Life, School, and Food

Things are stressful but proceeding roughly according to The Current Plan 2007-2010(c).

I read a comic today (Zits, I think) and the kid said:
"The only thing that bothers me about school is that its so...well...DAILY." I think that's where I am right now. I'm at school from 8am to 6pm some days, plus homework.

Today I went to donate blood and was told I had too low iron, which really brought home that I am not eating as well as I should: too much quickie cafeteria food and coffee. I went and bought some real food.

On Fat

First, the video by Joy Nash


So this a picture of me, 5 years ago:


I know that at the moment this picture was taken, I felt like a cow. I look back now, and I see that, wow, I was kinda cute. But I still crop my lower body out of this picture, because I still look at it and feel as awkward as I did the moment it was taken. That is a shame, because the pond scenery is sooo beautiful. The bigger shame is that I had to feel so awkward in such a lovely photograph, just because my clothes didn't fit me right.

I. Looked. Great.

But I was so overjoyed at finally FINALLY being able to get into and zip up a size 10 pair of shorts, that I didn't realize that it didn't mean that those pants FIT ME. With the unfortunate shirt, I was stuck on the idea that I was a size Medium, forever an always, up top. I was so terrified, mortified, at ever even trying on a size Large *gasp, horror* that I actually put up with an entire wardrobe (term used loosely) of shirts that stretched tight over my round belly.

I was the most physically fit of my entire life. Back then I weighed 141 pounds, overweight by Air Force standards for my height. Lets keep in mind that at this point I had zero social life and spent 1-2 hours PER NIGHT at the gym, in addition to my unit's thrice-weekly mandatory mile run and calisthenics, and I ate a cobb salad for lunch and dinner every day. I could do 65 situps in 60 seconds, but I still had the round tummy, and I always will. FACT.

Here's me last month:

When I posted this picture to Facebook, I cropped it to not show my arms, and squeezed the image a little. Yup. I still can't stand the sight of myself in the camera's lens.

Now, I don't bother weighing myself anymore. I am done hating myself because of that number. Maybe it is around 165, I dunno. I wear a size 12/14 pant, and Large/XL shirts. I can't shop at most stores in the mall because they have shitty selection that high, and I get asked "why are you here, skinny?" at Lane Bryant.

I have biked 100 miles in about 5 total weeks. I do yoga or an abs workout 4 times a week. I have found healthy, simple foods that I enjoy, and I refuse to eat something "healthy" that I do not absolutely love.

Today I made pound cake, and I will delight in every brandy-infused bite for the next week.

Note

To: Psychopath
From: TJ
Subject: Voodoo Doll Wielding

Enough with the stick in the temple already.

Regards,
TJ

And Stuff

Um. Headache. Localized in left temple, sharp, intermittent.

Physics Test 93%. Happy. Must learn 2.4 =! 240

Lab, stressful. Must not put things off. *dreams*

Parrot, tempermental. New flight feathers. Pretty.

Spring has sprung-ed in Texass. Possibly temporary.

Calculus, confusing.

Laundry....damn!

*wince*

Six

Day .

That is all.

Sniffle

I went to bed early last night, before 9 I think. I turned the heat up to 76, bundled myself up real warm, and slept with my head under the covers. I woke up about 2 hours later all sweaty and feeling MUCH better, the fever had broken. I was actually felt like I could get up at 7 when the alarm went off (for the bird) but decided to go back to bed until 8...then snooze until 9... okay then I actually got up, showered, irrigated, etc. I felt clear enough after that that I could eat a PT&J with hot cocoa without feeling icky about it. Now of course I have a runny nose.

I really have to study for Finals....*sniffles*

spoke too soon

I just ckecked, and I'm running 101.7

Wow.

I've had 4-6 mugs of hot tea (green/black) with honey and a cough drop.

I studied for 4 hours or so in the Library. When I walked out it was cold and misty...I almost shook to death.

Now even hot tea feels horrible to my throat, so I've had a mug of hot water with a cough drop.

I don't mean to whine, I'm not dying. This just sucks.

Ugh

The sick has certainly taken hold. My left sinuses were full all night, and 10 minutes after clearing them with a bulb syringe and saline they were full again. I just took half a dose of Sudafed, because a full dose will dry things up too much. If that happens, then its back to "sandpaper inside my skull" feeling. You might not be aware of how unpleasant that feels. I used to run in 30-40 degree weather while I was sick like that, and I certainly recommend it as a torture method...thanks AF!

