Housekeeping
Between my brother-in-law moving in and consolidation of the cafe to my house, there’s a metric ton of stuff in my house at the moment. Maybe it’s that Springtime cleaning bug creeping in. Maybe it’s just my need to change something. Whatever it is, if I had been able to stand prolonged periods of time on my feet this weekend, Sorg would have been coming home to a “gutted” living room.
I get into these fits every so often. You know, those fits when I need to change something. If I have time and available resources I try to do something with the house. If I’m lacking one or the other, I’ll do something smaller scale, like change my hair. As things stand at the moment, I have new floor plans in my head (and to be honest, have had those very floor plans in my head for some time) for a redo of the first level of the house. Yeah. That says “first level,” not “living room,” not “dining room, not “kitchen.” I’m talking all of the above. I’m talking about taking out a wall. I’m talking about rewiring. I’m talking about adding built-in bookshelves and a pass-through from the kitchen to the dining room. I’m talking about expanding the downstairs half bath to a full bath with a stand-in shower. I’m talking about a bunch of “weekend projects” in my near future.
Had it not been for my bum ankle, it is pretty safe to say that I would have had some walls stripped down in the living room. While I get things planned out in my head in the interim, I’m going to be pricing out what I’ll need to get the projects done. Ultimately, I’m hoping to have things going within the next few weekends. And, of course there will be some before and after pictures once things really start to get underway.
So here’s to Spring cleaning and housekeeping. And, Goodwill can expect a few car loads of items over the next few months too.
No Marathon for Me…
…and I was doing so well with my training too!
I was up to jogging/running for about 20 minutes without feeling like I was dying or having to take a break. I had a renewed sense of energy. I was feeling great.
And, then I broke.
Last Monday I did my morning training before showering and getting ready for work – as I had done for the weeks prior to that. When I got to work, I noticed a tightness and “ache” in my right ankle. I shrugged it off. Runners have these things happen. It’s got to be normal. Maybe I just tweaked something. As of that moment, I figured I’d see about foregoing my run the following day if it was still bothering me.
I didn’t make it to the end of the day.
By lunchtime I was walking very gingerly on my right foot. Every step I took felt increasingly more painful. I was quite content that the majority of my work focuses on my being in a secretary chair, with wheels. For the most part, I could confine myself to my workspace and avoid having to get up for much if I could conveniently wheel back and forth between my computer and my filing area (my cubicle is probably 5′ x 5′ – so it’s big enough that I generally have what I need at hand anyway).
When the clock clicked 5:00 and it was time to go, it took all of my strength and pain threshold to get to my car and drive home.
This is where it gets interesting. You see, I’m a klutz. I’ve been a klutz ever since I was a kid. When I switched primary care physicians and accumulated my history of medical records for the transfer, my new doctor even commented on my various ER visits and general clumsiness. With that said, I of course had the AirCast walking boot that I had to use when I sprained my ankle 5 years ago. It was hanging out in that general closet of miscellaneous stuff that you hang onto because you know the moment you get rid of it you’ll actually need it.
Presuming that I had just sprained my ankle, and opting to: (a) not go to the doctor to have them tell me this; and (b) save myself the aggravation of crutches, I used the boot for the next few days. My philosophy was, of course, that if I could walk in it with the boot that it would eventually feel better.
Yeah. There’s apparently a really good reason why I’m not an M.D. or a D.O. or any of those other specialties that require years of medical school. Other than my general queasiness over 90% of what the medical profession has to deal with (blood, guts, etc.) I also realized that self-diagnosing myself with a simple sprain wasn’t going to suffice. As last week progressed, my ankle wasn’t getting much better.
I finally broke down and went to see an orthopedic doctor about it.
I “think” I scored some brownie points (and definitely saved some money) by providing my own boot – albeit the same boot I had actually gotten from that very same office 5 years ago. They (being the office staff when reviewing my paperwork, as well as the doctor during his evaluation) asked who had referred me. This is where I lost those very brownie points I had earned with the boot, as the answer was, “I figured it was a sprain, and was hoping that the boot would fix it. Since it’s not any better, I figured I’d skip the PCP/ER route and just come in to see you because that’s where my PCP/ER would have sent me anyway.” Okay, it made sense to me at the time.
After a set of “weight-bearing” x-rays (OWIE) and some initial questions from the x-ray technician, I was set for my consultation with the actual doctor.
