Side effects of TV

I am happy to report that I am feeling better.  I watched a lot of TV last week.  I watched every episode of Leverage and several seasons of Hells Kitchen.   In leverage the computer guy, Hardison, is always drinking orange soda.

In every episode of Hell's Kitchen they cook steak.  For most of the week I was so sick that the only things I really ate were cup o soup, popsicles and scrambled eggs because they were easy on my throat.  I didn't have much of an appetite because the pain medications they gave me made my stomach queasy.  As the week came to an end, and my appetite began to return, I found myself craving Steak and Orange Soda. :)

Allie and I went to Texas Road House to get a steak and then I stopped by Target and picked up an Orange soda.  I wish I could report that they were everything I dreamed they would be.  I think my taste buds might still be sick because both brands of orange soda that I tasted were terrible and the steak tasted like dog food.  I KNOW that the food at Texas Roadhouse ROCKS and EVERY orange soda cannot taste like vitamins with a funky metallic aftertaste soooooooo I am left with no other conclusion but that my taste buds are not right.

I watched another episode of Leverage last night and found myself once again craving orange soda.  So here I am stuck in a hard spot.  My brain thinks it really wants some orange soda but my taste buds remember how not refreshing it was last time... maybe I will try some Sunny Delight.

The lengths I will go for popsicles...

First to answer the question on everyone's mind; Yes, I am STILL sick.  Ok, I know it has only been 3 days but the hours stretch on for days when I am missing class and seeing clients.  Thankfully I have a great supervisor that has willingly taken over my clients for me and a wonderful friend who has been recording all the classes that I have missed.

So, I had planned to stay home sick today, which I managed to do for 1/2 the day by sleeping in until noon, but Mom was spending the day with Lauren and they tempted me into coming down with popsicles.  After getting up at noon, showering, dressing and then driving down I got there by about 2:30pm.  We watched a movie, chatted, and of course I ate popsicles.... lot's of popsicles.  Mom and Lauren had to leave at 5pm so that is when I headed for home.  In the end I spent about the same amount of time in the car as I did hanging with my fam.  It was totally worth it.  I loved seeing them and did I mention the popsicles?  I loved the popsicles.  My throat loved the popsicles.  So, Mom and Lauren... thanks for the popsicles and a great afternoon.  I felt loved.

Still Sick

This morning I woke up sicker then yesterday.  Oh, so not well.  I slept for 4 or 5 hours and then dragged myself to the student health center.  I don't have a cold.  I don't have the flu.  I have a viral infection that is causing blisters to form on the back of my throat.  Yes, it hurts as bad as it sounds. I left the clinic with several different types of pain killers and instructions to stay home in bed for the next day or two.  Lots of fluids.  No milk products.  No ice cream.  I need some popsicles.

Sick

Yesterday I had the sniffles and today it has turned into a full blown cold.  I thought it was just a head cold because for most of the day I felt, as Amy so aptly described it, as if I were drowning in my own head; headache, sore throat, runny nose, occasional cough, etc.  But this evening my cough has increased and it is a deep hacking cough so I guess I have a head and chest cold.  What ever you want to call it, I don't like it.  I have already taken some Airborn and the Tylenol Cold that Allie gave me has helped a little.  Hopefully I will be able to sleep tonight.  Last night that wasn't so easy to do.  I just want to be well again.

The end (hopefully) of the Bed Saga

My parents came tonight.  My dad brought with him all sorts of tools and stuff to whip my bed into shape.  Before he did anything to it he asked me for a flashlight and crawled underneath to get a look at what was going on.  I should have taken a picture of it but I didn't.  Anyways, while he was looking under the hood of my bed he said "I see the problem".  Evidently my bed is warped.  I blame that on Denton.  Anyways, the sides were evidently bowing out so Dad created this device to pull the sides in together.

It involved a wire hanger, some extra bed parts and some ribbon.  He and mom both jumped on it after it was fixed so it should be all fixed.  Hooray!  I get to sleep in my own bed tonight!

While I had them here I managed to get them to help me with a couple other projects.  Mom and I unpacked all my decoration stuff and put it on my shelves.

Yes, the E is backwards.  Mom did that. She said it is to remind me you don't ALWAYS have to be perfect.  I love it!

We also finally got around to hanging pictures on the walls.

 I don't know if you read in my earlier post that I was avoiding putting them up.  If I didn't decorate then I could pretend that this is not really where I live.  I was in denial. :)

Dad put up the room divider curtains that I purchased at Ikea a while ago.

Aren't they awesome!  I absolutely love them!  Thanks Dad!  You have to come see them to truly appreciate how great they are... open invitation to come visit. :)

My apartment is now my home.  My things are on the wall.  My bed is sleep-able.  My house smells like Mom's herbal muscle rub, and I can still smell Dad on his hanky that he left with me.  For right now, in this moment, I am at peace.

