Next Wednesday, October 4th

I found out today that I have just five days of "freedom" left.

The next chapter of my fight against cancer begins next Wednesday. I will receive a more precise radiation treatment called tomotherapy everywhere in both my brain and spine, making me the first patient to go through it at University of Virginia Hospital. The treatments will go through November, depending on how well my body handles the side effects.

Short-term side effects are:
*extreme fatigue
*loss of hair (Ernie Kojak)
*diarrhea and nausea
*swelling of brain

Long-term side effects are:
*short term memory problems (um, who doesn't already have this?)
*liver problems
*thyroid problems

Wow. What a way to come down off a fun birthday month.

Closing Comments On New York

Just sitting at the computer, reminiscing about the trip to NYC.

Typical New York retail story: Abercrombie & Fitch finally landed serious prime real estate on Fifth Avenue. Aside from the tees that gay boys adorn in Chelsea, A&F had little to no presence in all of Manhattan with only one store at a terrible location, South Street Seaport. Now they're located across from the Trump Tower and strategically placed beside (gulp, it hurts to say this) Prada. And not only do they have a great location, the store is a dizzying four floors, decorated with original artwork in the center stairwell, and lit very, very dimly like a nightclub on a Friday night. Of course, it had the pounding dance music to match. I had never seen an A&F store like that.

Typical New York day: One morning running errands, Ellen returned to her apartment in the Village dazed and grinning ear-to-ear. It turned out that she passed Ethan Hawke on the street walking his dog. Two days later, she was at a frozen yogurt shop incredibly awestruck yet somehow playing it cool: Sarah Jessica Parker, husband Matthew Broderick and child were ordering right behind her. I immediately received a text from her saying "Come here RIGHT NOW".

Partay!

Birthday month rolled on as my parents threw a surprise party with my family. Everyone cooked something filipino, including the delicacies of (do I dare say it?) Spam and Vienna Sausages (pictured).

We ended the night by breaking the news about my possible year left in my life. Not a dry eye in the house.

RRL-y?

I had a great time in NYC. One of my stops was Double RL, Ralph Lauren's division store that specializes in western style/dungaree clothing. And while I always knew about the label, I looked at the apparel with different eyes.

I saw a lot (and I mean a lot) of washed-out flannel and sweaters. Average price per item: $150. But these shirts had nothing to identify it, no logos or marks on the outside making it different than something you find at a yard sale or thrift shop. The labels on the inside of the clothing was small and of course, something other people couldn't see.

Other fashion houses such as Prada, Calvin Klein and even Ralph Lauren's Purple Label don't have logos on the outside of most of their shirts and clothing, but you can tell there's something clearly different about it, such as the cut of clothing, material, or the stitching that makes it distinct.

Not at Double RL. Maybe that's the whole point. Guess I am truly a label 'ho.

Evolution

Man, things sure are different when you're thirty six. For instance:

*Rachel Ray has her own talk show
*women don't like Tom Cruise
*Katie Couric is on at night

At least I haven't changed- I still like toys, good clothes, and dessert.

P.S. Sorry if I haven't responded to any e-mails. My sister and brother-in-law do not have web access at home- I'm at an internet cafe. 10 minutes for $2.00.

Happy Birthday, Me!

It's 9:00PM, and I'm in NYC celebrating my birthday with family. Today started with a train ride from Charlottesville to NYC, Magnolia cupcakes (ooh my stomach), shopping around the village, and deep dish pepperoni pizza (my poor hurting and fat stomach).

Could this really be my last birthday? I don't know, but this was a great day.

Thank you for your birthday wishes, everyone. E-mail or call this 36 year old man if you or someone you know needs something from NYC and I'll do my best to get it for you.

EL-NOOO!

Just when you thought Tickle Me Elmo was something crazy lower income families fought over ten years ago, a new version debuts tomorrow as TMX Elmo. TMX (short for "Tickle Me Ten" or "Tickle Me Extreme") Elmo's features were top secret for months. In fact, the box he comes in is wrapped and sealed. He will be revealed early Tuesday on Good Morning America.

