More Catching Up
Thursday September 1, 2005 ~3:20 am
Ok, ready for yet another incredibly long update? (Don’t worry, still more to come. :p)
Wednesday August 17, 2005 - Gymnastics Practice
Back on the 17th, I finally made it to one of my old gymnastic troupe’s open practices. It was an exhibitional gymnastics troupe that I belonged to in undergrad and even commuted there for a year from grad school because I loved it so much. I don’t think I’d actually practiced for over two years now, though, so I was a bit rusty when I went back.
Trampoline was my main event, because even though I wanted to learn tumbling more than anything, I could never do anything other than cartwheels, round-offs, and single front handsprings. Trampoline was the next best thing. Going back again, I had to get over all my old fear issues again. I started off with basic front drops and back drops to make sure my body still knew how to land safely. But then even with just a basic front flip, it took me forever to work up my nerve. And even then, I kept under rotating it because I was afraid of over rotating it and landing badly. I finally did it, though. Then I moved onto back flips, which I actually prefer because I can see where I’m going the whole time as opposed to the front flip where you’re blind until just before the landing. Then I did some baranes (front flip with a half twist) which I also prefer because you can keep your eyes on the bed the whole time. But then it took me a while to work up the nerve to do a barane back combination (a front flip half twist straight into a back flip). Then I practices my front one and a quarter (where I purposely over rotate my front flip to land in a front drop instead of on my feet) and my back one and a quarter back pullover to feet (where I over rotate my back flip to land on my back and then flip off my back backwards to my feet again). I wanted to do a back three quarters (where I under rotate my back flip to land on my stomach instead of my feet), but then I found myself trying to slow my momentum by taking smaller bounces, which basically ended up with me just flinging myself backwards with no height and almost landing on my head. I decided to quit while I was ahead and try that a different day. :p
I figured all of that was pretty good for my first time back, so I moved on to Double Mini Trampoline (DMT). I mentioned DMT in the fears tangent in my jobs entry a few days ago, but basically it’s a short, narrow, rectangular trampoline with the front half of the bed slanted downwards, making two beds. You run up to it, jump on the first slanted bed, jump or flip to the second flat bed, then jump or flip off. I decided to start off with just jumping. :p I gradually worked my way up to front flip off, barane off, and finally flip on flip off. But unfortunately, I was unable to do my barane back skill which has always been my greatest challenge. I managed to do barane on a few times, but just didn’t feel I had to right set up to do a back flip off. I don’t know why I can do that skill so effortlessly on trampoline and then have such a mental block on the DMT. I can’t stand leaving things undone, especially challenges to myself, but I figured it was best to just leave it since I was already pretty physically tired from all my other working out and the fact that it was my first day back in over two years.
I worked on handstands for a bit instead, although I can only hold them for a few seconds. Also did some front handsprings on the black trampoline which isn’t as bouncy. I wanted to try them on the floor, but decided not to since I really was tired, and it also makes an incredibly loud sound when I land on my butt instead of my feet. :p One of my old friends was there and I did an abs workout with her which she said was the same one the competitive gymnastics team does.
I also got to see the competitive gymnastics team coach who also helped out with our troupe and helped me a lot with my trampoline skills. He nicknamed me “Flame” for some reason, so as soon as he saw me walk to the gym, he shouted, “Flame!!!” and I went over to give him a hug. He always cracks me up. He had been working on teaching me to do a back full on trampoline (which is a back flip with a full twist), but I just never completely got it. I could do the flips perfectly while I was safely strapped into the spotting belt. But then when I got out of the belt and he hand spotted me, it just threw me off to have someone else jumping on the trampoline with me and having another obstacle in the way to worry about. And the few times I tried it without a spotter were just plain scary. Even still, I managed to do a back flip with a three quarters twist a few times and just almost get all the way around, but never fully. For some reason, my body just didn’t like the idea of flipping and twisting at the same time. It would do either one or the other. And then sometimes I would almost get it, and then the next day it would be completely gone again. And sometimes I regressed so much that I would just completely get lost in the air which is absolutely terrifying when you don’t know which way is up and which way is down. I think a lot of it was mindset and fear issues, and also partly due to the fact that my back was messed up from my other injury and twisting kept hurting it even more. In any case, it was something I left undone that I would still love to do if I could find the time to practice it regularly.
I’m hoping to make it back for another practice sometime soon, but it’s an hour drive and with gas prices the way they are and everything else on my plate right now, I don’t know how soon it’ll happen. I was happy to find that I wasn’t quite as sore the next day as I thought I’d be, though. :p
Wednesday August 24, 2005 - Giving Blood, Babysitting, B & N Jedi
Giving Blood
I was supposed to give blood on Monday, but completely forgot about my appointment, so I rescheduled for Wednesday. I’m on the red cross calling list now which is great because they call me whenever there’s a blood drive in my area and it’s time for me to give again. So much better than waiting for blood drives to come to my school twice a year.
