I'd Rather Have Bacon

You've probably heard of "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon." As defined by Wikipedia (a valid enough source for this type of information), virtually any actor can by linked through their film roles to Kevin Bacon in six or fewer steps. There are games and apps that allow you to type in an actor's name to determine their "Bacon Number" (the number of steps to link them). It's an amusing way to pass the time, and Bacon has a charitable organization based on the idea.

It doesn't take six degrees to link to breast cancer. Four women I know have the disease. Well, that I'm aware of. There are likely more within a step or two. I hope none feel that I'm invading their privacy by sharing some general information about their lives. I'm not naming names. And it's not as if I have an audience of thousands. I just recently realized that it's something that touches more people than I'd imagined.

One is the wife of a former employer. She underwent treatment several years ago and is doing fine now. Two degrees. One is the mother of a dear friend. She suffered through treatment, but the cancer returned and has spread. The prognosis is not good. Two degrees.

Another is a cousin-in-law. I've known her more than 20 years. She was only diagnosed within the last month or two and is currently undergoing treatment. With the help of her sisters, she took a strong, brave step and shaved her head. It is her choice to get rid of her hair. She's not letting the chemotherapy make that decision for her. Two degrees (and three cheers for her).

The fourth is a very dear friend whom I've known and loved for 13 years. I mentioned her mother above. She received her diagnosis within the last two weeks. (Around here it seems that October truly is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!) Treatment options are still being discussed with her doctors, though she has an idea of the route she'll be taking. A full recovery is expected, though it won't be a cakewalk getting there. I'll let the doctor take care of her front, but you can bet we'll have her back! One degree.

Let's see...six degrees vs. one degree. All in all--and even if it's 1,000 degrees--I'd rather have Bacon.

Weekend, Schmeekend

I intended to write a post with this title about two years ago. I had recently gone out of town for a few days with my best girlfriends. It was our faux weekend getaway. The "getaway" was genuine, but our "weekend" was Sunday through Tuesday. Pick a day, any day!

But for some reason, time got away from me and I never committed our adventures to writing. I wasn't able to go along with them last year, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that we'll be able to travel again this month. (If you're not a woman, I'm not sure you'll fully grasp how special "girlfriend" time is.)

What do I remember from our last trip? I remember riding for maybe an hour to the condo we were borrowing. Barely even got lost! Schlep everything in from the car. (I know it was only two days, but you never know what you might need!) Then we all changed into our snugglies to watch...the Packer game. I know, right? Me, watching a game with the girls. Well, I must admit I wasn't watching it in the strictest sense, but I was keeping up with the action. There was probably wine involved, if memory serves. Time for everyone to choose their bedroom. Sleep tight! Coffee, please. Shopping in the tourist town (mostly window shopping). Back to the condo to make supper. Talk about teamwork! Even I, with my limited culinary skills, found a way to contribute! A little TV, a visit to a local establishment. Bedtime again. More coffee. Pack up and clean up. Into town for lunch, and back on the road.

Now, I'm sure that doesn't sound like much. Even writing it I had to wonder if that's all we did. But with good friends it's not about what you do. It's that you're doing (or not doing) it together. It's about "weaving a tapestry of memories." (They will chuckle at that.) We often laugh at the same things, even if they're not supposed to be funny. We accommodate each other's quirks. We may not fully agree on politics or music or commas, and that's OK. We have so much in common with each other, yet each person brings their own perspective to any situation. Two might offer advice to the third. But it's just as likely that any two will instead give the third a little good-natured ribbing. (I think they will chuckle at that, too.) We've known each other for...let's just say a goodly number of years. Yet I swear that we learn something new in almost every conversation. 

I missed the outing last year. They said it wasn't the same with just the two of them, and I don't believe they said that just to be polite. I know there were certainly some advantages to it being a party of two rather than three. But I also know that...what's a good comparison...a tripod isn't much good with only two legs. There's just a better balance with three. We Skyped (yeah, we're "that" cool) while they were away and I was here so I could still participate. They brought me souvenirs (the best magic wand ever!). There really ain't nothin' like a dame, and we're three fabulous dames!

We're in the midst of planning the next trip. Wait--"planning" might be too strong a word. Sure, there are details like who's bringing what food to cook and which one is bringing a hair dryer. But we don't need any travel brochures or formal agenda. We'll do what we want to do when it suits us. In a case like this, less is definitely more.

It doesn't matter when, or where, or even for how long. Weekend or weekday, lunch or cocktails, restaurant or porch, two hours or two days. As long as you're with your "besties," it's time well spent.