Evidently it CAN be Done…

So last weekend was the big camping trip I mentioned being nervous about in a few posts. It’s not so much the camping that worried me, but rather the camping with perishable meds.

Fortunately, the stars were aligned, and the weather worked in my favor. It was perfect. Warm (but not too warm) during the day, and cool (but not too cool) at night. The cooler stayed cold, the medication stayed cool (without freezing), and I was able to inject myself (albeit not in the most sterile of conditions) without issue.

Had it been a really hot weekend, it may not have been quite so smooth. But under the circumstances it was a piece of cake. Which means I was able to put my mind at ease and enjoy the weekend. Here’s some photographic evidence to support that claim…


We had delicious steak with wine sauce and melted gorgonzola cheese the first night, complete with roasted corn. Holy crap was THAT delicious...


On this trip I was also reminded of the lost art of Jiffy Pop. And Uno. Awesome.














And of course, the true sign of a good vacation is a pair of happy and exhausted dogs.

And on that note, I leave you with a picture of the sunset as seen from our campsite--and a recommendation for Lake Maria State Park in Monticello any time you need a quick getaway.

Where does the time go?

Tomorrow I have my three-month follow-up appointment with DSO. It's hard for me to believe that more than three months have passed since my first diagnosis, and the symptoms and tests and ensuing confusion leading up to the diagnosis are actually becoming something of a blur.

As I mentioned before, I have officially finished a full cycle of Copaxone, and things are going as well as can be expected. I expect DSO and I will discuss the side effects I have been experiencing, and I suspect I will find out that all is progressing nicely with some minor inconveniences.

As the days continue, and if I remain symptom free (as I fully expect I will), I am at a loss for what to post to this blog. Any reader suggestions would be welcomed. :)

In the meantime, I mentioned that I have had some travels in the past few weeks, so I will leave you with a few of my favorite photographs from the second of the two excursions--a few shots from my best friend's beautiful, amazing, and unforgettable wedding in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. As a side note, she is an amazing person who has an amazing family who pooled together unique sets of talents to pull off a virtually perfect day.

First, some of the many floral arrangements the bride, her mother, and a friend of her mother's created:



And then a shot of the family and wedding party toasting the bride and groom with home brew made by the bride's cousin (yes, he provided ALL of the beer and root beer for the event):



And a sampling of the creative and graphic design genius imparted by the bride and her groom:





And finally a shot of the many delicious cakes prepared by my best friend's aunt, who (along with her husband) was also owner and designer of the wonderful home at which the event occurred. Ah, what a wonderful weekend.

From a Tex Mex Food Coma in San Antonio

Greetings, dear readers. I must apologize for the lack of postings in the recent days, and in advance for the probable lack of postings until later this week. I'm in San Antonio for work, on the heels of a fun-filled weekend in Iowa. And this evening, I'm sitting in my hotel room attempting to prepare for a conference tomorrow from the depths of a self-inflicted Tex-Mex food coma. Blarbagalakea (that's how seemingly normal words look in my head right now).

I will, however, leave you with a few snapshots from my stint as a tourist this afternoon (while searching for a grocery store, I popped out my camera and took some pictures--interesting side note... downtown San Antonio doesn't have a single grocery store, or so the gentleman at the five and dime told me).

Touristy photo #1--Remember the Alamo (side view) (oh, and it was closed... hence the gates)


Touristy photo #2--Super cute little artist market thingy (totally got turned around and ended up in the middle of it)


Touristy photo #3--The Infamous Riverwalk (the section that bumps up to the back of my hotel)


And finally, Touristy photo #4--Super cool gnarly tree (I saw a few of these--they look like they're straight out of a scary Headless Horseman movie or something!)


**Note--this posting was scheduled to be about traveling a week or so into treatment, but since DSO is a rock star who changed my meds, those postings will have to wait until after treatment begins on July 7**

Photographic Debrief--My Weekend at the Farm

My parents are now (as of Friday!) the official owners of our family farm--a beautiful farm in Iowa that has been passed from my Grandparents (Grandpa was born there) to my Uncle Mark and his family, and finally to my parents. I couldn't think of a better occasion to further "break in" my new camera. Following are a few of my favorite shots of spring on the farm...