I was a bit worried about the iron test this time. The lady did the pinprick and put a drop of blood in the tube, and it just sat there for a bit before finally sinking down. I was really worried they were going to say I couldn’t donate, but she seemed to think it was ok because she just went on to the questionnaire sheet. I know last time they had to do another special test because the blood dropped down too slow. I really have to start watching my iron levels with my vegetarian diet. I should probably start taking a supplement or something.
I made sure I drank plenty of fluids because the one time I didn’t was incredibly painful and they couldn’t even get a pint of blood out of me. As long as I drink a lot, though, it usually takes less than 10 minutes for them to get a whole pint. Even though I drank, though, I still seemed to have a bad reaction this time. I always like to watch them stick the needle in. 1) Because it’s a cool looking needle and I’m fascinated with anything medical related.. 2) Because I’d rather see where something’s coming from rather than have it hit me unexpectedly. This time she stuck it in and seemed to have trouble finding the vein, though. She kept moving the needle around, and at one point I saw the needle pressing up against my skin from the inside. Kind of weird to see, but also not something I really wanted to see when I’m sitting there worrying she’s going to pierce right through the vein. I relaxed, though, when she stopped poking around and I saw the blood flowing out.
I was fine for the first little bit, just relaxing and periodically squeezing the little handle thing they gave me. But then I started to feel a little lightheaded and starting breaking out into a cold sweat. I was debating asking the lady to tip me back but was too stubborn to ask for help. The lady came by and asked me if I wanted a drink or anything, but I said I was ok, since the lightheadedness was only mild. Then she went over to start a blood draw on another guy while I focused on deep breathing. Then suddenly the lightheadedness got worse and I broke out into a full sweat. I was seriously considering asking to be tipped back, then. But the lady was still working on the other guy although she kept glancing over at me, probably because I was yawning and blinking so much. I kept glancing at the bag willing it to fill up faster. The lady came back over as soon as she was done and looked at me and asked if I was ok. By that time, I was feeling a bit better, though, and told her I was a little light headed but ok. She asked me if I wanted her to tip me back and give me some ice bags, but I assured her again I was ok since the bag was almost full and I knew I’d be ok once she took the needle out. She gave me a skeptical glance and asked one more time. But I really was feeling a lot better, even if not completely right, and told her I was fine. Then, thankfully, the little scale tipped meaning the pint bag was full and she started filling up all the extra little vials while giving me concerned looks the whole time. Finally she took out the needle and I held my arm above my head and then she wrapped it up. It’s funny. I can almost tell how many times I’ve given blood by counting the little pock marks in my arm. :p
I usually get right up after giving blood, but this time I took my time getting up because I was still not completely myself. I was fine standing up and walking to the snack table, though. But I actually stayed there the full 15 minutes before driving home instead of just leaving like I usually do. I really don’t know what happened that time. It definitely wasn’t the fluid, because I drank plenty of water before hand and the bag filled up in less than 10 minutes. Maybe it was the iron. I’ll make sure to take extra iron before the next time I give blood.
When I got home, my mom noticed how pale I was and told me I wasn’t allowed to give blood for another 6 months and that I needed to eat a steak. I told her I’d wouldn’t be giving again for another 6-8 weeks (which is the mandatory time anyway), and that I’d take supplements instead. I know she’s just worried for my welfare, but a little lightheadedness is worth it for the benefit donating blood will give.
Babysitting
I only had a little time to rest, then I had to go babysit for a client of my sister since she was busy preparing for school by then. I was still headachey for the rest of the night, but luckily they were pretty good kids, even with a new babysitter. The older sister who was in 6th grade was absolutely perfect. Her second grade younger brother on the other hand was a bit of handful, but still manageable. I almost literally had to drag him to bed, but he eventually settled down.
Barnes & Noble Jedi
When I got home my sister told me that our friend who works at Barnes & Noble saw a customer with a padawan braid and told her about me and my Gatherings and got her e-mail address! I wasn’t sure how open she’d be to Jedi Realism, but I e-mailed her a brief intro to Jedi Realism and Gatherings and she responded back with interest. So I sent her a few links of major sites in the online Jedi Community and told her we could also get together at B & N to chat sometime if she wanted. She hasn’t responded back yet, but it’s still cool to have another potential local Jedi in the area. She may also be busy with school right now since she mentioned she was an undergrad psych major and all the schools just started up again. I guess I’ll see what happens and just keep her updated on meetings and gatherings.
Thursday August 25, 2005 - Licensure Application, Grandpa Sitting, Sparring
Thursday was a busy day. My mom wanted me to watch over my grandfather since his normal caretaker was on vacation and my mom and dad were out of town. I didn’t mind at all, but the problem was I had get together and mail all my materials for my temporary physical therapy license that day too.
