12-08-2007 Portland

The big winner for the 10,000th hit was …drum roll please…

Jessica Noesen!

Congratulations Jessica! She emailed me with the screen shot and is entitled to all the glory this contest can bestow on her. Well, it looks like it is going to be a t-shirt and then hopefully, some activity involving a boat. Sorry not to reveal the results immediately, but it really would not have been consistent with the philosophy of this particular blog (basically, I continue to be lazy).

Anyways, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and got everything they wanted. If there was something that you did not get, you are always welcome to use the rationalization that “Well, if Tyler wanted it, he would probably buy it for himself. So, I might as well buy it for myself. You have to live for the day.” Yeah, I have sort of been doing the instant gratification thing for the last year and 5 months. Miraculously, Eva and I are not bankrupt yet. It did make it a little hard for Eva to do her Christmas shopping but she did manage to put the breaks on my spending (on myself) a bit in the month and a half leading up to Christmas. Actually she did incredibly, as did the rest of the family. I feel incredibly fortunate. The toys are fun, but at the end of the day, nothing really beats a good hug and just knowing that you are loved (try telling that to an 8-year-old, give him about 15 years and he will get it).

Back in early December, once Eva and I got back from Switzerland, we worked a few days, and then were off again up to Portland to visit some of my family. We left Saturday morning and were at the home (sorry Zel, you lovely residence will be referred to as a home during this entire entry) by early afternoon. The 2 hour flight was nothing when compared to the 11 hour flight to Zurich. We checked out the activities list for the day (the home is amazing and coordinates activities for the residents pretty much every day) and saw that Wii bowling was happening in the afternoon. Pretty Sweet. We got Zel out there and she actually got a few strikes. Look at that Champ!


My father got into it a bit though, luckily, he was a little more restrainded than when he was Wii boxing in our apartment. Just because I relish in every victory, I have to mention that I managed to hit a couple strikes in the 10th frame for a come from behind victory.


After our bowling workout, we took a little tour around the home. Nearly everyone decorates their doors for the season and some were really spectacular.


Eva and I loved the goose with ear warmers. Adorable!


We took a bit of a break before dinner and Eva and I checked out the library. I perused a really nice Atlas and Eva amused herself by working on a puzzle that was out. I had no idea that she liked puzzles but she was adorable and got really into it. We only spent about 45 minutes there but a puzzle that was only about ¼ done upon arrival was nearly ¾ done before we had to go to dinner. It was tough to pull her away.


Then Eva, my folks, Zel, and I went to AppleBee’s in the little shopping center right around the corner from her place. We had a dinner of appetizers which is always fun. We just cannot resist the happy hour specials. After dinner we chatted a bit more at Zel’s place and then turned in.

On Sunday, we got up and had breakfast with Zel and her friends Ray and Bob. They are a couple of characters and it was wonderful to meet them and have breakfast with them. It was really good to see that Zel has some really nice friends at her place. Good friendships are had to come by and really make life a whole lot better. Eva commented and I agreed that all three of the residents were just so quick that it was hard to keep up. Some of the comments out of Bob even made my father blush a bit. It was just really funny when you were not expecting it. After breakfast, we talked a bit more on some of the nice couches that were in the main room and my dad and I got to hear about a car that Bob had been restoring. A nice 30’s Mercedes convertible. "You know, like Hitler’s car." he said. Just a funny guy and Ray was just so kind and warm as well. She was pretty liberal and I had to laugh when she said we have a nutcase in the White House. Not the usual sentiment out of the older crowd (no offense intended Ray and Zel and Bob, you all are very young in spirit). I would try to test the political waters with Zel but realized that I would probably not get very far as she generally votes by looks. Lets face it, even with the ears, Bush was better looking than both Gore or Kerry so you can’t really hold that against her. After digesting a bit, my folks, Eva, and I went out for a little run/walk. Eva ran and the rest of us walked. There was a little bike path that ran along the stream and apparently went all the way into Portland. It was really nice though crisp and cold and even a few snowflakes fell. It felt good to get out and move around a bit.