Looking for the bright side, the silver lining? Well right now I'm a "sinuses half full" kind of person. So sue me.

Actually, I don't seem to be running a fever, which is good. Except I never "run a fever" when I'm sick like this. I have a sneaking suspicion that my normal body temp is lower than average, so that when I'm sick it doesn't show up on the thermometer as "too high." Of course I forget this until I'm sick again, so I've never taken my temperature while well.

Another bright side: I finally found a real bulb syringe last night. Real as in not the kind they use for babies now, and it doesn't have a leak in it either. Yay! I've been to CVS, WM, Target, and Walgreen's in the past. I went back to WM, then Target, last night and got nothing. On the way to CVS, I passed a Walgreen's and decided to try my luck there. I couldn't find it, but asked an employee who found it in the Ear Care section. Thank You Walgreens, you have saved my sanity!

Sickness

For the last month or so, I've been almost-sick. Just not quite sick enough to say "I'm sick." Just a low level headache, body aches I could attribute to walking between classes and studying (haha, jk) and went away with a couple Tylanol. There was a little congestion in the morning that would clear up in a hot shower, and some random sneezing. Well today I woke up and the world smelled a little bad, and the congestion was worse.

I remember the last time I smelled this, the same time I was running all over the place trying to PCS from Okinawa. The sinus infection dried out from the Sudafed and got so bad that I was a wreck because I was starving but everything smelled like rotting meat. I spent all my "free time" with a hot wet washcloth pressed against my nose. For two weeks.

So this morning I did some sinus irrigation and then took a hot shower. The smell is still there, but the congestion is reduced. I didn't know about sinus irrigation the last time, so hopefully I can keep this thing down and not be sick during finals and when I go home in a few weeks.

I was going to run a little, but couldn't find my running shoes. The house is still a mess. I was planning to go to the library to study at 1pm, but my clothes aren't dry yet. I like studying there because there are fewer distractions like TV and internet and birds and a dirty house. Well, there's internet but being there reminds me that I can't screw around online.

Sneezing and Scratching

I just posted on birdboard.com for help with Rigel. Keeping it here as an archive.

Yes, I will be taking him to the vet. Its Sunday, so I'll call for an appointment first thing in the morning.

Rigel has always had this little sneeze he does, and at first I thought it was his "I'm really annoyed, go away" sound, because they sound similar. He has also sneezed and had water shoot out, but that was right after a bath so I wasn't worried then either. I also have seen him scratching his beak, but he is having a new feather coming in on one side so I also wasn't worried.

Today I noticed that he is scratching his beak and his toenail gets stuck in his nare for a second. It doesn't seem to phase him, he doesn't squawk about it or anything. I tried to get video of him scratching, but he was so into the camera that it was impossible. Of course the moment I put away the camera he did it again, and shot something out his nose too. He did take a bath about an hour ago, and I didn't follow the path of the stuff so I don't know if it was just water. He's also been preening and maybe starting to molt? Eating/drinking/pooping/playing fine.

Pictures:


Now I'm worried I didn't put the pieces together. If anyone has seen this behavior before I would appreciate to know what your vet said/did about it, so I know what to expect mine to say. Thanks!

5 Good Things This Week:

- A Sushi restaurant opened in San Angelo, therefore the city has become livable. I ate there for lunch today. We'll be eating dinner there tonight.

- Labs are completed, so my afternoons are free until August 28th.

- I picked up an Asian Pear at the grocery store, and both the birdie and the hubby enjoyed it as much as I did. Nummy-num.

- Amanda has achieved her 50-pound WW goal, and is super happy about it.

- Commander Tucker spent half an episode in his undergarments in one of Monday's episodes of Enterprise. Sweet Chewy Jeebus.

Other Stuff:

I have a routine medical appointment tomorrow. After weeks of struggling with TRICARE for coverage, and the Clinic about my records, it was refreshing to get an appointment with no snags or convoluted explanations.

Bear with me for a moment. I'm thinking about buying a Tablet PC, so if anyone is interested in buying a Sony VAIO, give me a yell. There's nothing wrong with it, I just want to take notes during class and stuff.

Rigelbird has two new cage items: a Comfy Perch and a Birdy Buddy. He's still not sure if he likes them or not. I still need to put together a real cage cover. The ones at the pet store suck, so I might need to run to the craft store.