For my application, I needed an identification photo. I’d try to take a digital photo to Walmart on my memory key the day before, but they could only accept camera memory cards or a floppy disk or CD. I asked what time they’d be open the next day, and they said the instant photo machine would be available at 7 am, and the photo shop would be open at 8 am. So I went home and since my computer doesn’t have a floppy drive, I tried to take my memory key and transfer the picture to my parents’ computer which did have a floppy drive so then I could save it on disk. The problem is that their computer is about 8 years old, so it kept freezing and crashing and I kept having to restart it. So I finally gave up and took the memory key over to my old computer which is not much better at 7 years old and had the same problem, but finally managed to transfer the pic and save it on disc. But then when I went to open it, the picture was all distorted. And I wasn’t sure if it was just my computer imaging that was doing it, or if it was the actual picture. And since I had to finish my application, develop the picture, get my application notarized, get a money order or certified check for application fees, and get it all mailed at the post office and still leave enough time to get to my grandfather’s by 10:30 am, I couldn’t afford to go all the way to Walmart and not have the picture work. So then, I had to take the floppy back to my parents’ computer and get the pic to load on there. More freezing and crashing and near nervous breakdown ensued until I finally got the picture to load normally. YAY! By that time it was around 5 am, and I wanted to get up by 7 am to get to Walmart. I opted for 8 instead, though.
So, I get to Walmart and the instant photo machine is still broken of course. (Very glad I didn’t waste my time and lose precious sleep coming at 7 am.) So I go to the one hour machine, which really takes an hour and a half in the small print. I wait an hour and a half. Still no pictures. The picture guys tell me the machine said it was complete and they don’t know what happened. By that time it is already nearly 10 am. They tell me I can go to Sam’s Club instead, even though I don’t have a membership. I go to Sam’s Club. I only have the option of making a whole page of 9 thumbnails, so an extra $4.00 from what I would have paid for just two. The photo lady is doing paperwork and ignoring customers. I practice patience while watching time slip away as I have to keep dragging her away with questions and get her to the counter so I can actually pay for my photos. By that time it is 10:15 and I have just enough time to get to my grandfather.
I watch TV with him, I make him lunch, I play cards. He had a stroke a long, long time ago and never learned how to talk again other than to say “OK” and “No” and some Arabic work I forgot the meaning of. He still has a great sense of humor, though. :p After cards, he goes for a nap. He’s now living at my aunt’s house and my 14 year old cousin was still home for the summer, so I leave him in charge while I go to finish up my application stuff. Our grandfather is really fine on his own. He just needs a little help fixing meals and it’s good to have someone there in case he falls.
I go to the bank to get my application notarized, which I couldn’t do until the picture was in place. Got my certified check. Went to the post office. Got the whole packet mailed in less than 45 min including commuting time. I can’t believe I spent nearly 6 hours getting that stupid picture printed off. ARGHH!
I return to my grandfather. He’s still asleep. I brought my shinais with me because my cousin wanted to practice with them. It was a little scary. He really doesn’t exercise much control. He likes swinging full force, although he only seems to hit my shinai full force, and not my body. I still don’t trust him not to make a mistake, though. It actually ended up being pretty good practice since he likes going for the legs which I still seem to have trouble protecting. I had slightly bruised knees by the end of it, but nothing visible, only tender.
We kept peeking in the window to check on our grandfather. He finally woke up and we headed back in. My uncle arrives home soon after. I’m headed out after a long day, but my grandfather wants to go for a walk. It’s a nice day and I decide to go with him. He walks up the hill of the long street that my aunt lives at the end of, then back down again. It was a good workout for him. My uncle is emptying stuff out of his car, so I help him with the last few boxes, then head back home. Definitely glad to have that application over with.
Sunday August 28, 2005 - Fiction Group
My friend was supposed to have a fiction group meeting on Saturday. She took a fiction writing class at school and all the students actually kept in touch and kept having regular meetings. I also took a fiction class and my class was thinking about doing the same thing through e-mail, but it never happened. Since my friend knows I like to write, she invited me to join in, so I submitted the first few chapters of a book I’m working on.
It was supposed to be a combo swim party / fiction critiquing party, but almost everyone canceled on her. I showed up, and there was only her and her boyfriend there. Over two hours later, my sister shows up after working on her lesson plans for the next day. My sister and my friend’s boyfriend decide they want to throw her into the pool with all her clothes on. So we all end up going swimming, the rest of us in bathing suits. :p I actually wore a bikini, my first one since elementary school I think. It was better than any of the one pieces I found, but I was still incredibly self conscious.
