gump

 6. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

 7. Jaws

 8. Grease

 9. The Defeat of Obama in 2012

10. Casablanca

11. Jurassic Park

12. Shrek

13. Pirates of the Caribbean

14. Titanic

15. Raiders Of The Lost Ark

16. Home Alone

17. Mrs. Doubtfire

18. Toy Story

A Very Pleasant Thanksgiving

This was Ping's first American Thanksgiving, so I tried to "wow" her.  Broke out the fall decorations, polished the silver, dug out maw's turkey plates, washed the champagne flutes and put together our menu.

*22+ # Turkey.... cooked Martha Stewart style...covered in cheesecloth and basted all day with melted butter/white wine and drippings.  Makes a delicious gravy and a moist bird!
*Homemade cornbread/sausage/cranberry and pecan stuffing
*Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
*Niece Jennifer's Corn Souffle (Dom's favorite)
*Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar/Crunchy Praline Topping
*Fresh Caramelized Balsamic Pearl Onions
*Stouffer's Spinach Souffle
*Frozen Lima Beans

Joe and Ping drove in from Pensacola on Wednesday afternoon.  Ping is an excellent cook, but Joe wanted her to see how to cook a turkey.  So, she hung out in the kitchen with me on Wed night, making the stuffing and parboiling/peeling the pearl onions.  I hadn't planned on any dinner.... as maw would say, "You must fast before a feast".  The four of us nibbled on some of Ping's egg rolls and a frozen pizza.

On Thursday morning, Joe and Ping took a ride on the 4-wheeler around the property and tried their hand at fishing...with no luck.  Saw plenty of bass, but they were elusive.

Watched our Saints win, then sat down to eat after the game...around 7pm.  Ate by candlelight with "The Nutcracker" playing in the background.

This year, the entire concept of "Giving Thanks" really hit home for Dominic and myself.  We're most thankful for Dom's complete remission from his Multiple Myeloma.  We're also thankful for our happy marriage/fun life together, as well as our growing friendship with Joe and Ping.

Ping's Wonderful Dinner and Housewarming Gift

Her dinner was just great.  She stuffed fresh jalapeños with a mixture of ground pork, finely minced fresh ginger, onion, garlic and mushrooms.  Dipped them in an egg wash, then fried on a high heat.  Talk about a fun idea for football nibbles!

Also cooked up a couple of pounds of Salmon filets and asparagus.  All served with a wonderful sauce and white rice.  She knocked us out.

She's also quite the talent when it comes to making artificial flowers.  She put a lovely arrangement together for us, and made a few more to zip-up some greenery that's in the condo.

PCB in the Winter- Deserted and Just Heavenly!

We had a great week.  Left here on Wed. morning and headed to the beach.  Much to our delight, PCB was empty.  You could've shot a cannon down Front Beach Road.

Water was gorgeous, temps around 70 degrees.  Nobody at the indoor pools.  Perfect for walking on the beach. 

Our favorite local bartender, Donn, met us over at Coyote Ugly on Wednesday afternoon when he got off of work.  We had a couple of beers with him.  We've made a marvelous new friend.  Donn, if you're reading this, we love you, man!  (And enjoy your friendship).

The Majestic Beach Resort was empty.  There were more guys power washing and painting balconies than there were guests at the joint.  Can you imagine doing this at 22 stories?  Yikes!

Joe and Ping joined us on Friday afternoon for a couple of days.  Had a ball. Ping cooked us a yummy dinner on Friday night.  On Saturday morning, Joe and I walked to the County Pier a mile away.  Struck up a conversation with a retired Canadian.  Enjoyed watching the guys and gals catch flounders and octopus.  It never occurred to me that there were octopuses in the area.  

Later, we went over to Rock-it Lanes, sat in the sports bar, and had a great lunch.  Dom headed over to visit Donn, while Ping, Joe and I bowled 10 frames!  The first time I've bowled in 33 years.... my 158 average has dropped to 85.  *smiling*  Yet, it was enough to beat those guys!  What great fun we had! They snuck out while we were still sleeping on Sunday morning.... like two thieves in the night!

The Saints game was not televised locally, so we strolled back to our sports bar and watched the game on a big screen in HD.   Who Dat, Baby!

Dom dragged me home-  kicking and screaming-  on Monday morning.  After loading up a gorgeous Miller Lite neon light from our Donn. 

Dom's Eyes Have Improved Post Transplant!

Hi gang-  It was another busy couple of days at Tulane.  Had a mid morning appointment on Wed., then headed over to Chris' house to spend the night.  (This saved us about 150 miles round-trip the next day).  We had a pleasant visit, drank a little bit of beer, watched Survivor and ate some Red Beans and Rice with Rouse's hot sausage on the side....good stuff.

The both of us had a Thursday morning appointment with a Tulane Ophthalmologist, Dr. Peter Kastl.  (Who quickly turned into ANOTHER favorite doctor!)  Dom had been claiming that his eyesight had drastically changed since his Stem Cell Transplant, hasn't been wearing his glasses, and wanted a check up.

My mother had suffered from (was blinded by)  Macular Degeneration.  In recent years, I've noticed floaters, light flashes and an occasional gray spot in my line of vision.  So, thought it would be a good idea to have my own eyes checked.

