STRANGE EFFECT

I guess the chemo had a bigger effect on me than i thought...i woke up this morning and looked like this.......i am hideous i can't even look in the mirror..( i don't know about you guys but i got a good chuckle out of it)...............................................had a cold beer tonight ( yuengling lite) rare in these parts and it actually tasted like a beer and not wire and steel wool going down my throat.......how sweet it is..........still dragging this beat up body to work setting up the final trade show of the season....it will take place in manchester new hampshire......" little know facts about manchester"..... it has the distinction of having the longest main street in the country.......and also has some fine dining establishments i might add .....so if your in the neighborhood please stop by i won't be there but i am sure you will find it to your liking.....this has been my first winter home for almost 13 years and i might also add i am freaking going stir crazy....so watch out world i am ready to break out soon and when i do........well i will fill you all in when that happens.....now if i only could just stay awake ..man i would give my kingdom for 8 straight hours of uninterrupted sleep...
tommy "rip van wrinkled" cheffo

ENERGY LEVELS

before and after chemo ( self portrait)





i
now know what it must be like to be a drug addict and coming off of drugs....my body is tired all the time now....it is waitng for the next treatment and i keep telling it it's over ( even show it the restraining order) but i still think it does not believe it yet.....feeling tired is better than feeling chemofied i tell you....other than the metal taste in my mouth and a little vein pain ( mysterious lumps that come and go) and this bald spot on the top of my head ( oh i had that before chemo) i mean i loved my dad and he gave me speed when i play soft ball....a good batting eye.... an italian view on the world ( whatever that means)......he also gave me his hair genes......no he couldn't just leave me his blue jeans.......oh well like i always say...who need hair when i have just about everything else and man could want..............untill next time..........t c.............p.s happy b -day ron and michele...hope you guys know how special you are to me......

2-22-06

love those trollys (last year in san fran...with casey)
as i am writing this on tuesday evening i am hoping that on wednesday morning when i wake up the chemo- fog will start lifting....man what a ride it has been....the roller coaster in coney island has nothing on these drugs...but as my son said in my birthday card " its a freakin awesome day and soon your going to have all that crap out of your system.....i call it crappy-chemo but even though it poisons it still heals"......well so long crappy chemo it was good while it lasted but i am going to have to say good bye now ....... i tried to let you down easy but sometimes you just gotta pull the band-aid off in one....swift....motion.....even if we have only been together for just three months i feel that i have learned so much from you.......please do not call or write or else i will have to get a restraining order to keep you within 20 feet from my veins......tea....sea.....p.s real good to see ben and ricky today (friends in the shoe world came by work for a visit)....andy great talking to you also....your voice was just what the doctor ordered .........make someone smile today......it really does not take much

GOOD MORNING WORLD

world's tallest tree ...muir woods san francisco .....................................................now i know why i was born with a big head.......it's to house this ego you guys are feeding me.......it was the 52 birthday of my life ( actually it is the 53rd because the 1st if you think about it is the day your born)..i mean if that ain't your "birthday" then i don't now what is........so for all in blog-land....thanks again for your kind wishes.....gifts...cards.....e-mails..comments....songs from the mountain tops....greetings from the trade shows.....kids singing on my cell phone about looking like a monkey "and i smell like one too".....to my family for making this day......remarkable........to my co-workers for remembering and caring.....in loving memory to all those who have touched my soul and are no longer with us........and to my mom and dad.....i mean with out them..i never would have met all of you.... and mom .... although you were only in my life for such a short while...you have left an incredible mark on all you touched and i am so glad that the first person to look into my eyes was you...... for i am the mirror of that moment......................tom john cheffo....p.s for all of those traveling to vegas for the trade show......safe travels.......35 & 6 black...thanks loose lucy's for making me a part of your world.............................michele....keep your cash in your pocket....your gonna need it for your wedding......

52 "nice round number"

that's me on the right......dom on the left...look at the size of that head on me...mellon
Feb 20th 1954...let me take you back in time with a story that was just sent to me by my beautiful cousin/sister barbara ..........Tom, I am talking with my mom right now and she says she will never forget the night you and Dom were born.
They told Uncle Mike(my dad), Aunt Connie and my mom that they were going to perform a cesarean section and they needed blood from the blood bank.
They drove from the hospital all the way to the blood bank and didn't stop at one light. They took your mothers blood to match it. Imagine!!!
They saw a policeman and they showed him the blood and the policeman said to go, go, go and go and they never stopped.
By the time they got back to Adelphi Hospital you and Dom were born. To their surprise your mom had already given birth to twin boys.
And that's the way it was. She said it was a great moment in her life.............52 years ago. That mean my mom was 26 years old, three months pregnant with me.
We love you Tom !!!! Happy Birthday!!!!!
Barbara ...thanks barbara for this great story and always laughing at my jokes..........oh yeah almost forgot.......barbara's twin boys luke and gabriel told me that "bald" in german means "white" so when they say bald headed eagle they mean "white" headed eagle...so no rogaine for them...hehehehe...love ya boys.....still in chemo foggo...sue made a wonderful beef stew tonight and i think my taste buds are returning........right on track to start feeling myself on 2/22.......you see you only have to deal with me during the time i write my blog...i am sure it has not been easy for the family here....i have to say it has had some rough moments and for those i appoligies for ..............tough to be on 24/7 when your seeing double sometimes...does that make it 48/14?.....oh well i'm sinking in the creek mud now....need to crawl into a hole for a while...when i see you all again i will be one year older...and one day closer to begining phase 2...love ya all............. tomaso..oh yeah happy birthday to my twin bro ....two for the price of one.....he's 5 minutes older than me ( does that mean i was concieved first)? or i kicked him out when it was time..........hey luke & gabriel...your not the only twins ya know............

PHASE TWO

manatees..another one of my favorite animals........still feeling the effects of wednesdays treatment ..like i said i will start feeling better around 2-22 ron rockmans birthday...and build on that....cat (ct) scans are scheduled for march 2...meeting with surgeon march 10th....from there who knows ..but i tell you i will make the next 30 days memorable.....enjoy each sunrise and sunset for what it is .......a pure gift.....i have walked this earth for almost 52 years.(monday) well i think i crawled for the first year and a half....but anyway the point is as crappy as i feel these days i have so much to be thankful for..the list is to long and i have gone over my love for family...friends ( to many good one to write down)....life...love......vibe water (plug for satsunder's new venture)....dogs..horses....manatees...eagles..(thanks brad for reminding me)......a cold one....music.....sunrises/sunsets...rainbows..trees....rain.....snow.....winter ..spring ..summer or fall...( sorry james taylor for stealing your lines) ...selling ...customer service....peanut butter....tyed dyed nation..playing music with my neighbor rob ( we have to jam soon)..playing with kent & kev (possum) and kevin..butts..nor..and now offically casey (blackhorse) ......play and singing for all who will dare to listen..........but the feelings and emotions that you all have sent my way has been.............humbling to say the least ( and those of you who know me...know i can never say the least)....i mean i woke up at two this morning and had to tell you all how much i really ...really....really needed you all in phase 1 and ..you truly made it a "walk in the park"..a labor of love......thanks for taking the first part of the journey with me....ON TO PHASE 2................................... tom...p.s whoever just sent me roger mcquinns folk den cd fess up..no card just the music..awesome gift..from unknown person or persons....steph & jason you guys rock for the awesomest grateful dead button down collared shirt.....love it.

