5 Years Later

Today marks five years since I had my scoliosis surgery.  I am eternally grateful to Dr. Hey and his team for their incredible work.  Most days, I don't even remember that I had the surgery.  I am reminded only by the faint scar on my back, by minor pain when I sit in church pews since they simply hit my back in the wrong place, and by metal detectors in airports. Otherwise, I am fully functional.

I walked four miles today.  Five years ago, I could not even walk to classes at Duke a few hundred yards from my dorm without experiencing excruciating pain and terrible shortness of breath.  My experience has been truly amazing, and I thank God every day that I have been given the opportunity to live as I live now.  I am so incredibly blessed.

One Year

Today marks the one year anniversary of my surgery, and I'm doing wonderfully. I'm so thankful to Dr. Hey and his staff for fixing my back and giving me the confidence that I didn't have before. Things are great. The school year was fantastic, and I've just been thriving. It's truly amazing how having a straight back has impacted every other aspect of my life, and I couldn't be happier.

Duke Versus Pfeiffer

Not much has happened since my last entry. Just studying, writing papers, and more studying. And also working at the mental hospital, which I love. This weekend is Parents' Weekend at Duke, which is not saying much for my folks since they come visit me once every 4-6 weeks anyway, but they came for the afternoon to go see the Duke/Pfeiffer basketball game. Who ever thought that Duke and Pfeiffer would play each other, and in Cameron Indoor? Amazing. We were able to get three tickets for $20 each, and even though they were on the back row, they were still good seats. Cameron is so small that it doesn't really matter where you sit, and it was definitely a different experience for me to not be sitting in the Crazies section! I still did the cheers and everything, of course.

We went to dinner first and then headed to the game, where we had a blast. Marold and Gene got to experience what the atmosphere in the stadium is really like, and I know that they were blown away by our school spirit. All the Pfeiffer players looked like middle school kids compared to our players, so it was especially funny to watch them up against Brian Zoubek's 7 feet and 1 inch. Since we whipped them (128-70), I thought that the three of us should celebrate with a brownie ice cream sundae at the Loop. After we finished eating, the parental units left, and now I'm back in my room debating whether or not I want to read my newest Nora Roberts book or do some Latin homework. Whatever homework I don't do today, I'll have to do tomorrow, so it's a tough choice!

Autumn Update

It's been a while since I posted last. The delay is mainly due to two illnesses, back to back. Also, the week before fall break was insanely busy with two papers (8 pages and 5 pages) and two tests. That caused me to get a rotten cold, from which I recovered over fall break. However, when I came back to school, I got sick all over again. I'm just now getting over this cold, but it's been really stressful, too. I felt so poorly over the weekend that Marold and Gene had to come up Sunday for moral support, especially to get me motivated for an adolescent psych exam I just took about an hour ago. Luckily, that's the only test I have in that class this semester. Still, I have another Latin exam coming up next week. I just can't escape work!

Andrew and I seem to be on really good terms now. In fact, he invited me to study with him Monday night. Naturally, no studying occurred. We just goofed off the whole time, and things felt back to normal. I'm still extremely independent, though. Jordan must be really busy these days because she is always turning down my offers for dinner or to hang out, and I never see her either. At least I have an amazing family to be my constant support.

As a reward to myself for getting through another test, I'm going to Barnes and Noble this afternoon to buy some new Nora Roberts or Nicholas Sparks novels. I plan to sit in the cafe for a while and enjoy a krispy of rice and a caramel apple cider while reading my new book. I desperately need to relax, and I plan to start doing so this afternoon. After my trip to Barnes and Noble, I get to enjoy The Office, and then I plan to take a wonderful, hot shower. Oh, by the way, Jim and Pam's wedding on The Office last week was phenomenal! Kaitlyn came to my room, and we watched it together. We both definitely shed some tears. What an amazing episode!

Okay, perhaps I should pay attention to my personality psych class now. Notice that I said perhaps. I'll probably end up doing something else, in all honesty, but at least I thought about paying attention momentarily. That's what really counts, right?

Thriller

I just got back from going to Southpoint with Jordan and Rebecca, where we shopped a bit, ate at the Cheesecake Factory, and then went to the Halloween store, where a group of people were performing "Thriller" with a little boy Michael Jackson. It was awesome. We thought that we were ready to leave until we were convinced to learn the "Thriller" dance with the other people in the store. We looked retarded, I'm sure, but we had a blast. Plus, we only stayed to learn half of the dance. It's so hard!

