catch up

Nuvaring
At around the two-week mark my emotions started to level off and I felt like Willow again, rather than the Amazing Hormone Girl. No noticeable weight gain, no hurty watermelon boobs, no migrains. There was some “spotting,” which I have been assured is normal during the first month of a low-dose birth control. So… yeah. I think I am going to stick with it for a while. I mean, the timer is really cool. :-)
Weird Things I Learned About My Body Since My Last Post
So it turns out that I was injured in the car accident after all. About two weeks after it happened I started to have really intense neck pain and headaches, so I went to my chiropractor who sent me for x-rays which confirmed that I have a cervical sprain. I’ve been going in for adjustments twice a week and massage once a week (I’m not complaining!) and I’m feeling way better. It’s all covered by my car insurance, which is surprising and awesome. Anyway, the radiologist discovered some other weird things about my body when looking for the sprain. Like I have some scoliosis (sp?). Not metal brace-worthy or anything, but still there is some unwanted spine curvature there. The funny thing is that it explains a bunch of mysteries about my body that have been plaguing me. Like, I need regular chiropractic care because my pelvis gets twisted pretty frequently, making one leg a little longer than the other. Why?! I am a healthy 26 year old! My pelvis ought to be in great shape, right? Well, if my spine is twisted it makes sense that my pelvis would twist, too! Pelvis mystery SOLVED! Also I have a rib in my chest that is protruding. Until now there has been no explanation (other than the romantic self-created myth that my heart is simply too large for my body.) But rib problems are a common symptom of scoliosis! Bony chest mystery SOLVED! Finally, every time I sit in a massage chair those dumb rollers hurt more than help when they roll up my spine. Because my spine is crooked! Brookstone discomfort mystery SOLVED! Thank you scoliosis, for providing a simple explanation for a smorgasbord of nagging concerns!
Also detected by the radiologist: I have a disorder called “Straight Back Syndrome.” Seem somewhat incongruous with the scoliosis (aka crooked back syndrome) , right? Well, that just shows what you (and I) know! Basically my upper spine does not arc as it is meant to, which means my chest cavity is too small. People with this disorder are prone to heart murmurs. Heart murmurs, do you say? Well that’s funny, considering I WAS BORN WITH A HEART MURMUR THAT WENT AWAY ON ITS OWN!!! Questions. Answers. It’s like season 3 of Lost, right here in the x-ray room! This disorder is not that serious, either. Eventually I should talk to a cardiologist, but I’m young and healthy and everything is cool. It’s just a good thing to know about for Later when I’m Old. Isn’t modern technology wonderful?
School
Oh, god. Where to even start? It’s going well, but it’s really, really hard and some days I am convinced that I am not cut out for it. But overall… oh, I don’t know! Ask me next summer. I’m too deep in the forest right now. My kids are great- very loving and funny. They are all builders. During Choice time, there will be one or two girls drawing pictures while 20 other kids build structures out of Legos, blocks, Marble Maze-anything they can find. Towers, bridges, you name it. My kids love to build. It’s funny, because the 1st grade class next door largely ignores their building stations. Why are my kids such engineers? It’s really endearing. I have lots of stories about them, but it’s Sunday night and I’m not ready to focus on my class right now. I’m trying to eek out the last drops of weekend before I hunker down in Teacher Land. Sigh.
Television
I have been so into television since school started. These are the shows I watch on TV: LOST, ANTM, and Project Runway. Well, PR is over, but I was watching it. I want to add in 30 Rock, Amazing Race, Heroes, and Studio 60, but haven’t yet. I also have an open invitation to watch SNL with Steve, but so far I haven’t been able to stay up late enough for it. Pathetic, Willow! On a Saturday night? Really unforgivable. I’m starting to build some endurance, though. It used to be that I was asleep by 9 on Fridays, and this week I made it to 11:30. So maybe by January I’ll have the stamina. (Pathetic!) Anyway. Mike and I just finished watching the Firefly series on DVD. Oh, Firefly, I love you so! I love your Old West sensibilities, I love how you flirt with formula, I love your alien swears. Why did you depart so prematurely? I need more Kayley, more Wash, more Jayne! Tonight Mike and I will say goodbye forever by watching Serenity, the movie that was made after you were cancelled to tie up all of your plot lines. I wish it could last forever! We watched the first disc of Battlestar Galactica this morning, but I can’t help but be resentful of it. Why did it succeed where you failed? Their captain doesn’t make dirty jokes! How can I love a captain that doesn’t make dirty jokes? I am not optimistic.
Friends
I miss my friends. I’m trying to be good about being social, but I’m basically game for happy hours and that’s it these days. Any hang outs that occur after 7pm are guaranteed to find me in a zombie-like state. Thus all the TV watching, I guess. Weekends I’ve been lying low, sleeping a lot, trying to stretch out the time. I’ve got to get a better system going, though. I feel like I’m losing touch with my homies and I don’t like it! On the other hand, Mike has very graciously adopted my schedule, waking up ungodly early with me and going to sleep long before any reasonable young person should. I might sound sarcastic, but I’m actually incredibly touched and grateful for his company. He insists he likes the extra motivation to get up early, but honestly. Who of sound mind would chose to rise before the sun? He’s a nice guy.
Money
Turns out I don’t actually make that much, after taxes. About what I made waitressing in New York, as a matter of fact. It’s depressing, considering I have a Master’s degree (and all the debt that accompanies it). But I have benefits and membership in a Union and a retirement plan, so I can’t really complain (even though I do. A lot.). And every year I am in the district I will make a little more, so it’ll be cool. Also, I do love gambling, so there’s always that option for doubling my earnings.
Treats
I’m learning that in order to get through this tough first year, I need lots of little treats to look forward to. Last weekend Mike and I went to Bend for a night. We stayed at the McMennemins there, in a room that had two bathtubs side by side in the bathroom! Like in cowboy times! It just happened that the Bend Film Festival was going on while we were there, so we went to see John Waters give a lecture. It was very funny. And also very gross. Today Mike brought me waffles and coffee in bed (he is very very nice!), and we watched the aforementioned Battlestar Galactica show. What should I look forward to for next weekend? It’s hard to match John Waters and waffles.
So that’s it, I guess. I’m sorry I got so far behind. It’s been tough, tiring times. But my spirits are pretty good, at the moment. Less weeping than last time I posted, anyway. I have a three day weekend coming up in a couple weeks, and then it’s not long until Thanksgiving. Baby steps, Bob, baby steps.