Flying South

I will be away for a few days, so I will not be able to post. We will be in VA visiting my step-son. Wish us luck with finding things for us to do! I have a couple of ideas, but we'll see. So, I will be back to chat on Tuesday. Take Care! Have a great weekend!

4-n-1, Yeah!

Last night we returned to volleyball. It was the kick off of another 10 week session. I met my new team (not a bad group), but I don't know our color yet since we didn't get our tee-shirts. That won't be for a few weeks, but our team number is 1 (hmmm, is that a prediction?). We went 4-n-1 last night, sweet!

My husbands team went 3-n-2. Guess what team we lost to? Yup, his. Darn it! At least there wasn't too much trash talking on the way home. I did tell him we let his team win since we felt bad they lost the first two games. So, now its on baby! Bring it on!

Bloggen' For Work

The other day, while I worked on my personal blog, the big boss asked me why I was so quite during lunch (there was a few of us sitting around talking and I was concentrating on what I was typing). I explained to him that I was workin' on my blog. He then commented that our department should have one. I said sure, as long as its not over my lunch break.

So, over last couple of days, new blogs have been born. My immediate supervisor created the Public Safety one, I created the Fleet Office site (that's my department) and then this afternoon I will create the Parking Office one (to help out my co-worker). I will announce when they are completed, so if you want to see what I do Monday-Friday (and some weekends) I don't mind.

The reason we wanted to go in this direction was to connect to the younger generations (wow, do I feel old saying that). We are even going to make a you tube video over the summer to show the do's and don'ts of parking. I can't wait to make that! I will so let you know when that is ready!

Red Sox Won!

The sox won there season opener in Japan against the A's, yeah! I'm not a huge fan, but I do try and follow the team so I have something to talk about with my co-workers and I run bus trips to Fenway a few times a year. So, its nice to at least know who the players are!

I was speechless the first time I went to Fenway Park. It was amazing! It was a few summers ago when it was brought up that we should run bus trips to see the Red Sox. It was right after they won the world series for the first time. That year, we only ran one trip to test the waters.

But while I was there, I bought a Red Sox shirt so I can blend in with the other fans for future trips (since the first one was such a hit, I knew there would be other trips in my future). I had my first Fenway Frank (oh, yummy a definite must when you are at the ball park). Then I polished off a bag of peanuts and a soda. It was so much fun. Then I get home and my husband sees the tee-shirt and tells me I'm on the band wagon. Oh, here we go.

Let me explain about my husband. He H.A.T.E.S. the Red Sox with a passion. He cannot stand any New England team, especially when they are winning. I don't know exactly why, but its something about "all the band wagoners around here" he tells me. So, of course I get accused of being on the band wagon when I really wasn't, but oh well. Its something I deal with when its game time for work since I'm the trip coordinator and have to go on most trips.

But oh, well. Its still fun to rattle his cage when ever they win or when I get ready to go on trip. And good luck to the Red Sox!

What was it?

It was 5pm and ready to head out for my surprise on Saturday evening. We drove through our neighborhood, drove to the "main drag" for our town, pulled our U-Turn and drove into the parking lot of the Hu Ke Lau restaurant. I was excited, we hadn't been there for years.

My husband explained we were going for dinner and a comedy show. Oh, how fun! The Hu Ke Lau is a Polynesian restaurant and an entertainment facility for comedy/Hawaiian shows. The comedian was Christopher Titus. He was hilarious! Our food was great too (the drinks were yummy, especially the pineapple rum beverage).

I was so excited he had planned the whole night for us to go out and have fun. He mentioned he saw an ad in a local newspaper and thought we would really enjoy it. Boy was he right!

I'm just glad this surprise was able to happen since the last time he tried, the transplant was pushed up and we never made it to Canada. He was planning to whisk me away for the weekend (before the passport requirements went into effect) to Canada to see Niagara Falls since I have never been there. So, for this past weekends surprise, I'm glad there were no scheduling conflicts.

Happy Easter!

If you celebrate your holiday with Easter egg hunts and "chocwit" or inspirational findings, I wish you a happy and healthy day.

My niece, the Easter princess.

Our weekend was filled with egg hunts and baskets filled with chocolate.

We had a big dinner (at lunch time), yesterday with my parents, my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, my husband and father-in-law (oh, and I was there too).

