Waiting for Friday

This week has been pretty crazy. I've been working like a mad woman, and it has been insanely hot here. First, the work part. Last Friday, I interviewed 16 people between 9:00am and 5:00pm. Yes, 16. If you do the math, you will figure out that I had no bathroom break, no lunch break, and no keep-your-sanity break. We are in the process of hiring Peer Coaches (mentors) for my program. Usually, this process is completed in April. So, I'm very much behind this year, although it is no fault of my own. We usually have just enough qualified applicants to fill all of the positions, but this year has been surprisingly different. This year we have way more outstanding, qualified applicants than we will have jobs. This is a great problem to have, however, it is up to me to interview them all and the determine the best ones to hire. Fun times. I wish I could hire them all.
On top of interviews, I'm catching up on not being in the office for three weeks. There are still a lot of little things that need to be done such as filing, returning emails, building databases and websites, writing syllabi, and planning trainings. Again, fun times!

In other news: Summer in Kansas City decided to introduce itself wholeheartedly this year. No slow introduction or teasers, just full-force "here I am". The end of May/first of June saw temperatures in the 70s, maybe a low 80 as a high. Then all of a sudden, almost overnight, we hit 95. WOW Buddy! It got hot in a hurry. No more long walks around the neighborhood or mowing the yard as soon as I get off work. We are on to more strategic planning of outdoor events. That being said, I haven't mowed the yard in over a week and a half. Yuck. The only good thing about such hot days are the many thunderstorms we have been having. That helps cool it off for a while.

Update on me: I am feeling really good considering. I'm supposed to be at the stage where I am eating three meals a day and drinking one shake. Let's just say, I'm working on it. I have had a few days where I get all three meals in, but most days it is two meals and a shake or two. My dietitian says I need to be getting 1000-1200 calories a day. That may not seem like much to you, but it is a stretch to me! I even ate at a restaurant this week for the first time. That may not seem like much to you, but it was a huge accomplishment for me. Now that I'm on "solid food" regularly, I have to be very careful of what I eat, how small the bites are, how much I eat, and how fast I eat. Any of these things can make me sick, so I have to be very conscious of how I am eating. I went to lunch with some friends from work and did very well. It was easy to eat slow because we just talked the whole time, so I could take a bite and talk while my stomach was settling. I finally feel like I am getting back to normal after a month.
This past Tuesday marked the 4 week 'anniversary' of my surgery. Hard to believe it has been 4 weeks already! I went to the doctor yesterday to get my B-12 shot, and had them weigh me. I am down 28/29 lbs in 4 weeks. I have lost maybe one size, I'm not really sure. A lot of my clothes are different sizes, but I did put on a pair of jeans today that I haven't worn since winter, and I can tell that my shirts are fitting better. Baby steps.

Now for the exciting part: I am headed to Dallas on Saturday. I am so excited! I have no huge plans for the week, just spending time with my family, teaching my parents how to play Wii, going to the pool, shopping, and relaxing. Oh, and the all-important hair cut with the infamous Val. I'm driving down with one, possibly two dogs, on Saturday morning. We'll stay through the 4th of July and come home on the 5th. I am so blessed to have family that I look forward to spending time with, and I'm excited about the week ahead.
Tonight, Jaylen and I have a pool date, then he is spending the night. I have tons of stuff to get done before I leave because I haven't accomplished anything at home all week. However, he has been looking forward to this all week, so a 9-year-old slumber party it is! I'll try to remember to take pictures to post. I have a ton of pictures on my camera, I just never happen to download them. Go figure!

Have a great Thursday - and here's hoping Friday afternoon comes QUICK!