birthday pics

So I turned 3 a few days ago.. and some wonderful people chipped in to get me a big stand mixer  :)  I was actually surprised.  We're still working on the cake, so we've postponed the inaugural cookie mixing until we finish all this delicious chocolate cake!  You can tell it's good by the way that elephant is sinking.. Corrie and Mary also painted some scenes for behind the 'birthday chair' (a Peterson tradition of sorts).

low-tide bike ride

We got two rental bikes on Tybee for only $8 per day, so we rode to the ice cream shop and rode back on the beach:
(video clip)

Relay for Life

Our small team raised over $400 --- thanks to everyone who helped out!
Part of the USP student council 'camping out' at the Relay.
A few clips:

Stay away from online Scrabble

It's nerve wracking. In this Battle of Brians, I skipped two turns... both times waiting to make a 7-letter play. Together, we made 3 of those so far (50-point bonus each time). I had all of 'bouquet' on my rack, but had to play it with only 6 letters.

I thought I was crushed until I played 'pregnant' on the triple word score. But with only 9 tiles left in the bag, I'm stuck with LLEEAAI :(

Oh, the drama.

Brian update

All clear! The CT and labs are still clear, after 3 years, and to quote Dr. Jones: "cured" :)
He said now we just have to watch my overall radiation exposure (from x-rays, CT scans, etc.)
Ironic that the things they use to diagnose cancer will actually cause it :(

I'll go back for a checkup in 6 months. Now, off to the dentist for the first time in ... over a year!? Yikes.

Stay tuned to the blog over Christmas for lots of fun updates ; )

Dr. Jones

Just an update from Brian: I was supposed to have a checkup around September... but you know we've been a little busy. Finally got around to setting up an appointment with a provider here, and went in today. /\ This is Dr. Jones /\
He was wearing a bow tie today too, so I guess that's his thing. Nice guy - his son may be a student in our program next year...so it would be interesting if I was his advisor! Today was just filling out all the registration forms, vitals, trying to remember my recent medical history and relay it to Dr. Jones, and scheduling a few more things (CT scan next week, follow up with Dr. in December). He noticed one of my lymph nodes was a little swollen but said it's probably nothing - and could only feel it because I was thin. Nevertheless he wants to keep an eye on it because of my history, of course. I did tell him that my nodes (in my neck) have been through a lot this year. Remember my finger? I had the same thing in my ear a few weeks ago, at the end of the conference I attended in Chicago. Urgent Care swabbed it and tests came back MRSA. Scary for a while there, but it went away with strong antibiotics. Oh, I didn't post about that? Sorry - no pics on that one! I looked like a boxer with a huge cauliflower ear or somthing and couldn't sleep on that side for about a week. Was more concerned for Carrie and Corrie, but docs said not to worry if we were careful.

Funny story about the clinic here: they made me take off my shoes and measure for height. Turns out I'm only 5'10" or 5'11". Of course their wall scale thingy is a bit off! :) They said they already have an ongoing debate about it - but I told them it was definately at least 2" off. I'm about 6'1.5" They drew blood for tumor markers and I was on my way with my Spongebob bandaid.

Corrie and Chicago

People at Borders and outside Panera just loved her and little umbrella. This pic was before she put on her rain boots..
Below is me in my corner room at the Chicago hotel (NACADA conference) on Wacker and Michigan, and the nice view:
Across the street (not pictured) was the new Trump tower being finished.

300th image on Istock

This was it: the stinkage factory that Carrie mentioned a few posts ago.Click the image to see more on Istock...

teaching my first class at Purdue today

EDPS 105 is 'Educational and Career Planning', required of all of our USP students (most of whom are undecided, undeclared, 'exploratory', whatever you want to call it). The class is technically in the Educ. Psychology department. I have 27 of my own advisees in the class, so it should be fun :)
I'm in Recitation Hall, an old-school building in the middle of campus: the one on the far right in this photo:University Hall is in the middle, and is even older-school. Well, off to lunch.

at work

My window is the only one with the blinds pulled up on the 8th floor (top is 10th floor). See it? Here's the inside: