Dates and places

This is the day Drew was supposed to come home from Duke, cancerfree and with Waldo's stem cells doing their job in his new immune system. Instead, we fill cardboard boxes, pull down wallpaper, and start redecorating his room as Drew's Place, the bedroom turned gameroom at our house. Some memories will remain, of matches played and trophies won. Some memories will be covered over with spackling and paint, but the stories behind those holes and dents will remain. And maybe we will finally find the "F-G" encyclopedia and other lost things in his room.

This is the 60th day, the typical isolation period after the stem cells "take" that results in freedom to go home and restart your life. The stem cells did work, the blood tests were all good. But something else happened, and we wait for news on exactly what.

Somethings remain painful and some things are easier. It hasn't been hard to watch soccer the last two months. Although we wander off into the "what could have been" while watching games, we enjoy the occasional sighting of Drew's teammates and age-group making the game-winning save, as in the MLS Allstars vs. Chelsea yesterday. It has been hard to watch other television, however, as the medical shows and CSI shows seem to dominate. And for the folks that were in the room with us in Drew's final moments, walk out of the last five minutes of the Miami Vice movie. That hospital scene is especially tough.

It has been easy to forget, however, when Westbrook smiles. He will always be special for his excellent timing.

(and, no, he is not potty-training yet. This is just a baby seat. Really....he's only three months old...)