Anyway, today was really busy. I went to work, which went well again, and then I had to head back to Duke for a Latin exam. I studied a lot for that exam, so I certainly hope that it's reflected in my grade! After my exam, Jordan and Rebecca convinced me to go to the mall with them, and the rest is history. As for this weekend, I have far too much to do to enjoy Duke's homecoming festivities. I have 2 papers (3-5 pages and 7-10 pages) and a test for this coming week. The worst part of it is, though, that I'm coming down with a cold or something. My throat has been hurting, my nose has been stuffing up, and there's a lot of pressure in my right ear, which makes swallowing extra painful. I can't afford to be sick! Now is definitely not the time. What a thriller.

Home Yet Again

This past weekend, I went home again. I was planning on staying, but Jordan went home, and there was really nothing keeping me here, so I decided I'd just make the drive. We went to Waffle House when I got there, and the rest of the weekend was just really relaxed. This week hasn't been bad so far, but I have a Latin exam Friday and then 2 papers (3-5 pages and 7-10 pages) and a test next week. The good news is that it will be fall break after that. Still, it's not gonna be fun. I'm already really stressed out about it.

Last Friday, I worked at the mental hospital for the first time. I had a really good experience, actually. I started out at the school for adolescents with behavioral disorders, and then I went to the school for adolescents with mental disorders. In both cases, I really felt like I was making a difference. The kids were really receptive to the fact that I was trying to help them, and the two boys I worked with in the afternoon both drew me pictures to put up in my room. It was really rewarding, and I hope I'll get to work with some of the same kids, as well as some new ones. I only had boys on Friday, so I'd like to work with some girls, too.

Right now, I'm sitting at my desk and watching the rain pour outside. We just got a little bit of hail, actually. It's pretty cool being on the 5th floor and watching the weather. Climbing all these stairs has also helped me tone up a bit, especially in my legs. Since my parents have seen me every weekend so far, they've noticed the difference in my leg muscles as it has happened. There are benefits to living up in this tower. I really do love it.

I have the two most precious second cousins ever, and there's another one on the way! It's a girl! That means Helen will have a perfect playmate! I hope Edmund doesn't get left out! Of course, he'll probably become a total ladies' man and be right there with the girls. My current desktop picture is super-cute. I just put two pictures beside each other, and it makes me so happy when I look at it! Here it is. Aren't they both absolutely precious!?

Helen Elizabeth & Home

I went home again this past weekend to see my new second cousin, the precious Helen Elizabeth Klauder. As soon as I got home on Friday, I hopped in the car with my parents and headed to the hospital. Mary and Ben looked great and so happy, and Helen was sound asleep. She's absolutely gorgeous! I held her the whole time we were there, and she just looked so angelic. Her features are perfect, and she's just a doll. It was hard to leave the hospital because she made me want to take off a year of school and become Mary's nanny, but we had to leave eventually. I can't wait to see her again.

As for this week, it shouldn't be too busy. In fact, I only had one class today because my adolescent psych professor was sick. I slept in until 11:30, got up, and read some more of my new Nicholas Sparks novel, The Last Song. It's really good so far, except that it reminds me a lot of Life As A House, and except that Miley Cyrus has been cast as the lead for the book-based movie. I don't think I'll like the movie, but the male lead is pretty hot, so I might like it after all. Minus Miley, of course. On Friday, I start working at the mental hospital, so I'm pretty excited. I went to orientation for it last week, and we were told about how we should act around the patients. We were also told about some special patients they have, one of whom believes she is married to Barack Obama and he will be calling the hospital soon to have her released, and another who thinks he's Jesus and they're trying to crucify him. Luckily, I'll be working with the kids and adolescents, so I don't think I'll run into many of the super-crazy ones. From 11:00 to 11:45, I'll be doing P.E. with some kids who have behavioral problems, I'll take a break, and then from 1:00 to 2:00, I'll be tutoring and interacting with kids who have mental illnesses. Should be a loaded day, especially since I have Latin at 3:05 on Fridays, too. I think it'll be a good experience, though.

