Wednesday, April 8, 2009
And...
I'm having surgery on Friday. Quick turn around is awesome because my insurance runs out at the end of the month, but sheesh it's kind of shocking. Guess I won't be going to Austin for Easter after all.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
STFU wedding industry.
The other day I was reading CNN.com and came across an article that was titled, "she had a fabulous wedding on a budget". the tiny sum that the lady spent? twenty thousand freaking dollars! that was her on a BUDGET. And she had freaking barbecue. Did you know you can get family style barbecue at the best place in Texas, UNLIMITED for $17 per person? how the hell did she spend $20k?! Because every thing that has wedding attached to it costs four times as much and is half the quality, because you're not supposed to care how much it costs because clearly the amount you spend is directly proportional to your future marital bliss. Clearly.
Since I got engaged I've gone through a few different phases of wedding planning... at first I was planning a fairly traditional affair. We were going to get married in a church, reception in a random (hopefully fabulous) space, first dance, cut the cake, color palette, wedding theme, make it yours while still fulfilling all the customary customs, but put YOUR spin on it because it's YOUR big day. Even then I shocked people by telling them that I ordered my dress on sale, online, from JCrew (because it's just a freaking dress. it's not your marriage). And my traditional-type (very expensive seeming to me) wedding would still have cost HALF OF WHAT THEY WERE QUOTING IN THE ARTICLE!!!! The second idea we had (after I started to lose weight and have ridiculous amounts of anxiety about how to plan an event that is apparently supposed to be the pinnacle of my life, highlighting my taste, creativity, and still be truly US, while making sure that everyone else we invited was having a good time, all with basically no experience in event planning and 1/3 as much money as the average American wedding costs these days) was to elope to Vegas. We were pretty seriously considering that (surprise mom!) for about a week, but ultimately decided that it was important to us to have family there with us. So now we've come to a compromise... we're getting married in a park where we had one of our first dates, with only family and a few friends present. We're getting married by a minister in our church who I've known for several years and who has been a sounding-board/unofficial therapist for me when things were rough. I'm wearing a dress I already own, which I bought on a whim from a consignment shop in DC for $50 because it's beautiful, even though I never really thought I'd have a good place to wear it. The best part is, I can wear my wedding dress again after the wedding out dancing! Hooray! And with a lot of the "required" elements cut out, I think it will end up being more fun. We're also (half-jokingly) thinking about renting a party barge for the afternoon. So the very tentative schedule is wedding in a park, brunch, then barge (including slide!) how fun would that be?
Also, E and I randomly went into Urban Outfitters today, mainly to gawk at what the hip kids are wearing these days (they want to have the thrift store/hobo look without ever actually having to go to a thrift store, I think) and I found a pretty hair band that will go with my dress! And if I'm going to have something pretty and frivolous that I'll probably only wear once, it may as well cost less than twenty bucks. Here's me with my new urban head outfit:
Since I got engaged I've gone through a few different phases of wedding planning... at first I was planning a fairly traditional affair. We were going to get married in a church, reception in a random (hopefully fabulous) space, first dance, cut the cake, color palette, wedding theme, make it yours while still fulfilling all the customary customs, but put YOUR spin on it because it's YOUR big day. Even then I shocked people by telling them that I ordered my dress on sale, online, from JCrew (because it's just a freaking dress. it's not your marriage). And my traditional-type (very expensive seeming to me) wedding would still have cost HALF OF WHAT THEY WERE QUOTING IN THE ARTICLE!!!! The second idea we had (after I started to lose weight and have ridiculous amounts of anxiety about how to plan an event that is apparently supposed to be the pinnacle of my life, highlighting my taste, creativity, and still be truly US, while making sure that everyone else we invited was having a good time, all with basically no experience in event planning and 1/3 as much money as the average American wedding costs these days) was to elope to Vegas. We were pretty seriously considering that (surprise mom!) for about a week, but ultimately decided that it was important to us to have family there with us. So now we've come to a compromise... we're getting married in a park where we had one of our first dates, with only family and a few friends present. We're getting married by a minister in our church who I've known for several years and who has been a sounding-board/unofficial therapist for me when things were rough. I'm wearing a dress I already own, which I bought on a whim from a consignment shop in DC for $50 because it's beautiful, even though I never really thought I'd have a good place to wear it. The best part is, I can wear my wedding dress again after the wedding out dancing! Hooray! And with a lot of the "required" elements cut out, I think it will end up being more fun. We're also (half-jokingly) thinking about renting a party barge for the afternoon. So the very tentative schedule is wedding in a park, brunch, then barge (including slide!) how fun would that be?
