Appt. with Dr. Loggie

The time has come up pretty fast. It has been about two months since my surgery, which means it is time to make an appointment for a follow-up with Dr. Loggie.

We will be going to Omaha Tuesday, Nov. 3rd, then will get a CT scan first thing Wednesday morning (Nov 4th), then see Dr. Loggie directly after. Hopefully he will have some words of wisdom concerning next steps of treatment.

Actually what we are praying for is that he will look at the CT scan and say, "Hmmm... this is weird, there's nothing there."

Elke

Yep, we got a dog.

Her name is Elke (fem form of Elkanah, which means "purchased by G-d"). She is a poodle mix (not sure what else, perhaps Bishon).

She is a rescue and was neglected.

For the most part, she is a great dog. Still a few issues with getting too excited, but we're working on that.

She has been good for me to help me get out of the apartment and go for walks, and to help me get out of this funk I have been in. Recovering from surgery, not having a job, etc., isn't necessarily good for the soul, but having a dog is.

And I'm starting to learn some lessons about being calm when things aren't going my way (i.e. when Elke wants to go one way, and I want her to go another). I know that getting angry with her does no good. Yelling at her does no good (I'm pretty sure she doesn't understand 99% of what I say). Being calm, and being the pack leader is what is needed (hat tip to Ceaser).

I'll be sure to post other lessons I learn as time goes on. Till then, this is Kevin, Roni and Elke siging off...

Questions on Yom Kippur 5770

For the last couple of years I have been asking G-d the same questions. Why did I have to get cancer? Why me? Those questions can also be translated to "What did I do to deserve this?"

Intellectually I know the answers, yet I still continued to ask. The answer is the same for all these types of questions, and it is the same answer all the time. "It just is."

I didn't do anything to deserve cancer. It just happened. There is no great cosmic conspiracy. This is not some form of godly punishment. It's just that we live in an imperfect world. Good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people.

So today, on Yom Kippur, it is time to change the questions. Instead of why did this happen to me, I want to start asking, "What can I do with my situation to help others?" "How can I take a crappy situation and turn it to good?"

My prayer for today, and going forward is, G-d help me to ask the right questions. The questions who answers have the ability to change lives. Mine and others.

Amen.