Weekend Home

Not much has gone on since my last entry, but I went home this past weekend since Sarah was flying back to UCLA on Saturday. Saturday was excellent, I must say. We all woke up early and left at 9:00 to go see 500 Days of Summer, which is an awesome movie. It was my second time seeing it, as well as Sarah's. Marold and Gene hadn't seen it before but loved it. Gene even said that it was extraordinary! What a big word for Gene! Afterwards, we ate at Cracker Barrel and then dropped Sarah off at the airport. My new laptop has been having so many problems, so instead of computing all Saturday night, Marold and I watched the Lifetime movies Hush and Cradle of Lies, which are both favorites of mine. We also played some Chinese checkers and cards. One game of Battle lasted an hour and 15 minutes. It was excruciating. On Sunday, we went to church and then out to Waffle House for lunch. After a nap, I headed back to Duke at 4:30, and now here I am. I'm going to grab a bite to eat with Megan in a few minutes, and Gene will be in Raleigh on business this Wednesday. This means that I will hopefully get my new laptop back and in much better condition. I'm having to use the old one, but at least I have one!

Boring

Not much has happened over the past 2 days. Andrew won't respond to my texts even though they're nice, but I'm really not as torn up as I thought I would be. It's just gotten to the point where I know how to deal with this recurring situation now. I'm strong. Jordan and Rebecca have been amazing, too. They've invited me to sleep over on their futon and everything, just so that I won't have any time to think about the whole ordeal. I've declined, though, because I can think about it with no problems. I cried Saturday when it all happened, but I haven't shed a tear about it since. Sure, I hope everything works out. I still want to be friends with him, and we have a class together, so I don't want things to be awkward. If he tells me that we can't be friends, I still want to at least be on good terms. We'll see what happens if he ever decides to respond.

As for classes, things are pretty good. I'll soon be signing up to volunteer at a mental hospital for my adolescent psych class service requirement. There are a lot of options for tutoring kids after school and everything, but I really want to work at the mental hospital. I think I need to see what goes on there before I decide what I want to do with my major. The professor said that a lot of these kids have such powerful mental illnesses that they're drugged most of the time, and I want to see what that's like. Not to be morbid or anything, but that's so fascinating to me. And if there's anything I can do to make the slightest difference for one of them just by being there and talking to him or her, I'll be delighted.

Well, I suppose I'm off to bed now. I'm reading this Nora Roberts novel that I got when Sarah and I went to Barnes and Noble the other night. It's a volume of three of her books, and I'm currently reading Tonight & Always. It's good so far, but it's not my favorite of hers. It might surprise me though. I'm only 73 pages in! Oh, one more thing. Happy Due Date, Mary! Although, I suppose the due date ended 45 minutes ago.

Gone Again

It's not really surprising that Andrew and I are no longer friends. This happens once a semester, and then we somehow find a way back to each other. It's ridiculous every single time, so if this is the way it is, I hope this is the way it stays. I can't put up with this for three more semesters after this one. I could go into so much drama with this one, but I'll spare you all the immature details.

Here's what happened. My two best friends are, or were, Andrew and Jordan. Both of them loved spending time with me alone, but the two of them didn't get along too well. After a stressful day, I told both of them that I didn't want to hang out tonight. However, Andrew came up to my room to check on me, and we went up to the 6th floor study room for him to fix my laptop. I was feeling much better and planned to hang out with him later. Then, Jordan called and asked if I wanted to go to McDonald's with her. Without really thinking much of it, I said yes. Andrew blew up at me, saying that it was supposed to be our time together and that I had chosen Jordan over him. I was planning on hanging out with him after my McDonald's outing with Jordan, but he didn't believe me. Somehow, this all escalated into a huge war of the words and him saying that he can't trust me and never has been able to. Eventually, he left, calling me something very special. I recently discovered that he has not only removed me from his Facebook friends, but he has also blocked me entirely. For him, this is a huge move, so I do think it's officially over this time.

I've shed too many tears in the past over our lost friendship, so I'm all done crying. He's never really read the blog, so he probably won't see it. Even if he does, there's nothing here that he doesn't already know. I'm not his girlfriend, and he doesn't own me. My only fault, I believe, was trying too hard to please both of my best friends. Now I've lost one for the millionth time. At least he fixed my computer before he declared our friendship dead. I do appreciate him very much for that. Jordan is amazing. She even tried to mediate the whole conflict. Needless to say, she's still sticking by me like she always has.

