Lovely weekend!
For once I'm starting out with good news! I spent this past weekend with my best friends celebrating Megan's baby shower. I've known Megan and Marianne since first grade (I sat next to Marianne and Megan was in my class, too), which makes it something like 24 years. Cristina (I call her Ina) has been my best friend since 6th grade, so about 20 years. It's amazing. I haven't seen Marianne in person since her wedding, which was about 8 years ago. I last saw Ina when her daughter turned 2, which was 3 1/2 years ago. Megan I saw about a year ago. It was so lovely seeing all of these girls. I stayed at Cristina's house and we had a girls' weekend since her husband, Bryan (also one of my best friends), and their kids were camping. I helped Ina make some awesome things for Megan's shower:
A bicycle. The wheels are diapers, blankets for the bars between the two wheels and for the handlebars, a bottle for the headlamp, bibs for hubcaps, and socks for the handles. I almost stole that bunny for myself because she was so loveable.
A diaper wreath made of a ring covered in diapers and cute baby needs.
I loved making these things and just catching up with all the news in Cristina's life. It was fantastic to be around people I've known for so long. I live my life pretty guarded about who I am since most of my story - the abuse, the mental illness, the just general screwed-up-ness of my life - isn't stuff I readily share. However, since all of these girls have known all of my struggles from the beginning, I could just be myself, screwed up bits and all. (There was one awkward moment when Marianne's mom asked me if I had kids and was married, but I answered kindly but firmly in the negative, after which she dropped the questions.)
This weekend was good for my soul. That's the best way to explain it. Even living with Mom and Sis I spend most of my time thinking about what I say and how I say it in normal conversation. I didn't have to do that this weekend at all. It was freeing to feel that unconditional love.
The other funny thing: Megan's planning on delivering at a hospital technically nearer to my house than hers. Since her husband is going to be out of town on business right up until her due date, I have offered to be there for her if necessary. Her family lives about four hours away in a town west of Austin, and her in-laws are nice but a little weird, so I'm definitely there if she would rather not have her in-laws there (which I totally understand).
Also, Marianne's pregnant with her second boy and he'll be delivered sometime at the end of July. It's amazing that all of my friends will have kids soon. I know I'm destined not to have some - between the psych meds and my screwy ovaries, and that little thing of not liking being around penises - but I am totally okay being an auntie, since it's good to hold a baby and then pass them off when their diapers are dirty. :D
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Today, I start my second week of school. I'm taking Medical Terminology as a total online class. I'm so excited to be back in school finally. This is the first pre-req I have to take to get into my medical billing/coding certificate program. I love the online thing, since I can study whenever I want - though I'm trying very hard to do so during the day and sleeping at night. This past week, the chapters were about the Greek and Latin roots and prefixes/suffixes to these words. That way, any word you come across can be easily figured out. That bit was fascinating. It was like getting the Rosetta Stone for medical terms: all the knowledge just clicked into place. This week I start the actual terminology stuff. This, I've already discovered is really boring. But I figured that would be the case from the beginning. Next Monday, I take my first test. I'm nervous but excited. OH! And I checked, and my first three assignments and quizzes all came back as 100s, which means my grade is currently sitting at an A. I'm hopeful that that trend will continue. *crossingfingers*
My one complaint: since the whole thing is a lot of repetition, and I'm writing it out longhand because that's the best way I've found to get it stuck in my brain, my right arm is KILLING ME. (Not to mention the fact that my whole body is still complaining at the three hour drive I did Sunday morning coming back from Austin.) But, with the help of a shitload of advil, I'm powering through. And, at least I have two awesome study buddies in Mom and Sis.
And I'm so thrilled that, at the end of this class, I will finally be able to understand exactly what Mom and Sis are talking about without having to stop them for translations into English. Just that alone is worth it.
