Okay People, I know that you're probably wondering about what things are going on since the last post. The results of the MRI were in yesterday and more testing and such is required so I have been referred to a neurologist which we will probably have to travel to Ann Arbor to see.
The diagnosis is this thing called a Chiari Malformation.
So to copy and paste from Wikipedia, here's more information.
Arnold–Chiari malformation, or often simply Chiari malformation, is a malformation of the brain. It consists of a downward displacement of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum (the opening at the base of the skull), sometimes causing non-communicating [1] hydrocephalus as a result of obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) outflow.[2] The cerebrospinal fluid outflow is caused by phase difference in outflow and influx of blood in the vasculature of the brain. It can cause headaches, fatigue, muscle weakness in the head and face, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, nausea, impaired coordination, and, in severe cases, paralysis.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold%E2%80%93Chiari_malformation
The malformation I have is very small according to my doctor so it could be that I really do just have migraines but they want to be safe and do some more testing and gather more data about it with the specialist in these sort of things.
I know that this isn't exactly good news but it's not bad news either. I'm not going to die of this. It isn't exactly life threatening but it will be a test of my endurance.
So wish me luck.
I'll try to keep everyone in the loop as best as I can with this but I can't promise anything.
Positive thoughts = positive actions
Blessed Be
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Summer 2012
Hey Guys!
It's been a long time and I'm sorry that I didn't take time to update everyone while I was away. So this is going to be a long one and you'll have to bare with me while I explain everything chronologically. Or what I'm trying to call chronological but in fact, it's a bunch of timey-wimey jumble that will make very little sense. Just give it a try and see how far you get. If you make it to the very end, then you can post your comments and questions because you will inevitably have a few at least.
First off, Maine was an amazing experience on the whole.
I arrived June 14, landing in Boston and dragging my over-packed bags through the airport until I found a group of kids. Truth be told, I went past them and wandered around before getting up the courage to go ask if they were with Camp Pinecliffe and then when I got close, the guy I came to know as the hilarious Gavin, caught me off guard by asking "Camp Pinecliffe?" All I could do was nod because he had spoken before I could manage to produce the line that I had gone over and over in my head. Then he continued without missing a beat, "Awesome, what's your name?"
It took me a moment to swallow my nerves before replying but as soon as I did the six other people waiting there, smiled at me and introduced themselves. That's when I knew that I was going to make some amazing new friends at this camp and that they were going to be from all over the world.
The first week was spent preparing for when the kids arrived. We did team building exercises and worked in out departments. My department didn't have a lot to do since the kids really are the Cliffe counselor's department. So I was a little bored that first week but we got really close as a department and worked on our amazing staff show skit. There were a lot of questions and stuff to remember but at the end of the week we were rewarded wit a social, bowling, and a party in Main Bunk where we ate all our meals.
The social was at a camp close by called Wildwood. While Pinecliffe is an all girls camp, Wildwood is an all boys camp and thus the staff there, as it was at Pinecliffe, consisted mostly of one sex. It went down about as well as a middle school dance... in the end I was playing volleyball and being eaten alive by bugs, ignoring the urge in the back of my mind telling me to go sit down in my comfortable group of new girlfriends.
No, I didn't get a boyfriend from this social.
Bowling was candlestick bowling and it was really hard. Lots of the over 21 staff were having fun though.... and there was a DJ hired with karaoke. It made for a very interesting night. I think that in the right crowd, candle stick bowling could have been loads of fun but we were still in that awkward stage of our friendships so bowling was awkward too.
Then the staff party was the following night and we had just been placed in our assigned bunks with our "co-counselors" where we would spend the rest of the summer. Earlier that week we were in one of the bunks that held a lot of people so that we were forced to get to know each other in a sort of close contact scenario.
So finally, after unpacking the smaller girls, called the juniors, and placing all their junk neatly away, we still had a few days worth of waiting for them to get there and that's when I started to get antsy. The Cliffe counselors were practicing our skits, making posters and name badges for our bunks, looking at the adorable pictures of the kids we were about to meet and generally getting pumped up.
Did I mention that we water-skied?
Yeah, the day before the kids got there they took all of the Cliffe counselors except the couple who didn't pass their endurance test and taught us to water-ski on the lake. Okay that was dumb, of course it was on the lake. Where else would they teach us? On a mountain?
So anyway...
The girls got there on a Thursday and I was surprised at the very non-existent amount of tears that these girls were shedding. In fact, all the other girls were screaming and shouting at their friends and running to give each other hugs as if they'd been to the end of the world and were thankful to have their lives back at the end of the trip. I didn't think that camp was that exciting when I was a kid but you know I also wasn't being sent to spend seven whole weeks at the camps I went to. I was lucky to make it through the singular week.
From that first day, things started moving really fast. All of my girls were spectacular and the people I was working alongside were great too. I only had one girl get homesick in the bunk and I had no problem staying up with her until we had made it through a week or so of camp and she was throwing fits at activities. Other than that, I had a bunk full of wonderful angels. I miss them terribly.
The week before the Fourth of July, we had the girls' first play and the youngest age group was on stage (i.e. my girls). I was so excited for them like mom was when I would go on stage for band in Junior High only worse probably because there were seven of them (six on stage because the one throwing fits didn't want to perform). They did an amazing job. No one forgot their lines or their little dances, which were absolutely adorable by the way. Then afterward, I got to tell them how proud of them I was and give them big hugs, me on the brink of happy tears for them....I was a sad excuse for a camp counselor that night and probably more like hover mom. I guess that just means I was doing something right for a change.
Fourth of July was the most glorious sleep in day I've ever had....
I felt like I had earned those few glorious hours of extra sleep somehow. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Somewhere in there, is my first day off. It was a sunny Saturday and I was in a van with some of the best people I've ever met. We started off the day with the head light house in Cape Elisabeth.
couldn't finish the whole thing but it was worth every penny. Now if only I had been over 21 and able to put a pint with it.....Just kidding.
From here on out, you'll have to bare with me because my camera decided to stop working after this. So I have a few pictures on a disposable camera of another day off but I have to finish off the roll before you get to see any of those.