Nothing Exciting

Yesterday was pretty uneventful. I had theater and Latin, and other than a total tool in my theater class who wanted to debate everything and believed he was right about everything. If anyone else tried to talk, he would snap his fingers when they made a point, like they were wrong and he was showing them how stupid they were and how he didn't have time to listen to them. I wish he would drop the class. As for Latin, I think I'm going to get a tutor. It's close enough to Spanish that I get really mixed up. Why did I not take Spanish, you ask? Well, Spanish is impossible at Duke. Andrew and I studied for a while in the 6th floor study room last night, and it was beautiful. I love it up there, and the stairs to it are right across from my room. The night ended with a phone call from Goggy and a scalding shower.

In other news, Sarah is coming to visit today through Saturday! We'll have a great time for sure, except for that she will have to sleep on the floor. Also, I'm not really sure about Yaz. I've been riding the crimson wave for 9 days now, and it seems like I'm chronically bloated. Hopefully, things will let up soon. As for my back, I've been having that same pain in my shoulder blades, which is no doubt exacerbated by carrying a bag of books around. I still need to make an appointment with Dr. Hey for my 3-month follow-up, but I'll want to talk to him about the shoulder pain when I see him. Well, I'm in personality psych right now, so I should probably pay attention to the lecture. Looking forward to seeing you and the baby whenever he or she emerges, Myrrh!

Coincidence

One of the coolest things happened today. After my adolescent psychology class, Andrew took me with him to talk to the professor because he knows her through the Robertson program. We talked for about 15 minutes with her, and somehow it came up that her daughter had had back surgery 2 years ago. Something just told me to probe further, so I asked her what kind of surgery, and she said it was for scoliosis. I asked what surgeon she used, and she said Dr. Hey! What a coincidence! We were able to talk about her daughter's wonderful experience at the Hey Clinic, and I can just tell that she's going to be a great professor. She seems really fun, and Andrew says that she's crazy, so the class should be excellent. Andrew and I had lunch after we finished talking to her.

I also had personality psychology today, which should be an interesting course, but the professor gives off a creepy vibe, like a sex offender who preys on young co-eds. I can't really explain it, but I'm not going to sit in the front of the classroom or draw attention to myself. I got a nap after that class, and then I had dinner with Jordan and Rebecca. At 9:30, I had a hall meeting, and then Andrew, Jordan, and I went to McDonald's for dessert. I'm so addicted to their iced coffees right now. Now I'm doing homework and getting ready to take a shower. I'm gonna be up pretty late, unfortunately. Two days in, and I'm already procrastinating like crazy.

Not Over

Scoliotastic isn't over, at least not yet. Of course, I've only had one day of class so far, so the work will start piling up over the next week, but right now, it's not too bad. The family helped me move in on Saturday, and I love my room. It's small, but it's just the right size for a single, and it's all I need. I'm on the 5th floor in a tower of a newly renovated dorm, and there's only one other room up here. The bathroom is right below us, and there's a beautiful study room above us. I don't know anyone else in this dorm, but that's fine with me. Andrew's dorm is right next door, and Jordan's is two dorms down. I overlook the bus stop roundabout, and there are no frats nearby, so it's pretty quiet here. Needless to say, being on the 5th floor wasn't fun for moving in, but I didn't have to carry much at all because my back is still healing. What a wonderful excuse! After we got all moved in, the family, Andrew, and I went to dinner at The Loop. When we parted ways, I was sadder than I had expected to be, but still totally excited to be here. I had become so used to living at home for 4 months with my parents that it was a bit upsetting to see them go, but I only shed a few tears. As for Sarah, I'm pretty used to not seeing her! Plus, she's coming to visit later this week. Saturday night, Andrew and I hung out some, and he gave me a precious stuffed llama from Argentina and a handcarved design stone as gifts, but I was in bed by 12:30.

Sunday was a bit more difficult, mainly because there was nothing much to do. I'm the kind of person who needs a routine, and that hadn't been established yet, so I was feeling kind of down. Andrew, Matthew and I had lunch and hung out, and I had a great time, but I still needed to call my dad and just talk for a little bit to see how everything was going at home. After we talked, I felt a lot better, and then I hung out with Jordan for a while. She, Rebecca, and I ended up going to Office Depot, Target, and Ross to look for various things, and that lifted my spirits a lot. I needed a standing fan for my room because even though it's air conditioned, it doesn't get as cool as I want it. I basically like to live in an icebox. Unfortunately, Target was out of standing fans, so I'll have to get one somewhere else. When we got back to Duke, we ordered pizza and watched Hocus Pocus. Once again, I was in bed by 12:30.

