SKS

Another great #Easter #quarantine idea! Join @RickSteves on an epic virtual adventure. Step it up a notch and try out some food and drinks suggested on Rick's website. Wine not?! See ya there! #keepontravelling

Holy sh-t! They are serious about Canada becoming the 51st state…

@hollywoodsteveh Dude, the documentary was most excellent! The Fagan phone call made it even better lol

@RickSteves Get well soon @RickSteves !

Thanks for all the support since I first told you about my prostate cancer diagnosis. I promised you an update when I shared this news back in August — and I’m happy to say that I’m home now after successful surgery and a night in the hospital. (Packing light for my homecoming, I left my prostate there.) Since I was first diagnosed, I’ve thought of cancer as the latest adventure in a lifetime of travels — and like always, I’m excited to share a trip report with you. My journey began with a blood draw to screen for prostate cancer. I was told that, at my age, a PSA score of 4 or greater would be considered “abnormal.” So, when I got the shocking news that I had a PSA score of 55, it was like I’d been thrown into a new land fraught with mystery and uncertainty. Suddenly swept away from my general practitioner and into the world of oncology, I needed to make important decisions about things I knew nothing of… and I barely spoke the language. In my case, I had options (basically non-surgical treatments or just cut it out). Caring people with strong opinions and lessons from experience weighed in as if in a debate tournament, competing in the interest of my health. Psychologically, I was inclined to embrace the “ectomy” route — cut it out. And in my case (where the cancer is, how it’s acting, and my willingness to deal with — or live with — the side effects), it seemed surgery was my best option. After talking with my doctor and carefully considering each treatment strategy, I chose to undergo a robotic radical prostatectomy. On the big morning, my alarm rings at 4:30 a.m.… and the day for surgery is finally here — certainly a high point on this journey’s itinerary: Drive through a sleepy world, check in, strip down… gown up. A moment of prayer with my surgeon and Shelley (my angel caregiver through the physical and emotional white water of this ride). Then, careen gracefully down the hallway on a gurney (feeling kind of melodramatic to actually live the POV of so many movie scenes) and enter the operating room — which is reassuringly filled with an awe-inspiring mix of masked-up experts, technology, sterility, and humanity. I give myself over to the crew that now holds my very future in their hands. The ventilation mask lowers… take three… deep… breaths… and… I wake up feeling great, chatty, and making jokes I think are clever… clearly on some serious medicine. Thankfully, my doctor has a good report: Surgery went well, there was no sign of any spread, and the cancer seems to have been embedded deep in my prostate, which is now at the lab. Before the surgery, I had two visions of my cancerous prostate: a small apple with an invisible rot at its core and an old dandelion with missing spores. My wish was the apple, and that’s what I got. But we won’t really know how “it went” until the lab reports are in. And that’s when I hope to hear the words “cancer-free.” But for now, I’m still in the next stage of this trip: “the road to recovery.” Buckling myself gingerly into the passenger seat, I was overcome with thankfulness: that I live in a corner of the world where hospitals aren’t being bombed or flooded... that I have access to a brilliant @UWMedicine surgeon and the best tech anywhere at Seattle’s @FredHutch Cancer Center... that I am surrounded by the love and support of so many…and receiving quality care in a major medical crisis with no concerns about crippling costs (which for a citizen of any great nation should be a civil liberty). Yes, I am thankful. On my first day back home (when not napping), I read through cards and social media comments from caring people sharing experiences and cheering me on. All those good vibes, warm thoughts, and fervent prayers — while intangible — took on a kind of tangibility as they collectively worked to fill my sails with hope and strength to finish this journey successfully. Thank you. It wasn’t so long ago that people called cancer “the C word,” or if they called it by name, they did so in a whisper. As anyone who gets cancer learns, it permeates all corners of our society, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of or to hide — and when it comes to older men, it seems being tested for prostate cancer (a simple blood test you can request from your GP) is a smart idea. As for me, the next step is to get my catheter taken out — after which I’ll be steep on the incontinence learning curve. Then, I’ll get the lab reports. (I’ll be sure to keep you posted.) In the meantime, I’m making a point to celebrate the vibrancy that fills my world... to give thanks for everything that works well in my body... and to meditate on how communities, technologies, and livable environments that we enjoy are not accidental — they happen when good people care and do good things. I’m looking forward to many more years of happy travels — and, of course, I’ll be sure to bring you along! —Rick

I barely post on here anymore - but I needed to share this. I can't wait to see it. I have a feeling I will need some Kleenex for this one..

