January: How We Spent Our New Year- We spent a quiet New Year's Eve at home.
February: I Wanted To, But...- I stayed up to watch most of the SOTU on Tuesday and really wanted to write about it.
March: Daily Thoughts- Let's see if I can keep this up.
April: While I Was At The ASCD Conference- Potato hung out at the VetteFest because he didn't have a badge for ASCD.
May: Make Taylor Dance- Once again, I need to confess that I love American Idol.
June: Potato In Salem 35(40)- Tough Week.
July: The Move- So I've moved.
August: Blah- I feel blah today.
September: Basket vs. Cart- When I live alone, I use a basket at the grocery store for the following reasons:
- It's easier to maneuver through the aisles.
- I get a teeny bit of exercise.
- I know to stop when my basket gets full.
- I know that when I get home, I'll only need to take one trip in with groceries.
October: Accomplishments- After a busy weekend of school, my free weekend felt like a vacation.
November: Sunday Toy Day- I'm hosting a family Christmas party next month so I've been working on getting my apartment ready for lots of guests.
December: Quick Update- My reading room is looking good with the addition of two comfy chairs.
It's not entirely true that I've gotten nothing done. My house is clean and my bills are paid and I've spent lots of quality time with my beau, but....
I have homework to do and papers to grade that I am totally not motivated for because I got this for Christmas:
Last night I unlocked Freebird and it was so incredibly satisfying. On Guitar Hero I, I wouldn't even play the last few sets of songs because they were so hard, but last night, I decided to play straight through the career and I was able to beat every song my first time playing. It was awesome.
Now I have to beat them all on hard. Wish me luck. And feel free to come over and play with me so you, too, can experience the thrill.
No doctor's visit.
Despite their lack of enthusiasm for calling me, the nurse who finally did call really thought it was important to get a special test done. So they scheduled that and I went this morning.
I won't get any results for a few days, but I did notice lots of red and blue coloring on the pictures the woman took of my insides. Does that mean she saw something?
When I arrived this morning, the doctor hadn't sent over the necessary paperwork so I ended up having to wait again. I also overheard the nurses complaining about the difficulty they were having in getting the necessary paperwork faxed over.
My former doctor got a promotion this summer so I'm seeing someone else in the same office. So far I've only seen her for my annual check-up. I hope this inability to get an appointment isn't a trend. When I moved out of the city, I considered finding a new doctor's office. The one I go to is just overwhelmed. Now that I'm back here, I'd rather not switch. My doctor is about ten minutes from my school so it makes it much easier to get an appointment without taking time off of work.
Anyhow, no matter the results, I figure if they think it can wait a few days, it can't be anything too exciting. And I'm happy with the test they did because it's good for finding everything. So even if it it comes out normal and I've wasted mine and my doctor's time, I'll sleep better knowing that my insides are healthy. Y'know, because even without any pain, I'm sure we all wonder sometimes.
Five personally significant events of 2006:
1. Got my own apartment again.
2. Started my Master's.
3. My big sister moved far away.
4. Hosted my whole family for a Christmas party.
5. Became happy again.
Five things that 2006 taught me [or re-taught me]:
1. I deserve better.
2. I have great, great friends.
3. My family can get along under pressure.
4. I'm okay just the way I am.
5. I have a match.
Five things I want to do in 2007:
1. Go to the NCTM conference (again!).
2. Exercise (and maybe quit smoking).
3. Grade papers faster.
4. Join a choir.
5. Nurture my friendships.
Five things I don't want to do [anymore] in 2007:
1. Take on too many responsibilities.
2. Over-stress.
3. Procrastinate.
4. Squash my voice.
5. Settle.
Your turn.
Every time I go to the doctor, he or she asks me why I waited so long to go. It's a pain to get to the doctor so I only call if I really have a concern. I'm usually pretty darn sick by the time I make it there.
The emergency room doctor told me to follow up with my doctor. So I called yesterday and waited all day to get a call back to make the appointment. Nobody ever called.
I'm sure they're busy, but they could at least call and try to set something up. If it's next week sometime, fine. So I called again this morning. I made a 2PM deadline. No call. I just called again, gave all the details again, and I'm still waiting for a call.