We didn’t swim long and got out and dried off and asked questions out of the If… book. Things like…What crime would you commit if you knew you’d never be caught? What would you choose as your last meal if you were about to be executed? What things would you choose to put in if you had to fill a time capsule the size of a microwave? My sister left to do more lesson planning.
Finally one other person showed up. Me, my friend, and the last person were the only ones who submitted work to be critiques, but I was the only one who had actually read all of the works. We asked more questions out of the If… book. Then we left to go to Dunkin’ Donuts. More If… questions. Then called it a night. Fiction group to be rescheduled. Date to be determined. Maybe if I attend regular meetings (meetings that are actually real meetings), I can force myself to start writing again., though.
Monday August 29, 2005 - Busy Morning
Monday was another busy day. Oil change at 8 am (for free if I sign up for a credit card, YAY!). Went to the post office to fill out another change of address form from our parents’ old house to the current one since the last one didn’t seem to go through. Went to the bank to deposit money for me and my sister and ask about a joint account for both of us for future house expenses. Went to Target to pay a bill for my sister. Went to the Fresh Produce store to pick up groceries for my mom. And all before 11 am. :)
Wednesday August 31, 2005 - Home Inspection and Temporary License
Home Inspection
We had our home inspection today for the new house. My sister is already working, so I went solo. I got to the house and talked to one of the owners for a bit. She was home because she runs a daycare out of the house. She and her husband are parents of four kids living in this small three bedroom townhouse. No wonder they need to move! :p She said they’d probably leave the basketball hoop, the extra freezer downstairs, and the trashcans for us if we wanted. She also said they had wanted to take the picnic bench and umbrella, but couldn’t get it out of the ground. She even said they’d be willing to remove the playground for us. They loved their house and hadn’t planned on moving, so they had just gotten a new washer and dryer, a new shed in the backyard, and all new replacement doors.
The home inspection went well. The inspector was a really laid back, funny guy. He was really good about explaining everything to me. The home seems to be in pretty good shape. No signs of structural damage, leaks, mold, asbestos, etc. The main issue was that the power lines outside had come loose from the brackets which attached them to the brick of the house. He s aid that was something the owners would have to hire an electrician to come fix for us before we moved in since it was a safety issue. He also recommended that we ask that the furnace be cleaned. He even changed the filter while he was there because the old one was so black. He said the AC was working just as it should, but it was so old, we should probably put it into our budget to replace that and the hot water heater within the next 3-5 years. He also said it wouldn’t be a bad idea to replace the old aluminum windows to increase energy efficiency, especially since most of them weren’t sealing properly and were even taped shut. There were a few brand new replacement windows, though, so at least we won’t have to replace all of them. Luckily, he said the roof was in good shape and should probably last at least another 10 years. He said the downspout in front of the house had to be reattached to the drain and there was a supply valve missing on the tub next to the old laundry machine. He said the new washer and dryer were absolutely fantastic, though, and great energy savers. He recommended a rain cap on the chimney, which we’re going to see if they’d be willing to put on if they’re going to go up to the roof anyway to take down their satellite dish. He said it would also be a good idea to build up the dirt around the foundation so that water wouldn’t pool there. He also wanted us to put in a smoke detector right at the top of the stairs and for us to take care of it instead of the owners to make sure we got a good quality one. There were a few chipped tiles in the tub where it looks like they were broken while new faucets were being installed, but he said they were sealed well. He said the attic was well ventilated and had good insulation and the electric was under the insulation if we wanted to put a light up there. All in all, not bad at all. The few big concerns we’re going to ask the owners to take care of and see how much they’re willing to do. Really, the power line safety issue is the only one they’re absolutely required to do. They seem like nice people, though, so we’ll see.
After the home inspection and seeing the house again, I feel a lot better about buying it. I think I’m over the initial dread of “What have I done!!!? and “What if I made a mistake?” now. My mom still thinks it’s moving too fast and that we over paid. Maybe we could have gotten it for $5,000 less, but it wouldn’t have been worth risking losing the house over, and I still feel that we paid a fair price for it. I thought we were going to get an appraisal with the home inspection, but I guess not. I guess the mortgage company sends their own guy out to do that. I’m still interested to see what the actual appraised value is. The important thing, though, is that it’s finally starting to feel like home to me and I’m feeling at peace with my decision to buy it.
Temporary License
I also got my temporary license today, or actually yesterday but I got home so late I didn’t check the mail. It’s actually a lot earlier than I wanted it because although the temporary license is good for 90 days, I have to set up my exam date within 60 days of the date of issue. And if I fail my exam, I automatically lose my temporary license anyway. I was told that it would take about 4 weeks for the application to come through, which is why I went so crazy trying to get it sent early. I was planning to take the exam maybe the last week of October or first week of November, but now I have to take it a week earlier. I just pray that I’m ready.
