tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-173207442024-03-14T01:27:42.079-04:00Suzanne CallingI would love to have the time to talk to you, but life gets so hectic sometimes.
Especially when you have two teens, a husband, a career, and doctoral studies to attempt to keep up with!
Just think of this as a phone call in cyberspace. Keep up your end of the conversation and comment, please!Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.comBlogger3037125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-11413557604857405102015-11-03T11:05:00.000-05:002019-10-22T11:22:44.109-04:00Inner PeaceIn the past few months, I've had a few pretty cool revelations and conversations that have lead me to be pretty introspective. As a whole, though, the journey through college has definitely helped me to look inward more than I have in the past. <br />
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The job search lead to offering some support to others going through the same thing and I was able to help a friend starting out in his career with the sage wisdom that your quality of life will ALWAYS trump your paycheck. Yes, I asked for more money than I had been making in the past, but this job offer came with less pay and more vacation time-which I gladly accepted. Ed and I are at the stage in our lives where the travel beckons, so more time off and a respectable salary makes both of us happier. <br />
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<br />Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-31123115859654031712015-11-01T14:10:00.002-05:002017-07-08T10:23:18.645-04:00November, FinallyThis time last year, we were preparing for our second cruise, after attending the first CTTE in April. Celtic Thunder was more low key, as we relaxed more, spent time with some of our prog friends and I only made an effort to get to one show (Gaelic Storm, loved them). <br />
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Prior to the first Cruise to the Edge, Ed and I both friended people on Facebook, but didn't know anyone else IRL going on the cruise (or so we thought-we ran into my first serious boyfriend the last night). However, we made many friends during CTTE, that we spent time with on Celtic Thunder. This year? It feels like a reunion of friends in addition to an amazing music festival. <br />
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Two weeks from today, three of us head aboard. Game Teen will be staying home and my sister flying down from NY to keep him company, as he had no interest in going. This time, some long-time IRL friends will be joining us. <br />
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The lesson from last year was that we would have no sleep and need to recover, so we booked a second cruise with 30 of our CTTE friends. The second one will have lots of relaxation on tap and time to catch up with each other. <br />
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Gee, I have no idea why I was looking forward to November so much!<br />
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-85309820323184238982015-09-30T22:56:00.001-04:002017-07-08T10:23:35.951-04:00Ten Years Ago TodayI started this blog.<br />
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While I haven't written much lately, the urge to write is still here. Much of it is career and research based, so I'm not sure if this is the right venue for that content. Perhaps I should write more about the craft beers we've been drinking, or the upcoming trip(s), or the other stuff going on. <br />
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A coworker who barely talks to me (because I'm not young OR cute...) came to me yesterday to ask me where the good sushi places are near work. I found it funny that he was coming to ask me something, and that about a restaurant. It seems that my coworkers told him 'you want to know where the good places are, just ask Suzanne-she knows them all." <br />
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It's rather cool to have that reputation, and it made me smile. I truly am the product of my parents. They always were called upon to get suggestions for the new, the good or whatever specific cuisine someone was in the mood for. <br />
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Thing is, he'd had another restaurant in mind, because it was closer to work. It sits between two favorite restaurants (a BBQ place and a Lebanese quick serve), and I was honest that I hadn't tried it since the remodel, but that it appears empty when the line at the 'Que place is out the door, despite some really good lunch specials advertised. Considering that the suggested sushi place is within five minutes, I take that as a sign that they're not as good. <br />
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It is now on the list to try, so I can confirm my suspicions. Only problem is that my usual lunch buddy doesn't eat sushi. It will probably happen on a day she's not working. <br />
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-71656047912860088312015-09-07T11:28:00.002-04:002017-07-08T10:34:48.586-04:00Lifesigns-Different (From the Under the Bridge show)One of my most favorite shows of the 2014 Cruise to the Edge was performed by Lifesigns. As soon as we were back home, I ordered their CD and it is easily the most played disc in the car-one which Ed and I each choose a different harmony line and sing along while we're driving along.<br />
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When the group announced a crowd funding campaign to record new music at a concert in January, we jumped on board. Even though we were wishing we lived in the UK to attend (and regularly wish we could teleport to all the European shows), it seemed a good alternative to relive the enjoyment of that Black and White lounge show. If we move to the UK after my Ph.D, it is likely that we'll do a lot of exploring based on band appearances! <br />
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Anyway, the other day John Young shared this teaser from the DVD and it has me happy to see that the same energy and cohesiveness we saw that April day once again. <br />
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Check out "Different"!<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/INBRMtxZK_0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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It is also making me antsy for November to get here, so we can kick off the cruise festivities with a Lifesigns show the night before!<br />
