Betsy

Operation Fly in Betsy - WOW

stealthcello — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:27:56 GMT

So a few days ago, I was truly a sad and dejected cellist. For many months, I'd been planning to attend PhilCon to perform with Sooj, but when it came right down to it, the con just didn't have the budget to get me there. And, when I checked the airfares to see if I could afford the tickets myself, I saw why: airline tickets within 2 weeks of Thanksgiving are freakin' EXPENSIVE. So, no PhilCon for me, I thought. And no more performing with Sooj for almost half a year. *sniff* [Sad, heartfelt cello music commences in background.]

But then our brilliant s00j had a brilliant idea: ask the Internet for help, offering a private concert and/or monthly goodies to contributors -- and the magic would happen.

And it DID. With amazing alacrity.

...And I am absolutely GOBsmacked. Not only because of the generous contributions (and the fact that suddenly I DO get to go to PhilCon OMGOMG) -- but because of the concurrent outpouring of love and support.

Thank you all so much -- to everyone who contributed, and to everyone who'd meant to, but didn't get the chance because our amazing Internet community moves FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF LOVE.

I love you all.

[Bouncy cello music commences in foreground.]

HOUSE CONCERT on Sunday April 10: Mel & the Wild Cellist

stealthcello — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:01:44 GMT

Two people. Two consummate musicians.

Corbin Keep: cello and vocals. Cello will be played sideways, backwards, occasionally upside-down. This by a man who loves the cello. Really.

Mel Watson: formerly of the Australian sensation “Fruit”. Mel is accomplished on several instruments, including trumpet, soprano sax, flute, guitar, and percussion, the favorite being her 4 & 1/2 octave voice, with which she "reaches tones that would giv...e Mariah Carey and Celine Dion hernias."

Elements of folk, classical, rock, blues, jazz and more are combined, to create a cello and horn-driven sound which is all their own. Together, Corbin & Mel are "fun, totally engaging, moving, time stopping, improvisatory, as genuine as it gets - and their songs are terrific."

We're hosting a house concert for Mel and the Wild Cellist at Pinecoon House in Redmond. Concert is on Sunday, April 10. Doors open at 3:30 PM; music starts at 4 PM.

Mel & Corbin's website: http://melandthewildcellist.com/

Directions to the concert: http://www.stealthcello.com/Stealthcello/Directions.html

If you're planning to attend, please comment on this post or send me email (at betsy at stealthcello dot com) so we know how many folks are coming.

Note: If you're allergic to cats, you might want to take an antihistamine before you arrive. (The cats will be shut upstairs during the concert, and the place will be thoroughly vacuumed and sprayed with anti-cat-dander stuff, but better safe than sneezy).

Auction to help save Fae Hollow - bids close on June 30!

stealthcello — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:24:26 GMT

Boosting the signal re an auction currently being held on LiveJournal to help save Fae Hollow... it's being held at http://community.livejournal.com/save_fae_hollow/ .

Items for bid are listed on that page; for photos, scroll down. To bid, just comment with your bid after the item you want. There are some beautiful items being offered, including custom cloaks, jewelry, and some great services as well, including the intriguing "Dancing Photographers" and the tasty "Vegan Treats". (Note: I am not involved with the auction, which is being run by some of Alec's Indiana-area fans; I'm just boosting the signal.)

Bidding closes on June 30, and there aren't very many bids yet -- so hop on over and bid to help save Fae Hollow (and get some cool stuff)!

If you'd like to make a simple donation (as opposed to, or in addition to, an auction bid) to help save Fae Hollow, go here: http://faerietaleminstrel.com/inside/

For more info about what's up with Fae Hollow, see the AlexanderFans Livejournal at http://community.livejournal.com/alexanderfans .