--Moonshadow
Ok, ready for yet another incredibly long update? (Don’t worry, still more to come. :p)
Wednesday August 17, 2005 - Gymnastics Practice
Back on the 17th, I finally made it to one of my old gymnastic troupe’s open practices. It was an exhibitional gymnastics troupe that I belonged to in undergrad and even commuted there for a year from grad school because I loved it so much. I don’t think I’d actually practiced for over two years now, though, so I was a bit rusty when I went back.
Trampoline was my main event, because even though I wanted to learn tumbling more than anything, I could never do anything other than cartwheels, round-offs, and single front handsprings. Trampoline was the next best thing. Going back again, I had to get over all my old fear issues again. I started off with basic front drops and back drops to make sure my body still knew how to land safely. But then even with just a basic front flip, it took me forever to work up my nerve. And even then, I kept under rotating it because I was afraid of over rotating it and landing badly. I finally did it, though. Then I moved onto back flips, which I actually prefer because I can see where I’m going the whole time as opposed to the front flip where you’re blind until just before the landing. Then I did some baranes (front flip with a half twist) which I also prefer because you can keep your eyes on the bed the whole time. But then it took me a while to work up the nerve to do a barane back combination (a front flip half twist straight into a back flip). Then I practices my front one and a quarter (where I purposely over rotate my front flip to land in a front drop instead of on my feet) and my back one and a quarter back pullover to feet (where I over rotate my back flip to land on my back and then flip off my back backwards to my feet again). I wanted to do a back three quarters (where I under rotate my back flip to land on my stomach instead of my feet), but then I found myself trying to slow my momentum by taking smaller bounces, which basically ended up with me just flinging myself backwards with no height and almost landing on my head. I decided to quit while I was ahead and try that a different day. :p
I figured all of that was pretty good for my first time back, so I moved on to Double Mini Trampoline (DMT). I mentioned DMT in the fears tangent in my jobs entry a few days ago, but basically it’s a short, narrow, rectangular trampoline with the front half of the bed slanted downwards, making two beds. You run up to it, jump on the first slanted bed, jump or flip to the second flat bed, then jump or flip off. I decided to start off with just jumping. :p I gradually worked my way up to front flip off, barane off, and finally flip on flip off. But unfortunately, I was unable to do my barane back skill which has always been my greatest challenge. I managed to do barane on a few times, but just didn’t feel I had to right set up to do a back flip off. I don’t know why I can do that skill so effortlessly on trampoline and then have such a mental block on the DMT. I can’t stand leaving things undone, especially challenges to myself, but I figured it was best to just leave it since I was already pretty physically tired from all my other working out and the fact that it was my first day back in over two years.
I worked on handstands for a bit instead, although I can only hold them for a few seconds. Also did some front handsprings on the black trampoline which isn’t as bouncy. I wanted to try them on the floor, but decided not to since I really was tired, and it also makes an incredibly loud sound when I land on my butt instead of my feet. :p One of my old friends was there and I did an abs workout with her which she said was the same one the competitive gymnastics team does.
I also got to see the competitive gymnastics team coach who also helped out with our troupe and helped me a lot with my trampoline skills. He nicknamed me “Flame” for some reason, so as soon as he saw me walk to the gym, he shouted, “Flame!!!” and I went over to give him a hug. He always cracks me up. He had been working on teaching me to do a back full on trampoline (which is a back flip with a full twist), but I just never completely got it. I could do the flips perfectly while I was safely strapped into the spotting belt. But then when I got out of the belt and he hand spotted me, it just threw me off to have someone else jumping on the trampoline with me and having another obstacle in the way to worry about. And the few times I tried it without a spotter were just plain scary. Even still, I managed to do a back flip with a three quarters twist a few times and just almost get all the way around, but never fully. For some reason, my body just didn’t like the idea of flipping and twisting at the same time. It would do either one or the other. And then sometimes I would almost get it, and then the next day it would be completely gone again. And sometimes I regressed so much that I would just completely get lost in the air which is absolutely terrifying when you don’t know which way is up and which way is down. I think a lot of it was mindset and fear issues, and also partly due to the fact that my back was messed up from my other injury and twisting kept hurting it even more. In any case, it was something I left undone that I would still love to do if I could find the time to practice it regularly.
I’m hoping to make it back for another practice sometime soon, but it’s an hour drive and with gas prices the way they are and everything else on my plate right now, I don’t know how soon it’ll happen. I was happy to find that I wasn’t quite as sore the next day as I thought I’d be, though. :p
Wednesday August 24, 2005 - Giving Blood, Babysitting, B & N Jedi
Giving Blood
I was supposed to give blood on Monday, but completely forgot about my appointment, so I rescheduled for Wednesday. I’m on the red cross calling list now which is great because they call me whenever there’s a blood drive in my area and it’s time for me to give again. So much better than waiting for blood drives to come to my school twice a year.
