We really were on vacation, by the way. That wasn’t just code for chemo. Chemo starts tomorrow. Hip hip horraaaaaaaayyhackhackhhhhuuuuurrrrllll. I hope you liked the guest posters because there may be a few more of those coming up (if anyone would like to write something, just let me know).
Our trip, during which we rent a cottage on Cape Cod for a week each summer, had been planned since February and there was no way I was going to let cancer fuck it up. Because I think you can guess when chemo was scheduled to start. Vacation week. Of course it was. Until I told them I’d rather die of cancer than spoil our family vacation with chemo. They didn’t find that as funny as I thought they would, but they did agree to change it, so that’s what counts.
Last week was a much-needed eye in the proverbial storm. The weather, in case you didn’t notice, was amazing. Could it have been more perfect? No, I think not. We waded in tidal pools and built sandcastles and fished.
We collected and freed polliwogs.
We saw seals in the waters off beautiful Nauset, where it pours bean green over blue. (Which Husband refused to harpoon.)
We mini-golfed and majorly gorged on ice cream. We barbecued and went out to eat at the Brewster Fish House and got fried fish at Arnold’s and lobster rolls from Maurice’s.
I took 45 outdoor showers. I read books and decoded many a quote from Einstein and Descartes out of the cryptogram book Husband gave me. Because I’m a cryptogram addict. Forget sudoku. Sure, there’s logic to sudoku, but there’s no art. If Scrabble is the apple pie of word games then cryptograms are pot brownie sundaes with hot heroin sauce, whipped amphetamines, sprinkled with crack-nuts, and topped with a bourbon-soaked cherry. I love them so. Decode this: DYV UEDIORYP PDQQRGO UD RYWDYV ZED CGAYLO HV UEAO OIYPRV PIGAYL MEVHD.
One of the days during vacation, I managed to work bacon into every meal. Bacon and eggs for breakfast, BLTs for lunch, grilled bluefish for dinner with a tomato and bacon vinaigrette as seen in the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. Yes, that’s right, we even bought a newspaper. There was no Internet connection, you see. Not that I didn’t try to hijack one, as I wandered around the perimeter of the yard with my laptop, holding it over the fence into the surrounding properties. Whatever. The point is: it was a fabulous vacation. I forgot my troubles and my troubles forgot me. Now I feel as though I’m ready for absolutely anything, though I would never dare say such a thing. That would be stupid.
Glad your back - found your blog when searching for local food ideas. It has been wonderful!
Good luck tomorrow.
Posted by: Nicole | July 20, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Best. Vacation. Ever.
Posted by: Husband | July 20, 2009 at 02:14 PM
1. I love that you got to take a vacation.
2. Those pictures are fantastically fun.
3. My husband begs me to make bacon and cheese anything.
4. I think it would be a hoot to write for you, but I fear I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy.
5. GOOD LUCK TOMORROW. Kick that chemo's ass!
Posted by: Amy | July 20, 2009 at 03:41 PM
Glad you took the vacation. Cancer can wait. Well, not for long, but at least for a week. As usual, if you need ANYTHING, email, call, whatever. If you have a desire to lounge by a pool, or the kids need a pool break, they would be welcome at our house any weekend day. It is a small inground pool, 3 or so feet deep at one end, 7 feet at the other. Dad could bring them by to give you a break if you want. I will email you with my phone number in case you want. I am totally serious. Cooper loves older boys. Good luck!
Posted by: MidLifeMama aka Michele | July 20, 2009 at 04:07 PM
Tammy, so glad you had a great time! You so lucked out with the weather it was probably the best week we've had all summer. I am totally jealous of your vacation, I loved the seals!
Anyway, good luck tomorrow, you are an inspiration to us all with your sense of humor and kick ass attitude!
Posted by: giovanna | July 20, 2009 at 04:31 PM
You removed my comment!
Posted by: cookiecrumb | July 20, 2009 at 10:03 PM
Or else I'm horribly paranoid, and forgot to do the word verification thingie before I left the page.
Remove this!
ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO ANYONE WHO BRINGS ME THIS SUNDAE DURING CHEMO.
(I will understand if you're keeping the solution secret a little longer. But only a little. Damn, paranoid much?)
Posted by: cookiecrumb | July 20, 2009 at 10:08 PM
I love it when the weather cooperates! The guest bloggers were pretty fantastic (I will never get the idea of M&Ms sprucing up a bowlful of beans out of my brain) but I'm super glad you popped back in for an update.
mmm... what's a vacation on the cape without lobster rolls? That looks incredible.
Posted by: melch | July 21, 2009 at 02:09 AM
Thinking of you today with best wishes. Sarah
Posted by: Sarah | July 21, 2009 at 08:10 AM
So glad you had a great vacation, weather included.
Outdoor showers are the best!
Posted by: Karen @ Mignardise | July 21, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Only thing better than and outdoor shower is an outdoor shower while eating bacon-topped lobster roll.
Mmmmmmaaaaahhhhh...
Posted by: NurseJen | July 21, 2009 at 06:30 PM
NurseJen: Now THAT I haven't tried. Next year.
Karen: Agreed. You just can't beat a roofless shower.
Sarah: Thanks so much.
melch: It was an incredible week. It's going to be my secret weapon.
CC: I would never delete your comments (not anyone's, but especially not yours!). Typepad is having technical difficulties--it very nearly deleted two of mine, the bastards. As for your decoding, good on you. Very well done. So, um, are you going to bring me one?
giovanna: We did totally luck out. I feel bad for the people who vacationed around here during the month of June.
Michele: Thanks so much. I bet the older one would love that. The younger one still freaks out when he gets water on his face in the tub. He shrieked through all 8 sessions of swim classes. So I'll spare you that, but maybe we can make a date for 1 out of 2.
Amy: You are most worthy. I've sent you an e-mail.
Husband: Glad you liked it, too!
Nicole: So glad you're finding it useful. Welcome and thanks for commenting.
Posted by: Tammy | July 22, 2009 at 08:14 PM
I was going to bring you a sundae (as specified) but I didn't know if I'd be able to get out of your way before you performed your pyrotechnic-acrobatic barfing skills. In other words, I doubted you'd really want one.
xx
Posted by: cookiecrumb | July 22, 2009 at 09:08 PM