Believing!

Where in the world have I been? Better yet, where haven't I been! I came back from walking 60 miles, was home a whole day and left for San Antonio to see clients and do a show. My Mom was in the hospital while I was there (how convenient was that). So, in between appointments and shows and everything else I was running back and forth to the hospital. First of I am a compassionate person, but my poor Mother is the most negative person on earth and I'm just the opposite. This is one of the main reasons I've NEVER told my Mother I'm ill. OMG, she would have me dead already and I mean DEAD! I believe you should always be positive when dealing with a ill person, you should try giving positive energy of some type. Even when a person is dying, I've always been the type to say things like "it's okay to fight the fight until you are ready to quit". I've just always believed that positive energy makes every situation so much better. In my Mother's case, I mention I'm not feeling well, and she swears I must have some deadly disease and she doesn't even know what is going on. Only if she knew. Any way, while there in San Antonio, my Mother had them run every test possible. The doctor was kind of enough to run the heart cath at 6AM so I could be there before I had my show set up. He was so sweet. So, my Mother has a blood disorder like pre-leukemia, which is not life threatening, she just has to watch it. But you would think she was dying, to hear her tell it.

I came home on a early flight on Friday morning so I could have chemo and then I left Sunday to go to the Minnesota/Dallas game with my friend Shelley Sake. I had so much fun! I've always wanted to see a game with her and this was my chance. She has season tickets and the joy to share this game with her in the MN Dome was WOW. I loved every minute - even the loss the Cowboys took! I allowed myself a vacation day and enjoyed the Mall of America there and had dinner with Shelley on Monday evening. It was so nice. I came home on Tuesday AM and enjoyed the week working here in the Dallas area. Even seeing the Rangers win to go to the World Series on Friday night was a WOW moment too! That is a team that BELIEVES!

Monday, I hit the air again for KC. The week has just flown by with the Cowboy loss on Monday and the Rangers loosing on Wednesday and Thursday. Seriously! But I still believe that we can win! Both teams! We can still pull it off. I had only 1 in 4 doctors believe that I would still be alive now! So, I will always BELIEVE - until the very last moment.

I'm gearing up for another 60 miles next weekend here in Dallas. I can't believe it's already here. It is and believe it or not, I'm doing it again. Chance is coming in and staying with me for the 3 Days. He'll keep everyone updated on Facebook. The nice thing is he believes I can do it! Is there something you've been wanting to do? Something you believe in? Go do it! Believe in yourself!

Komen 3 Day in Washington, D.C.

Well, I did it! 60 miles, well ok 54 miles in 3 Days. I had to take a "sweep"van for a few miles. This was the toughest of the walks I've done. If you've never done this type of walk, it's not only tough on the body but emotional as well. Let me see if I can give you a run down of my days.

I arrived on Thursday evening with Courtney. She was participating in her 9th walk, her 2nd this year. She'll be doing 3 total come Dallas. I aim to be like her and she's just twenty six. Our hosts Mark and LeeRoy were putting all eight of us up at their home. 7 Angels were walking this year with Reed doing "encouragement and nourishment". Mark prepared spaghetti to carb us up for the walk the next day.

Friday morning we woke up nice and early and prepared to ride the subway into Navy Yard to begin our walk at Nationals Park and 20.5 miles the first day. We saw some beautiful sights that day as we wound our way around the U.S. Capitol building, past the Smithsonian Museums and worked our way thru northwest Washington, DC into Bethesda. Reed was there to cheer us on as well as some people from the area. Jason, our team captain, become seriously ill about mile 5 and had to go home, Courtney being the Angel she was went with him. It was bad and that evening when we all arrived home, Jason was on his way to the hospital. It turned out he stayed two nights and was released Sunday to fly home. We still don't know if it was food poisoning or something viral. I say it was the egg thing he ate that morning. Just saying! That was the only item he ate the rest of us did not. We ordered Pizza that night and some of the team were determined not to walk the next day and went to bed early. But...