Work party, dinner-of-doom and a fire show

stealthcello — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:52:14 GMT

We are holding two work parties (on Sunday, June 28 & Sunday, July 5) to get our place ready for elocinnuala & jormundgan 's wedding. (We here at Chez Pinecoon have been hard at work on the grounds for over a month, but it's a big place, so we have finally realized that we need some help. The cats have been absolutely useless -- they are talented that way -- so we are finally asking for help, starting with you. (*Please* feel free to invite other folks whom you think would be willing to help -- we have plenty to do, plenty of food, and plenty of ice cream :-)

Work Party #1: Sunday, June 28 -- we will be starting at about 11 AM and will quit when it's dinnertime (at about 7:30 PM). You can arrive & depart whenever you like (we'll take you whenever we can get you!). We will also provide lunch at about 1 PM. (There won't be any special entertainment, but we can promise tasty food and plenty of it. And ice cream. And, possibly, newborn kittens, if we're lucky.

Work Party #2 (with bonus FIRE SHOW): Sunday, July 5 -- we will be working in the yard starting at noon and going till dinnertime (about 7:30 PM). We will provide lunch at about 1 PM and dinner-of-doom at about 7:30 PM. Once it gets dark enough (9ish), we'll have a fire show featuring hammerdancer and shivana (and possibly one or two other folks). (If you can't make it earlier to help with the yardwork, you are still welcome to come by later for the fire show; I know they would appreciate the audience!)

On both days, we'll be working on a variety of things, so there should be something for just about everyone's preferences & abilities. The tasks on our list include raking leaves out of the landscaping, laying down mulch, weeding, weed-whacking, washing the glass deck railings, trimming hedges, planting new bushes, sanding & painting, power-washing, pouring new gravel between the pavers on the patio, teasing the cats, and (of course) eating lots of tasty food. (Not simultaneously, of course.)

Oh -- and please RSVP so that we know how many folks to expect -- you can comment below, or send email to me at betsy at stealthcello dot com.

ow.

stealthcello — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:24:11 GMT

My guitar is a vampire.

It is seductive and evil and beautiful and sneaky, and once it gets its little carbon-fiber teeth into me, it doesn't let go. Ten hours, today. Seriously. Ow.

...Hey, if playing the guitar really burns 118 calories per hour, as some of the "calorie websites" claim, then I expended 1,180 calories today on the guitar alone. (Does that mean I get to eat a humongous ice cream sundae with mountains of java chip ice cream, dark chocolate sauce and whipped cream without feeling guilty or gaining weight?)

On the bright side, there is a new song, partly as a result of today's muse-a-thon. I hope to gods it's really mine, and not accidentally someone else's that crept into my head when I wasn't looking. (I have a similar concern about my kids: I was there when they were born, and I'm nearly certain they are mine, because I saw where they came from and I worked damned hard to get them out of there... but sometimes I look at them and wonder.)

On the down side, my arms and hands need to be plunged into ice until the pain stops.

Tramadol is good, too. And warmer.

Be careful what you name your cat...

stealthcello — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:15:05 GMT

So when you name a kitten... is it because that's the right name for that kitten -- or does the name shape its personality?

We named one of our "Pixie" kittens Alligator -- and it's uncanny how well the name fits him.

He bites toes. He really, really likes toes -- anyone's toes.

He lies in wait, body and chest and chin flat on the floor as if he were lurking in a swamp, and then ambushes your ankles. With sharp teeth.

I have threatened to make him into a handbag.

Lately, the huge water dish in our kitten room keeps turning up empty, with water all over the floor, and Suspicious Tracks leading away from it. And Alligator always seems to be wet -- especially his belly and feet. (Our other kittens manage to stay dry.) Hmmm...

Today we caught him at it: Alligator has been literally swimming in the water dish.

Well, at least he doesn't eat the other cats...

No phone, no Internet, no fair

stealthcello — Thu, 01 May 2008 05:25:49 GMT

Arggh... enough already with the Major Technical Failures... Last week it was my Mac's hard drive; now both of our land lines are now dead, along with our DSL service. (I'm posting this from my cell, which is currently still functioning.)

On the bright side, we do still have electricity (though I hesitate to say that too loudly...)

Anyway, until our service is fixed, the most reliable way to reach us is to call our cell phones. (Without DSL service, I probably won't be on email, though Dave can get to his email at work.)

(Verizon is supposedly sending a technician out tomorrow. But, last time our phone died, it took them 5 days to fix it. At least that time, we still had DSL...)

