At LeBrain HQ this summer, we have been burning the candle at both ends. Caring for a sick family member is not easy especially when they are out of town.
Mrs. LeBrain has been on trains and busses for half of every week, going up to Toronto to provide love and support. She can’t drive because of the seizures so she’s at the mercy of bus and train schedules. One night she spent five hours getting home from Toronto.
I’ve been given strict instructions from her aunt: “Don’t let Jen burn herself out”.
Easier said than done!
She’s been doing an amazing job. Since I work full time I am only free to drive down to Toronto on weekends. That’s exhausting too, though not as much as public transit.
We haven’t had as much time to recharge our own batteries. It’s sad to say but we won’t be going to the cottage at all this summer. On the hot days, we would love nothing more than to jump in the refreshing waters of Lake Huron. It’s not happening this year.
And I haven’t had as much time to work on my reviews here at mikeladano.com. I come home from work mentally wiped out. I’m still playing and enjoying music every day but not writing about it very much. Thankfully guest writers like Holen MaGroin, Kovaflyer, Harrison Kopp and D have stepped up to provide some content and relief! (And there will be more content from Mr. MaGroin soon.)
My job, supporting Jen, is the easier of the two. I go to work, get paid, drive her where she has to go when I can, and try to take care of her. She’s got the harder job. If I’m not around these parts as much, or haven’t responded to your comments, that’s why. The struggle continues and the battle rages on.
We are not quitters!
mikeladano.com 
We’ve got your back, Ladano. I’ll hook you up with the content as long as you need it, and as long as I can find time for it. My days will be packed in a few weeks, as I’ve decided to follow up on my education again. I scored in the 93rd percentile on my ACTs without studying for one minute back in high school the first time I ever took the test. I don’t know what the Canadian equivalent is, but the ACT is basically a college placement test. I also got a ton of college credit in HS (AP courses), so I’m not worried about the endeavor. I realized all that BS that sell you about having to work your butt off is to scare the stupid people away.
I graduated top 10 in a class of over 300, and I never really worked that hard in high school. I just understood what people showed me. Or in a couple of rare instances, I got real lucky. Like the infamous chemistry story. We had a test in Pre-AP Chem, and the tests were designed to have two questions at the end that would get you an ‘A’ instead of an “A-“. I did some work for one, but I ended up getting the problem wrong. The other one I had no idea how to do, but I knew it was a pH value (a scale of 1-14) and I knew it was moderately basic (10-12). The answer could have been anything with any amount of decimals in between those two numbers, but I think I guessed 11.23. I got the question right so I got a straight A in Chemistry that semester. My teacher said he was gonna count me off for not showing any work, but decided not to because he figured that there was no way I could have gotten the answer right down to the hundredths unless I did my work on another sheet of paper. Most times I knew what I was doing though. This is a long-winded way of saying you’re in good hands, man. Stay strong, fuck cancer.
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No worries Brother!
Family First!
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Mike, your persistence and determination is amazing and I can only hope that you get some respite soon. All the best in your endeavours to F cancer.
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Dude I love writing about music. It is my fuel. I love waking up in the morning and seeing the published story. I’m always bummed when there isn’t a new one to wake up to.
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You two take good care!!
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Thank you. Trying our best!
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I think everyone understands! Hang in there and remember to take care of yourself as well!
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Carry on there Mike! You need to look after your good wife. Take care.
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Rage on Guys. You’ve got this
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You do what you have to do! Well still be here when things settle down!
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You better be! (shakes fist)
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How are u holding up? Just watched that Dokken live dvd last Saturday and u were right on. It was fun to watch and so good to see the guys getting along. None of them looked like they are in their 60’s. Not Jeff anyway, but he’s only 59, right? Yeez..Thank u for recommending that dvd. Wish I could recommend something too. I was kinda surprised that I liked Axel Rudi Pell’s latest “Knight’s Call”. It reminded me of Dio. Maybe u should give that one a listen on Spotify or Utube.
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I hope Dokken can do a few more special shows or recordings. Seeing them get along well is proof that old chemistry never really dies. I don’t think those guys should be on a bus touring together…
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Sending loving vibes to you and Jen. Hope she gets better soon and we’ll all be here when you are able to write more again but like Deke said, “Family first!”
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Thanks man. Unfortunately family are putting a lot of pressure on her to do more and I don’t think it’s fair.
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It’s not. She can only do what she can.
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Take care of yourselves Mike – as Deke said, family first!
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