Rambling About School

So most people can crack their knuckles, pop their back, etc. I can (inadvertently) pop my tailbone. It's not a good sensation by any means, but it never really bothered me until now. This summer, Lab lasts 3 hours, and standing all that time is making my tailbone hurt really badly. I've tried various stretches, even did a little yoga today. Yesterday I took a large dose of OTC pain reliever and an Icy Hot patch. It helped eventually, but nobody likes a "burning sensation" that low on their "back," if you know what I mean.

Speaking of Lab, I spent all day Thursday repeating the same reaction 6 times for no very good reason. That put me a day behind most of the rest of the class. I made up a little today, completing Group 3 in 1 day with time to spare. I used that spare time to finish the paperwork for Group 2 lab. May take a moment I say just how much I hate Redox? Because I HATE REDOX! Also, halfway through Lab today, I realized I was wearing sandals, so I spent the rest of the time carefully angling my feet out of view of others. Oops. I survived, despite being nearby during our daily broken-glass incident. It was just hot boiling water, but sometimes its acidic or very basic solutions.

Side note, a comment I left at Shakesville:
Please consider placing a decorative sticker or ornament on your window to keep the birds from crashing into it.
The biology/chemistry building I have classes in this summer has large plate windows on the 2nd floor. You can see bird carcases in various states on the ledge below the window, a large crack in the glass, and impact “smudges” on the glass. Last week we actually saw it happen and the poor bird was still alive enough to crawl to the ledge and fall to the ground. It was very sad for me to watch. I find it kind of twisted that the biology department wouldn’t take steps to prevent it.

Saving the Environment

This is a summary-comment list I put together from a Time.com article called 51 Ways to Save the Environment. I left out a few that were primarily government or corporate initiatives. Most were about power plants and ways of regulating emissions. I really think they should have separated the two ideas, and most were about regulating power plant emissions and carbon-taxes. They were also redundant. Anyway, my comments follow a short blurb from each entry.

2. Get Blueprints For a Green House If you begin thinking green at the blueprint stage, low-tech, pragmatic techniques will maximize your new home's efficiency.
If I'm ever a homeowner, I probably won't build my own, I would renovate an existing structure.

3. Change Your Lightbulbs - CFLs cost three to five times as much as conventional incandescent bulbs yet use one-quarter the electricity and last several years longer.
I replaced all the burnt-out bulbs in the apartment with CFL's, but I'm waiting for the rest to burn out before replacing them, otherwise its just another form of waste IMHO.

6. Ditch the Mansion - A typical new single-family home in the U.S. is nearly 2,500 square feet today, up from about 1,000 square feet in 1950, even as the average household has shrunk from 3.4 to 2.6 people.
This is one I feel pretty strongly about. STOP BUILDING OR MOVING TO HUGE HOUSES YOU GREEDY OVERPAID BASTARDS!

7. Hang Up a Clothes Line - [also] wash your clothes in warm water instead of hot, and save up to launder a few big loads instead of many smaller ones.
The clothes line option is out, as we live in an apartment. I do all my washing in cold water. I don't sort, so I can have a full load per week. Also, you (and I) should switch to powder detergents from liquid (oil product). I will once I've used up the giant 9 Liter I got on sale. Maybe in 2010 then.

8. Give New Life to Your Old Fleece - [They] melt [it] and make into new fabric and clothes. Some of that fleece is especially virtuous, starting out as fabric made from recycled plastic.
I had no idea what fleece was made of. Wow. Also, I don't own any, so moot point.

9. Build a Skyscraper - Bank of America...When it's finished next year, the tower will be the second highest in the city, but it stands alone as the greenest building in New York.
See #15
10. Turn Up the Geothermal Heat - This geothermal system taps into water that is a relatively stable 55 degrees F and transfers that heat to warm the building in the winter and cool it in the summer. The building's roof is covered in easy-to-maintain plants and grasses, and has two heliostat mirrors, which track the sun and direct its rays into the building, reducing the use of artificial lights during the day.
The first part is just pretty cool. The second part includes things I suppose a upper-middle class person could do with their house.

11. Take Another Look at Vintage Clothes - Buying a shirt the second time around means you avoid consuming all the energy used in producing and shipping a new one and, therefore, the carbon emissions associated with it. Every item of clothing you own has an impact on the environment.
Sadly, the second-hand shops here don't carry much that's worth the drive to downtown. I pretty much grew up on thrift store clothes though, so maybe I get a pass on this one for awhile.

