Vacation Time!!! Ha Ha Ya Right.

I'm technically on vacation this week and next week.   Yet, I just finished an online training for the Red Cross.   And I taught a babysitting course for them yesterday.   Time off, ya right.   I have a training with them tomorrow too in the frick'n evening that I'm not happy about.   I had much better plans for the evening that have to be postponed now.   Strike 100 for the Red Cross.   I cannot wait to resign from that organization.  


I am impressed that LeAnn continues to read.  I need to get back on a schedule with reading since I have several books sitting around in my bedroom.   I'll give some feedback about some movies though since Gavin and I are trying to be diligent with Netflix.   I also saw "Trainwreck" in the theater and was pretty pleased.    I don't think it was as good as "Bridesmaids" but I did like the serious parts of the movie and her humor jives with mine nicely.   It was nice to go to a movie while on a date too.    I couldn't have seen that movie with Gavin anyway...super awkward.  


Movies from Netflix:


"Salt"---Angelina Jolie movie about Russian spies and shenanigans.   The plot twist was pretty good.    We both liked it.  


"Anchorman 2"---not sure if I've written about this one, sorry if it's a repeat.    But that being said, maybe we all need another reminder about how blah the movie was.   It was not a good sequel.  


"Blue Jasmine"--honestly added this to my list because it won awards so I figured it would be OK.   It was very boring.   The main character is struggling because she's lost her lavish lifestyle after he husband is imprisoned and she is single.   It's supposed to be one of those stories where she learns a lesson about selfishness I guess but really doesn't.


"Transcendence"---I really liked this Johnny Depp movie.   The evolution of technology and the loss of control makes the story a little scary.   It was done very well though.  


"Noah"--I had held off on seeing this for years because of the mixed reviews.    I can see why some religious groups were not happy with the story.   I do feel it was accurately depicted though in terms of Noah having survivor's remorse and struggling with his mission from God.   It was rather long but I liked it in general.


"Pearl Jam Twenty"--I first saw this by accident on VH1 one night and for some reason really liked it.  I wasn't even a Pearl Jam fan back in the day but after learning about the backstory and history of the band, the group has grown on me.    I could honestly watch this documentary every month.    Weird I know.


"The Railway Man"--This movie was added because Colin Firth is a nice actor to look at and I like his other movies.   It was actually based on a true story.   The main character was actually a POW in World War II and he's struggling with PTSD.    He goes back to his prisoner camp to get revenge but ends up forgiven one of the main men that tortured him.   Some parts are very difficult to watch considering what was done during torture but a very good story in general.


"Maleficent"---Yes another Angelina Jolie movie but I was curious to see how the "Sleeping Beauty" story was depicted from the villain's point of view.    The ending was done very well, I don't want to give it away if others want to see the movie.    Of course Maleficent's anger stems from a man being a jerk.   Go figure.  


We are pretty excited to see family this weekend.   It will be fun to celebrate Mike's wedding.   I doubt anything will get too wild.    I'm also looking forward to the upcoming Czech Days activities too.   Always nice to see so much family prior to a new semester starting.  


I am still seeing the new gentleman that was mentioned in a previous blog entry.   His name is Daniel but goes by Danno.    I find myself calling him Danny or Dan though.    Still trying to figure out what to address him by.   He actually came up to ISU with me today so I could do a few things in the office.    I've really never had coworkers meet boyfriends.    I think Jon went to one Christmas thing for work and many people commented they didn't remember what he looked like.   It's nice to be seeing someone that is genuinely interested in what I do for work and wants to attend future social activities with me.    It will feel odd not trying to "sell" or talk him into going with me.   He works at the Lutheran hospital in Des Moines and helps kids/teens with behavior and mental concerns.    Very commendable work considering how stressful and trying that type of sociology work can be.    I'm sure the more I continue to see him, the more I'll reveal in this blog.   Baby steps.  


Ok, this is officially long enough now.   Time to find a funny phrase or picture.  

