HO HUM-ANOTHER CT/SCAN

KING OF THE WORLD
RED ROCK LAS VEGASFEB 2007

had a ct/scan at sloane kettering this week........

wow going back to the scene of the crime as paul cartwright puts it was ......ummm a little unreal at first ...but i settled in drank some stuff...poked my veins....put me in a machine...just your ordinary run of the mill day on this earth......said hey to some familiar faces....some not so familiar ones and noticed that they added a new area...added some more nurse stations....must be big business this cancer thing.........get my results on monday....expecting the best...excepting nothing less...........

keep dry my fishing buddies........rock on my allman brother peach heads........

tom.....

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

sent by my cousin maryann..

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile.

HAPPY ST PADDYS DAY

ALL IS WELL ..FOLLOW UP VISITS NEXT WEEK RETURNING TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME.....WILL KEEP YOU POSTED

PEACE

MILE HIGH

melting ice caps

just got back from denver and i have to tell you what a beautiful city denver is..i mean i have been there before but never before seen the mountains a beautiful as they were last weekend..... oh yeah i was there to work and that was biz as usual...people happy to see me.....intrigued by my surgery....almost a surreal existence sometimes.....like they can't believe i made it and just want to touch me....gotta love it...just gotta love it

i happened to rent " the inconvenient truth" the movie al gore made about global warming and i think we owe it to ourselves to see this movie...it is a real opening of the eyes so to speak...not to get on the soap box but it is just an amazing movie and it has to make you think about how we live.........the fact i was watching the movie 35000 ft above land on a plane that was burning fossil fuel..well it just kinda made me think.........

love and peace...tom

FEB 15TH HAS COME AND GONE

red rock las vegas..2007

ok here is why i wrote that date feb 15th down..that was my last chemo treatment a full year ago.......(seems like only about 365 days have past) hehhe ...but a weird thing happened last week in vegas..a waitress notice my tye dyed braclet and asked what was it for and i kinda said something like "it is for me" and to make people aware of bladder cancer..she smiled and said she was a survivor (she was only 32) and she survived ovarian cancer.....and her last treatment was a year ago...you quessed it Feb 15th..... we smiled and realized these moments were meant to be,,,,,,so to my new pal kristy....we will be forever linked to that faithful day in Feburary.......

i am still not quite there (where i have no idea) and i do not think i will ever be....but those of you who know me know that i love this life and cherish it even more.......i still get phone calls everyday just checking up on me top see how i am......i am forever grateful for your love and friendship....see ya all at the concerts coming up...ALLMAN'S at the beacon,,,will be peaking

row s seat 26.......rock on......tom

53 AND COUNTING

thanks brad for bringing up my birthday....loved spending it with you and our wonderful customers ( well most of them anyway).....driving through the farms of iowa was an awesome site with some snow on the ground and the clean and i mean clean air..(so clean it is see through)....
celebrating everyday is where my head is now......hey i know it cannot always be zippy-do-da fantastic everyday....but hey if there is one or two moments that make it worth while...then bring it on........loved seeing all my buds this week.....adam ..be as you are.,...fad...alan and donna and joel...love ya....blue sky......phil you rock...loose lucy's crew....as close to family as i can get......you all make the road........roadable....

my co-workers......what can i say....it has been a heck of a year.......you make me want to come back to the office........oh yeah michele at work is turning 30 friday.....our little girl is all grown up...love ya kiddo.........love you all..........mucho...tom....good luck rachel.......we will miss you.....

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

GREETING FROM ...LAS VEGAS NEVADA

WISHING YOU A HEALTHY AND HAPPY VALENTINES DAY...........GIVE YOUR VALENTINE A HUG FROM ME.....HUGS ARE FREE.....COME TO THINK OF IT SO ARE SMILES.....SO SLAP A SMILE ON FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS ALSO......IT KINDA FEELS GOOD.............PEACE....TOM

WHAT A ROAD TRIP

key west...fl... sk sent me this great photo

miles and miles of smiles.....loved seeing everyone....loved being told....but you look so good......better yet i felt so good (most of the time) after two beers mexician food and a birthday cheese cake for gary and michele..well let's just say i did keep it all in....bearly......i cannot believe 9 months have passed since my bladder was replaced and everyting is feeling so much better......head is clearer.....pain is at a mimimum....like they said...one year from when that first knife went into me and i will be like my old self...........but in the mean time heading back to vegas for another trade show and hopefully i hit 4 jacks again on the video poker game,,,,,,i came home with more money than when i left...like i said.i am the luckiest man in the world and you are all the joy of my life.....

tom............bob,gene , lisa and doug......fight the fight.....we are with you my friends..........................

