Well, yes, I’ve been incredibly busy…busy visiting with my parents, busy playing with Muffet (their lovely cat), busy running errands with my mother, busy planting flowers in my parents’ garden and…well…busybusybusy. In a good way, of course!!! And when I haven’t been busy with that sort of stuff, I’ve had to work, too, which means that, at least for now, my plans of reading and posting about the studies I brought with me haven’t quite worked out. Oh well!

Speaking of busy, Stefano arrived last Friday (from Italy), and tomorrow we’re driving down to New York City for a short holiday (until Saturday). We’ll be staying with a generous, lovely, kind blog reader and his wife in Manhattan. This is how that happened: when I posted my appeal for help in finding a decent but not too expensive hotel or B&B in New York City (here on the blog), a few blog readers generously offered their homes to us. I really didn’t expect that…and I was quite overwhelmed, I admit. I turned down the offers as gracefully as I could…I mean, don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy meeting blog readers (in fact, the readers I’ve met in real life are now friends of ours, which is absolutely lovely), but Stefano and I are two very independent people who don’t want to be a nuisance to anyone…especially to folks we haven’t met!

But when John wrote and said he’d be delighted if we would stay with him, it was different. I feel that I know John personally, since we’ve been corresponding for quite some time now. He has an interesting “smoldering” background, but I can’t say more than that until (if!) he gives me permission to do so. Suffice it to say that I can’t wait to meet him. 🙂 And I am also looking forward to meeting Liza who also offered her NYC home to us…and possibly a few other blog readers, depending on their schedules this week. Should be FUN!!!

The idea of going back to New York after so many years has brought up a lot of different emotions. I am referring mainly, of course, to 9/11, which had a huge impact on me even though I didn’t know anyone who died in the attack. I was in Italy when it happened…in fact, I was at home alone when a friend phoned to tell me to turn on the T.V., just in time to watch the second plane crash into the South tower. I will never forget…

Okay, time for a change of subject!!! A few days ago a close friend (whom I met through the blog, by the way!) sent me the link to a very interesting BBC article: Sir Anthony Epstein was interviewed recently about the Epstein Barr virus connection to various forms of cancer: http://goo.gl/zMm65r

As you know (if you have been following my blog for a few years), I am very interested in the possible viral connection to myeloma. The main reason (for my interest) is that while I was in grad school I myself became very ill due to an Epstein Barr viral attack…and this occurred, coincidentally (or possibly not!), just a few years before my MGUS was discovered…

Anyway, this article describes HOW the two researchers (Epstein and Barr) discovered the blasted virus that was named after them…A verrrrry good read even if you don’t find viruses particularly interesting…so do have a look…

Okay, Stefano and I have a zillion things to do today (rent a car, etc.), so I’d better get going and do at least some of them…Have a great week, everyone! 🙂