It was pleasant.  They took us in the same room.... like a buddy-system.  After a normal eye test, they dilated my eyes, shot some flashes into my eyes and took pictures of what was going on BEHIND my eyes.  Thankfully, NOTHING.  No leakage.  No sign of Macular.  No problem.

When checking for glaucoma, my pressure was a little high.  Normal is 13-20.  I'm at 22.  He isn't terribly concerned, but going to keep an eye on it.  Pun Pun 

He gave me a prescription for a pair of glasses that I probably won't get... think I'm about 25/25.... as long as I can pass my eye exam when I renew my drivers license, I'm happy.

As far as Dom goes, the rascal was correct!  His vision is about 20/25.  Has no need for glasses.... gave him a mild prescription, too.  We're headed to the Biloxi VA Hospital for an appointment on Monday.  If they give us the glasses free, we'll take 'em.  Otherwise, we'll be happy with our 15 pairs of reading glasses that are in every room of the house and condo!  LOL

Dr. Kastl did notice a "thinning" of Dom's retina.  He said that if Dom starts seeing flashes and stubborn floaters, to make an appointment.  Otherwise, he'd see us in a year.  Nice, nice guy... loved him and his staff.  Have I ever mentioned how crazy I am about TULANE?

When we left Kastl's office, we walked over to the Cancer Center for Dom's monthly infusion of Zometa.  That went smoothly.  We are now finished with TULANE for 4 weeks.  Hotcha.

Good looking numbers yesterday:

November 11th, 2010 :

HCT   32.8

WBC   5.4

ANC   3100

PLATELET   184

When we finally got out of there we headed home.  Stopped at the Applebee's in Slidell for their free Veterans Day dinner.  Dom had a huge plate of Panko breaded fried shrimp.  We paid for my bacon cheeseburger.  I was very impressed with the experience.  I can guarantee you that the next time it's a toss-up between Applebees or a competitor, I'll be spending my money with Applebee's.  Excellent public relations...  The place was mobbed, they gave away alot of free food, but I guarantee they made alot of money and earned alot of respect.

That's about it, gang.  Looking forward to college football tomorrow (ROLL TIDE!!!).  There's no Saints game on Sunday, so I'll be cooking some teal given to me from my Cajun pal, Vickie.... gonna smother it like they do in Breaux Bridge.

Have a delightful weekend, friends and family!   

A Bit of Humor from my Dear Graybeard! HA HA HA!

 FROM OUR FRIENDS IN THE NORTH....

The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration.  The recent actions of the Tea Party are prompting an exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt, pray and agree with Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck.

Canadian border farmers say it's not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal-rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night.  "I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn," said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage borders North Dakota .  "The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry.  He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken.  When I said I didn't have any, he left before I even got a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?"

Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons and drive them across the border where they are simply left to fend for themselves.

"A lot of these people are not prepared for our rugged conditions," an Ontario border patrol officer said.  "I found one carload without a single bottle of imported drinking water.  They did have a nice little Napa Valley Cabernet, though."

When liberals are caught, they're sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives.  Rumors have been circulating about plans being made to build re-education camps where liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer and watch NASCAR races.

In recent days, liberals have turned to ingenious ways of crossing the border.  Some have been disguised as senior citizens taking a bus trip to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs.  After catching half-dozen young vegetarians in powdered wig disguises, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior citizens about Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney to prove that they were alive in the '50s.  "If they can't identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, we become very suspicious about their age," an official said.

Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are creating an organic-broccoli shortage and are renting all the Michael Moore movies.

"I really feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can't support them," an Ottawa resident said.  "How many art-history majors does one country need?"   

Another GREAT read from Scott Nicholson- "DISINTEGRATION"

 Hello again, gang-  I want to introduce you to one of my favorite authors:

http://hauntedcomputerbooks.blogspot.com/2010/11/disintegration-by-scott-nicholson-now.html

I've read most of his horror stuff, and just finished his new "psychological thriller", DISINTEGRATION, which is just as frightening as any of his horror novels.

It's available as an Ebook, and I highly recommend it.  I love this guys' stuff.... as long as he keeps writing and publishing, I'll keep reading!

Still COMPLETE REMISSION 15 months Post Transplant....and Dom's ROAD TRIP

Great News, gang....  Dominic's M PROTEIN was once again ZERO.  He remains in complete remission 15 months post Stem Cell Transplant!  We're absolutely tickled.

Haven't really posted anything, as there's nothing going on here.  I stayed home to man the fort (only left the house once in 14 days) while Dom took his Corvette up to Ohio for a couple of weeks.  He spent a couple nights with my bro in Cinci, then about a week on the West Side of Cleveland with his childhood best friend, John.  Then, off to my hometown of Newbury for a couple of nights with Amy and Kirk, finally heading back up North to Rock Creek to spend a night with another lifelong friend, Lor.

I really enjoyed the solitude, but am delighted that he's home, safe and sound.

Ran some errands today, then pigged out on Chinese.  Returned home, dragged the calendars out, made a couple of doctor appointments, and have the next couple of months figured out. Between the VA Hospital, Tulane Cancer Center appointments, a few specialists at Tulane Medical Center, monthly infusions, mail-order Thalidomide..... it takes alot of strategic scheduling.  It gets mind-boggling at times.....not to mention the Holidays, the Condo, Family and Friends.... whew!

Looking forward to a relaxing weekend of good football:

ROLL TIDE, ROLL!

GEAUX SAINTS!