...and...TWENTY NINE!

Wow -- twenty-nine months!

I'm at that really really short point on the statistical curve as it (hopefully) flattens out for a while. If I go seven more months like this I might reach "long term survivor" status. When I was first diagnosed I thought I'd be really lucky to survive to a point that is now fifteen months back in the distance.

Once in a while something changes in my schedule for the day, and I end up with "found time." I always like to keep things in mind that I can do with those pockets of extra time on my hands -- no matter how small those pockets are.

And here I am with a whole lot of "found time" behind me (and every minute adds to it). I've started taking an inventory of what I have done with that time so far, and what I should be doing. If I had known in December 2005 that I would still be alive and kicking today (literally -- just ask my sensei), would I have done more with this time? Would I have been a lazy bum and done less? Who knows?

Gotta do what we can, while we can. Right now I can drive myself nuts thinking about what to do next with all this "found time".

I prayed a whole lot for this life, and I'm sure that I should give an accounting for what I have done with what I have been given. I feel like one of the servants in the parable of the talents. Whether I get a little bit or a lot doesn't matter as much as what I choose to do with it.

Some things are easy, like hugging my kids and telling my family members how much I love them. We always want one more chance to do that, and I've been blessed with many chances.

Other things are harder and require me to cut out a little circle and write "T U I T T" on it. (Because I'll finally do it when I get "a round TUITT.")

I'll get the scissors and start cutting circles. After all, if I want to try and stretch this out to twenty-nine years, I need to be filling it with a lot of good stuff!