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-89429273141855725762015-09-07T03:51:00.001-04:002017-07-08T10:35:00.878-04:00Week 2All assignments for the graded classes were turned in by midnight-one minute late on the last one. Hey, I count that as being done on time!<br />
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The work class, I'm missing one discussion board exercise, but I can easily make that up and do all the week two content tomorrow, plus the reading for at least one of the credit classes. Might as well use the holiday to be productive, since the kids deemed it still too hot to travel to Universal. It's just as well, as the batteries in my scooter need to be replaced...<br />
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<br />Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-47882783404929373852015-09-05T11:04:00.000-04:002019-10-22T11:24:14.286-04:00Three Months InYeah, I know. I need to get back into the habit of blogging. I guess I need to pick a time every day once again and get back to it-especially since I have about a half-dozen Urban Spoon reviews to do and several nail posts to make. <br />
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I think the main news is that I'm almost 3 months into the current job and boy, what a world of difference I am experiencing as compared to the last job. It's a big department, about 60 or so of us, and I interact with a handful outside of work. I've traveled to the northeast once already for work, and have another trip on the books for November. <br />
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<br />Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-89897168831960082532015-08-30T12:49:00.003-04:002017-07-08T10:35:16.267-04:00Week 1 DoneThis semester, I have two classes-both online. One is in my autism cognate, the other is in my program and both will be easy to manage, but require a decent amount of reading or work, so the game plan is to do the autism readings during my lunch breaks and work on weekly assignments at night. <br />
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Then, to add a monkey wrench, I'm taking a course through work on the adult learner. At least it is only three weeks. Everyone in my department was encouraged to take it. At least it prepares me well for when I take the same course for my degree, and I have the textbook for that course-so I may be in good shape for that. <br />
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Four semesters left...<br />
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-36933789826377347122015-08-23T21:21:00.002-04:002017-07-08T10:35:32.291-04:00Google Two Step Verification...If you don't have it, get it!<br />
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There are four others like this, all within the past half hour. Nope, you're not getting into my gmail. <br />
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-53758937746153536062015-04-01T15:08:00.000-04:002017-07-08T10:35:44.609-04:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="mobile-photo">
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Sent from my iPhoneSuzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-31045748319747514332015-02-02T20:15:00.002-05:002017-07-08T10:35:57.080-04:00Of Neurologists That Piss Me Off<br />
The vertigo has been a constant companion since January 1st, a full month of riding the merry go round and wondering when the hell it would stop. Last Monday, thanks to some self-caused stress (oversleeping), it ramped up to the degree that I usually experience right before the carousel operator kicks the switch into overdrive, and sends me staggering to the bathroom amid the 45 (or 78) rpm my world is making. <br />
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My MRI results were insignificant, which basically means that there has not been enough progression in the Chiari to cause this. I went through the 10 day course of faux steroids, took hydrocodone for the headaches as directed by my neurologist (a treatment course we normally do, but she'd asked me to try a run of Imitrex for any and all headaches-but there's a really bad interaction with sumitripan and this not-a-steroid), and nothing was stopping it. <br />
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A week of phone tag ensued, and as is typical, the neurologist looks at the headaches first, vertigo second. This morning, her nurse calls me back and tells me to go to the emergency room for treatment for the headaches and vertigo. <br />
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Really? That is your expert opinion on my situation-go to the emergency room, which may or may not have a neurologist in house at the time? That smacks of "I don't know what the fuck I am doing here, and I am done playing doctor now. Go away" <br />
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Is it just me? <br />
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-72597883474576337812015-01-10T23:08:00.002-05:002015-01-10T23:08:29.522-05:00Vertigo 1, Suzanne 0Yeah, so last post talked about being prescribed a steroid to hopefully fix this off-kilter feeling I've had since New Year's day. Well, it seems that my<a href="http://www.suzannesez.blogspot.com/2006/03/day-two-of-feeling-crappy.html"> severe allergy to Cortisone</a> means I cannot take any steroids. Something I did not know, because in nearly 9 years, no other doctor has prescribed steroids. Probably because they knew this, but I don't know. <br />
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So, the pharmacy tried to call my OLD phone number to tell me this, I wait in line for a half hour to pick up said prescription and then find this out. Not happy about that, I call the doctor's office Friday morning to inform them. They call in a synthetic steroid and I get a text to pick up my prescription last night-except it is the WRONG prescription (it's for the Meclizine I told them I didn't need yet.)<br />
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I'm still off kilter and no closer to seeing if adding medication to the mix gets rid of the merry go round I've been on. <br />