LEAVING ON A JETBLUE AIRPLANE

heading to utah......strange but beautiful place....salt lake is situated in a valley surrounded by the wonders of nature.....i love just getting up and looking out at the mountains and wondering how it was all those years ago.....ok now you know what i do during my free time.....will be checking in from the road....seeing most of whom i love to see in the next two weeks......the journey continues...........

after utah heading to Vegas...more on that later

tom

WHITE STUFF ON THE GROUND

woke up..got out of bed...draged a comb across my head...ok beatles thing going again....what a great band.....anyway where was i ,....oh yeah it snowed a little and it was so beautiful on the ground ......it melted soon after.....but nice while it lasted.................heading to utah...then to vegas....trade show /muscic/////friends...continuing my victory tour......so much stronger this round......looks like the doctors were right it will take a year to feel like my old self agin ...a whole year....wow.....april 12th will be the day....the day to celebrate..........the day i will finally be able to say.."it's been a year' far out.........so from the florida keys..to the mountains of maine..( are there mountains in maine?).......to the red woods and the rio grande......watch out americas....here i come and you never know where me and my neo-bladder will appear......so when you least expect it......poof i will be there......go new orleans saints...help your city heal........the world is watching......to my buddy gene.........saddened by the news,,,,you will be in all of our thoughts........gene begins the fight this week....he has been a dear friend for 20 years....and so much apart of my lfe..i love ya pal...if your reading this...24/7 i am here for you.............................tom......enjoy the sunsets..i hearkey west has some beauties,,,try buffets new land shark beer.......outstanding......

NO SNOW

STILL NO SNOW IN NY ALTHOUGH THE WEATHER IS TURNING.........LET'S SEE HOW LONG THIS CAN CONTINUE......SNOWLESS IN NEW YORK..........PRICELESS

FLA HERE I COME

ah well the jets played pretty good so gotta give them a pat on the back (not a new england pat that is)...heading to orlando to a national trade show and some of my best buds in the universe will be there.....so here i come.......and let the sun shine ..perfect timing as the weather gets a little colder in New York....i mean it was only 72 degrees on saturday..what's up with that.....down to low 40s today ..feels more like winter.....nobody has won our snow pool at work ...looks like it will be lou and he has 2/14...see ya on the south side of the good ol usa.......good luck danielle on your bat mitzpah saturday...can't wait to party with the rockmans.................tom.........

J-E-T-S...JETS JETS JETS

ok time for some football...playoff football...due or go home...imagine any other job like that....if you don't make the sale your going home...or if you can't fix the plumbing your done...get outta here.....playoff football....win and move on....so here's what we have to do....root for my jets......i promise if you do a thousand miracles will befall on to you....(ok maybe just a couple)..i know that is going to be rough on you new england fans.......but hey a man has to try to do what ever it takes.....so i know where i will be at one o'clock.......right in front of my tv.......smiling just happy to be here watching "the game"...........considering if i would have lost the last "lifes" battle i would have been sent home for good...and we all know how that game ended up...i won and i got to move on......enjoy the weather in new youk..it cannot last....heading to orlando tues.....as willie nelson says.....on the road again...i can't wait to be on the road again,,,,,.....

2006

HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN.....................................

a year to remember.......well just about ready to put this one in the books.....it has been a heck of a ride................so many moments........ so many roads traveled by all......thanks for taking the walk with me......i never once felt alone in this journey.....(ok those two days and nights when i woke up from surgery were kinda freaky) but even then, thanks to the "fund" i was able to have someone by my side ...... i have to admit a year did really fly by ......the chemo treatments are a thing of the past and the healing although slower than i thought is on target....friends and family it is an absolute joy when someone comes up to me and says " i read your blog all the time" and "by the way thanks it really helped me through some things"......do you have any idea how that makes me feel...i mean i started writing to heal myself within and i know that it helped me through the toughest of times....but never did i imagine that it would take on a life of it's own...i am and i really mean it so fortunate to have
the most beautiful people surounding my world....family -friends-pets-and ememies i wish you a wonderful happy over the top new year....may 2007 be what ever you need it to be......my journey continues. i know 2007 will be..........awesome .......................................p.s congrats to timmy and rachel on the birth of their beautiful baby boy named cahal..check him out http://www.cahalmckeefinch.blogspot.com/ ..WISH YOU ALL THE JOY IN THE WORLD..............................................TOM................