Okay so back to the fourth, which was celebrated by playing "Camp Hogwarts" a Harry Potter themed station game sort of thing.....since I'm not really sure what else to call it.....
I think that the girls had a ton of fun but I was helping run a slip and slide/obstacle course station with two girls (staff) who should not have been working together. So my fourth was spent, making sure that the slip and slide worked.... i.e. going down it and spraying water on it.....and listening to those two fight about who was in control. One should have clearly been in control since she set it up and everything but the other was one of those people that had to have it her way all the time and threw a fit if she didn't get her way.....so she sat in the grass with a sort of pouty face on that made me want to laugh at her while the rest of us did the work. It was a fun day that ended in spectacular thunderstorms.
No, we didn't have fireworks on the fourth, but they never do. Fireworks were later, but let me get there first.
The weekend after the fourth of July, I got sick. I was taken to an urgent care with an upper respiratory infection. Nothing to worry about but I spent Friday and Saturday in the infirmary so they could make sure I was getting better. Sunday was my day off but I was worried about taking it because Kaila was sent home Saturday without much of a warning. I'm not going to say any more about that except that I missed Kaila like I would miss any other friend and I basically panicked when they told me that she wasn't at camp anymore. But I took my day off anyway.
That Sunday was a super adventure. From getting diesel in a gasoline powered car, to getting lost and then some, it was a hilarious day and I needed it. I think that day was one of the longest days spent doing nothing and having fun while doing nothing that I've ever had. Thanks for that go out to my friends.
Moving right along,
That Tuesday, Kaila was replaced by Ali who I wasn't sure I was going to get along with. From the moment I met her she was surrounded by campers and it didn't look like she knew how to handle them. So I took up the reins firmly and stepped up to the challenge of taking care of the girls on the stupid pedestal I thought that I needed to be on. That all back-fired on me and my stress level went through the loop. I was more and more frustrated with things that I couldn't fix and felt guilty when I had days to be in another department while someone watched my girls. It wasn't a great week up until Thursday.
Thursday came around and the personnel director came up to me at breakfast to ask if I would fill in on the Bailey Island trip that was leaving soon. Of course, I accepted and man was it a great day. We got there about noon and ate lunch while the tide was just finishing going out. Then we got on our bathing suits and headed down to the cliffs to explore the tide pools! We found sea stars, periwinkles and a crab that fit in the palm of my hand.
From the pools we made our way a little further on to what is called the Giant's Staircase. I felt like a professional rock climber or something as we made our way down these rocks to get closer to the water for a few minutes. It was spectacular and I could have spent the whole day climbing but we moved on for the last thing before we left which was called the Rock City.
In this little cove sort of thing in the rocks were a bunch of rock towers and tiny rock huts balancing magnificently in places that you would think it impossible to balance these things. All of it is said to be built by elves or fairies and it was absolutely mind-blowing. I wish my camera would have worked for that spot especially.
When I got back, I walked into my bunk to find all the girls and the counselors in salon mode. Thus, I found all my girls wanting their hair done, their nails painted, and make up on their faces. I was quickly put in charge of painting fingers and despite my sunburned, bathing suit wearing, worn out exterior, I managed to do a pretty good job on their fingers.
Why were they doing this?
Well, remember when I said that fireworks came later? Yeah, fireworks were that night over the lake, with a bunch of boys coming to our camp (a social) to watch with us.
I finally made it to a shower just before the social started and had enough time to throw some mousse in my hair and put on a little eye-liner. Apparently, it was just enough to have a guy interested in me.....
My girls were hilarious that night. They came back screaming at the top of their lungs about getting a boyfriend. Three of the seven came back this way and it was really hard not to laugh at them. They were really pretty much the most adorable things I'd ever seen.
That weekend, I was off with the girls on Saturday and we headed out to a waterfall called Diana's Baths. It was absolutely beautiful and I have pictures of it on the disposable camera that I hope to share with you all very soon. I'll even write a little more about it when I get those pictures to alleviate some of the length on this post.
After the waterfall, we ended up in North Conway for the evening. There was a coffee shop, a five and dime, and a mom and pop place for dinner all before the piece-de-resistance of BEN & JERRY'S ICE CREAM!!!!!
Yeah, that's right, I went into a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop and had some Ben & Jerry's ice cream with a warm, just made waffle cone on the side and a guy who flirted with me while he scooped my favorite flavor.... it was a good night.
Monday rolled around and I was back to my stress filled work time. This week was particularly stressful because the parents of all the campers would be visiting that following weekend and everything had to be cleaned and prepared for that.
That Friday, I got a migraine that landed me in the infirmary again. I planned to go back to work Saturday but Saturday came and my head was still pounding. Saturday night I was in the Emergency Room with pain so bad that they knocked me out and gave me meds via an IV. I was back in the infirmary around 1 am that night and spent all of Sunday there where we decided that it would be best for me to go home and get this under control.
Mom flew to Maine to get me Monday July 23 and we arrived back at home about 1 am on Tuesday. I got in to see a doctor on Thursday and had an MRI on Friday. I missed Zac's birthday party on Saturday because I was in enough pain to take the meds prescribed by the doctor that knocked me out.
I go back to the doctor for the results of the MRI tomorrow (Tuesday 7/31) and hopefully, we'll figure something out.
I miss my girls at camp and I miss my new-found friends. I know that there isn't much more time left of camp but I still wish that I could have had that time to hang out with all of them. To watch my girls grow and to laugh with my friends just one last time. Maybe someday I'll see them again.
As for me,
I leave for BGSU in August. My move in date is the 19th and classes start the 20th. I'll be living in the French House again and I'm hoping that it won't turn out like the last time I was there but if it does, I'll make sure that I grin and bare it because this one I did to myself. I have to believe that it will be better though. I don't need any more downers for my 20th year of life.
Yeah, September 5, for those of you who don't know, is my 21st birthday. I have no plans and it is a Wednesday so I'll probably just hold my head a little higher that day and smile knowing that I've lived to see so many amazing things in my 21 years that others only dream of seeing in a life time.
Congratulations by the way, for making it to the end of this very long post. I know it ended a little morbidly but I'm sure it will pick up by the next post.
