Well, things have been going ok. The job hunt has been slow, although I did have an interview last week. It's with a local travel agency that I've always noticed and sort of dreamed about. They do adventure trips for family, and these would qualify as luxury prices. They are looking for a customer service oriented person to make sure that all of the details of the trip are worked out and communicated to the customer. It's actually ideal, but ... not as much as I made as a manager. I could get by, but it would be nice to start a little bit higher.
It's an entry-level job and they were a little bit afraid that I was over-qualified for the job. I told them that I didn't mind that because I was new to the field and I needed to be at entry-level in order to learn. But I know what their true worry is - if it's not enough, how long before I leave.
In other news, I have been doing well at the workouts. My weight hasn't changed in the last couple of weeks, which is a little disheartening, but I haven't really been changing my diet since the gals visited. And I still haven't had my last session with my trainer.
Work is actually pretty good. The money sucks, but I guess that's the sacrifice that you make for less responsibility. Meanwhile, EVERYONE tells me that I look so much more relaxed and happier now. Now I know I made the right decision.
We have a show next week. I'm excited.
I have big plans for summer. I'm going to try to join a beach volleyball league. Shocking, I know.
When am I going to Switzerland? That is in the works. Richmond in October? Definitely.
So ... as you can see, I have lots to look forward to.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Stick my neck out
I only have one session left with my trainer. I am so sad. I wonder if I'd be able to start a regular friendship with this guy. Cause in addition to being so good-looking, he seems kinda cool. But maybe only cause he's always cheering me on and telling me how great I am ... at working out.
My last session was Wednesday. We updated the routine that I usually do for strenth training. It's 8 different sets, each set done for 2 minutes with as much intensity as I can give it. It's things like bicep curls and chest presses, and sit-ups/crunches. Those were killer. And then repeat these for a total of three times.
Then yesterday, my throat started to hurt. And I was worried because my friend Kati was sick with something and I didn't want to come down with what she had. I kept feeling my throat and it felt swollen and tender. Otherwise, I felt fine. But I was worried.
So last night, I went to the gym. I decided to do the whole strength training routine. I still felt fine. I did some cardio and I knocked out most of the sets. And then I realized when I did my first crunch why my throat was sore. I had worked so hard to do the crunches on Wednesday that I was sore from my abs all the way up to my neck. I just didn't feel it as much in my abs because I've been working them out.
Oh my god. I've never been sore in my NECK. I hope I don't end up like those weightlifters who have NO neck.
Now I just have to work up the nerve to flirt with my trainer.
My last session was Wednesday. We updated the routine that I usually do for strenth training. It's 8 different sets, each set done for 2 minutes with as much intensity as I can give it. It's things like bicep curls and chest presses, and sit-ups/crunches. Those were killer. And then repeat these for a total of three times.
Then yesterday, my throat started to hurt. And I was worried because my friend Kati was sick with something and I didn't want to come down with what she had. I kept feeling my throat and it felt swollen and tender. Otherwise, I felt fine. But I was worried.
So last night, I went to the gym. I decided to do the whole strength training routine. I still felt fine. I did some cardio and I knocked out most of the sets. And then I realized when I did my first crunch why my throat was sore. I had worked so hard to do the crunches on Wednesday that I was sore from my abs all the way up to my neck. I just didn't feel it as much in my abs because I've been working them out.
Oh my god. I've never been sore in my NECK. I hope I don't end up like those weightlifters who have NO neck.
Now I just have to work up the nerve to flirt with my trainer.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Life's little annoyances
Good news - Mom is perfectly fine. They did a cath AND they went in thru the esophagus, taking pictures above and below the heart and they couldn't find any damage. She has a little bit of plaque build-up on the top of her heart, but not enough that it would have caused a blockage or clot. So ... they don't know what caused the heart attack. Great. That's actually not as comforting as you might think. They have some theories, but really there isn't anything more to do. Just go back to your every day lives.
