I can tell it's close to finals week. The library is packed and all of my usual seats are taken. I once again find my personal space bubble popped and am left sitting awkwardly close to people I don't know. The kid behind me is clicking his pen, the girl in front of my is swinging her foot, and the boy to my right has his headphones on with music blaring so all I hear is muffled screaming. Lovely. Thankfully I am well prepared for finals and the stress levels aren't overly high. Even if I failed every final I would still be walking out of all of my classes with a solid B, so I'm not going to kill myself in the next week and a half.
Speaking of bubbles, my gym bubble was invaded the other night. I entered the gym at 11:30 pm to find one other person as crazy as me lifting weights. I had my pick of treadmills (I love when that happens) and so I hopped on the second one in from the right. Two minutes into my warm up a college aged boy enters the gym. Mind you all of the treadmills but the one I am walking on are open (that's like... 6 open treadmills). I watch as he walks over and stands behind the treadmill right next to mine. I tried to give him the evil eye in the mirror but apparently this wasn't very intimidating. As I began to run he jumped on the treadmill to my left and began his workout.
Now the thought crossed my mind of stopping the treadmill, cleaning it, and moving to one at the other end. After a minute of considering this possibility I decided I was much to lazy to clean not one but two machines and told myself to suck it up and keep running. So I did. Ten minutes later the boy was sweating like crazy. I watched as he raised his hand to wipe the beads of sweat off his forehead. Then to my horror he flicked his hand on the way down. It was as if the world had suddenly gone into slow motion.... I watched as little tiny drops of sweat went flying through the air towards me and then I felt it. Not one, but MULTIPLE direct hits. Tiny beads of some strange mans sweat hitting my skin.
I stopped the treadmill and went home, forever traumatized.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Proof I Married a Crazy!
Proof that I am married to a crazy man! There is snow and Ice and he's logrolling. At first glance of this picture I was so glad to see he had a hat on. Then I asked myself, "If you're logrolling in a lake that still has ice, in shorts, while it's snowing, does a hat really help or make any difference?" He's a smart one :)
If anyone has sent any e-mails in the past few days I'm not ignoring you, I just don't have working e-mail. J.R. has been moving his website which disrupts everything. It should be up and running shortly.
As for now I'm off to get my run in at the gym. Finals are coming up so every minute of my day counts right now.
Friday, April 18, 2008
We Are Not Alone
Leaving Walter Reed and returning home was hard for so many reasons. Not only were we leaving behind close friends but we were leaving behind a community who understood what it meant to be an amputee. It's easy to return home feeling as though you're the only one for miles going through this. Then, as time goes on you realize there are a heck of a lot more amputees out there than you think.
A few months after being home I was waiting on a very nice woman at work. As she opened her wallet to pay for her merchandise I noticed her wedding picture. As I took a closer look I was shocked to notice that her husband was missing his arm. After a short conversation I learned that they lived only 15 miles away from us and that her husband enjoyed many of the same outdoor activities J.R. does. She still comes into the store and I always love seeing her. It's nice to have someone around who doesn't look at you with concern when you tell them your husband broke his arm.
It wasn't soon after meeting this family that J.R. met another student at UW Stout who is also missing his arm. I have yet to meet the other student, but I do know that they both fish.
Then today as I was walking out my bank I stopped dead in my tracks. There was a man filling out a form with a prosthetic arm.
It just goes to show that even when you think you're the only family for miles experiencing this lifestyle there really is someone nearby that understands. It's a good feeling.
As for now it's to say Happy Birthday to the Cracker Box. Today marks the one year anniversary from when I started my blog. I can still remember writing my first post in the kitchen of the Fisher House. We've come so far in a year. Here's hoping for another year of good memories and many posts.
A few months after being home I was waiting on a very nice woman at work. As she opened her wallet to pay for her merchandise I noticed her wedding picture. As I took a closer look I was shocked to notice that her husband was missing his arm. After a short conversation I learned that they lived only 15 miles away from us and that her husband enjoyed many of the same outdoor activities J.R. does. She still comes into the store and I always love seeing her. It's nice to have someone around who doesn't look at you with concern when you tell them your husband broke his arm.
It wasn't soon after meeting this family that J.R. met another student at UW Stout who is also missing his arm. I have yet to meet the other student, but I do know that they both fish.
Then today as I was walking out my bank I stopped dead in my tracks. There was a man filling out a form with a prosthetic arm.
It just goes to show that even when you think you're the only family for miles experiencing this lifestyle there really is someone nearby that understands. It's a good feeling.