All the strength you will ever need is already inside of you.
Blessed Be
It's been a long time and I'm sorry that I didn't take time to update everyone while I was away. So this is going to be a long one and you'll have to bare with me while I explain everything chronologically. Or what I'm trying to call chronological but in fact, it's a bunch of timey-wimey jumble that will make very little sense. Just give it a try and see how far you get. If you make it to the very end, then you can post your comments and questions because you will inevitably have a few at least.
First off, Maine was an amazing experience on the whole.
It took me a moment to swallow my nerves before replying but as soon as I did the six other people waiting there, smiled at me and introduced themselves. That's when I knew that I was going to make some amazing new friends at this camp and that they were going to be from all over the world.
The first week was spent preparing for when the kids arrived. We did team building exercises and worked in out departments. My department didn't have a lot to do since the kids really are the Cliffe counselor's department. So I was a little bored that first week but we got really close as a department and worked on our amazing staff show skit. There were a lot of questions and stuff to remember but at the end of the week we were rewarded wit a social, bowling, and a party in Main Bunk where we ate all our meals.
The social was at a camp close by called Wildwood. While Pinecliffe is an all girls camp, Wildwood is an all boys camp and thus the staff there, as it was at Pinecliffe, consisted mostly of one sex. It went down about as well as a middle school dance... in the end I was playing volleyball and being eaten alive by bugs, ignoring the urge in the back of my mind telling me to go sit down in my comfortable group of new girlfriends.
No, I didn't get a boyfriend from this social.
Bowling was candlestick bowling and it was really hard. Lots of the over 21 staff were having fun though.... and there was a DJ hired with karaoke. It made for a very interesting night. I think that in the right crowd, candle stick bowling could have been loads of fun but we were still in that awkward stage of our friendships so bowling was awkward too.
Then the staff party was the following night and we had just been placed in our assigned bunks with our "co-counselors" where we would spend the rest of the summer. Earlier that week we were in one of the bunks that held a lot of people so that we were forced to get to know each other in a sort of close contact scenario.
So finally, after unpacking the smaller girls, called the juniors, and placing all their junk neatly away, we still had a few days worth of waiting for them to get there and that's when I started to get antsy. The Cliffe counselors were practicing our skits, making posters and name badges for our bunks, looking at the adorable pictures of the kids we were about to meet and generally getting pumped up.
Here's a view out out back door and down the bunk line. I thought it was cute to put our cabin in perspective of a couple of the others....
This is the dining room in Main Bunk. I ate every meal at these green tables sitting at either the head or the foot of the table as is tradition for Camp Pinecliffe.
Did I mention that we water-skied?
Yeah, the day before the kids got there they took all of the Cliffe counselors except the couple who didn't pass their endurance test and taught us to water-ski on the lake. Okay that was dumb, of course it was on the lake. Where else would they teach us? On a mountain?
So anyway...
The girls got there on a Thursday and I was surprised at the very non-existent amount of tears that these girls were shedding. In fact, all the other girls were screaming and shouting at their friends and running to give each other hugs as if they'd been to the end of the world and were thankful to have their lives back at the end of the trip. I didn't think that camp was that exciting when I was a kid but you know I also wasn't being sent to spend seven whole weeks at the camps I went to. I was lucky to make it through the singular week.
From that first day, things started moving really fast. All of my girls were spectacular and the people I was working alongside were great too. I only had one girl get homesick in the bunk and I had no problem staying up with her until we had made it through a week or so of camp and she was throwing fits at activities. Other than that, I had a bunk full of wonderful angels. I miss them terribly.
Here we are on a nature hike with one other bunk. We're on our way up this hill to see what they call "The Bear Trap"
This is that "Bear Trap"
This is the beautiful view from the top of that hill...
The lake out there is called Moose Pond.
Could you imagine waking up to this every morning?
Fourth of July was the most glorious sleep in day I've ever had....
I felt like I had earned those few glorious hours of extra sleep somehow. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Somewhere in there, is my first day off. It was a sunny Saturday and I was in a van with some of the best people I've ever met. We started off the day with the head light house in Cape Elisabeth.
Here's the light house.
Here's a view of the coast with the light house at my back. They wanted 5 bucks to go up to the top of the light house so this I did not do.
I spent a buck on a native root beer instead. This is made and sold only in Maine....or at least that's what they told me when I bought it.
I just knew it was cold and refreshing on that hot day....
This is lunch at the Lobster Shack. Fish sandwich and crinkle cut fries.....it was a good lunch.
This is the coast that The Lobster Shack overlooked. It was legitimately right outside their door with a bit of a dining area then all this rock dropping into the ocean.
I'm going to call this the baby light house because it wasn't very big but the ship painted on it was pretty. This is still at the Lobster Shack by the way.
Here's one of the Twin Lights that we could see (barely) from the Lobster Shack.
This was found on the way into the Portland (Maine) Mall. I couldn't resist the photo opportunity that it posed.
Somewhere in here, though unfortunately there are no pictures, there was a strawberry festival which we stopped at on our way to the mall. We picked and ate strawberries in the field and on the way to the mall. Unfortunately, we were overzealous and had to dump some of them because they would have melted/ gone mushy in the heat of the van parked in this very large open parking lot with the sun beating down on it....
After the mall we went into Old Portland (Maine) and split up for dinner. I ended up in a beautiful Irish Pub called RiRa for some of their Beef and Guinness stew. It was absolutely and indescribably delectable. I
From here on out, you'll have to bare with me because my camera decided to stop working after this. So I have a few pictures on a disposable camera of another day off but I have to finish off the roll before you get to see any of those.
Okay so back to the fourth, which was celebrated by playing "Camp Hogwarts" a Harry Potter themed station game sort of thing.....since I'm not really sure what else to call it.....
I think that the girls had a ton of fun but I was helping run a slip and slide/obstacle course station with two girls (staff) who should not have been working together. So my fourth was spent, making sure that the slip and slide worked.... i.e. going down it and spraying water on it.....and listening to those two fight about who was in control. One should have clearly been in control since she set it up and everything but the other was one of those people that had to have it her way all the time and threw a fit if she didn't get her way.....so she sat in the grass with a sort of pouty face on that made me want to laugh at her while the rest of us did the work. It was a fun day that ended in spectacular thunderstorms.