@RickSteves Sending you well wishes, Rick!

I’d like to take a moment to share some important news. I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. My doctor assures me that, if you’re going to get cancer, this is a good kind to get, and careful scans show no sign of it having spread. There is a clear path forward to getting healthy, and this fall, I’ll be in the hospital for a few days having prostate surgery. My doctor’s fine with me filming two new TV shows in France for the next three weeks, returning home to Edmonds by mid-September. I’ll likely get my surgery in late September, be laid up for a month, and—God willing—be cancer-free and back at it by the end of October. I have great trust in my doctor and in Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. And I have lots more to be thankful for…including the support of friends and loved ones and a strong faith that I’m in good hands. While the statistics tell me I should be just fine, I’ve been fortunate to have never spent a night in a hospital — and I find myself going into this adventure almost like it’s some amazing, really important trip. I feel good about my positive attitude — and I expect to take home some delightful, if intangible, souvenirs like: appreciating and seeing a vibrancy in the little things; appreciating the goodness in people and the treasure of friends and family; being wowed by modern medicine and the army of amazing, smart, and dedicated people that make it possible; appreciating what a blessing life, health, and this world to enjoy is; and — just in general — being more thankful. I’m looking forward to many more years of happy travels, exciting collaborations, and beautiful friendships. Thank you for your love and support (and any “travel tips” you may have for me as I set off on this journey). Rick PS: I’ll keep you posted.

@hollywoodsteveh Hi I'm Hollywood Steve and you caught me talking on a podcast 🎙️🎧

@maddyeisenberg I have my grandfather's golf sweater from Scotland ❤️

Going through storage with my parents, and came across my grandfather's golf hat ⛳ 🧢 He lived and breathed golf, and I fell in love with it after participating in a tournament this past summer. Proud to have and wear this as I hone my playing skills. Miss him dearly.

@maddyeisenberg You'll be great!! Have a good trip!

@stefdragan Yeah this is going to be my first big trip since 2017/18. I'm a tad nervous

Booked a last minute solo trip to New York on January 2!! 🗽 It has been so long since I set out on my own. Talking to new people and exploring new places brings me so much joy. Pictures to come.

@MrsRieB We sang that song in Canada too lol

@Adam_FineArt @WarwickCastle Glad to hear it's in a safe place and will be cared for appropriately!

Another former @WarwickCastle painting goes on display in one of the world’s greatest museums!

Protect yourselves, folks!

I still #WearAMask to protect myself and others.

@FurnessColin Thank you for your work @FurnessColin !

Now, I am very aware that most people, resigning themselves to multiple infections, don't want to hear emerging evidence of COVID harms. But some really do want to be aware, amid a really desiccated public square for public health; sustainable safety is what we now need. 2/2

I have been super quiet here for about 8 months. Some of that is simply self-care. But the bigger story is that I am waiting for some significant impending news to ungag me. Soon. That said, I'm now ready to put some energy back into building COVID awareness. 1/2

@nilikm damn...planning to travel to QC in the next couple weeks. Maybe not?!

@nilikm @AndreaHorwath you are correct, and this is what makes me most angry. My immune-compromised dad caught it from a trip when people were coughing and not masking. Now he has a cough that will likely last weeks, if not months. He needed a puffer for a while. This is not okay. I am furious.

Like a lot of people right now, I have tested positive for COVID-19. Please take care of yourselves and ensure your employees know they can stay home if they're sick. We want to reduce this spread as much as possible.

Why are so many people putting their heads in the sand?? #MaskUp #ProtectOthers

@seanmccannsings Solid album!!! (And yes, I remember when it was newly released!)

@JonReidHotchner @maddyeisenberg I can relate, especially to the looking for exits part!

@maddyeisenberg Panic, dread, stomach in knots, shallow breaths, panic looking for exits, like you’re falling down a well looking up but you’re standing still downtown list goes on. Groceries, movies, office, traffic are the worst.

Anxiety symptoms can appear at the most random moments. I woke up this morning and it felt like a fist was twisting my stomach. There was no reason for the anxiety - I mean, I had just opened my eyes. What are your anxiety symptoms? #MentalHealth

@maddyeisenberg Same as you - in the stomach mainly.