The Silver in All

Okay,... silver lining in the market strife. I'm no longer the only loser when it comes to not having much put away in their Roth IRA. Suddenly, my time in the nursing home just became more interesting. I can hear it already, "Oatmeal again?! Why if the market could have held, I would have been eating lobster in some pub off the coast of Maine! Okay, maybe not lobster,.... but I would definitely be in some pub off the coast of Maine!,... or Michigan! Yeah,.. most assuredly Michigan." Then I remember that money and stuff is just on loan. Apparently, unlike Wall Street today.

Got to spend some time on the court tonight working with Hannah's basketball team. It brings back how much I really enjoy coaching and working with kids. After Hannah's diagnosis, it was one thing that I thought I would never have again,.. time with her on the court - but then I found myself (watching players run the wrong direction, passes being thrown to the middle of nowhere) enjoying it more than ever. It wasn't so much the basketball, as much as it was basketball with Hannah.

The Non-Decaf Venting

Foto Friday bets are off! I just finished writing a paper for my college course, and if I never have to look up APA format again, I will be okay. If there were a top ten list for things that absolutely suck when your in your forties it would be this:

10: People in the 30's!

9: Having a college loan.

8: Still using furniture from your college days.

7: The fact that I know what life is like without a computer.

6: Paying for water.

5: A paycheck that doesn't read "infinity" in the net column.

4: Belts in your closet no longer fit, but you can't get rid of them (just in case).

3: When someone says, "Wow,.. really,... you're in your 40's?"

2: Everything hurts longer.

1: Still having to write a college paper!


The bonus to being in my forties,... I made it this long, I might as well keep going!

Peace and Prayers

Get Your Gaming Face On

Hours of baking, hours of selling,...now came time for the payoff!

From the moment Hannah began her cookie and lemonade stand, the goal was clear:  Sell, sell, and sell some more. 

Then purchase something special for the kids in the hospital who are fighting cancer.  Something that would make things seem a little less bad.  Is that grammar used good or well? 

 I think my English teacher is going to seek me out and break me down like a sentence diagram.

Today was finally the first step towards the end of  all her hard work - it began with a cash recount.  "Dad I have a total,"  she announced to me as I watched the Bears game.  

"Ya, that's great,... talk to me in 15 minutes,"  I didn't mean to seem so flippant, but it was Da Bears! 

a moment of silence please due to a bad call by the ref on a 3rd and long situation that would have clearly put the Bears in great field position to win the game in overtime  (once again just another clear sign that societal gambling pressures affected yet another referee and the calls made in a game to determine the outcome).

Once we had the money counted and recounted, and my grief passed as I chanted the mantra of "it's just a game, it's just a game," we headed off to Best Buy to make our purchase of the Wii. 

 

Why the Wii? Why not movies or board games or PSP games or tiny ponies?  After going through many hospital stays, we wanted something for everyone - from the smallest child to oldest adult.  Something that everyone could play without knowing much about it.  If you've ever tried the Wii, you know exactly what I'm taliking about.  It's interactive without the emphasis on active. You have to move, but the movement can be grand or slight - perfect for someone who needs to be hooked to a poll lined with various chemotherapy drugs.   The other great catch is,... you don't have to guess where the R3, L2, square, X, circle buttons are on any given controller.

When we arrived at Best Buy we went directly to the first manager we could find and explained what we had hoped to purchase with our money, but needed direction as far as hardware.  With the help of one of the sales guys, we quickly rounded up 2 consoles, extra numchucks (sounded a little violent, but it's a Wii World afterall), a charging station, and two extra controllers with mini games!  We opted to not purchase extra games from the store because some wonderful people had offered to locate games for a reduced price for us - thus Hannah simply brought her pad of paper to research games.  With her left over money she feels fairly confident that the kids will have some pretty cool games to play.

The shopping experience behind us, we rode home discussing the next step of spending the remaining money on games and planning the trip up to Bronson.  The kids however had other things in mind:

"Can we get a Wii for Christmas?"

"Can we just open one game up and play a little tonight?  You know, to make sure they work."

  What a wonderful gift everyone has given to the children who battle cancer.  You made it possible by supporting, helping, and sharing in the vision of Cookies for Cancer Kids.  

When Hannah does make the trip to Kalamazoo to present the gifts, it will be because she had the support of her friends, family, and community - Thank You so very much.

Next year - Cookies for Cancer Kids will begin anew.  The mission will be the same, the goal will be set higher, and the cookies and friendships,... fantastic!

In the meantime,... it's going to be pop tab collection for the Ronald McDonald house.  With your help and the collection of tabs, the Ronald McDonald House (located across the U.S.) provide families like ours with 

- home-cooked meals, 

- private bedrooms for families, 

- arts and crafts activities, 

- non-clinical support, 

- an extended network of support and connection to families going through similar experiences, 

- a warm, comfortable alternative to costly hotels, 

- and most importantly,... a chance for your child to experience the healing process with other children.