No, we didn't have fireworks on the fourth, but they never do. Fireworks were later, but let me get there first.
The weekend after the fourth of July, I got sick. I was taken to an urgent care with an upper respiratory infection. Nothing to worry about but I spent Friday and Saturday in the infirmary so they could make sure I was getting better. Sunday was my day off but I was worried about taking it because Kaila was sent home Saturday without much of a warning. I'm not going to say any more about that except that I missed Kaila like I would miss any other friend and I basically panicked when they told me that she wasn't at camp anymore. But I took my day off anyway.
That Sunday was a super adventure. From getting diesel in a gasoline powered car, to getting lost and then some, it was a hilarious day and I needed it. I think that day was one of the longest days spent doing nothing and having fun while doing nothing that I've ever had. Thanks for that go out to my friends.
Moving right along,
That Tuesday, Kaila was replaced by Ali who I wasn't sure I was going to get along with. From the moment I met her she was surrounded by campers and it didn't look like she knew how to handle them. So I took up the reins firmly and stepped up to the challenge of taking care of the girls on the stupid pedestal I thought that I needed to be on. That all back-fired on me and my stress level went through the loop. I was more and more frustrated with things that I couldn't fix and felt guilty when I had days to be in another department while someone watched my girls. It wasn't a great week up until Thursday.
Thursday came around and the personnel director came up to me at breakfast to ask if I would fill in on the Bailey Island trip that was leaving soon. Of course, I accepted and man was it a great day. We got there about noon and ate lunch while the tide was just finishing going out. Then we got on our bathing suits and headed down to the cliffs to explore the tide pools! We found sea stars, periwinkles and a crab that fit in the palm of my hand.
From the pools we made our way a little further on to what is called the Giant's Staircase. I felt like a professional rock climber or something as we made our way down these rocks to get closer to the water for a few minutes. It was spectacular and I could have spent the whole day climbing but we moved on for the last thing before we left which was called the Rock City.
In this little cove sort of thing in the rocks were a bunch of rock towers and tiny rock huts balancing magnificently in places that you would think it impossible to balance these things. All of it is said to be built by elves or fairies and it was absolutely mind-blowing. I wish my camera would have worked for that spot especially.
When I got back, I walked into my bunk to find all the girls and the counselors in salon mode. Thus, I found all my girls wanting their hair done, their nails painted, and make up on their faces. I was quickly put in charge of painting fingers and despite my sunburned, bathing suit wearing, worn out exterior, I managed to do a pretty good job on their fingers.
Why were they doing this?
Well, remember when I said that fireworks came later? Yeah, fireworks were that night over the lake, with a bunch of boys coming to our camp (a social) to watch with us.
I finally made it to a shower just before the social started and had enough time to throw some mousse in my hair and put on a little eye-liner. Apparently, it was just enough to have a guy interested in me.....
My girls were hilarious that night. They came back screaming at the top of their lungs about getting a boyfriend. Three of the seven came back this way and it was really hard not to laugh at them. They were really pretty much the most adorable things I'd ever seen.
That weekend, I was off with the girls on Saturday and we headed out to a waterfall called Diana's Baths. It was absolutely beautiful and I have pictures of it on the disposable camera that I hope to share with you all very soon. I'll even write a little more about it when I get those pictures to alleviate some of the length on this post.
After the waterfall, we ended up in North Conway for the evening. There was a coffee shop, a five and dime, and a mom and pop place for dinner all before the piece-de-resistance of BEN & JERRY'S ICE CREAM!!!!!
Yeah, that's right, I went into a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop and had some Ben & Jerry's ice cream with a warm, just made waffle cone on the side and a guy who flirted with me while he scooped my favorite flavor.... it was a good night.
Monday rolled around and I was back to my stress filled work time. This week was particularly stressful because the parents of all the campers would be visiting that following weekend and everything had to be cleaned and prepared for that.
That Friday, I got a migraine that landed me in the infirmary again. I planned to go back to work Saturday but Saturday came and my head was still pounding. Saturday night I was in the Emergency Room with pain so bad that they knocked me out and gave me meds via an IV. I was back in the infirmary around 1 am that night and spent all of Sunday there where we decided that it would be best for me to go home and get this under control.
Mom flew to Maine to get me Monday July 23 and we arrived back at home about 1 am on Tuesday. I got in to see a doctor on Thursday and had an MRI on Friday. I missed Zac's birthday party on Saturday because I was in enough pain to take the meds prescribed by the doctor that knocked me out.
I go back to the doctor for the results of the MRI tomorrow (Tuesday 7/31) and hopefully, we'll figure something out.
I miss my girls at camp and I miss my new-found friends. I know that there isn't much more time left of camp but I still wish that I could have had that time to hang out with all of them. To watch my girls grow and to laugh with my friends just one last time. Maybe someday I'll see them again.
As for me,
I leave for BGSU in August. My move in date is the 19th and classes start the 20th. I'll be living in the French House again and I'm hoping that it won't turn out like the last time I was there but if it does, I'll make sure that I grin and bare it because this one I did to myself. I have to believe that it will be better though. I don't need any more downers for my 20th year of life.
Yeah, September 5, for those of you who don't know, is my 21st birthday. I have no plans and it is a Wednesday so I'll probably just hold my head a little higher that day and smile knowing that I've lived to see so many amazing things in my 21 years that others only dream of seeing in a life time.
Congratulations by the way, for making it to the end of this very long post. I know it ended a little morbidly but I'm sure it will pick up by the next post.
All the strength you will ever need is already inside of you.
Blessed Be
Saturday, May 26, 2012
100 posts later....
Happy 100th Post Everyone!!!
Okay so my tone might not be as elated as it should be about this but I'm sure I'll make up for it sometime or another by posting something completely outrageously happy sometime.....you should know by now how I can be sometimes if you've read anything on this blog at all over the course of 100 posts.
