Jump to content
DVDVR Message Board

The Really Swell News Thread


OSJ

Recommended Posts

 This is why I plan to go out with nothing but the clothes on my back...or even less than that, if I really go out the way I want.

 

Are you planning on pulling a Herb Abrahms exit? ;-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Newest nephew was born today. He was seven pounds with chubby cheeks and a lot of energy. His name is Stephen Axel Foley (I added the Foley, it'll stick) and I already love him so much. 

I'll be honest, the timing of his arrival is not great with Max still being so young. But I believe where there is hope there is life. I already can't imagine the world without him. 

I pray he stays healthy and is happy like his brother and sister. 

I do get mixed emotions when my sisters give birth. On one hand I love the babies and give everything I have. But I also get very sad, that I'm never going to be a father or have my own family. Unless they figure out how to install a Grendel uterus on a man.

'

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A project that I did the voice over for has been nominated as a finalist at the New York Festivals Worlds Best TV & Films in the PR category. The creative director and I went to high school together (he was an exchange student) and played in a band for four years together as well. He and I have stayed in touch and he uses me for voice over work from time to time. My nickname in his office is "The American." Here's the story and the link to the film.

 

http://www.avausmarketing.fi/en/a-finnish-brand-film-nominated-for-a-finalist-at-new-york-festivals/

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another update on my dad's condition:

 

Copied this from my sister's blog. 

 

My dad is doing well overall. He started having double vision during his pre-transplant conditioning, so about 4-5 day before his transplant he woke up with double vision and it has not yet gone away. They don't know for sure what caused it, it could be a side effect of the high dose chemotherapy. It could be scar tissue from the large growth that used to be behind his left eye (which is now gone but left a bit of residue behind). It could be a blood vessel in the left eye had a stroke in the vessel. They really don't know. At this point all he can do really is wait and see if it goes away.

 

After his transplant my dad had both his DNA as well as Brian's, and both blood types. This is called mixed chimerism. As the transplant does it job, the donor cells (Brian's) take over my dads cells, and he eventually becomes Brians DNA (more or less). 

They did blood work to test the levels about 3 weeks post transplant to see how much is him and how much is my brother, and on day +33 told us the was now 100% my brothers cells. They said this is great, and much earlier than most people.
 

I just read this study online that says people who reach complete chimerism by day 30-35 have the best survival odds of not relapsing. I hope there really is something to that. Some people take up to 100 days to be full donor, and some never do which at that point its considered a failed transplant, or failed engraftment.
 
 
He has a PET scan next month to see how things are progressing but so far it's all been positive news. Barring some sort of setback, he should get to come home for good around March 19th. The double vision might still be an issue since they don't know what's causing it, but if that's the worst of it we'll take it and be happy with it. 
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, it's that time of year again. The time I get ready to audition for an upcoming show at the local dinner theatre. This year I'll be trying out for Marcellus Washburn in "The Music Man." Everyone in this house is gonna be sick of hearing "Shipoopi" sung constantly for the next couple of weeks.  :P

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I laughed about this in "New Year's Resolutions",but the unthinkable seems to have happened. It's a week without a cigarette, longest stretch in 45 years. I have this fancyass vapor thingie that seems to do the trick. I'd tried it before with one of the cheap ones and didn't think much of it. This one retails for like $100 but I was able to talk the guy down to $50 and change. I'm not going to say that I'm a non-smoker yet, I'm a smoker that's happy to be vaping today. Will do the one day at a time thing, it certainly worked for the alcohol (coming up on 28 years). Wish me luck on this!

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I laughed about this in "New Year's Resolutions",but the unthinkable seems to have happened. It's a week without a cigarette, longest stretch in 45 years. I have this fancyass vapor thingie that seems to do the trick. I'd tried it before with one of the cheap ones and didn't think much of it. This one retails for like $100 but I was able to talk the guy down to $50 and change. I'm not going to say that I'm a non-smoker yet, I'm a smoker that's happy to be vaping today. Will do the one day at a time thing, it certainly worked for the alcohol (coming up on 28 years). Wish me luck on this!

The vape is how I quit after 25 years. I'm going on three years without a smoke. I don't vape anymore either. No nicotine at all. YOU GOT THIS MAN!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never thought I would be able to own a home after making mistakes in my 20's, but my wife and I were able to work on my credit and we closed on our first house last week. Close to 2800 sq ft, and much closer to town (and the things we do in town) than we were before. Of course my 6 yr old son christened the house by getting sick two days after moving in, such is life.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never thought I would be able to own a home after making mistakes in my 20's, but my wife and I were able to work on my credit and we closed on our first house last week. Close to 2800 sq ft, and much closer to town (and the things we do in town) than we were before. Of course my 6 yr old son christened the house by getting sick two days after moving in, such is life.

 

That is awesome, man.  Congrats.  Owning is so much better than renting (well, except for repairs and such) and wait 'til you do your taxes next year!

 

Also, congrats to you, OSJ!  Welcome to the club (non smoker for 18 years in April).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had a blast last night at Garrison Keilor's show at ISU, in the swank performance center. I had tickets on the 2nd balcony, really close to the stage. I had to buy them on stub hub at a premium, but it was well worth it. I'd highly recommend catching his show(basically funny stories and some songs) if he comes near you. . .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since my dad died 6 months ago, my mom has decided to move to Spokane to be closer to me and my brother (San Diego). She's been prepping her house for sale and getting rid of stuff. Every once in a while, she comes across a treasure, like this one we didn't even know existed:

In 1974, my family lived in Wales for 2 months so my dad could learn European floral design techniques (we owned a flower shop). While there, we visited Stonehenge. My mom found a box of movie film taken while we were at Stonehenge and just got it back from conversion to DVD. It's only about a minute long but so cool. Me and my brother (I was 2) playing on the stone formations. My dad all young and happy playing with me and my brother. Sure was dusty in the room when I watched it. All 50 times (so far).

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something along those lines.

 

I've been lucky to only lose one really key family member in my lifetime. That was my maternal grandfather, who passed away ten years ago this January. He was a force, born just after his parents arrived to the States from Lithuania and culturally jewish, but not overly religious. He worked the gyroscope on a Destroyer in the Pacific in World War II. He was a travelling jewelry salesman and, towards the end of his life, a furniture salesman. He was funny, exceptionally funny, with a story for any situation. That was part of his livelihood. He didn't drink, so when making sales, he relied on stories and jokes to break the ice. He was the center of attention, and I was the youngest grandkid and a smartass. We're all pretty funny (well not my sister), but my cousins are either broader in their humor or dopier, or more performance based. I'm the smartass. I saw him at least once a week as a kid since he took me to an appointment. 

 

When I was a teenager, he bestowed upon me the bible for his life, a beat up old red book full of all of those jokes, like the one that Lawler's talked about before, sort of a toastmaster's book, with all sorts of things a kid in 1994 shouldn't have, like every ethnic joke under the sun. And it held my attention for a little while but I was a teenager and I lost interest. He found it buried under things a couple of years later as I was distracted by the internet and he took it back. I always regretted that in later years, especially after he passed away when I was in London getting a Masters degree. 

 

It arrived in the mail last week. My aunt found it going through my (93 year old) Grandmother's things, and it was inscribed to me, so not knowing any of the story behind it, she sent it on. I'm very glad to have it again. 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...