Today was pretty good, considering it was the first day of classes, or FDOC, as it's called at Duke. I woke up at 9:30 to go to breakfast with Jordan, but she canceled because she was too tired, so I had a bowl of cereal in my room. At 11:10, 30 minutes in advance, I hopped the bus over to East Campus for my first class, Reading Theater, which is required for theater minors. The professor is great and has an awesome British accent, and it seems like it'll be a really interesting class. After that, I made the long trek off campus over to the Registrar's Office to get some scholarship renewal forms signed, only to discover that the office had been moved to a warehouse even farther off campus. I was really frustrated, but I hopped on the bus that took me to my car and then drove to the building to get my forms signed. The warehouse was ridiculous and like a maze with all the construction that was going on, but I got done what I needed to get done, and drove back to West Campus. By that time, I had about an hour before my next class, so I grabbed a bite to eat. Finding my next class at 3:05 wasn't easy, though, and Sarah had to help me out with some online maps. Perkins Library is such a maze, too. You never know where you're going to end up. Anyways, this class is Latin 63, which is the third level of Latin, and the last foreign language course I have to take at Duke, assuming I pass it. I'll be so glad to finish up with this dead language, although my professor this semester seems pretty interesting. By interesting, I mean crazy. She likes to dance around the room while she teaches, and she's way too excited about Latin. However, her enthusiasm could be good in the long run. At 3:55, I left the library, Andrew called, and I told him I'd meet him at the Bryan Center. I also told Jordan that I'd have dinner with her at 5:00. I got an iced coffee from McDonald's, but I was still pretty full from lunch, so I didn't eat anything. When Jordan arrived, we all three sat in one of the swings with tables on the plaza, and when Andrew left, Rebecca replaced him. I just finished saying farewell to Jordan and Rebecca, and now I'm enjoying some down time in my room. I've done a lot of walking today, so I'm pretty tired. I might take a nap and then hang out with people later, but things are going well so far. Also, I apologize for any mistakes in the blog entries from here on out. I'm tired of proofreading all of them, so what I write initially is what you get.

The End?

I woke up really nauseous this morning and wasn't even sure if I could go to Jumpin' Jacks with Gene and Sarah for breakfast. After drinking some water, though, my stomach settled down enough to go. I had a Joe's cinnamon bun and regular coffee, and they were delicious. When we got home, I lay out in the sun for almost 2 hours. Unfortunately, I'm really burned now, and I have raccoon eyes from where my sunglasses were. My face is beet red and feels about 200 degrees. Anyways, the rest of the afternoon was pretty worthless, but Marold and I got a lot of packing done, and we're still packing while watching some Arrested Development. I've just felt incredibly nauseous all day. Since nausea is a side effect of Yaz, I assume that that's where it's coming from. It's been pretty miserable at times, but I definitely don't want to stop taking the medicine. I'm hoping that my body will adjust to it quickly. So, I'm heading back to Duke tomorrow, and I'm ready, as long as this nausea goes away. It's gonna be great having a single room in the tower on the main quad. It overlooks the bus stop, too, so I can pretty much roll out of bed and run to the buses if I need to. I'm really excited.

As for Scoliotastic, I'm not sure what's going to happen from now on. I know that I'll be busy when classes get going on Monday, so I can't promise that I'll continue blogging. It's really sad to think that this might be the end, so I'm not going to say that it is. I won't be able to post as often, of course, but I really do hope that I can continue to update. It's been really awesome to have this blog throughout the surgery and all, and it's so interesting to go back and read some of the earliest entries. That's why I can't officially say goodbye. I feel that I have a lot more to say. I'm not finished yet. Nope. Even if it's Christmas break or next summer before I post again, I'm definitely not finished yet. Here we go, junior year...