Anyway,
Happy Memorial Day weekend to you all out there in cyberspace. Thank a veteran if you see one because they actually did something with their lives so that your lives can be what they are today.....
and that will be my singular patriotic plug for a long time I'm sure.
I have been working a lot lately so blogging has taken a bit of a back burner. I've been doing five 10 hour shifts at Roger's Athletic Monday through Friday and then after I get off there, mom picks me up (as I have not replaced my poor cutlass yet) and I head to the Little League fields to umpire which can add up to 2 and a half hours to my day. If I'm lucky the game is a mercy and it goes shorter but most of the time I have to call the game because of the 2 hour time limit..... getting paid is nothing to sneeze at though. I'm grateful that I at least have a job at all because I know of plenty of people who don't have jobs right now.
So I should add somewhere in here that I've got a man in my life. I don't know why I haven't blogged about him yet but I guess that today will be that day. His name is Kurt and he's a great guy. He makes me laugh and teases me because he can. Thinking about him makes me smile and even though he lives in Ohio near BG, my hope is that we can last through the summer.
There is 17 days left for me in Michigan. 17 days left until my next adventure. I'd love to get to see Kurt again before I get on the plane but I have no way of knowing how to make it work around both of our busy work schedules. He was going to come up this weekend but his work scheduled him for mandatory overtime today and ruined the plans so here I sit behind the computer, trying to not make this blog about all of my misery..... sorry, I'm being melodramatic. Situations in life you can't control were never my strong point anyway. I just have to make it work out somehow even if I ultimately don't like the outcome. It's my nature and it's a little stupid.
Hmmm..... what else should I say?
Still no news on Wales and I'm getting tired of waiting. At this point I think I want to just call it quits but I mean I can't exactly remove myself from the list now that I've had all the paperwork sent out to them, so I will forget about it and keep waiting without having it hang over my head like a lead weight on a very thin string.
Mom's parents are up this weekend. Dad's parents were here two weekends ago and I'm glad I got to see everyone before I leave for camp because a lot can happen in 3 months. Usually, I get to see them sometime in July around my brothers' birthdays but there is never a guarantee on that.... either way it is great to see them and talk to them even if it is just for a weekend.
Same with Cassi and Sara! I'm hoping to see them tonight but there is no guarantee that they will come and there is no guarantee that I will see them before I leave.
I'm a mobile. I get home then I pack up and leave again. This is my life and it has already driven me insane. Take it or leave it. This is who I am and I wouldn't change it for anything.
I do miss coffee Tuesdays with Ginny though and lunches with Chelsea and Caitlyn back in BG. Even if I don't go to Wales and I end up in BG, things will be different there too because Ginny has changed colleges and Chelsea and Caitlyn will have a place off campus to live. Change has hit me hard this year and eventually I'll figure out how to handle it even though right now I feel like a chicken with my head cut off....
If you haven't already heard of the band called The Black Keys, you need to look them up on youtube because they're a great band out of Akron Ohio. They've got an old school feel to their music and I think they've stolen the spot from the Delightfuls as my favorite band at the moment. It will change again before long, I'll undoubtedly find some new band that I can't get enough of and they too will steal the spotlight. That's just the way I am.
I'm still losing weight even though I haven't had a moment to go out and run since I left school. I think I've lost somewhere around 24 lbs now and I have to invest in a new belt because I can't wear the one I had before after punching six new holes in it to keep my pants up.... I'm thinking that if I keep this up, I'll be at the weight I was in high school by the end of the summer. The hard part though will be keeping it off. I have to find a routine or something to get into again where exercise is a must every day. Or something like that.
I can't think of anything else to say now. I can't think of anything I haven't already written on this the momentous 100th post of my not-so-famous blog. If you've been reading, I hope you enjoy it. If you haven't then you need to apologize for your lack of knowledge on the subject and bookmark this blog so that you might have some chance of regaining your position in society.
Just kidding.
But seriously. Keep reading. It's bound to get interesting sometime.
Blessed Be.
Okay so my tone might not be as elated as it should be about this but I'm sure I'll make up for it sometime or another by posting something completely outrageously happy sometime.....you should know by now how I can be sometimes if you've read anything on this blog at all over the course of 100 posts.
Anyway,
Happy Memorial Day weekend to you all out there in cyberspace. Thank a veteran if you see one because they actually did something with their lives so that your lives can be what they are today.....
and that will be my singular patriotic plug for a long time I'm sure.
I have been working a lot lately so blogging has taken a bit of a back burner. I've been doing five 10 hour shifts at Roger's Athletic Monday through Friday and then after I get off there, mom picks me up (as I have not replaced my poor cutlass yet) and I head to the Little League fields to umpire which can add up to 2 and a half hours to my day. If I'm lucky the game is a mercy and it goes shorter but most of the time I have to call the game because of the 2 hour time limit..... getting paid is nothing to sneeze at though. I'm grateful that I at least have a job at all because I know of plenty of people who don't have jobs right now.
So I should add somewhere in here that I've got a man in my life. I don't know why I haven't blogged about him yet but I guess that today will be that day. His name is Kurt and he's a great guy. He makes me laugh and teases me because he can. Thinking about him makes me smile and even though he lives in Ohio near BG, my hope is that we can last through the summer.
There is 17 days left for me in Michigan. 17 days left until my next adventure. I'd love to get to see Kurt again before I get on the plane but I have no way of knowing how to make it work around both of our busy work schedules. He was going to come up this weekend but his work scheduled him for mandatory overtime today and ruined the plans so here I sit behind the computer, trying to not make this blog about all of my misery..... sorry, I'm being melodramatic. Situations in life you can't control were never my strong point anyway. I just have to make it work out somehow even if I ultimately don't like the outcome. It's my nature and it's a little stupid.
Hmmm..... what else should I say?
Still no news on Wales and I'm getting tired of waiting. At this point I think I want to just call it quits but I mean I can't exactly remove myself from the list now that I've had all the paperwork sent out to them, so I will forget about it and keep waiting without having it hang over my head like a lead weight on a very thin string.
Mom's parents are up this weekend. Dad's parents were here two weekends ago and I'm glad I got to see everyone before I leave for camp because a lot can happen in 3 months. Usually, I get to see them sometime in July around my brothers' birthdays but there is never a guarantee on that.... either way it is great to see them and talk to them even if it is just for a weekend.