He came in, reviewed the x-ray films, and did an evaluation of my ankle. It seemed that just about everywhere he put his fingers hurt. I’m not talking about the hurt that I have been feeling. I’m talking he took his finger and pushed against that part in between the bones on the inner part of my ankle, and I thought I was going to kick him in the face it hurt so bad. And, he went around each part of my ankle pressing between the bony parts and the muscular parts. Each push being just about as painful as the next.
It turns out that I have what the doctor described as “tendonopathy” whereby I have inflamed just about all of the tendons in my foot and ankle. And, it’s from running without a varied routine (i.e. the same direction, same route) and from apparent “almost” flat-footedness which I hadn’t realized was an issue prior to that appointment. The treatment: (1) Stop running; (2) Take some Prednisone throughout this week to help get things back on track; (3) Swap out the Prednisone with 600mg anti-inflammatory/pain relievers starting next week; (4) Go through a course of physical therapy to help retrain those tendons; (5) Transfer to “other” forms of exercise to keep my cardio up – as approved by my therapist or a doctor (i.e. bicycle as tolerable); and (6) Take up something other than running (at least for the moment).
As with any soft tissue injury – I probably would have been better off just breaking something. Bones heal. There is no guaranteed timeframe for recovery at this point. It’s going to primarily rely on how my ankle responds to everything.
But, it’s pretty safe to say that I won’t be on track to participate in the Pittsburgh Half Marathon or the Superhero 5K that I was setting out to train for.
At least I can say that when I do something, I’m all in or all out. Right?
Woohoo! Week 1 Marathon Training Complete
So yeah…I’m really getting on board with this whole marathon training thing. The Couch to 5K app on my iPhone? GENIUS!
I’m definitely not the picture of health. Between a car accident that makes it difficult to move sometimes, and hormonal issues which make losing weight difficult, added to that whole metabolic change due to getting older, I have definitely put on some weight over the past decade. What I’ve realized is that carrying around the weight of another half a person has its limitations.
I realize that if there is ever a possibility of a zombie apocalypse, I would be zombie food. (Rule No. 1: Cardio.). I also realize that I just want to stop being overweight. One of the biggest deterrents to fixing both of those is that when I try to start a workout plan, I wind up picking something that I get in a couple workouts, feel like I’m dying, and just stop.
The Couch to 5K program I’m working on has been pretty easy going, while secretly kicking my butt into shape. I’ve been running (primarily in my basement because of the crappy weather). I push myself through the program, and the next thing I know, I’m working on the programmed cool down.
Granted, I’m still at the start of the training, but I really am feeling good about it. I’m thinking that if the Couch to 5K goes as well as it has been, I may actually be able to step up my workout and get back into the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred.
I’ll let you know how that goes!
Chachi Plays: Press B(8x), Hold Up/Right and Press Start
I’ve been helping Chachi with Chachi Plays since its inaugural launch last year. Chachi has been one of my closest friends, for over a decade, and when he came to me with the opportunity to help him raise money for local kids, of course I was going to help out.
Since Chachi Plays is video game based, I’ve even included a cheat code for one of my favorite games in the title of this post. For those of you who have ever played Rad Racer on the NES, that code is to play in darkness.
Moving back to the point of this post, I am glad to be a part of Chachi Plays. And, I’m really glad to have been a part of Chachi Plays since the beginning. Over on the Chachi Plays site, we’re bolstering momentum heading into this year’s event on February 10-11. In doing so, we’re asking folks to share some of their memorable moments from last year, and their expectations for this year. If we’re asking others to do it, then why not do it myself as well? So, here you go:
Memorable Moment from Chachi Plays 2011: There are so many! But, for the sake of limiting it to one, I would have to go with the Little Big Planet 2 game experience. It was awesome to have the guys from Games are for Idiots show up with a giant cardboard check payable to Chachi Plays. They made it a nice big feature of the event by formally presenting Chachi with the check and everything! And, that check? Still hanging on Chachi’s wall. If you watch his Chachi Says the Vid Cast segments, you can even occasionally see the check hanging on his wall in the background.
Anticipated Moment for Chachi Plays 2012: At this exact moment in time, I can’t really say. I’m sure that there will be tons of fun to be had. But, I would definitely urge people to check it out if they can stop by during the 24 hours Chachi will be playing!