Today, its off to see the rest of my family (my aunts, uncles and cousins) for more yummy food.

National Sweater Day

It was national sweater day yesterday. Why? Because it would have been Mr Rogers 80th birthday yesterday?!?! You know, Mr Rogers who used to sing "Its a beautiful day in this neighborhood". Yeah him! We all grew up with him on TV teaching us values. He said "saying thank you is one of the greatest things people can do" and I agree and do it everyday.

With that in mind, one of my wonderful co-workers did a performance in remembrance of him. Oh, it was fantastic. The pictures didn't capture the magic of what my fellow co-worker portrayed, but here is a little glimpse of our lunch time treat.

Cue Mr Rogers theme song-
It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood
A beautiful day for a neighborhood
Would you be mine?
Would you be mine?

The classic sweater change

The signature change from outdoor shoes to indoor sneakers

"Mr Rogers" talking about what a wonderful day it is

"Mr Rogers" speaking about influences in his life

Fun Facts about Mr Rogers-
Born March 20, 1928
His full name is Frederick McFeely Rogers
His mother made all of his sweaters
Mr Rogers wrote all of his scripts and music for the show
He was a musical composer

People would stop Mr Rogers on the street and thank him for their childhood. So, thank you Mr Rogers for helping make my childhood fun and most important, showing the world how important it is to be gentle and kind.

Also, thanks to "Skipper" my fun and exciting co-worker. Its a pleasure to work with you!

Surprise, Surprise

Last week, Thursday to be exact, my husband text messaged me to ask if we had any plans for Sat 3/22? I was in a meeting so I didn't get the text until after, but before I could even check he's calling me at his afternoon break. He jokingly accused me of not texting him back and that I was ignoring him so I had to remind him about the meeting.

But anyhow, he asked me to keep that day open. I said ok, then he said he is working on a surprise for me. I said, ooooh. Its a good thing he called when he did since I was in the middle of making Easter plans with my sister-in-law (by email, love that technology!).

So, over the past week I have been asking questions about my surprise. Twice now he has offered to tell me, but I refuse to know. I tell him keep it a surprise, but I still want to bug him with questions. I honestly still don't know what he has in store for me, but here are my questions and his answers.

• Are we staying overnight? No
• Are we staying out late? Not too late
• Dinner Involved? Could be
• Alcoholic beverages around? Could be
• He also mentioned that at some point over the weekend, we were near where he will be taking me, I could have reached out and touched the place. My response, we were many places over the weekend, I have no idea.
• Also, he mentioned the surprise will be in the evening.

So, we'll see what he has in store!

What is your most cherished family tradition?

I got my hands on an old Real Simple by Martha Steward and she inspired today's entry. One of the articles asked what is your most cherished family tradition? I started looking back to search for my most valued traditions current and childhood. There are so many, but here are the ones that stand out the most.

• Traveling to MD for Thanksgiving to visit family. I started traveling south about 8 years ago to spend this fun holiday with my grandpa, my aunt, uncles and cousins. My husband started to come with me a few years ago and now we have my step son for part of the visit too. So, this is a tradition I want to continue for years to come as my family starts to grow so we can pass photos around, compare stories and make new memories.

Grandpa in MD

• Hosting Christmas & Easter dinner. Yes, its a lot of work, but I love to cook and feed my family. I wish I had a better entertaining area in my house, but we make due. I really enjoy getting together over these holidays and visiting with everyone together.

My family at Christmas (my parents weren't there yet)

• Hosting Birthday parties at my house. We have started the traditional pizza and cake meal for winter birthdays and for summer birthdays we have hot dogs/burgers and cake. It might seem minimal, but everyone knows what to expect while we are all having fun.

My husband and niece

As you can tell, my traditions are focused around my family, what can I say!

• One of my favorite childhood traditions was with my dad around Christmas time. We would go two weeks before Christmas and go and find our tree. We never cut one down, but we went to tree lots and we picked the perfect tree out. He would help the attendant wrap up the tree and load it in his vehicle and then we would head home. I hope to do this with my children some day since it leaves me with wonderful memories from my childhood and I hope the same for them.

My dad

Trip Planning

We will be heading south next week to spend time with my step-son. I am in the process of trying to figure out what to do with a 10 year old boy for a few days, that won't cost us an arm and a leg. So, I have been searching at any opportunity I can for websites that offer a calender of events for VA.