Same with Cassi and Sara! I'm hoping to see them tonight but there is no guarantee that they will come and there is no guarantee that I will see them before I leave.
I'm a mobile. I get home then I pack up and leave again. This is my life and it has already driven me insane. Take it or leave it. This is who I am and I wouldn't change it for anything.
I do miss coffee Tuesdays with Ginny though and lunches with Chelsea and Caitlyn back in BG. Even if I don't go to Wales and I end up in BG, things will be different there too because Ginny has changed colleges and Chelsea and Caitlyn will have a place off campus to live. Change has hit me hard this year and eventually I'll figure out how to handle it even though right now I feel like a chicken with my head cut off....
If you haven't already heard of the band called The Black Keys, you need to look them up on youtube because they're a great band out of Akron Ohio. They've got an old school feel to their music and I think they've stolen the spot from the Delightfuls as my favorite band at the moment. It will change again before long, I'll undoubtedly find some new band that I can't get enough of and they too will steal the spotlight. That's just the way I am.
I'm still losing weight even though I haven't had a moment to go out and run since I left school. I think I've lost somewhere around 24 lbs now and I have to invest in a new belt because I can't wear the one I had before after punching six new holes in it to keep my pants up.... I'm thinking that if I keep this up, I'll be at the weight I was in high school by the end of the summer. The hard part though will be keeping it off. I have to find a routine or something to get into again where exercise is a must every day. Or something like that.
I can't think of anything else to say now. I can't think of anything I haven't already written on this the momentous 100th post of my not-so-famous blog. If you've been reading, I hope you enjoy it. If you haven't then you need to apologize for your lack of knowledge on the subject and bookmark this blog so that you might have some chance of regaining your position in society.
Just kidding.
But seriously. Keep reading. It's bound to get interesting sometime.
Blessed Be.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Summer Is Here
Well, I know it's been a really long time since I've blogged so now I'm blogging for you all because I'm going to start a new chapter tomorrow and I think I better get everyone up to speed before I start telling you about all the things my summer is bringing my way.
So for starters, I'm home again. I came home from BG Thursday with mom who came to pick me up. It was a long day and I got back only to find that it's so quiet at home at night that I can't sleep. It's kinda funny that I'm having trouble sleeping in my own bed, in my own rooom but I'm feeling a little out of place, as if I'm not really supposed to be here but I'm sure that things will change as time goes on.
Finals went well. I've been distracted by projects that were bogging down my life and some new things that are keeping my mood up in the clouds while my mind does all the calculating and remembering that goes with finals. Overall, I think I did well on my finals even though I don't have the grades in yet.
The boys and I went to see the Avenger's movie last night and it was an okay movie. I'm not a huge fan of superhero/comic book movies but it was okay and I was happy to get to spend time with the little buggers. Plus it was my parents' 22 wedding anniversary so they got to get out of the house and have some alone time.
I start working at Roger's Athletic for six weeks tomorrow. I work from 6 am to 5 pm, Monday- Thursday. I should be doing some manual labor and getting some good pay on top of good job experience. On top of all those hours, I'm still umpiring like every other summer and that should pay for some of the gas that the truck drinks like sodapop.
I'm not really sure what else to say...
Things are moving and I've got to figure out how to handle them but I'm kinda excited about the opportunities that are flying around me right now. Who knows what could happen?
So until the next time,
Blessed Be
So for starters, I'm home again. I came home from BG Thursday with mom who came to pick me up. It was a long day and I got back only to find that it's so quiet at home at night that I can't sleep. It's kinda funny that I'm having trouble sleeping in my own bed, in my own rooom but I'm feeling a little out of place, as if I'm not really supposed to be here but I'm sure that things will change as time goes on.
Finals went well. I've been distracted by projects that were bogging down my life and some new things that are keeping my mood up in the clouds while my mind does all the calculating and remembering that goes with finals. Overall, I think I did well on my finals even though I don't have the grades in yet.
The boys and I went to see the Avenger's movie last night and it was an okay movie. I'm not a huge fan of superhero/comic book movies but it was okay and I was happy to get to spend time with the little buggers. Plus it was my parents' 22 wedding anniversary so they got to get out of the house and have some alone time.
I start working at Roger's Athletic for six weeks tomorrow. I work from 6 am to 5 pm, Monday- Thursday. I should be doing some manual labor and getting some good pay on top of good job experience. On top of all those hours, I'm still umpiring like every other summer and that should pay for some of the gas that the truck drinks like sodapop.
I'm not really sure what else to say...
Things are moving and I've got to figure out how to handle them but I'm kinda excited about the opportunities that are flying around me right now. Who knows what could happen?
So until the next time,
Blessed Be
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
A Wednesday Post
Hello again all!!!
I'm writing on a Wednesday! It's actually a little odd to tell you the truth, but I have a little bit of time (finally) to sit down and be bored because I'm finally over most of the hump that leads us straight into the screaming race to the end of the semester....
Anyway, I wanted to write today to say that I've finished another novel!!!! I have a title for this one and everything. It's called Not My Choice and I'm really excited about it. It's a dystopian thriller with lots of twists and turns but a happy ending though I can't tell you that part.
Also,
I submitted a different novel to a company who looks over your work to see if they think it would make money then they give you a quote on what they think you can do with it and sometimes offer a publishing deal.
I WAS OFFERED A PUBLISHING DEAL!!!!
The problem is, as wonderful as this sounds, that I don't have $197 or the $995 to pay them for either of the two options and even if I had the money for the cheaper of the two, I have to pre-sell 100 books before they even publish it officially.....so yay but poopy at the same time.
It's good to know that it's good enough to have a publisher interested in it though. It's not even one of my favorites. That being said. I would probably say the same thing about many of the stories that I've written.
So far, this week is looking good. I'm in a good mood and I'm looking forward to this weekend, but I'll leave those details for the next blog. I have to keep you guys coming back for more somehow.
The quote for this week comes from Ginny Angelo. One of the greatest friends I've got.
