On a Much Lighter Note

I had to borrow this image off of Google, because it made me think of what might have happened to gentleman I was driving next to on the interstate today, at 80 mph. Obviously, we have all seen the occasional driver who needs to pick their nose, or the lady who puts her make-up on while sitting at the stop light. This gentleman, who was initially behind me, passed us doing at least 80, while brushing his teeth. I wondered at that moment, where was he going? I mean it was 3:00pm, and he was obviously in a hurry, he didn't even have time to brush them at home. Then came the next question, maybe he was coming from somewhere, not headed somewhere? He brushed and brushed, I'm guessing with a dry toothbrush, because I didn't actually observe him spitting out the window at any point.

I decided after observing while driving, that he had somewhere important to be. When he finished brushing his teeth, he took a really good long look in the rear view mirror, and started picking his nose, apparently not realizing he was not the only one on I-25 today.
Thank you unsafe driver, I needed a good laugh today!
If you have seen something outrageous while driving please share your story. I laughed so hard today!

Relief and Pain

Maria passed away yesterday, Saturday November 10th, at 4:30pm. The doctor thought that her passing would take place the day before, but unfortunately for her, her heart just would not stop beating. I saw Maria both Friday and Saturday at a Hospice Care Facility, and truth be told, she deserved to be able to move on. There is something about watching a person you love, suffer...and that is what was happening to her. She was such a good person, and you had to feel like it was just time, for her time here, to be over. She was not even close to the person I had lunch with, just one week before. That is all it took, to change everything.
Maria's husband, Quentin, said on Saturday morning, that it seemed so unfair that vital organs she needed to survive were consumed by cancer, yet her heart and lungs kept fighting for life...almost like they didn't understand what had changed.
Maria will be missed by so many, who are also grateful that she is no longer responsible for fighting this body ravaging disease.
R.I.P. Maria Kruse, you are already missed.

Watching

How do you say goodbye to someone you love? To watch them fight so many battles, and know that this, is the last one.
Maria was born to Ukrainian parents. They struggled to raise their children and come to America. She met the man of her dreams, and married him back in the early 70's, I believe. Before all of their friends started having babies, they had tried for years..She miscarried so many times that she gave up on having kids, and decided to be active in all of her dear friends' kids lives.
Deidra and I spent many nights with Maria and Quentin. They still live in the same house that we have so many fond memories of. Maria used to take us to the store and buy us "Blue Smurf Marshmallows", and she always made sure to have scented markers.
3 years ago Maria was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer, I believe there are several hundred forms of breast cancer...she had the worst one...the one that they tell you, if you beat it now...it will return somewhere else sometime. She won the first battle.
In April she went in for her 6 month evaluation, she had been cancer free for 2 years, and the news was good again...there was no cancer.
In June she was once again diagnosed with cancer, only this time it was in her liver. A month and a half after getting a clean bill of health, she was told that there was nothing they could do for her this time. She tried to do chemo to prolong her life, but it was killing her faster than the cancer was. She went home and tried to enjoy her time, while in the back of head knowing that she was going to die.
Maria was admitted back into the hospital yesterday. I just can't believe that her life here with all of us who love her, will soon be gone. She is being eaten by this disease, robbing her of her dignity, and taking her mind. She is the first person in my life, that I have had to watch go through this horrific disease. I hate it for her, and for Quentin, and for everyone that loves her. It just doesn't seem fair.

One Month

December 4th, 1977 I was born....On December 4th, 2007 I will celebrate my 30th birthday.
One more month of my 20's.