12. Capture the Carbon - What if coal-fired plants stopped spewing their carbon dioxide fumes into the air and instead sequestered them—pumped them deep into the ground for storage?
Makes me think of those tires they "recycled" for use as coral-reef builders, that actually created an ecological disaster by destroying coral. Hopefully long-term consequences are in the forefront here.

13. Let Employees Work Close to Home - a program that helps firms slash the time employees spend driving by matching them with work closer to home.
Better yet, work from home, depending on the type of work you do. I think its pretty nuts to commute more than 20 minutes to work, hopefully I never will have to.

14. Ride the Bus - Public transit saves an estimated 1.4 billion gal. of gas annually, which translates into about 14 million tons of CO2.
I don't think I've seen a public bus in San Angelo. There are these tourist trolleys, like in St. Joe. I rode the city bus throughout High School, it was a pretty miserable experience taking 2 hours to go 15 minutes across town.

15. Move to a High-Rise - The Big Apple is home to the greenest citizens in the U.S. Relatively few New Yorkers own cars. Eight million New Yorkers are squeezed into 301 sq. mi.—less than a fortieth of an acre per person.
I would hate living in such a major city as they are now, but I am really optimistic about http://nymag.com/news/features/30020/ and also about making a whole city within one huge skyscraper. Yeah yeah yeah, you think I'm crazy.

16. Pay Your Bills Online - [and] direct-deposit your paycheck.
I do both, and all my bills are automatically paid. Learned to do that the hard way. The only bill that isn't online now is the rent/water, and I walk 20 feet or so to pay it.

17. Open a Window - Open a window instead of running the AC. Adjust the thermostat a couple of degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter. Caulk and weatherstrip all your doors and windows. Insulate your walls and ceilings. Use the dishwasher only when it's full. Install low-flow showerheads. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water. Turn down the thermostat on the water heater.
I love open windows in the spring, but Michael complains. Now that it's summer, our thermostat is set at around 79 degrees, and you'd think I was locking him in a sauna. Buying the bird pretty much set things now, because he needs a temp of around 79-82 (i think, can't find a reference). We should get low-flow showerheads, and the front door really needs to be sealed better from drafts.

18. Ask the Experts For An Energy Audit of Your Home - A home energy audit, which most utility providers will do free of charge, will tell you the amount of power your household consumes and what you can do to reduce it.
Interesting, but I doubt they would do it for free. I guess I'm cynical like that.

19. Buy Green Power, At Home or Away - More than 600 utilities in 37 states offer green energy, but unless you read the fine print on your bill, you may not know if your power company is one of them.
I know we researched power companies for this when we moved here, but then I think we switched companies later and didn't check. I know this company indicates clearly on our bill what percent comes from what source. I admit to not checking it in a very long time. (hey, its automated online billing, I don't look at my bills anymore)

20. Check the Label - Energy Star, a rating system by the Environmental Protection Agency. Approved products can be pricier, but they cost less to power.
Our old fridge was Energy Star, and the washer, dryer and microwave are too.

21. Cozy Up to Your Water Heater - Wrapping your heater in an insulated blanket—one costs about $10 to $20 at home centers—could save your household about 250 lbs. in CO2 emissions annually. If the surface feels warm to the touch, get your heater an extra blankie.
Mine's not hot to touch, and I would have to get maintenance to adjust the temp because there is no simple knob on this one. The water is a bit warmer than necessary in the morning.

22. Skip the Steak - Which is responsible for more global warming: your BMW or your Big Mac? Believe it or not, it's the burger. Cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, etc.
We had burgers just tonight. I am trying to cut down, but its hard to decide what to eat when really everything has a different kind of ecological impact. Shrimp are out forever because they can only be caught by bottom-trawling which is super-bad. Other forms of fish are being caught to extinction. Vegetarians don't get "complete" proteins...what to do? Bender says "Kill all humans..."

24. Just Say No to Plastic Bags - Reducing your contribution to plastic-bag pollution is as simple as using a cloth bag.
I have two large and three small cloth bags. I forget them almost every time I go to the store. Bad TJ! Seriously, many places are starting to outlaw/discourage plastic bags also because they are made from oil and the cost is becoming prohibitive for stores. Its an all-around good thing to do anyway.