[edit] Well, email on my cell phone works better than I'd expected. It's a bit slow and ungainly, and typing on the thumb-board is a pain in the -- well, in the thumb joints; but at least it works...

a rotten Apple

stealthcello — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:02:22 GMT

I am seriously bummed: my MacBook's hard disk has died. Although we have tried many things to revive it and/or retrieve my data, the drive is just not responding to *anything*. We are talking severe hardware failure here. Dead dead dead. (Deader, in fact, than the unlucky mouse that was recently caught by our momma cat and used as an educational tool for her four kittens, who proved to be apt and enthusiastic students of both hunting and anatomy.)

And I am an idiot: I did not have a backup. I have no excuse for this; I suppose I thought that, at less than 6 months old, my MacBook was just too young to die. (I should have learned from the experiences of the unfortunate solcita, whom I believe has had her MacBook hard disk die on her not once, but twice.)

Some of my lost data does at least exist somewhere else (photos of which I have copies on my PC, about 200 CDs that I laboriously ripped into iTunes, etc). About 1500 songs of my 2500-song iTunes collection is currently on my iPod, so at least those aren't totally lost. (Although iTunes won't let you copy songs from your iPod to a new computer/drive, I believe there is some third-party software that will.)

The only irreplaceable losses were a couple of compositions-in-progress (in Finale and/or GarageBand), and about fifteen rough recordings (essentially audible note-taking). Unfortunately, my memory for tune ideas is terrible, which is why I record them whenever possible; so, it's likely that those are now gone forever... sigh.

Since the Mac has me stymied (I'm going to have to send it back to Apple for a replacement drive), I'm redirecting my frustrated energies into backing up both my PC laptop and PC desktop. Doing so won't bring back the lost data from my poor dead Mac, but at least I can say I've learned from my stupid mistake...

happy birthday...

stealthcello — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:09:07 GMT

Happy birthday to my darling siouxiequeue, treasured friend (by the greatest good fortune) and beloved sister (by choice) -- I love, admire, and appreciate you so much.

And I hope your birthday rocks like a great big rocking thing. With chocolate.

happy birthday...

stealthcello — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:52:00 GMT

...to my wonderful measurethrice -- gardener, book lover, much-appreciated Scooper Of The Kitty Litter, creator of extraordinary meals, and keeper of my heart.

I love you.

Another birthday, and I'm still here..

stealthcello — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:23:34 GMT

...which is one major reason why I had a very happy birthday yesterday. (You won't hear me grousing about getting older: aging is a privilege I have learned not to take lightly.) Philosophy aside, I was so busy having a good day yesterday that I didn't have time to post about it. (Okay, I admit it: that's standard for me.) So, I'm posting about it now.

I had decided to spend my birthday doing only what I felt like doing, and to let myself skip anything I really didn't want to deal with (bills, work, the dishes, etc). Hence, I had a lovely and mostly tranquil day, filled with many quiet pleasures and much guilt-free procrastination.

The best part, I think, was receiving a veritable flock of birthday wishes from both LJ friends and my non-LJ friends. Thanks everyone -- you really made my day!

Right up there on the list of Important Birthday Highlights was homemade Java Chip ice cream. As some of you know, I really, really love Starbucks Java Chip ice cream. Unfortunately, to my intense dismay, it appears to have been discontinued -- *sob* -- we haven't been able to find it *anywhere*. So, I asked for a case of Starbucks Java Chip ice cream for my birthday. Due to the aforementioned supply issue, that particular birthday wish was impossible to fulfill. So instead I got an ice cream machine, a pint of heavy cream, and a bag of dark chocolate chips. And an eager daughter (purrrplegirl) volunteering to help make the ice cream -- and to help consume it, too. I am looking forward to a nice tasty summer brimming with creative ice cream!

My most photogenic birthday pleasures were kittens: tubby toddler Maine Coon kittens, to be exact. Four of them.