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED

had to re-post eagle shots again so rare to see.....it is sad they are called bald eagles i wonder if rogaine would help them...or if they feel inferior to eagles with hair......oh well at they are making a comeback.....i plan on soaring like an eagle the next few months and get myself off the extinct list also....been reading about my neo-bladder.... pretty heavy stuff i will be up against and i will share some of it with you'll complete with diagrams and color glossy photos with arrows (alices resturant movie) quote.......i will get more into that at a later date.......took today off after my booster white count shot..did not quite have my sea legs back after that lone treatment yesterday....just watching the drip drip drip...could make you drippy....glad it's over.....thanks for taking the ride with me...planning on 30 days of fun and music..before i let them cut me open......in the merry old land of oz ( that's what it feels like sometimes)....... Tom "somewhere over the rainbow" Cheffo

BLOG WORLD

(rare eagle shot above)
OFFICIAL START TIME OF DRIP WAS ABOUT 10:04....official stop time 5:35....ladies and gentlemen a new world record and now for a playing of our national anthem and a coment about the blad eagle (from brad) In 1963 there were just 417 known nesting pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 states. In 1967, under a law that preceded the 1973 Endangered Species Act, the bald eagle is declared an endangered species in the lower 48. Today, at least 7,066 known nesting pairs exist in the continental United States.GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS TOM CHEFFO. and now back to our regulary scheduled program ...when i looked across the room and started talking to a fellow club member( some club my insurance payed $27,000 dollars for my membership last month and there is not even a pool)..... turns out my twin brother dom I made him a sheepskin coat (well dom made it ..i sold it) we were like ying and tang...tweddle de dumb and tweddle dee dom......frick and frack....tom and dom..i quess my mom had a sense of humor) dom still has a version of our store going strong..the sheepskin coat is still holding up....thats why i got into the shoe biz....women always need a shoe and they do wear out..... WHEN I FINISHED MY CHEMO I GOT LOTS OF SMILES AND GOOD LUCKS FROM THE NURSES AND STAFF....AND DANCED A JIG WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO GET IN MY SON'S CAR......AS TO HOW I FEEL...HAPPY .....ELATED...JOYFUL..SICK...FABOUSI ( NEW WORD FROM ASHLEY).....stupendous..pissed ( i lost the first version of the blog to a web crash)......relieved.....weak... a slap in in the head wally world kinda happy.........looking forward to getting my body in shape for round two..in which doris gets her oats)...john lennon quote.............looking foward to 2/22 to start feeling better...happy birthday week....me and dom ..monday..michele,ron rockman ,satsunder (i think) ashley...patty hurst ( born on the same day as me)....love ya .............. tommy "no mo chemo" cheffo

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE

CHEMO-SABI
sitting here on the eve of my last treatment to beat up to comprehend the meaning of tomorrow ..........it is like i am so used to this rollercoaster ride that i cannot believe it is almost over......the fat lady is warming up her vocal chords one last time...it ain't over till it's over kinda feeling.. .........bottom of the ninth 2 outs.....( expect for the red sox against the mets in 86) sorry scott,sean andy and paul.........rounding third and heading for home.........ok i will stop while i am ahead.......my mind is starting to clear up some..i know this is gonna sound weird but i really had a strange vibe running through me (other that the chemo) all week it was like my ears were ringing kinda feeling.....i know that my name keep coming up all week in vegas and it was like jim carey in bruce almighty when he heard all the voices in his head at one time ( thanks sk for the jim carey analogy).....and with the full moon whew i was feeling real wacky ... now i know why i was picking up all the friends and associates feelings and comments about my situation...steve and michele said i have no idea how many people stopped by to ask how i was doing ( good publicity for the brand) i guess...but i do have an idea ........you see i heard everyone of them........so now i am thanking you all for the help in this "first part " of this amazing journey......part two will be more entertaining that the godfather 2 and rocky 2 combined........i hope it does not flop like so many sequels have in the past......but i will try to keep you guys and gals up to date........will be in the chemo chair tomorrow as i told the nurse last week when i sat down....just take a little off the top..........( and leave room for milk)..chemo sabi

I'M GOING TO DISNEY LAND

this little pig was never the same after i huffed and puffed and blew his house down..........taken many many moons ago....oh i would say i was 21 years old......living the good life...just hanging with the pigs......i have know idea who that little girl is in the picture but i hope her parents have the same picture of us in their scrap book...could you imagine them getting home and developing this picture..............let's do the math $25.00 all day disney pass......favorite football jersey....$14.95.....hair cut...$00.00....hippie hanging with pig......priceless....this is casey's favorite photo of her pops............. rough week but what the heck.......i have really had a pretty easy time of it compared to my forefathers....body is beat up though and ready to finish this crap and move on.......last treatment is wednesday....can i get a whoop whoop?.........full moon tonight and it makes me wacky i think........what i would give just to feel normal again.........man i am in the mood for a roast pork sandwich..........ouch..bad pig joke..............hope u guys and gals didn't spend all your money in vegas and saved some for a rainy day..........tom "big bad wolf"
cheffo

BLIZZARD OF 2006...special edition blog...will update all day

photo by susan....chris in background

WINTER STORM UPDATE...........

...saturday nite....we are getting walloped here..looks like over a foot of snow.....Visibility is zero.....with winds over 35 miles an hour..airports canceling flights......babys are being born...life will end as we know it......noah is building an ark......the earth will swallow us whole...and the beatles will never get back together...sad but true as long as john and george are no longer with us........ i will keep you'all updated on this special storm track edition...stay tuned through-out the day ...............................sunday morning...lots of white stuff coming down...winds are high ( not as high as robert downey jr used to be)....8-10 on the ground already and it will continue for a while......so hang on to your hot cocoa (whoever she/he is) and watch the olympics if your caught in the storm....more updates later ...... sunday night official tally 26.9 inches fell in nyc.....we got about 16..it was a mellow snow real calm day...good it fell on a sunday ...less traffic...able to plow tall building at a single bound...(there i go quoting superman again) i really need to get a life .......thanks to chris we got all of the show shoveled in record time...just thinking about susans homemade waffles hurried us along....finger lickin good........so from snowbound long island...may the fires in your heart be as warm as the fires in the hearth

tommy"the weatherman" cheffo ...oh yeah almost forgot..safe travels from vegas my buddies.......could use some of that southern sunshine myself real soon

