If it's Thursday...I must be in Rochester

My mom made a special trip to an out of the way video rental place to rent "If it's Tuesday this must be Belgium" for me. My guess is if your in my age group, you haven't seen the movie...but who knows. It was made in the late 60s.

To sum up: it's about a hodge-podge group of Americans who take a tour bus around Europe. The funny thing is the movie highlighted basically all the cities that I will be going to in two weeks. However, there are many things in this movie that I dare not duplicate on my tour.

First of all I have learned a thing or two from these hapless American weirdos.

Lessons learned: I'm writing these down.

• It's not pick-pockets you have to watch out for, but kleptomaniacs on the tour bus.



• Don't become accidently engaged to a European cousin after the language barrier plays out over dinner.



• If the man who played Mr. Roper becomes a hot commodity anyone in Europe could find love.



• At the same time try not to fall in love with the lecherous lothario tour director, you'll only end up with a broken heart and a penicillin shot.



• Never fall asleep next to a pervert with a camera.



• If you run out of money for food, there's always plenty of cheese to be had.

Gosh, it's hard to believe that two weeks from now I will be in London. I think my Mom is getting excited vicariously for me. Hence, the movie choice. Here is a little look at where I will be going...it's quite a whirlwind tour but certainly an adventure.

Doh-see-doh your victim--your victim doh-see-doh

Square dance slug fest...yes that is the name of my blog spot. First of all- the name, conveniently has not been taken by anyone else. Secondly, the name has a unique and relevant bearing on my life history. Well, sadly it is a darker moment in my childhood. Ahem...I'm still having nightmares.

If it hasn't peaked your curiousity then you'll pay little attention to the next few sentences. If it has read on...

"This blog is about unsolved mysteries. The re-enactments and special effects are actual eyewitness accounts. What you are about to see is not a news broadcast."

THE UNEXPLAINED

It was the spring of 1989. Several people were assembled at an innocent birthday party square dance. Little did those attending know that a violent event was about to occur. One square was assembled, about 8 young various children, 10, 11 and 12, most clammy handed and giggling. As the music peaked and the fiddler called out "doh-see-do" and each child obliged. One little girl, rather uncoordinated slightly hesitated as she managed to circle backwards around her partner...a boy named Terry who was one year her senior. Leah possessed the kind of pre-adolescent timid demeanor that took a little time to unlock. As the evening wore on the young girl became more comfortable with the square dance scene. She began to consider herself versed. Let's just say she shifted into high gear, a square dance frenzy, if you will.

To the tune of Turkey in the Straw Leah (oops, this was supposed to be annonymous)began to feel the effects of 1/2 a gallon of Hawaiian Punch. As she swung Terry around like a rag doll during the "everybody swing" all her peers slowed their movements. Perhaps they weren't able to keep up, but the larger belief is that they were just in awe of the frenetic energy Leah was displaying. Someone forgot to tell her... this wasn't a Footloose audition.

Finally, it all came to a crescendo during the grand right and left. As kid after kid passed Leah turning hand to hand somehow Leah got off balance. The events are fuzzy but the moment of impact was clear. Leah's hand, gripped in a fist, made contact with Terry's mouth...bammo!!! Somehow she had punched him right in the kisser... The square dancers stopped right where they were. They "square" circled and gaped silently. The music did not stop but somehow for all involved, it would seem that it did. All that could be heard was the "aaahhh" of poor Terry. He had backed away from the dancers holding his mouth in a horrifying slow-mo of bewilderment. Leah began to cry. Somehow things had just spun out of control.

One of the parents instinctively ran into the kiddie circle, checking Terry's mouth for bleeding. Young Leah ran from the community center crying into the night. Her best friend followed...yes, perhaps to console poor uncoordinated Leah, but really it was a great opportunity to laugh herself silly.

From then on Leah was dubbed "Slugger"...and it stuck through middle and high school and every once in a while at reunions or in her hometown grocery store she'll hear the name being called rows away. Therapy sessions aside, the incident has poignant meaning in her life.

Learn from Leah's mistake. Dance safely friends.

It's all about the Sandwiches baby

After I committed to the title of my blog I started wondering. Will anyone get it?
Let me clue you in. The late Warren Zevon is the inspiration.
Warren, after receiving a diagnosis of terminal lung cancer was asked by David Letterman what his experience was teaching him about life. His answer was that it taught him to "ENJOY EVERY SANDWICH". Those of you who don't get the philosophical meaning of that are missing out. Okay, carb counters...stop the ruminating. It's really about taking each experience and savoring it.

When it's explained that way...who can argue?

Welcome to my world

Hi everyone. It's the first blog on a more official looking blog venue...

So who am I? I am a late 20 something soon to leave the 20s...frightening yes, a little.
I am a woman who has survived cancer twice...frightening yes, a LOT!
Has cancer changed who I am? Yout betcha?
Do I regret those changes...not on your life.

Every day I find I am learning more about what's been inside of me. I've been living each day to the fullest, despite at times wondering if that "earth time" will be equivalant to my peers. It's the kind of thing you think about as a cancer survivor-- time. But how to use it...how can I make the most of the time I have here on earth? Somehow I think it's a question we all overlook and I am grateful that I have something that grabs me, forcing me to look at it.

I am in remission. What does that mean? For those of you not familiar with cancer it means that there are no signs presently of cancer in my body. Remission, as they say is not a cure. Remission is wonderous, but it does come with a price. The price is that while you celebrate you are forced to look over your shoulder. It is a mode of protection to make sure that if it does come back that you are ready this time. Yet it's hard to live looking over your shoulder.

The word cure seems to be misunderstood in cancer. To be cured signifies that you go back to your original state and are transformed and the body is returned to its state of perfect wellness. The toughest thing to learn as a cancer survivor is that you have to learn to live again in a new body, one that may be drastically changed by the treatments used to preserve your life. Though I may mourn the loss of a normal body...I have accepted the challenge because it is all I can do to keep on moving forward.

That is what I intend to do...keep on trucking as they say. I hope you'll join me for this ride and read with a belief that yeah, it's okay to laugh at life...it's okay to smile through tears.

Onward....