The End is Here....And I Wish I Felt Better

July 30...last day of Summer Youth Fitness.    Typically I'd be jumping for joy and attempting back flips but I feel awful today.    If I remember correctly, lower back pain can cause other issues so that may be why I feel so nauseated and gross.   For the last two hours I've had the "hot and cold"feeling which isn't fun when I'm running all over for the camp.    Coincidentally we've had a decent number of injuries within the first hour of the program so I feel like a nurse.    Nothing like dry-heaving when you're trying to make a kid feel better.    It's amazing how a Band-Aid causes crying to stop for a child though.

I am counting down the hours until 5:00pm so I can go home, shower, and crawl into bed.    I don't feel tired thankfully but I just want to lay and be still.    Part of me wonders if my body recognizes the program is over and all my stress from the past eight weeks is in full physical effect.   The Family Night event went fairly well.   Hy-Vee catering was extremely late bringing our food though so I'm working with them to compensate money for our stress last night.    My favorite conversation with them last night (at 5:40pm)--"Our fruit trays have not arrived yet."   "Sorry to hear that but they aren't supposed to be delivered until 5:15pm"   "Umm...do you own a clock?"

In theory I have the next two weeks off from work but I will be doing some prep work for the fall semester.    I also need to finish prep for the graduate student orientation process too.    Luckily I can do most of it from home.    Gavin will be busy with football obligations so our ability to leave Ankeny is limited.    It bums me out the new semester will be starting so soon.    I don't feel like I get much of a summer anymore.

Things are going very well with the new fella in my life.    It's a new relationship so I'm not going to jump to conclusions but it's very nice to be seeing someone that is so compatible with my interests and likes.    I've looked forward to seeing him in the past couple weeks.   I must say that it's nice to have someone so kind and considerate in my life too.    Sad to say but I wasn't used to having that type of personality in my life in the past years.  

I guess that's all I have to report on for now.    I'm curious about how much I currently weigh but don't have access to the calibrated scale at work.   Most of my clothes are getting big on me so I have that reassurance.   Another nice perk with the new guy....he likes to be active.    I'm hoping to play more tennis in general during the month of August.  

Excitement and Progress

Time for another update.   As I stare at the calendar I'm rather bummed that the end of July is approaching so quickly.    The summer camp ends next week so I'll have time off prior to the semester starting but it will feel odd to not be swamped with work.   But I guarantee I'll be back to complaining about my workload by August 24.    My energy level is still pretty elevated so my productivity at work is fabulous.   I must have been a total slug in the winter months because I'm getting a lot of positive comments from coworkers.  

I'm also pretty pleased because I'm not having such a rotten time meeting new people.   I've met a new fella that is pretty darn compatible so it's been fun getting to know each other.    I'm trying to keep my feet on the ground but it's been such a nice change.   It's really opened my eyes to situations I should not have tolerated in past years.   You don't need to sacrifice or change yourself.    I'm finally able to be myself and not worry about judgment.   It's a much needed relief.   More to come when/if the relationship progresses...

I had my second visit to the dentist for my periodontal procedure.   The first one was a delight on July 8 compared to what I went through yesterday.    They had a hell of a time getting my mouth to numb and I had to get stuck seven times.   By that point I had too much septocaine in my system and it made me super nauseated.   It would be AMAZING if I never get a cavity again or need the periodontal work done so I never need to deal with needles being jammed into my gums.

I officially received my teaching schedule for the fall.   It appears I am teaching a health methods course on MWF for elementary education majors.   I'm teaching a health methods course for secondary teachers on TR.    And I'm teaching the physical education methods class for elementary PE on MW.   I'll also run Swim & Gym again on TR afternoons.    I get to come in late on Tuesdays and Thursdays because I don't teach until 1pm on those days.    Supposedly I'll be teaching a Monday night course for DMACC and one online class.   We'll see how enrollment pans out.   Not holding my breath.  

Gavin's doing well with his job.    He worked his first overtime yesterday.   His main complaints are standing most of the day and the rash he gets from the corn stalks.    He's doing really well with waking up at 5:45am.   Most days he's actually up before me.    We are curious to see how far the job goes into August.    We'll have conflicts with football then.    Sigh.  

I guess that's all for now.   I feel like a warden today with how often I'm walking around and checking on naughty kids.    Time to make another round through the building.

