Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Really, Really Tired

The YAWN part of my name is definitely true right now. I just can't get energy. The fact that I haven't been able to go to the gym since my ankle injury is definitely a contributing factor.

I went back to the ankle doctor today. BTW, any idea what the orthopaedics doctor is an orthopedist? Why is there an 'a' in the first word, but not in the second? These things befuddle me.

I've been upgraded from an ankle sprain to a torn deltoid ligament. I won't need to have surgery (phew!). I've been wearing a boot for three weeks -- now, I need to wear it one more week outside the house. Inside the house, I've been given another type of brace that laces up and basically looks like a corset for my foot. I don't think there are any whale bones in it like old-timey corsets. Next week, I'm supposed to transition into full time wearing of the corset-ankle-brace-thingy. I'm still not supposed to exercise for another three weeks. I am supposed to do some physical therapy exercises at home during that time. If I'm still in pain in three weeks, I'll have to have more traditional physical therapy. At least it seems like there may be a light (and a pedicure) at the end of the tunnel!

My really muscular calves are definitely taking a beating from all of this. My non-injured foot's calf is still looking nice. The calf attached to my injured foot has basically atrophied. It's gone from being the lovely calf of someone who took 13 years of ballet to one that looks my grandma's arm jiggle in just three short weeks!

School is kicking my butt! It's been a really hard back-to-school for me this year. I took on an extra responsibility at school this year, I'm planning a wedding, and oh yeah, I'm in constant pain. These are added to my normal August stressors -- not good.

Anyway, I hope you guys are having a better week than I am. I'm just glad we get Monday off -- I think I'm going to sleep the entire day!

Kim

Friday, August 27, 2010

Weigh-In Friday

I feel like this week, I could just copy and paste last week's entry. I'm still in my stupid boot. I feel like I can't exercise effectively, so I'm not. Still, I lost 1.8 pounds. Since mid-June, I've lost 11 1/2 pounds! I really feellike I've started losing some muscle in my legs.
Not much else to report weight-wise. School is back in session, and as an 8th grade teacher, we just finished the first week. I am thoroughly exhausted. Most nights this week, I have been in bed by 9:30! I'm looking forward to being back in the groove. Hope you all had a great week!
Kim

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Weigh-In

I lost 1.2 pounds this week. This is like a miracle, since I'm still really immobile and I'm also a little down because of my stupid ankle. I don't feel like it's getting any better. I have my next doctor appointment on the 31st. We'll see.

School here is starting on Monday. I've been back at work doing teacher stuff for a little over a week. Kids arrive in what seems like just a few hours! I'm ready -- I just wish I didn't have the stupid boot on my leg. I feel like it diminishes my authority -- something you don't want to do on the first few days of school.

Most of the schools around the city started 1-3 weeks ago. It's been nice to be the last hold out! We still get out around Labor Day, so I'm not complaining!

Hope you all have had a good week. I'm going to try to write everything down this week. I haven't been very good about that.

Kim

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Weigh-In

I weighed in Saturday and was only a little disappointed that I gained .2 of a pound. With my ankle injury, I have been able to do no exercising. I need to know of some cardio I can do that I can be seated for. Any ideas? I can lift weights with my arms if I'm seated. I'm still really tender down near my ankle, and I'm really getting sick of wearing the stupid boot. Only 2 weeks to go, I hope!
Anyway, I was hoping to stay the same or lose a little, but I knew it was going to be tough. I'm going to be very careful about my points and tracking this week.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

I Stepped on a Stick

Last Saturday, Max and I headed up for an overnight in the mountains of northern Georgia. We stayed at a lovely place which we are considering as a venue for our wedding. We stayed there about 2 1/2 years ago for one of our first out-of-town adventures. While Max slept, I stayed awake that night and had the realization that I wanted to marry him. I took out the hotel stationery and made rough plans for a wedding there. We're not 100% sure we're going to get married there, but I at least wanted to go back to see if I still liked it.
After we met with the events coordinator, we went hiking at Black Rock Mountain State Park. We like hiking. We do it about once every six weeks. We had hiked uphill about three tenths of a mile when I stepped on a stick. The stick rolled one way while I continued in the other direction. Needless to say, our hike was over. Having to hike back down that mountain (at least it was only 3/10 of a mile) was one of the most physically demanding things I've ever done. What had taken us about ten minutes to ascend took nearly an hour to descend. I could only walk a couple of steps at a time.
The good news is that I didn't break anything, which we confirmed after several hours in an ER in a really tiny town. We came home with me in an aircast and using a pair of crutches. Every step hurt like I was being stabbed. I went to an orthopaedist on Tuesday and am diagnosed with a really bad sprain. They moved me into one of those big boots. I'm supposed to wear it for 3 weeks and go back to the doctor. If things aren't going well, I'll be in for another 3 weeks. Keep your fingers crossed. I already feel a ton better, but it is still pretty tender after nearly a week!
I just wish that school wasn't starting. I'm having to get my room ready while wearing my boot. Each year, we basically have to pack everything into boxes in case the adminstration decides to move our classrooms over the summer. Mine didn't change, but I still have to unpack all the boxes. It's a lot of physical labor, but I've been able to get a lot done. I just have to rest a lot more than I usually would.
My goal is to be out of the boot before we attend a wedding during Labor Day weekend. That will be 3 1/2 weeks, so I'm really hoping I don't have to wear it with a formal dress!
I hope you've all had a great week! I'll be waying in on Saturday instead of Friday, so I'll check back in then!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Friday weigh-in

