Friday, April 15, 2011

Spring Break, baby

It's finally here: Spring Break! Yippee. The kids were so wound up today that I was looking forward to a break from some of them. Several of them have developed a bad case of spring fever/puberty angst and their mouthiness and disrespect are really ticking me off.

Nevertheless, we're apart for a week and when we return all shall be right within our worlds once again. Or so I hope.

Big news: the new undergarments have arrived and they fit. Huzzah! It's hard for short but large women to purchase panties when everyone seems to make them differently even when they are all supposed to be the same size. I know, I know... Really? We're talking about panties? I suppose I am, so I apologize for that.

On to other things like the fact that BJM stopped by this afternoon to put together another bookshelf for me. That is the beginning of "Clean Your Crap Up Week. This is the week where we are shredding the extraneous papers, recycling the magazines, throwing out the old, dusting off that which remains, and doing some crafting in there also. I am actually looking forward to having a nice, organized apartment again.

I'll be making a trip out to see my mom tomorrow and we'll be doing the church and dinner thing. No plans for Sunday but cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Off to the neuro on Monday and to Tysabri on Tuesday. Monday afternoon I am visiting my upline from Stampin' Up! and then Tuesday night is Team Time so I need to get some cards ready for that. Thursday is card making time with friends as we play with the Big Shot embosser and cutting system. I also plan to try and get an eye doctor visit in there, if at all possible.

There's still plenty of time for cleaning and organizing though. It's a new season and it's time for a literal and figurative breath of fresh air.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

What happened to March?

Not only what happened to March, but what the heck happened to me, ye olde trusty blogger? I have to admit folks that I need new topics to write about because my MS is in remission, my diabetes I'm not focusing on much (which reminded me to go take my blood sugar for the first time in ten days!), and school is going okay.

In short, which is what I am for those of you who know me in real life, life is just ducky.

My MS Walk team is getting revved up and ready to go for our May 1st walk. We're a small team compared to some but we're mighty in spirit. Right now we are third for team fundraising and I am first for individual fundraising for the Syracuse, NY walk. I'm just thrilled with that even if I am behind compared to last year's amount. I know the economy is tanking and discretionary spending doesn't necessarily include donations to the NMSS. However, I am thankful to all who have been generous in time, spirit, and donations of goods and cold hard cash.

The diabetes thing is a bit of a problem because even though my A1C is dropping it's not because I have made a concerted effort to change things. Since my Dad's death in November I have been a huge slacker in this area. I rarely check my blood sugar weekly, let alone check it twice a day. I am trying to remember all my meds but often forget my Victoza shot in the morning. My other meds give me the "runs" which are oh so pleasant, especially when you already have some bowel and bladder issues due to MS.

I know this is TMI but I have lost more panties due to sudden explosions than I care to count. I just ordered some new ones online to replace the casualties. Now back to your unregularly scheduled program...

So diabetes is something I need to conquer. I can do it, was doing it, until Dad died. Then some things fell apart, like me, and the diabetes thing got lost in the shuffle. I keep telling myself I'll start to take better care of myself and then I don't. Maybe I need to write more about that. Maybe the blog needs to take a diabetes slant for a bit. I mean, I do fancy my eyesight and all my limbs and such. It would be a tragedy to survive and thrive with MS and then go blind or need something amputated in the future.

I also need to start really exercising again. I have been walking in my little apartment to get prepared for our big walk. Last year there was no turn around sign so we kept on walking extra and I absolutely plan against doing that this year. I know where to look now and plan to do three mile minimum (or less, if I can get away with it). I have people at work that tell me they don't walk and I want to tell them that neither do I on a regular, athletic basis. I know I need to but I just don't. Walking after work puts a real dent in my napping time.

It is Spring now and I am loving that. I drive to work with the sun coming up on the driver's side as I go to school. I sometimes leave in the afternoon and can open the sunroof. Oh what a joy that is! When you live in a place that snows from October/November to April/May, spring is a welcome sight, sound, and smell. There's nothing quite like fresh blades of green grass and flowers poking up through the formerly frozen ground.

Oh, the card making thing is going swimmingly also. Did I tell you I joined Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator? I was thinking about doing it, decided against it, and then completely changed my mind and did it. Just jumped in with both feet, boom. Now I am making a little bit of money doing something fun that I enjoy. Something besides teaching that is.

Speaking/typing of teaching... today is a half day for the kiddos and so is tomorrow for parent-teacher conferences. I'll be working until sometime around 6 tonight but then leaving early Friday. Then, blissfully, I will be off all next week for vacation. I'm not going anywhere, except for my Tysabri appointment and to the neurologist and a few fun side trips mixed in to work on cards and such. Sleeping in, if Edison allows it, will be fabulous.

So, in a nutshell, this nut is doing okay in spite of all the challenges that life has thrown at me for the last year. I hope you're doing well, too.