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

i could not wait for the olympics to start this year...i guess it is because i am home this winter for the first time in almost 13 years and before that i was in my own leather store and if you ever worked retail you know that your never home anyway... so this is really quite a shock to my system..... i am being told that there are plenty of well wishes coming by the booth in vegas concerned about my health...even competitors are wearing the "tomstrong" tye dyed bracelets that susan k started and i am forever grateful for that........missy and britt hope you enjoyed that beer you had with me in spirt tonite...to my cousins reading this..i love you all so much...thanks janine & gary for the grateful dead movies...awesome gift...kent and felicia for the "mad dogs and englishmen" dvd...great band.......what i am trying to say is......this having cancer....it's not so bad....you get these freaking unreal gifts every other day......need to move to a bigger house to fit all the swag i have been collecting (swag for those of you who must know is short for really cool free stuff)....i will leave you tonight with what seemed to be the theme of the opening cermony from torino tonite....passion and peace......in the words of john lennon.......imagine all the people ...living life in peace........imagine that.......tom ...p.s....michele 35 & 6 black in roulette

THE DAY AFTER

What an emotional roller coaster ride i have been on...i mean you have to understand that when the chemo enters your body it has a daily effect on you the likes i have never experienced
..it should take about four weeks to be completely out of my body...so like i said last treatment is the 15th..i should start feeling better on 2/22.....and each day thereafter..getting my stamina and strength back....The wheels are in motion for my surgery as i type...should be around mid to late march.. to which means i get to see my beloved allman brothers band at the beacon in nyc march 10th....i hope casey and chris will be at my side.....nothing like a brothers concert......except a black horse or possum..the guys i play music with...we always have the best time and i am missing that part of my travels mucho...that and my incredible team and friends on the road.....i should be in vegas right now.... eating at the grand lux..staying at the venetian..going to the show party tomorrow nite...chicago and earth wind and fire...all you could eat and drink..now we shoe people really know how to throw a party......to all who read my blog...you know i always knew how charmed my life was....even through all the personal tragedies i will never and have never taken anything or anybody for granted....i learned at a very early age that laughter and love will carry me through.....to this i owe all to the way i was raised and how amazing my family was in difficult times...we just embraced each other and gathered strength from the event and moved on....we knew what we had or have and never and i mean never failed to to say "i love you" and really mean it.... so to my blog world of family and friends i leave you tonight with this " i love you" i love you for caring so much about my health and well being...... i have so much to be thankful for..i know joni mitchel once said " you don't know what you got till it's gone"....well i always knew what i had......sorry joni..... does not apply to this brooklyn cowboy
chemo "6 days to go " sabi

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER

stewie...a new tee shirt for u.....
8-7-6-5-4-3-2- ....ONE FREAKING TREATMENT LEFT....i had a funny feeling today towards the end of my treatment.,... i am really going to miss my chemo nurses..they have been awesome to me and my fellow chemoettes....making sure we were getting the exact amounts we needed ...always smiling......real genuine humans....my hat is raised now to the health care people..those who really make a difference in so many lives each and every day.....i am in awe of your deadication...compassion.... not to mention you keep great cookies around...... and to my dear dr.xaio and nurse kathleeen who will be with me in my after care program ( after my surgery)....every three months for two years....and still more after that...i look foward to seeing you every time i am in your office,,,you are my true saviors.....i am in such good hands........the best of the best.........sorry it is so mushy today.....but it's my blog and i'll cry if i wannna cry if i wanna. ..( grammy nomination) ?.......speaking of which..did you hear mirah sing...not a huge fan but what a set of lungs...i mean that girl can sing......(did i mention her set of lungs)?...................................................................................................to my buds in vegas....long may you run....great job michele,jason,steve,susan k,scott,gary,pat,bruce ed and i think brad......man it took all of you on day one...wish i had the help all these years heehhee......special thanks again to michele for keeping my dream alive and working her butt off...i love ya kiddo...............................tom "one to go" cheffo...p.s it' chad pennington the quarterback of the ny jets you saw at the airport susan......guess i have to teach you about football now.........lol..man i miss you all in vegas..... have a a beer with me tonight.......at the venetian round bar say around 10 o'clock........

no mo chemo

has a nice ring to it....two more to go....yahooooo........gonna miss feeling like crap some daze...not.....i guess all good things must come to an end someday.......first wave of personel left for the shoe show today....i will not miss setting up that massive show...it is in the hands of michele and jason and i know they will get it right ....it will be weird for me i must admit but it is the right choice to stay home and finish my treatments ......i will miss the friendship and passion that could only be found in our world of shoes..it is an amazing industry and one that i am glad i got into full time 13 years ago ...i have met the most wonderful "shoe dogs" one could ever hope to be around....young-old-male-female//all one big club........all have one thing in common,,,,,,we have a foot fetish..no just kidding...we love the excitment of the changing styles....the new seasons ....and we have a foot fetish....ok you got me now..............keep on keepimg on....treatment should be a breeze on wednesday...don't forget to write.......i know where to fine you......

tommy "vegas" cheffo

BLAME IT ON THE STONES

forgot to mention the half time show.......i thought the stones put on a good effort but the sound system stunk up the joint.......man are they some aged looking beef.....but they have been rocking a long time and ya gotta give them credit....i thought micks boob was gonna pop out (gotta give that line to ashley boyfriend chris ) from work........had a ton of energy today....and it will carry over into tommorow,,,,,,back in for a quick fix wed afternoon while my team is heading for vegas.....stinks about sheryl crow and lance breaking up let's give them an ahhhhhh......oh no now i am turning into the hollywood reporter......news at 11.......keep on rockin in the free world....see you on the flip side ....... joke of the day.......what do you call a gay dinosaur........ready for it........a megasoreass.... ok now that just plain silly....sorry.....tom "CAN'T GET NO..SATIFACTION"cheffo

SUPER bOWL

congrats pitts
i tell you seattle had more chances to win than i have ever seen...i guess it was pittsburgh's year.......hats off to them..sorry gary on your teams demise...but hey 2nd out of 32 teams is not to shabby.......oh i got good news my phone (that i washed) started working .....seems like the phone gods really like me...
i am having a small problem holding on to things ( side effect of chemo) is numbness in the fingers and i dropped a plate yesterday.....and been dropping things all day....the sound of the plate hitting the marble floor..man that is loud ( another side effect is sensitive hearing)....two moments for the price of one......
heading into final chemo phase.....i feel like it went by so quick...but that is how life seems to be anyway......part of me wants to slow down ....and part of me wants to fly through the next few weeks ( the part of me that wants to slow down does not want the surgery yet).....man my head is spinning some days...but you know what...it is all good......you see my cell phone is working again...and it's all about the little things that get me through......( i need my cell ..how else would i talk to you) most of my team is heading to vegas this week for the huge shoe show....i am going to be lonely being left behind.........just like the dog in the kennel.......thank goodnees some cool people will still be in the office this week.....i would be lost without them......
Tommy "fido"Cheffo

