Thought I'd just quickly check in here and give everyone an update.

Eric is going for a CT scan today that we hope will show that his intestinal fistula has healed. If so, that darned drain can finally come out. Talk about a thorn in one's side! (Bad pun -- I'm sorry.) He's had the drain in since February. It's about time it came out. Tomorrow he goes for his third Remicade treatment. In case I forgot to explain Remicade (or you just don't feel like trying to look it up), it's a monoclonal antibody that is administered in a three-hour IV infusion. Remicade is used to treat Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. It fights the inflammation. If the treatments are successful for Eric, his disease should go into remission and he will be healthy for a good while.

Issue #32 of the magazine is actually at a printer right now! It would have arrived there this morning. We should have more info by tomorrow (such as when we can see printed copies and when it will mail to subscribers).

I'm beginning to feel a bit better -- but still have some bad (low) days or parts of days. The problem I'm noticing now is that I'm often very nervous. I take a sedative for this, but it seems to be less effective than it had been. The good news is that I've been feeling up to doing work for at least some periods during the day. I'm still trying not to overwork myself or overstress myself.

Next month I will be ... older again. I'm not looking forward to it. I'm hoping I get through it without too much trauma.

On Thursday, I'm getting my hair done. It's long overdue. I'm still not sure what color I will have it done. But I know that I'm tired of blond. It's way too normal for me.

I'll write more when I have more to say.

--Mary

The Fourth of July Fire

Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Hazy, hot, humid. That's what it was, the Fourth of July. Independence Day. I actually swam a little (with my nephews' 45 Waterbabies sunblock slathered all over to prevent any burning). I sat under an umbrella and watched the gentle waves lap against the rocky shore. The breeze right down by the water was wonderful. Perfect.

After dinner and sundown the men and older boys started setting up the fireworks. They've done this every Fourth for years and years. Surely they knew what they were doing. Surely.

The first few fireworks were dazzling. Things were progressing nicely. Then a Roman candle fell over and all hell broke loose. (I think this is why fireworks are outlawed in many states.) It spun around on the ground still shooting it brilliant -- and hot -- colorful sparkles. One live ember hit the box of fireworks, but some quick-thinking (and quick-moving) person got to it and doused it before anything started to explode. Several of the colorful bursts landed in the brush on the dune leading down toward the beach. There was a brush fire. Oh, yes. The neighbor on one side put out a burning bush in his yard. The hose that was attached to the house reached only halfway across the yard -- not nearly far enough to reach the burning brush. The men and boys grabbed coolers filled with water and began dousing the flames. Finally, it seemed to be under control. It was only a few moments, really. The neighbor on the other side brought over a long hose and suggested they soak the brush well to be sure nothing was left smoldering.

That was enough excitement for me for the day. I have no idea if they continued setting off the fireworks. I hope next year they'll be more careful.

A Trip to Mars and Locked In

Yesterday we went to visit a friend in NYC. The plan was to have dinner and chat. Being fans of the odd and the kitschy, our friend knew we'd enjoy a trip to Mars for dinner. Mars 2112 is a restaurant. A theme, tourist-trappy restaurant. And it was great fun.

You start out by getting your visa to travel to Mars. Then you wait for the shuttle. The shuttle is a typical-looking UFO-type craft -- a saucer. Once the shuttle is full, you take off. It's one of those "jolt-around" rides that can be hazardous to people with heart conditions or those who experience dizzy spells. The most memorable part was when the saucer rose up above NYC and the Twin Towers were standing there. You could hear several people murmuring "Twin Towers" or just "The Towers." After a bumpy ride, we debarked on Mars. The food was really very like it is here on Earth. There were a few people (employees, not patrons) dressed as "aliens." It was an amusing experience. Eric says the hamburger was pretty good, too.

After dinner, we headed back to our friend's apartment. We talked for a while and then said we had to go. We talked more and said we really had to go. We talked a little more and finally made the move to leave. But we couldn't. The door wouldn't open. The lock and knob set had somehow broken in the locked position. Our friend called a neighbor with a key. But he couldn't unlock the door from the outside. We took the knob and plate off, but could not get the door to unlock. Now it was getting later and we still had an hour's drive and ferret playtime ahead of us. The neighbor with the key knocked on another neighbor's door to ask if we could climb into their apartment from the fire escape (our friend and these neighbors share the fire escape) and go through their apartment to get out so we could be on our way. Fortunately, they were home and awake and didn't mind the intrusion.

Last I checked on our friend, she was still locked in her apartment, and her super was trying to get her out. I hope she gets out soon.

--Mary

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Today we're heading out to my brother's beach house for some sun & fun. Well, I'll probably be careful with the sun, seeing as I'm a fair person (vampyric, actually, if that's a word). I'll get to see a lot of family -- whether that's good or bad ... well... we'll see.

Right now the ferrets are out for a morning hop. They're a bit petered out by now, which means I'll get to start putting myself together and steeling myself for the LIE (Long Island Expressway, or as some call it, "Distressway") traffic. Actually, the traffic on the LIE isn't bad -- it's when you get to Riverhead and you run into local traffic. But it's a nice day and the car has good A/C, so I'll do my best not to let the traffic disturb me.

Richard Bach and The Ferret Chronicles

Eric and I interviewed Richard Bach last night for Issue #33 of the magazine. He's a very kind and gentle person, and talking with him was a wonderful tonic. His books Rescue Ferrets at Sea and Air Ferrets Aloft are in bookstores now -- go get copies of these, they are wonderful books! They are the first in what Richard sees as a long series of books featuring ferrets as the protagonists-teachers. For those who are thinking the name Richard Bach is familiar but can't quite place it, he's the author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, among many other wonderful books. Eric has been a huge fan for many, many years and was thrilled to be able to do the interview.

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Well, that's it for now. I have to go get ready. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Independence Day.

--Mary