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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Golf Balls and Marbles

We got some not-so-good results from my latest CT scan last week. It turns out the nodules in my lungs have grown with the largest being in the 4-5 cm range (think golf ball size). There are also a bunch of other large nodules (think big marbles) that also grew. There was also suspected spread to lymph nodes near the bronchi/heart/lungs which obviously is not great. SO we cancelled our plans to go to Oregon and I did some chemo today and will do more after a couple of weeks in BC. I'm also doing a bone scan tomorrow to check out if there is any spread to my ribs and pelvis where I've had some pain for the past month or so.

Not good news really but not entirely unexpected, just hoped to delay this shit for another year or ten. Back on the cancer juice today, cycle 48 or 49. The nurse knows where to put my needle in just by the scarring over my port.

I've included some pictures from my scan last week showing the location and size of some of the tumours. It's a little scary to think I have that shit in my lungs and I can't even feel it. These images are slices through my body. You are looking at them as though you are standing at the foot of my bed looking up towards my head, so my right lung is actually on the left side of the images below.


Monday, July 22, 2013

After Supper Tonight...

Andrew - "When I grow up I'm going to have a big house with servants and a wife and do work as a police officer or an army guy"

Penny - "I like how you said 'servants AND a wife"

Dan - "How many kids are you going to have?"

Andrew - "Five"

Penny - "That's a lot of kids!"

Andrew - "I've seen more than that at westside, it's fine"

Dan - "Where will Carly live?"

Andrew - "She will live with a boy and love him and be my next door neighbour in Paris or Peachland"

Penny - "I think you might have to move to Saskatoon to be a police officer with servants"

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Glen Lake, MT



Determination

Elation

Disbelief

Happiness

Feet

Dan and Emileigh

James

Spectacular failure

Success

Jamie, holding on

Emileigh, holding on

feigned fear

"On the next contraction push hard, I can see the head"

Smiling ladies

Iced tea

Twilight

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Canada Day Camping 2013

When you camp you need good food and given the fact you're outside anyways, barbecuing is a fantastic way to make that good food happen. So this past weekend we tried out a few new recipes on the old slow and low green machine and they turned out great. My favourite of the bunch was a glazed beef tenderloin. I've included the recipe and some pictures in case you want to make some meat that will blow your mind.


"All Killer, No Filler Whole Beef Tenderloin With Ed's Honey and Worcestershire Glaze"
(modified from Adam Perry Land's "Serious barbecue")

1) Preheat one side of a well-oiled charcoal or gas grill to high and the other side to low

2) Combine:

  • 1 Tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon beef base in paste form (such as better than bouillon)
and rub the tenderloin (whole, about 3 kg) on all sides.

3) Combine:
  • 2 tablespoons mild chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1.5 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 1.5 teaspoons granulated garlic or garlic powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
and sprinkle the glorious tenderloin on all sides.

4) Place the tenderloin on the grate set to high and, keeping the lid open, grill on the first side until well marked and lightly charred (2-3 minutes). Turn the roast a quarter-turn, still over high and keeping the lid open, until well marked and lightly charred, 2-3 minutes. Turn two more times to grill the third and fourth sides just like you did for the first two.

5) Move the tenderloin to the low temperature grate (turn off the high temperature grate), close the lid and cook, turning occasionally until the internal temperature reaches 115 degrees F (15-20 minutes).

6) While that hunk of meat is cooking it's way through step 5, make the glaze. Combine:
  • 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup liquid honey (preferably from Ed the bee man but any liquid honey will do)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
in a jar and shake well. Also tie 1 bunch of fresh thyme into a brush like bunch and ready a little apple juice (~1/2 cup) for the next step.

7) Continue cooking zee beef over low heat, brushing occasionally with the glaze using the thyme herb brush and spraying with a light coating of apple juice every minute or so. Flip and jockey the hunk of meat to get all sides with the glaze and apple juice, cooking until you reach the desired degree of doneness. I like it medium-rare (125 deg F -  about 12 minutes) but you can do it to any level of doneness starting at about 120 deg F for rare up to 150 deg F for well done (35 minutes).

8) Drizzle a little Olive oil on a cutting board. Cut the end off you thyme herb brush and finely chop it with the oil. Add a few chopped chives, fleur de del and pepper over the oil. Top with the cooked tenderloin and let rest 5 minutes.

9) Slice the tenderloin into 1/4-inch slices, dredging with dressing from the board as you go.

10) Eat.