Elizabeth & Brendan » life

An experiment

Elizabeth — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:18:44 +0000

So when I worked in Lexington, I would fill up the gas tank every 10 days. Then when I switched jobs I was filling it up every 14 days. Now that we are both taking the T to work I am curious to see when I will news to fill up again. I filled of today and now we see when I need to again. I wonder if we can make it a month?

What got me thinking…

Elizabeth — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:49:54 +0000

about whether I should quit Facebook or not.

From eatliver.com

I have stopped posting and only play scrabble on Facebook. I have yet to delete my account but that may be coming.

A picture says a thousand words…

Elizabeth — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:21:51 +0000

Brendan follows a geek website xkcd.com and about a year ago subtle references to cancer and illness started to show up in some of the comics he creates. It turns out that his fiancee was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. While I don’t get why “Sudo make me a sandwich” is hilarious, I do get the ones about cancer. Here is one I liked because it is so true.

Two years and counting…

Elizabeth — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:26:10 +0000

Today is 2 years cancer-free. This post is just me rambling and it is not just “i am doing fine.” So if you are looking for something with linear thoughts or something happy go lucky, you may want to try another blog.

Last year, Brendan and I went out to celebrate the first year and this year since he is in the UK for work, I am going out some friends. I am not celebrating the day because it was not that much fun – until I got the sedative. (I love that stuff. No joke. It was that good. I got excited for it before my follow-up surgeries.) But rather, Brendan and I need to recognize how far we have come.

It has been 2 years but it is still something we struggle with. We spent the first 6-8 months dealing with surgeries and coming to terms with the diagnosis. And it was/is hard sometimes because both Brendan and I feel like we got good news and a good prognosis and everyone thinks “all is fine.” But some days it is not. I don’t think Emily Post wrote a chapter on how to deal with getting cancer. Maybe she did and I just missed it. But some days it is hard and depressing. Some nights I deal with it by chilling with a bottle of wine (yes a bottle, don’t judge. I had cancer.) and some days I go out for a walk or a run. And I do think my bad days are diminishing in number but it is a journey. I am not sure the right way to handle all of this and sometimes I may do something wrong in other people’s minds. But all i can say is that I am dealing the only way I know how and sometimes that involves me watching really bad TV where I don’t have to think or feel anything and sometimes I want to talk about it all.

And part of this issue is that Brendan and I live in a world where an ache or pain or cough could be sinister. A lump is not always a lump and doctor’s actually do deliver bad news. So in our world, a tree can no longer be a tree, everything has a deeper meaning and I have to err on the side of bad. We have had to adjust to our new normal.

This post seems all gloomy but it is not. It is part of the process of reminding myself, how far we have come because many times I still feel like we have so far to go. I just need to get this out there and now it becomes a reference point for next year when we hit 3 years and counting… and realize we are doing well and still doing things our way.

Just saying…

Elizabeth — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:46:42 +0000

Life fucking sucks more often than I want it to.

Ch-ch-changes!

Elizabeth — Tue, 10 May 2011 20:56:23 +0000

So after 2 years and 9 months, 2 acquisitions and over 75,ooo flight miles, I am leaving my job. Of course I have another one lined up. In fact, I am not taking any time off between gigs – just continuing to work as usual. While I will miss my team and boss, I won’t miss the travel, 18 hour days while jet lagged, commute to Lexington, lack of lunch spots. I am glad that everyone knows at work and it is final. There were a lot of days of talking about my future at UBC and how I should just stay on a few months to see what happens. And how they have big plans for me that they couldn’t articulate yet.

I am joining Communispace where a former boss/colleague has worked since we all left Cogent. I am very excited about the move and can’t wait to start.

Valentine’s Day…

Elizabeth — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:52:30 +0000

8 years ago to the day, Brendan and I met at a Lonely Hearts Hash starting at Maryann’s.

As we always do on Valentine’s Day, we will be having fondue. This year we will also be watching the Beanpot.

Go Eagles!

Long time no blog

Elizabeth — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 01:33:04 +0000

Life in Somerville has kept us very busy. Between football games, hockey games, visitors, and work, we haven’t had time to write.

Brendan’s parents came up and we went apple picking. We have not yet made the pie but Brendan made a really tasty apple chutney that went well with pork chops.

Brendan and the spoiled pupster

Brendan’s parents

Brendan and Pupster

Then this weekend was the first time we didn’t have plans in what seemed like months. Brendan decided that this was the weekend to add insulation to the attic. We had R-19 and he wanted to add R-30. So after 18 rolls, 3 trips to Home Depot and a lot of Brendan’s hard labor, we are more than fully insulated. Best part is that the purchase qualifies for a tax credit.

our attic

Next week is anniversary weekend. We are going back to the hotel where Brendan proposed (Hotel Providence) and then heading to New Rivers Restaurant (thanks Emily and Lowell – still have credit on your wedding gift). We may venture to the RISD museum and Thayer Street.

No excuses…

Elizabeth — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:20:15 +0000

So I had an appointment with my plastic surgeon and we are going into the last phase of the reconstruction. So all limits are off. Meaning I am free to work out. So my excuse of “I can’t wear a sports bra yet” are gone. Gone. Gone. Gone.

I went for what may be my first run in a year and started with the method I used when I first started running (the EJB method which I guess is not the EJbC method). I walked a minute and then ran a minute for a total moving time of about 25 minutes. Let’s just say it was not my finest performance. But I did it and I am patting myself on the back for that one.

The Move and The Flood

Elizabeth — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:27:13 +0000

Okay so June 25 came and went and Brendan and I were getting the house ready for the big move. Then July 11th came. Moving Day. Awesome. We had a large truck and a cast of movers including us, Kim, Kevin, Karen, Keith, Jen, Hugh, Alett, and Paul. We started around 9:30 and ended at 12:30. We couldn’t believe a) how hot it was and b) how quickly it went. Then the BBQ started. Then around 1:30 some people left and around 2:00, the rain started. We watched the rain fall and laughed at the fact that Jen and Keith had just gone for a run. Jen returned first and she was soaking. Then Keith came home. We continued the drinking until a knock on the door came. Turns out the street was flooding and Keith’s car was in danger of getting wet. We then watched the waters come down the street and laughed. I went down to check our basement and just some water was there from the bulkhead. We go back upstairs and more drinking ensues. About an hour later, we realized that there was about 2 inches of water in the basement. We just moved. And now water. So Jen, Keith, Kim, and I begin to bail out the basement while Brendan and Paul go to Home Depot for a Wet vac. 2 hours later Brendan returned. As he was leaving, he ran into our neighbor Bob. Turns out Bob had about 2 feet of water in his basement (Bob says it was the second worst he has seen it in the 25 years he has lived here. The streets were so badly flooded, traffic wasn’t moving. (We later learned that a tunnel got completely flooded and 2 people had to swim to safety). Once we had the wet vac and the water began to subside, it took a few more hours but it was dry. The next night it rained again and panic ensued. Brendan and I were afraid to see if water was coming in but it wasn’t and it hasn’t anytime it has rained since moving day.

We later found out that most of Somerville was experiencing bad flooding. The police station lost 3 cruisers to the water and had to chain motorcycles down for fear they would be taken with the water. They estimate the damage to residents and the city at $10 million so far.

As I told Brendan, we seem to get done with all the hardships earlier than expected – major illness 7 months into marriage, flood one month into home ownership. That is how we roll I guess.