The last 5 weeks

Wow, I haven't updated in 5 weeks, and A LOT has happened in that "short" amount of time! I want to dedicate a post to each of the major events that have taken place, but let me just give you a preview of what has been going on in my life since August 19th:

• I had my 3 month check up with the surgeon. It went great and he was very pleased with my progress. I'll dedicate a full post to it soon.

• I turned 30!!!!! I know - I can't believe it either! This was the first birthday I spent with my parents since I turned 17, and I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. I'll dedicate a full post to it soon (complete with pictures!).

• I am losing my hair. Yes, it's true. It's depressing. I knew it was a side effect of the surgery and weight loss. It will "eventually" grow back. I will NOT be dedicating a post to this - it's depressing enough as it is!

• School started. With a vengeance. I'm teaching one and a half classes and coordinating three total. On top of supervising 25 students, a brand new graduate intern, and two work studies. Oh, and I still don't have a budget to go off of, even though our Fiscal Year started July 1st. Fun times. I may dedicate a post to this in the future, kind of a 'day in the life of" - that is if you really want to know, and promise not to get bored to tears!

• I ran/walked my 2nd 5K Labor Day weekend. I did better than last time, but didn't make my goal. I'll dedicate a post to this soon.

• I went to New York City with my mom. It was an incredible 5 days. We did and saw so much in the time we were there. We took over 400 pictures (go figure!). I'll dedicate at least one post about this soon.

• I made a decision about my future. Yes, I finally did it. After being wishy-washy for 2 years, and then saying I'll do something when my job changes, I finally came to a resolution that I feel confident in. I feel that God is really moving me in the right direction, and things are starting to fall into place. Not all of this I feel comfortable sharing over the Internet because I am still fully employed and like and need my job. I'll share updates as I can, but let's just say, I'm looking forward to a hot summer next summer.

• I'm going home for a few days in October and couldn't be more excited. I'm going to spend a day or so with my cousin and her amazing kids, spend some time with my parents, hopefully see my newest baby cousin, get a much needed hair cut (if there's any left to cut by then!), and run/walk the Race for the Cure in Dallas with my awesome mom, amazing Aunt Sharon, and incredible cousin Denise. I love my family!!!!

So, see...I haven't been neglecting you. I've been a busy lady! I have already proven that my blog posts are not very short in nature, so even when I'm tempted to sit down and write a short piece, it never turns out that way. Keep close over the weekend and early next week, I'll be posting a lot of updates (that is...after I get these pesky papers and quizzes graded!!).

Love you all!

Obsession, maybe????

Before surgery, I never ate the same food two days in a row. I'm not even kidding. I'm weird like that. If I had leftovers, there was always a day in between the original consumption and the reheating of the leftovers. If I had cereal for breakfast one morning, I didn't have it for breakfast the next morning. I would go out of my way, or sometimes not even eat dinner, if it kept me from eating the same thing twice. Fast forward to three months ago (can you believe it has been that long?!). The doctor went in an did this procedure on my stomach, but somehow it turned into something more like brain surgery! Now, instead of avoiding the same foods two days in a row, I eat the same two things constantly! Without fail. It's actually quite funny...or ironic.

Here is one example (I'll share the other example another day, but it's not nearly as exciting):

You take some chicken, oil, and a Wok...

Add some Rice Stir Fry mix, fresh zucchini, onion, soy sauce, water, and a sauce packet....

Ta-da! You get some YUMMY Kung Pao Chicken!

Yes, welcome to my new obsession - Kung Pao Chicken. I eat it no less than 4 days a week, sometimes twice a day. It is that good. I go hooked when I realized Panda Express was practically the only fast food place I could eat, because everywhere else either offers fried entrees or bread! Let me tell you, after a couple of attempts of just eating the meat off of a fast food hamburger, I decided to just let it go....haha. Ok, back to the Kung Pao. I decided it wasn't too economical to run through Panda Express every evening, so I scoured the grocery store and found alternatives. There are two different packets of sauce that I have found, a frozen ready to make packet that includes the chicken, and a boxed packet that you add your own chicken to. I have tried them all. I'm still not sure which one I like the best....the only thing I am sure of right now is that it will take me probably 5 days, 2 meals a day to eat all of this Kung Pao....but it sure is delicious!!

Lots to post in the coming days - I have my 3 month check-up tomorrow morning; classes start on Monday; and I have a birthday coming up. My parents are in town this weekend (yeah!!!!!!), and we're hosting a party for my friends at my place on Saturday evening. I'm excited - now if only this durn rain would go away (I'm sorry West Texas family, but we're drowning up here! If I could send you some, believe me - I would!). That brings me to another funny point, then I must get back to finishing grading rubrics and making cookies for the weekend.....

I came home Monday afternoon and my elderly oh-so-sweet next door neighbor - whom I affectionately call "Old Man" because I can't remember his name - was standing on his porch. The sky was threatening rain, so after saying hi, I asked him if he thought we were going to get some rain that evening. His reply, "I hope so...we sure need it." When I got inside, I thought about how interesting his comment was from my perspective or that of most of my family. See, I have decided that in Kansas City, people "need" rain so that they don't have to water their yards. It's true....people around here don't regularly water their yards - some never do. Weird, I know. Where I come from, and where most of my family lives, they really do "need" rain. They will go weeks without rain. I think we have gone a total of 9 consecutive days this summer without rain....but apparently we "need" it.

....Most of life is about perspective, isn't it?