An Untimely Demise

A good friend from school came down here to visit me this weekend. We had a lot of fun - we went and saw a chick-flick (The Proposal, which was very cute, btw), went to Mass downtown at OLR where she got to see one set of her many aunts and uncles and eight smallish cousins, went swimming, had a picnic, went boating on a lake, and watched another chick-flick (Miss Congeniality). I was so happy to see her! I miss all of my wonderful friends at school incredibly... she was a dear for trekking down here to see me!

She seemed to enjoy her visit (if actions and words are honest indicators), despite an unfortunate event. An event which stopped time itself - or, at least, an instrument which tells it. Her timex, left on a chair outside while we were swimming, met its end. The culprit? Our 10 year old Golden Retriever, Wanda. She, apparently, ate the entire band of our guest's metal watch. We have since recovered a small fraction of the band, hidden in a corner of our yard, but 90% of the item still remains missing. Thankfully, our guest was not upset, but she was greatly amused by the incident.

Dogs certainly do keep life interesting...

Munchkin Mania

The past week and half has been utterly crazy! On Tuesday last, our aunt and two small cousins arrived from SJ for a visit. It was tiring. Small children in unfamiliar environments aren't the easiest to keep happy, entertained, or just plain safe!



But, eventually, six a.m. Saturday morning arrived. The clan headed back to SJ with a couple of additions - my sister and me! We spent from Saturday until today (Friday) riding around the Bay Area visiting all sorts of family. We took the train to our grandmother's once, but other than that, five of us squashed into a medium-sized Volvo. It would've been fine with three normal sized adults. But when you add a ginormous car seat and moderately sized, but inconveniently placed booster seat into the equation, fitting into the middle seat is an art!



It was, despite the slight inconveniences encountered, a lot of fun! But I'm glad to be home :)

Job update

In case anyone is wondering, this is my job situation at present:

I am "employed" by the temporary agency. This means, if they have any opportunities available which I am qualified for, they will call me. It's a rather hazardous thing... I could get no work or I could be offered work that I cannot accept due to prior engagements (physical therapy, for one) It's a game of "hurry up and wait"

The second thing I just applied to today. There is a lady nearby with six month old twins who wants a part-time, helping hand. This would be very similar to what I did with "my babies" just last year. This is the PERFECT job. I would love the work, it's close to home, and the hours allow me to work around my physical therapy schedule. I can only hope and pray that she likes me and hasn't filled the position already!

The Saga of the Shoes

Shoes have always been something which have caused me trouble. My sister, being the easy, amiable, and simply person that she is, was always able to be fitted out with shoe from Payless. Thus, when I became old enough to need shoes, my mother assumed that the bargain-priced shoes would be sufficient for me as well. Alas, much to her discomfiture, those shoes would not do. In fact, they literally dissolved from around my little girl feet. My feet followed the rest of me, true to form: hard to satisfy and the bargain deal never works out.

Well, years later, my physical therapists have urged me to get good shoes. My first really good pair of running shoes was bought five years ago. We went to the shoe store which specializes in finding the perfectly-fitting shoe. The prices run a little high, but it's worth it for the amazing service. But again, I needed new shoes. My new PT took one look at my shoes and declared that I need new ones. So, Mum and I went on Tuesday to the sports store. Unfortunately, one hour and twenty pairs of shoes later, we had not found anything that fit me. I have what I call duck feet - very narrow heels and absurdly wide toes. Shoes are not generally made in this triangular shape. It was a frustrating and fruitless effort.

This afternoon, though, the saga came to an end. Dad and I drove 45 minutes to the good shoe store. The close branch, which we had made the previous purchase from, had since closed. But in retrospect, the drive was worth it. I walked in the door, showed the nice salesman (and no, that is not a contradiction of terms) my perfect, but old, shoes, told him about my feet, told him my size. He walked into the back, pulled out a pair of shoes, I tried them on and TA DA! another pair of perfect shoes! It was as easy as pie... maybe easier!