I am not amused, therefore will not be at Wal*Mart at midnight tonight.

Three Until Thirty-Six

I've got three more days in the life of a 35 year-old boy. Wow, over the year I:

*experienced what it's like to be single again
*moved back to the US from Australia
*bought a Rolex
*worked for a business other than a radio station
*had brain surgery (for the third time)
*experienced a deeper love for Paul
*drove a car cross-country
*rode a mechanical bull
*visited London, Canada and many places around the US
*found out that I may have only one more year to live

Who knows what stories lie ahead as I turn into a 36 year-old man. Guess we'll see together!

Thank you for reading about my life this past year,
Ernie

We Eat Again, Magnolia Cupcakes.

Wow- I blog about these cupcakes all the time.

These are fresh from my sister and brother-in-law who just got back from NYC Wednesday night. (The apartment they rented in the Village is a seven minute walk to Magnolia Bakery.)

Just look at the expression in my eyes in the "before" and "after" shot!

Steppin' Out

Just because I may have a year left to live doesn't mean I should stop living now. In fact, today was my first day of class on "How To Be A Step Aerobics Teacher".

The course has seven classes, each an hour and a half long, an exam and presentation at the end, and bam! I'm out front shakin' like an old lady who won a game of bingo.

Look What I Got Today!

I got it as a present today from a special someone (thank you!) because I celebrate my birthday all month long in September.

This Louis Vuitton backpack debuted September 1st, but there have been waiting lists for it for several months.

Uh-huh. You know you like it. I can see the way you're looking at it, kinda' like when you first looked at porn with a bunch of friends. Although you screamed "That's disgusting! Gross!" in front of your buddies, deep down inside you thought it was hot.

O.K. Part II

(I don't know what else to call it)

Maybe you or your family have dealt with a family member's limited time to live. But whether or not you have, I thought I'd let you in on how my family and others close to me reacted to "the news":

*Paul- He's been a saint. Very brave, encouraging, and most of all, supportive.

*My sister Ellen- Same as Paul. Always a joy to be around. I finally told her and Paul to "stop being strong" and "just be Ellen and Paul".

*My best friend Dave- I told him in a very "news update" fashion, very factual. We talked about the weird and uncomfortable stuff: is there a term/word used for when a doctor tells you how long you may have to live? Whom should you tell, and how do you tell them about it? When you're at the roulette table and down hundreds of dollars, how do you know whether to walk away or put in more to recover losses and break even?

*Mom and Dad- When I told them, they were pretty quiet at first, but Dad got very outspoken discussing hope of future treatment. Mom grieved by not exercising and ordering Thai drunken noodles that night. She's more my style.

O.K.

I'm just going to come out and say it:

The doctors told me yesterday that I only have about a year to live if future treatment is not successful (which it probably isn't) controlling the cancer.

Please, this is not a plea asking you to call me or write your condolences. I already know how you feel. I only hope that future blog entries will help let you know how I feel in return.

Much love, much much love.

Ernie

Hi Readers.

I will never forget today.

I'm at my computer typing, deleting, typing, then deleting again, what I'm trying to say. Perhaps I shouldn't. At least for now.

Give me a day to process it all.

Sorry. Thank you for checking in.

Love,
Ernie

Ernesto Storms The Southwest Region

Remnants of Ernesto made its mark on the West Coast, dumping buckets of drama in Vegas and leaving thousands of Los Angeles residents without power to live.

Pictured is Ernesto:
*putting a damper on things at Bellagio Casino with Paul, Ellen (his tropical storm sister), and brother-in-law Andrew.
*pounding Beverly Hills and a Jamba Juice
*wreaking havoc on Paul's best friend Barton in Pasadena

Ernesto gets downgraded from a tropical storm to a tropical depression as he returns to the West Coast early this week.

The Real "Deal"?

Is it true? Could this really happen?

Could Paul really give up the law firm gig and go pro?

Paul won a poker tournament again. This time he was up against forty players and hand after hand, raise after raise, he made it to the final table and beat them all.

After winning another $500 first cash prize the very next day, I guess it's possible.

That's my man!