I went to weigh in today knowing that I'd mostly been back on track since returning from three weeks out of town. I was down 2.8 pounds today! Since re-joining WW in mid-June, I'm down nearly 9 pounds! Yay!
Now that school is going back, I'm going to have to change meetings. I've been going to a mid-day meeting with a pretty great leader. Her name is Sissy, and she has lost something crazy like 215 pounds. She shows off her 'fat picture' every week, and it's certainly inspirational. My next best time to go to meetings would be on Thursday evenings, but that's led by another person. I remember this leader as the substitute leader from when I went to WW a few years ago. She's nothing to write home about. I could go to Saturday meetings with Sissy, but for some reason, I have always wanted to go during the week. Actually, it's mostly because I like the way this center is run, and it's near work. I don't really want to drive the 15 miles toward work if I don't have to. I think I'm going to try out a Thursday meeting with the other woman once to see if she's as non-inspirational as I remember. I may end up biting the bullet and going on Saturdays though.

Also, years ago, I had signed up for personal training at LA Fitness at a very decent rate (about $22/session). I cancelled my training because I wasn't using it, but when I went to inquire in January, they told me that I had about 50 sessions I'd paid for but had not used. Instead of letting all that money go to waste, I've used all my sessions up -- I have three left. If I want to sign back up again, unfortunately, they have to treat me like a new client with new prices. That would mean that I have to pay an initiation fee, and the sessions have doubled in price since I signed up (I think it was in '06). I'm contemplating signing up again, but the money difference is huge! They're now $40/session if I sign up for twelve months (more per session to sign up for 3 or 6 months), plus a initiation fee of $149. I tried to talk my way into a deal, but I'm very friendly with the guy in charge, and he told me this was the best he would be able to do. I believe him. So, I'm totally torn over what to do. I can afford it, but somehow it doesn't seem worth it. Thoughts?

Max and I are going to the north Georgia mountains tomorrow to check out a possible wedding venue and meet with their event planner. It's a neat ranch-style resort we stayed at a couple of years ago for our first anniversary. After he went to bed, I stayed up, took out the hotel's stationery, and drew up wedding plans for the place. It was that night that I decided that I wanted to marry him. This is definitely the sentimental favorite. It would be a destination wedding for everyone -- it's about two hours north of where we live in Atlanta. Room rates are very reasonable, and there are a lot of things to do in the area -- especially outdoor activities.

Tuesday, I'm meeting with the event planner at an in-town place we've been to for a wedding (actually -- we were invited to two weddings at this venue on July 4 of this year -- they were an hour apart and separated by a courtyard). We had a blast, and both brides were thrilled with the venue. As an added plus, there is a private bowling alley in the hotel. One of the brides used the bowling alley for a really fun rehearsal dinner, and the other bride used it as a after party location for her wedding (she was bowling in her wedding dress!). Max had so much fun. We love bowling -- I gave him a bowling ball a couple years ago, and we both have our own shoes. We bowl 2-3 times a month. Would it be too quirky to have the actual wedding in the bowling alley? I think if the seating was better, I would really be thinking about this. I am going to ask at my meeting on Tuesday if it's ever been done. As long as we have fun and end up married at the end, I'm a little open-ended about my wedding. I say that, but I might not be telling the whole truth. Who knows? I've also been thinking about possibly using it for fun engagement pictures!

I had a third choice venue I met with earlier this week. It is a historic home and 'greens' near our home. I was disappointed in what they had to offer. It was smaller than I realized, and the historic home would only be used for a possible buffet. Everything about the event would have to be outdoors. Too hot for June in Georgia! I do keep going back and forth about a possible wedding in January on 1-1-11, but we're both big football fans, and I keep thinking how many people would be wishing they were watching a college bowl game instead of my wedding. I think it's a no go, but I haven't totally ruled it out. I think it would be a lot of fun to have a New Year's Eve bowling rehearsal dinner.

I should be sleeping, so I'm going to head in that direction. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

It's Coming to an End

This summer has been really long! Usually, I feel like my teacher vacation is over before it starts but this summer seems to have lasted forever -- like when we were kids! I didn't teach summer school this year for the first time in a while. I guess that's the reason it seems so long! I still have another week off, officially, but I have a meeting on Monday for team leaders. That's making it seem like summer's over. In Atlanta, most of the schools are already back. Only my district still has more time off. I'm not complaining!
I'm trying to get some appointments taken care of as I start planning our wedding. I have a place out of town (about 2 hours north of Atlanta) that has sentimental value and would be a fun destination wedding. I've got several places in town which I have been to for weddings before or have had lots of recommendations for. We're going this weekend to the out of town location -- it was here 2+ years ago that I realized I wanted to marry Max. It's at the top of my list for the moment, but we need to meet with them and make sure it meets the expectations my memory has set for it. We'll probably get married next June, which seems like forever from now.
I'm also trying to make sure that Max enjoys the wedding, and it's not just all about me. If I'd wanted to, I'm sure we would have had the judge marry us at the courthouse years ago. If he could have that and wear shorts, it would make his day! Any ideas for how to incorporate his tastes?
I'm looking forward to school getting started for the sheer purpose of getting myself back into a routine. Being at home with a filled refrigerator is not good for me, but I've been better than I could have been!
Thanks to those of you who checked in on me!