As my alarm went off at 6:30 Saturday morning and I climbed out of my sleeping bag to shut it off, my body aching and I said "oh no, I'm not walking". I descended the stairs down to the girls room and Shelva said "tj are you walking". I said "I think I can do 15 today". She said "I'm in" and Linda said "I'm in". I then went to tell Lorenzo, we were walking. Courtney was in and all 5 Angels were walking as Greg was at the hospital with Jason. The funny thing was I was the last to be ready. Reed came to me and said "are you ready". I growled at him and said "give me 5 minutes". I found out later that he came downstairs and said "she really needs 5 minutes". I was downstairs 5 minutes later. When I apologized later for being so grouchy at him, he laughed and said "the funny thing was, I took one look at you, hair all a mess, no makeup and I thought, she really does need more than 5 minutes". He was so sweet. This day was the toughest. The hills were bad. I'm talking busting your butt. Even marathon runners were having trouble with these hills. There were times that I found myself saying "tequila shot, tequila shot" all the way up a hill. Now, I don't drink much at all. I never did take a shot of tequila but for some reason that saying got me up many a hill. This was the day, I swept a bit. A sweep van is a van you can ride from one pit to another. I had blisters at one point that I had to see medical for. I've never had to do that. Normally, I can fix them myself, but these were bad on my soles. Both feet. I'm glad I went because the medic taught me what to do and we shared as to why we do these. We started the day in Bethesda and walked through Gaithersburg, MD on thru Blohm Park and finished back at camp that night. We walked thru tons of wooded areas and parks that day. That evening we headed to the hospital to see Jason before we headed "home". There Mark had prepared brisket and home made potato salad for us. Bed came pretty early after "popping blisters" and prepping feet and soaking bodies in tubs! BTW - did I say that this was a 23.5 day.

Sunday, last day of the walk. Reed and LeeRoy dropped us off at the starting point in North Bethesda. We would be walking the same route as we had walked on Friday. This would be a 16 mile day. We traveled past, the National Zoo, through Woodley Park and the cheering section at Dupont Circle. Now we stopped for lunch there and I had a weird thing happen. We were only about 4 miles from the end. We sat outside and listened to the cheering section and had brunch. I went inside to use the restroom and this woman asked me "when are you going to stop with all this mess and stop interrupting my day". Since I wasn't sure when the cheering was going to stop, I stated "I'm not sure". Now she's really starting to piss me off cause she's making this personal and I just look at her and say "when cancer is cured". I didn't notice that she had followed me outside but when I started to sit down she was right there and she looked at me and said "you need to work one on on with cancer survivors". I said "I am a cancer survivor". She must have had mental problems because she was wearing a wool coat and hat on a hot October day. I sat at the table and had a good cry because during the previous days, we really hadn't had that many people come out to cheer us on and it was so good to have so many come out on Sunday. I hope God finds a place for her. We finished our walk by going right by the White House on to the Reagan building to rest and we had our closing ceremony at the Washington Monument. We all went to eat at Linda's favorite place that evening.

Monday, we all packed and went in to Alexandar, VA for some sight seeing and then on to the airport to head home. Thank you for upgrades!

Now, some of my favorite memories from these days: On Friday, the woman in the car wearing the white headband that honked her horn and touched her heart to say, she was touched that we were walking. Bob, the Army vet, with his prosthetic leg, pushing his wheelchair sometimes and in it others but finishing all 60 miles. And at closing, taking off his leg to raise his shoe in honor of the survivors along with all of us. To the 23 year survivor that cheered us along and cried right along with us as she hugged us and said thank you to us. To the woman in the wheel chair that is dying of cancer that welcomed us home. To my teammates that took my hand, when I felt like I couldn't take another step and said "it's okay".

These walks may be difficult but so is fighting cancer. Sharla fought it to the bitter end. We laughed as we thought how she helped arrange the beautiful weather for us. We hope to have pictures up soon on sharlasangels.org. I'll do it again in Dallas in November. Seriously!

If walking 60 Miles in 3 Days is Crazy...