lazy day in new york

ok my body just shut down today....i guess from the crap that has been building up and the huge shoe show coming up...(preparing for it is as tough as doing it)....i could not drag myself out of bed.....had to e-mail work that i was taking a Tom day off....no treatments...no doctors...no meetings...no x-rays.....No ct scans......no needles.... no waiting rooms.....no 2nd little room you sit in and wait........no one looking up my privates ......just a day for me to rest during the week..it was just what the doctor ordered....other than washing my cell phone i'd have to say it was a good day ( phone seems trashed even though i had this drying device).....ok here is the outline of my day..woke up...( that is always a good thing when that happens)....made fried eggs (sunny side up) with whole wheat toast......napped.....watched tv..Really is crap on ...ate lunch....(chicken cutlet on toasted italian bread..a little salt and mayo).......napped......showered....did a dark laundry ( trying to accomplish something)....left my phone and wallet in pocket of sweats....wallet ok.....napped......watched tv.....( seeing a pattern here)?....had home made soup........you guessed it...napped..no tv read this time......had a salad with sliced chicken cutlets.....cranapple juice......watched a western......ate popcorn.....typed my blog........man i am exhausted from this day...heheehe......glad i do not hit lotto because this is what i would always do.......not a bad way to spend the day....get to do it all over again......saturday.........lets hope we have a good game sunday...will predit the score now...pitts 24- seattle 17.......or maybe i will just take a nap during the game.........see ya.....tommy"the napster" cheffo

ground beef hog

had to post paul cartwrights comments from yesterday......as a matter of fact all the comments have been amazing from the beginning.............................. here is the story of the ground hog GROUND HOGS. INTERESTING LITTLE BUGGERS THEY ARE. TURNS OUT THAT RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE ALL STILL ASLEEP IN HIBERNATION. WHEN HIBERNATING THEIR LITTLE HEARTS BEAT ONCE EVERY FOUR MINUTES, AND IN THE DEAD OF WINTER THEIR BODY TEMP DROPS TO AROUND 37 DEGREES. WHO KNEW? ALSO, IN THE SPRING THE MALES TEND TO "WAKE UP" ABOUT THREE WEEKS EARLY THAN THE FEMALES, THE MALES THEN GO OUT TO FIND THE FEMALES ONLY TO FIND THAT THEY ARE STILL NAPPING AND INSTEAD FIND MORE MALES AND THEN THEY FIGHT OVER THE SLEEPING WOMAN. DUMB ASSES, THEY SHOULD JUST REST A WHILE LONGER AND CHILL OUT. TURNS OUT THE HOLE IS JUST THE BEGINNING - THEIR PAD IS QUITE THE UNDERGROUND MAZE. O.K. ENOUGH ABOUT GROUNDHOGS... .......this blog has been part of my journey to the cure...it has brought so many people together from so many states......with one common ground...live.....love....cherish the world we live in.....i am a better person because of what has happened to me....and a much better person with all of you in my world...rock -on...jazz on...country on.....live on...ride-on........oh yeah ...my body is getting a little whipped out ...but i feel the worst is over and it is just around the bend of the bridge to solid ground....wish i could bottle the feelings i have been going through....and if i ever think in the future that i am not feeling so good all i would have to do is remember these last few months and smile.......will never complain again ........hey possum..get ready here i come..... man oh man i am in the mood for mac & cheese...but alas the cupboard is bare of the packaged kind.....bummer..... thanks for reading ......Top Cat

MY TOP TEN ALBUMS

( i took this photo in nyc..my shutter got stuck.. it is a bronze man on a sewing machine..off 42nd street...my top ten records.....
10. Full moon fever….tom petty
9. Untitled …..byrds
8. Eat a peach..the allman brothers band
7. Workingman’s dead…the grateful dead
6. Saturate before using….jackson browne
5. Alone together…dave mason
4. Sergeant pepper……beatles
3. Blood on the tracks…bob dylan
2. The white album….beatles
1. Live at the filmore…the allman brothers band

honorable mentions…neil young prarrie wind…the band …the last waltz……springsteen …born to run…abbey road ..the beatles….all things must pass..george harrison...american beauty..the grateful dead.......................... as i get closer to the end of chemo...i have this feeling in my gut that cannot be described....i mean there are times that the tunnel seems so long to get through but as we all know there is a light towards the end..at least i hope it is a light and the ground hog can see it's shadow .....or does he not want to see his shadow..could someone clear me up on that..and why it' s a ground hog and not a rabbit or a ferret i wonder?....oh well happy ground hogs day..imagine that we have a ground hogs day and not a day to celebrate horses...i think without horses to build this county where would we be?....ever try to saddle a ground hog...i think not...later my friends....tom'"t the hog"

SHARON ROCKMAN'S INCREDIBLE RECIPE

KELLOGGS CORNFLAKES CHICKEN
2 whole chickens-cut up into 8 pcs

1/2 cup orange juice mixed with
1/2 cup honey------heat slightly.... ..pour over chicken

in a zip-lock bag
kelloggs cornflakes crumbs
cinnamon
nutmeg
remove chicken from liquid and place in ziplock bag....coat chicken well
spray tray with pam...put chicken on tray.....drizzle honey over chicken...baked 375 degrees... 1 hr...20 min-1 hr....30 min..... wal-la......this is one of the few things i know how to cook...always tastes great................................... feeling better today...like clockwork 6 days after the needles are removed i start to come around that means feb 22 will be the last day i will feel like crap from the chemo....exactly 2 days after my birthday...do you think i am going to celebrate...you bet .................cannot wait to break out the beer i have been saving for that special day......ling-ling lite......maybe some saki....or get some from the brooklyn brewery..you don't know what you got till it's gone........my friends......phase one is almost complete.......phase two will be a breeze......today look for something amazing in your life....hug your pet and really mean it....hug your child and look them in the eye and really see them for what they are.....call a dear friend just to hear his/her voice........smile at a stranger and wish them a good day.......i swear we make a difference everyday..... i love you all..............tom "chef" cheffo

My Top Ten Visual Moments

not counting the birth of casey and chris

10. rocky mountains
9. red rock canyon in vegas
8. great salt lake
7. waterfalls in yosemite (all of yosemite)
6. black hills
5. flying into nyc at night
4. colorado river
3. rainbow over charleston
2. israel
1. grand canyon

honorable mention to pam anderson (was next to her in vegas)

i have had so many incredible visual moments...... to put only ten down was just to easy...i will work on more soon....
i have been in 45 states in this country and i will get to the missing ones before i leave this planet.........Alaska,Hawaii,Oregon,Minnesota, and Montana....get ready here i come........

remember to keep your feet on the ground...but reach for the stars (kasey Kasem) or keep your stars on your feet and reach for the ground....whichever comes first

tom "the dreamer" cheffo

salt lakers ...miss ya michele and jason....big time...fly right..land safe......see ya on the ground
thanks for the kind words today Ayelet ( i needed them) you rocked today.....
to my buddy bob brown..you have been where i am standing...i will make you proud