I've discovered that, for serious studying, I have to listen to jazz. I'm talking the good stuff, not Kenny G. But, for just the basic slogging through the exercises, listening to the many Late Late Shows I still have on the DVR is great. (I recently spent a long hypomanic night watching all five Scotland episodes. Those were seriously good, but The Imagineers were kinda annoying.)
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Oh, crap. I totally forgot this was my period week. Cramps ahoy! FUN. At least my mood hasn't been bad at all. *knockonwood*
A bicycle. The wheels are diapers, blankets for the bars between the two wheels and for the handlebars, a bottle for the headlamp, bibs for hubcaps, and socks for the handles. I almost stole that bunny for myself because she was so loveable.
A diaper wreath made of a ring covered in diapers and cute baby needs.
I loved making these things and just catching up with all the news in Cristina's life. It was fantastic to be around people I've known for so long. I live my life pretty guarded about who I am since most of my story - the abuse, the mental illness, the just general screwed-up-ness of my life - isn't stuff I readily share. However, since all of these girls have known all of my struggles from the beginning, I could just be myself, screwed up bits and all. (There was one awkward moment when Marianne's mom asked me if I had kids and was married, but I answered kindly but firmly in the negative, after which she dropped the questions.)
This weekend was good for my soul. That's the best way to explain it. Even living with Mom and Sis I spend most of my time thinking about what I say and how I say it in normal conversation. I didn't have to do that this weekend at all. It was freeing to feel that unconditional love.
The other funny thing: Megan's planning on delivering at a hospital technically nearer to my house than hers. Since her husband is going to be out of town on business right up until her due date, I have offered to be there for her if necessary. Her family lives about four hours away in a town west of Austin, and her in-laws are nice but a little weird, so I'm definitely there if she would rather not have her in-laws there (which I totally understand).
Also, Marianne's pregnant with her second boy and he'll be delivered sometime at the end of July. It's amazing that all of my friends will have kids soon. I know I'm destined not to have some - between the psych meds and my screwy ovaries, and that little thing of not liking being around penises - but I am totally okay being an auntie, since it's good to hold a baby and then pass them off when their diapers are dirty. :D
-----------
Today, I start my second week of school. I'm taking Medical Terminology as a total online class. I'm so excited to be back in school finally. This is the first pre-req I have to take to get into my medical billing/coding certificate program. I love the online thing, since I can study whenever I want - though I'm trying very hard to do so during the day and sleeping at night. This past week, the chapters were about the Greek and Latin roots and prefixes/suffixes to these words. That way, any word you come across can be easily figured out. That bit was fascinating. It was like getting the Rosetta Stone for medical terms: all the knowledge just clicked into place. This week I start the actual terminology stuff. This, I've already discovered is really boring. But I figured that would be the case from the beginning. Next Monday, I take my first test. I'm nervous but excited. OH! And I checked, and my first three assignments and quizzes all came back as 100s, which means my grade is currently sitting at an A. I'm hopeful that that trend will continue. *crossingfingers*
My one complaint: since the whole thing is a lot of repetition, and I'm writing it out longhand because that's the best way I've found to get it stuck in my brain, my right arm is KILLING ME. (Not to mention the fact that my whole body is still complaining at the three hour drive I did Sunday morning coming back from Austin.) But, with the help of a shitload of advil, I'm powering through. And, at least I have two awesome study buddies in Mom and Sis.
And I'm so thrilled that, at the end of this class, I will finally be able to understand exactly what Mom and Sis are talking about without having to stop them for translations into English. Just that alone is worth it.
I've discovered that, for serious studying, I have to listen to jazz. I'm talking the good stuff, not Kenny G. But, for just the basic slogging through the exercises, listening to the many Late Late Shows I still have on the DVR is great. (I recently spent a long hypomanic night watching all five Scotland episodes. Those were seriously good, but The Imagineers were kinda annoying.)
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Oh, crap. I totally forgot this was my period week. Cramps ahoy! FUN. At least my mood hasn't been bad at all. *knockonwood*