It's a big giant annoyance to have to keep my phone handy at all times.
I'd like to shower leisurely or put on my ipod to clean house, but instead I'm carrying my phone around waiting for a call.
Grr.
Remind me never to go to the emergency room again.
I did need a doctor's appointment, but not at the emergency room. They didn't do x-rays or anything fancy. They were really too busy to worry that much about me.
When I got there a little before three they told me it was about a three-hour wait. I was tempted to leave, but I was in pain and knew I needed to see someone. If my doctor's office wouldn't take me, I needed to wait it out.
So I waited and waited.
I listened to lots of other waiters tell off the receptionists when their waiting hit the four or five hour mark. I maintained my patience. I knew I wasn't an emergency. I knew I'd be waiting awhile.
At five hours, I got my bracelet. I was about to give up but the bracelet meant I was soon.
At six and a half hours, I finally got a cubby.
The doctor was very nice. All he had to do was listen to the symptoms and he knew what it was. I still had to wait for an exam and some tests though.
They came quickly.
I returned to my cubby to wait and the nurse finally told me how to work the volume on the TV.
I was settling in for some Law & Order when two people came in to move me out into the hallway by the nurses station. I was just waiting for the test results. It felt a bit surreal. Laying in the hallway just like a bad movie.
I wanted to go home. I was annoyed that my doctor wouldn't just make an appointment. I could have waited until today. I knew that when I called. I didn't exaggerate my symptoms. My evening plans were ruined.
I still had hope though. About fifteen minutes into my hallway wait, they told me they were just waiting for one more result. I figured I'd be done by eleven.
Eleven came and went. I was thirsty and hungry. I had barely eaten before leaving because my mouth was too numb from the root canal. I did have some peanuts and juice at the hospital, but that was around 5:30. I started getting a bit cranky. Lack of food, past my bedtime. The hallway was interesting for the first half hour, but it got boring after that.
All the hospitals were overwhelmed. The other hospitals were sending their ambulances to the hospital I was at because they had no more room, but neither did my hospital. The workers kept calling supervisors to try to do something about it, but they didn't have much luck. So people were coming in from 30-40 miles away. Most of the nurses and techs were sympathetic to the fact that the patients had been waiting for hours, but there was nothing they could do.
Some of the workers smiled at me as they went by, but others acted like I wasn't there. One woman used my bed to neaten up a stack of files, completely oblivious to the fact that a person was laying there. I really wanted to ask if I could get dressed and wait for my results in the waiting room.
Finally, around midnight, I got news. The last result was too contaminated for a good read so I need to follow up with my doctor. The night shift was really unfriendly. I was invisible as they took my blood pressure and herded me off to leave. I was left to try to carry all my belongings and keep myself covered at the same time while I headed to the bathroom to dress.
And I'm back where I started- with pain and the need for a doctor's appointment.
The doctor said I probably had an ovarian cyst that ruptured and that the pain should get better in a few days.
I'm trying to look on the bright side- that it wasn't any of the more serious things it could have been and that it wasn't something completely ridiculous and not worthy of a doctor's visit ( I heard about plenty of those situations while I hung out in the hallway). Still, it's hard to feel bright about losing an entire day and night just to get an exam that my GP could have done.
I'm just glad I'm on vacation.
1. Get a root canal.
2. Go to the emergency room.
I waited a few hours for the doctor to call me back to get an appointment only to be told that I should really go to the emergency room where they are better equipped to figure out what's wrong with me. And so I don't worry you, I'm having some wonderful abdominal pain which could be nothing exciting, but it's the kind of thing that could be lots of bad things so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I'm being sent to the ER. Here's to hoping that everyone is in a stupor from yesterday so I won't face a crowd when I get there.
I have a really small homeroom so we're kind of a family. I decided last minute that I wanted to get them something for Christmas. Usually when I do that, I get something generic- the same little something for all of them. This year, I ended up getting something different for each of them. Just a little something- a couple dollars a piece- but something they'd love: a WOW pin for the kid who plays WOW, a bookmark for the avid reader, a penguin pen for the girl who loves penguins, sports stuff for my jocks. They did love their gifts and they were all so amazed that their teacher would give them something. It was so worth it.