SALT LAKE CITY

1,000,000 club
salt lake is where i would be if i didn't have this small inconvenience invading my body....michele has been keeping me well informed as to the happenings and mischief at the trade show..salt lake is an interesting place and i have grown to really like it....everyone says it's not the same without me there and i really love you guys for saying that...but with michele , jason,craig,scott,gary,sean,alenka and my buddy kent...it has to be pretty cool there ......i have to say i am not used to being on the outside looking in and it is taking getting used to...i know she will open the blog in the booth..so michele please again give my best to my road warrior friends..tell them i miss em and "i'll be back"....safe travels to all......back in the chemo -foggo for a few daze...feels like gravity is really pulling you down...interesting sensations throughout the day...i am sure it will take a long time to erase these feelings from my memory thanks for all the good vibrations heading my way...TEA_SEA

Raise your glass

old photo of my grandparents on my moms side

i don't know why but i feel like celebrating ...not for anything special but for how i have managed to be surrounded by the most incredible group of fellow humans a man could ask for...i don't have to list you all but i think you know who i am talking about.......in the words of mick and keith....you can't always get what you want...but if you try sometimes ..you get what you need......i get what i need everytime i get to speak or see one of the people that make my life so wonderful also i get what i need everttime i could make someone smile....just a little.....you see i used to love to visit my uncles when i was little...they always made me smile and i guess i am honoring the family tradition......most are long gone but they always live in my heart.......i loved you guys.... uncle tony,uncle nick,uncle dom,uncle joe i learned so much from you guys... one was the healing gift of laughter and everytime i make someone laugh i wonder if reaches you even now...and to my family & friends still with us on this earth ... you always make me smile...... we are a special breed.....one that i am proud to be........

thomas "john" cheffo ...(john was my confirmation name) it going to be was john or santo i after my grandfathers....i hope i didn't hurt my granfather santo's feeling.....ahhhh he was so lovable...(even though he spoke hardly any english) he didn't mind....i am sure i saw his lips turn to the sky when he saw me coming......love ya pops

came out of the chemo fog a little tonight ..faster than i thought i would....the women who past-out ended up going home later that night..if i get an update i will pass it on.....when i went back on thurs for my nupergin shot i asked how my patient was..they laughed....said she was ok'''i am so glad......
to my pals in the keys....may the wind be at your back and the waves beneath your boat.....

Burn Baby Burn

a picture of janis joplin m(one of casey's favs) taken from the tv during the awesome movie festival express
now i really know what a hot flash is all about ...i just thought i did a few weeks back...glad my team of friends did not get to see me glow....i feel like a camera setting sometimes...i see the world in different settings...wide lens...portrait ...black and white....slow motion...it is almost comicial the feeling i go through in a single day....but alas this too shall pass and i will be up to my old self and chemo free in about three weeks...last treatment of the two left is feb 15 and you gotta figure a week of feeling crappy and the start to get back to normal..and for those of you who know me ...normal is a stretch.......i will embrace this life with even more gusto when all this is over...i mean i have so many people to make laugh...or cry depending on the circumstance....... and you know it's all about the circumstance s........peace

thanks for the cd's missy and britt...i think i am gonna be a widespread fan
goodnight captain tony...wherever you are
all the news that fits....tomo-sabi

I'M STILL STANDING"

craig rep for (utah-colorado-wyoming and sundance catalog) always the clown and a great guy...there's jason again...heading to utah with michele today....be safefrom the front..brucie,gary,craig, jason,barry,tom mc......
as elton john would say...."better than i ever did".......today i was "pluged in" at 11 ish and unpluged at 5:07.."but whose counting"..went fast....lot's of family visits...and a special quest star...my new found friend patricia.....who went through her chemo treatment already( i posted about her a few weeks ago)....she was there for a follow up and took a chance i was in the chair......she looked great...any how we were talking and i was in the famous corner room with the only good view of the outside world and near the bathrooms.....and a fellow chemo- patient stepped out of the bathroom and Just passed out right in front of us....well i took 3 steps towards her and then realized i was still hooked to my IV POLE...and almost ripped my needles out ( if patricia hadn't said you can't do that hooked up i just might have)..all the while i am yelling " women down...women down"..and 5 nurses came over to help...people.... i thought she was GONE...no kidding...eyes rolled up her head.....she came to a few minutes later.and they rushed her to the main hospital....all the while a curb your episode was on pause just before that and it was a frame of larry david saying " pray for her"...weird..that was on while the EMT PEOPLE WERE BRING HER BACK TO LIFE....BIZARE...

oh well we wish her well and will send our tye-dyed love her way........i feel ok...just a little sea -sick and tired...at least i am not "sick and tired" of it all yet......two-5 days of this crappy feeling and i will be standing tall.......loved seeing my team of friends...i mean how lucky can a man be to have a complete team of friends.........still pinching myself...( well not to hard these days)

tommy "elton" cheffo...missy i will take you to an elton show someday......susan k hook a big one

Memory lane

henry from work dancing at the sales meeting party..rock on hank..that's denise to his left one of the nicest people on the planet

a dear friend we grew up came to visit from the left coast tonight and we met at my brother mike's...we talked about old times and our many trips together one of which is the now infamous cross county trip in mike's VW BUS..yep we really did that..right down to the big peace sign painted over a piece of wood that we installed after a window blew off the bus on a highway...what a trip..one that i still carry with me today......9 boys from brooklyn ....errrr men from brooklyn ( i think some were from staten island) and two buses...what a site......what a trip....do not have enough time tonight to tell of the flash floods...the rifle touting man on horse back...(hippies...get off my land)....camping on the desert with a billion stars all around...i recommend it to all 17 year olds...wow ..17 that was a longgg time ago....still have the same values ....still want to change the world one person at a time..........what a beautiful country we live in.......i long for the wind in my hair again..or i long for my hair again which ever way i win.......later people

heading for the big chemo wednesday.....feel like i am holding on like that women in the movie twister and if i let go it will suck me in......i am gonna hang on i promise.......this has been a "walk in the park" so far..........let's hope tomorrow comes and goes....3 chemos left..yahooooooooooooooo feels like the 7th round of a ten round fight...knocked down a few times but still on my feet

Tom "chemo-sabi" Cheferino

the kick is up....It's good

company bowling party..i think jason bowled a 32.......
congrats to pittsburgh and seattle...let's hope it is a good super bowl and not a bore fest like the last two games....it has been a while that i have been home for the big game...hope to have my new tv in place before kick-off....i would be in utah at the outdoor retailer show if i didn't have this small medical problem to deal with....man i love salt lake city in the winter...almost as nice as key west....
oh well....
heading into the darkness for a while wednesday with a 6-7 hour treatment....glad i had an easy one last week so my rep-pals and I could have some moments together.......main problem is the vein pain still but i can deal with that....already put my ordeer in with casey for french fries and some chicken nuggets......if you all expect me to be eating healthy now you got another thing coming....heehehehe

oh yeah we had great news with casey's trial vaccination for leukemia..her key markers in her blood turned negative for the first time...and she was the first person in the trial to have this happen....it is a very good sign for the cheffo family we are keeping our hopes up as usual..... but trying not to get to excited....let's see casey already had a big party and we took her out for dinner and i paid her phone bill...but we are not to excited heck it does not take to much to get me going....the love i have for casey and chris can never be giving justice on this blog you just gotta see them to believe them