Lunch With Leslie

I woke up at about 11:00 and met Leslie at the church at noon. We went to Harmanco's, and I had the cold plate and sweet tea. It was really nice to get to talk to her and get to know her better. She's our associate minister, for those who don't know. Basically, we had a really good conversation and a good meal, and then I read The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks for the rest of the afternoon. I love Nicholas Sparks. He always gets me so hooked on his books, probably because I'm such a hopeless romantic, and I need to believe that I can one day have what his characters have. Anyways, I definitely recommend that book to everyone, as well as all of his other books. When Marold got home at 6:00, she took Sarah and me to Little Tokyo for dinner while Gene was at a meeting. After that, we came home, and Gene suggested that we all go to Sonic for some ice cream. Of course nobody objected. Since then, we've been watching Arrested Development and Project Runway. In other news, I started taking Yaz last night for my PMDD. It's supposed to take about 3 months to work, but I'm praying that it's my miracle drug. Also, my left shoulder blade has been giving me some trouble for about the past 2 weeks. It's almost a burning pain, and it gets pretty intense at times, so I'll have to ask Dr. Hey what's going on with that when I see him next. I guess tomorrow will be a major packing day since I'm moving back to Duke on Saturday! At least Sarah, Gene, and I will be going out to breakfast before all the insanity begins.

Breakfast & Dinner

I woke up today at 8:30 and met Charles and Rebekah at the Goody Shop at 9:15. It was really great to catch up with them, and my sausage biscuit was delicious. It's nice to know that some people haven't changed at all and that I still feel comfortable talking to them casually and being myself around them. Afterwards, I came home and lay out for about an hour and a half. I took a little nap out there, too. It was all quite comfortable. I ended up watching some TV and then taking a longer nap in my room when it rained. It was one of the best naps I've ever had. At 7:00, our family met Gog, Granddaddy, Aunt Carolyn, Poo, David, and Meagan at Blue Bay for some fish. I had the Alaskan white fish, salted and peppered, of course. I ate all of it, and Gog amused the whole table and our waitress by talking with a lisp. She's crazy, but she's amazing. When we all parted ways, our family went to Wal-Mart and bought a step-stool for me so I can actually get up on my lofted bed without jumping and injuring myself. Now, we're watching Arrested Development and eating the last of Gene's birthday cake. I'm having lunch with Leslie, our associate minister, tomorrow, so I'll be going to bed soon. I hope I didn't overdo the sun today, or I might scare Leslie to death.

TPO - Enough Said

I woke up at about 9:30 and went to Gog's around 11:00 to see The Precious One, who is more precious than ever, of course. He's walking a bit now, and he has the cutest little New Balance shoes. We played for a while until Emily came to get him, and Sarah showed up. Gog, Granddaddy, Sarah, and I then had chicken salad for lunch, and Sarah and I went shopping at Maurice's. After trying on about 7 pairs of jeans, I actually found one pair that fit me pretty well. Thank goodness for that. It's so hard for me to find any pants that fit, so I'm very glad that the trip was productive. When we came back home, we didn't do much at all except for try to go to the used bookstore, but it was closed. I did get to chat with Mary for a little bit, which was awesome, as usual. Now we're sitting in the den watching Arrested Development, and I hope Sarah's warming up to it. It's such an awesome show. Tomorrow morning, I'm getting up pretty early to go to breakfast at the Goody Shop with Rebekah and Charles, so that will definitely be fun!

Old Man Gene

Today was Gene's birthday, so Sarah woke me up at about 10:30 for the three of us to go to breakfast. Marold wasn't coming since it was her first day back at work. We got ready and went to Waffle House, only to receive a call from Marold soon after we had ordered. She had just started her lunch break, so she was actually able to meet us there and eat with us. It was really nice. Afterwards, Marold and Sarah went home, and I ran some errands with Gene. A bit later, Sarah and I took a fairly long walk and then relaxed for the rest of the afternoon, watching Carmen: The Hip-Hopera and The Nightmare Before Christmas. When Marold got home from work, she had a hair appointment, but when she was finished, we all went to supper at Applebee's. It had been Gene's request yesterday to watch some Disney movies this week, so I burned some illegally, and we watched Hercules tonight while eating the German chocolate birthday cake Sarah and I made. Marold gave Gene a really creepy card with a talking ventriloquist's dummy on the front, and it was perfect since Gene hates puppetry, magic, mimicry, and all things fake. After Hercules, we watched some Arrested Development, of which I have now seen all episodes at least 4 times, and then Gene and Marold went to bed. Sarah and I are still watching Arrested Development, but I'm going to bed soon so I can get up early to visit Emily and TPO at Goggy's house!