I went down this past weekend and stayed for 5 days. It was nice. My mother was participating in a community yard sale and selling her flowers on Saturday, so I helped with that. The other days she just watered her garden. Trying to get her to rest is near impossible. In fact, I think she over-did it in an effort to show me that she's perfectly fine. We did have a minor blow-up where she got herself worked up because she wanted to get things loaded for the yard sale early. She thinks it's business as usual, but me and Dad were trying to make her understand that things are different now. No, she doesn't agree.
I enjoyed the visit. I had some blue crabs (although they were very small). I had some Carl's ice cream. Plus Mom and Dad made steaks. Yeah ... healthy eating. We don't know what that is in the Russell family.
You know, you think you miss certain things about home. Or maybe there are things you don't miss, but you remember them and you're grateful you don't have to endure them anymore. Like I miss blue crabs. I don't miss the humidity. I miss Carl's ice cream. I don't miss yardwork. But then there are the things that you forgot about.
Like mosquitoes. When you live in Virginia, they're just a part of life. They mean summer. You learn that the little ones are actually worse than the big ones. And then when you don't have to deal with mosquitoes anymore, you forget. You forget about how they feel when they touch down on your skin, that little twinge right before you realize you got bitten. And then when you go back and experience it, you think, "how did I live like this? It's INHUMANE."
Or Daddy Long Legs. Again, just a part of life. A needless, annoying, freaky-outy part of life. I was cleaning my Mom's house, and I thought I noticed a hair on my shirt. When I looked down to brush it off, it was a Daddy Long Legs. You'd think they were paying the mortgage in that house.
Here I am back in Watertown, back to my every day life. Which I really do need to concentrate on a little more.
I went down this past weekend and stayed for 5 days. It was nice. My mother was participating in a community yard sale and selling her flowers on Saturday, so I helped with that. The other days she just watered her garden. Trying to get her to rest is near impossible. In fact, I think she over-did it in an effort to show me that she's perfectly fine. We did have a minor blow-up where she got herself worked up because she wanted to get things loaded for the yard sale early. She thinks it's business as usual, but me and Dad were trying to make her understand that things are different now. No, she doesn't agree.
I enjoyed the visit. I had some blue crabs (although they were very small). I had some Carl's ice cream. Plus Mom and Dad made steaks. Yeah ... healthy eating. We don't know what that is in the Russell family.
You know, you think you miss certain things about home. Or maybe there are things you don't miss, but you remember them and you're grateful you don't have to endure them anymore. Like I miss blue crabs. I don't miss the humidity. I miss Carl's ice cream. I don't miss yardwork. But then there are the things that you forgot about.
Like mosquitoes. When you live in Virginia, they're just a part of life. They mean summer. You learn that the little ones are actually worse than the big ones. And then when you don't have to deal with mosquitoes anymore, you forget. You forget about how they feel when they touch down on your skin, that little twinge right before you realize you got bitten. And then when you go back and experience it, you think, "how did I live like this? It's INHUMANE."
Or Daddy Long Legs. Again, just a part of life. A needless, annoying, freaky-outy part of life. I was cleaning my Mom's house, and I thought I noticed a hair on my shirt. When I looked down to brush it off, it was a Daddy Long Legs. You'd think they were paying the mortgage in that house.
Here I am back in Watertown, back to my every day life. Which I really do need to concentrate on a little more.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
And the Oscar goes to ...
Hey! Here's the whole show. Let me know if you have problems watching it.
http://blip.tv/file/3600586
http://blip.tv/file/3600586
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Fighting Hunger, Not Our Age (although I want to)
What a week! Let's start with the good stuff.
The gals visited last weekend. We had a fabulous time! Of course, we did. It's what we do. We did a little sight-seeing. We had some clam chowda. We, sorry, I got a little drunk. I still suck at flirting. We also walked 14 miles. Don't believe me? Screw you. We did. It was so hot that day too. Also, there was no potable water. Boston was under a boil water order. As it turns out, the water was safe to drink all along, but the governor didn't want to take chances. It gave a lot of people the excuse to have parties and drink alcohol because there wasn't anything else to drink. The girls finished off their visit by coming to see me practice improv, which I loved and later prompted about 3 of them to ask if Jen was single and all of them to ask exactly what a competitive analyst does.
P.S. I lost a whole pound from all that walking.