I was a bit worried about the iron test this time. The lady did the pinprick and put a drop of blood in the tube, and it just sat there for a bit before finally sinking down. I was really worried they were going to say I couldn’t donate, but she seemed to think it was ok because she just went on to the questionnaire sheet. I know last time they had to do another special test because the blood dropped down too slow. I really have to start watching my iron levels with my vegetarian diet. I should probably start taking a supplement or something.
I made sure I drank plenty of fluids because the one time I didn’t was incredibly painful and they couldn’t even get a pint of blood out of me. As long as I drink a lot, though, it usually takes less than 10 minutes for them to get a whole pint. Even though I drank, though, I still seemed to have a bad reaction this time. I always like to watch them stick the needle in. 1) Because it’s a cool looking needle and I’m fascinated with anything medical related.. 2) Because I’d rather see where something’s coming from rather than have it hit me unexpectedly. This time she stuck it in and seemed to have trouble finding the vein, though. She kept moving the needle around, and at one point I saw the needle pressing up against my skin from the inside. Kind of weird to see, but also not something I really wanted to see when I’m sitting there worrying she’s going to pierce right through the vein. I relaxed, though, when she stopped poking around and I saw the blood flowing out.
I was fine for the first little bit, just relaxing and periodically squeezing the little handle thing they gave me. But then I started to feel a little lightheaded and starting breaking out into a cold sweat. I was debating asking the lady to tip me back but was too stubborn to ask for help. The lady came by and asked me if I wanted a drink or anything, but I said I was ok, since the lightheadedness was only mild. Then she went over to start a blood draw on another guy while I focused on deep breathing. Then suddenly the lightheadedness got worse and I broke out into a full sweat. I was seriously considering asking to be tipped back, then. But the lady was still working on the other guy although she kept glancing over at me, probably because I was yawning and blinking so much. I kept glancing at the bag willing it to fill up faster. The lady came back over as soon as she was done and looked at me and asked if I was ok. By that time, I was feeling a bit better, though, and told her I was a little light headed but ok. She asked me if I wanted her to tip me back and give me some ice bags, but I assured her again I was ok since the bag was almost full and I knew I’d be ok once she took the needle out. She gave me a skeptical glance and asked one more time. But I really was feeling a lot better, even if not completely right, and told her I was fine. Then, thankfully, the little scale tipped meaning the pint bag was full and she started filling up all the extra little vials while giving me concerned looks the whole time. Finally she took out the needle and I held my arm above my head and then she wrapped it up. It’s funny. I can almost tell how many times I’ve given blood by counting the little pock marks in my arm. :p
I usually get right up after giving blood, but this time I took my time getting up because I was still not completely myself. I was fine standing up and walking to the snack table, though. But I actually stayed there the full 15 minutes before driving home instead of just leaving like I usually do. I really don’t know what happened that time. It definitely wasn’t the fluid, because I drank plenty of water before hand and the bag filled up in less than 10 minutes. Maybe it was the iron. I’ll make sure to take extra iron before the next time I give blood.
When I got home, my mom noticed how pale I was and told me I wasn’t allowed to give blood for another 6 months and that I needed to eat a steak. I told her I’d wouldn’t be giving again for another 6-8 weeks (which is the mandatory time anyway), and that I’d take supplements instead. I know she’s just worried for my welfare, but a little lightheadedness is worth it for the benefit donating blood will give.
Babysitting
I only had a little time to rest, then I had to go babysit for a client of my sister since she was busy preparing for school by then. I was still headachey for the rest of the night, but luckily they were pretty good kids, even with a new babysitter. The older sister who was in 6th grade was absolutely perfect. Her second grade younger brother on the other hand was a bit of handful, but still manageable. I almost literally had to drag him to bed, but he eventually settled down.
Barnes & Noble Jedi
When I got home my sister told me that our friend who works at Barnes & Noble saw a customer with a padawan braid and told her about me and my Gatherings and got her e-mail address! I wasn’t sure how open she’d be to Jedi Realism, but I e-mailed her a brief intro to Jedi Realism and Gatherings and she responded back with interest. So I sent her a few links of major sites in the online Jedi Community and told her we could also get together at B & N to chat sometime if she wanted. She hasn’t responded back yet, but it’s still cool to have another potential local Jedi in the area. She may also be busy with school right now since she mentioned she was an undergrad psych major and all the schools just started up again. I guess I’ll see what happens and just keep her updated on meetings and gatherings.
Thursday August 25, 2005 - Licensure Application, Grandpa Sitting, Sparring
Thursday was a busy day. My mom wanted me to watch over my grandfather since his normal caretaker was on vacation and my mom and dad were out of town. I didn’t mind at all, but the problem was I had get together and mail all my materials for my temporary physical therapy license that day too.
