Back Up Dragon Mountain

About a three years ago I purchased a TIVO system as a part of a satellite TV system. What they forgot to tell me is that the TIVO systems they provide through this particular satellite provider are used and full of the previous owners favorites. Needless to say, that can lead to some very interesting viewing if you haven't cleared the system. Especially for someone like me who can't sleep without background noise. Thus the story of the day. My TIVO system includes a receiver in the main living room and my bedroom. Interestingly enough, I programmed my living room system to record all my favorite shows, but have never messed with the settings on the one in the bedroom. As you know, the TIVO system is set up to change the channel and/or make suggestions to shows you may enjoy based upon your selections and/or settings. When I go to bed, I usually put the channel on either the Sci Fi channel or CNN and sleep to the stories and happenings of the world. Interestingly, on Saturday and Sunday mornings I lose Anderson Cooper or the Haunted House Hunters for the Backyardagains.

At first I got annoyed as the Backyardagains (for those of you who don't know, I believe they consist of an animated set of characters one of which looks like it might be a moose..or really ugly deer) looked for the "treasure chest" as they sang about it, talked about it, sang about it again, and then found it and sang about finding it during my recoup sleep from the adult beverages I had swallowed the night before. Now, it is like a little funny routine that my dog and I have fallen into every weekend morning. As soon as he hears the Backyardagain's theme song, he knows its time to wake up mommy in any way possible. Nothing short of a wet nose to the forehead and subtle slobbery lick across the face could there be a more distinctly irritating yet charming way to be woken.

Usually, I hit our version of a "snooze button" by tossing what ever random toy he has drug up on the bed with him and hide my head quickly under the covers in my "you can't find me" attempt to regain an extra few minutes of sleep. But this morning, this morning the Backyardagains were singing about climbing dragon mountain and for some odd reason it struck my attention.

They kept saying "We're gonna climb dragon mountain. We're gonna climb dragon mountain. Climb..Climb.. Climb. We're gonna climb to the top of dragon mountain." You get the drift. But what really caught my attention was when they began to talk about why they were gonna climb the mountain.

The characters said that they hoped they didn't meet the scary dragon as they were climbing to find the mysterious yet playful character (let's call her Emma as I can't quite remember the name through the fog of dog slobber and tail wagging that fought for my attention). In their search for Emma they came across many obstacles one of which was a cave known as the dragon cave. They entered the cave to find Emma and rescue her from the big scary dragon. They heard that Emma was a caring and nurturing creature who would bring them a long and happy future. They continue to climb and sing, climb and sing, and sing and climb until....

Oh but wait, what is this they see? Well, could it be...BUT the big and scary dragon. It awoke and roared to life breathing fire as it yawned and baring it's claws as it stretched. Needless to say, our heroes and heroines were very scared and ran from the cave. They ran so fast, in fact, that they tumbled out of the cave and off the side of the mountain.

As they began to fall, the moose lead the charge for the group by saying "Well if we are going to fall, at least we can sing about it"...and on went a tune about "We are falling, falling, falling...we are falling from dragon mountain". Oh my....what's gong to happen next. I was at the edge of the bed struggling between keeping my attention on the TV and also not loosing the tug-o-war battle over the last leg of what was once an eight legged spider chew toy with Petey in all his 65 pound bird dog glory.

Just as I was about to lose my grip, and the Backyardagains were going to hit the ground, in swoops the big and scary dragon to save the Backyardagains and fly them off to safety. The moose/ugly deer lead character realizes something and says: "Hey, you're (Emma)? You're not so big and scary after all? You scared us at first, and we fell off the mountain. Now you have saved us! Thank you Emma! Thank you". They then all broke into song thanking Emma.

I got up, turned the TV off, patted Petey on the head, plodded off to the kitchen, fumbled with the coffee and coffee maker, and called my mom. The conversation went something like this:

Mom: "Hello Erin"
Erin: "Hey Mom. Good morning. Pete and I just called to say howdy. Say howdy Pete."
Pete: Sniff Sniff, Flap Ears, Off to Chase the Cats
Mom: "Ha! Ha! Petey, he is a handful, but smart. What are you up to this morning".

I then told her the story of the Backyardagains, Dragon Mountain and Emma.

Erin: "I guess I need to finally break down and change the settings on that dern thing. It is freakin' annoying!"
Mom: "I don't know. It seems that it is kinda like me and this sickness"
Erin: "Huh? What do you mean?"
Mom: "Well, you said you wanted to pay more attention to the lessons and 'Ah Hah' moments that happen around you day in and day out. You should blogg this."
Erin: "Why?"
Mom: "Can't you see? I am the Backyardagains. I am climbing the mountain...to get better. The Chemo is Emma. She can save me by almost killing me...burning all the bad stuff and some of the good stuff. But if she don't kill me, then she saves me."
Erin: " Wow! I think I need to eat more of the oatmeal you're eating!."
Mom: "Yeah, every 21 days I go back up my version of dragon mountain with my chemo treatment, and hope that even though the dragon knocks me off and my blood drops low, and I end up in the hospital, can catch me and kill the cancer before I reach the end."
Erin: "Wow! Pretty profound for a Saturday morning."
Mom: "Ask Petey, he's the one who gave me the idea."