P.P.S. I got your note, Leanne.
They were also here when I went to the temp agency to interview. It was just a preliminary interview to see what I was looking for and what I might be a good fit for. I'm optimistic about it and I really liked that the agency was honest with me. So here's hoping that goes well. I am still looking on my own and I might even try another agency. That is what they recommended.
As it turns out, they made me switch departments at work. The new department is ok. The best part of about it is the complete lack of responsibility that I have. I love it! It's literally not my problem any more. Awesome! Of course, I don't plan to stay there; I am looking for something outside of retail, but in the meanwhile, it's ok. Here's hoping I find something good soon.
On Friday night, we had a show. It was the final show for one of our players (quite possibly the best). He's awesome and we will surely miss him. We'll plagiarize his characters often, of course. But he's going on to things that he's excited about and that's always a good thing.
But that's when I got the bad news. My sister and dad had actually left messages for me right as the show started (which I checked) but since they didn't say what it was, I thought it was best to wait until after the show to call back. It's not good to have distractions. I'm glad I did, but I feel guilty about it now.
My mom had a heart attack. She's fine. It was mild and they got to the hospital in plenty of time. For what it was, she's going to be ok. They are doing a cath on Monday to check her heart. She's in the hospital right now so they can watch her. With her history of high blood pressure, and she's had a heart murmur her whole life, that was probably the best thing to do. The hard part will be getting her to take it easy when she gets home. According to my dad, she was most upset about missing out on Mother's Day for her flower business. She made my dad promise that he would sell while she was in the hospital.
I'm going down on Wednesday. I'll stay for a few days to make sure that she doesn't over do it. It sucks getting older. Not just because of all the things it does to you (could we have walked all 20 miles?) but because everything around you gets older too and sometimes we're not so prepared for that. It's a shocking realization that your parents aren't permanent. Another milestone for all the B-day Gals.
So what did I do after the show? I went out for Chinese with the rest of them. After all, we should live every day as if it were our last.
The gals visited last weekend. We had a fabulous time! Of course, we did. It's what we do. We did a little sight-seeing. We had some clam chowda. We, sorry, I got a little drunk. I still suck at flirting. We also walked 14 miles. Don't believe me? Screw you. We did. It was so hot that day too. Also, there was no potable water. Boston was under a boil water order. As it turns out, the water was safe to drink all along, but the governor didn't want to take chances. It gave a lot of people the excuse to have parties and drink alcohol because there wasn't anything else to drink. The girls finished off their visit by coming to see me practice improv, which I loved and later prompted about 3 of them to ask if Jen was single and all of them to ask exactly what a competitive analyst does.
P.S. I lost a whole pound from all that walking.
P.P.S. I got your note, Leanne.
They were also here when I went to the temp agency to interview. It was just a preliminary interview to see what I was looking for and what I might be a good fit for. I'm optimistic about it and I really liked that the agency was honest with me. So here's hoping that goes well. I am still looking on my own and I might even try another agency. That is what they recommended.
As it turns out, they made me switch departments at work. The new department is ok. The best part of about it is the complete lack of responsibility that I have. I love it! It's literally not my problem any more. Awesome! Of course, I don't plan to stay there; I am looking for something outside of retail, but in the meanwhile, it's ok. Here's hoping I find something good soon.
On Friday night, we had a show. It was the final show for one of our players (quite possibly the best). He's awesome and we will surely miss him. We'll plagiarize his characters often, of course. But he's going on to things that he's excited about and that's always a good thing.
But that's when I got the bad news. My sister and dad had actually left messages for me right as the show started (which I checked) but since they didn't say what it was, I thought it was best to wait until after the show to call back. It's not good to have distractions. I'm glad I did, but I feel guilty about it now.
My mom had a heart attack. She's fine. It was mild and they got to the hospital in plenty of time. For what it was, she's going to be ok. They are doing a cath on Monday to check her heart. She's in the hospital right now so they can watch her. With her history of high blood pressure, and she's had a heart murmur her whole life, that was probably the best thing to do. The hard part will be getting her to take it easy when she gets home. According to my dad, she was most upset about missing out on Mother's Day for her flower business. She made my dad promise that he would sell while she was in the hospital.