I really couldn't find much. Any ideas???? Please help! We will be down in Southern VA (the Roanoke area). We will be there for 3 full days with him and he isn't giving us any ideas except that he wants to go bowling.

I found one thing that I would we would be interested to see, but its 2 hours away from his area. Its a bull riding tour. I think that would be fun, but I don't think he wants to be in the car for a 2 hour ride to the University of VA and then another 2 hours back home. I guess I could check though!

So, I welcome any ideas! We will also be in the same area in August, so I welcome summer ideas too! Thanks!

Happy St Patricks Day

In honor of today's holiday, here are some fun facts (thanks to http://www.yumsugar.com/176762).

• The moon shining liquor that was outlawed in the late 1700s for its extreme potency is called Poteen and has recently been reintroduced to the market.


• St. Patrick was actually of Scottish descent, not Irish, and contrary to popular folklore he never chased any snakes out of Ireland.


• Green is associated with St. Patrick's Day because it is the color of Spring.


• The shamrock is the traditional symbol because St. Patrick used it to explain the connection between the father, the son, and the holy spirit in the Christian religion.


• The city with the largest population of Americans of Irish descent is Boston (23%).

• On average, every American consumes 22 gallons of beer per year.
  

• It is considered lucky to find a four leaf clover on St. Patrick's Day.
  

• The children and grandchildren of people born in Ireland can obtain dual citizenship with the US and Ireland.


• At one time, there were more Irish living in New York City, than in Dublin, Ireland.

• Corned beef is strictly an American invention, the Irish don't actually eat it to celebrate the day.


• St. Patrick’s isn’t a big drinking holiday in Ireland. In fact, many of the local pubs are closed for the day.


• Leprechauns are the official shoe makers of the fairy kingdom.


• Shamrocks are the national flower of Ireland and are picked on St. Patrick's Day and worn on the shoulder.


• The ancient Irish used to wear green to show their love for the harvest gods.
  34.5 million U.S residents claim Irish ancestry, that is 9 times the current population of Ireland.


• Over 41.5 billion pounds of beef are produced each year for St. Patrick's Day, with the majority of it coming from Texas and over 2.5 billion pounds of cabbage are produced with the majority grown in California.


• Over 8 million St. Patrick's Day cards are exchanged in America making today the ninth-largest card selling occasion in the US.


• Over 94 million people plan to wear green on St. Patrick's Day.


• The original Guinness Brewery in Dublin has a 9,000 year lease.


• The Oscar was handcrafted by an Irishman, Cedric Gibbons, who was born in Dublin in 1823.


• Bailey's Irish Cream which was launched in Ireland in the early seventies, is now the most popular liqueur in the world.

What age do you act?

I took the age qiuz that was posted on my favortie sister-in-laws blog and it determined I act like I am 24 years old. Nice! Its also says-

"You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel like an adult, and you're optimistic about life.You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.You're still figuring out your place in the world and how you want your life to shape up. The world is full of possibilities, and you can't wait to explore many of them"

Check out what age you act!
http://www.blogthings.com/whatagequiz/

I'd like you to meet my Step-Son

My step-son is 10 years old and lives in Southern VA. He moved south about a year and half ago with his mom. We see him every other month either in VA, MD or MA. We have worked out with his mother our visitation weekends.

He is a great student and is proud of his grades. He gets A's, B's and a few C's, but hey we all did in school. He loves sports too. He is passionate about golf, just like his dad. He has tried out Basketball, Hockey and will give baseball a whirl this spring.

Its so funny to see him and his dad play golf. They are a bunch of "I did betther then you" trash talkers on the course. He is actually pretty good where I don't even want to attempt to play a round of golf with him since he will kick my butt. He just applied for a golf scholorship for a local tournament. He was working on his essay the other night. I can't wait to see what he wrote about.

He also is a video game expert. His father introduced the games early in his life (before I had an influence), so they constintly play Need for Speed, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or any other new game that is out there they want to try out.

I wish I could talk more about him day to day, but we don't get to see him often. My husband talks to him every week (usually a few times a week, when ever he can get in touch with him), but its still not the same as seeing him like we did before. We used to get him every other weekend when he lived in MA.

We will see him at the end of the month for a few days. I can't wait and I know my husband is excited too. So, I will have an update and hopefully some new pictures to share when we return.