OMG! I'm blogging just a few days apart! I'm gearing up for the walk in DC in a couple of days. I don't know if I mentioned that during my brief night at home of a couple of weekends ago I had to pack for three trips in one night and one of those trips was the 3Day walk. Now, you shouldn't really pack for that trip in just a few hours. However I did! I had to have my bag over to a girlfriend's house the next AM before I flew out that afternoon so she could give it to my team captain the next day to ship the following week. I know, hard to follow, anyway, if you've never done the 60 mile walk, you have to prepare for almost any thing. You may start the day, cold, wet and finish hot. So, I had to pack layers and pack for three days. Not the easiest, my bedroom looked like a sporting good store had exploded in it. But I managed. Sometimes I wonder if my angels above go to God and say "look, we realize she needs help, just give her a break today". I imagine God looking down chuckling at me and just being amused. Seriously! I truly believe this is why I'm still on earth and not in Heaven with Hm. I'd be too darn bossy and a little more than He could handle. I'd have the clouds fluffier and the sky a little bluer and I'm sure that my halo would be crooked most of the time.

During my walks I wear angel wings (I had to pack them for the 3Day, so they didn't come with me to TN). It is only because that will be the only time, I'm viewed as an angel. Seriously!

Now, I'm going to ask for a few prayers. This walk is going to be difficult in a few ways! It will be our first walk as a team without Sharla. It will be my first walk without my family with me. Usually my son Chance goes along. He's my support and I know I can count on him. This is also the first that I honestly don't know if I can walk all 60 miles. So, just pray for the Sharla Schooley's Angels team. Keep up with me on Facebook! I'll also be on Twitter under TJsTake.

If walking miles in 3 Days is crazy, then I don't want to be normal! Seriously!

I don't even let my honey touch me before coffee...

I left home on the Tuesday, the 21st of September to head to Houston, TX for two end user shows and to spend one night before heading off to Gulfport, MS for a show in Moss Point, MS and two luxury nights there. Now, I had to change planes here in Dallas, so I ran to my car and dropped off dirty laundry and picked up some fresh clothes, that was all I saw of TX for the night. I begged the L man to drive thru the airport just so I could catch a glimpse of him. Oh, they checked my bags for explosives, not only in Houston that day but again in Dallas and when I was leaving Gulfport they not only X-rayed my bag, and X-rayed every passenger and they patted every passenger down as well. I said, "sweetie, I don't even let my honey touch me before coffee in the AM". She didn't find it funny at all. I finally spent the night in my own bed Friday night. Saturday afternoon I flew off to TN to join my good friend Jane Abbott for the weekend and walk in the Chattanooga 5K for the Cure with her husband Jeff and son Phil on Sunday. This is something dear to my heart and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Anna ran it with her girlfriends. Thank you but no thanks! Walking was a good warm up to my 60 miles weekend after next. I had blast being there with her until Monday. We had a huge family dinner on Sunday with all the kids except Scotty who is over in Afghanistan with the Marines. I was able to sleep in my own bed Monday night and was off again on the road on Tuesday after a show here in Grapevine. I drove up to Tulsa, OK where we had a show on Wednesday and then over to OK City on Wednesday evening where we had a show on Thursday. When I finally arrived home on Thursday night I was never so happy to see my home and my own bed. I might love what I do, but I sure love being home.

I had a great time seeing my friends in TN/GA. Jane and I caught up on all the current "girl talk" and had a fun just hanging with each other. I love being with my "other family".

I think it's time a do some serious time home. I was home a total 14 nights in September. Seriously! I'm home a little more this month.

Cowboys won! I now have the formal figured out. I can't watch them, I can't wear a jersey on game day and I must walk at least 3 miles for them to win. Well, they have a bye this week and next weekend I'll be doing the 60 miler in DC. So, that should not be a problem!! LOL!

I can't complain. Life is good - prayers are answered - not always in my way - but in His way. I just have to remember who is in control.