Then we went back, got cleaned up, and met up with the rest of the family at Zel’s. Tom and Birken had come over and Betty and David had come up. It was really great to see all of them. All of them were looking very well and everyone seems to be doing pretty well. After catching up for a bit we all made our way down to a lovely Sunday champagne brunch put on by the residence. It always just feels very good to get the family together a bit and this was no exception. I wish I had more time to travel around so that I could see my family a bit more regularly. I guess we all wish we had more time for everything that we would like to do. If I have realized anything from this experience it is that time is probably the most valuable commodity any of us has. So make the most of it. And just for the record, sometimes time is best spent just doing nothing with someone you love. I cannot express how much I enjoy just hanging out on the couch with Eva. That said, I also enjoy dragging her around a bit a trying to squeeze it all in. I guess that a balance of both is nice. Anyways, lunch was wonderful, good food and good company. The boys behaved themselves, not that there was ever any doubt, but sometimes my father’s sarcasm can get a little out of hand. Sadly, we were only on a short trip and Tom had to pick up a friend from the airport and that was the only time we got to spend with Tom and Birken. Hopefully, Tom will have a wonderful time in Hawaii (he is probably there right now) and hopefully Birken gets some snow. We sort of took it easy that afternoon and then in the evening, Eva, my folks, and I went to the little shopping center right by the home. We tried to do a little shopping for each other though it was a little hard to shop for each other in front of each other. There were a couple close calls where a “Stop right there!” and a cover the item with your jacket maneuver prevented a surprise from being spoiled. We grabbed a small bite at the bar around the corner and then went back to Zel’s.

On Monday, we got up and checked out the exercise room. What a surprise, my father was already in there and sweating hard. After a brief workout, we got cleaned up and went down for breakfast. I really love the set-up where everyone eats with each other for as many meals as they would like. It is really social and just totally reminds me of college. After breakfast, we all cruised down to Betty and David’s to check out their new house. On our last trip in May, we got to see the blueprints and now we got to see the finished product. It was very nice. A beautiful home and Eva even said that the corners appeared to be aligned (something of a rarity in American construction – a little joke between us. I usually respond by saying something like, “well at least is did not take 5 years to finish). It was a little ways down there but the drive was nice and we got to see a bit of the Oregon countryside on the way there. We had a great lunch and spent some more time with family. Zel looks like she is enjoyng her spot.


Betty, me, and Eva. Betty, my dad's cousin, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and is just begining her chemotherapy regimen. She has maintained a wonderful attitude throughout probably the hardest part of the journey (diagnosis) and it was actually really fun making cancer jokes with her, survivor to survivor. We all just try to make the best of a shitty situation. I really feel for her, and everyone who has been touched by this disease, and wish her the best of luck in her journey. Please keep her in your thoughts as the wonderful thoughts and prayers you all have given me have done wonders in keeping me around.


Check out the great tree at the home. I am telling you, this place was really nice. Sign me up.


Here we are with Zel before we left. She just has a wonderful spirit. I hope to make my way back up there soon.


Our trip was a quick one and we had to head back up to Portland to catch our flight that evening. We dropped Zel off at the home, hugged our good byes, and were on our way. Another mellow flight back down to LA and then we went back to San Pedro to crash.

Take Care and Live Strong,
Tyler

11-24-2007 Trip to Switzerland

Ok just a couple of current items and then a recap of the trip to Switzerland. My health is fairly steady. We are not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination but it seems that we have come across a nice little meadow on our way. Hey, I would not mind hanging out in this state for a very long time. I have been going to chemo about once a week (before and after my trip to Switzerland) and it is still pretty OK. I had a few rough days but those are to be expected. Anyways, my father has put our little 17' whaler (boat) into the water in Los Alamitos Bay for the next couple weeks and would love to take anyone who is interested out to see the lights in Naples from the cannals. Just give him a call. If he gives you any grief (he won't) tell him Tyler told you to call.

The other little item is that with all of your incredible support, the blog is approaching the 10,000 hit mark. This kind of notoriety has caused some to try to advertise through comments (Please do not click the link from any posts from that Adam character! It will only make it worse. If a comment is from Adam Shaffer it is probably OK) but it is also very exciting. Thank you all for your support. To show my appreciation of you guys sticking with the blog, I will have a prize for the person who is the 10,000 hit. This contest will be based on the honor system so if you see that you are 10 hits away, please do not just close and open the blog 10 times. Play fair. If you find that you are the 10,000th visitor, please take a screen shot (google it for your operating system if you do not know how) and email it to me at tnoesen@gmail.com. The prize has yet to be determined and may depend on the winner (ie waterskiing is probably not a prize that my Great Aunt Zel would get very excited about). Good Luck and thanks for being a big part of the support network that has helped me along so much.


