Hi Everyone-
Just wanted to let everyone know that Rob and I are doing well. We took our first trip this weekend and survived! We went to Pennsylvania for my cousin’s 21st birthday party and had a blast. It was great to get out of the house and to hang out with family and friends. It is much colder in Pennsylvania so Rob was in more pain then usual but he survived. The one downside of the trip was that Ms. Marley got herself sick by eating donuts from my grandfather’s stash. She was so sick today while I was at work that we had to call upon a neighbor to rush her to the vet. Thank you to Bert Hirsh for saving the day!!!!! Marley is now on a diet of chicken and rice so after work today I have to prepare her ‘special meals’-what fun! On an exciting note, Rob got a call from the Montel Williams show requesting that we appear on an episode called “When vacations turn tragic”. The taping is 3/30/06. We’ll let you know how the taping goes and when the episode will be airing. I always knew Rob was bound for stardom....

HI! What a great weekend for ‘8 mile race’ training! I hope many of you hit the pavement yesterday or today. I went for a run with Marley yesterday but my little buddy was out of shape from not being walked regularly for 6 months and we had to cut it a little short. I ran the race last year with my brother and it is a great course. Just make sure you do some hill training over the next few months. Rob and I met with our country club on Friday and put down a deposit for the ‘appreciation dinner’ the evening of the race. We are in the process of choosing the menu and will post it as soon as it is finalized. Dinner will be INCLUDED for all who participate in the race and/or meet the fundraising goal (or come close). The venue is BEAUTIFUL and we’ve reserved a private deck overlooking the lake. It will definitely be a fantastic weekend. As for things on the home front, Rob is presently snoring on the couch next to me. I was lucky enough to work the day shift today and came home to a VERY sleepy husband. He continues to go to PT and OT 5 times per week. Our county has been transporting him 2 to 3 times per week which has been an incredible help. He ends up spending about 2 hours on the bus as opposed to 45 minutes in the car but he brings his IPOD and listens to audio books. He’s been hitting some brick walls in therapy lately and we are scheduled to meet with his therapists and doctor this Thursday to discuss his treatment goals. Basically, the outpatient department is very conservative and they don’t let Rob do any standing unless his blood pressure is stable. Since his blood pressure is always the exact opposite of stable, he has not stood in the 6 weeks he has been home. The 1 or 2 times he did try, he couldn’t tolerate it because he hasn’t been on his feet in so long. We can’t really force his therapists to train him to stand when they feel his blood pressure is low so we are planning on purchasing a standing frame for the house so he can practice on his own. The situation has been very frustrating for him because when he was inpatient he was standing several times a week for 15 minutes at a time. Hopefully, he’ll be able to get it back with a little work at home. He hasn’t had many gains since he has been home and we are both a little fearful that ‘this is it’. We know we need to keep on hoping and praying but every now and then we do wonder. In the meantime, Rob has just about finished setting up his office so I suspect he will be starting some projects as soon as he is able to stay awake for the afternoon. Given the snoring to my left, it will probably be a few more weeks. OH, Marley just rang her “I have to go potty” bell so I have to let her out. I hope to see you all in June. Please email Ryan with your plans to attend so that we can plan accordingly with the caterer. I’ll be posting the menu and cost of dinner for those that would like to attend but who will not be participating in the fundraiser.