Vball Tournament Results

Before I get to the results, let me explain how tournament night plays out.

There are 6 teams. On a normal night, each team plays 5 games. Each team is made up of 5-6 players, depending on how many people sign-up. The 5 games are shuffled around each week, so games are not in the same order each week. Then the teams who win, circle their team number on the current nights schedule. This helps determine the ranking of each team.

On tournament night, your team record determines who plays who and when. If there is a tied record, those two teams play a normal game (who ever makes it to 15 points first, wins), then the tournament begins. The teams with the worst record play first and then the winners of those games work their up to the better standing teams. The teams play the best 2 out of 3 games, to 11 points.

So, the night went like this:
My team was ranked in first place
My husbands team, the purple team, was ranked in 6th place (last place)

My husbands team played the 5th place team. They won their games. While my team waited for all the other teams to play.

Then it was our turn to play my husbands. Honestly, I was surprised that his team made it as far as it did (shhhh, don't tell him I said that). We played and we beat them the first two games.

Then it was time. We matched up with the second ranked team. My team won the first game, no problem. The second game, we were ahead and then it just slipped away. The third game was tough. The score kept going back and forth with each team being ahead. It doesn't seem like a lot of points, but eleven is a long way to go when the points rack up so slow. We had volleys that lasted for minutes at a time. Each team wanted to win! But my team made it, we beat the green team. Phew! Que, the Queen song, we are the champions......we won!

So with this win, I don't have to pay the sign-up fee. Yup, a free round of volleyball for me and my husband had to pay!

Vball Show Down

Tonight is the end of the current 10 weeks of volleyball and that means its tournament time. Wish us luck! Go orange!

Morning Blah's

This morning wasn't looking to good. I didn't sleep too good last night and I just felt blah. Other then not sleeping well, I really didn't know why I flet that way. Maybe because it was dark and gloomy outside. It appeared to have rained early in the morning and still looked like a shower was looming.

So, I went through my usual Wednesday morning routines.......check my email, pay some bills, get volleyball clothes together for tonight, get the trash ready to bring to the curb, get ready for work, make my lunch and tea to go.

As I was driving my usual route to work in the stop and go pattern of the traffic lights, I heard a familiar sound on the radio. Wait a minute, is that....yup it was. It was Def Leppards Pour Some Sugar on Me coming through the speakers. Oh, how I thought that was awesome this morning. I usually don't hear that song in the morning (I don't know why) and I was excited.

I was dancing and singing in my seat while I drove, not caring what the other drivers thought. Oh, how that one 4 minute song turned my day around. Even now, with the rain turning to snow, I still feel peppy.

Pot Holes Are Everywhere!

'Tis the season for pot holes! Wow, they are everywhere and are horrific. Some of them you can avoid, but there are some that you hit them and its too late. After you hit the big holes you check the rear view mirror to make sure a piece of your vehicle isn't left behind.

Its so bad around here, I saw a humongous pot hole in a parking lot. There was a huge orange cone with a big sign warning about pot holes in the area. This was in a parking lot!

The roads need help and I hope they are going to be taken care of sooner rather then later. I know the DPW will wait until the snow season is done, but I just hope my van doesn't suffer the consequences.

Tag, Ur It!

I don't really know how this blog tag works, but I was checking out other blogs and someone posted this "tag" and said you're it. So, I'm assuming that its my turn. Forgive me if I'm confused, but what's new!

5 things i was doing 10 years ago:

1. Taking classes at Mount Holyoke College
2. Playing Softball for Mount Holyoke College
3. Becoming more independent
4. Working Part-Time at Mount Holyoke College
5. Enjoying Life
   

5 things I was doing 5 years ago:

1. I was a year and 1/2 into my wonderful relationship with my boyfriend (who is now my husband)
2. Already working 5 years into my current carrier at MHC
3. Trying to figure out what I want out of life
4. Having Fun
5. Enjoying my family
   

5 snacks I enjoy:

1. Potato Chips
2. Carrot Sticks with ranch dressing
3. Anything chocolate
4. Pretzels
5. Ice Cream
   

5 things I did yesterday:

1. Woke up in a hotel room
2. Gambled & lost
   
3. Watched Lost (season 1)
4. Napped on the coach
5. Ate a steak & cheese grinder
   

5 jobs I've had:

1. Hostess at Chi-Chi's
2. Student worker at Mount Holyoke College
3. AutoZone counter worker
4. Bath & Body Clerk
5. Fleet Coordinator at Mount Holyoke College
   

5 things I would do if i had a million dollars:

1. Buy a house
2. Invest for retirement
3. Spoil my step-son more then what I do now
4. Spoil my niece even more then what I do now
5. Travel
   

5 tv shows i like:

1. My name is Earl
2. Lost (just started to watch it on DVD)
3. 24
4. Sex and the City
5. The Office
   

5 things i hate doing:

1. Not being able to sleep through the night
2. Going to the dentist
3. Telling my husband we can't afford something
4. Not being able to put my thoughts down on paper
5. Matching socks
   

5 biggest joys of the moment:

1. My wonderful family
2. My new camera
3. Chocolate
4. Knowing warmer weather is coming
5. Knowing I will see my step-son at the end of the month
   

Lost Highway Tour

Back in Dec 2007, I had won 2 tickets from a local radio station to see Dautry/Bon Jovi at Mohegan Sun (a casino in CT) for 3/8. My husband and I were thinking about selling the tickets since they were going for $150 each, but I decided to keep the tickets and take a chance on the concert. We are not huge concert attenders, but hey, for me the price was right, F.R.E.E!

The seats were decent. We were sitting directly in front of the stage in the upper section of the arena. We had a good view of everything.

The concert started right on time with Dautry as the opening act. His performance was OK. I thought it felt forced, like he had to perform and he wasn't really enjoying himself. He performed for about 45 minutes.

Then the stage was set for Bon Jovi. The lights dimmed and the band came out playing with so much energy from the beginning, it was great! I mean Mr Jon Bon Jovi himself was a riot to watch. He was so carefree and energetic on stage, its like his second home. You can tell he really enjoys his job.

The band sounded fantastic. We really enjoyed ourselves. There were people there aged from 9 years old (the little girl was right next to me) to well into there 70's, dancing and singing to all of the songs. I also think there was a good mixture of old and new songs, which was nice. I can't believe they played for about 2 1/2 hours. It was so worth going!

If you ever get a chance to see Bon Jovi in concert, I highly recommend it just to have a fun night out with great music and wonderful surroundings!

Check out the link to a video from someone who posted on youtube.com This is from when he was in the audience on a two person platform, performing one of his new songs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4rXZCCTjGk

Beautiful Days

The last few days have been so beautiful around here. The weather has been showing us that spring is definitely on its way. When I have the chance I walk to do errands at work rather then get a ride so I can absorb the warmer weather since you never know when mother nature will turn back to the cold harsh temperatures. While walking around yesterday, trying to avoid returning to my office as much as possiable, I noticed that flowers are starting to sprout from the ground and buds are starting to form on the trees and bushes. Oh, I love it!

The birds were out singing and flying around too. It was wonderful to hear the birds out being so chipper and happy.

We still have snow on the ground here and there, but its definitely melting. I want it to disappear from my yard so much so I can get out there and start to get things ready for when its time to plant my vegetable garden and flowers.

5 Hour Energy Drink

5-Hour Chaser Energy Drink 2 Fl Oz (60 Ml) 1 Bottle

Last night, before volleyball, I tried the magical 5 Hour Energy Drink. The commercial promises 5 hours of energy, no instant crashes and with no calories. I'm sure you have seen the commercials on TV.

My husband and I went to a connivance store to get our water and energy bars before we headed to volleyball and I noticed they had the magical energy drink sitting on the counter for sale with two choices of flavors. One was citrus and the other was berry. We went for the berry flavor.

As we drove to our destination, I opened my little shot bottle of energy goodness and took a big swig. Oh my goodness........yuck! The flavor was horrible! It tasted worse then cough syrup. I assumed it would taste like red bull, boy was I mistaken. I finished off what was left, but I thought it tasted even worse then the first swig.

About an hour into playing volleyball I got this heavy feeling in my stomach. It felt like I had a lead balloon sitting inside my belly. It's not a nice feeling while you are running around. I am assuming it was from the energy drink from hell since I have never had this feeling after drinking water and an energy bar.

Oh, and I didn't even feel energized. I was yawning a couple of hours after drinking it!

So, my opinion is to stay far, far away from it. Don't believe the hype!