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<br />Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-83060358626346160252015-01-07T22:08:00.002-05:002015-01-07T22:08:17.144-05:00The Sucky Part About Having a Chiari MalformationWell, all of it is pretty crappy, if you ask me, but right now, the most sucky thing?<br />
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When the neurologist admits that she can't tell whether the vertigo is causing the ubiquitous headaches, or whether the headaches triggered this current vertigo episode. I can honestly say it is not a lack of knowledge on that front, it is a labyrinth of issues that are so interconnected that even the most seasoned neurologist can't definitively answer this one.<br />
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Thing is, the headaches are nearly always a part of my days, that I never stop to consider that they're causing other problems. The only thing I have notices is that the constant neck and shoulder pain (that hovers at a 5 or 6 on that Likert scale) have been strangely absent since this whole episode started. <br />
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I think the biggest surprise is that this doctor, who I am not really fond of, was actually rather decent and displayed a modicum of compassion-which she has not shown one shred of in the past. She even offered up a prescription for valium for next week's MRI, when last year, she told me I didn't NEED them. Maybe it's the fact that I'm symptomatic and it's obvious it's bad.<br />
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Heck, she gave me a note to not go back to work. Alas, the impending deadlines convinced me to not use it. <br />
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Upshot is an increase in the meclizine, a steroid, use my migraine medication on any and all headaches, even ones I am convinced won't improve with it, and go back in two weeks if there is no improvement in my situation. <br />
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-17377124892094850582015-01-04T22:59:00.000-05:002015-01-04T22:59:03.092-05:00Should I Switch to AT&T's Next Plan?<br />
I do not deny that when the new iPhones came out, I had a serious case of 'I WANT!', but the practical side of me knew I couldn't spend that money any time soon. There's a trip this year that required some deposits (yes, we are boarding a chartered cruise again) and well, I'd rather pay those than have the newest phone. <br />
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My current phone, the iPhone 4s, was acquired the day those came out just over three years ago. So, I've been well out of contract on our cellular service, but like I said, the priorities for the fun money this year had a phone lower on the list. <br />
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When the new phones were announced, I looked at AT&T's website and saw they had two options, the plan we've always had with them, where you pay a subsidized amount for the phone, and the new Next plan, where you pay a monthly fee. Unfortunately, the site doesn't really spell things out for you, so I assumed that the $25 a month for a 16gig 6 was over and above what we pay each month. No thanks.<br />
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Then, my niece's cell phone broke last month and she got the new iPhone, using the Next plan. She told us her bill actually went down. So, I went back to the AT&T site and nope, it really didn't explain this at all. A few days later, I was shopping at Costco with my friend Jessica and she finally upgraded her iPhone 4, but she paid outright for a 16gig iPhone 6. <br />
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This gave me a good opportunity to ask the rep about the Next plan. Without looking at what I was paying for three lines, he said the majority of customers have their rates drop a little. It is offered as 18/24/or 30 month payment plan. What is different is that, once you finish the monthly payments, you just have your base rate. What this means is that currently, I've spent 15 months playing the subsidized rate for my phone beyond when I should have. (It explains why none of the cell phone companies are in a rush to get you to renew!)<br />
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So, yesterday, Ed and I went to the local AT&T store to verify what the Next plan entails. And yep, our base plan will be considerably less once we have paid off the phones. We can trade in the phones early, if desired, but considering that we seem to hang on to them a bit longer than 2 years, it's possible we will have a few months of base plan. <br />
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If we had gone for the 16gig 6 or 6 Plus, our monthly bill would have dropped about 10 bucks a month for now. But, I spend about an hour a month culling out photographs because my 16gig phone is FULL (and that's with less than a gig of music on it). Long before the 6's came out, I decided that the next phone would be at least 32gig. Little did I know, after the 16gig, it jumps to a 64 gig. Okay, so that's what I'll get. <br />
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I was all set to get the 6, Ed wanted the 6 Plus 128gig. Why? Because all the iPad music recording apps he uses can be used on the phone. Cool, it'll be easy to tell our phones apart-until he and the rep had me walk over to the display and compare the phones. Yeah, so after having a 64gig 6 on the table, ready to walk out the door, the better resolution on the 6 plus was noticeable. <br />
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The store got wiped out of 6 Plusses over Christmas, which meant we ordered the new phones. <br />
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Another thing to consider: that unlimited data plan. Ed and I have had it on our phones since we got the 3Ss in 2009. The Next Plan removes unlimited data-but it ends up that between the three of us, we use less than 3 gigs in the average month. However, it allows us to tether devices, something that we've wanted to do when we travel. It ends up that 10 gig of data per month costs exactly the same for us as the 3 gig-so that's what we opted to take. (I can tether my laptop at work when I need to check school email now.)<br />
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If you're thinking of switching to the Next Plan, it is a good option for those who hang onto their phones longer than 2 years, like us. <br />
