More Fun Stuff to Do

Yesterday was treatment #22, half way to the end now.  Still not much for side effects.  Pissing much more often & more urgently so need to get it out & going in a hurry at times.  Maybe a bit of a pain when the bladder is full too but not much, just a discomfort.

Another wonderful day in the neighborhood yesterday.  Treatment then hiking Redlands.  There are about 12 little hiking trails in & just outside of redlands.  Some of them aren't much but it was interesting.  Made it to 5 before it was tottie time.  Saw 2 coyotes on one of the trails or just before we got there.  Some great big houses up on top the hills around Redlands.

Did a BBQ at home with some Maui Maui, was plenty good.  Found a "Care Package" from friends back home.  Thanks a bunch everyone, it was great to get it & know I have great friends!!  Home made cookies, a "Last Best Place, Yaak MT" T-shirt & Mug.  Makes a guy feel bad that he's enjoying life so much!  Really it is a pretty relaxing time.  Unlike a vacation where you have to squeeze all the fun in a short time, I just do what I want, when I want, or nothing at all.  All of that with no responsibilities & great weather!

Then downtown to Redlands on the bikes for Market Night.  They close off the main street every Thursday night & have vendors selling stuff, food, & Farmers goods.  Quite a little party.  Bought our stuff, looked around awhile.  Listening to different people playing & singing.  Planning on a trip to the coast this week-end to lay around on the beach & enjoy some of the great views, Food, & Beverages! I am going to have to quit posting all this fun stuff or people will start to envy the fact that I have prostate cancer!

Another Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood

Here's a typical day in Redlands.  Busy seeing the sights & dinner.  Went to treatment & just as I got already & they started up the machine it broke down.  The whirly gig that slows & spreads out the protons wouldn't turn correctly.  Had to get out, remove the ballon, & then wait for 30 minutes or so when they got it fixed.....then in with another ballon & finish up. Oh boy.  The fun we can have.  Then off to the gym & dinner.

Getting ready for dinner!

Picking Oranges

Redlands in the back ground

Our new place

Coffee shop by the house, nice place to hang out in the sun

At the gym, not just posing either!

Wild Weekend & Monday of course

Have done 20 treatments so far & have not found any side effects, except maybe pissing all the time.  Only 26 left!  So Victoria came last Friday, flew into Ontario CA.  Left Spokane @ 5 am & got here & 9:30 am.  We've been having our normal bang up times & getting plenty done.  We've decided to start an album on nothing but pictures of us in bars! It seems we have plenty of those.

Nothing much on Friday night but the above picture is from Saturday in Palm Springs.  We also drive by a house that Victoria used to live in. 

Saturday we walked around Downtown Palm Springs then took a hike up the Tahquitz Canyon to a water fall.  Only about a two mile hike but was fun & hot that day.  About 80 deg I think. 

Of course I sweat out about 10# but it was worth it.  Palm springs can be seen in the back ground of a couple of the pictures.  Probably gone about 2 1/2 hrs on the hike.  Beautiful up in the Canyon & the view of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, & Rancho Mungo (or some such name).  Must be getting old though   or in a big hurry to have some fun as the picture below is what we returned to in the parking lot

So had left my wallet, cell phones, purses, bikes,  & whatever in the car but I did have my keys with me! Next time I think I will close the door.

Then we continued on to find a BBQ spot.  Drove around the Palm Springs area quite a bit & saw most of the towns then went up on Hwy 74 out of Plam Springs twards Idlywild & San Jacinto.  Very windy road ovet the Mountains with some beautiful views.

We had made BBQ stuff ahead of time & with some cheese & wine things were looking pretty spiffy for awhile.  The BBQ was Lula Kabob.  A recipe from Uzbekistan.  Ground Lamb with spices, then mold onto a skewer & BBQ, quite good!  Most of the drive out of the mountains was in the dark but looked interesting.  Lots of pine trees & very rugged country.

Yesterday was work out at the gym, Victoria went to the pool which is outside & did laps (she says) but I did find her laying in the sun on a recliner!  Then went to a winery for some wine tasting.  Busy dazs around here.  Time is flying by actually.  Still going for bike rides & walkinng downtown to the coffee shop & enjoying the lazy life.  I think I can handle retirement if I ever get there. 

Almost forgot about Sunday!  We went down to Riverside CA & walked through down town & the Mission Inn.  Ronny & Nancy Reagan got married in the Inn (Scott will like that bit of trivia).  Quite a beautiful building built in the eary 1900's but completely renovated now. 