25. Support your local farmer - How do you find them? Search localharvest.org by ZIP code for farmers' markets, greengrocers and food co-ops in your area.
Here in a West Texass town, we have all of one listed on that site. They aren't even a real farmer's market, just some people who park on a street corner to sell watermelons. I find this both odd and annoying.

26. Plant a bamboo fence - Bamboo makes a beautiful fence, and because it grows so quickly (as much as 1 ft. a day or more, depending on the species), it absorbs more CO2 than, say, a rosebush.
No house, no yard, no bamboo fence. I do have a small bamboo plant inside though. I should water it sometime this month.

28. Have a green wedding - For example, if your guests are traveling long distances, offset the carbon emissions from their trips with a donation to renewable—energy projects.
Isn't that nice? Not sure why this is a separate item, since carbon-offsets are already addressed.

29. Remove the tie - If U.S. businesses eased off on their arctic-level air-conditioning, the gains could be significant. Time to make every summer day casual Friday?
Women in the office would appreciate that as well, as they wear those hideous dresses and open-toed shoes and maybe have poor circulation to their hands. But then, nobody cares about women who work.

30. Shut off your computer - A screen saver is not an energy saver.
I usually shut my laptop off, but if I forget its okay. I participate in SETI@home, currently residing at http://boinc.berkeley.edu/ which also lets you help with various projects for universities, corporations, or individuals.

31. Wear green eye shadow - Cargo Cosmetics launched PlantLove, a botanical lipstick packaged in a 100% biodegradable tube made of...a corn-based renewable resource. When the tube is empty, plant it in the ground, and it sprouts flowers.
First, that's neat. Second, no amount of neat will get me to wear makeup.

32. Kill the Lights At Quitting Time - could cut carbon emissions by reducing electricity use, not to mention extending equipment life and lowering maintenance costs.
I used to do this at work, but now I don't work so nanananana! *ahem*

34. Rake in the Fall Colors - using that motorized hurricane for just an hour still sucks down 1 pt. of gas and oil. With more than 30 million acres of lawn in the U.S., it's a high price to pay for a job that can be done almost as well, if somewhat more slowly, with a rake.
The apartment maintenance uses these damn things for clearing the walkways, presumably. To me they just make noise when I want to sleep in and blow debris onto my car window.

35. End the Paper Chase - It [recycled paper] uses 60% less energy than virgin paper. Each ton purchased saves 4,000 kW-h of energy, 7,000 gal. of water and 17 trees, and a tree has the capacity to filter up to 60 lbs. of pollutants from the air.
I use lots of paper because I'm a student and I screw up lots of print jobs and take lots of notes. I don't recycle paper. I know, I know...

37. Think Outside the Packaging - You can reduce the amount of packaging with a little consumer vigilance. Give back the extra napkins or unwanted sugar packets; carry that gallon of milk by its handle
I feel like I throw away so much excessive crap even when I buy from the grocery store. But then I bought Steak Express meals the other day and I swear 3/4 of it was packaging for the food and condiments and it was sooo incredibly wasteful. Never ordering there again.

39. Make Your Garden Grow - Use non-fossil-fuel-derived fertilizers in home gardens.
No yard, no garden. I'm not very good at growing things anyway.

41. Fill'er Up With Passengers - carpool, ride the bus, walk or bike to work, or work a compressed workweek.
Not exactly practical for me. Have I ever mentioned how I tried riding a bike to work. 1 mile, and I couldn't sit right for a week. Also, I have no friends to ride to school with, and I have a problem trusting people to carpool with. So I'm hoping to buy a smaller, more efficient car someday.

42. Pay For Your Carbon Sins - Unlike mandatory allowances, offsets allow consumers to pay voluntarily to reduce carbon emissions by a quantity equal to their estimated contribution.
Its iffy on whether these offsets actually go to a good cause, and it just shifts the problem without solving it.

43. Move to London's New Green Zone
Inviting, but impossible at this time.

44. Check Your Tires - Just giving your engine a tune-up can improve gas mileage 4% and often much more.
My car is serviced on a regular basis. However, I don't check my own tires' air pressure. I'm never sure if I'm doing it right, and it doesn't seem worth the hassle, despite the fact that all my uncles have been mechanics at some point.