Scoliotastic Lives

Yes, Scoliotastic is still alive, I promise. It's been far too long since I last posted, but there is a lot to write about my NYC trip, which is the main thing that has happened since the last entry. Something else that has occurred that I can gloss over pretty quickly is Justin and Candace's wedding on August 8th. We stayed in a hotel in Greensboro for 2 nights in order to attend the rehearsal dinner, wedding, and reception. It was a lot of fun, and it was great to be able to see my dad's side of the family since I don't get to see them that often. There was a couple who were always drunk, and the woman kept hitting on Gene. I nicknamed her Cheesecake because my dad said he might want to stay longer at the rehearsal dinner to get a piece of cheesecake. He obviously meant the dessert because this woman was so annoying, but I took his comment a different way. Anyhow, the wedding was lovely, and I loved getting to wear my new brown dress. As for everything else that I've not written about in the past few weeks, I've been out to lunch with Matt and Kristen, breakfast with Matt, and over to Gog's house with Poo and Sarah to play shuffleboard. I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot of things, but they're insignificant. Now I'll get onto the NYC trip. I have some notes I wrote about the trip as it was happening, but they're kind of confusing now. Basically, I'll do my best piecing the events back together.

We flew out of RDU, and when we were going through security, the rods in my back set off the metal detector, which I was hoping would not happen. One of the officials had to use the explosives wand on me off to the side, which was pretty embarrassing, but oh well. After we got through security, we grabbed a bite to eat and found out that our flight was delayed until 2:35. We boarded, and took off at about 3:00. Unfortunately, there was a weather delay, and there were too many planes over LaGuardia, so we had to stop in Baltimore to refuel. We had the most annoying and loud girl a row behind and diagonally to us, and she was constantly complaining about the smell coming from the bathroom, and how she was dying for a cigarette. Basically, after all the delays, a flight that should've only taken about an hour ended up taking four hours, and after a long time circling over LaGuardia, we landed at 6:54. Since we had a show to catch at 8:00, we had to rush out of the airport and into a cab. Sarah called and said that we didn't have time to check into our hotel, so we ended up checking all our bags at the theater coat room. By the time we got into our seats, it was about 7:55. The show we saw was Next to Normal, a rock musical about a family with a mother who has bipolar disorder. It was awesome, and I'm addicted to the soundtrack. It was easily my favorite nighttime activity we did the whole trip. Afterwards, we went across the street to Junior's to finally have dinner, and I had a club sandwich. We later checked into our hotel, On the Avenue. By 11:30, we were all asleep.

The next morning, we woke up at 10:30 and headed across the street to eat at Manhattan Diner, one of our favorite breakfast spots in NYC. I had a Belgian waffle and coffee. Even though it was scorching outside, we then took a walk through Central Park and ended up at FAO Schwarz, where we got to see some giant Lego movie characters and the huge piano from the movie Big. The air conditioning also felt amazing. Our next stops were Canal Street, where I found a great fake Coach bag, and Burger King, where we all got something to drink. Eventually, we found our way back to the hotel, made time for a short nap, and then went to a jazz show and dinner. The show was excellent and just really relaxing, and the food was quite delicious as well. I had coconut shrimp and strawberry cheesecake for dessert. When we got back to the hotel, I took a shower and fell asleep quickly. Overall, it was a big day to ride the subway everywhere.

At 10:00 on the next day, we all woke up and tried to have breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup, another one of our favorite restaurants in NYC, but there was an hour-long wait, so we ended up at Sarabeth's. I had a pumpkin waffle topped with pumpkin seeds, raisins, sour cream, strawberries, and honey, and I had coffee to drink. It was all scrumptious. We went back to the hotel for a nap, and then walked to Loehmann's to shop some. I got a cute shirt with two cats on it, and a massive thunderstorm started outside, so we were stranded in the store for a while, especially since I now have a lightning rod embedded in my body. Even though it was still pouring, we managed to make it to a Starbucks a few blocks away, where I got a caramel apple spice. There was a woman inside who got into an argument with an old lady in a neon yellow poncho about an open seat, and then the woman started yelling at a young guy in the corner about him looking at her. She called him a disgusting pig and told him that he just wished she were looking at him that way. After she left, he called a friend, relayed the story, and said that it was the funniest thing to ever happen to him in a Starbucks. When we had finished our drinks, we all went back to the hotel to relax until 7:30, when we headed to Sylvia's Soul Food in Harlem. We met up with Anna, who was one of our closest friends when she lived in Albemarle years ago, and we all enjoyed a delicious Southern meal while catching up with her. I had fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, cornbread, and sweet tea. It was heavenly. When we were all stuffed, we said goodbye to Anna, hopped the subway, and then walked back to our hotel. In front of the hotel, there was a woman face-down on the street, surrounded by a few people trying to revive her. Since they weren't freaking out or anything, we just assumed she had gotten drunk and passed out right there. Once we got into our room and my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep.