Yup, Still Hate Needles

Greetings:

All kinds of good things going on lately.    I had a physical at the end of June and had a full lipid panel done to see what my blood can tell me about my health.    My cholesterol was over 200 last time I had it checked and I am down to 170 which is in the healthy range.    I was shocked to see such a drop but happy at the same time.   My triglycerides have dropped a lot too and are in the healthy range.   They are in the higher end of that range so I can still improve.    I've been out of the range in past years so it's another good change.   The blood draw process sucked and it sucked more than usual.   Usually I'm whiny and it hurts but it's over pretty quick.    This time they had a hard time getting my veins to cooperate and I got stuck a lot.    Then I got the awful "hot-cold" feeling and turned very white.    I ended up staying at the appointment for an extra 30 minutes because I had to drink apple juice and get rid of dizziness.    Stupid needles.

I've started the periodontal process at my dentist which also involves needles and lasers.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I didn't hurt the day after because the staff forewarned me of how sore I'd be the next day.    The injection sites hurt from the numbing process, that's it.   Only needed one dose of ibuprofen.  

The 4th of July was pretty decent.   I am pretty pleased with the amount of fun I'm having this summer.   It has been so much easier to be active and go out and do things.    I've been pretty mum about things but at this point I'm being more open about the fact that I've been treated for depression since last November.   Actually back in 2014 it was called dysthymia.  (I like how my computer keeps trying to correct that word and turn it to "hysteria".)  Dysthymia is a low level depression that results in poor self-esteem and motivation.    Back then I was put on generic bupropion to try and get my neurotransmitters back on board.    Sadly I think I dealt with that issue since probably 2013.   Earlier in 2015 I was placed on generic Prozac too.    I wasn't too thrilled about that as I wanted to be off the other med as soon as possible.    I begrudgingly started taking the second medication.    I was shocked after about 10 days as I felt completely different.    I have so much energy.   I'm sleeping well.   And best of all, it's really curbed my appetite.   I rarely feel hungry and when I do, I feel satisfied pretty quickly.    At my physical, I had dropped about 20 lbs in one month.   I could handle more months like that.

I was happy we went to the zoo and happy it wasn't too hot.   It was also fun playing tennis and volleyball.   I found out that a person can pop a vein.    Luckily it was fine by the next day.    I think the next big venture will be to travel to Waukon for a gathering with my high school friends.    It will be nice going up a lot in August too.

I'm curious to see how our summer program runs this week as it's supposed to be wicked hot.   I'm grateful the temperature is supposed to drop as the week progresses as we don't have access to our gyms Tuesday-Thursday.    But the gyms will be very warm too so you can't really win no matter where you are for the program.  

Gavin starts his job tomorrow.   It sounds like he will work partial days tomorrow and Tuesday because of the heat.   I've been emphasizing the need for him to develop a routine so his lunch is made at night and he gets to bed early enough so he can function at 5:45am.   Part of me wants to head to work after I drop him off at the bus but I'm betting I'll go home for a bit before heading to ISU.  

That's it for now!

Feeling Good

Greetings:

I'm feeling fantastic.    The past week or so has been wonderful in regards to my sleep, work, and energy levels.  I was bummed to have to work yesterday (Saturday) but the day went well.  It's becoming more and more difficult to work for the Red Cross.    It's easy money, especially in the summer but the administration is not up to par.  I'm on probation because I haven't taken a class that's rarely offered in Iowa.    Shame on me.  

It's lazy but Gavin and I are making a habit of watching movies for entertainment.    I watched "Nebraska".   It's completely in black and white.   Older man who's lost his independence due to old age thinks he's won a sweepstakes and is adamant to go to Nebraska to claim it.    The story brings up family issues and history.   It was OK, I'm not entirely sure why it won awards.   "Gravity" was very good.   They did well with the psychology of the matter.    As I stated on Facebook, I do not want to be an astronaut.   It seems pretty far-fetched that she survived.

We also saw "Jurassic World" not too long ago.   It was good.   I read about the movie and learned they made a point to make it seem like it follows the first movie and doesn't refer to any of the other two that were created (and bombed).   I didn't like the choice of the main female actress (Dallas Bryce Howard).   I think it's because she's played negative roles in other movies.   And the fact she ran around all the time in high heels?   What bullshit.   You know damn well she would have twisted her ankle pretty damn quick and a dinosaur would have eaten her.

