Substantial raises are indeed the bestest kind!

We're tucked away at our hotel in Beverly Hills. Not the one we had last time with a courtyard restaurant outside our door but a schmancy place directly across from Cedars Sinai.

Our commute tomorrow morning will be a four minute walk.

Long day for JZ tomorrow, as she'll be at the hospital for ten hours. I'll stay through the usual infusion process (about four hours) and take a break while she has to hang out so they can monitor the new drug in her system hour by hour.

But we only have to do the ten hour days on the first two trips.

JZ was looking very weary and ragged on the cab ride in from the airport, but after some meds and a nap, and a 100% successful meal of mashed potatoes she's feeling much better.

EM is with Matilda tonight, and they were going to make steak and salad. Emmett has Matilda for the rest of the weekend.

I'm a little anxious dealing with the side effects of FOLFIRI on the flight back but I'm hoping we can finesse this, and then get into a groove.

I hope the procedure goes well and the side effects are minimal.

I went with the bridge option over an implant mostly because my dental anxiety is so bad . Except for the bridge breaking saga (which was a totally freak thing) it's been ok. I'm lucky it fits really tight against my gum so I dont have to worry about stuff getting under it. But that is always something to consider. If I didn't have the extreme dental issues I'd probably go with an implant.

After talking it over with my dentist, I decided to go with the implant. I have serious dental anxiety, but I've learned to cope with it, largely by being upfront with my dental care providers about it and taking the maximum reasonable sedation for every procedure--basically, if you're numbing me up, you're giving me nitrous at minimum. What it came down to for me is that the teeth on either side of the Doomed Molar are both in great shape, and it didn't make sense to me to crown them to anchor a bridge. Also, the implant will probably last me for the rest of my life, but odds are the bridge would have to be replaced, so implant means less overall time in the dentist's chair even if that time will be pretty intense.

I had a consult with the oral surgeon this afternoon, and I'm scheduled for the first phase of the process (extraction and bone graft) on May 4. We agreed that I will be sedated with the goal of not remembering any of the procedure.

Bravely done, Susan! And way to address the situation with your dentists.

JZ is contentedly conked out.

I went to have a drink at the hotel bar and it was so expensive it was cheaper to drink from the minibar.

I repeat: The Minibar Was A Comparative Bargain!

So now I'm drinking from the minibar. But that's it for tonight.

Even relatively easy travel these days is taxing and we have an early morning tomorrow and a long day.

First, mmmmm, mashed potatoes. That is some comfort food there. I hope that the day goes better than anticipated and that side effects are minimal.

I have successfully extracted myself from the clusterfuck that is the charred remains of Comixology and accepted a new role on the Responsible Sourcing team! And tomorrow I am flying to London for a week of vacation!

I went to have a drink at the hotel bar and it was so expensive it was cheaper to drink from the minibar.

Yikes! I hope it was a delicious drink, at least?

Mashed potatoes have a way of making things better.

Yay, Jess! On the job AND on the vacation!

JZ and David, I hope that the worst thing that happens today is some boredom at being in one place for many many hours. The drug trial sounds ideal and JZ's cancer is going to regret ever showing up.

Nice, Jess! Be sure and report details of the vaca so my jealousy maxes out.

flying to London for a week of vacation

Envy.