ANTHONY
Since Anthony had to cancel all his summer program auditions because of the cancer, when he found out that there was a opera training program coming to Norman to hold auditions in February he jumped at the chance to audition. The program is called the Taos Opera Institute and is held in New Mexico every summer. They bring in 28 graduate students with budding opera careers to hold classes and lessons in voice, acting, and stage technique for the singers. Anthony said he didn't have a great audition because his upper range hasn't completely come back, but apparently it was good enough, because he was invited to come to New Mexico this summer. It's still up in the air whether he will go for several reasons (chemo will, hopefully, be done by then but we don't know if he'll need additional treatment that will go into the summer, Mom & Dad Eversole's big anniversary & reunion conflicts with the program, and it's a pay-to-sing program that requires a fairly large chunk of change for tuition) but it's still an honor to have been selected.
CHEMOTHERAPY
Anthony's hair fell out and was buzzed off, but it started growing back all thin and fuzzy and weird, so . . .
Anthony's third Chemo treatment was 2/15. He hasn't been feeling well (nausea, vomiting, weakness, tired, headaches, dry/raw/sore/bad taste in mouth), and his sleep schedule is terribly irregular. Needless to say, a little nap was in order during one of the hour long drips.
Three treatments down, five to go.
The chemo symptoms are pretty hindering most of the time, but when he feels good he has plenty to do: two opera roles to prepare, a full recital program to learn, a new list of audition arias to learn and polish, and an Italian course to finish from last semester. Otherwise he does lots of reading, watching movies, taking naps, and playing with kitties.
WEATHER
It snowed for the first time this season on 2/12. It only snowed 3" but the ice was the main concern. The roads are REALLY slick after rain and snow in the winter.
I was feeling homesick one day for the mountains, and the cloud coverage faked me out. See how the dark clouds totally look like mountains? If I hadn't told you, you'd never have guessed you were looking at completely flat Oklahoma land.
They say Oklahoma has some amazing sunsets. Without the mountains I found them quite lacking... that was until the other night. Erica, Benjamin, Anthony & I went to Lake Thunderbird for a picnic and witnessed this;
Winston and Hemingway are growing like weeds. They're long and lanky, their heads are getting bigger, and Hemingway is suddenly crazy heavy. Winston was the runt of the litter (so we were told) so he's a little behind in the growth area, but he's getting there.
THEN
NOW
They were getting a little crowded in their bed, so we saved up for a new one
*yes, we save up for fun items for our cats instead of ourselves... don't judge
... yet they still seem to end up here
In other news, the cats had been drinking Little Chunk's water so we had to cover it with tin foil and feed the poor fish through fork holes... but before that Hemingway found a fun new way to reach things high on the wall. That's right, he's standing on the fish bowl. Naughty, naughty.
I had a double ear infection and have been on oral and ear drop antibiotics for over a week now. I finished my admission for OU, and applied for the Masters of Social Work program. I've been granted in-state tuition, but we still don't know if I've even gotten in to the school or the program.
Work is going well, I've been with NorthCare for 6 months now, and feel my skills and social work knowledge have really paid off in the lives of the families I am assisting. I hope so at least.
RANDOM
Trying to lose weight with Thin Mints staring you in the face isn't the happiest feeling, it took everything I had not to honk the horn like a banshee.