Positive thoughts = Positive actions.
And that's where I'll leave you until I write again.
Blessed Be.
I'm writing on a Wednesday! It's actually a little odd to tell you the truth, but I have a little bit of time (finally) to sit down and be bored because I'm finally over most of the hump that leads us straight into the screaming race to the end of the semester....
Anyway, I wanted to write today to say that I've finished another novel!!!! I have a title for this one and everything. It's called Not My Choice and I'm really excited about it. It's a dystopian thriller with lots of twists and turns but a happy ending though I can't tell you that part.
Also,
I submitted a different novel to a company who looks over your work to see if they think it would make money then they give you a quote on what they think you can do with it and sometimes offer a publishing deal.
I WAS OFFERED A PUBLISHING DEAL!!!!
The problem is, as wonderful as this sounds, that I don't have $197 or the $995 to pay them for either of the two options and even if I had the money for the cheaper of the two, I have to pre-sell 100 books before they even publish it officially.....so yay but poopy at the same time.
It's good to know that it's good enough to have a publisher interested in it though. It's not even one of my favorites. That being said. I would probably say the same thing about many of the stories that I've written.
So far, this week is looking good. I'm in a good mood and I'm looking forward to this weekend, but I'll leave those details for the next blog. I have to keep you guys coming back for more somehow.
The quote for this week comes from Ginny Angelo. One of the greatest friends I've got.
Positive thoughts = Positive actions.
And that's where I'll leave you until I write again.
Blessed Be.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Drowning in Work
Well hello there blog reading people!
I've been delinquent in my blogging duties. It has now been two weeks since my last post and I am not exactly sure how to handle that. It's been a busy two weeks and I'm still not over the hill. I'm going to be working on homework all weekend and it looks like a perfect rainy weekend to do so. I do feel bad that it's Sib's and Kids weekend here on campus and there is some good rain coming down, but then again, I don't have my sibs here with me so no big deal.
Zac (16) is going to his Junior Prom tonight (Saturday, April 14, 2012). I feel so old. He looks good though, he sent me pictures of himself in his tux and the pretty blue shirt thing... I'm sure him and his girlfriend will look amazing together and have a great night overall.
So let's see what I can tell you about what's been going on in my life...
Two weekends ago (Easter Weekend), Cassi came over and we had a bunch of fun and shenanigans. We watched movies and went up town and ate pizza....I got my ears pierced again as my own self-easter gift... We even made a funny video or five that I was going to post on here when I recieved them from Cassi but I guess you'll just have to go without and trust me when I tell you how silly they were.
We had a good time.
Easter Sunday, I went to my Aunt Jodie and Uncle Scot's house for Easter lunch. I'm really happy that I got to join them not only for the great food but the feeling of family. I miss mine and sometimes it's just good to feel like you belong there somehow. Like these people actually care if you're happy or not.
They sent me back to college with a whole bunch of goodies, including ham and mashed potatoes which I will be finishing off this weekend.
This past week has been so full of homework and things that I'm starting to think that you really might be able to drown in things that need to get done.... I have to get lots of things done this weekend, including a research paper on Paganism, an oral presentation about Brazil and Paraguay, a proposal for a paper for Latin American Literature, Economics homework, and a Geography reaction to a video sort of thing. I've been working on the research paper lately and it's nearly there. Two more pages to hit the page requirement and I still haven't written the counterargument so I should have that done today.
I'm really close to finishing a novel too. I think that there is like a maximum of three chapters left to be written before I call it finished for sure, but the end is in sight and I'm feeling good about it.
I even did a bit of poetry one morning when I was in between classes. I'm not sure how it came out but it did and I think I like it. Maybe I'll post it on my other blog later.
Still no word on the Wales trip. I had to get a copy of my passport to the Study Abroad Office this past Tuesday (4/10), but there was still no word from Aberystwyth as of this morning when I checked my e-mail. I'm starting to get even more frustrated as the days go by and I've heard nothing. I just want to know, yes or no, so that I can plan farther ahead than this summer.
I'm not sure what else to write at the moment. I didn't have the greatest of weeks and I have a ton of homework to do. My friends (like Ginny and Lindsey) have been a great help in keeping me happy and so has a different ray of sunshine that I'm going to keep to myself for now. If it grows into something then I'll be sure to let you know.
As always,
Blessed Be
I've been delinquent in my blogging duties. It has now been two weeks since my last post and I am not exactly sure how to handle that. It's been a busy two weeks and I'm still not over the hill. I'm going to be working on homework all weekend and it looks like a perfect rainy weekend to do so. I do feel bad that it's Sib's and Kids weekend here on campus and there is some good rain coming down, but then again, I don't have my sibs here with me so no big deal.
Zac (16) is going to his Junior Prom tonight (Saturday, April 14, 2012). I feel so old. He looks good though, he sent me pictures of himself in his tux and the pretty blue shirt thing... I'm sure him and his girlfriend will look amazing together and have a great night overall.
So let's see what I can tell you about what's been going on in my life...
Two weekends ago (Easter Weekend), Cassi came over and we had a bunch of fun and shenanigans. We watched movies and went up town and ate pizza....I got my ears pierced again as my own self-easter gift... We even made a funny video or five that I was going to post on here when I recieved them from Cassi but I guess you'll just have to go without and trust me when I tell you how silly they were.
We had a good time.
Easter Sunday, I went to my Aunt Jodie and Uncle Scot's house for Easter lunch. I'm really happy that I got to join them not only for the great food but the feeling of family. I miss mine and sometimes it's just good to feel like you belong there somehow. Like these people actually care if you're happy or not.
They sent me back to college with a whole bunch of goodies, including ham and mashed potatoes which I will be finishing off this weekend.
This past week has been so full of homework and things that I'm starting to think that you really might be able to drown in things that need to get done.... I have to get lots of things done this weekend, including a research paper on Paganism, an oral presentation about Brazil and Paraguay, a proposal for a paper for Latin American Literature, Economics homework, and a Geography reaction to a video sort of thing. I've been working on the research paper lately and it's nearly there. Two more pages to hit the page requirement and I still haven't written the counterargument so I should have that done today.
