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The Sagacious Empathy
5 days ago
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
We Got Reviewed!
It's official! Someone not related to me liked my show:
http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/estr5771.htm
http://www.nytheatre.com
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
The Berkshires
I knew I wanted to go somewhere to celebrate the end of chemo, the trick was figuring out where to go.
My first thought was to go back out to the North Fork of Long Island and back to the Red Barn. The hubby and I stayed there a couple of years ago and had a wonderful time exploring the wineries (yes, there are wineries on Long Island...lots of 'em). Plus, the innkeeper is an "amateur" astronomer with a kick-ass homemade observatory behind the house, complete with a HUGE computer-controlled telescope through which the hubby was able to observe "deep space objects" in the wee hours of the morning. The inn itself is small and charming and the hot breakfasts feature local and organic foodstuffs. Alas, the innkeepers were off to a wedding the weekend in question.
My next thought was Woodstock, NY and the Onteora Mountain House, where the hubby and I also stayed a couple of years ago for the weekend (courtesy of an Xmas gift from my dad and his wife) and had a lovely, relaxing weekend. The rooms are a bit spartan, but the views are spectacular, as are the common areas, and the breakfast is phenomenal. But, they do alot of weddings and so were booked solid.
My NEXT thought was the Mansion at Saratoga Springs, where my mom and I go every summer. This is actually my favorite B&B in the world (at least, so far). The rooms are lovely, as is the house, the breakfasts are unbelievable and they serve wine & cheese each evening--making the whole thing a really good deal for the money--but September is racing season so rooms that are normally $135/night go for twice that. Plus it would be crowded.
Finally, I thought of the Berkshires. We'd never been up there, but Edith Wharton's house, "The Mount," is in Lenox and that seemed like a good enough excuse to make the trip. We stayed at the Hampton Terrace. The room was large and featured a very cool jacuzzi tub and the house itself was very graciously proportioned and appointed. The location was perfect: just around the corner from "downtown" Lenox (which stretches for all of 2 square blocks) and a quick drive to the Mount. But the breakfast was very underwhelming (albeit, this is based on being spoiled by the 3 places mentioned above) and it was a little on the pricey side.
That said, we still had a great weekend. Here are the highlights:
- The Mount (of course) - This was Edith Wharton's summer home for about 10 years. She not only lived there, she designed the house and gardens. In fact, Edith Wharton's first book was not a novel, but was a non-fiction manual on interior design. "The Decoration of Houses" (co-authored with architect Ogden Comden) is still considered one of the seminal works of the interior design field and is still in print. Unfortunately, when she moved out of the house, she took all her belongings with her, but the estate recently (2005) acquired 2,600 of her books from a rare book dealer in England, so the "heart" of the house is in place.
- Dinner by ourselves at Rumpelstiltzkin's - The food was unexceptional, but it's pretty rare to have a restaurant to yourself. Saturday night we decided to stay in town and go to one of the local inns for dinner. As it turned out, pretty much everyone in town was at a wedding and so the hubby and I were literally the only ones in the restaurant for dinner. Afterward, we went down to the inn's bar for a drink, where there were 3 other customers, one of whom was our waitress. And I thought Hoboken was a small town...
- Chocolate Springs Cafe - Oh. My. God. The cafe is not located in downtown Lenox, but in a strip mall north of town. The inauspicious location, however, was more than compensated for by the welcoming decor and, of course, the CHOCOLATE. We went there on our way out of town to get my mom a thank you gift for loaning us her car for the weekend. Our expectation was that we would pop in, buy a box of chocolates, and leave. One look and sniff was enough to convince us otherwise. We grabbed out books and curled up on one of the sofas with some of their "Serious Hot Chocolate." We also decided we needed a "thank you gift" of chocolate too, so left with 2 boxes of hand-picked deliciousness.
- Stagecoach Tavern - This former stagecoach stop has retained the look and feel of an old-time tavern, but serves modern cuisine. The rustic ambiance combined with the excellent wine and food created the perfect "capper" for our weekend.