The day after Thanksgiving, Eva and I hopped on a plane and cruised over to Switzerland to see her folks. Switzerland is always wonderful. I feel incredibly fortunate to just be able to pick up and head over to such a beautiful country and to have such a nice place to stay. The primary reason for the trip was to spend time with Eva’s folks and we got to spend some good time together. Most of the trip was spent in their little village of Rudolfstetten though we did get into Zurich a few times. I just love the forest and fields up the hill from their house. I am such a city boy so I get excited whenever I am in the countryside. It was really neat contrasting how the fields looked on this trip with how they looked in July - pretty big difference. The weather was fairly cooperative, much to Eva and my chagrin. We were hoping for rain and snow (you know, just to mix it up a bit from sunny SoCal) but it was pretty nice most of the time. There were a few foggy days, a couple days of rain, and it did snow on a run once, but mostly it was just chilly and clear.

We got to have dinner with Eva’s friend Andy and also go out with Justina (Eva’s best friend from childhood). Both evenings were really enjoyable and they both seem to be doing very well. Andy had a great apartment that was right on Lake Zurich. It definitely got those wheels turning in my head as there were a number of boats along the street going to their place. We shared a little 8-year-old fun after dinner as he brought out a couple RC helicopters and we flew them around the apartment. So much fun! The cats seemed a little freaked out but I am sure they will get over it. Amazingly, we did not destroy anything in the apartment. Andy and I are very lucky that our respective wives put up with us and even got into the fun as well (some women may be offended by that remark, but lets face it, how many little girls do you know that really like helicopters or have ever come up with the idea of strapping a firecracker to an army man to see if he can fly). Eva’s faces while flying the helicopter were priceless.

The next evening, we went out to a bar with Justina in Widen. It was a pretty hot spot (well, it was the only spot in Widen – a pretty small town). The crowd was interesting as the age range was wide open. There were kids that looked like they were still in high school and then there were people my parent’s age “getting jiggy with it”. It was very loud and smoky but Eva and I really felt that we were living it up like a couple of twenty-somethings should be. Usually we are in bed fairly early but when you travel through 8 time zones, you can reschedule your body so that you can stay up later. One drawback of this approach is that you may end up sleeping in fairly late but I am pretty sure that Eva’s folks already think I am a snoozer anyways so oh-well. Anyways, Eva and I really enjoyed sort of being a part of the scene at least for one night. Justina is always a pleasure to be around and just fun and bubbly. After the bar we went back to her place and conversed in a little more low-key environment. She showed me a music video of her friend, which was really cool though it was a little odd seeing a very pretty blonde girl doing some hardcore German rap. The chorus was pretty catchy, though it really should not be repeated in front of minors. Eva and I did not get home until about 3:30am. We felt like such Euros! (even though 3:30 would be about halfway through a Euro’s evening).

On Saturday night, we kept the nightlife and high living alive by attending a ball very close to Lake Zurich. It was a Czech Doctor’s ball and a pretty fun event. Maybe I do not know where to look, but you do not see these balls as much, if at all, in the states. It was an impressive local and everyone was dressed to the nines. They had a live band and lots of dancing. Eva and I got out there a bit but my leading could use some work. She looked incredible and I was really just stoked that she was at my side. The other two couples at our table were very nice and kind enough to speak English for me. Switzerland really amazes me with the ability for a great majority of their citizens to be able to switch between German and English and possibly Czech or French at a moments notice, often within the same conversation and occasionally within the same sentence. The man to my left, Chris, was actually deputy mayor of Rudolfstetten (Eva’s little town). It was really interesting talking to him about how Swiss politics works and how the town is governed on a day-to-day basis. Swiss governance is much more of a bottom up approach. It is really fascinating though it is hard to imagine the consequences of a similar system being applied here. What would happen if every little American town could vote directly to determine the amount of taxes they pay or vote to approve or disapprove the proposed color a neighbor would want to paint their house? At any rate, the ball was very enjoyable. I feel like I have gotten that much more value out of my tux every time I get to wear it. I am such my father’s son.