On the way back from Riverside we stopped & the Box Springs Canyon & did a short hike & drank some wine while enjoying the view of the Valley.  Well this was a long one.  I did add some more pictures to the More Picturess page at the bottom of the blog. Enjoy!

I did do all of this blog yesterday but the computer locked up just when I went to save it so nothig was saved & had to redo the whole thing. Stupid computers!

What's New

Not much new around here, am going in for treatment #18 today, that leaves 27 to go.  Still the same, no noticeable side effects.  They say not to eat much fiber but have been eating normal except for maybe trying to cut the carbs & volume down a little.  Still getting plenty of exercise.  Certainly a relaxed life around here.  Bike to the coffee shop for a bit of java, bike downtown look around, go home & go to the gym or treatments.  Have not ridden the bike there again!  But have been going in for treatments in the late afternoon mostly so 5 or 6 pm is not the time to be getting on a bike around here. 

Haven't done much this past week as you can tell by the blog volume this past week, but the week end is coming up  & Victoria is arriving today for a visit so should have more news & exploring done by the end of the week-end.  Did get my teeth cleaned if anyone's interested?  The kids are back to college on Monday, they had a 6 week break or so, hope they didn't forget how to study!  Weather is cooling just a little supposed to be down in the 70's for the week end & next week.  Theres an orange tree in the back yard so have been eating plenty of oranges, an't lacking for the ole vitamin C.  Even stole some from the neighbors tree becase they were bigger, but mine taste better.  Off for the airport.........

#14 Down Only 31 left!

Did treatment #14 last night.  Something was broke down yesterday afternoon so it put all the treatments later.  I had mine @ 9:45 last night.  Sleep through most of it except when they pull the ole balloon out.  I am getting used to that now but its still kinda awkward, you have to roll over & bare it all so they can insert it & take it out.  It gets filled with water.  Other than that have not had any side effects from the treatment that I am aware of.  They swear they are treating me, at least they are charging me for it!  I may have to bring my own Geiger counter in for detection of some kind of radiation going on.

Still keeping plenty busy with the hikes & everything so have not had time to get bored yet.  The weather here is "frightful".  About 84 deg yesterday, thank god its supposed to cool down next week into the 70's.  Hard to do much when it so hot you know.  Have to sit in the shade with the ole Long Island Ice Tea!

I did go for another hike on Sunday, a place called Box Springs.  Just a little day hiking area down by Riverside, CA.  Quite a mess around the trail head, with trash & graffiti on the rocks but as you get out a little its not like that.  Plenty of dog shit in the trail though.  Although some of it was Coyote, & possibly some kind of cat.  The trail head is right in the middle of a subdivision, but the houses up there have a great view of the valley.  & No laughing @ the fat boy on the trail!  Off for a Spa treatment today.......pedicure, manicure, & massage......life here is quite painful. 

Deep Kaw Kaw

This is on the way to Deep Creek  Hot Springs, Near Hesperia, CA

 So here's where I happen to take leave of my senses.  A short hike should be easy for me as I am from Montana & do a bit of hunting ect........  To get to Deep Creek Hot Springs, you drive about 40 miles north of Redlands & go off roading for about 10 miles, through the Bowen Ranch.  As you can see the weather is great, about 65 or so up in the Mountains where the springs are at.  Quite beautiful actually & a nice drive.  My hiking book "afoot & afield in the Inland Empire" says "moderate" 4 mile in and out.  They forgot to mention the 900' elevation change was all down hill in & of course all up hill out.  The creek next to the hot springs is like colder than hell & my feet were froze attempting to cross the creek, then with all the people in the springs (some naked ugly men & one plump naked women) I decided to forgo the dip & just enjoy the area (I still think they are aiming the proton beam @ my head).

Above the picture is the canyon the creek comes out of about 1/2 miles above the hot springs.  Below the hot springs is about in the middle of the picture just below where the creek disappears. 

View on the Trail going in.

View of the hot springs, where the people are. The Creek is COLD!

View looking up steam from the hot springs

 The picture above, the little ridge in the middle going down from the right is where the hot springs are.  Just at the base of the ridge.

Treatment is going well I had # 13 on Friday & have no detectable side effects as of yet.  I am Keeping busy with treatments, walks, gym, & still finding stuff here in Redlands & the surrounding area.  Not making much money but am having no trouble spending it. May just take it easy today, but may find a little easier hike to explore.  You could try to google earth it......Am off to the coffee shop for a bit of refreshments, already past 7am.  This going to bed @ 8:30 is hard on a person.