My first thought was to go back out to the North Fork of Long Island and back to the Red Barn. The hubby and I stayed there a couple of years ago and had a wonderful time exploring the wineries (yes, there are wineries on Long Island...lots of 'em). Plus, the innkeeper is an "amateur" astronomer with a kick-ass homemade observatory behind the house, complete with a HUGE computer-controlled telescope through which the hubby was able to observe "deep space objects" in the wee hours of the morning. The inn itself is small and charming and the hot breakfasts feature local and organic foodstuffs. Alas, the innkeepers were off to a wedding the weekend in question.
My next thought was Woodstock, NY and the Onteora Mountain House, where the hubby and I also stayed a couple of years ago for the weekend (courtesy of an Xmas gift from my dad and his wife) and had a lovely, relaxing weekend. The rooms are a bit spartan, but the views are spectacular, as are the common areas, and the breakfast is phenomenal. But, they do alot of weddings and so were booked solid.
My NEXT thought was the Mansion at Saratoga Springs, where my mom and I go every summer. This is actually my favorite B&B in the world (at least, so far). The rooms are lovely, as is the house, the breakfasts are unbelievable and they serve wine & cheese each evening--making the whole thing a really good deal for the money--but September is racing season so rooms that are normally $135/night go for twice that. Plus it would be crowded.
Finally, I thought of the Berkshires. We'd never been up there, but Edith Wharton's house, "The Mount," is in Lenox and that seemed like a good enough excuse to make the trip. We stayed at the Hampton Terrace. The room was large and featured a very cool jacuzzi tub and the house itself was very graciously proportioned and appointed. The location was perfect: just around the corner from "downtown" Lenox (which stretches for all of 2 square blocks) and a quick drive to the Mount. But the breakfast was very underwhelming (albeit, this is based on being spoiled by the 3 places mentioned above) and it was a little on the pricey side.
That said, we still had a great weekend. Here are the highlights:
- The Mount (of course) - This was Edith Wharton's summer home for about 10 years. She not only lived there, she designed the house and gardens. In fact, Edith Wharton's first book was not a novel, but was a non-fiction manual on interior design. "The Decoration of Houses" (co-authored with architect Ogden Comden) is still considered one of the seminal works of the interior design field and is still in print. Unfortunately, when she moved out of the house, she took all her belongings with her, but the estate recently (2005) acquired 2,600 of her books from a rare book dealer in England, so the "heart" of the house is in place.
- Dinner by ourselves at Rumpelstiltzkin's - The food was unexceptional, but it's pretty rare to have a restaurant to yourself. Saturday night we decided to stay in town and go to one of the local inns for dinner. As it turned out, pretty much everyone in town was at a wedding and so the hubby and I were literally the only ones in the restaurant for dinner. Afterward, we went down to the inn's bar for a drink, where there were 3 other customers, one of whom was our waitress. And I thought Hoboken was a small town...
- Chocolate Springs Cafe - Oh. My. God. The cafe is not located in downtown Lenox, but in a strip mall north of town. The inauspicious location, however, was more than compensated for by the welcoming decor and, of course, the CHOCOLATE. We went there on our way out of town to get my mom a thank you gift for loaning us her car for the weekend. Our expectation was that we would pop in, buy a box of chocolates, and leave. One look and sniff was enough to convince us otherwise. We grabbed out books and curled up on one of the sofas with some of their "Serious Hot Chocolate." We also decided we needed a "thank you gift" of chocolate too, so left with 2 boxes of hand-picked deliciousness.
- Stagecoach Tavern - This former stagecoach stop has retained the look and feel of an old-time tavern, but serves modern cuisine. The rustic ambiance combined with the excellent wine and food created the perfect "capper" for our weekend.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Out, Out, Damn Port!
Huzzah! It's out!
I had the procedure Friday morning and it really couldn't have gone better.
I was a little nervous about it because I had read a couple of horror stories online (the down side of support group discussion boards is that you always hear the worst-case scenario) and so thought the removal would be more difficult/painful than the insertion. However, that turned out not to be the case. The surgery took less than an hour. All told, we were at the treatment center less than 3 hours. I took a nap in the afternoon (after-effects of the anesthesia) and took regular ole Tylenol as a precaution, and that's it. Haven't taken any pain meds (haven't had any pain) since Friday.