Here are all four kittens in Arial & Callan's latest litter:

Since Arial was in labor with them during the February 8 Tricky Pixie concert, the kittens are named after songs on our setlist: Herne, Taglio, Alligator, and Duncan. ("Duncan," you might ask, "Um... I don't recall a Tricky Pixie song named Duncan." Sorry; more explanation is called for here. We played a set of three of Alec's fiddle tunes, beginning with the tune "Chickies in the House". The third fiddle tune in that set is called "Duncan's Dance", after Alec's blue tabby cat, Duncan. So our Duncan is a cat named after a fiddle tune named after a cat. :-)

Speaking of Duncan, here he is:

And here are Herne and Taglio:

And Alligator:

These pix are about a week old. I had planned to take more kitten pix today, but the kittens have just discovered running. (Or, more accurately: their brains and front legs have discovered running, but their hind legs haven't quite figured it out yet. As a result, the kitten's fat little tush overbalances and falls over, bringing the running kitten down with it. And sometimes the hind legs get going faster than the front legs, resulting in an ignominious end-over-end tumble. It's funny as hell to watch, but it is difficult to photograph.)

Lastly, purrrplegirl and I spent a lovely (but not particularly quiet) evening making music together, singing and playing bodhran, guitar, fiddle and cello. (With breaks for ice cream, of course. :-)

an incredible week

stealthcello — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:16:12 GMT

What an amazing and wonderful week! Tricky Pixie met in Memphis for the International Folk Alliance conference (from last Wed thru Sun) -- four solid days of performances, workshops, and all-night jamming. We had multple showcases throughout the week (most of them in the wee hours of the morning -- for example, 1 AM). All our performances went beautifully and seemed to be very well received. The conference was overwhelming - over a thousand musicians, bands, booking agents and music-related vendors descended on the Memphis Marriott and basically took it over for the week. All the lobbies, conference rooms, and hallways were crowded with musicians -- good ones -- pretty much 24/7.

After the conference was over, Tricky Pixie gave a Monday night concert to a loving and enthusiastic crowd of Memphis s00j fans. They'd never seeen Tricky Pixie before, and deluged us with affection, cheers, and 3 standing ovations. Wow...

Some random high points from the past few days :

Jamming till 3 or 4 AM nearly every night with a broad variety of folks, including a fellow cellist with a black carbon-fiber cello (hers was made by Quintus - it's a very cool "root beer" color under the black, and has a nice deep low end; but I still love my Raven best).
Having total strangers recognize me when I was just walking around the crowded exhibit hall on my own, without an instrument or bandmates, and stop me to ask when Tricky Pixie's next showcase would be.
Running across my long-lost best friend from high school, whom I hadn't seen in more than 25 years. (Her name was on the list of attendees, so I made a point of tracking her down just in case it really was her. And it was!)
Finally getting to meet Trudy (Mama Dragon), as well lots of other shiny Memphis-area peeps whom s00j has been telling me about for years

I haz drum!

stealthcello — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 02:33:48 GMT

Quick Xmas update (via my cell phone, since I am currently trapped beneath a large, heavy and determinedly immobile cat): I have a new drum!

A beautiful copper doumbek (see pic). Dave got it for me. I am a happy (and loud!) girl.

W00t! (Or, more accurately, Thumpa whappa thumpa whap.)

House Concert: cellist/singer/songwriter Lindsay Mac

stealthcello — Sat, 12 May 2007 04:48:57 GMT

Hi everyone,

You're all invited to a house concert with Lindsay Mac, a cellist/singer/songwriter from the East Coast. She's brilliant, we love her music, and we are very excited to have her perform at our home.

What: Lindsay Mac house concert

When: Sunday, May 20. Doors open at 7 pm & music starts at 7:30 pm.

Where: Redmond, Washington -- email betsy@stealthcello.com for directions

Cost: Suggested donation $10-$15 (all donations go directly to the artist)

Website Lindsay's website is at http://www.lindsaymac.com; you can listen to (and download) some of her songs there.