I'm going down on Wednesday. I'll stay for a few days to make sure that she doesn't over do it. It sucks getting older. Not just because of all the things it does to you (could we have walked all 20 miles?) but because everything around you gets older too and sometimes we're not so prepared for that. It's a shocking realization that your parents aren't permanent. Another milestone for all the B-day Gals.
So what did I do after the show? I went out for Chinese with the rest of them. After all, we should live every day as if it were our last.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Phantom Job Pains
Well, the really big news is that I'm stepping down as a manager at my current source of income. This is effective May 1 ... the day before I walk 20 miles. Not that those things are correlated.
It was a tough decision and it felt a lot like breaking up with an old boyfriend. You just knew it wasn't working out, but you hung on, thinking that it'll get better, but really only cause it was comfortable. Well, I had to admit to myself that I was unhappy and staying wasn't fixing that.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Ginger, it's going to be ok. If this is what makes you happy, then it's what you should do. You will find something else that makes you even happier."
You're thinking, "Life's too short. We should live each day as if it is our last."
I tried that, but people got tired of me screaming, "I'M GOING TO DIE!!! I'M GOING TO DIE!!! I'M GOING TO DIE!!!"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Oh, that was good. That was a birthday card someone gave me.
It was a tough decision and it felt a lot like breaking up with an old boyfriend. You just knew it wasn't working out, but you hung on, thinking that it'll get better, but really only cause it was comfortable. Well, I had to admit to myself that I was unhappy and staying wasn't fixing that.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Ginger, it's going to be ok. If this is what makes you happy, then it's what you should do. You will find something else that makes you even happier."
You're thinking, "Life's too short. We should live each day as if it is our last."
I tried that, but people got tired of me screaming, "I'M GOING TO DIE!!! I'M GOING TO DIE!!! I'M GOING TO DIE!!!"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Oh, that was good. That was a birthday card someone gave me.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Phantom tooth pains
So ... did I tell you about having a screw put in my jaw? No? Really? Well, compared to having both of one's jaws re-alligned, ain't no big thang. But ... I did have a screw put in my jaw.
That's right. For the implant. Last December, I went to my orthodontist - no, no, no. Let me go back further.
Last October, I went to an orthodontist and she took my last molar on my bottom right side out. It was tough. She said that it wasn't the hardest (like my Japanese dentist had said it was) extraction that she'd ever had to do but she would definitely put it in the top ten. I mean, she's got her foot up on the chair, and her assistant has me in a headlock and she is PULLING this tooth out. I guess my bone is so dense that it's difficult to extract my teeth. As if this wasn't hard enough, the fire alarm in the building went off right in the middle of her pulling it out. She wiped the sweat from her brow and said that we weren't leaving in the middle of this.
So it came out, I lived with a gaping hole for a couple of months and in December, I went back. This is when she screwed a metal rod into my jaw. She numbed it up good; drilled a hole into my jaw to start off; and then put a little metal pin on the end of a drill and slowly but surely drove it in. She told me the diameter at the time but hell if I remember it.
Anyhoo, I'm sitting there with my ipod on while she's doing this and I'm fine. I have a pretty good pain tolerance and dental work has never really bothered me, so I'm fine. Then I notice that she's got a bit of a furrowed brow. And her drill is making this whining noise, as if it's trying to turn but can't. I'm thinking, wow, I must REALLY have dense bone. So I shut off my ipod and she explains that she can't back the metal pin out. The drill won't reverse. She doesn't think it's a problem but she wanted to be sure that she could back it out, in case she needed to reallign the bolt in my jaw. Plus, it's gone in just a little too far. So their only alternative now is to back it out by hand. Ok, well, whatever, do your job, I think.
The orthodontist puts the drill away and picks up a small L-shaped tool, only 2-3 inches long. The assistant puts me in a headlock. The orthodontist puts the tool in my mouth. And she RATCHETS the metal pin back out.
RATCHETS!!!
That I could not take. My head is shaking back and forth from the ratcheting. Her hand is moving back and forth in my mouth. It's making that ratcheting NOISE. It was like nails on a chalkboard.