As I'm gearing up to leave on Thursday for this awesome 60 mile 3Day walk for the Cure. I'm requesting prayers. Would you please pray that my team and I make it safely thru the three days, that I have the will to say enough each day and not push it and that God reminds each of us why we do these walks. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Seriously!

The week I wished I could forget!

It has been an emotional week. First of all I had to fly to St. Louis Monday morning and then drive over to a small little town for a meeting. Did you just ever have one of those meetings where every thing that you suggested for their flyer or catalog the client rejected or thought you were out of your mind? Will this was that type of meeting. So after finally getting the manager to "see it my way" and I don't know why he wasn't trusting my judgement, I mean I have led them right the past two years, I just wanted him to take me out back and put me down. We were in a middle of a cow pasture after all (no, I'm not joking). I had to call my friend Mike just to ask the question "why did I do this job". For Mike to remind me "it's the 5 star hotels we stay in and the wonderful dining and the first class accommodations". Which none are true, but at least it made me laugh during the hour and 15 minute drive in my Nissan Rogue rental that was on it's last leg.

Tuesday, I had appointments in the St. Louis area. Most likely my favorite day. I did get my flu shot. Can you believe it - I'm in MO and was able to get my vaccination. Thank goodness! I had to set up for a show that evening and ran into all my buds, what a great way to end the day with Pizza and beer and buds.

Wednesday, the PPAM had their show in St. Louis and then we loaded up and headed to KC, KS. First of all I allowed a MN Viking to ride with me. Trouble! Just joking - Curt needed a ride since he couldn't get a rental once in town since he's license was expired. We had a terrible thunderstorm all the way in the 3 hour and 45 minute drive but it was worth it as we headed in and got set up and then headed to my favorite eating place in the entire state - Jack Stack BBQ. WOW!

Thursday, PPAM had their show in KC, KS. What can I say about this day, except in all my days of doing this job I've never had this happen to me. I had a man named CB come into my booth and he asked me what a product was and I told him it was the Go Green Bag Holder. When I explained that it was a holder for reusable bags to place on your grocery cart, he just went off on me. Called me a "true huggin, Obama lover" and then gave me the hail Hitler salute. I had to ask the man to leave my booth. What has the world come to, when you have crazies at trade shows as shallow as this. I reported him to the association but what is worse, he made me so angry I cried. Then I became angrier that I allowed him to get to me. OOOOOO!!!

I finally made it home on Thursday night with a big sigh. I was ready. Friday between chemo, work, radiation and everything else, I was trying to make sure I had everything in for the fundraiser on Saturday.

Let me talk about Saturday. It's been weighing heavy on my heart. My friends know that these walks mean more to me than anything. I would walk to the moon and back to make sure we raise enough money to find a cure for cancer. On Saturday was our fundraiser Pretty in Pink. So many of my friends have donated money, items to assist me in making sure that we get what we need to make the money to raise what we need to walk as a team. This year I've asked some very dear friends to help me out. But I was made to feel very "unwelcome" by my team captain on Saturday morning with one of my donations and then again on Saturday evening with another by the fact that he didn't even acknowledge the song that I had professionally written for us and all downloads are going to our team. We could have at least played it that evening or announced that you could purchased it. We did put a piece a paper with the info in the bags we handed out but I think hearing it would have helped. Now, it wouldn't be so bad if these would have been "oh, tj I didn't realize" but these were things we had spoken about in previous team meetings. One of them, he said I didn't give any solutions and it seemed as if he was saying I had presented a problem. He upset me so that I actually had to walk out of the last 30 minutes of set up. The L man was so surprised when I said "let's go". Oh, he was happy to have be get home and rest more, but I was so upset we couldn't really enjoy our time together. The team captain sent me a text but I wouldn't even respond and then he had one of the team members call me to make sure I was going to show up that evening. Which I was, I just needed to clear my head and I told her that. The event was nice and we raised some nice dollars, I don't know how much.