Breakdown of PT, day 2

So, it has officially begun. My first of the appointments that will be part of my schedule for the next month or so is over. The events of the day:

~ My foot and ankle muscles are really, really, really, REALLY tight. But my ligaments are gone
~ Was introduced to "The Stick." I know it sounds like a medieval torture device, but it's this really cool massage thingy. Pretty neat, actually.
~ Discovered sanitizer makes towels like sandpaper
~ Flexible joints make stretching one's muscles correctly difficult
~ PT, when you're an "adult", is all about doing things that make you look like an idiot

Aren't you jealous? :P

Breakdown of PT, day 1

I had my first physical therapy appointment today for my feet and ankles. This is what I was told, summarized in bullet points:

~ I walk too fast
~ I'm too young for this kind of thing
~ My ligaments are pretty much gone in my ankles and my muscles are super tense to compensate
~ I would fall over every step I take, but you can see me compensating dramatically
~ My right foot is still swollen and "mad at me"
~ I don't have any range of motion problems except the excessive kind
~ I'm a loosey-goosey girl all 'round

Yay! I have a whole four weeks to fix these things!!! (save the first and last ones... the first really isn't a problem and the last is just something I'll have to deal with permanently) This will add a bit of excitement to the summer :-/

Because I can, not because I should

Book Meme
1. What author do you own the most books by?
J.R.R. Tolkein, I think, but my shelves are pretty diverse

2. What book do you own the most copies of?
The Bible... I've got a whole two copies! :D

3. Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
haha, yes!

4. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
I have to pick one? Impossible!

5. What book have you read the most times in your life?
Probably either LOTR or the Anne of Green Gables series, maybe Pride and Prejudice

6. Favorite book as a ten year old?
I didn't really have favorites... I just liked reading generally.

7. What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
Worst or most boring? Herodatus wins the most boring count, but I really, really disliked Plato's Republic (don't shoot me!)

8. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Best objectively or most enjoyed? Objectively, the Bible. Subjectively, probably Jane Austen's Persuasion

9. If you could force everyone you know to read one book, what would it be?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

10. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
I'd like to see good adaptations of all of the Anne books

11. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
The Grapes of Wrath... I couldn't finish it

12. What is your favorite book?
LOTR trilogy, followed closely by the Narnia series

13. Play?
The Jeweller's Shop... the only one I think I've ever seen. Most stage productions I have seen were musicals.

14. Poem?
The Star Spangled Banner. 'Twas really a poem before it was a song, I promise.

15. Essay?
Drawing a blank.

16. Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
I'm going to have to go with my sister on this. Interesting enough story, not enough story development, too long, poorly written, lots and lots of hype

17. What is your desert island book?
Emma or Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

18. And . . . what are you reading right now?
The Aeneid (for school), War and Peace (for an experiment of sorts), and I want to pick up Persuasion again, but I keep forgetting to every time I walk past the book shelf

Mr. Weather-man?

I think the weather is confused. It seems to think it's March and not June. It has been cloudy and pretty chilly for the past week. We even got thunder and lightning on Wednesday. I had a plan of swimming and getting some good sun this summer (something I wasn't able to do because of my shoulder stuff the past couple of years) but it is rather chilly and cloudy. Maybe I'm a wimp, but maybe not. I like the fact that it isn't roasting hot... but I miss the sunshine. It'll get hot soon enough, I suppose. July, August, and even September are invariably warm.

But maybe I'm the one who is confused. Maybe it IS March and I failed out of TAC and they sent me home early and I just think it's June and I just finished freshman year. But that doesn't seem likely. I think the weather-man is confuzzled.

Contraries coexisting

One of the principles which is universally accepted is this: a thing cannot both exist and not exist at the same time in the same respect.

But productivity is something which can exist and not exist at the same time, albeit not in the same respect. (productive can be said in many ways) In my life right now, I'm incredibly busy, but seem to be doing nothing. At present, my to-do list reads something like this:

- find a job
- read The Aeneid
- read War and Peace
- sew a quilt
- get to physical therapy
- go shoe shopping (including orthotics)
- study latin
- learn C++ programming language

I also just finished writing three letters to friends from school, have a couple more to do, have to help with the upcoming Cunningham wedding shower and the big day itself... all in all, I have a lot on my plate. But no matter how much of this I get done, unless I get item #1 on the list done, I won't really feel like I'm accomplishing anything. It's this familiar uphill climb... I just feel like I'm sliding backwards. Pray for me!