Glad to See You’re Still Here
I’ve given up on even trying to write regularly. I figure when I feel like it (and have the time to) I’ll write. The unfortunate part of that decision arises out of the fact that I’m not sure as to the timeframe or frequency of when that’ll happen.
My apologies.
Since I seem to be falling into the “quarterly” update schedule at this point, I may as well continue on that path.
1. Status of Pregnancy-Related Things: Zip. Zero. Nada. Not pregnant, and we’ve decided not to pursue additional fertility treatments at this time. And, my body is right back to where it was prior to the fertility treatments. No period since November. So, that means my very irregular hormone levels have gone back to their very irregular selves.
2. Status of Cafe: At this time, the cafe is on hold. Dad is back in Western New York getting ready for surgery to fuse his neck. (He injured his neck a couple years ago, and has to have a re-do surgery. Shouldn’t be anything too serious, but enough to get him back home to get it scheduled. The precipitating event for his departure was a bunch of hullabaloo at the cafe, which I prefer not to dredge up at the moment. Suffice it to say, the cafe is on hold. But, I’m looking into moving things to the Public Market for baked goods.
3. What Else is New: There are a couple things in the what’s new category. First of all, I’m working diligently on Chachi Plays. So, that’s occupying a bit of my time. Secondly, I am working on getting ready for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon and the Super Hero Run. While I’m doing better in prepping for the first item on my agenda, I am admittedly getting “better” in my preparation for the latter. I’ve been using my newfound “free” time in the mornings to get in a good workout. In addition to getting ready for a couple of marathons, I am hoping that by losing some weight, it might help jumpstart some of that natural chemistry that will get my hormones back in check, and hopefully set me back on track for that whole trying to get pregnant thing. I’m not “hopeful” that it will, but how bad can it be if I lose some weight and get healthy?
Rough Holiday?
It’s Black Friday. Which means, yesterday was Thanksgiving.
My holiday started out rough with the news that one of my friends passed away late in the afternoon on Wednesday. I worked with her at my first law firm after moving to Pittsburgh. She was the yin to my work yang. We worked tandem until the firm split a few years back. We kept in touch as best we could given our busy schedules, but I realize now how I should have made it a point to keep in touch no matter what. So, heading into the holiday I’ve had a dark shadow creeping in.
I had planned to spend the actual holiday with my in-laws, helping out in the kitchen as I usually do. But, someone else had a different plan. I woke up in the wee hours of the morning, sicker than a dog. I spent the majority of my Thanksgiving Day in bed, with the few moments I was out bed spent in the little girl’s room revisiting anything that I had tried to put into my stomach (mostly Sprite and medication). Between that and the headache that engulfed my entire head, yesterday was spectacular. Not only did I miss out on helping with Thanksgiving dinner, I missed dinner. (But, Sorg did bring me back a plate so I can have some when I’m feeling up to it.)
But, despite feeling like crap, there was a bit of news that came in late yesterday afternoon that made the holiday that much rougher. My brother, who was helping out at the cafe when we first opened, and who left to go back to Virginia shortly thereafter, e-mailed a grim suicide note to my mom, my aunt, and a couple of his friends yesterday afternoon. When my mom tried to reach him, there was no answer. So, Mom, Dad and my sister drove from Western New York to Virginia last night. While on the road, my sister tried to reach out to local authorities in my brother’s area, while my mom tried to reach out to my brother. Thankfully, my brother turned up at his one friend’s house to return/gift some items to her prior to furthering his plans of suicide. She was home, and brought him inside to talk to him. If she hadn’t been home, God only knows what would have happened.
I texted my mom briefly this morning, and she indicated that they were trying to get some rest. But, for all intents and purposes, things seem to be okay for the moment.
Needless to say though, it’s been a rough holiday. And, here’s to hoping that everyone else’s was a little brighter.
My Not So Warm and Fuzzy Birthday Thoughts
Yep. Today’s my birthday.
32 years ago today, my mom and dad welcomed me into the world. 32 years after that moment, and here we are today.
The past couple birthdays have been rough for me. And, this year? Yeah, it’s following suit. Please allow me to explain this. I don’t have an issue with my age (unlike my younger brother who had an absolute fit when he turned 30 a year ago). I’m fine with my age. Being 30-something is fine by me.
The part I’m having an issue with is looking back at my life goals and seeing which ones I’ve actually accomplished. That’s where things get to a darker area of thought.