On our final full day, we got up at 10:30 and walked across the street to Manhattan Diner again. There was an old man right behind me who had the nastiest cough that sounded like he was choking and dying. It was so nerve-wracking that I had a panic attack and had to walk back to the hotel room to recover. A bit later, we went to an outdoor swing music concert, which was really cool, and then we decided to explore a Titanic exhibit in Times Square. It was absolutely awesome, especially some of the rooms that made you feel like you were actually on the ship, including a hallway and the Grand Staircase. We had our picture taken by the staff on the Grand Staircase, but it didn't turn out very well, so I really have nothing to show for this venture. I'd definitely recommend the exhibit to everyone, though. After we left the great ship, we walked through Bryant Park on our way back to the hotel, where we got ready for dinner at Alice's Tea Cup. I had an amazing smoked salmon sandwich and Earl Grey tea. Since we still had a few minutes before we needed to head to the theater where our next show would be, we explored a few shops. In the Heights was that night's entertainment. It's a musical about Washington Heights, and it was really good, too, but not nearly as good as Next to Normal, in my opinion. On our way to the theater, though, I saw a familiar face. Although he's not a big celebrity, I knew who he was. It was Christopher McDonald from Flubber and Chances Are. Unfortunately, none of the rest of the family was alert enough to spot him, but it was unmistakably him. After the show, we went to Roxy's Delicatessen for cheesecake and where some retard shouted, "I love NY!" I had a huge chunk of blueberry cheesecake, absolutely stuffing myself, and then we went back to the hotel for bed.

I don't have any notes on the next day, but we got up, said goodbye to Sarah, and went to the airport. The odd thing was that my back didn't set off the metal detector in LaGuardia, which makes me put a whole lot of stock in their security system. It's New York! They should have some of the best security around! Apparently not, though. Anyway, everything was pretty much on time with our flight, and I actually took a nap on the plane, which was a first for me. There was some nasty turbulence that woke me up at one point, but the rest of it was pretty smooth. As much fun as we had in NYC, we were all glad to be home. The trip was fantastic, but extremely exhausting, especially since we had Sarah as our tour guide.

As for this week, I don't have much planned. I'm heading back to Duke on Saturday, so I'm just going to spend these last few days at home relaxing, most likely. It's been a good summer. Mary, here's my blog entry for you. I know it's long, but I promised I would catch you up on everything! If anyone else reads this blog, I hope you enjoy the update as well. If anything else important happens in the next few days, I'll let you know! Also, I didn't proofread this entry because it's so long, so please forgive any grammatical errors or anything that just doesn't make sense.

Wally World

Jordan woke me up this morning at about 9:30, and she was already showered and dressed. I just couldn't get up yet because I was still exhausted from yesterday's drive, and I didn't actually wake up until 12:15. Jordan had texted me and said that she was going out for a while and to let her know when I woke up, so I texted her back. She had gone to Walgreen's to buy some pencils, of course, and then to McDonald's for breakfast. Marold and Gene got home from church before Jordan got back, and then Jordan and I decided that we wanted to go to Wal-Mart with Marold. We actually ended up at the Shoe Department first, where Jordan was able to fit into some children's shoes, and then we went to Wal-Mart and looked at about everything. After we were done shopping, we went to Applebee's and had lunch. I had a California turkey club, fries, and sweet tea. When we came back home, we just sat in the den and talked for a while. She left at about 6:00, but not before I gave her a present, her souvenirs from my summer activities, a Hey Clinic pen and mug. Gene, Marold, and I just watched some of season 2 of Arrested Development and are enjoying some frozen bananas right now. Mine is chocolate-covered and dipped in coconut. It's absolutely delicious. I've got to shower and pack soon, and we're leaving at 10:00 in the morning for the airport. I'm not taking my laptop with me, so I'll probably not be blogging until Friday at the earliest. My sincerest apologies to Mary. I'll see what I can do, but no guarantees. Yay for NYC!