Also, E and I randomly went into Urban Outfitters today, mainly to gawk at what the hip kids are wearing these days (they want to have the thrift store/hobo look without ever actually having to go to a thrift store, I think) and I found a pretty hair band that will go with my dress! And if I'm going to have something pretty and frivolous that I'll probably only wear once, it may as well cost less than twenty bucks. Here's me with my new urban head outfit:
I went for my MRI this morning to see if I'd re-herniated the discs in my back. AND.... (drumroll)
Yes. I have a big freaking herniation at my L5-S1 level, pooching out almost to the other side of my spinal canal, and rubbing on the nerves as they exit on the left.
I've already had surgery on this level of my back, so it looks like it's just a re-injury of something that had been "fixed" once (I put the word in quotation marks because surgeons like to brag that they're the only doctors that can cure people instead of just treating them. Which is pretty much a load of bullsh*t. nothing is ever made as good as new, and surgery takes recovery and continuing to take care of the injury afterwards).
I just got back from a trip to Tampa with Ethan to visit his grandma and have some fun on the beach. If you're wondering how I had an enjoyable vacation while dealing with the aforementioned injury, the answer is a little secret I call the "vico-profen cocktail". It consists of a Vicodin and four ibuprofens, and it kicks ass. too bad I'm about to run out of the Vicodin I had left over from my first surgery in 2005.
We drove there and back (around 18 hours each way) because we're cheap and we wanted to have our own car and a flexible schedule. We went straight through and it really was not that bad... in fact we're talking about making other road trips with the sweet camry goodness!
We spent a day and a half just playing in the waves. there were storms in northern Florida which made the waves bigger than usual, and thus more fun (and possibly the reason why my back is now KILLING ME... oops).
We also went to the Dali museum in St. Petersburg, and saw some awesome art and got a melting clock Christmas tree ornament (our first couple ornament! yay!)
(us on a bench outside the Dali museum)
After the Dali Museum we went to downtown St. Petersburg to eat lunch and walk down the pier holding hands and eating ice cream... because we're all 1950's wholesome like that.
Wildlife: A heron!
At dinner on the beach. We got there at the perfect time so we were able to watch the sunset over the ocean while we ate conch fritters. yum!
It was fun and relaxing and the perfect amount of time for me to not get so fried that I'd look like my skin was made of brown bootleather (the sun was STRONG! I got a tan even though I was dutifully applying and re-applying SPF 50!)
That's it for highlights from the trip because I'm tired and this has gone on far too long. kudos if you're still reading!
Yes. I have a big freaking herniation at my L5-S1 level, pooching out almost to the other side of my spinal canal, and rubbing on the nerves as they exit on the left.
I've already had surgery on this level of my back, so it looks like it's just a re-injury of something that had been "fixed" once (I put the word in quotation marks because surgeons like to brag that they're the only doctors that can cure people instead of just treating them. Which is pretty much a load of bullsh*t. nothing is ever made as good as new, and surgery takes recovery and continuing to take care of the injury afterwards).
I just got back from a trip to Tampa with Ethan to visit his grandma and have some fun on the beach. If you're wondering how I had an enjoyable vacation while dealing with the aforementioned injury, the answer is a little secret I call the "vico-profen cocktail". It consists of a Vicodin and four ibuprofens, and it kicks ass. too bad I'm about to run out of the Vicodin I had left over from my first surgery in 2005.