As for now it's to say Happy Birthday to the Cracker Box. Today marks the one year anniversary from when I started my blog. I can still remember writing my first post in the kitchen of the Fisher House. We've come so far in a year. Here's hoping for another year of good memories and many posts.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Who's got mind powers?!
Alright today is test day and yikes. I've done the review questions in the back of the chapters three times now (that's over 300 questions each time) and I still suck. I've come to accept the fact that this is not going to be my best test ever and that if I somehow manage to get a C I will die of a heart attack. If someone can figure out how to telepathically send me the answers to the test while I take it, I'll give you a million dollars.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Day of Study
Today is the day that I hate myself for not putting more time and energy into Economics over the weekend. Not only do I have an Econ exam tomorrow, but I also have a listening exam tomorrow. I have prepared myself by ordering not one, but TWO medium pizzas from Pizza Hut (I had a coupon) and I'm breaking out the container of oreos that will be lucky if they make it until 2 pm.
It's a good thing I have a gym membership.
J.R. comes back from Iowa today. Don't worry... I ordered two pizzas he wont have any interest in so there shall be no study food crisis. (I think this qualifies me as a rather mean wife, but he "didn't have cell phone service" so consider it pay back for not calling to tell me they made it to Iowa safely) I'm excited to see him. As always when he leaves on these short trips I lounge around the house bored out of my mind. With no one around to annoy with conversation it's incredibly quiet (and I HATE quiet). It also makes me wonder how the hell I survived alone for over a year. I'm such a wuss when he leaves. I slept with the living room lights on and got up multiple times each night to check and make sure the door was locked. Pathetic.
The runny nose issue is finally starting to disappear. I have yet to decide if this is an allergy reaction or a cold. Either way I'm glad it's leaving and hope it doesn't come back.
For now I must stop my procrastination and return back to the world of graphs and GDP. Lucky me.
It's a good thing I have a gym membership.
J.R. comes back from Iowa today. Don't worry... I ordered two pizzas he wont have any interest in so there shall be no study food crisis. (I think this qualifies me as a rather mean wife, but he "didn't have cell phone service" so consider it pay back for not calling to tell me they made it to Iowa safely) I'm excited to see him. As always when he leaves on these short trips I lounge around the house bored out of my mind. With no one around to annoy with conversation it's incredibly quiet (and I HATE quiet). It also makes me wonder how the hell I survived alone for over a year. I'm such a wuss when he leaves. I slept with the living room lights on and got up multiple times each night to check and make sure the door was locked. Pathetic.
The runny nose issue is finally starting to disappear. I have yet to decide if this is an allergy reaction or a cold. Either way I'm glad it's leaving and hope it doesn't come back.
For now I must stop my procrastination and return back to the world of graphs and GDP. Lucky me.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Disgusted
One more thought.
I saw this story on foxnews just before closing the laptop and I am outraged.
One never knows when a phone call from their soldier could be the last chance to say I love you. How can you deny a child, punish a child, for wanting to talk to their parent who is an ocean away in a war zone?
I saw this story on foxnews just before closing the laptop and I am outraged.
One never knows when a phone call from their soldier could be the last chance to say I love you. How can you deny a child, punish a child, for wanting to talk to their parent who is an ocean away in a war zone?
Update
Life in Menomonie has been busy (this is a recurring theme in case you missed that memo). Tonight I sit wide awake, unable to breath through my nose, and unable to escape the stresses of consciousness.
The past week has been a rough one for all UW Stout students. April 6th we lost three students in an off campus fire. Though I did not personally know any of the victims their loss has been felt all across campus. Their tragic death was followed by a sizeable protest from the Westboro Baptist Church. Why they protested their deaths is beyond me. I don't believe it is possible for a normal rational person to truly understand the philosophy behind an organization that preaches hate. It is rumored on campus that the organization is filing a lawsuit against UW Stout due to a student stealing one of their signs. Lets all pray that if this rumor is true they lose miserably in court.
Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse on campus it was announced that we lost a senior student to a brain hemorrhage. For a campus of roughly 8,400 students it's been a hard hit. Their deaths remind us that life is precious and even at 18, 19, and 20 years old we are not invincible.
The four students, their families, and their friends remain in our thoughts.
We have officially hit the last three weeks of the semester and many of us are ready to explode. Professors are frantically cramming in last minute assignments and doubling up on chapters so we can cover everything on the syllabus. I eat, and sometimes sleep at the library (napping in between chapters is needed since REM sleep helps us organize and remember data... that's my logic for sleeping after studying economics). If I could shower in the library I think I'd move in. I keep reminding myself that we're ALMOST to summer vacation and then I'll be able to take a deep breath and relax.