45. Make One Right Turn After Another - The time spent idling while waiting to turn against oncoming traffic burns fuel and costs millions each year. A software program maps a customized route for every (UPS) driver to minimize lefts.
Doing this would require that I drive even more, and I don't drive much. My daily route has me waiting for a left turn once each way.

46. Plant a Tree in the Tropics - Recent studies have shown that trees in temperate latitudes...actually have a net warming effect on the climate. The heat that dark leaves absorb outweighs the carbon they soak up.
Well that's more of a negative than helpful advice. I guess they mean give to charities that plant trees in the tropics, because otherwise we would dump CO2 in the air by flying down there to do it ourselves.

48. Drive Green on the Scenic Route - rent hybrids and bio-fuel cars when on vacation
Only really available in major major cities like London and LA. I've never been there but it sounds good for frequent travellers. I've gone on vacation once in my adult life, so...
50. Be aggressive about passive - Extra insulation and state-of-the-art ventilation recycle the energy from passive sources such as body heat, the sun and household appliances to warm the air.
The day I have the money to build my own home. Besides, didn't they say we're all supposed to live in New York high-rises?

Mega Exam Day 2

I won't know until Monday at least, but I think i did better on the Chem problems than the last exam, but worse on the multiple choice. On the last test, I tended to put wrong numbers into my calculator, and also transcribed wrong given values. I triple-checked all my work this time, so hopefully that's under control.

Government didn't seem too great, but I'll find out tomorrow. Just any case, I caved in and did the extra credit. 2-5 Pages on a movie with a political theme, picked from a given list, due tomorrow at noon. I did 3 pages on Farenheit 451, in about 4 hours tonight. I've read the book, but never bothered with the movie. Crappy paper, but interesting movie. Its worth up to 20 points on top of my final grade.

Then I had Chem Lab in the afternoon for 3 hours. It was better than yesterday, which ran almost an hour longer. Also, I finally bought new safety goggles because the ones I got at the campus bookstore are crap-tastic.

I've also recovered from that Abs class on Monday, and I'm never doing that again. It took a capful of Tylanol Nightime cough syrup (for the nighttime pain relief, we're out of regular pills) and 9 hours sleeping with a heat pad on my hips. I woke up in less pain, and that's all that counts.

Well, goodnight.

Outch

Yesterday I got all motivated and went to the Abs class at the gym. I got there early to do 25 minutes on the cross-trainer. I usually do the Pilates class on Tues/Thurs, and I feel like I need a better aerobic workout paired with the streaching/strength component. For the Abs class, this was a hugely bad idea. It was tough. It was in a more military format, with alot more reps of each exercise than I really needed. There was an aerobics component I didn't need. It had squats and lunges, which I really didn't need. It stressed my hips which tend to click during exercises like leg lifts and flutter kicks. Today I can barely walk stairs because of the pain.

Some of the exercises were good. OH shit im gonna be late to class!

***I made it on time, everyone was waiting in the hall to be let into the labs***

Anywho. I left my laptop on when I rushed out the door, which is sort of good anyway because the heat is very soothing on my lap. I'm going to change for my Pilates/Yoga (She calls it Piyo) class this afternoon, gulp down some Yellow Gatorade, and take an antacid tablet so I don't feel like fire is rushing up every time I have to do an exercise on my tummy. But first, I must piddle. You wanted to know, don't lie.

Sick of Sick

I can't stop sneezing, which automatically causes your sinuses to produce more mucus. I've about had it with the cycle of sinus troubles I've been going through for about...forever. I should have done some homework/reading on Thursday afternoon but I just couldn't bring myself to move or focus. I eventually took a very long, very hot bath, wrapped myself in my new terrycloth robe, and fell asleep. I feel feverish and achy even though I'm not running a high temperature. Why is that? I still didn't feel well Friday, even though I was up until 4am reading at bitingbeaver. We went to see a movie when I woke up at noon today. Then we went grocery shopping. Remind me again that I do not go to the grocery store with my husband. Infuriating.

Because these are 5-week summer terms, I'm now severely behind in my notes and reading, and a little behind in my problems. The problems aren't turned in, they're just for practice, and they tests in both my classes are being pushed back a day or two, so that's good for me. I sat around until 6-ish when I had some chicken and rice soup which suddenly made me feel much better. Go figure, right? That, plus some hot tea, really gave me a burst of motivation. I finished my Chemistry problems from Chapter 1, read and took notes on about half of Chapter 2. Government is on the back burner until I can get past Chapter 3 in Chemistry, plus memorize the Periodic Table and some other tables from the text.