We drove there and back (around 18 hours each way) because we're cheap and we wanted to have our own car and a flexible schedule. We went straight through and it really was not that bad... in fact we're talking about making other road trips with the sweet camry goodness!
We spent a day and a half just playing in the waves. there were storms in northern Florida which made the waves bigger than usual, and thus more fun (and possibly the reason why my back is now KILLING ME... oops).
We also went to the Dali museum in St. Petersburg, and saw some awesome art and got a melting clock Christmas tree ornament (our first couple ornament! yay!)
(us on a bench outside the Dali museum)
After the Dali Museum we went to downtown St. Petersburg to eat lunch and walk down the pier holding hands and eating ice cream... because we're all 1950's wholesome like that.
Wildlife: A heron!
At dinner on the beach. We got there at the perfect time so we were able to watch the sunset over the ocean while we ate conch fritters. yum!
It was fun and relaxing and the perfect amount of time for me to not get so fried that I'd look like my skin was made of brown bootleather (the sun was STRONG! I got a tan even though I was dutifully applying and re-applying SPF 50!)
That's it for highlights from the trip because I'm tired and this has gone on far too long. kudos if you're still reading!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Damn.
For the past five weeks or so I've been having lower/back leg pain complete with cramping, numbness, tingling, etc. It's not my first time at this rodeo and usually the pain/whatever goes away... this time it just got worse. I finally got to the doctor today and He told me what I was REALLY REALLY trying to not think of as a possibility... I've probably re-herniated at L5-S1 and I may have something going on at S1-S2. DAMN.
I have no idea how I did it, but I've got to get it taken care of FAST because my "lose your insurance" birthday is coming up on the 25th of April. I'm supposed to get an MRI next week and maybe a steroid injection on Tuesday. Gross.
Monday, March 30, 2009
BEWARE...
Beware the Ozona Sunday brunch DIY bloody mary bar... or as it should be called, the "we'll give you a giant glass with ice and so much vodka that you won't be sure you can actually fit any bloody mary mix into the glass" bar. I'm just saying, if you finish your first one before your food has come, don't get a second. because then you might find yourself sloshed at 1:30 in the afternoon on a Sunday, saying snarky things in a probably audible voice about the lady who just walked by with a Bud Light, because Bud Light is CLEARLY not an acceptable thing to drink at lunch on a Sunday. But for some reason large amounts of Vodka are okay at any time, but you just have to make sure you put tomato juice with it if you're drinking vodka before 1 PM and you're not in college/tailgating.
What did I put in my bloody mary? bloody mary mix, several celery sticks, celery salt, a twist of lemon, Red Hot hot sauce, and a bunch of cocktail shrimps. Because we were hungry and it took a long time for our food to come out, so I was basically just throwing an appetizer on top of my beverage.
Afterwards, we went to the grocery store for a few things (E drove obviously) where I decided we needed to buy a whole pie and some ice cream and a Cadbury cream egg and got home and devoured all three sweets then napped for two hours.
Happy Spring Break!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Things I've done
The ones I've done are in bold. In case anyone still reads this blog :)
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band.-- I was in the band in 6th grade. I played saxophone and I held last chair all year.
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain although it was a small one.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo highlights; I dressed up as the little mermaid during senior year of high school and sang "part of your world". I also sang "The Sign" to acoustic guitar last year for the multicultural show.
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris--I will in December with E! hooray!
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea yes, on a cruise ship. I thankfully don't get seasick.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch I'm not sure what from scratch means... but I'll count it anyways.
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning hot pockets. ugh.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables--alas I have a black thumb
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train also on an overnight bus... ahhh travel on a budget.
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill the best time to take sick days is when you're not ill! I take them as often as I can get away with it... don't tell my boss.
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon--my goal in life is actually to NEVER run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice--no gondola, but I have been to Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset sunrise from a boat on a still lake is one of the most beautiful things the world.
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise I've been on 4 cruises at last count... the most recent was spring break of Senior year of college and it was pretty rowdy:
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors umm.. my dad was born in Chicago?
