When I need laughs

When I am sad, by circumstances or nature I have my  sure fire ways of being happy. I list everything I am grateful for and watch sitcom bloopers on You Tube. Just put the word blooper and your favorite situation comedy  in the search box and enjoy the laughs. If you watch enough you can laugh yourself out of the bad mood.

 Two and half men, The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family are my favorites and they always make me laugh out loud.

So, Thank you Chuck Lorrie, and everyone else connected with these shows. I can hardly wait for your next season!

Remembering to shave

"Not to the knees, but the big shave up the leg"...as Joan Rivers said about shaving as she was preparing for the gyno doctor.

That's not my problem at the moment. But I have to remember to shave under my arms for radiation everyday. I am so paranoid I will forget it's on my list of 'things I need to do today."

What's on your to do list?

Tate, the youngest of my next door neighbors

Living next door to three young boys provide me with lots of laughs.  Tate, the youngest at 5, spilled a drink on my desk but failed to tell me. Ian, age 9 was sitting in the chair next to the desk also failed to tell me. They were playing a game on my electronics.  So, when I told Tate and Ian that they spilled something on my father’s desk.  As both boys were watching me clean up the mess and getting a little irritated they didn’t tell me---- Tate said “it’s a good thing he’s dead. “

I had to walk away so they wouldn’t hear me laughing.

At the boys home, they are re-doing the outside by cutting down trees (thanks for the fire wood) to install a fence for their dogs, Hoover and Joan. The fence will divide my property from the boys, but will have an entrance so we can still cut through their lawn. As I was telling Tate his parents would be installing a fence he panicked and said “how will we get to your house? “

Joan Rivers--I will always love you!

The first time I met Joan, I was five in an elevator with my parents. The elevator stopped and Joan and a friend got on. My mother told her that we were looking for Diana Ross and The Supremes (who were staying at the same hotel) and Joan said, "Forget her. She's not nice."

I didn't know who this woman was as she gave me an autograph with lots of xxxx and a smiley face on it. But my mother who watched Carson knew who she was.

The second time I was writing for a local newspaper as a entertainment reporter and she was appearing a theater in CT. I had contacted her Public Relations people and scored an interview. Then, it was announced she would be Carson's guest host replacement. I lost the interview, she didn't need the publicity, said someone for PMK. So, I did what I always do when someone says no--I wrote a letter.

I had tickets to see her twice and at the first show gave my letter to her opening act. Garry Shandling. Joan was terrific. After her standing ovation-I headed out to stage door, when over the speakers came this: Leslie Jacobs, will you please come to the backstage area.

My best friend Marianne Virtuoso was with me, as I said, "coming Mare"? "Right behind you Les."

As we entered the backstage area.  There were people from all around the state. We waited for the door to open. She came out and asked me who I was. I said Leslie Jacobs and I wanted to interview you. But, PMK said you didn't need the publicity. As I was saying this I could see Edgar and Bill her manager talking. Joan said, we'll do something nice for you...let me finish with everyone else.

After finishing with everyone, she turned to me and said come one, lets do the interview. I panicked and said--"I don't have my questions."

"I'll make it easy on you." She smiled.

Mare and I walked into the dressing room and sat at the table. She started to wait on us...what do you want to drink? Have you eaten? A typical mom. (Mare and I were in our early 20s)  The men were sitting on a couch in the large trailer like dressing room.

She talked, I scribbled notes and at the end of the interview I had finally remembered some of my questions. She signed photos for us, and asked us to "take a piece of fruit, the both of us."

Mare remembers that "She tried to give me the 6 pack pf Tab and yes all the fruit !!

 And she was SUPER sweet – I also remember she kept touching your arm throughout the interview and I thought it was sweet -- and even though I was not the one conducting the interview, she gave me the same attention as she did you"

Thank you Joan for all of the laughs.  The world is a lot dimmer without your light.

Radiation begins

When I was 16, my father died. My mother died in 2011. You know what that means…for 37 years I was married to my mother.  

In 1984 my mother announced she had breast cancer and would undergo a full left breast mastectomy.

Being the dutiful “husband” I drove her around as she updated her will, cleaned the entire house and froze meals so I wouldn’t have to cook for the 2 weeks shed is at Yale Hospital in New Haven…oh and she put the car that she never drove in my name. 

Now I have breast cancer on my left breast.  What have I done?  I cleaned the house.  The only difference from 1984 until now is the 2 hour hospital stay after surgery instead of two weeks.

The only things left are to begin radiation----

Last week I was “tattooed” for my radiation. Little dots around my left breast to be radiated for seven weeks, five days a week. Its only for 10 minutes a day…but every day. Every day at 1:15…really cuts into my life…but since I am self employed as a Professional Organizer (www.lesmess.com) it will only cut into work time.

My bills won’t be happy, nor will any of my creditors. But, hey life is still good!

Refusing to be scared

Everyone is scared now and then. Everyone has fears. My fears are being raped, being kidnapped and being murdered. But I'm not afraid of cancer. I know I will be fine. In fact my life is getting better all the time.

Recently, I have ended two friendships that I have had for 7 years. It wasn't working out. I was not happy for a number of months with these friends. They were asking way to much of me---and instead of always saying NO--I ended the friendships. Now I feel like Taylor Swift as I recount my friendships and what went wrong.  Yes, I do miss the friends...but my life is happier in many ways.

I am standing up for myself and telling people exactly what I think. It took me a number of years to get to this point. But, finally I am here.

The one thing I do feel sad about is having to tell people the truth--because it truly makes them look bad.