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!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
How Lucky Am I?
These are my parents:
To sum it up: They are awesome. I am truly blessed.
I grew up in an amazing Christian household, where I knew every day how much my parents loved me and how much they loved each other. They were never they type to push me toward anything, but always provided encouragement and support for what I wanted to do. I have many fond memories of growing up. We were always a close-knit family, and went on many trips and did many things just the four of us. The amazing thing is, we are still making fun memories.
I have many qualities of each of my parents, to the point that it is difficult to tell which one I am most like. Just the same, there are activities that I enjoy with each of my parents respectively.
My mom gives the best advice, and is a great listener. She is incredibly patient, and has a huge heart. I love to go to musicals/plays with my mom, go shopping, spend time in the kitchen, get our nails done, travel/explore, and just hang out. We get to go to New York City in September just the two of us to experience the city and take in some Broadway shows. We have been talking about it for a long time, so I'm glad we're finally getting to go. We always a great time together!
My dad taught me how to play golf, and spent painstakingly long hours with me at the driving range and on the course during middle school, high school, and on into college. Not many teenage girls have the relationship with their fathers that I had with mine. Spending that much time together, you can't help but be close and find things you have in common. My dad is very business-minded, and believe it or not, I get a lot of that from him. I remember driving to my grandparents' talking about the stock market and how it worked, or the concepts behind economic supply and demand. We love to watch college basketball together, and each year we go to Vegas to watch the opening rounds of the tournament. Fun times!
When I had my surgery, my parents came up to take care of me in shifts. My dad was here for the actual surgery and the hospital stay. Bless his heart - I think he got the worst shift. I was crabby in the hospital, and wasn't very entertaining because I was so drugged. On top of that, he had to do a whole lot of sitting and waiting. Boring! He also had to navigate Kansas City on his own (well, with help from Tom Tom), but apparently he did very well! He also did a great job of taking care of me. He also mowed my yard, did some laundry, tried to fix my un-fixable sink, and bought me new tires! He's the greatest! My mom came once I got home. I'm sure her shift was still boring, but at least it was in the comfort of home and not the hospital! She cleaned my house, did my laundry, reminded me to eat, drink, and walk, made meals for Randall so I didn't have to think about food for a few weeks, and listened to me complain!
My dad was fortunate enough to retire a couple of years ago after working a job he didn't really love for many years. In his first year of retirement, he and my brother fixed up the house and made most of the improvements to it that my parents had been wanting to do. (I say "most" because I am still holding out for the pool! hint - hint) Then he got involved in Real Estate Investing. It has been so much fun to watch and listen to him get involved in something that he is passionate about and really enjoys. It's inspiring, and he certainly deserves it!
My mom retired two weeks ago after teaching forever. Well, not forever, but longer than I have been alive. She was a wonderful teacher, and has touched so many lives over the years. I have no doubt that she will continue to be involved in education in some way during her retirement.
My parents leave for Hawaii in a couple of days, and I do have to say, I am insanely jealous. However, after all of their years of hard work, sacrifices, and putting up with me and my brother, I have to say, they certainly deserve this trip! I could not be more excited for them, as this really marks the beginning of their retired years!
Mom and Dad, I love you both so much, and can not begin to thank you for the love and support you have given me over the years. I am so happy for you that you are able to retire at such young ages and that you will truly be able to enjoy being retired. I hope you have a great trip, and here's to many more (and a few of which I think I need to be included on!).
LOVE YOU!
To sum it up: They are awesome. I am truly blessed.I grew up in an amazing Christian household, where I knew every day how much my parents loved me and how much they loved each other. They were never they type to push me toward anything, but always provided encouragement and support for what I wanted to do. I have many fond memories of growing up. We were always a close-knit family, and went on many trips and did many things just the four of us. The amazing thing is, we are still making fun memories.
I have many qualities of each of my parents, to the point that it is difficult to tell which one I am most like. Just the same, there are activities that I enjoy with each of my parents respectively.
My mom gives the best advice, and is a great listener. She is incredibly patient, and has a huge heart. I love to go to musicals/plays with my mom, go shopping, spend time in the kitchen, get our nails done, travel/explore, and just hang out. We get to go to New York City in September just the two of us to experience the city and take in some Broadway shows. We have been talking about it for a long time, so I'm glad we're finally getting to go. We always a great time together!
My dad taught me how to play golf, and spent painstakingly long hours with me at the driving range and on the course during middle school, high school, and on into college. Not many teenage girls have the relationship with their fathers that I had with mine. Spending that much time together, you can't help but be close and find things you have in common. My dad is very business-minded, and believe it or not, I get a lot of that from him. I remember driving to my grandparents' talking about the stock market and how it worked, or the concepts behind economic supply and demand. We love to watch college basketball together, and each year we go to Vegas to watch the opening rounds of the tournament. Fun times!
When I had my surgery, my parents came up to take care of me in shifts. My dad was here for the actual surgery and the hospital stay. Bless his heart - I think he got the worst shift. I was crabby in the hospital, and wasn't very entertaining because I was so drugged. On top of that, he had to do a whole lot of sitting and waiting. Boring! He also had to navigate Kansas City on his own (well, with help from Tom Tom), but apparently he did very well! He also did a great job of taking care of me. He also mowed my yard, did some laundry, tried to fix my un-fixable sink, and bought me new tires! He's the greatest! My mom came once I got home. I'm sure her shift was still boring, but at least it was in the comfort of home and not the hospital! She cleaned my house, did my laundry, reminded me to eat, drink, and walk, made meals for Randall so I didn't have to think about food for a few weeks, and listened to me complain!
My dad was fortunate enough to retire a couple of years ago after working a job he didn't really love for many years. In his first year of retirement, he and my brother fixed up the house and made most of the improvements to it that my parents had been wanting to do. (I say "most" because I am still holding out for the pool! hint - hint) Then he got involved in Real Estate Investing. It has been so much fun to watch and listen to him get involved in something that he is passionate about and really enjoys. It's inspiring, and he certainly deserves it!
My mom retired two weeks ago after teaching forever. Well, not forever, but longer than I have been alive. She was a wonderful teacher, and has touched so many lives over the years. I have no doubt that she will continue to be involved in education in some way during her retirement.
My parents leave for Hawaii in a couple of days, and I do have to say, I am insanely jealous. However, after all of their years of hard work, sacrifices, and putting up with me and my brother, I have to say, they certainly deserve this trip! I could not be more excited for them, as this really marks the beginning of their retired years!
Mom and Dad, I love you both so much, and can not begin to thank you for the love and support you have given me over the years. I am so happy for you that you are able to retire at such young ages and that you will truly be able to enjoy being retired. I hope you have a great trip, and here's to many more (and a few of which I think I need to be included on!).
LOVE YOU!
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