Things have finally calmed down in my system so I can blog. Feels that way anyway, future tests will show over the next month.
About 10 days ago I had my third liver biopsy since this whole mess started about 2.5 years ago. Another transjugular biopsy done at the Royal Victoria hospital in Montreal. It’s supposed to be a more or else routine and safe day-long thing … but I guess it was not so for me. Read More »
Ya so … we had a bit of snow in the St-Jean/Montreal Area last week. A good 3+ feet of dense snow in the fields. Pile that up on the sides of the roads and you have this:
That’s a lot of snow. We would have been stuck inside for days, but luckily we had a guy to come clean the yard, and this young chap to finish the rest. 
As you can see, the snow bank is just over my nephew’s head and he’s as tall as I am (almost). That’s our house, it’s a bungalo … but you can’t see any signs of the lower level! Nick, my niece (Sarah) and the rest of the kids in the neighbourhood had a ball playing in it all; making forts, snow fights… the whole deal. Reminded my of when we were kids and getting this much snow was the norm. Turns out though that we haven’t had this much in such a short period since 1973! We have pictures of my sister and cousin Suzy playing on the snow pile at the old homestead (at age 4?) … and that was one huge pile!
Anyway, it was a warm day today and a lot of it is melting. Enough to clear the roads, which is good (neither I or my sister has snow tires!). I guess there is a new law coming into force soon in Quebec requiring snow tires for 6 months of the year. I like the idea, though it’s a bit too long to require it by law. Nov15 to Apr15 … could safely shave off a month or at least 2 weeks on either end of that. Sucks ’cause no money for tires here! Will be lucky to pay car registration in March - that’s like 240$ I think. Will try to save up for it, but it’s going to be really hard! but what else can you do eh?
Anyway, I’ve got to log off here and go spend a few more hours with the kids. They are leaving tomorrow for almost 2 weeks to stay at their dad’s. No Christmas here. I don’t miss the presents (I don’t get much or any anyway!) nor do I miss the rush to cook a huge meal or the dishes! Oh how i hate dishes … I waste my life washing dishes. 2-3 times a day, plus loading and unloading dishwasher. grrrrrrrrr. Plastic plates and cups … ya, that’s what i need! Along with some free delivery coupons! lol.
Terry has a few little ‘wobbles’ but goes out with the same dignity and style that we all would expect from such a classy guy. This mornings farewell show on CHOM was an odd mix of sadness, memories, and goodwill … which is fitting since that is how most of Montreal feels today. Read More »
Terry DiMonte leaves CHOM FM, ROB KEMP from Mix96 takes over!
To me, this is probably the biggest news to hit Montreal for a very long time. As a kid, the first person I listened to on the radio was Terry. As a teen, I grew up listening to Terry. When I went to college in Montreal, I listened every morning! And when I went away to the US to work on my career and got homesick for Montreal … I listened to Terry on the internet! It’s weird to say this … Terry really made me feel at home wherever I was. I can think of no greater tribute to the guy than to say that. Terry is forever in Montreal’s heart and soul, and will be missed by all. Read More »
I really haven’t been updating this very much. Everything is going OK I guess. I had a small flare up of liver problems a few months ago, but that has cleared up now and have actually been able to lower my medication a bit. Back is still in pretty bad shape in terms of flexibility, but the pain is a lot more manageable. Read More »
I had a bunch of time left in the city yesterday after my vascular competency test (which not only sucked, but told us nothing about my circulation problems. lol) … so I decided to spend some time up on top of the mountain, overlooking my favourite city. Was a great day for it too, about 22C and sunny with a little breeze. Started my journey at Beaver lake where I walked around for a bit until I sat down to have a little snack with the duckies. Then I hoped back in the car and drove over to the main parking lot - spent some time poking around in the “Maison Smith” which houses a small museum of sorts, a giftshop, and an amazing mass of Gabbro rock in the basement - which had been polished by the last glacial event. Read More »
I was filled with pride yesterday while driving into the hospital … my sister and her 2 kids spent some time on the radio talking about their experiences at the Montreal Children’s hospital - trying to help out during their annual fund raiser. Kids were so cute (on CHOM, mix96 and CJAD radio), and it dawned on me how much help this hospital has been to our family and our city. Read More »
Yesterday, I finally managed to hook up with some old university buddies who were in town visiting. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them (a couple years perhaps!) and almost a decade since we hung out on a regular basis. Nice to know that they haven’t changed and we still get along as if we hadn’t missed a beat. I’m continually impressed with Leyla and Kim - strong, independent, motivated, easy-going gals who are so positive and fun to be around. Everyone needs people like that in their life to keep them focused. I was encouraged by their recent successes in life and future plans … Read More »