My thing is I had to remind myself why I do this. I had to pull out my remembrance necklace and look at the pictures of those that have died from this terrible disease we call cancer. I got the picture of Sharla and said "this is the reason, , so another person doesn't have to die of this disease, to find a cure for cancer". I don't do it to be friends (I do it to meet others, that are after the same goal), or to get happy feelings (which by the way, I do!!!), I'm doing it to stomp out cancer. I tucked that picture into my purse and took it to the event with me. They did a touching tribute to Sharla. I remembered all this and the night was okay. I'm still going to have a long talk with Jason and find out where the communication "line" went down. I still wasn't comfortable with what took place but you know what, life isn't always fair, and I for one should know that! Seriously!

Do they give discounts....

I cannot believe another week has flown by. When I think how valuable time is in my life and think how it just zooms by me some days. Seriously, how does it happen. Well, I can't just sit and cry, honestly life is too short! Put a smile on your face and laugh at the small things and get thru them. Seriously!

Let's see if I can recap my week. Sunday, I was able to get in 3 and 1/4 miles of training and what idiot does in in 92 degree TX heat. This one apparently! I thought I was going to have a stroke. I was so hot and humid I was not feeling my super, duper best but my feet needed it and I did it. Monday, thank you for a day off. I kept thinking I would get out and make the most of it but NO. Tuesday, Hermine blew thru here like she owned the joint. I was suppose to drive down to Houston and kept thinking "OH, this will blow thru any minute", well by 4:00, she had not blown thru by any means and I was not going to get on the road. My day had been filled with customers needing this and that and by 7:00 I found myself still in Dallas. Wednesday, Hermine was still in town. I seriously thought I was going to be blown out of my drive as I loaded my car. I asked Mother Nature to come get her derelict child Hermine and please return her more "cooler, rustler, Fall child" as I preferred him. As I headed toward Houston early in the AM there were 3 wrecks outside of Dallas within 30 miles. People, people, people, slick roads, heavy rains, drive a little more safely, SERIOUSLY! I was able to get my calls in and set up for my show the next day and have dinner with great friends. That is what makes my job the best! Thursday there was a show in Houston and then I headed home. Thank you for Sirius radio so I could listen to the game - do these people who decide to do these shows, not realize that the NFL Season Opener was on that night, that reps(like myself) that had to drive home would seriously be impacted (okay not life changing BUUUTTT). Had I know that the biggest New Orleans fan was going to be at the show I would have stayed in Houston with her. Ginger Hutter lives and breathes the Saints like I do the Cowboys. We would have had a blast watching the game together. Thank you Saints for beating up those Vikings. The voodoo doll worked (that's a joke but just in case Shelley Sake is reading this). I got in about 9:30 on Thursday, stayed up until 1:00AM working on e-mails and then got up at 3:15 AM on Friday to head in for my "vitamin drip" and a new radiation therapy. Then spent the rest of the day working. I made up for it on Saturday and I spent the entire day in bed. I only got up for bathroom breaks. Thank goodness for football to keep me there. Today I had a brunch date with the team to finalize our plans for our fundraiser next Saturday and now I'm doing a little packing and getting ready for the week already. Home: where I do laundry and repack!

I can't believe the fundraiser is next Saturday and the following Saturday, I fly off to TN to visit with Jane and walk that Sunday in TN in the Race for the Cure. If life were boring, I wouldn't want to live it. There is so much going on right now. I just looked and my calendar and I'm not really home at all this month. Seriously! I wonder if I could get a discount on my home since I'm only home 14 nights this entire month of September!!!

Football Season has Arrived!

Well, college football season has finally arrived. I survived a long summer in between. Around my house, a house without football, well, it's not a pleasant house. LOL! I love football season, high school, college, pro. I will even watch old football games on the weekends just to get "my fix". I don't know how my family puts up with me. My man will come home and find me with the NFL channel on and a game going and sound asleep. My ring tone is the NFL Fox football sound. I won't change it for anything. This week while at the airport in Dallas I found a shirt that read "I love Cowboys Football" Love and Football were in pink my favorite colors. Thursday night for date night - the Cowboys game and chicken from Bubba's. I'm sure glad my honey loves me.