35. Seen an Amish community
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied money doesn't satisfy, love does.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person yes and I have the cheesy tourist picture to prove it!
39. Gone rock climbing--I would like to do this!
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke most people who know me know that I am a karaoke JUNKIE. It's one of my favorite things in the world.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight I plan on doing it again in about a week :)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris--going to make E do this with me, no matter HOW cold it is
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater and it was really really fun. except that it was a double feature of Transformers and that horror movie with John Cusack where he basically just is in a room by himself talking to himself for like two hours and I got into the fetal position and cried because I hate scary movies.
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia--no but after reading War and Peace twice I really really want to.
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma double red cell donation. I felt like crap afterwards. I have since decided that I need all the blood I have.
65. Gone sky diving--I really want to, but not sure if I should.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square.--actually not that awesome.
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone I broke my sister's bone by playing "airplane" with her and making her fly across the room. I also broke my nose playing catcher in softball without a mask.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a --My research article is undergoing review for publication, but nothing yet :)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car--I probably never will. It's a silly expense.
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life I like to think I have somehow working on the trauma hall... I've also seen people die after an emergent thoracotomy, which was perhaps more dramatic.
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous we get lectured by nobel laureates occasionally... does that count?
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit I fell off of a haywagon and got dragged underneath it... I got some money in case my face was permanently disfigured. as it's not THAT bad (my right eyelid does droop a bit), I still have some money from that.
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band.-- I was in the band in 6th grade. I played saxophone and I held last chair all year.
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain although it was a small one.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo highlights; I dressed up as the little mermaid during senior year of high school and sang "part of your world". I also sang "The Sign" to acoustic guitar last year for the multicultural show.
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris--I will in December with E! hooray!
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea yes, on a cruise ship. I thankfully don't get seasick.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch I'm not sure what from scratch means... but I'll count it anyways.
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning hot pockets. ugh.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables--alas I have a black thumb
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train also on an overnight bus... ahhh travel on a budget.
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill the best time to take sick days is when you're not ill! I take them as often as I can get away with it... don't tell my boss.
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon--my goal in life is actually to NEVER run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice--no gondola, but I have been to Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset sunrise from a boat on a still lake is one of the most beautiful things the world.
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise I've been on 4 cruises at last count... the most recent was spring break of Senior year of college and it was pretty rowdy:
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors umm.. my dad was born in Chicago?
35. Seen an Amish community
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied money doesn't satisfy, love does.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person yes and I have the cheesy tourist picture to prove it!
39. Gone rock climbing--I would like to do this!
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke most people who know me know that I am a karaoke JUNKIE. It's one of my favorite things in the world.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight I plan on doing it again in about a week :)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris--going to make E do this with me, no matter HOW cold it is
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater and it was really really fun. except that it was a double feature of Transformers and that horror movie with John Cusack where he basically just is in a room by himself talking to himself for like two hours and I got into the fetal position and cried because I hate scary movies.
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia--no but after reading War and Peace twice I really really want to.
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma double red cell donation. I felt like crap afterwards. I have since decided that I need all the blood I have.
65. Gone sky diving--I really want to, but not sure if I should.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square.--actually not that awesome.
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone I broke my sister's bone by playing "airplane" with her and making her fly across the room. I also broke my nose playing catcher in softball without a mask.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a --My research article is undergoing review for publication, but nothing yet :)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car--I probably never will. It's a silly expense.
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life I like to think I have somehow working on the trauma hall... I've also seen people die after an emergent thoracotomy, which was perhaps more dramatic.
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous we get lectured by nobel laureates occasionally... does that count?
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit I fell off of a haywagon and got dragged underneath it... I got some money in case my face was permanently disfigured. as it's not THAT bad (my right eyelid does droop a bit), I still have some money from that.
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
I really really like these shoes
probably because they are completely impractical for my life... I don't think I could wear sequins on a daily basis. Or could I?
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