Later in the day, I passed by the office and saw a teenage boy in there. He waved me in. I didn't recognize him and was a bit confused. He's a junior now, a former homeroom student, who came back to see me. He said he didn't remember anyone else at the school. He asked me questions and reminded me of many things from that year. He's grown up so much, but he's still quiet and awkward- not a kid I ever would have dreamed would come back to see me. He's training to become a mechanic and is doing well. It was nice to be remembered and visited and to hear that he's doing what he loves.
In the morning, some of my students gave me presents. One came from a boy I have in my homeroom who I bonded with last year over toys and comics and art. His mom requested that he be in my room, suppossedly to get extra help in math, though I think we all know it's just because the boy liked me. He hasn't hit puberty yet so he could easily pass for 8 or 9 years old and he's still very much a kid. Earlier in the week, he asked me if I drank coffee and then tried to cover up his reasons for asking. So when he came in saying that I'd love my present, I smiled thinking he was going to give me coffee. He gave me a Thing mug! (pictures later) I was so excited. It's awesome. At the end of the day, he surprised me with a spontaneous hug- I didn't even have time to react. It was sweet.
I took my homeroom caroling. We wrote math lyrics instead of the traditional lyrics. I have a few "cool" boys in my homeroom who swore they wouldn't sing. Yet when it came down to it, they sang. It was fun to watch them trying so hard to follow along. I have one boy in particular who is the school leader. He's tall and argumentative and difficult. But he sang his heart out for the younger kids. I wish I had a video.
I love my job.
Fire is my biggest worry in my new home. It worried me enough to get renter's insurance immediately. I live both above and below teenagers. I also happen to know the upstairs teenager well enough to worry a bit.
So I was catching up on my blogs when I heard the beeping. Fire alarm- though not in my house. I didn't immediately panic because mine go off every time I cook. Still this was the first time I heard it from a neighbor's place.
So I turned down my music and listened. It kept going off. I started getting a little nervous. I peeked my head out into the hallway. I was only partially relieved to see that there was a fire alarm in the hallway that wasn't going off.
And the beeping continued. A couple times it stopped only to start up again in a moment.
So I took my phone over to my smoking window so I could have a cigarette. There's a fire escape out that window so I figured I could escape if there really was a fire. I poked my head out the window to see if there was any action anywhere.
The beeping stopped so I returned to my computer. Then I heard a completely different kind of alarm. The emergency kind you hear in public buildings. I grabbed my purse and car keys. It stopped. I poked my head out into the hallway again. This time I was ready to go.
I paced a moment. Tried going back to reading. Discovered that I was shaking really badly. Thought about calling for reinforcements. Decided against it.
And then I went and took a long, hot shower.
That way I'll at least be clean when I have to evacuate.
Gift Shopping:
Last year, I did all my shopping online and super early so I had an incredibly stress-free holiday. Any actual shopping trips were relaxed because it was just extra.
This year, I had other things on my mind. I managed to shop for my sister in time for the party, but that was it.
I didn't even make a list.
I've had to make several unplanned and unorganized shopping trips and I'm still left with the feeling that I've forgotten someone (other than my folks and my super uncle whose gifts have to be shipped anyway and who will still love me when they arrive late).
Wednesday, I hit a local shopping plaza on a hunt for three things: a gift for my work Secret Santa, a neopet, and some sort of craft kit. Then I'd be done.
My Secret Santa part was easy. I went to KMart because my colleague loves Martha Stewart and I'd given her the ingredients for my mom's fudge over the course of the week-long event. The other two things were nowhere. So I broke my rule and went to Wal-Mart. Still no luck.
Reluctantly, I went to a smaller plaza last night. This one consists of a big toy store and a big craft store. Perfect.
Except that those stores didn't have what I wanted either. I'm thinking that they no longer make neopets, but a craft kit? Of almost any kind? I was looking for the kits that have all the fixins for handmade cards or a memory box or something. I've seen them everywhere about a million times. Until I wanted one. So I had to settle on a way overpriced something else that I'm not even sure will be appreciated.
I was a little sad because the gifts were for two very important people and I had my heart set on those items for a very long time, but I got through. I'm in the holiday spirit.
