Aaaaand... done...

Well, cycle two is done, at least.

I plan to enjoy my two week break.  Next treatment is 3/11.

Update on Pop... the Visiting Angels service started coming this past week, so he has full time companionship.

The cost of the service is more than his monthly retirement income, but there is money in the bank to cover the overage.

He may not have anything left to leave to his kids and grand kids, but he will be able to stay in his home.

He's not happy about a stranger coming into his home, and he doesn't know yet that it's that, or a nursing home.

We'll see how it goes.

Have I mentioned that I finally signed up for Cleaning for a Reason?  It's a free cleaning service for WOMEN in chemotherapy.

Not sure why men don't qualify.

Anyway, no less than a dozen people posted links or sent me messages on facebook regarding this service over the course of my treatment so far.

When my cousin Marta did it, I finally decided to check it out.

I filled out the application, and I got a doctor's note indicating that I am in treatment, which I faxed to them.

And then I waited for like 4 weeks for them to match me with a service.

Then the service they matched me with never returned my calls.

Then the Cleaning for a Reason person didn't answer my email....

So I gave up on it, BUT I posted about the bad result on Facebook, since all of the referrals I had received over the past year were on Facebook.

My cousin saw my post, was upset, and contacted Cleaning for a Reason on my behalf and, lo and behold, my patient advocate was suddenly in touch again.

She called, AND emailed, and I was matched with a new service within about 48 hours, instead of 4 more weeks (and I am quickly running out of time that I will be in treatment, so this is good.  They come once a month for 4 months...I am not going to tell them my treatments end on 3/27 unless they ask, since it took them so long to get this process going).

The new cleaning service called me, and is coming on Wednesday to clean my house for the first time!!

Dave has a massive amount of vacation time, so he can be here when they're here.

I spent yesterday clearing away clutter, and putting stuff away that was just tossed into the office, since the room has not been used since it was a guest room when Margaret stayed here in November.

I posted about this "tidying" process on Facebook, too, and was gently chided for doing it!

Hello?

If I want to get the greatest benefit from people coming to sweep, mop, dust/polish, and clean, I have to make way for them to be able to DO IT!!

Cleaning up for the cleaning service had NOTHING to do with fear of judgement, as a couple of people said.

If I had been afraid of judgement, I would not have posted before and after pictures on the internet!

There was clutter seemingly everywhere.  How are they supposed to dust and polish a table that's covered with crap?

SO...I got that all done, too.....and did NOT clean, though I wanted to!

It's also true that, compared to some houses I have been in, ours is immaculate.

Truly.

We keep it pretty clean, and when company is coming, it's REALLY clean.  I treat our guests with respect, and prefer give them a clean place to stay.  That's just my way.

However when no company is due, and it's just us, and we work all week, and I am tired from treatment....well...."Stuff" just gets left here and there to be dealt with later, and then it lies there until one of us gets tired of looking at it.

Anyway, the floors are ready for them (I did not do my weekly sweeping or vacuuming),  the table tops are ready for them (I did not dust and polish), the dresser and book cases are ready for them (I did not dust and polish), the desk is ready for them.

All I did was "de-crappify," as my friend Cathy put it!

I am excited about this, but, now that it's finally happening, Dave is like "are you sure you want to do this?"

YOU ASK ME NOW?!  Too funny.

YES, I am sure.  I put it off for a year! You're going to be home when they're here.  What is the problem?

Sigh.  (I know he is going to read this, and I hope he doesn't mind my saying this... )

Anyway.... also did two cooking projects yesterday, and dealt with an algae bloom in the hot tub (which happens every time we change the water because there is so much algae in OKC water), so it was a very busy, very full, hard working day for me.

I didn't even look at my phone to see if anyone called or texted.

Today, we are going to try again to get Turbo Tax to work. Wish us luck!