The ERI company Christmas Party went real well tonight. We held the party at the Waterfront Seafood Grill which was a real nice and ritzy restaurant. Amanda had done most of the leg work putting this together and the thanks goes out to her. The two cofounders of the company, Steve Zigan and Joe O'Connell, were in attendance but the other company officers, Bob and Keith, were unable to make it. John Meyer, the branch manager, gave the inspirational speech talking about the years successes and the future. Due to the lack of sleep I got last night, I was afraid I wasn't going to amount to much at the party. I was able to get an hour nap in right before heading down so I was able to get some energy going. I am glad I did because it made for a longer and more enjoyable evening. Beth and I arrived at 5:30 and dinner started around 6:15. I had called the restaurant earlier in the week letting them know my dietary restrictions and I assumed I would be getting a rather bland meal of salad with no salad dressing (which I requested and brought my own) and steamed veggies. I got the salad I requested but the dinner they brought me far exceeded my expectations. I had the veggies alright but covered in a roasted red pepper sauce. The veggies were zucchini, corn, baby broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, and spinach. Very tasty and more than I could eat. For desert, everyone had a piece of fudge pie, a torte of some sort, and a custard. The waiter knew dairy was out for me so brought me a huge serving of raspberry sorbet. I was thankful and had a few bites but passed it over to Beth since it contained much more surgar than I should consume. With the chemo passing out of my body by now, I didn't want to metabolize the cancer cells without the poison.

After dinner, we stuck around and socialized for a while. It was good to see some of the coworkers that are often in the field while I am at the office and so haven't seen that much. They were all glad to see me and thought I looked good, even if my clothes are getting quite baggy on me. I actually had to wear one of Beth's belts tonight to keep my pants up! A lot of the conversations at our table and during the socializing revolved around the cancer and my healing approach, but I didn't mind and was glad to share. Everyone felt I was on a good, positive track and could see the confidence in getting this disease beat. Around 10, the party was breaking up and a few headed to the bar. Since the smoking ban hasn't taken effect yet, which I didn't vote for by the way, Beth and I left so I didn't have to be around the smoke. It was getting late anyway and I needed to get home to swallow some herbs and prepare for bed. Hopefully, after posting this new entry, I will be getting some sleep. All in all, I was sure glad to make it and I felt real well throughout the night. The pressure and discomfort in my chest was barely noticeable and I figured it had a lot to due with being around real positive energy and happy holiday vibes. I work with a good bunch of people and it showed through at the party. It was a good evening...