When I was younger, I envisioned myself graduating high school, going to college, and attending law school. I envisioned meeting a guy and getting married at 22. I pictured that I would have my “2.5″ kids by 25. In my dream, by the time I was 32, I would be well on my way to my own American dream. I would travel to various places for vacation. I would have that picturesque house on the hill. I would have anything I needed, with room for things I wanted.
Looking back at what I pictured, versus what I have, I somehow feel like I’m living someone else’s life sometimes. I graduated high school. I graduated college. I did not attend law school. I was not married at 22. And, I certainly didn’t have kids by 25. I don’t really vacation, let alone vacation in various places. And, I don’t have that picturesque house on the hill.
I’m not saying that it’s all bad. I was married at 24 (okay, so 2 years after my envisioned goal). Instead of the picturesque house on the hill, I have my fixer-upper in the City of Pittsburgh. And, instead of vacationing in exotic locales, I have a cafe in Mt. Lebanon.
At this very moment, I simply feel like there’s more out there for my life. And, I wrestle with this thought at various times. Maybe it’s because it’s my birthday? Maybe it’s PMS? Whatever it is, I’m realizing that even though it’s my birthday, I’m not sure I really feel like “celebrating” me today.
While I Have A Few Minutes…
Yeah, I’ve been really busy with the cafe as of late. But, I’m actually (dare I say it) ahead of things for the moment. So, I figured I’d take a moment to drop by here.
For those of you out there curious as to the status of “things” at the moment – we’ve officially decided to take a break from baby things. It’s now been a little over a month, and I’m in the middle of a PMS chocolate/peanut butter binge. (Seriously, I could eat Reese’s right out of business with as much chocolatey peanut buttery mouthfuls of heaven I’ve consumed in the past 2 days. And, no, it’s not pregnancy cravings. I have the cramping and other spectacular things to say otherwise.) Between the cravings and the mood swings, I’ve been doing great the past couple of days! (Just ask my co-workers how well I’ve been playing with others the past two days!)
As for other things? There hasn’t been much else going on. I’m helping Chachi gear up for the next edition of Chachi Plays. I’m still working my 9-5. And, I’m squeezing in some other things here and there as my schedule permits.
A Small Step Forward
It’s been a rough week. And, I just now found the strength to read through the comments posted to my earlier thoughts from last Monday. I really do count that as a small victory. (And only one comment had me so choked up that I still teared up this evening.)
All I can really say at the moment is wow.
For starters, I still find it amazing how the random thoughts that I write in this space are actually read by folks out there. Granted, somewhere in my head I intended for that to be the end result – otherwise I would be writing my thoughts elsewhere, like in a personal journal or diary. But it really is something when I pull up my blog and see that people have actually been reading it (or at least clicking and looking at it long enough for my stats to register it as a view).
Secondly, I still find it amazing how awesome people can be. For people to have taken the time to read through not only the post that was tweeted by she who shall not be named (just linked), but to also check out some of the other things I’ve written – and more specifically, to have commented on things, is a bit surreal. It is certainly one thing to read through a post that has been linked by someone you follow in your Twitter feed. It is something else to actually take the time to leave some thoughts. Having read through those thoughts, I can honestly say I feel humbled to know that people care enough to have left comments.
Distractions
So, it’s been a few days. I’ve had some time to settle down after earlier events. And, I’m “okay” with things. Granted, I am still not at the point where I necessarily want to hang out with kids anytime soon. But, I’m no longer finding myself in uncontrollable fits of tears and/or rage.
Distractions have been nice.
One of my favorite distractions was brought about by a co-worker. Seriously, how can you not be entertained by this:
There are a few other distractions that have found their way to the forefront of my mind as well.
1. I will be helping Chachi with the second annual Chachi Plays fundraiser event. While the Chachi Plays event has not yet been updated, you should keep an eye out, because things will be moving along in the very near future, and we will be overhauling the site to keep folks updated on this year’s event.
2. I will be providing donations (through Cafe Solstice) for Christianpalooza on Saturday, November 5th at Resurrection’s Big Hall in Brookline. Proceeds will be benefiting Make A Wish Foundation.
3. I will also be providing donations (again through Cafe Solstice) for Crazy Scary on October 19th.
Between all of this fun stuff, my 9-5 and the cafe, I’m hoping things will be easier going for the duration.