So, life--at least for the moment--is back to normal.
I had the procedure Friday morning and it really couldn't have gone better.
I was a little nervous about it because I had read a couple of horror stories online (the down side of support group discussion boards is that you always hear the worst-case scenario) and so thought the removal would be more difficult/painful than the insertion. However, that turned out not to be the case. The surgery took less than an hour. All told, we were at the treatment center less than 3 hours. I took a nap in the afternoon (after-effects of the anesthesia) and took regular ole Tylenol as a precaution, and that's it. Haven't taken any pain meds (haven't had any pain) since Friday.
So, life--at least for the moment--is back to normal.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
What Have I Been Doing w/My Month Off?
As I previously reported, I'm on a 1-month break between chemo and radiation. So, what have I been doing with all my free time?
1. Working.
2. Volunteering (back to doing my regular weekly shift at the Source)
3. Seeing my play! (It opened last night as part of Estrogenius Week 1 and runs until Saturday. Tickets are available here.)
4. Helping produce Week 2 of Estro.
5. Getting a new surgeon (my original surgeon left NYC).
6. Scheduling scans--mammo, ultrasound and MRI--so we can make sure everything's ok before I start rads.
7. Getting my port out. Tomorrow!
8. Celebrating--the hubby and I went to the Berkshires for the weekend in early September.
So, basically, it's been a busy month. And I need to get better about posting. But that's the basic update.
1. Working.
2. Volunteering (back to doing my regular weekly shift at the Source)
3. Seeing my play! (It opened last night as part of Estrogenius Week 1 and runs until Saturday. Tickets are available here.)
4. Helping produce Week 2 of Estro.
5. Getting a new surgeon (my original surgeon left NYC).
6. Scheduling scans--mammo, ultrasound and MRI--so we can make sure everything's ok before I start rads.
7. Getting my port out. Tomorrow!
8. Celebrating--the hubby and I went to the Berkshires for the weekend in early September.
So, basically, it's been a busy month. And I need to get better about posting. But that's the basic update.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Life Without Eyelashes - Hair Chronicles #10,052
Well, chemo is over but my hair is still AWOL.
Granted, I have this sort of peach fuzz on my head, but I'm just not convinced that it's hair, despite what the hubby says. It's more like a hair precursor.
And my eyelashes and eyebrows are pretty much a memory, except for a few brave stragglers. Suddenly, the saying, "you don't know what you have until it's gone," has a whole new poignancy.
Oddly enough, I miss the brows and lashes more than I miss my actual hair. On the support group discussion boards, people have reported theirs growing back literally over night and so every morning I run to the mirror to check, but so far, they're no shows. (Well, ok, I don't "run," I don't do anything particularly quickly in the morning, but you get the idea.)
After checking for the non-existent brows and lashes, I recreate them using brow- and eye-liner and so must give props to my MaryKay education (I'm a part-time consultant), which is coming in VERY handy.
Granted, I have this sort of peach fuzz on my head, but I'm just not convinced that it's hair, despite what the hubby says. It's more like a hair precursor.
And my eyelashes and eyebrows are pretty much a memory, except for a few brave stragglers. Suddenly, the saying, "you don't know what you have until it's gone," has a whole new poignancy.
Oddly enough, I miss the brows and lashes more than I miss my actual hair. On the support group discussion boards, people have reported theirs growing back literally over night and so every morning I run to the mirror to check, but so far, they're no shows. (Well, ok, I don't "run," I don't do anything particularly quickly in the morning, but you get the idea.)
After checking for the non-existent brows and lashes, I recreate them using brow- and eye-liner and so must give props to my MaryKay education (I'm a part-time consultant), which is coming in VERY handy.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Bummer!
If you've been paying close attention, you would have noted that I was due to get my medi-port removed today.
Alas, it was not to be.