I got through it. I mouth breathed through the whole thing. I clenched the side of the chair. I didn't think that would be the thing to get me, but it was.
Once the pin was in, they had to let the gum heal around it. Then 4 months later, they use an impression of my original tooth to make my new tooth, which they'll screw to the top of the metal pin. My regular (dreamy) dentist does this.
Today I went in for some preliminaries. Right now, I have a temporary tooth made from PVC pipe (his words). It's molded in the shape of my original tooth, but they had to grind it down to fit my mouth. Apparently, not having a tooth in that space for so long, my tongue and cheek have gotten used to it. Now it feels like my tongue and cheek are swollen because they're butting up against it. The dentist told me that I'd get used to it.
The hardest thing to get used to is chewing on BOTH sides of my mouth again. All day long, I kept catching myself chewing on my left side. Then when I made myself chew equally, it just felt weird.
Well, in a couple of weeks, they'll check it again, and in a month, my permanent tooth will be in. And then I'll have to think of new reasons to go see my handsome dentist.
That's right. For the implant. Last December, I went to my orthodontist - no, no, no. Let me go back further.
Last October, I went to an orthodontist and she took my last molar on my bottom right side out. It was tough. She said that it wasn't the hardest (like my Japanese dentist had said it was) extraction that she'd ever had to do but she would definitely put it in the top ten. I mean, she's got her foot up on the chair, and her assistant has me in a headlock and she is PULLING this tooth out. I guess my bone is so dense that it's difficult to extract my teeth. As if this wasn't hard enough, the fire alarm in the building went off right in the middle of her pulling it out. She wiped the sweat from her brow and said that we weren't leaving in the middle of this.
So it came out, I lived with a gaping hole for a couple of months and in December, I went back. This is when she screwed a metal rod into my jaw. She numbed it up good; drilled a hole into my jaw to start off; and then put a little metal pin on the end of a drill and slowly but surely drove it in. She told me the diameter at the time but hell if I remember it.
Anyhoo, I'm sitting there with my ipod on while she's doing this and I'm fine. I have a pretty good pain tolerance and dental work has never really bothered me, so I'm fine. Then I notice that she's got a bit of a furrowed brow. And her drill is making this whining noise, as if it's trying to turn but can't. I'm thinking, wow, I must REALLY have dense bone. So I shut off my ipod and she explains that she can't back the metal pin out. The drill won't reverse. She doesn't think it's a problem but she wanted to be sure that she could back it out, in case she needed to reallign the bolt in my jaw. Plus, it's gone in just a little too far. So their only alternative now is to back it out by hand. Ok, well, whatever, do your job, I think.
The orthodontist puts the drill away and picks up a small L-shaped tool, only 2-3 inches long. The assistant puts me in a headlock. The orthodontist puts the tool in my mouth. And she RATCHETS the metal pin back out.
RATCHETS!!!
That I could not take. My head is shaking back and forth from the ratcheting. Her hand is moving back and forth in my mouth. It's making that ratcheting NOISE. It was like nails on a chalkboard.
I got through it. I mouth breathed through the whole thing. I clenched the side of the chair. I didn't think that would be the thing to get me, but it was.
Once the pin was in, they had to let the gum heal around it. Then 4 months later, they use an impression of my original tooth to make my new tooth, which they'll screw to the top of the metal pin. My regular (dreamy) dentist does this.
Today I went in for some preliminaries. Right now, I have a temporary tooth made from PVC pipe (his words). It's molded in the shape of my original tooth, but they had to grind it down to fit my mouth. Apparently, not having a tooth in that space for so long, my tongue and cheek have gotten used to it. Now it feels like my tongue and cheek are swollen because they're butting up against it. The dentist told me that I'd get used to it.
The hardest thing to get used to is chewing on BOTH sides of my mouth again. All day long, I kept catching myself chewing on my left side. Then when I made myself chew equally, it just felt weird.
Well, in a couple of weeks, they'll check it again, and in a month, my permanent tooth will be in. And then I'll have to think of new reasons to go see my handsome dentist.
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