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<br />Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-74665913657321936182015-01-02T00:27:00.000-05:002015-08-08T18:10:22.033-04:00Vertigo Once AgainLast year, when I got the new (and arrogant) neurologist, she sent me out of the office with prescriptions for three 'just in case' medications. The fact that vertigo had returned after ten years of playing nice was enough for her to think that it would not lay dormant anymore.<br />
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For the most part, I feel like I carry a little Vera bag in my purse that takes up space and sounds like maracas. I had a couple of major vertigo episodes that were enough to convince me that hey, maybe that little bag of medication isn't such a bad idea. Let's just say that when you triage yourself to the doctor, she sends you to 4 specialists because she doesn't want to agree, and two of those doctors come back with the EXACT same diagnosis you'd triaged, you don't really put a lot of faith in their abilities.<br />
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In the past few months, I've had a fair bit of low level 'spinny' spells that weren't fully ramped up and started taking the meclizine I was prescribed. While it didn't work on my vertigo back in 2002, I find that if it is taken early enough now, I can head things off at the pass. At the end of October, I had an episode of unexplained nausea crop up at work, and took the Zofran that was also prescribed and 20 minutes later, I felt perfectly fine.<br />
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So the medications work, and have with lesser events. The problem is, when you're in a full blown vertigo episode, the body has a violent defense mechanism called "everybody out, three exits only". I wish I were kidding about that one, but if you've ever experienced a violent vomiting situation, imagine your body doing that to the entrance AND exits of the digestive system.<br />
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Those two medicines are meant to prevent vertigo from going full tilt boogie and won't be of much help when your world is spinning like a 45 on a turntable, because the body is doing its best to empty the stomach.<br />
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This morning, I woke up from a sound sleep at about 2:30 or 3:00 am with the early stages of a vertigo attack. As I'd consumed two sips of champagne that tasted a bit off, I assumed I had the bed spins from bad booze and went back to sleep. Bad mistake, but I also do this with migraines and other health issues, so not unusual. Then, at 4am, I woke up to the world spinning at 45 RPM. Pardon the language, but the first thoughts were 'Fuuuuuuuuuuck!" and "I need to get to the bathroom NOW before I make a mess." I struggled with sitting up, with standing, with even putting one foot in front of the other to make it from my side of the bed, across the bedroom and into the bathroom.<br />
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I don't know if I yelled it or just spoke it, but out came "HELP" and Ed was out of bed instantly, asking questions, but seeing immediately that I was in vertigo crisis (he has it, too). He helped me to the bathroom, then went and searched for my medication, with me trying to tell him the flowery dark blue Vera pouch and getting out "the bag that makes noise". Even in the state I was in, with adrenaline coursing, clinical observation skills kicked in and said "hmm, apraxia, never noticed that happens".<br />
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He found the medication bag and brought it to me, and I told him to look at the labels I'd placed on them. Because the bag has 4 identical prescription bottles, and I use one fairly often, I placed colored tabs on each that say what they're for to save myself time finding what I needed without actually having to read them. (Green says 'vertigo', blue says 'nausea', pink says 'muscle spasms', and orange says 'pain') Until today, I didn't realize that this is also useful for others when I need help, because you cannot focus to read when vertigo is in high gear.<br />
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I now know, send him for something to catch what comes out the front end first! He went for the small garbage pail we have in the other bathroom (that I'd hidden in the shower when we had company last week!). All through this, I sat with my eyes closed and head laying against my left arm, which was braced on the wall above my head (we have a tiny water closet off the master bath). With my eyes closed, I didn't even experience the spinning-this is atypical. Normally, you cannot escape it.<br />
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All the while, I'm observing and noting what happens. "Okay, the spinning is about 45rpm, there is no nutating, ah, here's the galvanic skin response-that's interesting, as I am comfortably warm, the RSD is not reacting, mild ataxia, I can think clearly, moderate tachycardia, peristatic action is in overdrive...". Part of this is just how my mind is wired after all the effort to research anything and everything-and these episodes are becoming frequent enough that I am trying to determine what I can do something about, as well as identify triggers.<br />
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Then, strangely, after sitting for what seemed like a very long time (no idea how long it truly was, and this is typical for these episodes), the spinning slowed down and came to a stop. In all my previous episodes, the spinning stayed with me for hours until I slept it off. This time, it stopped, but I still felt like I had a bobble head, so Ed helped me out into the living room.<br />
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Vertigo spells are exhausting. I wanted nothing more than to lay down and go to sleep in my nice, comfortable bed, but I knew that was a very, very, bad idea. Instead, I sat upright in my chaise in the living room and went to sleep there. Now, 20 hours later, my head still feels off kilter, the kind of cotton head that is common with a cold. I've napped off and on and a trip out of the house for lunch with my sister and niece was nice, but I napped for about 4 hours afterwards.<br />
