Today was the big day — OneWalk to Conquer Cancer.

It was a good long walk, took my sister and I just over 5 hours from start to finish. We were walking for our dad, whom we lost to cancer in 2014. Between the two of us, we raised over $3,200 to help support cancer research.

All together, there were just over 3,000 people participating in the walk today, and the total funds raised were in excess of $6,000,000.

Here’s a pic of me before we started the walk. (I didn’t get an ‘after’ picture, but imagine I looked like this, except a lot more tired and sore.)

And here is a map of the route, after it was all over and done. (Sorry it’s skewed, constrained by the small screen on my phone.)

I want to thank everyone who helped support my sister and I in this walk, who helped support the fight against cancer. We couldn’t have done it without all of you.

On September 9th, I will Walk united with thousands of survivors and supporters who have fundraised and trained to participate. Together we will march 25km through Toronto, making history in the fight to conquer cancer.

Cancer took my father, Hugh Maksylewich, in 2014 and I’m walking for him. He was one of my best friends, and a tremendous influence on my life. I miss him every day, and I want to help fight the disease that took him from me, to help spare other people from going through what he went through.

I’m asking you to join me today by making a donation to my fundraising goal. Through the support of OneWalk, we will help The Princess Margaret make life better for those facing cancer.

My goal is to raise $1500.00 for this fight, and I need your help to get there.

Together, we can conquer cancer in our lifetime!

To make your donation on-line, or for more information about OneWalk, please click here.

I got this great indoor garden kit from my sister for xmas this year!

It came with a bunch of ‘gourmet’ herb planters, and she also gave me a set of empty planters (supply your own seeds) and a packet of ghost pepper seeds!

So this year, I’m growing stuff! Edible gourmet stuff!

It’s pretty neat how it works; the seed pods contain a little column of planter loam stuff, and they are suspended so that they’re about 1/2 submerged in water.

The water is aerated (with a bubbler, like an aquarium) and you add fertilizer liquid to the water every fortnight. The florescent lights are mounted in a hood that can be raised as the plants grow.

The whole thing has a little timer and sensors to control the lights and the aerator and remind you to add water or fertilizer.

The only thing that’s going to take some getting used to is that it is BRIGHT!

The timing sequence for the herb garden is 17 hours on, 7 hours off. And the 17 hours on, is like 17 hours of noonday sun in midsummer in the sahara.

So my livingroom lights up like it contains its own tiny sun at around 5:30 in the morning, and stays that bright till about 10:30 at night. It’s so bright I can see the glow from my bedroom!

I’m sure I’ll get used to the brilliance (or cover it with a box or something when I got to bed), and really, it’s pretty gosh-darn neat and I’m all excited.

What do you get a cat who doesn’t really enjoy much more than eating and sleeping?

A cat toy filled with herbal sleep aid, of course!

Wait, what?

Misha is one of those cats who likes Valerian Root more than catnip. A LOT more than catnip, in fact.

You don’t often (ever) find valerian cat toys though, so I made it myself!

I hope she digs the DIY flair.

This has been another really difficult post to write.

A little over a year ago, my dad went into the hospital for the last time.

From just before the end of June, over the Canada Day holiday and a few days after, I spent several days driving to Orangeville and back to visit him in the hospital.

We talked a lot, mostly about business, but also about family things, personal things.

As big a part as he played in my life, I still never really understood how important he was to me, until after he was gone.

Fathers day was a couple weeks ago, and it was difficult. Things have remained difficult as the anniversary of my dad’s hospitalization came, and that of his passing fast approaches.

This time last year, my dad wasn’t doing great, but he was in good spirits, and I could go and spend time with him, talk with him.

I really miss that.

And since then… the best way I can describe how I feel is like a ship without a rudder or sails.

Like last summer there was a huge storm, and I sort of rode it out, but when the wind and waves died down, I was still afloat, but adrift.

I’ve lost my guidance, my drive.

And I haven’t figured out how to get them back yet.

I was trying to write a post about how Father’s Day was the holiday that suckerpunched me, after not really feeling too much on the other holidays over this past year.

The words aren’t coming. It’s too difficult.

I miss my dad.

p.s. Fuck cancer.

Almost the end of November and I haven’t posted anything yet.

Nothing to say I suppose.

Some health issues to deal with, and I still miss my dad.

Oh and one of my cats has been battling some sort of cancerous problem since last year, and it’s now catching up with her quickly.

Kind of in a holding pattern with her, every day wondering when the end will come.

She’s started using the once-dreaded carrier box as a bed… getting acclimatized to it, for when it’s time for the final journey.

Now I haz a sad again.