I also decided last minute to get a little something for each of my homeroom students so that took a little extra running around, but I'm quite happy with the results. I got something specific to each student instead of just a generic gift, and it was fun.
Teeth:
In other news, I went to get evaluated for a root canal yesterday. The doctor was quite hunky and they were all super nice at the office. So at 9AM the day after Christmas, I'll be getting a root canal. Merry Christmas to me! My dentist wanted me to do it before Christmas, but I chose not to. I also declined the hunky doctor's offer to remove the nerve while I was there. I'm regretting it a bit because my tooth seems to be hurting more. I've been talking funny since Monday because it's bothering me. I was afraid of having more pain or random complications for the holiday.
The doctor did let me know that he's on call all weekend and on the holiday if it got bad. I was impressed. I would never call. I'd feel like a jerk for going without treatment when it was offered and then interrupting his holiday to get that treatment. It was nice to have such a pleasant visit though.
Work:
Um, I got an award on Wednesday. Go me. Details another time.
1. Breakfast Date
2. Grocery Shopping
3. Clean, Vacuum, Put Away, repeat 4x
4. Fall asleep
5. Wake up from very bad dream
6. Do dishes.
7. Drink coffee while blogging.
8. Still sleepy.
9. Shower.
10. Visit with the beau's family.
I'm feeling like kim.kim. This past week, I learned Minuit Chretiens (O Holy Night en francais) and I'll be singing it tomorrow.After tomorrow, I can breathe again.For now, this sleepy lady is leaving the dishes for another day and heading to the couch for some much needed R&R.
- When most of the guests are from far away, your home will become the central location far beyond party hours.
- This means that a one day party is really a week-long affair.
- All vaccuuming will be pointless within five minutes of the first guest's arrival.
- Nobody eats vegetables.
- Everyone will bring food.
- Despite all this food, someone will ask about that one missing item that is not on the table, but was promised.
- Because of all the food, you will not have to cook for the rest of the winter.
- You will need to go to the store to get tupperware to hold all the leftover food.
- Leftover treats will be appreciated by neighbors and coworkers.
- Your coworkers will in fact eat all of the treats by 10 AM the morning you bring them in.
- The bed is an excellent place to take group photos.
- Twenty-five people can fit on one bed with plenty of room to spare.
- Invite a friend who likes to take pictures so that no one has to volunteer to not be in the picture.
- The results will be priceless. (Thanks, Liz!)
- There is no need to run out for wine before the party because everyone will bring wine, leaving you with ten unopened bottles.
- It is not a good idea to look forward to a quiet post-party evening when you see a bunch of your guests leaving.
- This is because the rest of the guests have only just begun.
- As my sister said, "Everyone should have a friend like Jay."
- This is because super-shy Jay will stay through five hours of awkwardness at my family party in order to do ten million dishes at the end of the night.
- You will not get to do any visiting.
- Showing one person where the extra soda, trash bags, etc. are kept relieves you from the duty of having to restock for the rest of the night.
- When you run out of steam to clean the kitchen and decide that no one will go in it anyway, you will later turn around to find five people in it at once.
- One of those people will be your daughter's mom who will be in your trash cabinet changing the bag and rooting around for another one.
- You will be glad that you took the time to clean and organize that cabinet recently.
- Your daughter's dad will need to use the stove which is covered in gunk from mom's delicious homemade chicken soup which she is making during the party.
- Try not to get embarrassed.
- It's good to be a packrat because the relatives will have fun reminiscing about all the things your Pepere made and the books you read as kids, and the dollhouse a family friend made.
- If you hang up the paintings your ex painted for you two Christmas' ago, everyone at the party will ask you who painted them.
- Wine will get spilled behind the bureau in the bedroom.
- And in most of the candy and chip dishes.
- The chips will spill, too.
- Six wine glasses are not enough.
- And it's a good idea to make sure they are clean before the party.
- Wine glasses that don't get used will probably have dust on them when you pull them out.
- Before the party starts, but after you cleared out the clutter in every room, your first guest will come with enough stuff to fill up all that nice clean empty space.
- Putting all the stuff people arrive with in the closet you don't want anyone going in is a bad idea.
