June was unusually tiring - glad it is July already

June is gone and July is just barely beginning... and I am still working from home. Wendy was able to go back to the hospital most days of the week. It is a reasonably safe area with everybody being screened and masked at the door.

I have been experiencing a long bout of extreme fatigue the last several weeks. It came on suddenly and I seem to only be able function with about 3 hr of nap every day. We are working on various different ways to alleviate it, but nothing seems to be having an effect. I don't think it is really due to isolation or the extreme heat we have been having. Too sudden and a very drastic change all at once. I will be having another scan to check my lungs in mid July. This time will be a simple x-ray prior to my oncologist appointment. Will also do blood tests a week before - hopefully seeing a change in my thyroid hormone levels as well as my overall energy.

I did decide to get out and do something creative the other day. I went on a solo 5 km hike of the Dundas conservation area and took the time to record another YouTube video (see below). I was mostly just playing around with my DJI Osmo Mobile 2 gimbal (which holds my cell phone steady) and seeing how things worked.  Normally an hour long hike, it took me 3 hrs with all the recording and resting. It was a lot of fun, but it was way too hot (38C) by the end of the hike!

July 2nd and the leaves are turning already!

Hermitage ruins along the main loop trail

Yesterday (July 4th) seemed like a big fireworks day in our neighbourhood. I think people were actually celebrating Canada Day, but waited for a Saturday night to have their fun. Maddy was NOT impressed. She was shaking and hiding in corners because of the noise (happens every year). She even crawled away from Wendy to hide and ended up stuck and panting on our end table - she soon realized there was nowhere else to go.

After close to 19 years, I finally gave up my aquarium and fish - just one less thing to worry about each day. We had Adam and his classmate from Canadore College in North Bay work on dismantling and transferring it over to our friends' place just around the corner. The tank and fish are all safely in their new home, with a standing offer to go visit them if I would like!

While Adam was visiting, he and his friend Calvin did a lot of work around the house. Among many other projects, they sealed the driveway and epoxy coated the garage floor.

Of course, the cars needed to be parked on the street overnight. Sure enough, someone broke into our car and stole a bunch of stuff... including my prescription sunglasses and parking cards for the Cancer Centre.

Epoxy coating - done!

Wendy has been baking a few things here and there (muffins, biscuits, etc.) at the same time that I have been doing a lot of baking. We seem to use so much more flour than we used to use (onto our second 10 kg bag since April).

Biscuits

One of the best things I have made in the bread machine were baked Paczki - Polish doughnuts. Normally filled with jam, I used custard. Easy to make and even easier to eat!  I have now made them twice since they are so good. Check out my Recipe page for the details!

Paczki (Polish doughnuts)

Earlier this month we had an ice cream BUS (yes, like a city bus) arrive and park directly in front of our house. This has never happened in 25 years of living here. Of course, we couldn't pass up the opportunity. Here are Parker and Wendy getting ready to order.

For those interested, below is my most recent YouTube video (where I, admittedly, get a little philosophical about things). It is just over 10 min long and describes how my perspective on life has changed as I went from cancer scientist to cancer patient. Click the link to open a separate window or the image to play it on this page.

https://youtu.be/T0JUs-tEoD4

Let's hope July will bring just as many interesting things to post about. The weather may be hot, but we are trying to get out as often as we can.

The rest of July and August

I know I am going back a bit, but I thought I would catch up on the routine happenings in July with our family.

Adam went off to the cadet summer camp at Blackdown (near Barrie) to work as an adult civilian. He got this position somewhat last minute, as he was on a waiting list. He couldn't apply before the usual deadline because he was still a cadet (until his birthday in April), so his name got on the list later than expected.

He was in charge of a company and all the staff cadets and says he had a good time. He hopes to go back next summer and is starting the paperwork early.

Adam is on the opposite side of the table on the right. Red hair.

At the end of June (I was in Europe) Parker signed up for baseball. He went back to baseball like a fish to water, having not played for a long while. The team did very well and went to a variety of places across Hamilton to play.

In July, when money was REALLY tight, the driveway people came back to finish the job they started in May. No more gravel driveway, no more mud. Below is the project mid-way through and the finished product. So smooth that snowblowing will be a joy this winter!

2nd place in city tournament

We visited Carrie, Ken and the two kids in July and Parker seemed to be very interesting to Jacob. 

Also this month, Wendy, her mom, and Melanie took a shopping trip to Frankenmuth, Michigan. They stayed a few nights and did "a little" shopping. Here is some of the stuff they bought!

Mel and Murray's pool and cabana in their back yard was a frequent stop for us to take in the great out doors.  Here are three people enjoying the fresh air and sunshine... all plugged into their tablets.

Can you guess what I am going to update you on next?

Yes, August!






Here is Wendy on Murray's bike. She held on very strongly, as she doesn't really like motorbikes.

Murray brought his old MG from his parent's place - they were moving so he had to find a spot for it. This was a nice shot that I have used for a windows wallpaper.

At the end of August, Parker and I took a short trip out to Manitoba to see my family. Wendy stayed home to spend some much needed time with her mom.  Here is the crew in the airport elevator just after our flight to Winnipeg.

The prairie sunset on the way to Portage la Prairie.

First thing the next morning, with bright sunshine and the juice waiting on the table, I knew I was home again.

One of the sights we took in was the Winnipeg zoo. This little gopher decided that I was an interesting sucker. He came right up and almost touched my hand. I kept telling it that Parker was the one eating the mini-doughnuts! It soon turned, and took off with a chitter.

 The highlight was supposed to be the polar bears - this is the best view we got of them.

This tiger was just watching us, like we were the entertainment.

The butterfly conservatory was full of monarchs.

We went to the Forks (a shopping area at the fork of the Assiniboine and Red rivers). Here is the rather unusual Museum of Human Rights building. It is just across the "d*nk bridge" on the other side of the river.

My parents are always outside when the weather is warm and the mosquitoes are not.

Parker's stated main reason for coming on the trip was to play golf with his uncles. He did that several times, and once with his grandfather along as a golf cart driver.

We had a BBQ at Dave and Sandra's place. Here is my bother Karl and my mom checking out the BBQ.  Just potatoes on this one. The real BBQ was the smoker that Dave recently bought to do pulled pork.

Parker even played golf in the back yard!

I took a few walks around town to do some photography. Found a few interesting subjects.

Meanwhile, Wendy found an online auction with a kitchen table and chairs. She bought it very cheaply. My job will be to recover the seats.

More photos from the BBQ.

15 years old!

The blue icing was very blue!