More About Lindsay: Lindsay is not just your average cellist/singer/songwriter. Although she's classically trained, Lindsay holds the cello like a guitar, strapped around her small frame, and sings original songs in the folk/jazz tradition. Her first album, "Small Revolution," is receiving rave reviews and airplay on over 100 AAA, community, and NPR-affiliate radio stations. Kevan Breitinger (Indie-music.com) wrote: "I can't rave enough about this dazzling debut album, one of the year's best in every way, with every track a winner. I want to run into the streets and force strangers to stop what they're doing and listen to this crazy genius girl with her strapped-on cello!"

Don't miss this opportunity to hear the "crazy genius girl" perform in the casual, intimate environment of a house concert -- that's Sunday, May 20 at 7:30 pm at our home in Redmond, Washington.

Happy Birthday Sue!

stealthcello — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 00:01:37 GMT

Wishing a very happy birthday to my beloved siouxiequeue! Hope you are having a frabjous day, way over there in Amsterdam with your sweeties. We miss you here & love you lots!

-- B.

Kitten update

stealthcello — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 03:29:47 GMT

Gracie's kittens are two weeks old now and growing well. They are so cute they're practically toxic.

An adventurous kitten squeezes past mama's restraining paws:

Tubby baby boy on purrrplegirl's lap:

Mom & baby:

Piglet pile!

Drawing meme

stealthcello — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 02:49:51 GMT

Yet another sheep with the draw-a-mountain-scene meme...

What does your drawing say about YOU?

I dunno what my drawing says about ME, but all I have to say about my drawing is that it's a fardling pain in the patootie to try to draw ANYTHING with a #$&*% mouse. (A pain in the wrist, too.)

Chemo Update

stealthcello — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 06:26:02 GMT

A quick update for those who've been wondering how I'm doing with the cancer/chemo stuff. (I haven't posted much about it because I didn't want to make a series of boring, whiny posts complaining about minor annoying side effects. Someday, I may post my unabridged cancer journal somewhere (not on my stealthcello LJ journal) in order to provide detailed, useful information to other women who are facing breast cancer and chemotherapy. But, I haven't yet figured out what's useful info and what's just noise.)

My first chemo treatment (Cytoxan + Taxotere) was on February 28. I felt a little "off" for two days, rotten-like-the-flu for four days, and then started feeling better. By Day 10, I was almost back to normal except for my stamina, which still lagged. By Day 15, I was going full speed, trying to cram everything in before my next treatment; I think I may have overdone it a bit. (Note to self: just because I feel fine doesn't mean I can push myself as I normally would. This is chemo, for goddessake.)

Things I could have complained about after that first chemo treatment: nausea, utter exhaustion, weird chemical smells nobody else can smell, flu-like joint/muscle aches, numb/painful fingertips (yikes!), getting infections REALLY easily (I got a pseudomonas rash just from standing next to the hot tub while it was running!). No really serious side effects, unless you count the numb fingers, which scare me; mostly it's just been pain-in-the-butt stuff. I'm doing fine, really, compared to some other folks' experiences with chemo.

My 2nd chemo treatment was yesterday; I'm still just feeling tired and slightly "off", although this evening, I've been feeling increasingly like becoming one with the sofa. (They adjusted my anti-nausea meds, so I'm feeling slightly better than I did on Day 2 last time. I hope that continues.) My hair has spent the last three days literally leaping off my head, in great thick sweeps with every stroke of the hairbrush. Sigh... at least I have some fun hats to wear.

My new cello, for about an hour

stealthcello — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:59:28 GMT

Raven, my new black five-string carbon-fiber cello, arrived today via overnight Fedex from Massachusetts. Raven is sleek and black and iridescent and very beautiful. I've been waiting impatiently for his arrival for seven long weeks. Unfortunately, he only stayed and played for about an hour, and then I had to pack him back up and send him back.