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Ed and I compare notes on how vertigo manifests in each of us, and while I hate that he has it, too, it is so helpful to have him know exactly what I need when the words are jumbled. He later told me that 'the bag that makes noise' was a better descriptor than the 'darkest blue Vera bag with flowers', especially since he was searching in the dark to grab it out of my purse, but I was frustrated that my mouth was saying 'the one that makes noise' and tried saying the right thing, only to say 'makes noise'! Vertigo sucks, but man, I feel for people with permanent ataxia.<br />
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Based on our conversation, we both agreed that we'll wake up overnight with an emerging issue (headache, back spasm, joint pain) and don't want to take the trouble to get up, get medication and water and come to bed, because we know we won't get back to sleep after doing that. Our solution is that the medications will go on nightstands. Yep, we're old folks with the nightstand pharmacy. Only problem is the glasses of water and a kitten who likes to knock crap over. I'm thinking I need a couple of smaller tervis cups.<br />
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This year has started off with some excitement I don't want and didn't order. I'm hoping that it was just the bad champagne. At the very least, it was a chance to observe and note more of what happens in a full scale vertigo episode. <br />
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<img src="http://s616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/sbclientlayoutimages/Suzanne%20Calling/signature.png" />Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-19169624142160861512014-12-31T21:38:00.001-05:002014-12-31T21:38:22.112-05:00Head Scratcher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5C1sDr6drM/VKSy5_uBYyI/AAAAAAAAJgg/5G8V0YySqvY/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2014-12-31%2Bat%2B9.36.08%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5C1sDr6drM/VKSy5_uBYyI/AAAAAAAAJgg/5G8V0YySqvY/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2014-12-31%2Bat%2B9.36.08%2BPM.png" /></a></div></br></br>
I'm not the only one who finds this a little off, right? </br></br>
<img src="http://s616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/sbclientlayoutimages/Suzanne%20Calling/signature.png">Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-88861323870311686952014-12-30T14:39:00.000-05:002015-09-06T15:02:59.061-04:00MSC Cruising, Take 2Back in April, Ed and I had a fantastic time on the MSC Divina, enjoying all the musical performances of progressive rock groups on Cruise to the Edge. While we dubbed it the 'cruise to sleep deprivation', there was no question that we'd return to CTTE and the Divina the next time that CTTE left port. <br />
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There was a bit of surprise in August. The promoter (On The Blue) was hosting another full ship charter on the MSC Divina, this time for Celtic music, but he hadn't hit the numbers needed to break even on the event, and sent out an announcement to the alums of his other charters that contained a deal too good to pass up.
Put it this way: We could either eat, or pay for a hotel for 4 days for the rate we were offered. <br />
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The boys were asked 'Would you like to go on a' and we didn't even finish asking before we got excited affirmative replies, so I booked and looked forward to showing Chef and GameTeen all the things that Ed and I had talked about for six months, while also getting to see more of what the Divina had to offer that we missed in our enjoyment of many musical performances. <br />
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Now back for over a week, I can say we definitely got in a lot of relaxation, did a bit of running around, and the boys are also fans of cruising (and unlimited buffets!). We added one more country to our list of places traveled (Bahamas), and I added a band to my 'must purchase' music list (Gaelic Storm). <br />
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Some pictures from our adventures:<br />
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Celtic Thunder banners, before they were hung around the Promenade<br />
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The first of many cocktails enjoyed over the four days<br />
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GameTeen enjoying the move into open waters from the Miami harbor</div>
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Morning in Nassau, Bahamas</div>
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Sunset in Nassau</div>
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Moonlight as we slowly travel to Coco Cay, Bahamas</div>
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Chef enjoying a nap beside the indoor pool</div>
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The view of Coco Cay from the Divina</div>
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One of the pictures from my short trip over to Coco Cay, with the Divina behind me</div>
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The last tender back to Coco Cay</div>
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<img src="http://s616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/sbclientlayoutimages/Suzanne%20Calling/signature.png" />Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-59779682027108958902014-12-23T07:34:00.000-05:002014-12-23T07:34:35.916-05:00Of Life, Cruises, and a Whole Bunch of Other StuffSeems that once you break a years-long blogging streak, you tend to think 'screw it', and don't really write very much. Not for a lack of anything to say, rather, just the habit has been broken. </br></br>
Last month, we went on a trip that was a lot of fun. I uploaded the pictures to the laptop and then it wouldn't add them to my posts. There are some things kerflooey with the laptop, so I figured that I'd just upload the pictures to the iMac and I'd be good to go. Um, for some strange reason, the iMac is not recognizing the SD card slot or some of the USB plugs. So, the post still sits in draft. Next up, loading the pictures onto the OTHER laptop (the one I purchased last year and then got the older laptop fixed) and getting those pictures on that draft post and putting them up. </br></br>
