w
ell shake me like a monkey. I've been dancing like the nancies, trippin' with the billies, oh sweet seven I think I'm turning into a spaceman drinking big whiskey with the groo grux king. ee-hee what fun!
August 31, 2009
So on occasion there will be a sidebar window pop up on my facebook stating what I had said on a particular day in a particular year. Today I came across a quote that brought back some fond memories and when I had read the very first line I knew exactly where I had been and who I was with. Such a lovely trip it was. I wish I could relive that trip but in reading my quoted experience it gives me the feeling as if I had just typed it out for the very first time. I can't wait for other quotes that I have written to pop up and take me back down to memory lane. elizinashe
So it's back to school time for me. Yes, I'm in the big pond now with the other fish who have been accepted into the nursing program here at the local community college. Woo hoo! My summer has been filled with many trips to the school for financial aid, unanswered questions, delayed email replies, tuition to pay for, books to buy and prepayments for other items that have yet to be received. Backpack upgraded, uniforms bought, patches to be sewn, lab kits purchased with all it's treasures and a sea green stethoscope lying in its box waiting to be plugged into my stuffy ears. Struggles with the on-line tutorial info website that was posted two days prior to our first class,(which is tomorrow) and an ink depletion snafu during the big print off for said tutorial info. Class info in upgraded backpack along with syllabus and monthly schedule as well as 'contracts' for agreeable student behavior & expectations. Snacks prepared, water bottle chilling and an abundance of pens. Self made notecards to guide me to the correct classroom at the right time in the right room at various days. No locker combination to memorize, just three different passwords for three different school related websites that is now a requirement for all college students. Excitement and first class anxiety fills my head, along with a new pimple emerging at the dimple of my smile and I have now learned from my dentist appointment from earlier this morning that I now need a mouth guard to wear at night because I clench my teeth so badly. Yeah, I totally feel like I'm that nerdy kid entering high school again. If I have those 'showing up for class naked' dreams then I'm totally doomed. Good thing I'm old enough to buy alcohol this time. elizinashe
I have never been one to follow a diet. It's not the willpower, it's the following the diet rules and sticking to it. I've never been one to eat a lot of junk either. I've always liked fruits & vegetables and I've let go many moons ago the daily dose of diet coke. I do indulge in the occasional pizza and a big fat burger but for the most part junky food like that has never been a part of my daily or even weekly diet. That's a good thing. I thank my parents for instilling good eating habits at a young age. I've struggled with keeping an exercise routine the last few years mainly due to the fact that I no longer have a gym membership. Yes, I know that I can exercise at home or go run around the local track around the VA Hospital but I just don't have the motivation. Home is my quiet place and walking an outdoor track when it's miserably hot is not my idea of a good workout. I want to sweat in an air conditioned room. In short, I like having a reason & a purpose to go somewhere to workout. I miss the gym that was on my end of town. It closed down many years ago and the other gyms that are in town are seemingly too far for me to drive. Lame excuse I know....However I have been inspired to try something different through a couple of my coworkers. One of the girls I work with has been doing the Zumba videos on her break at work for some quick and intensive cardio. This girl comes out red faced and breaking a good sweat. It makes me jealous. She's also been doing Weight Watchers to change her eating habits and get back on a healthy track. She's not overweight by any means but she does look good. So it got me to thinking.....I tried the Zumba myself one afternoon with some of our kids. Yes, you get a good workout but I couldn't stay coordinated enough to keep up the dance steps. I did more laughing than jumping around. It would take a lot of practice for me to really get it all down. However, we have a Wi gaming set for our kids. We use it for special groups as well as a reward for good behavior. We tested the new Dance Wi and the Michael Jackson's Experience. Oh boy! I think I found my thang! I've never been big on video games but this Wi stuff is pretty damn cool. I could care less about the bowling or the shoot 'em up blow 'em up games. I want to dance! I was surprised how quickly my heart rate jumped after doing a couple of Wi dances. I even broke out a little sweat! So much more fun than walking up several flights of stairs on your break. I see more Proud Mary in my future. If I can move around like Tina Turner then I will certainly be burning up some calories and looking good once again. I give the Wi a two thumbs up. I am looking forward to testing out some more dances. Can't wait to take that trip to Funkytown. elizinashe
It's been really hot here lately. I know that my side of the fence can't compare to the extreme heat felt in Texas, Arkansas and Arizona, just to name a few other yards, but it's still hot for our fair mountains. Ugh! It just makes me all kinds of cranky. I don't even want to cook nor do I have much of an appetite. I struggle with coming up with something for a meal because it's too hot to think. I'm ready for some cooler weather, a nice long fall I say! The last couple of weeks have been super busy for me mostly in a good way. I had a friend in town for a couple of days which gave me a good excuse to host an epic hike among some waterfalls and a tailgate picnic followed by an evening of recovery and other libations. Then it was back to the grindstone and back to work. Yuk. However, I did have a girlfriend pop into town for some training with her new job so in between working shifts we were able to catch up and have some quality girl time! One of the few things I miss having with her. Hopefully we will have many more of those nights to come in the future now that she & her husband have moved from the Bay area and back closer to Asheville. Woo hoo!I have a girlfriend here that drives me nuts. Don't get me wrong, I do value our friendship but she is one of those people who does not shut up. She just goes on and on and on and on......and on and on and on and on......and on and on and on and...well you get the picture. I've gotten to the point where I just really tune her out a lot b/c it's all the same old stuff which becomes really draining. I know I probably sound like a horrible friend but truly I am not. I'm just becoming more detached from this relationship due to the fact that I don't feel supported in this friendship nor do I feel nourished. I'm just tired of feeling mentally drained after talking with her, or shall I say after listening to her. I had an aunt pass away towards the end of June after a long battle with cancer. She was my dad's sister, the oldest of three. I only saw her about three times in my life, twice that I can remember. She lived most of her adult life in Arizona where she was a professor at Arizona State University. There was never frequent phone calls for family chats as I was growing up. Maybe a letter or two and always a holiday card but that was about the extent of our family communication. I knew she was a smart woman and had a great job but I knew very little of her or about her. Her oldest daughter Julie wrote a wonderful memorial of her life which my dad had sent me. I never really knew that she led such an interesting life. She was apparently very smart and savvy with a great sense of style and humor. Why that part of her life was never shared while I was growing up I will never know. According to the memorial, she and her husband traveled quite a bit. Why they never traveled to Arkansas for a family visit is beyond me. She didn't even come out for my brother's funeral when he had died unexpectedly many, many years ago. At that time she had said that she & her husband were too busy with their jobs or had too many ties and were unable to get away. Or something like that. All I know that is was just a weird excuse and a really crappy way of supporting my dad aka her brother. I truly have no ill will toward her and I am glad that her suffering is over. I am very grateful that she & my dad became closer over the last couple of years as she became a comfort and counselor for my dad during the divorce crap between my parents. I just wish that she could have been a more active family member within our family unit despite the hundreds of miles that kept us apart. There is no telling what kind of impact she would have made in our corner of the world. elizinashe