Starbucks VS. Dunkin Donuts

I am not a coffee drinker, yuck. Sorry if I offended anyone, but I can't stand the taste. I do however like the smell of Hazelnut coffee, but that's about it. I am a tea drinker. I like black, herbal or fancy. The fancy tea's I like are Chai's.

This brings me to the rival of Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. I used to go to double d's all the time for my medium Vanilla Chai. I would occasionally go to Starbucks (for a Tazo Chai) if there was no Dunkin Donuts around, but my loyalty was to DD's.

A few months ago, I pulled up to the drive through speaker to order my treat and the voice on the other side said "Sorry ma'am, but the Vanilla Chai has been discontinued". What! My world was crushed. There was no warning, they just stopped selling it. I found out later they discontinued it for the new Milkey Way Hot Chocolate which I tried, but I didn't like it. It wasn't my fancy warm drink!

So, now I visit Starbucks for my Chai treat. I know they are a little more expensive, but its so worth it. I know I can get a regular tea at double d's instead of the Chai, but the water is scolding hot and it takes hours for it to cool down before I can even take a sip.

Now I order my Chai at Starbucks. Take that Dunkin Donuts!

Video Games

I don't understand it, I really don't. My husband plays video games like its his life-line. He has a PlayStation 2, PSP and upgraded my computer so he can play PC games. I understand having a hobby, but doing something constantly that makes you upset, I don't get it!

He plays games that he is so passionate about, he gets so angry at the computer/game system he hells and screams like he was fighting an actual person. I've asked him time and time again, how can you play something that gets you so upset and claim to enjoy it. He just responds, you just don't understand. Dame right I don't understand.

He plays Madden, Tiger Woods Golf, Nascar and many other countless games on his PlayStation and PSP. On the computer, his newest obsession is Call of Duty (a war game). He also has recruited guys from work to get into the action with Call of Duty. I don't think they are as passionate as my husband though.

Please don't get me wrong, I don't mind if he plays (because I can do other things that I like, well except be on my computer), but if I did something that aggravated me to a certain point that my blood boiled, I would so quite or move on. I don't know! Maybe that's why I just play simple games on pogo.com. I guess its just something about my husband I just won't ever figure out.

Think Spring!

Spring is coming later this month and I can't wait. I was day dreaming this weekend about my favorite things that will be happening soon because the new season will be upon us soon. Here is my top 10 favorite things to do when the weather gets warmer (they are not listed in any order):

1. Bike Riding
2. Plant my vegetable garden
3. Open my outdoor swing up for the warm months
4. Plant flowers
   
5. Spreading mulch (the smell of ceder mulch is a favorite of mine too)
6. Opening the windows in the house for fresh air
7. Spring Cleaning (yes, I'm demented, I like to clean)
8. Wearing fleece jackets instead of heavy winter coats
9. Watching nature wake up from the winter hibernation
10. Turning the heat off in the house

The Final Chapter

About a week after my husband returned home from the transplant surgery, he noticed his incision was leaking a clear fluid through the tape that was helping to hold his skin together (he has stitches under his skin and tape to help fuse his skin together). The area that was causing concern was the lower part of his incision.

I called the doctor that was on-call and explained what was happening. He told me to remove the tape and describe what I was seeing. After I passed along the fluid oozing and the incision wasn't healing evenly, he told me to put some gauze on it to catch the fluid and then make an appointment the next day.

At the appointment the doctor had to re-open the incision about half an inch deep to clean it out (he did this with an over sized q-tip, it was creepy looking). Then he packed inside of the incision with gauze and taped it back up. My husband was instructed to have this done a few times a day to clean out the minor infection and to make sure it didn't get worse. So, yup you guessed it, I was the one who got to do this yucky task. Oooh it gave he the willies the first few times, but then I got used to it.

The cleaning and packing lasted about a week and half and the incisions just healed itself. This was considered a complication in the doctors eyes, but besides this one incident, that was the only thing that went wrong for my husband from the surgery.

Fast forward to 2008 - My husband had his two year follow-up apt on 2/26 and he has a clean bill of health. His liver has grown back fully (actually it grew back fully in 2006 to 105%) and he just has to do a yearly phone call to check in with his surgeon/doctor. My father-in-law's liver is fully functioning and grown to what his body needs. He has to go to the clinic every 6 months to check in and check his progress. Also, he is on medications for the rest of his life to avoid any rejection issues that could occur.

"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
Helen Keller