A Shout-Out Laden Post

It's been way too long since I've posted -- Every corner there seems to be someone saying "you really need to update you're blog." I'm just happy that people read it.

The past month (wow, it's really been almost that long since my last update) has been terrific. I haven't been updating because I haven't had a whole lot of time to update; I've been far too busy living.

I have been writing, however, and if you're ever curious what I'm up to you can always look in the Clean Wisconsin Press Room. I've concluded that, perhaps with the exception of getting out and enjoying the outdoors, there is nothing more fun than trying to protect the environment using the media.

It's great to be back to work. I love the excitement that having no idea what I'll be working on as I head into the office brings. I love the pressure of having to get a press release out the door. I love the strategy and tenaciousness of an all-out media brawl.

Working is what makes coming home in the evening pleasant. Working is what makes weekends so great. It is no coincidence that we often define ourselves by our occupation -- there is, after all, a reason why we phrase the question "what do you do" and not "how do you make money."

Last weekend I had the pleasure of fishing with my Grandpa up in Rhinelander. This was a particularly special treat. Since I was three years old, my grandfather and I have fished the same bays of the same lake in the same boat. Regardless of what is happening in life, fishing with Grandpa always grounds me, reminding me both of where I am and where I came from. Pictured is he and I fishing in Florida two years ago.

Monday we start the next stage, delayed intensification, which brings with it nearly all of the rough drugs that the last stage did. I probably won't feel this way in a month, but for the time being I feel ready to take it on. Months ago I wrote that my new motto for chemo was "Bring it On." This will now be stage #4 of 6 rough chemo stages, and a light is beginning to show at the end of the tunnel and growing by the day (and it's the right kind of light at the end of the tunnel...)

Monday I'll also once again begin taking high doses of a steroid, dexamethasone. When the blog posts get a little crazy, it's the Dex. It should be interesting. It's a strange feeling knowing that you're about to temporarily lose your mind -- that's really what it amounts to, too.

It's been a terrific two months much to the thanks of a lot of people, that as well as the fact that I haven't updated in a month results in a long shout out list:

Shout outs:

SO to John Caldwell: I hope you're feeling better soon -- good vibes are being sent your way
SO to Katie: Congratulations on four years of hard work and this weekend's graduation
SO to Philly: Congratulations on five years of hard work and this weekend's graduation
SO to Grandpa Giles: Thanks for taking me out fishing, it means more to me than you can know
SO to Jesse for winning the "sticky situation" story comment question challenge
SO to Mitch for taking a close second (and for keeping Mel's open a bit longer so that i could buy a Mother's Day gift -- oops.)
SO to everyone who posted eco-friendly lifestyle changes, they were too good, I can't even pick a winner.
SO to Schryver and Vitse for making me laugh with Chair Wisconsin -- Brilliant
SO to Vitse and BKelly for helping me move my office furniture -- Yeah.
SO to Stuart: One more round to go -- congrats and get ready to kick ass in softball
SO to Shelly: It was great running into you in clinic the other day
SO to Ben and Jen: Congratulations on having the little one, I hope you're getting some sleep
SO to leaves on trees -- it's hard not to feel alive when mother nature springs to life

Comment question of the day:

Post a link to something online that makes you laugh -- A Web site, A video from the Youtube, or a particularily funny news article. Here's mine:

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

-Sam