- If you tell your beau to hide the extra fudge under the bed, he will.
- It will then take you thirty hours of looking before you finally ask him where it is.
- It's under the bed, of course.
- You will never finish doing dishes.
- Don't change the tablecloth until the clean-up is completely done no matter how much it grosses you out.
- Unless you own a washer and dryer and love washing linens.
- Estranged family members are capable of getting along in a party atmosphere.
- Guests will surprise you with tales of who talked to whom (sp?).
- Be glad you vacuumed under the tables and desks, because you will find your guests climbing under them.
- You will not eat any of the delicious food you prepared or looked forward to.
- You will eat thirteen thousand cookies after the party is over.
- You will feel aas if you will never catch up on your sleep.
- It will go by too fast.
- You will start planning next year's party before the first one is over.
- No matter how crazy the family drove you while in town, you will still be sad to see them go.
Dear Internet,
I am officially exhausted. And the party isn't until tomorrow.
Let's recap: two weeks ago was Thanksgiving. I went away. The Monday after, I had two projects due for class and all my report cards had to be done. The following weekend (this past one), I had school all night Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday. Monday and Tuesday afternoon and evening I had parent teacher conferences. Wednesday, I took my mother and stepfather out to dinner and then finished gift shopping. Last night, they came over so my mother could use my kitchen. Tonight they're coming again to use the kitchen and bringing my niece and her friend (no, I didn't really have much say in all this). Today I also snuck out at lunch so that I could do some of my cooking because I really don't want to be up all night cooking once my mother is done with her stuff.
My mother wanted to come back in the morning and was not very happy when I put my foot down and said no. I'm exhausted. I still need to dust and vaccuum and clean the bathroom. I have my own cooking to do and will need the kitchen. And at some point tomorrow, I will want enough privacy to shower and get dressed before the guests arrive. And I'll probably want to sit down for a cup of coffee.
My party starts at two so I told my mother she could come at one, but no earlier. It was quite the ordeal to say no to her. Yes, I've tried putting myself in her shoes, but frankly I'd like her to put herself in mine. There is a reason the party starts at two. Plus, several guests won't be there until five or so, so this get-together will likely last through the evening. I don't want to start entertaining early.
Oh and let's not even get into the gift drama at my no-gifts party.....
Edit (2 minutes later): My mom just cancelled for tonight. God must have heard how tired I was.
- My reading room is looking good with the addition of two comfy chairs.
- There are still too many boxes in inconvenient locations.
- I really want to make it to the Post Office for Clementine, but I'm feeling overwhelmed.
- My beau has been working constantly and we miss our relaxing weekends.
- My new professor singled me out within one minute of his arrival.
- I was told (not by him) it's because I emanate leadership and it is clear I'm the class leader.
- I tried not to talk too much for the rest of the weekend.
- I got to work with lots of different classmates this weekend.
- I learned a lot.
- My (often lacking) sense of humor showed up in full force because my professor and I share the same style of humor and approach to teaching.
- The "cool kids" invited me into their group for our big project.
- I love my classmates.
- When I got home, I somehow had the motivation to work on my reading room.
- I even framed and hung some prints.
- I counted 17 places to sit.....for 28 adult-sized guests and 3 miniature guests.
- I think about 20 people will stay for most of the day and evening.
- So I'm not too concerned about the seating.
- But I'll try to get some folding chairs.
- My hallways are full of stuff to donate or bring to work.
- It's been like that for a couple weeks.
- I haven't been motivated to load up my car.
- So instead I trip over things.
- I took out more empty boxes tonight.
- I wonder if the trash guys will take them.
- I should have scoured the whole house for trash.
- But I didn't.
- I have a lot of cleaning to do.
- I'm not worried about it.
- I do wish I had some fresh eyes to check the place out.
- It really is starting to feel like my home.
- Especially my reading room.
- Can you tell I love my reading room?
- I haven't done any reading in there.
- But sometimes I sit and just take it all in.
- I wanted that room to be done tonight.
- But I got really tired.
- I don't know how I will concentrate on my teaching this week.
- I need a home-cooked meal.
- I always eat poorly on school weekends.
- I still don't know where my missing curtain is.