I spent time today going through more boxes.    I still have a lot of paperwork to sort through.   It gets really boring.   I did get pictures and stuff hung up.    I think the placement looks good.  It was also therapeutic to remove someone's picture from some of the frames and rip them up.  

I thought I had more to report on but I really don't.   But hey, I blogged again.

Oh, yes Happy Father's Day!

Not a Bad Week

The first week of Summer Youth Fitness is in the books.    It was the best start we've had with me as the director so I'm happy about that.   Not many snafus or issues.    I did have some parents make some suggestions for our drop off and pick up procedures which irritated me as I don't think they understand what it takes to organize almost 120 children at one time.   I guess I should appreciate their concern but at the same token, just go with what has worked for years.

I'm having to hire two more people to help assist with activities as I had one person quit the week before we started and another cannot read his academic schedule apparently and can't come to work on Mondays and Wednesdays.    Factor in people missing due to planned vacations and unplanned issues, it won't hurt to have a couple more people on staff.

I start teaching my health course at ISU on Monday.   It's a tiny class again.   I think I had 9 students last summer and I currently have 7.   They can't cancel it because everyone is a teacher ed student and it will screw up their plan for student teaching and graduation.    Six of the students are seniors.   I'm excited for the small group.   I'm going to try some new tactics as I have been considering some changes in the past year.   I guess one plus is that my grading load will be low,

I have been plugging away at Netflix.   We watched "12 Years a Slave" recently and it was pretty decent.   Of course I prefer the book but the movie did a decent job capturing the character's history.   I had forgotten it was a true story.    Sadly Brad Pitt is hardly in it.    I also watched "Labor Day" today.   It was pretty good.   I did not like the ending.    Our next two movies are "Nebraska" and "Gravity".   "Nebraska" won awards so it was appealing however a preview was provided before "Labor Day" and it didn't really spark my interest.    I'll still watch it, maybe I'll be surprised.    I wish I had seen "Gravity" in theaters.    Something tells me it would be better on a the big screen.

I failed to mention I did start dating again.   No worries, I'm not anywhere near being swept off my feet.    I guess I'm mainly curious about what it's like now that I'm older.   It does feel odd to be with someone for so long and have to go back out and meet new people.   First date was with a guy named Keith and it was meh.    He had an odd sense of humor (laughed a lot of things that really didn't need to be laughed at) and he got weird about physical activity.    I don't like always going out to eat on a date especially since I'm on a strict budget.   I also don't like movies on a date because you can't talk.   So he and I went on a walk at Saylorville Lake.    I'm not sure how far we walked (I don't feel it was that far) but he didn't seem thrilled about a mile into it.   Toward the end of it as we were returning to the parking lot, he made a comment about how we should have turned around sooner.   I was wearing flip flops for Pete's sake and it wasn't that strenuous of an activity.    Maybe he had the same feeling as me during the walk and that was his way of saying we should have cut the date short.

I think that's enough of an update for now!

Now it Feels Like Summer

Summer Youth Fitness has started!    Year number five in regards to me directing the program.    I was so happy with the first day.    A few issues but nothing major.    I was crazy busy like usual but everything was under control.   I plan to still hire a couple more assistants though.   Definitely needed.  

Next week I start teaching a class in the mornings prior to the children's program.     As of today I only have seven students!!   I used to have more but enrollment has dropped.   Had it dropped earlier in May, the class would have been canceled.   I still need to work on my syllabus and work on my prep.  

We've been making good progress on our Netflix list.   We recently watched "The Book Thief" which was OK.   I still want to read the book.    Also saw "Philomena" which was an interesting true story.   We're currently watching "The Butler" which I like due to the historical significance.    It's also a true story.    We also have "12 Years a Slave" on the way.    I really liked the book so I'm hoping the book meets expectations.  We also saw "Her" which was interesting.   I did not like the ending.

Gavin was hired to work for Monsanto which is exciting.   He'll have orientation later in the month and he'll start working officially after July 4th.   He's pretty excited to make his own money.  

I guess that's the big updates for now.