I was in Baton Rouge and New Orleans on Monday - Wednesday this week for work. I actually had a little fun while there. I'm not able to do that often but when I can, look out world. My friends and I went on a ghost tour in NO. Let me tell you, the only goons I saw, were the one's I was with. Seriously! It was a waste of money, but not time when you spend it with your friends. I enjoy living! I did partake of a shot! It was a small one this time - thank you! Last time I asked for shots in New Orleans, I almost lost my Diamond privileges from Hilton. That will never happen again. OK, I better not say never. But I did learn a valuable lesson. Shots in NO, are not your typical shot glasses. They are party size glasses and when you have to gulp down shots in two drinks instead of throwing your head back on one. You are in trouble. Of course people would say that is what the T stands for in TJ. Seriously! I'm really a good person. I try to tell people that - when they asked why I was named Humanitarian of the Year.

I thought I was never going to get home on Wednesday though. I was to leave on a 4:10 flight. They boarded us, they shut the door and then the pilot said, we aren't leaving for another 2 hours and 45 mins, and "we don't know what we are going to do with you all". Now, as my friends have pointed out, I should be used to this comment. But a plane load of people were highly upset. At 6:00 they told us to board again, and then they told us, "your flight has been cancelled". I thought there was going to be a riot. Fortunately there was a 6:20 flight to Dallas delayed until 7:30. I finally arrived home at 11:00. I was just grateful to get home. These are just little things in life. The funny thing is I was on the plane and I was starving. My friend Nancy had kindly given me a wine bottle filled with nuts before I had left that day. When the flight attendants came around I requested an orange juice no ice and water no ice. I began to open this bottle and the flight attendant, tells me I can't. Now, I'm starved, a little (OK, alot) cranky at 9:00 and I look at her and say, yes I can. She states "mam, you cannot have alcohol on the airplane unless we serve it". Now, I'm thinking, you can't get thru security with less than three ounces of anything in a 1 quart baggy and she thinks I boarded with a wine bottle full of wine. I'm beginning to laugh and I hold up the bottle and say "NUTS". She looks at me and doesn't say I'm sorry, she just starts rolling the cart down the aisle. OK, enough said. It had been one of those days, had it been alcohol, I would have drank it down before we boarded the plane! LOL!

I've had some good training walks on Sunday and Tuesday. Sunday I was able to get in 7 miles. It felt great to know that I could still do it. And I did it all by myself, not with the team. Then while I was in Baton Rouge I got up and did 3 miles on the treadmill. I hope to get some good walks in Sunday and Monday since we have some really nice weather here in TX. Thank you mother nature for being better to us.

I can't believe I have just four weeks until my first walk in October in DC. I'm looking forward to it. I love being with the team and raising money for such a good cause. I'm also looking forward to being in TN with Jane and her family to do a small walk there. It will be good training too.

I think back to all that is going on this month. I made a decision to start having my condo cleaned every other week. This was something that was a major decision for me. You see I have this word in my vocabulary that I don't use very much. The word is "help". I used to not use it at all. I just didn't believe in it. When I was first diagnosed 7 years ago with cancer, I told very few people because I didn't want people to feel sorry for me, when people did find out they were always asking me what they could do for me. Then when I was told that I had less than I year to live. I had to make a decision, to start asking for help. To tell those around me what I needed when I needed it. I wouldn't even tell the doctor's when I was in pain because that meant I would need to ask for medications to deal with it. That is how bad I was. I learned thru a workshop I attended that HELP is not a four letter word like I always thought. It is okay to ask. So, I decided to have someone come in every couple of weeks and do the things around the house that I just don't have the time nor the energy anymore to do. And you know what, it it OK!

Next week is another busy week. But for now, it's football all weekend, a couple of training walks and most of all, I'll continue my affair with my 5 pints of Cinnamon Buns ice cream in the freezer. This time it was the honey who brought them home. Seriously, life is good!