You see, somewhere between Syracuse and Seattle, Raven developed a nasty buzz. Or so we surmise; he didn't have it when he left Massachusetts. He did develop a nasty buzz once before, though: last Thursday, on the very day he was originally supposed to be shipped to me. They replaced the tailpiece and the buzz went away -- or so they thought -- so they went ahead and shipped him to arrive today, when I knew I'd be home. However, the buzz (or another similar buzz) was back when he arrived at my door. Unfortunately, this time it wasn't just the tailpiece; this buzz resides in the front of the instrument itself, which actually makes a creaking noise when you press gently on it with a finger. Pressing and holding the right spot on the front (top) of the instrument makes the buzz disappear. I suspect the bass bar, which is attached lengthwise under the top, may be imperfectly attached and is what's creating the creak/buzz. In any case, I phoned the maker, and they were apologetic and very nice about it, and said to send him back immediately, collect.

Hmmm... perhaps I should not have named him Raven; it seems to have bestowed on him a penchant for mischief-making. In any case, I hope the mischief doesn't continue past this initial "glitch"; I don't relish the idea of having my cello commute between Seattle and Boston for maintenance & repairs!

We have new kittens!

stealthcello — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:19:43 GMT

I've been up all night, but the payoff has been well worth it!

Our Maine Coon girl, Gracie, gave birth to 7 kittens tonight, starting at about 3:30 AM and finishing at about 4:15 AM. She popped them out almost casually, and so fast there was barely time for me to clean up one kitten before the next was born. They are healthy, fat, squirmy and LOUD. All are, unsurprisingly, brown tabbies (both Gracie and the kittens' father, Wonder, are brown tabbies).

I've attached a photo of mom showing off her brood. You can't see much of the babies -- they are a squirmy dark mass (much quieter in the photo than in person :-) but one thing's clear: Gracie is exceedingly pleased with herself. (And so she should be!)

stealthcello — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 07:13:39 GMT

I've been pretty quiet for the last week or so, both literally and on LJ. This was due to the fact that, shortly after my last post, the chemo caught up with me, and I became a pathetic smear on the sofa. (Something like a week-long bout with the stomach flu, minus the fever, but including some really weird symptoms, such as everything smelling/tasting like flea spray. I don't recommend it :-)

I'm past the more-useless-than-protoplasm phase now, thankfully, and am feeling quite human again. In fact, I started feeling better on Thursday -- I had my "bounce" back, except that I still didn't have the stamina to bounce more than once before flopping. But at least I felt like bouncing! Also on Thursday, sidhefire and siouxiequeue came over for crafting and dinner, and we all had a great time weaving baskets and eating measurethrice's amazing mushroom lasagna and talking nonstop.

I spent most of Saturday at the studio, recording with solcita and Larry; we laid down string tracks for a couple of new Gaia Consort songs: The Green and something suddenlynaked is calling "Untitled Post-Vitus Tune". Chris has already posted the resulting mixes on the Gaia Consort website -- click the above links to download, if you're curious.

On Saturday evening, we belatedly celebrated my birthday (which was Wednesday, but I didn't feel much like celebrating on Wednesday) with a gigantic vat of melted dark Scharffenberger chocolate, piles of fresh fruit, and a brand-new bottle of Macallan. (The vat-o-chocolate wasn't quite big enough to swim in, unfortunately -- so we made the berries swim in it instead. Yum.) siouxiequeue and suddenlynaked kindly came by to help us consume the chocolate, so we got to see them one more time before they leave for Amsterdam.

Today, a wonderful surprise: s00j and omnisti phoned to make sure I hadn't been consumed by the alligator or something. (I guess I've been a bit too quiet lately... sorry guys!) I miss them both like crazy; it was SO good to hear their voices. If all goes well, I'll see them at Heartland at the end of May, but that still seems about 3 centuries away.

Also today, my daughter Katie (purrrplegirl) and I got a new, bigger terrarium for her albino corn snake, Tropicana. Here is Tropicana enjoying her spiffy new habitat:

Random reassurance from the universe

stealthcello — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:25:41 GMT

Today's "random note from the universe" was fairly reassuring:

If you only knew just how incredibly well everything is going to turn out, for you and those close to you, right now you'd likely feel light as a feather, free as the wind, happy, confident, giddy.

Whoops, kind of let the cat out of the bag there.

Well, now you know.

Kind of a nice note for the universe to hand out, given my current situation. I don't feel giddy, though -- "queasy" is probably a lot closer to the mark.

BTW, for those who are wondering, my first chemo treatment was on Wednesday afternoon; I am doing OK. I'm a bit wobbly, and nearly-but-not-quite-queasy (thanks to the nifty anti-nausea drugs). I'm told the most difficult days are 3-5 days afterward, and that the side effects get worse with each subsequent treatment, so this could very well just be "the easy part". But for now -- I'm just kind of faded.

Using my PDA as a sketchpad...

stealthcello — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 09:03:03 GMT

Hey, cool -- look what I drew using my iPAQ:

This is my elderly and slightly daft cat, Paper Tiger. He was sleeping on my knee while I was drawing him. He's 16 and is a cream silver tabby Maine Coon Cat.

I've had pretty good luck using acrylics, pencil, pastel, etc -- but this is the first time I've tried to draw something using a computer. (No camera/photo here; just a stylus and my PDA's touch screen. Then I touched up the colors and did some blending using PaintShop Pro; the PDA's SketchIt program only permits hard lines and primary colors, euggh.)

Otay... much happier now. I go to bed with a smile on my silly face.

I SO did not want to do this again...

stealthcello — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 07:10:47 GMT

It looks like I'm going to need chemo after all. Meh.

Last week, when my surgeon went over my pathology report with me, she had said I probably wouldn't need chemo because the cancer hadn't yet spread to my lymph nodes. I was initially relieved by this news. However, once I'd obsessively studied the pathology report in detail, there were two points that really bothered me:

The tumor turned out to be 2cm at its widest (we had expected it to be about 1.5 cm). With invasive breast tumors, 2cm is kind of an arbitrary dividing line between "small" and "not-so-small".

The cancer had thoroughly invaded the lymphatic system within the breast, although there was as yet no evidence that it had spread to the lymph nodes under my arm. This made me very uneasy: Lymphatic invasion is baaad, even when "confined" to the breast.

Based on these two unhappy facts, I reluctantly came to the conclusion that chemo would probably be advisable. I also decided that if my oncologist didn't agree with me, I was going to have to argue with her. So -- more exhaustive research to back up my assertion; I wrote up a full page of Tough Questions For Dr. Ellis, along with supporting data for my point of view.

As it turned out, I didn't need the Tough Questions, since Dr. Ellis had come to an identical conclusion; I didn't have to argue with her at all. (She does know me well, though: she had already printed out several 15-page articles from the Journal of Oncology on the chemotherapy regimen she was recommending for me, because she knew I'd want to read them. I didn't even have to ask.)

So. That was the good part: I love my oncologist, and she loves me, and we are filled with mutual respect and are in complete agreement. *sparkly hearts and songbirds fill the air*

Unfortunately, what we are in agreement about is that I should receive regular intravenous infusions of a toxic chemical that will make me feel like crap on toast for the better part of three months, if not longer. And which is likely to cause my white blood cell counts to plummet through the floor, necessitating a lovely hospital stay with lovely IV antibiotics if things get really gnarly. Not to mention minor inconveniences like total hair loss and (shudder) painful/numb fingers and toes. (How the hell am I supposed to play the cello if I can't feel my f*ing fingers??!? Well, they tell me not everyone gets that side effect. I'm hoping I'll be one of the lucky ones.)

My first chemo treatment is next Wednesday, February 28. I'm trying not to dread it too much. I've done this once before, 9 years ago, with similarly toxic chemicals -- and I did get through it. It just wasn't an experience I had wanted to repeat...

Well, that's a relief...

stealthcello — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 08:41:13 GMT

We got my official biopsy results back yesterday. It's good news, for the most part, and it appears that followup chemo & radiation therapy may not be necessary.

There's no evidence of cancer in my lymph nodes. This means that followup chemotherapy is not technically required. (However, I may still elect to have chemo, depending on what my oncologist says in our followup meeting next Wednesday.)
Although they found invasive carcinoma throughout much of the lymphatic system in the breast, the surgeon did get "clean margins" (although one margin was only 1mm, which is a bit close for comfort). I believe that "clean margins" means that radiation will technically not be required -- although with the one margin being only 1mm, my oncologist may still recommend it.