In the middle of making another mug of tea, I decided to clean my kitchen and clear the refrigerator of old and/or moldy items. Dear Husband, I left the eggs in the refrigerator but they are old, please put them in the trash when you change bags. Uncluttered the dining table (which still has no chairs), put away the domino set (which opened up in the trunk on the way from MO), and then ever-so-gingerly moved the bibles (no kidding) into a bag and beside the door.

Why do I always try to put a d in the word refrigerator? Probably the same reason things are always so awsome to me.

Hurts to Type

I have somehow damaged my knuckle. The one for my pointer finger on my right hand. I cannot grasp anything, and it hurts to type. It also hurts if I forget and let it fall into whatever position to rest. I had a baggie of frozen cranberries on it to reduce the swelling, plus some OTC pain pills. I found earlier today that I can do things like pour from a pitcher of tea, as long as I lift the pointer finger and don't use it at all. Last night I thought it was something in the joint between fingers, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

The pain is probably from a combination of factors. I had a hard time supporting myself in a yoga pose on Thursday. I created a new blog and copied 75 posts on...Friday? Also, I have a bad habit of sleeping on my side with my hand under my head.

Oh, last night while Michael was playing a movie, I finished reading a Dr. Who book. It was very good. Unfortunately I ended up awake until 2:00am, and didn't wake until about 1:00pm. Not a productive weekend at all. I feel like crud.

Punishments and Rewards

We got our tests back today. I got a 93%! So I might not be a complete failure after all. So I rewarded myself with a piece of blueberry pie after my ham sandwich for lunch. I say 'reward' despite the fact that I had a piece of the same blueberry pie last night after dinner, with a fair dollop of frozen yogurt on the side.

You will not deny me PIE.

As punishment for this reward, my heartburn has returned with full force. It wasn't helped by the Pilates session I just returned from, or the heartburn meds I took beforehand. Who would've thought that laying balanced on your stomach would force tummy acids up your esophagus. I'm so sore and miserable right now, that I don't give half a damn if I spelled espohogus correctly, or even stomach.

So there.

It stormed and rained here the last couple of days, so today has been unusually muggy for West Texass. 62% Humidity. More of the same all this week. Yaayyyy...eh.

Like a frakking motorcycle.

This is probably more honest than I should be. Oh well.

I was a bit surprised this morning when I woke up alone in bed. No no, he usually leaves for work before I wake up. Its just that I woke up and he wasn't unconscious, or even dead. Turns out, I didn't fly into a homicidal rage and kill him in the night. Surprised? Me too.

No amount of shaking, prodding, loud 'relaxation' music, getting up and turning on the light to take Tylenol PM, yelling, tossing or turning would Make. It. Stop. I finally had to resort to pulling the iPod out of the radio and putting on my headphones.

I had to sleep with headphones on. Do you understand?

I keep telling him to stop sleeping on his side. Not just on his side, but half on his own face. The snoring is horrible, and he is always complaining about his shoulders hurting. Well, duh. Last night I really tried everything to get him to turn onto his back. He was literally immovable. The moment I finally settle in with the headphones? Rolls over on his own and the snoring lowers to a dull wheeze. Clearly he was doing it on purpose, for over an hour, just to piss me off.

Will he see a doctor? No. Is it because we don't have health insurance? NO, we have the benefit of military healthcare, F-R-E-E!* He won't see a doctor because he wants to be pummeled to death in the night. He hasn't said so, but its really the only logical conclusion.

*-ish. We pay our taxes, just like you.

*Shamed*

Well, I was going to sit around my house for another half hour or so, but the complex's exterminators came by for regular spraying. And my apartment was a mess of piles of stuff I really mean to take care of. They posted a notice on our door yesterday, I just forgot. I guess I can't be too emberassed because they spray all the time and I'm just not around to realize it. Or maybe I should be more emberassed because of it. I don't know.

I do know that I really appreciate them spraying regularly. This is the first place I have ever lived where I havn't seen a single solitary nasty disgusting roach. Its an amazing feeling to not fear turning on the bathroom light in the middle of the night, or looking/feeling down into the kitchen sink full of dishes. Really, you have no idea, the roaches here in TX come in all sizes. Nasty fuckers.

Long story short, the chemicals don't seem to have much smell, but just to be safe I'm leaving early for class.