So yeah, trip. The promoter of the cruise Ed and I went on in April sent out a steal of a deal offer and I was of the mind that we would do whatever we could to be ON that ship. I mean, how often can you cruise as a family of four, including the adult beverages and photographs, for less than a thousand bucks? On a good cruise line, and a ship you've already been on and like? You would go, too, right? Heck, we even found our favorite bartender from the previous cruise on the first night AND he remembered Ed (distinctive beard FTW).</br></br>
This time, the boys went. GameTeen liked the unlimited food whenever he felt like it, Chef liked the things to do, the time hanging out, and meeting some of our friends from the previous cruise. He also did a bunch of shutterbugging. As a result, the plans are now to bring him on the next Prog cruise, where his fare alone will be more than we paid for four of us to cruise for four nights. It won't be nearly as relaxing, but it will be quite enjoyable!</br></br>
The holidays rapidly approach and they'll be different for us this time around, just as Thanksgiving was different from years past. We had nine of us around the table, a mix of extended family and friends, and as I'd hoped-all the guests got on very well! Christmas currently involves visiting the niece and her family, with my sister flying in from New Jersey. Then I suggested a cookie baking marathon for next weekend, with niece, sister, Chef, and I filling the house with sweet smells.</br></br>
When I was teaching, I'd picked up a Silhouette Cameo, a die-cutting machine that allows one to do some crafty stuff easily. It has been brought out every once in a while, but not used on a consistent basis. Mainly because I didn't have the time. However, I joined a few Facebook groups devoted to the machine and got many ideas of things I'd like to do, and started buying up supplies to do such things as I found a bit of time. </br></br>
Then I asked the de facto social coordinator at work if we were having a baby shower for another coworker and that is how I got drafted into helping to plan the event, not that I minded. Decorating plans involved me making an elephant banner for the event and now that it is out and in use, the Silhouette is getting put into service for a few gifts. A friend suggested some things I could make and put on etsy, which is a possibility. I have to save money for that next cruise, after all! </br></br>
Yes, there's a lot more going on and about a dozen Urban Spoon writeups that need to be posted, but this is enough for one time! </br></br>
<img src="http://s616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/sbclientlayoutimages/Suzanne%20Calling/signature.png">Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-11129343852450732302014-10-26T19:34:00.001-04:002014-10-26T19:34:57.354-04:00Inspired to Build a CommunityFriday afternoon, lunch break. I had just sat down in the break room, laptop in front of me with plans of banging out another page on this literature review that has been all consuming lately. My phone rings, and strangely, it's my friend, Jenn. She honestly has NEVER called me in the middle of the day. <br /><br />
The reason for the call is one of her coworkers, whose son is, like GameTeen, on the Autism spectrum. Alas, the coworker has no local support network. To be honest, I don't, either, but I've cobbled a pretty good one on the Internet over the years. 'M' and her husband need help in finding an appropriate school for their son, as the local school district hasn't met the son's needs. They've mirrored our path through the educational system, with their son clearly needing a one to one aide. The school district keeps on stating that their son must stay in a school which triggers meltdowns. Not very logical. <br /><br />
They've contemplating moving, as they both are professionals that can find work in their respective fields anywhere in the US. The question is where might they find the right schools, clinicians, and support community? Not a simple task, as there are no known resources from any of the national associations that attend to their son's diagnoses.<br /><br />
So, the three of us met for lunch, and talked things over. The simple answer that came to mind is to pull together the people I've met over the years in a Facebook group and share what we know. It isn't an answer, but it's a start. <br /><br />
<img src="http://s616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/sbclientlayoutimages/Suzanne%20Calling/signature.png">Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-5943647932006756412014-10-22T23:27:00.000-04:002014-10-22T23:27:14.665-04:00JavaOne of my friends and fellow coworkers is a volunteer with a local cat rescue organization. Since she started with them, she has fostered a few kitties to keep them from being euthanized at the local high-kill shelter. Spay and neuter your animals, people!<br /><br />
Several weeks ago, she went to take pictures of the kitties after work and found that one of the little guys was slated for euthanization the next morning. She signed the papers to foster and posted a picture on the way home of the little guy, perched on her shoulder. She'd left her carrier at home, because she honestly was not expecting yet another foster to come back to her apartment.<br /><br />
That picture cracked me up, for the little guy looked like Toothless from "How to Train Your Dragon". He came home with the name Toaster, and the next morning at work, we were talking about various names, and I suggested Java for the black as night kitten. <br /><br />
Then I heard stories about the little guy and was absolutely charmed. <br /><br />
Which is why he came home with me two weeks ago. After trying on several different names, we realize that Java fits him perfectly-he seems like he is hypercaffeinated. Even better, it has a somewhat techy feel for a house of techies. <br /><br />
So, meet Java. <br /><br />
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Looking at the paws on this guy, he'll be HUGE. Scamp, who always seems kind of small to us (because he's a puffball who is skinny underneath) now seems like a behemoth. Next year, they'll probably be the same size...<br />
<img src="http://s616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/sbclientlayoutimages/Suzanne%20Calling/signature.png">Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-691997229647246992014-09-13T17:13:00.000-04:002014-09-13T17:13:08.384-04:00Nails and More NailsI've had quite a few trips to Mandi that I haven't blogged about, so a round up of all those trips is in order:
First, today's manicure. She'd done some marbling on another client's nails and offered to do mine. I think we needed more contrast and she agreed, so we'll try it with the next visit. <br /><br/>
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I think I'd mentioned that she returned to being a nail tech after several years away, raising her daughters. In that gap is when gel nail polishes took off, which means her return involved trying out three different types of UV Gels-and having a large palette of colors to choose from. (Get ready for a fourth to appear soon, as Essie joins the market with UV Gel polish soon!). <br /><br/>
Anyway, because she's a latecomer to it, she didn't know that CND's Shellac line really played up layering to make new colors. I shared my links and was a bit disappointed that Hillary at Solessence has really moved away from the color swatching she'd done a couple of years ago. It's really tricky to navigate to find those images with layers. Anyway, I picked two colors and explained that it really would work, starting with Plum Paisley and topping with Romantique. <br /><br/>
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It is a little subdued as compared to my usual colors, but I like it. There were many compliments and a few questions about what color it was. The one picture is from my drive to the salon. My nails are far longer than they usually are here, and I had them cut back to the sportier length I prefer. <br /><br/>
I've said it before, the Gelish colors seem to wear on my nails the best, getting to three weeks between visits without a single nail peeling. It seems that this is the case for nearly all of Mandi's clients, so she is working on building her Gelish color selection. I loved this Sea Glass, especially with the layer of glitter. <br /><br/>
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This is Gelish My Favorite Accessory, also with a nice dusting of glitter. <br /><br/>
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I want to say this is Gelish Hello, Merlot, but I need to double check this. It may be Shellac, but I can't remember using Shellac in the recent past, except for the one layering visit. <br /><br/>
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Let's just say it is nice to have a steady paycheck and visits to my nail tech! <br /><br/>
<img src="http://s616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/sbclientlayoutimages/Suzanne%20Calling/signature.png">Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-89347586897363314622014-09-03T22:03:00.001-04:002014-09-03T22:03:04.904-04:00TravelingAt my job, there are two of us working with our client university. That university, rather than use our very nice, in house recording studio, opts to tape lectures on site. While there are two of us, that means we swap off months in which we head to the northeast. <br /><br />
My coworker, a former classmate and friend, is scheduled to travel next week, as I went last month. In planning this trip, one of his questions was "Will the leaves be turning yet?" Normally, this early, not really. Last week, we started working with our next round of instructors and set two weeks of taping, one in mid-October, and one in November. The October one probably will be just past peak color, so I offered for my coworker to go. He moved to Florida as a teen, and it had been years since he'd seen fall foliage in all its glory. <br /><br />
This gives me the November sessions. It wasn't until I agreed to it that I realized, hey-I'm heading out of town for Election Day. For the second time in my life, I will be getting an absentee ballot. <br /><br />
The first? We were in the midst of moving into our new home in Maryland when the deadline to change our address passed. I worked in Tyson's Corner, Virginia, now lived in Frederick, and was still registered in a DC suburb. Heck yeah, I took the absentee to avoid the beltway traffic to get to the polls. <br /><br />
It will be kind of strange to not watch my local election returns, though! <br />
<img src="http://s616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/sbclientlayoutimages/Suzanne%20Calling/signature.png">Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-46847252064607636942014-08-17T21:53:00.002-04:002014-08-17T21:53:50.498-04:00The Different PathMy Facebook feed is full of pictures of freshmen arriving at college. I never realized how many people I know with kids the same age as GameTeen. This week, it is apparent that I know about two dozen friends and former classmates with 18 year olds of their own. <br /><br />
Meanwhile, tomorrow, mine starts 10th grade. Mainly because when we enrolled him back in public school last year, we placed him in 9th grade to catch up on the academics that weren't a focus at his private school. Still, he matured while there, so it isn't a total waste of three years. <br /><br />
It's kind of surreal, to observe this juncture and realize that this is where life is definitely different for our family. GameTeen might go to college someday, but the reality is that he will do so close to home if it happens. He has the intelligence to do it, but none of the other skills. Maybe he'll gain those in the next three years, but I'm not betting on it. <br /><br />
<img src="http://s616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/sbclientlayoutimages/Suzanne%20Calling/signature.png">Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-79220052746616293912014-08-04T01:22:00.001-04:002014-08-04T01:23:59.476-04:00Pho Viet, Brandon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At my new job, there are a few traditions my department has that I've enjoyed partaking in, the payday happy hour and Friday lunch gathering. This past week, the suggestion came up for Vietnamese food, which I'd never had. Seriously, I've never had Pho, but have wanted to try for a while. <br /><br /> Even better, about half my dining companions were new to the cuisine, too, so I wasn't the weird one who knew nothing.<br /><br />
Looking over the menu, I didn't even have a clue which dish to get. I opted for an order of fried dumplings, then selected the pork Bun Bo Ga from the half dozen items that sounded appealing. <br /><br /> If you're the adventurous type, this menu has you ruling things out by the ingredients you don't like, rather than decide by the rare thing you do. If I was with my cube mates, I think I would have struck a deal for us to pick four things and share around.