I'm really close to finishing a novel too. I think that there is like a maximum of three chapters left to be written before I call it finished for sure, but the end is in sight and I'm feeling good about it.
I even did a bit of poetry one morning when I was in between classes. I'm not sure how it came out but it did and I think I like it. Maybe I'll post it on my other blog later.
Still no word on the Wales trip. I had to get a copy of my passport to the Study Abroad Office this past Tuesday (4/10), but there was still no word from Aberystwyth as of this morning when I checked my e-mail. I'm starting to get even more frustrated as the days go by and I've heard nothing. I just want to know, yes or no, so that I can plan farther ahead than this summer.
I'm not sure what else to write at the moment. I didn't have the greatest of weeks and I have a ton of homework to do. My friends (like Ginny and Lindsey) have been a great help in keeping me happy and so has a different ray of sunshine that I'm going to keep to myself for now. If it grows into something then I'll be sure to let you know.
As always,
Blessed Be
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Tantum Trepidationem
Finally, I can sit down and blog. It feels like it has been forever since the last one but I've been busy! Life happened! (giggles)
So last week was filled with homework and projects that were due so I was going crazy trying to get those done. It's been tough to get a work out in and I'm not proud to say that I haven't gone to the gym since last Monday when I went 8.5 miles while reading a book for class. It was hard to do an I'm not sure that I'll do it again because of the difficulty level involved.
The weather has been an absolute rollercoaster!! One day I'm shivering and the next I'm sweating! It's completely not fair and not normal. It's even taking a toll on my body in the form of some really nasty allergies. I nearly don't want to go to classes because I'm dreading the moment that I have to step outside and my nose becomes a torture device of epic proportion. From dripping snot (embarassing) to not letting me breathe and giving me a headache and a sore throat from the sniffles and sneezes. So somedays I lose my voice and being a language major that makes life a great big ball of joy.
On a better note, I went to Ginny's (on of my best friends on campus) house in Cleveland over the weekend to celebrate her birthday with her family and her boyfriend Chuck (the magic dragon as I call him giggling). Friday night we went to see the Hunger Games!
I can't tell you what happens because it would ruin it for those silly people who haven't read the book but I can tell you that if you read the book you'll know what happens and you'll probably like it. That is unless you start to think about the things that the movie didn't get in.... If you didn't read the book, then you should probably do that so that the movie makes sense and stop crying about me saying that I bawled when Rue died.
Oooopppsss......I guess that I just did what I said I wasn't going to......
JUST GO READ THE BOOK!!!!!
On Saturday we got up and went to Perkin's for breakfast....
I enjoyed my splurge for the week on this alone.....
Then we headed to the Art Museum where we got to be really fancy and look at some super awesome--I mean, some very well done and thought provoking art.
So last week was filled with homework and projects that were due so I was going crazy trying to get those done. It's been tough to get a work out in and I'm not proud to say that I haven't gone to the gym since last Monday when I went 8.5 miles while reading a book for class. It was hard to do an I'm not sure that I'll do it again because of the difficulty level involved.
The weather has been an absolute rollercoaster!! One day I'm shivering and the next I'm sweating! It's completely not fair and not normal. It's even taking a toll on my body in the form of some really nasty allergies. I nearly don't want to go to classes because I'm dreading the moment that I have to step outside and my nose becomes a torture device of epic proportion. From dripping snot (embarassing) to not letting me breathe and giving me a headache and a sore throat from the sniffles and sneezes. So somedays I lose my voice and being a language major that makes life a great big ball of joy.
On a better note, I went to Ginny's (on of my best friends on campus) house in Cleveland over the weekend to celebrate her birthday with her family and her boyfriend Chuck (the magic dragon as I call him giggling). Friday night we went to see the Hunger Games!
I can't tell you what happens because it would ruin it for those silly people who haven't read the book but I can tell you that if you read the book you'll know what happens and you'll probably like it. That is unless you start to think about the things that the movie didn't get in.... If you didn't read the book, then you should probably do that so that the movie makes sense and stop crying about me saying that I bawled when Rue died.
Oooopppsss......I guess that I just did what I said I wasn't going to......
JUST GO READ THE BOOK!!!!!
On Saturday we got up and went to Perkin's for breakfast....
I enjoyed my splurge for the week on this alone.....
Then we headed to the Art Museum where we got to be really fancy and look at some super awesome--I mean, some very well done and thought provoking art.
Like this door
Or this man under a table
This is a postcard of the Art museum itself.....very pretty....
This is a postcard of a Picasso painting that they had in the museum where you weren't actually allowed to take pictures....
And this is also a postcard of a a ginormous painting that even if I wanted to photograph, I would have to stand across the room from to get it all in the shot...
Saturday night we did the whole birthday cake and ice cream thing with her family and Chuck's family too. Chuck's sister made the cupcake cake that looked like this before we ate it...
I think it's adorable!
I had my first Auntie Anne's pretzel and we found this bumper sticker which made me laugh.
If you don't know what this is refering to then you're a muggle and it's okay. We love you anyway. You keep us in our own special world where magical things happen. (giggles)
In other other news,
Incase you haven't heard
KENTUCKY WON!!!!
Of course, I was doing homework diligently while the game was on and fell asleep before it finished due to being responsible and having class at 8 am the next morning....but still. I'm happy that dad's happy and if dad's happy then it must be pretty good. :)
In other other other news,
I'm on the last step in the waiting game that is my application to study abroad in Wales next fall for the year. I had to apply to BG and get interviewed and have two letters of recomendation and all that good stuff before making it to the Aberystwyth University application process.
BG waived the interview process though because, I know the director of the study abroad department, I have great grades, and because my letters of recomendation and letter of intent were superb....to use a word that sounds fancy and smart....
So I'm crossing my fingers and toes and arms and legs and everything for good news from Aberystwyth University, which will contact me directly before the end of the month.
It's so nerve wracking!!!! I want to know like a month ago!
But they do say the best things are always worth waiting for, so who knows what adventure I'll have come next fall besides the whole turning 21 thing....
Man I'm old.
Anyway,
I think I've wasted enough of your time.
as always,
Blessed Be!
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