For my application, I needed an identification photo. I’d try to take a digital photo to Walmart on my memory key the day before, but they could only accept camera memory cards or a floppy disk or CD. I asked what time they’d be open the next day, and they said the instant photo machine would be available at 7 am, and the photo shop would be open at 8 am. So I went home and since my computer doesn’t have a floppy drive, I tried to take my memory key and transfer the picture to my parents’ computer which did have a floppy drive so then I could save it on disk. The problem is that their computer is about 8 years old, so it kept freezing and crashing and I kept having to restart it. So I finally gave up and took the memory key over to my old computer which is not much better at 7 years old and had the same problem, but finally managed to transfer the pic and save it on disc. But then when I went to open it, the picture was all distorted. And I wasn’t sure if it was just my computer imaging that was doing it, or if it was the actual picture. And since I had to finish my application, develop the picture, get my application notarized, get a money order or certified check for application fees, and get it all mailed at the post office and still leave enough time to get to my grandfather’s by 10:30 am, I couldn’t afford to go all the way to Walmart and not have the picture work. So then, I had to take the floppy back to my parents’ computer and get the pic to load on there. More freezing and crashing and near nervous breakdown ensued until I finally got the picture to load normally. YAY! By that time it was around 5 am, and I wanted to get up by 7 am to get to Walmart. I opted for 8 instead, though.
So, I get to Walmart and the instant photo machine is still broken of course. (Very glad I didn’t waste my time and lose precious sleep coming at 7 am.) So I go to the one hour machine, which really takes an hour and a half in the small print. I wait an hour and a half. Still no pictures. The picture guys tell me the machine said it was complete and they don’t know what happened. By that time it is already nearly 10 am. They tell me I can go to Sam’s Club instead, even though I don’t have a membership. I go to Sam’s Club. I only have the option of making a whole page of 9 thumbnails, so an extra $4.00 from what I would have paid for just two. The photo lady is doing paperwork and ignoring customers. I practice patience while watching time slip away as I have to keep dragging her away with questions and get her to the counter so I can actually pay for my photos. By that time it is 10:15 and I have just enough time to get to my grandfather.
I watch TV with him, I make him lunch, I play cards. He had a stroke a long, long time ago and never learned how to talk again other than to say “OK” and “No” and some Arabic work I forgot the meaning of. He still has a great sense of humor, though. :p After cards, he goes for a nap. He’s now living at my aunt’s house and my 14 year old cousin was still home for the summer, so I leave him in charge while I go to finish up my application stuff. Our grandfather is really fine on his own. He just needs a little help fixing meals and it’s good to have someone there in case he falls.
I go to the bank to get my application notarized, which I couldn’t do until the picture was in place. Got my certified check. Went to the post office. Got the whole packet mailed in less than 45 min including commuting time. I can’t believe I spent nearly 6 hours getting that stupid picture printed off. ARGHH!
I return to my grandfather. He’s still asleep. I brought my shinais with me because my cousin wanted to practice with them. It was a little scary. He really doesn’t exercise much control. He likes swinging full force, although he only seems to hit my shinai full force, and not my body. I still don’t trust him not to make a mistake, though. It actually ended up being pretty good practice since he likes going for the legs which I still seem to have trouble protecting. I had slightly bruised knees by the end of it, but nothing visible, only tender.
We kept peeking in the window to check on our grandfather. He finally woke up and we headed back in. My uncle arrives home soon after. I’m headed out after a long day, but my grandfather wants to go for a walk. It’s a nice day and I decide to go with him. He walks up the hill of the long street that my aunt lives at the end of, then back down again. It was a good workout for him. My uncle is emptying stuff out of his car, so I help him with the last few boxes, then head back home. Definitely glad to have that application over with.
Sunday August 28, 2005 - Fiction Group
My friend was supposed to have a fiction group meeting on Saturday. She took a fiction writing class at school and all the students actually kept in touch and kept having regular meetings. I also took a fiction class and my class was thinking about doing the same thing through e-mail, but it never happened. Since my friend knows I like to write, she invited me to join in, so I submitted the first few chapters of a book I’m working on.
It was supposed to be a combo swim party / fiction critiquing party, but almost everyone canceled on her. I showed up, and there was only her and her boyfriend there. Over two hours later, my sister shows up after working on her lesson plans for the next day. My sister and my friend’s boyfriend decide they want to throw her into the pool with all her clothes on. So we all end up going swimming, the rest of us in bathing suits. :p I actually wore a bikini, my first one since elementary school I think. It was better than any of the one pieces I found, but I was still incredibly self conscious.
