Northern California... I love you.
402. Clipboards with fat stacks of graph, pink and bright-orange lined paper.
403. Remembering the day my Mother taught me to drive and how fast I took that turn in my high school's parking lot.
404. Finger foods on pretty trays.
405. My friend Lori (from The Nova Studio.)
406. Apple fritters.
407. Dustin new found love for Pumpkin Spice Frapps. They smell so good!
408. Form fitting woolen coats on beautiful men.
409. The first thoughts of what I'll stuff the stockings with.
410. Making a huge pan of homemade macaroni and cheese for friends and enjoying it together.
411. This scene and song from The Labyrinth
412. Thinking about fire logs in the fireplace.
413. Winning an eBay auction.
414. Learning about reproduction.
415. Sharing recipes.
416. Dreaming about THIS adult Duel Trike, so Dustin and I could ride together. I haven't ridden a bike in YEARS and the exercise would be amazing for me! I'd get sea-foam green and the high back seats! Oh, to dream!
417. The Features (band).
418. Making an appointment to get my nails done. Pampering!
419. Green beans.
420. Stuffing paper rolls with coins and admiring all your new found loot.
421. Pretty jars of clay and powders.
422. Drooling dogs with dopey looks on their faces.
423. Zombie movies.
424. A good fortune from a cookie.
425. Mini paper umbrella in drinks and how special they make me feel.
A few years ago, Dustin and I, along with his brother Jerrod and his cousin Mikey (who was visiting from out of town) went to see Nine Inch Nails in concert. Jerrod had received tickets for his birthday, and after his friends bailed on him and rejecting the idea of going with his parents, Dustin volunteered (Dustin loves NIN, so it was a win/win/win).
Anyway, after seeing the two opening bands preform, the mood was electric. Mikey, who was always kind of a sweet, smooth guy, somehow managed to attract the attention of these two 40-something semi-MILFs. They came over to our seating area and were dancing and hitting on the two boys. These tow ladies pulled out cheesy cigarettes and started smoking and were all sweaty and just the epitome of a drunken (not really) "Hot Mess." I don't think either of the boys cared much, as a woman is a woman to a 17 year old. Right?
Well, after a few minutes of grinding up on my dear brother, one of the semi-MILFs, the blond one, was so overcome by alcohol, music, cigarettes and teenage boys, that she fell over.
And I just happened to snap a picture at that exact moment.
Notice the hand poking up from the bottom of the photograph?
Good times.
When the cancer came back for the second time, after 10 years of being healthy, Dustin and I were pretty much up a poo creek without a paddle financially. We had, six months prior, moved to Spokane, Washington, where we hoped to start our lives. Within a month of finding the cancer, we decided that I needed to move back to California so that my family could take care of me, while Dustin worked (in Washington, mind you) to keep our insurance. The insurance that was to help pay for my $70,000 lung removal (pneumonectomy), as well as my hospital stay, rounds of chemo and other medical what-have-yous.
Long story short, Dustin's boss turned out to be a complete (COMPLETE) douche (pardon) and scheduled Dustin to work just enough hours to make a zero dollar paycheck, after the co-pay for our insurance. Yeah... $0. We still have one of the checks that reads "zero dollars and zero cents," because the fact that his boss would even mail Dustin a $0 paycheck, is so sad and funny and wrong that we couldn't throw it away. After a few weeks, Dustin flew down to California to be with me for a few days during my surgery and then promptly flew home to get back to work. Upon arrival, Dustin discovered that his boss, Captain Douche (pardon, again), had removed Dustin from his insurance plan because he figured that Dustin would be leaving his job anyway....Yeah. No questions or anything, he just removed Dustin from the plan. Maybe he figured that Dustin and I had $100,000 saved up and couldn't wait to spend it on the removal of my lung, so we no longer needed insurance...? Good grief. But, alas, that is not what this post is about.
We were desperately poor -- Dustin had friends up in Spokane that were generous enough to let Dustin set up camp in the basement or on the couch so he could stay and work during the days of zero dollar paychecks. After his boss removed him from the insurance plan, Dustin moved back home, to California, and began looking for a job. During that time, I was still doing fun hospital stuff, prior to starting my chemo, and the bills that were no longer covered by the Spokane insurance, were piling up.
Our friends and Family came to our rescue. Dustin's cousin held a fundraiser at a local night club for us. People we had never even met gave money to us. People opened their hearts and gave in our time of need. After seeing such ugliness from Dustin's boss, we were blessed with amazing amounts of love and generosity. These people helped us pay for our damaged car (an uninsured woman crashed into Dustin on the way home from the hospital after my surgery. No one was hurt, thankfully... minus the car). They helped us pay our bills. They helped us go on a date, when I was up to it. They helped save us.
Tonight (Thursday), I found the manila folder that held all of the cards and emails and the tally that Dustin's Mom and Dad (you guys rock, have I told you that lately?) kept for us. These people, most of whom had never set eyes on us, sent us beautiful cards and kind words through the internet. So, if any of you wonderful people are reading, please know that my heart will love you for all of your and my days. Thank you.
You helped save us.
Shortly after, Dustin found a job (with the Company that he still currently works for). He was able to get immediate insurance coverage for the two of us and somehow we weren't effected by "pre-existing condition" thing that so many companies enforce. Things fell into place like the little pieces of puzzles sometimes do. The ebb and flow of life is crazy and frustrating and ugly and beautiful.. but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
WE wouldn't trade it for anything.
[2010]
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