The surgeon's office called yesterday to tell me had an "emergency" and they needed to reschedule.
So now it's coming out next Friday (Sept 21).
Alas, it was not to be.
The surgeon's office called yesterday to tell me had an "emergency" and they needed to reschedule.
So now it's coming out next Friday (Sept 21).
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
An Addendum to Yesterday's Post
I've been thinking a bit more about September 11th and how our observation of it has changed in six years.
At work yesterday, we had a moment of silence at 8:46am. We used to have 4: one for each plane hitting the towers and one for the moments each tower fell. Now we're down to 1. I'm not sure when it changed.
As I mentioned, I commute to work via the WTC PATH. For those of you who haven't been on this train, it runs along the inside edge of the hole/construction site that is Ground Zero. When PATH service to the WTC stop first resumed, a hush would come over the riders as the train emerged from the tunnel and entered Ground Zero.
In time, of course, that dissipated, and the WTC stop became just another train station. And, in the main, I'd have to say that that's a good thing. If everyday, twice a day, every commuter through the WTC station thought about September 11th, I think we'd all be in therapy for major post-traumatic stress disorder. As it was, it was all I could do to make it to work yesterday after walking through the gauntlet of silence without breaking down.
But, here's the weird thing--which I'm having trouble capturing: Commuting, at least in the NYC area, is generally a silent activity. We're New Yorkers, we don't talk to strangers. And it's very rare for someone to be commuting with a friend or colleague. And cell phones don't get service on the train. Yet that everyday quiet is completely different from the silence yesterday. Maybe because it was more people in a smaller space being quiet. Maybe it was because those incidental conversations just weren't happening. Maybe it was that no cars were on Church St., so there was no traffic noise. Whatever it was, the silence was palpable. And reverent.
Which leads me to the conclusion that the September 11th observances will officially have lost their poignancy when the silence is gone.
At work yesterday, we had a moment of silence at 8:46am. We used to have 4: one for each plane hitting the towers and one for the moments each tower fell. Now we're down to 1. I'm not sure when it changed.
As I mentioned, I commute to work via the WTC PATH. For those of you who haven't been on this train, it runs along the inside edge of the hole/construction site that is Ground Zero. When PATH service to the WTC stop first resumed, a hush would come over the riders as the train emerged from the tunnel and entered Ground Zero.
In time, of course, that dissipated, and the WTC stop became just another train station. And, in the main, I'd have to say that that's a good thing. If everyday, twice a day, every commuter through the WTC station thought about September 11th, I think we'd all be in therapy for major post-traumatic stress disorder. As it was, it was all I could do to make it to work yesterday after walking through the gauntlet of silence without breaking down.
But, here's the weird thing--which I'm having trouble capturing: Commuting, at least in the NYC area, is generally a silent activity. We're New Yorkers, we don't talk to strangers. And it's very rare for someone to be commuting with a friend or colleague. And cell phones don't get service on the train. Yet that everyday quiet is completely different from the silence yesterday. Maybe because it was more people in a smaller space being quiet. Maybe it was because those incidental conversations just weren't happening. Maybe it was that no cars were on Church St., so there was no traffic noise. Whatever it was, the silence was palpable. And reverent.
Which leads me to the conclusion that the September 11th observances will officially have lost their poignancy when the silence is gone.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
A Moment of Silence...
I obviously don't need to tell anyone today is the 6th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. But I do feel the need to take a moment for it.
This is the 2nd 9/11 that I've commuted through the World Trade Center PATH station and so my day pretty much began walking through a sea of mourners, press, protesters, cops and commuters--all of whom were silent. Most of Church St. (the street that runs in front of the PATH entrance) was closed, so everyone was being funneled through a relatively small area, but somehow it was all being done solemnly and quietly.
As I mentioned, even the protesters, were protesting silently. There were actually 2 groups of protesters:
This is the 2nd 9/11 that I've commuted through the World Trade Center PATH station and so my day pretty much began walking through a sea of mourners, press, protesters, cops and commuters--all of whom were silent. Most of Church St. (the street that runs in front of the PATH entrance) was closed, so everyone was being funneled through a relatively small area, but somehow it was all being done solemnly and quietly.