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

I always like to see what holiday card effects me the most or the one that i feel captures the moment or the feeling that i am feeling....well i love them all ..all the photos....sharing of love and peace ....pets and children....misle toes and menaurahs.....santa and mrs claus.....but the card to the left is from one of our customers from texas captured it all.....and to all i wish love...peace..health.......most of all HOPE......please enjoy the moments....enjoy the time of year......smile on your brother...everybody get together and try to love one another right now (youngbloods).....Tom...ooooxxxxoooo...... to all and to all a good night

hAPPY hANAKKAH---2006

i just have to say it has been a heck of a year....one for the books........i for one have learned much about human nature and what a person can or cannot endure......as my doctor said to me today....and by the way i am really doing good......she said..." your body has been through a major change and it may never be back to where it was"..i plan on fooling them all....but she also ended her sentence with "but you look so good".......it is in the days that i return to the hospital for these tests that it all floods back......but i have to say i really do not mind going to see everyone there..they are amazing...truly amazing.........i even stuck my head into the patients room next door just to say hi and wish him well......we smiled and compared battle scares.....wished a happy holiday to each other and just kinda smiled knowing we are just happy to be apart of this world....and in such great hands......oh well i plan on commenting and blogging year end news....please keep those comments coming either to thunderbyd@aol.com or this site......i have kept everyoneof them and we have a hell of a story being told......happy Hanukkah to all and to all a good night ....please send good vibes to my buddy bob and to stewarts cousin neil who are fighting the battle now...........peace on earth

Cat Scan

(storm cat )
ok it seems like they like to keep an eye on us former cancer patients..thats right former i am......and former i am gonna stay.....i just put enough distance from me and sloane ketttering and they pull me back in......my 1/4ly check up is here again and i have to get scanned tues dec 12th.,...results on thursday......i am told the the new bladder is working mighty fine so i do not expect any set-backs...............................listening to the jj cale and eric clapton cd...awesome music....i recommend it highly.....those of you into peace and music i recommend the old bobby darin tune ...a simple song of peace.....right on today even though it was written in 1969.......(itunes 99 cents..live at the desert inn version)........all the news that fits.........tom cat

Beautiful quote

every once in a while i receive something via e-mail from a wonderful friend that just has to be shared,,,,enjoy...read it slow....read it twice ..tom


IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck (written after she found out she was dying from cancer).
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing a way nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love you's" More "I'm sorry's." But mostly, given another shot at life,
I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it.. live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!! Don't worry about who doesn't like you , who has more, or who's doing what Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us. Let's think about what we are blessed with, and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally. I hope you have a blessed day.

naTIONAL sALES mEETING

just finished 3 days of meetings-partying and paintballing..will not bore you with the meeting stuff....but paintball now that was a blast ..it was only my 2nd time (but will not be my last)....split into 2 groups....learned now to use the gear.....reminded to never remove eye shield....200 miles an hour paint ball will do some major damage.....first game i settled in looked out over my bunker and splat right in the face shield it splattered..........what a rush....by the third game i was really into it....my body is coming back...first real test of the new bladder......decided to hang back and give cover fire to my teammates.... it seemed to be a stalemate and time was ticking.....i decided to run across the entire indoor field and flush them out....thats right ...i ran ...the fastest and furthest i have run since the surgery......got behind a huge bunker and traded shots with my co-workers.....ran out of paint balls ..rushed up behind a wall and force one to surender....(he did not know i was out of bullets)......well i should have looked to my right because sean, michele and scott were hiding behind a bunker and i was plasted with paint.....game ended in a tie.....smiles all around......i quess i am telling you all this is because my body was glad to get some new energy and excersise in it....oh yeah meetings went well....it was so good to see everyone.............and so good to be seen........blog you next week......trade show in NYC all week.................peace...

ONE YEAR AGO

self portrait
this tues the 28th marks the one year anniversary of my first Chemo treatment. i cannot believe a year has gone by. i re-read the blog and comments of that day and was, as always deeply touched.....i am feeling better but different....people always ask me "how are you feeling" and i seem to always say...i will be better soon.......it seems that i still am in someone else's body and i am on the outside looking in......i am sure that will pass as my strength returns and my spirit lifts me past all this......my weight is up and my energy comes and goes.......and i do get by......but like i said....it is something that i still cannot completely understand all the love and support that i received during this difficult yet amazing year........i will celebrate many anniversary's in the years to come......landmark days and events that marked this "walk in the park" i celebrate them with you.........always ........tom

THANKSGIVING

hi my fellow americans.............next week is going to be a special holiday...........i mean it is a holiday without all the b.s that comes with most of them.............i mean no hidden agenda......just to be thankful for what we have...just be thankful for our families and friends....pets and music.....food and air....water and love..........health and happiness.....mets and jets.............toilet paper and chocolate (not in any order) memories and forgetfulness..............nieces and nephews..........ice cream and beer........bikinis and beer........doctors and medicine.....gleevec and neo-bladders.....rolling stone and relix ........hippies and well just about everything that makes up this world on the peaceful side...........oh yeah that would be the best thing to be thankful for if it were possible......peace this holiday season....my friends......let me offer you at least that..........peace and love to all i know...i know it is something that is always said............but i really really mean it .....i love you all so much.............. may your homes this holiday season be filled with all that is good in this life.............oooooxxxxoooooo TOM