Still Alive & Kicking

Gotta like this vacation stuff.  One thing about being here in the nice weather is there is absolutely not much responsibility going on.  So I can get up when I want (usually about 6:00, because I go to bed so early), go to bed when I want (usually about 8:30), and I have only one thing to do everyday.  And unlike a normal vacation where you got to get the fun in & worry about going home, I can just relax if I want or casually go find something to do.  Or do some of the things I have been wanting to do, such as reading, organizing pictures on the computer (not yet) or whatever. 

It does manage to change your lifestyle as well.  Being thrust into a new environment with out all my "stuff" around.  Its funny how things become a habit around your home.  No friends to distract me & in a home without any habits you have to make a new routine.  So maybe you try somethings you have not been able to acchomplish in your old environment.  We'll see if that fits when the weather turns shitty.  Anyway this week has been great & yesterday it was over 70.

I have made a few errors in judgment though.  I decided to ride my bike to treatment yesterday.  I knew it was 10 miles round trip, but the weather was nice (hot actually), & I forgot how old I was.  I did make it home but was plenty tired when I got here.  Got to rest for a couple hours before the restaurant tour.  We went to the "Friendly Fisherman", a different place.  Not a fancy dinning place, but the food was ok.  Not excenptional but plenty good.  No waitress's, like a fast food place you went up & ordered at the counter. 

Anyway not much else going on.  Although I am going to double check with the Dr next Monday, I want to make sure that they are aiming the Protron beam at my Prostate, I am beginning to think they missed & its hitting my head!  Causing all sorts of weird stuff to go on, like the bike ride for instance.

Another Day, Another Dollarless

Weather was great here today, a little chilly but still 65.  Not much new.  Treatment #9 today so only 36 to go.  Been feeling kinda tired lately but am attributing it to all the f-ing exercise I have been getting.  Am going to go hiking tomorrow so may have a few more pics to post.  Treatment is not till 7:20pm.  Took a tour of the proton center on Sunday.  Quite impressive.  there are 3 gantry type & one staionary one.  The gantry's are where the beam thrower moves around the body & that way you can treat from any angle depending on the type of cancer being treated. All computerized & quite high tech.  I am being treated in the stationary one that is used for eye, brain, prostate as well as other types.  The gantry's weigh 90 tons & are 2 stories high.  The Synchrotron (accelerator) gets the proton energy up to as much as 250 million electron volts in  1/2 second.  Takes a bit of electricity to run the thing.  See my last picture of the process on the side here.  Still no side effects that I can tell except more shopping, excessive exercise, less drinking, & better eating habits.  Hope I can break the cycle of doom after I leave here!

Almost Forgot

Almost forgot to mention my Xmas present from Travis.  A Garmin Novi GPS.  I know he bought it because when I was down here the first time in Nov. I got lost trying to find the Airport in LA & called him up on the cell phone, told him a couple of streets I had passed & he looked up a map on his  computer & gave me directions.  Plus I have been lost every since I got here.  The only way I found Barnes & Noble was I asked the GPS where it was!  Anyway a great gift for here.  Now I am not lost much & can find my way to anything.

More Stuff

Well a couple of more days & some good weather.  Was 70 on Thursday, and cloudy but 60 on Friday.  Treatment #8 under my belt now only 37 to go.  I get my treatment in the stationary proton blaster.  They have to position me in the pod, unlike the gantry rooms (1 -3) where the proton blaster moves on a 90 ton gantry & you are stationary.  The pod goes up in the air about 6 ft & they shift my body at an angle depending on which side they are shooting.  The treatment is done on opposite sides each day as to give the healthy cells effected a chance to recover. 

Went for a drive to San Bernadino Nat'l Forrest out on hwy 38 on thrusday.  About 35 miles to to top of the Mtns. Quite impressive, lots of snow up there & the road is quite curvey & there was lots of traffic.  See pictures below. 

Went for a couple of short hikes (again to much exercise around here).  Then back to town for my treatment @ 5pm.  Then off to the Thusday night "Restaurant Tour" with the cancerous group of patients from Loma Linda.  Afraid I am going to catch something!  It was an all you can eat sushi placce.  Quite good actually but not of the caliber of the Oshi martini & sushi bar in Sandpoint.

Friday was my computer stuff, workout at the gym, & shopping!  Two things I have been doing to much of down here is the shopping & exercise!  Went to the Barnes & Noble, which is always a mistake for me.  Another BBQ cookbook, among several other books.  The Planet BBQ.  BBQ stuff from all over the world, looks like some great stuff to cook. 

No plans for today but did buy a book about hiking the Inland Empire (what they call the area east of LA). Hopefully I'll calm down & think about that prior to just going off for more exercise!