The rest of the time was spent just doing day-to-day things. We had gotten ready to import some more Erbitux, but it looks like my regimen is changing again and now I will be on Avastin. Unfortunately, the price for Avastin in Switzerland is roughly the same as it is here in America so we decided to forgo the smuggling effort. We did stock up on Iscador though (a mistletoe extract that has been used in Europe for quite a while to boost the immune system and hold back cancer spread). It was a pretty quick trip but very enjoyable. We will see but I would expect that Eva and I will make our way back there in either February or March. Below are a number of pictures from the trip with little captions. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, has had a Happy Hanukah, or has a wonderful celebration in whatever way you chose.

Take Care and Live Strong,
Tyler

I hope you enjoy the pictures…

Here are George and Miluse having a good time at a little village get together. Within 24 hours of our arrival, I had eaten 4 sausages. I sort of toned it down and got back on salad in the days that followed. George and the Men’s Choir sung at the little gathering, which was a really lovely way to start off our trip.


Their neighbor was having a rough time mowing the lawn so he employed a few Alpacas. He was hoping for a two-fold benefit with them keeping the grass short and then fertilizing the entire yard. Well, it turns out that they don’t really cover the intended area as uniformly as you might hope. They seem to eat from a couple spots and poop in one corner. Not all good ideas work out as planned. Oh-well.


Here are George and I out on the bikes. It was a little chilly but just wonderful to ride around the fields.


No trip to Switzerland would be complete without seeing some cows.


Eva and Miluse making cookies. What an adorable mother daughter bonding time, with sweet benefits to the others in the house as well.



Some days were clear, some days were foggy. I did not get a picture of it, but there was a bit of frost on a lot of the plants that looked really cool.



Here is Eva and I on the morning of our trip to Zurich. Banhofstrasse is basically like a combination of Rodeo Dr. and Time Square except that everyone is speaking German and looks to be working very hard.


As usual, I see a church and have to go in it. And guess what, this one had a tower, too. This was Grossmunster, a church that my parents and I had been to last July. Ahh, my wife tolerates my tower addiction with such patience. She is so wonderful.


She told me to look fierce and this is what she got. That is lake Zurich in the background.


Well, after we had gotten our fill of churches, we moved onto chocolate shops. You can almost feel the excitement.


I am enjoying a very fine hot chocolate in a cute little chocolateria. The place was adorable and it sort of felt like this is what a cave could look like if they let Martha Stewart go to town on the decorations. It was a warm retreat from the cold and who would refuse chocolate? Luckily, I am only 5’9”. Anyone over 6’ would have a tough time moving around in there.


Just for kicks, we rode the Polybahn, a cute little tram that takes people up the hill to the university. The sky was amazing and we barely got this shot before the colors faded away.


Back down at the train station, there was a little Christmas market. Lots of little kitschy items if you were so inclined. Here is a tree decorated with Swarovski Glass ornaments. Pretty sparkly.


Here is Eva looking gorgeous in front of the main train station. I feel lucky everyday.


Another run in the fields by Rudolfstetten. Eva really liked this tree and thought it looked a bit like a leaf.


Taking a break at the water stop. It was a little drizzly and I dressed for it.


Egelsee in the rain. Again, the California kid is just amazed at this concept that people call the seasons. Later on the run, when we were going through the forest, I thought of my Great Aunt Zel. I think that what we where in would be what she would describe as a clean forest (like those in Chicago). None of those overgrown bushes like you would find in those messy forests of Oregon. Personally, I find both forests appealing so if you are taken aback at the idea of a messy forest in Oregon, I want you to remember that you would be at odds with an adorable 93 year-old woman.


Here are a few photos from the ball. Again, I feel lucky every day.


Sometimes the music would get a little fast and it was a good idea to lead me off the dance floor.


Eva and her father. Just for the record, George and Miluse were pretty awesome on the dance floor. They were putting their kids to shame with the moves and the style they were working with. Well, looks like a little practice is in order for Eva and I. I always enjoy a good challenge.


Eva’s folks and us at the table. The guy on the right is Chris, who I mentioned before. To say that that guy was also impressive on the dance floor would be quite an understatement.


This afternoon we all went for a walk up in the hills. The clouds were pretty spectacular and then all of a sudden it started raining. Who knew?


A hillside in Switzerland. There is just something really appealing to me about a lone tree in a field. So peaceful.