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A side note here: One of my coworkers is a veteran consumer of the cuisine and ordered an iced Vietnamese espresso without batting an eye. It looked so good, others went for the same thing. <br /><br />
Basically, you get the espresso pot and it drips down into a glass of condensed milk, you stir, then pour into a glass filled with ice. They were all raving about it, but I was worried that it would dull my taste buds for the food I'd ordered. Looked great, though. <br /><br />
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A few moments later, my dumplings arrived. These were vegetarian style, deep fried, rather than the pan fry that I'm used to with other Asian restaurants. <br /><br />
Still they were very delicate. I shared them around, and was a bit surprised that others had never had dumplings. It seems that the filling is very similar to their summer roll, which I'll probably try next time. If I wasn't so intent on trying something different, I would have been quite pleased with these and a bowl of Wonton soup for my meal. <br /><br />
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The server came out and placed a plate of sprouts, lime wedges, basil, and jalapeno peppers in front of me and J, seated next to me and stated that it was for our meals. We'd ordered different things, so I was confused. <br /><br /> It became clear a couple of minutes later. Across from me, someone ordered the same Pho that J had, and these items were to be placed in the Pho just before eating to allow them to maintain their flavor and texture.<br /><br />
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Soon after, my pork Bun Bo Ga arrived, a bowl of rice noodles and grilled pork, served with fresh vegetables and a fish sauce to pour in and toss like a salad. <br /><br />
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As for the flavor, the pork was expertly grilled, the vegetables fresh and crunchy, and the noodles were al dente. I didn't get a lot of flavor from the fish sauce and in retrospect, I should have had a heavier hand with the sriracha sauce provided on the table. Not their fault, all mine. That said, the smells of those bowls of Pho were rather aromatic-I'll try that next time.<br /><br />
One of our party got stuck in a meeting and arrived right after our meals did. He said he'd never been around us when we were all so quiet! Hmm, must be because we were enjoying the food. (Note: He was assisted promptly and had food within minutes. Impressive.)<br /><br />
I definitely want to give this another try, especially after the tutorial given by my colleagues more familiar with Vietnamese cuisine. Pho Viet got high marks from those who have had it many times in the past, and the fact that this restaurant is run by a Vietnamese family tells me that they're probably preparing family recipes they've enjoyed for years.
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/30/1787356/restaurant/Tampa-Bay/Brandon-Valrico/Pho-Viet-Brandon"><img alt="Pho Viet on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1787356/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>
<img src="http://s616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/sbclientlayoutimages/Suzanne%20Calling/signature.png" />Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-37968485980809378492014-07-09T19:22:00.000-04:002017-07-08T12:49:23.590-04:00Is This Thing On?After many years of non-stop daily blogging, it's kind of strange for me to not write for so long. The combination of the new job and a rather intense semester conspired to keep me from the documentation of my life within this space. There are six days left until a five week semester break, so the many blog topics, and several restaurant reviews will soon spring forth from my keyboard. <br />
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The job has been the perfect one to replace the prior one. It's a large company and I feel like it is home. My cube mates are fun people, including the former classmate that I encouraged my boss to consider-he started this week. When it comes to recommending people, my manager hat will always be on-there are very few people in my discipline that I'd put my name on a recommendation, but it was nice to be able to do so for one I think has what it takes and watch it come to fruition. I have plenty of work to keep me busy, and will be traveling to my client school in August and September for several days each time. Woohoo! <br />
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One of the classes of the doctoral program is a philosophy class that I'd been told would be a killer in the quantity of reading it required. It is one of the first classes I should have taken, but my first major professor offered no direction on which classes to take when, so it has waited until the end of my second year. In my logical mind, it makes sense to condense the insane reading class into the 10 week semester, instead of prolonging it for 15 weeks. <br />
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I'm glad I did, for the professor is fantastic, the topic is incredible (to the point that I want to take more philosophy classes!) and I'm finally settling in to good habits that I knew I eventually achieve, once I started taking the ADHD meds. For the first time in a while, it looks like I may scrape out a 4.0 semester, instead of procrastinating so much that my A turns to a B for late submissions. Huzzah. The latest anything has been is 30 minutes. <br />
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Speaking of which, I have two papers due tonight, 8 issues chapters to read between now and Friday (debates in special education), and one more paper to write for Tuesday night, then I have off until August 25th. It will feel good to have a longer break! <br />
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17320744.post-68388120306966172772014-06-23T00:24:00.000-04:002017-07-08T12:47:49.500-04:00My Eye...Is jacked up. <br />
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I started feeling some tenderness Friday, but it wasn't really red. I was thinking it was a chalazion, which I've had a couple of times in the past (think stye, they're like that). No crusty stuff, so this isn't pink eye. It's sore like I strained my eye, but no clue what is going on. <br />
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At least my doctor is close to my new job, so if they can fit me in tomorrow afternoon, I'll get to the bottom of this. <br />
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Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01718001074320164888noreply@blogger.com0