Sid Bacon

We met Dan and Liz at the Denver airport Thursday morning and then the five of us (including Cathy and Laura) picked up the rental car and drove the two or so hours to Tabernash.  We needed a vehicle large enough to seat six, as we were bringing Cathy’s brother John (father of the groom) to the airport on Sunday, so we rented a luxury SUV.  It was black and big … rather mafia-looking, and ever so appropriate for the godparents to be driving. 
 

We stayed in a beautiful house in the mountains, a very short walk from the wedding venue.  The accommodations were fantastic. Cathy’s entire family was able to stay in the one house, which made it all the more fun.  I went on brisk, long walks both Friday and Saturday mornings.  Cathy walked the entire time with me on Friday, and part of the time on Saturday, adding a run to her morning’s exercise routine on that day.  Although the 7200-feet elevation in Pinetop had no effect on us, the 8500-feet elevation in Tabernash certainly did.  We were gasping for air. 
 

Kate and Andy planned and implemented a spectacular outdoor wedding ceremony, officiated by Dan.  You can get a sense of the beauty of the natural surroundings from the picture I have included today.   The mountains in the background of our picture set the scene for the wedding.  The ceremony itself was beautiful, with fantastic readings and lovely vows.  It couldn’t have been better.
 

As I said, I felt good the entire weekend.  I was able to dance most of the evening at the wedding reception.  And when I didn’t dance, it was because of the music, not my fatigue … For the most part, I could forget that I had cancer.  What a blessing that was!  And when I did think about having this awful disease, I was quickly able to shift my focus to being grateful for the fact that I am feeling well.  I tried hard to live in the moment, because what a moment it was!   
 

I think what I enjoyed most about the weekend was seeing so much happiness and love.  The highlights for me were Andy and Kate, Liz and Dan, and “the cousins” (Andy, his brother Christian, Dan, and Laura).  And now when we talk about the cousins, we happily add Erin to the mix (Erin is Andy and Christian’s cousin, and Laura and Dan’s “adopted cousin”). 
 

Quite a few of the family members were wearing the purple wristbands that Andy had sent us some time ago.  They say “SIDSTRONG” on one part and “Team Bacon” on another.  Dan and I also wear a purple wristband that says “No One FIGHTS Alone!”  I sincerely appreciate all the support I receive from you and my family.  I clearly am not fighting alone.  You are a big part of why I am feeling and doing so well.  I couldn’t do this without you.  Thank you!

As much fun as it was to be in CO this past weekend, it is good to be back home.  There is always something reassuring and comforting about the familiar surroundings of home (though I certainly wouldn’t mind another trip to the mountains …).  Fortunately, the weather these past two days hasn’t been all that bad … it didn’t even reach triple digits yesterday, and it may not even get there today.  Not bad for Phoenix this time of the year, and certainly a real help with the transition back to home. 
 

At this time of the year, for those of us in academia anyway, thoughts start to turn from the usually slower-paced summer to the more frenetic fall. At ASU, classes for the fall semester start on the 23rd of August, which means preparation starts much sooner. Cathy is already starting to gear up for the semester, which is testimony to her excellent organizational skills. Although she has always been organized, I am sure she feels the need to be even more so now, given that she has been thrust into a situation in which she needs to balance her busy work life with that of a life of a caregiver. Thus far she is doing a fantastic job and, indeed, if anyone can juggle the myriad of demands from both lives, it is Cathy.
 

Although I have enjoyed and benefitted immensely from being able to work at home, and I am ever so grateful for that opportunity, I plan to spend more time on campus this fall. I will benefit from being around colleagues and gaining some normalcy to my life. I may not be able to be on campus during the weeks I have chemo (especially since I will be at Piper for most of those Mondays and then will have a portable pump delivering one of the drugs at home for two more days), but I am hopeful that I’ll feel well enough to be on campus during the weeks that I have off (with the new regimen, a cycle will be one week on, one off, one on, and one off).  Time will tell.
 

Regardless of how the fall semester unfolds, we know we want to have sufficient time to spend together and with family. After all, that is what is important.