Work... that's a topic we haven't talked about in a long time. I'm now financially able to cut back to ONE day a week. Working one day gives me some fun money to use on the weekend and it lets me keep my amazing 40% discount. Cutting back on my hours not only opened up more time to spend in the library, but it frees up some time for actual relaxation. Amazing.
Now I'm pretty sure that we are currently in the month of April. At least, my calendar says we are even if the weather outside is still stuck in February. With spring time comes not only spring cleaning but also a reminder that swim suit season is right around the corner. It's time for the gym. Normally I live on the elliptical when I work out, but lately I've been trying this whole treadmill running thing. I hate it. I hate the pounding on the knees, the breathing, and everything about it but oh do I love the feeling afterwards. It's a feeling that you just can't get from thirty minutes on the elliptical. I have way more energy and need way less sleep at night. It's better than any cup of coffee I've ever had. I think I'm hooked.. at least until next winter when it's time to hibernate again.
For now it's 2:45 in the morning and I must continue in my quest for sleep. I'm not sure if I have a cold, or allergies, or some random virus... whatever it is I'm not enjoying it. If I don't take the decongestant I can't breath out of my nose. If I do take the decongestant my nose drips uncontrollably. I got so annoyed with the constant wiping and blowing of my nose tonight while trying to do my Economics homework, that I cut a tampon in half and shoved it up my nose (a confession you would only get out of me in the middle of a sleepless night). It may not have been beautiful but it worked. Thank God J.R. is in Iowa turkey hunting for the next couple of days. I would never live this down if he was here to witness it.
The past week has been a rough one for all UW Stout students. April 6th we lost three students in an off campus fire. Though I did not personally know any of the victims their loss has been felt all across campus. Their tragic death was followed by a sizeable protest from the Westboro Baptist Church. Why they protested their deaths is beyond me. I don't believe it is possible for a normal rational person to truly understand the philosophy behind an organization that preaches hate. It is rumored on campus that the organization is filing a lawsuit against UW Stout due to a student stealing one of their signs. Lets all pray that if this rumor is true they lose miserably in court.
Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse on campus it was announced that we lost a senior student to a brain hemorrhage. For a campus of roughly 8,400 students it's been a hard hit. Their deaths remind us that life is precious and even at 18, 19, and 20 years old we are not invincible.
The four students, their families, and their friends remain in our thoughts.
We have officially hit the last three weeks of the semester and many of us are ready to explode. Professors are frantically cramming in last minute assignments and doubling up on chapters so we can cover everything on the syllabus. I eat, and sometimes sleep at the library (napping in between chapters is needed since REM sleep helps us organize and remember data... that's my logic for sleeping after studying economics). If I could shower in the library I think I'd move in. I keep reminding myself that we're ALMOST to summer vacation and then I'll be able to take a deep breath and relax.
Work... that's a topic we haven't talked about in a long time. I'm now financially able to cut back to ONE day a week. Working one day gives me some fun money to use on the weekend and it lets me keep my amazing 40% discount. Cutting back on my hours not only opened up more time to spend in the library, but it frees up some time for actual relaxation. Amazing.
Now I'm pretty sure that we are currently in the month of April. At least, my calendar says we are even if the weather outside is still stuck in February. With spring time comes not only spring cleaning but also a reminder that swim suit season is right around the corner. It's time for the gym. Normally I live on the elliptical when I work out, but lately I've been trying this whole treadmill running thing. I hate it. I hate the pounding on the knees, the breathing, and everything about it but oh do I love the feeling afterwards. It's a feeling that you just can't get from thirty minutes on the elliptical. I have way more energy and need way less sleep at night. It's better than any cup of coffee I've ever had. I think I'm hooked.. at least until next winter when it's time to hibernate again.
For now it's 2:45 in the morning and I must continue in my quest for sleep. I'm not sure if I have a cold, or allergies, or some random virus... whatever it is I'm not enjoying it. If I don't take the decongestant I can't breath out of my nose. If I do take the decongestant my nose drips uncontrollably. I got so annoyed with the constant wiping and blowing of my nose tonight while trying to do my Economics homework, that I cut a tampon in half and shoved it up my nose (a confession you would only get out of me in the middle of a sleepless night). It may not have been beautiful but it worked. Thank God J.R. is in Iowa turkey hunting for the next couple of days. I would never live this down if he was here to witness it.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Freshman 15
Why is it when you cram in a four page paper at the last minute, you also cram in five million calories? Does the 32 once pop with the large bag of M&M's and the three bars of laughy taffy really improve my ability to think? Probably not. Does the consumption of sugar ease the stress of finishing the paper? Probably not.
And we wonder where the freshman 15 comes from...
And we wonder where the freshman 15 comes from...
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