TC

OH WHAT A NIGHT..ERR WEEKEND I MEAN

i did get to play a song i wrote for the sales team called "team yaleet" (yaleet is the company we work for) the last line of the chorus is "and don't you cry cry cry for me ...i will be alright"....got a standing O....awesome....

remarkable is the only way i can say i was treated this weekend....there was so much love and care in the air ( and a few tears) ....things went so smooth for such a large group or we just don't sweat the small things anymore...although my buddy randy said..." you must be feeling good cause your still a little surly" it was a good compliment because they still knew who was the boss ( well other than the big boss man steve).....
michele ( and jason) will do a great job with my team which i now consider her team ... she has the respect and the knowledge to lead them in to the promise land of sales......together (when i return) we will make up the greatest sales management team this world could stand....( i still don't know how she stands me all these years) hehehe.........this week i will be posting photos of the sales meeting and stories about the people involved....
like i have been saying.."i am the luckiest man alive" to be so loved by so many........i will not disappoint all of you and will return a strong and "surly" as ever

tommy "crybaby" cheffo
p.s treatment is wednesday....6 hours in the chair....sit so long my butt needs hurts as much as my arms from the needles......
( maybe i will stand on my head for the next one......oh yeah wish i had a dollar for how many times someone said "you look so good" it is almost as if they were amazed ..but i really willed myself into the state of mind that i would not have them worrying about me as they went on the road to sell fall 2006...you see they would be seeing so many people that cared about me and would spread the word that i was doing well and spreading the good cheer..... ( although saturday night when all were bowling i kinda fely like crap) but could not leave my buddies without a ride home) ..great job scotty on winning the bowling contest.....ashley great job on the organizing the sales meeting
...TEAM YALEET...i love all of you for caring so much

saturday nite fever (on a friday night)

paul, scott and michele at sales meeting party

how long did you think it took me to get on the dance floor....one song and i was there ...the DJ opened with truckin from the grateful dead just for me and it was great...we danced the night away and i had the energy to burn for some reason...
i know i will feel it at the 8 am meeting....but somehow we just cannot get enough of each other

remember "you could be dancin yeah"

that shot of neupergin to boast up white counts really does the trick these days......just give me the shot and i will dance all the way to carolina and back......man we had fun tonight.......

tommy"travolta"

"drinking up the love"

love this shot ( not taken by me)

it is to much to bear in the hectic times in the office..i mean we all just want to hug and talk about life and things...but with meetings and hotel pickups and people coming and going it is insane....we managed to put together 10 of us and went out for dinner at my friend leo's chinese resturant...a chinese man named leo now that is another story....we had a blast.......the first thing every one says is " you look so good" and i always say oh yeah ......you should see me from the inside......and then they squeze me and thats always an adventure......i was sureal to see my rep force and dear friends under one roof over 20 strong ...these are my road warriors and have battled in the trenches with me for years........i love them dearly and the feeling is mutual i am told......so raise a glass to the finest rep team in the industry...scotty,paul,sean,craig,felicia,lisa,pat,dick,barney,brad,bruce,jeff,randy,tom n, tom m,john,jim,cathy,barry and gary.....my brothers and sisters on the road

feeling real good today ...had my nupergin shot tonite to boast my white counts.....i wonder how long i can hold up and get the " you look great comments"....big party tomorrow night after all day meetings,,,,,,,,,man i love my life...
miss ya candy girl when everyones in town..just not the same with out ya

remenber quack kills ( inside joke)
tom"T" cheffo

"on a night like this

interlocking tree 11/24/05

had a great treatment today.....found a fat vein and it flowed real nice.....a very funny thing happened when they started my IV my tube sprung a pin hole leak and was squirting out....well this was a rare occurrence and all the nurses had to visit and meet the man who sprung a leak.......first one one they have seen in 20 years of working at Sloane......it was very funny and i am now famous.....my white counts went through the roof ( they are gonna bill me for the roof repair later) heheheh.....got a huge hug from my doctor.....(female) and she said that i bring out the best in people......it was an honor to hear that...she said and i quote " you are doing so good" end quote....then i was off to my smaller of the treatments and back to work.....because the"show must go on"

hey scotty i will be at the meetings.......wild horses couldn't drag me away.............
have some fun things planned

T-sabe

"Bring it on"

tape dispenser and orange

thanks for the most amazing comments yesterday.......i cannot even begin to think about not having all of you on my team....we are drawn together by this power of family & friendship that cannot ever be broken........

feeling pretty good tonight and went to meet my buds stewie and mike for dinner and was happy to see marsha, jesse (stewarts wife and daughter) and a friend of jesses named natalie ( i think) remember side effect is memory loss....yeah that's it memory loss due to chemo..great excuse........we had a blast...i feel so good when i am going to see them..when i am with them and when i drove away....because i was feelin so lucky to have such great,warm,funny and beautiful friends.......


my heart and body are ready for tomorrow now.......like i said in the beginning BRING IT ON ...TREATMENT #5 (but who's counting) i am trying to "curb my enthusium"
TOM "CHEMO-SABE" CHEFFO

"baby it's cold outside"

this is a photo of a photo in my house...i had my son hold the giraffe next to it...thought it had a funny effect
15 degrees this morning....a wee bit nippy i must say....i kinda know why birds head south and even the hardy ones who hang around seemed a bit confused by the white stuff on the ground.....Candy was right in her comments there were some good football games on but the jets flew south months ago and i am having a hard time finding a team to root for let's see ..Carolina... my love for the family and friends in the state should have me pulling for them....Pittsburgh.....working class people...grind it out kinda team...ummmmmm Seattle ...well no ties there except my good friend Gary Morgan is a huge fan...but seattle..... come on it rained for 26 straight days...Denver...mile high....craigs home town....a little to republican for me.......so i guess i am still neutral and don't really care as long as it's a good game i guess..just like the game of life ...i don't care how long my life is as long as i played a good game...and according to all of you guys that just might be the case................sweet only 36 hours to my next treatment...i am feeling like my old self again....just when you think it's safe to get out ..it keeps pulling me back in....oh well this will something to tell my grand kids about....or at least Oprah..tommy " frezzin my tail off " cheffo

fIRST sNOW 2006

woke up to find about three inches on the ground just enough to break out the ol'snow blower...you see i miss most of the snow storms when i travel .....and i would have miss this if i were at the show in orlando..( see photo from yesterday) but alas it is my destiny to shovel snow this year...even though chris was disappointed that i finished before he awoke...reminded me of earlier days in brookyn when from the third story i used to hear my grandpa's swoshing sound of the shovel against he sidewalk and the faint hope that school would be called so my brothers and i could play football in the snow all day..which i am sure we did quite often...ah but two days later that snow got pretty dirty from the streets and cars...but those first few days.....brooklyn was breathless.........

three days till next chemo...thanks for all the support..keep on hopping ......er.....truckin....(inside joke)
tommy "sore back" cheffo

Photo from the trade show

e-mailed from the surf expo trade show in orlando

what can i say it blew me away that people took the time to do this for me......thanks michel,jason,barry,lisa,and felicia...and to my surf expo buddies bridgette and dan..i miss you guys ,,,,it has been my favorite show ( and my first ever (12 1/2 years ago)

feeling good today......resting and playing music.......my hands are working again so i am taking advantage of it....love that fact i can still be apart of your world and the show world without even being there.......