We didn’t swim long and got out and dried off and asked questions out of the If… book. Things like…What crime would you commit if you knew you’d never be caught? What would you choose as your last meal if you were about to be executed? What things would you choose to put in if you had to fill a time capsule the size of a microwave? My sister left to do more lesson planning.
Finally one other person showed up. Me, my friend, and the last person were the only ones who submitted work to be critiques, but I was the only one who had actually read all of the works. We asked more questions out of the If… book. Then we left to go to Dunkin’ Donuts. More If… questions. Then called it a night. Fiction group to be rescheduled. Date to be determined. Maybe if I attend regular meetings (meetings that are actually real meetings), I can force myself to start writing again., though.
Monday August 29, 2005 - Busy Morning
Monday was another busy day. Oil change at 8 am (for free if I sign up for a credit card, YAY!). Went to the post office to fill out another change of address form from our parents’ old house to the current one since the last one didn’t seem to go through. Went to the bank to deposit money for me and my sister and ask about a joint account for both of us for future house expenses. Went to Target to pay a bill for my sister. Went to the Fresh Produce store to pick up groceries for my mom. And all before 11 am. :)
Wednesday August 31, 2005 - Home Inspection and Temporary License
Home Inspection
We had our home inspection today for the new house. My sister is already working, so I went solo. I got to the house and talked to one of the owners for a bit. She was home because she runs a daycare out of the house. She and her husband are parents of four kids living in this small three bedroom townhouse. No wonder they need to move! :p She said they’d probably leave the basketball hoop, the extra freezer downstairs, and the trashcans for us if we wanted. She also said they had wanted to take the picnic bench and umbrella, but couldn’t get it out of the ground. She even said they’d be willing to remove the playground for us. They loved their house and hadn’t planned on moving, so they had just gotten a new washer and dryer, a new shed in the backyard, and all new replacement doors.
The home inspection went well. The inspector was a really laid back, funny guy. He was really good about explaining everything to me. The home seems to be in pretty good shape. No signs of structural damage, leaks, mold, asbestos, etc. The main issue was that the power lines outside had come loose from the brackets which attached them to the brick of the house. He s aid that was something the owners would have to hire an electrician to come fix for us before we moved in since it was a safety issue. He also recommended that we ask that the furnace be cleaned. He even changed the filter while he was there because the old one was so black. He said the AC was working just as it should, but it was so old, we should probably put it into our budget to replace that and the hot water heater within the next 3-5 years. He also said it wouldn’t be a bad idea to replace the old aluminum windows to increase energy efficiency, especially since most of them weren’t sealing properly and were even taped shut. There were a few brand new replacement windows, though, so at least we won’t have to replace all of them. Luckily, he said the roof was in good shape and should probably last at least another 10 years. He said the downspout in front of the house had to be reattached to the drain and there was a supply valve missing on the tub next to the old laundry machine. He said the new washer and dryer were absolutely fantastic, though, and great energy savers. He recommended a rain cap on the chimney, which we’re going to see if they’d be willing to put on if they’re going to go up to the roof anyway to take down their satellite dish. He said it would also be a good idea to build up the dirt around the foundation so that water wouldn’t pool there. He also wanted us to put in a smoke detector right at the top of the stairs and for us to take care of it instead of the owners to make sure we got a good quality one. There were a few chipped tiles in the tub where it looks like they were broken while new faucets were being installed, but he said they were sealed well. He said the attic was well ventilated and had good insulation and the electric was under the insulation if we wanted to put a light up there. All in all, not bad at all. The few big concerns we’re going to ask the owners to take care of and see how much they’re willing to do. Really, the power line safety issue is the only one they’re absolutely required to do. They seem like nice people, though, so we’ll see.
After the home inspection and seeing the house again, I feel a lot better about buying it. I think I’m over the initial dread of “What have I done!!!? and “What if I made a mistake?” now. My mom still thinks it’s moving too fast and that we over paid. Maybe we could have gotten it for $5,000 less, but it wouldn’t have been worth risking losing the house over, and I still feel that we paid a fair price for it. I thought we were going to get an appraisal with the home inspection, but I guess not. I guess the mortgage company sends their own guy out to do that. I’m still interested to see what the actual appraised value is. The important thing, though, is that it’s finally starting to feel like home to me and I’m feeling at peace with my decision to buy it.
Temporary License
I also got my temporary license today, or actually yesterday but I got home so late I didn’t check the mail. It’s actually a lot earlier than I wanted it because although the temporary license is good for 90 days, I have to set up my exam date within 60 days of the date of issue. And if I fail my exam, I automatically lose my temporary license anyway. I was told that it would take about 4 weeks for the application to come through, which is why I went so crazy trying to get it sent early. I was planning to take the exam maybe the last week of October or first week of November, but now I have to take it a week earlier. I just pray that I’m ready.
--Moonshadow