...or maybe only partly so. It didn't weigh 6 pounds. But it was a tumor. Is a tumor. How long ago did I write about that MRI? It was in August, so what's that? 5 1/2 months. Well. Time flies, and one doesn't write in her Live Journal.

I'm not holding up as well as I appear to be on the surface.

A summary of the events of the last few months might be in order. This might be more like a novella. We shall see, shan't we? (Who the hell uses a word like shan't anymore?)

( The novella )

I want to put all of this behind me. I want to get on with my life. I am tired of things being put on hold because of this stupid thing that I have no control over. I don't have any more time or energy to waste on this. I want it settled by the end of 2004. Talk about a New Year's Resolution.

You have just won one million dollars:

1. Who do you call first?
Rob and my parents. I don't know which order I call them in. Probably Rob first. Should we ever get married, definitely Rob first.

2. What is the first thing you buy for yourself?
A house. No that's probably not first, actually. It takes some time to buy one, and I can't believe I'd buy nothing else in the intervening time. I'm too much of a shop-a-holic! So something with instant gratification, though honestly, right at this moment, I can't think of a single thing I need, or even want. Not having won a million dollars doesn't keep me from buying things I want!

3. What is the first thing you buy for someone else?
I have always said that I would take all my friends and family to Disney World if I won the lottery. But again, not the first thing I'd buy. Probably something for Rob, though. It would depend what his latest technological gadget wish was.

4. Do you give any away? If yes, to whom?
Definitely. To charitable organizations. The Delaware Humane Association. Alzheimer's Research. Cancer research. At this point, perhaps brain tumor research.

5. Do you invest any? If so, how?
Yes. In something safe that will maintain the principal value and help the money grow. One million is not enough to retire on, but it might help me be more choosy about what I do for work.