Tom......."trade show guru" cheffo...keep on rockin in the free world

"Sinking in the creek mud"

my mouse pad at home

"sinking in the creek mud"
that's a deputy dawg comment that i like to use sometimes.....
means your kinda stuck in one place.......i have so much more respect for the people who have made it through chemo-treatments it is like your "sinking in the mud" yet you try to just get through the day........i have never been one to just try to get through the day....but now one day closer is all i can think about.......if these are what hot flashes are all about i am glad i also do not have that to look foward to .....one of the side effects is that the veins in my arms hurt... wish i could just rip them out rinse them off and put them back in.......but i do have one thing to look foward to...when the chemos done..the surgery is going to be a welcome relief....i think that's my doctors plan all along.....get me so sick of this chemo shit that i will welcome the surgey and all the good drugs i will be consuming...looking foward to seeing my crew next week......always a fine time with the best rep team in the business...bar none....

later....tom"dawg"cheffo ....michele and jason...miss ya mucho...sk...heal well

The futures so bright...I might wear shades

photo taken one week after being diagosned

made a comment to my son tonight ..." i wish i had your future" he said "hey dad..your future is now...and is still looks pretty good"...chip off the old blog ..errr block.....

Michele & Jason left for orlando to set up and do the surf expo show today...that was my first trade show 12 1/2 years ago and it feels strange not traveling and doing what i have done for so many years....but just because i am on these "inconvenience drugs" called chemo therapy..i had to stay home....well boo hoo for me.....i mean who wants to go to a trade show where half the women are wearing the latest bikinis anyway.....me that's who...but i guess i will stay home and help hold down the fort and get ready for next weeks national sales meeting...all my road crew is coming in...gonna be emotional for sure........maybe even break out my guitar for a song or two.....you do not have to twist my arm for that...you can bet the farm on it.........so to the crew in orlando..incl..kent,felicia,tom,lisa and barry...knock em dead ..take no prisioners..tell em i said hey.........

was starting to pull out of my chemo slide yesterday...but slipped backwards today...it was weird one minute your on top of the world and the next....just like the old batman tv show KER-POW...and then your back in the quick sand again.....just trying to hang on..thinking of one thing...( no not that silly).. of a hot bath......and warm covers and that is it.....oh and maybe that Future...which my son so clearly stated...is now

love ya
chemo-cowboy* nick name given to me by susan k...all rights reserved

Ruby Tuesday

map where the bridge is located

today i will turn over my blog to yesterdays bolgettes who commented on the site........as i said many times over ,,,"there are many things i would not change about what has happened in the last few months.....your phone calls ..... your comments on blog...comments on thunderbyd@aol.com....... your comments on the streets have been ......priceless...oh yeah there is one thing i would like to change...would love to keep my freakin bladder....hehehehe

the lump in my throat is to large to see the screen so i can't type......so here are highlights from yesterdays comments,,,,,,,,,,,,


paul writes...... that bridge kinda looks like an metaphor that you are going through. You are right out at the farthest point now and are rounding the bend heading back to safe ground. Standing out at that farthest point alone would be lonely and scary, know that we are all with ya out there right now.
kev martin writes The great thing about that bridge, is that it ends, 'back where it all began'. Good as new, back to square one, back to where you started from. You get to take the tour', see the sights; a breath-holding peek at the peril below, but the road leads back to home, sweet home- solid ground.
Kent Doobrow writes....but this environment you have created is good medicine for all of us. good chance one or more of us bloggers will face a similar issue at some point in our lives and the example you are establishing will help others to remember many of your blogs and words of wisdom to aid in their journey.
susan k writes...Hey Cartwright, count me in for the cheffo shuffle across that bridge,
Casey writes......Just Keep Looking to the end, pop. Like the canyon, this experience has brought you and those around you endless possibilities. Just remember, never look down!!!!

ps...feeling better today.....poison has left the building

tom"humble pie" cheffo

WORKING WITH THE CHEMO GLOW

this is a new bridge that just opened overlooking the grand canyon...amazing structure...i will walk out on that someday
look ma no hands......if you want to know where it is ///drop me a line.......
i know that there are lots still checking blog daily ...so i will keep blogging on my friends ....60 plus entries and counting ..i find myself in a mind meld of sorts these days.....it is like you have a 110 temperature and your about to go swimming with the polar bear club..it is a freaky feeling to say the least.....i really do not even know how to respond when people say "how u feeling" i want to say fine but it comes out "like shit" or "not so good today" or today i said i am in the 50% club ...i would bet that at least 50% of the people feel better than me in this world and 50% feel worse.......not a bad percentage i guess...you see i have always prided myself to be part of the solution and not the problem and to have so many people concerned about my health and well being is amazing...i am deeply humbled by the continued wave of support and undying dedication to making sure i am not alone on this lonely ride.......so this i say to you my friends in the words of bob dylan...may your hands always be busy.....may your feet always be swift.... may you have a strong foundation when the winds of changes shift..may your heart always be joyful..your soul always be sung.....and may you stay...forever young
love ya mucho
hope all my buds made it out of the big apple safe and sound........
t

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

could not get this shot larger..i am working on it ..."loose lucy" crew in nYC at ollie chinsese resturant



hello all ...happy monday morning......

michele,jason and ayelet set up the trade show on saturday in nyc and i went in to meet the "loose lucy's" crew for lunch...took the train in not realizing there was a ranger game about to start ...my quiet train ride was filled with hectic fans ...cell phone talkers and i even saw a 1/2 eaten slice of pizza on the seat in front of me...( i was a little hungry but alas i did pass on it)......

the friends i was going to meet mean alot to me and are the greatest people to hang with..conversations are usually about music which is our common thread....but and i mean but they had been amazing to me (as you all have been) from the moment i was diagnosed till the present time and as i i was floating through the crowds to see them....i knew the trip would be worth it ......i was just looking at the faces of the crowds of people every where... so many people looked unhappy to me and that made me want to shake them and say.......wakes up...YOUR IN THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD.... I even had someone ask if i wanted to take a picture with a person in a giant apple suit..did i look like a tourist to them.....ughhhhhh ....this is my backyard .........i worked in the city when i was 15 years old running stationary to the big wigs on wall street after school.....although i was tempted to take that picture and post it ...would have been hilarious i declined a golden opportunity......

lunch was awesome ...company was better and michele and jason picked me up on the corner of 34th and 7th for the ride back to my bed..where i have remained every since...seems like the trip took it's toll....but i would not have changed it for the world.....thanks...susan,mike,steph,jason.missy (britt.. mia)jennifer and don...for a wonderful moment in my ride to the cure.........