Bags

My eyes feel like there is sand in them.  My head feels like it is in an ever tightening vice.  There are bags under my eyes.  In case you have not guessed my bed was naughty again all last night.  The rest of the boards popped out on that side one at a time about an hour apart.  I was left huddled against the wall, hoping the boards on that side of the bed would stay in place.  Finally, at 5am, I got up to use the restroom and decided to sleep somewhere else.  I am in a 500 sq ft apartment so there are not a lot of options for sleeping places besides my bed so I ended up on my love seat.

I know what you are thinking.  No, it is not bigger then it looks in the picture.  Yes, I had a hard time sleeping there.  Mom asked if I would like Dad to come fix my bed to which I replied that if that was at all a possibility it would be a dream come true!  For now the dreaming is going to have to wait until we can get our schedules to match.  In the mean time I will be thinking short short thoughts as I compact myself onto my love seat.

My bed is rebelling

I'm pretty sure my bed does not like living in Denton.  I NEVER had a problem with it when I was living in Richardson.  I even moved it around in my room a couple of times and not a single problem.  Ever since I moved here it has given me nothing but trouble.  What other conclusion could there be except that my bed is rebelling because of the move?

Do you see those slats hanging down from the bottom of the bed?  They are not supposed to be hanging out like that.  They are supposed to be neatly tucked up under the bed holding the mattress in place.  Last night, while I was sleeping, they decided they were going to hang out again, even thought I had previously told them NOT to.  So now, as I am putting off going to bed, I am stuck trying to decide what punishment is appropriate for a rebellious bed that insists on hanging out even after I have given it strict orders not to.  Any suggestions?  Anyone have an old, well behaved, bed they'd like to trade for my rebellious teenage bed?

Good night.  I hope YOU have a well behaved bed that will steadfastly stay right where it is supposed to be so that you can get a good nights rest.  I'm going to have another stern talking to with my naughty bed before I climb onto the not hanging out side and try to get some sleep.

Texas Mobile

I pulled into my parents driveway to find this...

I don't know if you can see it but there is a motor hanging in the middle of two cars that have been lifted off the ground.  I asked my dad if he was trying to make a mobile.  He said he was having trouble getting it to rotate AND play music.  Adam said he was going to hang it over his son's crib.  Charlie will love it!  Welcome to Texas, Ya'll!

My Shirt Came!!!

My Chili's shirt came today!

I was surprised when I opened the UPS envelope to find this...

They shrunk my shirt down into this little chili shaped package.  The shirt literally crunched and crackled when I opened it.  I am definitely going to have to wash it before I try to wear it.  Guess what! It came with this cool coupon too!

Anybody want to meet for some chips and queso?  It's on me!  :)

Swimming

Last night I went down the to "pohl recreation center" here on campus to check it out.  It's amazing!  You walk in the front door and see this...

There were tons of people there because they were having some big start of the semester party.  I still got a chance to look around a bit.  Here are a couple more pictures of this fantastic facility.

There is this great walking/jogging track all the way around the top of the building.  From there you get a great view of all the exercise equipment.

There are TV's on each exercise machine!  It's enough to make me consider more then just the forced exercise UNT has provided me with. :)  Ok, on to the reason why I went to the pohl recreation center to begin with....

I went to check out the pool and try to loosen up my knee.  With all the walking my knees have been killing me.  I have been careful with them and finally got the right one feeling better but the left one has been a bit stubborn.  I thought it would help if I used it in a less stressful situation.  This pool rocks!  It has a swirling vortex, a lazy river for floating, underwater seating, and a huge hot tub.  I walked around in the water for a bit, swam some laps and then ended up in the hot tub where i was able to do some stretches.  My knee was still sore last night but this morning it was feeling much better.   Thanks pohl recreation center!

Blue Day

I have been struggling with all the changes that have happened in my life over the past month.  I've moved to a new town.  I am in a new apartment.  I left my roommates.  I left my job and the kids I love.  I am going to school now and it has pretty much consumed my schedule.  I am still not sure how I am going to pay for things.  I have enough put aside to make it maybe one more month and then what?  There is really no time in my schedule for a job.  I've tried to get a loan but was denied.  I kept thinking that once I made it through all the change that I would settle in and I would feel better.  Perhaps that will still be the case but for now I just feel so lost and alone.

I am in denial that this new apartment is my home now.  I have not put my pictures on the wall.   I have tried 3 times now to go buy groceries for the cupboards.  Tonight I finally got groceries and I discovered that even my Target is different.  You know how when you go out of town you can go into a Walmart anywhere and it is just like you are at home?  They are all the same.  I went to Target this evening expecting that small comfort of home only to walk into some strange new layout.  It was just wrong.  The cheese was back on the back wall where the frozen stuff belongs and the school supplies were in the back corner where the bikes belong and the candy was in the bread isle.  I feel like I have stepped through the looking glass.  Everything is topsy turvy.

My stupid phone is not working right.  It seems it was only able to recover from getting wet once.  I have gone to the ATT store twice now to replace it and both times left without getting something new because I am trying to conserve my resources but it is driving me crazy.  It is my lifeline to my people and it is on the fritz.

I'm homesick.  I just want to go home and unfortunately my "home" does not exist anymore.

Where are some Ruby Slippers when you need them?