As I mentioned, even the protesters, were protesting silently. There were actually 2 groups of protesters:
- anti-war protestors who had 3 people dressed as an American soldier, an Iraqi civilian and, I think, a 9/11 victim in the form of an office worker each with a number written on their forehead to symbolize the number of dead; and
- 9/11 conspiracy theorists wearing t-shirts that said "911 was an inside job" (with the "11" in the form of the twin towers).
Monday, September 10, 2007
More Shameless Self-Promotion...
EstroGenius 2007 an annual celebration of female voices Short Play Festival Line-up - Week 1 After People By Fiona Jones Directed by Mhari Sandoval Starring Elizabeth Rosengren*, Carla Hayes *, Judy W. Chen*, D'Vorah Bailey* & Brie Eley * Set in the future, three "families" of clones search for answers and understanding about the sun's demise in this exquisite new sci-fi short play by Fiona Jones, founder and executive producer of EstroGenius. The End By Shoshona Currier Directed by Michelle Salerno Starring Frederick Backus, Alanda Spence*, Vonia Arslanian & Gordon Lai Jack, April, Simon and Mal are the four remaining survivors on a reality TV show "The End". Who will win the prize inside the altar? Is it worth giving up on a budding romance? The Wedding (re)Gift By Jennifer Thatcher Directed by Devon Higby Starring Denise Fiore & Elon Rutberg In this sweet comedy, tensions flare when a young couple realizes they've been given a white elephant as a wedding present. The Cure for Panacea By Laura Schlachtmeyer Directed by Regina Robbins Starring Adam Nowak, Greta Pauley, Nikolas Priest*, Catherine Rush * & Allison Walton Two bickering couples go to the futuristic Panacea Clinic in hopes of saving their relationships and meet a young woman trying to get over a crush. If you could take a single pill to solve your love life would you? Swan Song Lyrics/Music by Andrew Frank & Doug Silver Directed by Andrew Frank Starring Jim Lawson* & Shoshanna Richman A new short musical by the team behind THE GREENWICH VILLAGE FOLLIES and SIDD. Based on a Chekhov one-act play, the musical follows an aging actor as he reflects upon his life and finds happiness with the help of his young niece. *appear Courtesy AEA Runs Wed-Fri @ 8pm, Sat @ 7 & 9:30pm, Sept 19-22 Program One Producer: Fiona Jones | Asst. Producer: Montserrat Mendez Stage Manager: Samantha Charlip | Set Designer: Amber Estes Lighting Designer: Lauren Parrish | Sound Designer: Trevor Earth tickets $18 Advance Sales at http://www.ovationtix.com/trs manhattantheatresource 177 MacDougal Street between Waverly & 8th Streets Subway * W4 www.theatresource.org |
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Quote for the Day
Just read this on my friend ktbuffy's blog and had to share:
Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar. —Drew Carey
Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar. —Drew Carey
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Done with Chemo!
Wow. I've really been lax about posting, haven't I?
Well, for those who've lost track, I had my last chemo on Thursday, August 30th. No Neulasta needed since this is my last treatment, which means the "recovery" was a little easier. Had a gourmet, home-cooked Italian meal to celebrate. And the hubby and I are heading up to Lenox, Mass this Friday for a weekend-long celebration, hopefully complete with champagne!
Next up: Port removal on Thursday Sept 13th.
After that: Radiation, 33 treatments, tentatively scheduled to start Oct 2nd.
And after that: Hormone therapy.
Well, for those who've lost track, I had my last chemo on Thursday, August 30th. No Neulasta needed since this is my last treatment, which means the "recovery" was a little easier. Had a gourmet, home-cooked Italian meal to celebrate. And the hubby and I are heading up to Lenox, Mass this Friday for a weekend-long celebration, hopefully complete with champagne!
Next up: Port removal on Thursday Sept 13th.
After that: Radiation, 33 treatments, tentatively scheduled to start Oct 2nd.
And after that: Hormone therapy.
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