WHAT CAN A MAN SAY

ron rockman and I ..qvc event to raise $$$ for breast cancer in october..yaleet (the company i work for ) raised over $130,000 that night alone....rockman is one of the greatest humans on this or any other planet.....brother for life (photo used without his permission) hope he does not mind..between us we have one hell of a head of hair........


first and foremost this is for candy girl.....smacked up her auto the other day....she is one tough cookie to walk away with only a bruise...i saw a picture of the car...ouch.....nothing would ever dampen her spirit...one of a kind.... and kind to a one...love ya candy...heal well

second and (nothing goes with 2nd i guess)...although i have a rough "day after" thanks to the great drug emend..... it seems to be passing although it is 2 am and i am wide awake as usual....the main queasyness has now passed and i am ready to do the macarana at micheles wedding ( glad it's in october...give my new bladder 6 months to settle in) let's do the math

surgery around march 1st $12,000
get to eat hospital food 10 days ( off a menu) $1,200
dancin the macarana (which i never could figure out) at michele wedding....priceless

my perfect evening started with a hot bath.....reading a book on bob dylan's "making of the blood on the tracks" alblum...one of my favorites of the man the myth the legend....... then watching a wacky new show called "my name is earl" about a guy who wants to right all the wrong he has ever done and is working off a list...could you imagine making that kind of lists......mind blower.......oh yeah even though i probably can't go had to buy a couple of allmans brothers tickets just to have them and keep my boys on the road.....pre-sale is the way to get good seats.....i am sure casey and chris will use my tix...... any way thanks for all the kind words....and patricia...glad we are in the same club....fighters like us will always win.....and winners like us will always fight...

T

UGGGGGGHHHHHHHH

man o man tues treatment kick the living daylights out of me.....had another shot of neupergin wed and that boosted energy levels up a notch.....you know that side effect called nausea..well that SOB has been hanging around all day......how many freaking crackers can a guy eat.....thank chickens for chicken..seems like the only thing that really does taste like chicken is chicken.....anyway back to work..miss the team....don't want to be gone to long...out of sight...ahhh you know the rest....farmingdale here i come....


scott krypel sent us this...he said it sounded like something i would have written..i didn't but i love it and try to live it.....thanks scott
"Don’t keep anything for a special occasion, because every day that you live is a special occasion. Search for knowledge, read more, sit on your front porch and admire the view without paying attention to the needs.Spend more time with your family and friends, tell them you love them, eat your favorite food, visit the place you love.Life is a chain of moments of enjoyment; it isn’t only survival.Take out from your vocabulary phrases like “One of these days” and “someday”. Write that letter you thought of writing “one of these days”.Never pass up a chance at adding laughter and joy to your life. Every day, hour and minute are special.
Still T "chemo-speedo-brooklyn cowboy-hippie" cheffo

"On My Way Home"

ME 30 YEARS AGO..MAN WHERE DID MY HAIR GO..( I JUST CUT MY FINGER ) SOMEWHERE IN THE BLACK HILLS WITH MY DOG HIPPIE...

treatment went well for being 7 hours with multi IV"S in my left arm....... it went suprising quick.. a little sea sick now but with all the pills i take it should pass...the grateful dead movie really help pass the time and my two new friends across the hall made the time go by quick because they like my ramblings....they were true friends ...you could see it in their eyes....as moms go they spoke of their children as only a mom could.....i feel it in my heart that her outcome will be as sucessful as mine...we are to have surgery around the same time and i could use some tye dyed love sent her way team......did not have lunch at the facility so when casey came to visit i asked her to bring me MCDONALDS*....french fries ....still rock after 3 months without them...and chicken nuggets.....i swear they do not taste like chicken but hey i figure i am on chemo so it will kill just about anything anyhow.........ok now here's the fun part...as the nurse was pulling out my IV"S....on my IPOD* the beatles started singing and i swear " on my way home"....the line and" i'm going home "rang true in my ear.....THE EXACT MOMENT SHE TOOK THE SECOND IV OUT MY ARM.
..let's do the math....
chemo # 4 out of the way $5,000..(thank u ins)
mickey d's french fries $.99
Beatles singing directly to me...priceless
i even left them off the list of bands i love and their role in my life ..sorry boys

* IPOD AND MCDONALDS ARE A REGISTERED TRADE MARK (hey don't want a lawsuit) hehhehe

P.S IF YOUR EVER IN NYC....LET'S DO LUNCH...( ALWAYS WANTER TO SAY THAT) ... t

Truckin'

my neighbor/friend erica gave me this photo today.....with all my talk of sunrises and sunsets i thought i would share it with you'all..thats me on the left..truckin on down the line
really sweet taking monday off (biz is closed)....sorry to all you retailers who are open....me i am currently reading three books- one on neil young..excellent book called shakey.......another on dylan.....about the making of the blood on the track record (thanks casey) and a book on the band.......my head is spinning as to what book to pick up.....i reccomend reading more than one book at a time...it is interesting for the brain....word is two people left the work they were in to persue other interests after hearing about my story......man i am honored to have that effect...go for it .....enjoy the ride.....follow your passion...... it may lead you to where you should be.....was impressed with dick clarks courage..i wish him well in his recovery..hey dick if your reading this....it is still not cool to call it "new years rockin" eve........i mean did you see some of the acts....did not hear one rock band....should have called it " new years rapping eve" or " new years poppin" eve..or new years " mirah has no clothes on" eve..ok i will stop now ....... keep on truckin..........later my friends

all ready for tues....my cell is 516-946-1134...gonna have my head set on so i can talk on the cell... from 10-4 est ..plan on ordering a pizza to be delivered ..that would be a blast ...on my time ......call me with some good jokes and i will tell the other chemo patients sitting around me..keep them cleanish......

tom "last of the brooklyn cowboys" cheffo

HAPPY NEW YEAR ,,,TO ALL

keep the dream alive...height- ashbury....2005
2006......what a concept......is it me or did 2005 slid right by...i for one am going to try and slow down them somehow.....no longer will i be "waiting for the weekend" to live...each day i am going to try and do something to make that 17 hours while i am awake....Memorable......starting with today.....trying to visit my cousins as i try to every new years day...already took down the tree and stuff and that is a chore unto itself......its is going to be quite an adventure these coming months one that i know i am ready for....one that i will face head on and if you don't mind bring you guys along for the ride.......................
will be in the chair for 6 hours tues....and i guess you could say that will be my memorable moment for that day......looking forward to getting to the half way point....you know what they say (who are they anyway and why are they always saying stuff)..."the going up is worth the coming down"

T.....
p.s. if your ever in charleston s.c. i recommend the fried oysters at justines ......finger lickin good ..................hope your not to hung over today ( having chemo does have it's advantages... no drinking.......no hang overs)