R & R

Well, since leaving Yuma I have been to Chicago by plane, East Lansing by train and Howell by automobile. I think we should make a movie. I was admitted to the hospital on the Friday that I left work and was there until Tuesday morning. I was very excited because I felt better and was so bored at the hospital. All I wanted was to come home and get a move on Christmas. The Dr.'s, mom and Sarah kept saying, don't rush, feel better, take it slow. I did feel better and I felt that if I went any slower I would die.

So they sprung me, dad bought me a train ticket and I spent 5 hours at union station waiting for my train at which point I got lost outside without my coat because I had checked it into a locker. I was ok though because I was free from rehab (as I like to call it) where the hi-light of the day is getting your meal tray from the hallway and art therapy where you have to draw your headache. (mine is very mean and ugly).

Now I am home and have been for a few days. That is the good news. I am with my family, shopping, wrapping, puzzling, laughing, eating. Just enjoying each other's company. The bad news is that I rebounded about three days after my release from rehab. The docs don't want me back before Christmas because depression will set in big time and I will not allow myself to get better but next week after the big guy in red comes I may go back for a few days. Being this close to the best of the best and not getting all the way better doesn't make much sense.

Right now we are taking it one day at a time and slowly. Sarah likes to call it sun downing. In the afternoon when I get tired and cranky. I have good days and bad ones, the dr.s have been checking in daily but there is not much to be done right now. Sarah is sick again too, her cold is back. We don't think it ever really left. So our family is doing the R & R thing for the holidays this year. We have hurried for nothing so far and do not anticipate it anytime soon. We have most everything done and have already put two puzzles together.

There's the update. Happy holidays to everyone and may you all be as calm as the Knapp's this year!!!!

Brrr....

Well, I am in Chicago and it is cold. I knew it was going to be cold. But to be honest, I was afraid to leave the airport on Tuesday. I could feel it and I thought maybe this was a mistake and I should just get on a plane and go back. But I forged ahead got a taxi and arrived at my cousins. After the taxi driver tried to drop me off at the care center across the street. I got in the building ok and it took me about 20 minutes to get in the door because the door was a little stuck.

When John got home we went to a bar and ate good chicken and warmed up a bit then we hung out for a while and went to bed. Wednesday morning we packed everything into a taxi again and went to the Dr. 's who said she wanted to admit me to the hospital for a five day stay but the wing was full and there was a waiting list. So I got all my luggage back into a taxi and came back to John's. I have stayed inside and watched movies but this morning I ventured out. Bad idea.

It is frigid out there. I walked three blocks to a Mexican/American grocery store run by an Indian man and then got a sandwich at Jimmy John's which was very exciting! And delicious. Then I walked three blocks back to the apartment and decided not to leave again until I absolutely have to.

The office called this morning and said I can't get in until tomorrow to the hospital and I am not feeling any better so I will watch more movies and take a nap. They gave me a couple shots yesterday but they didn't really help. Not that you are all caught up I will let you know when I get home o Michigan.

FBI

This morning it was 32 degrees! It is not supposed to get that cold here on the surface of the sun! Sarah and I dug out our cute trench coats, hers green, mine pink and dressed warmly but fashionably in dress pants and light sweaters as we had bus duty. As we were walking out in our sun glasses we decided that we should be FBI agents instead of teachers because we looked really good.

Then we stopped at Walgreens for cold and flu supplies (propel, vitamin C drops, Kleenex) and I waited in the car. There was this guy driving a mustang with Nevada plates taking digital camera pictures of Walgreens. The store, the sidewalk, the street around it, it was weird. Then he went in and started going up and down the aisles very nonchalantly. By the time Sarah got to the car I had spun a web of mystery and intrigue that involved a super smart criminal who knew where every crack in the sidewalk was and murder.

So we decided we should definitely get to be FBI agents!

Lessons Learned

Here are two things you should not do at 4 a.m.

1. Shop online. While this seems like a fine time to do Christmas shopping because no one cares enough to be snooping and you think everything is fine, let me tell you, your faculties are not all there! For instance, when they ask you if the billing address and shipping address are the same and you are not going to be in Arizona to recieve the package or give the package on Christmas day you should not say yes. And it is a big deal to go back and change it as I am finding out so again, do not do your Christmas shopping onlione at 4 a.m.

2. Write Christmas Cards. Again, seems like a fine idea. I was wide awake, it was a quiet activity and needed to be done as soon as possible since I am flying out on Tuesday. Except, yep, you guessed it, the faculties are missing again. Much white out is needed at this point in the morning because all of a sudden you have forgotten things like how to spell your hometown and your grandparents name and that your cousin moved even though you visited her this summer at said new home.

Anyway, learn from my lessons and please forgive any white out that appears on your christmas greetings, it was mistaken with love!

Not Better When Older

There are some things that are not better when you get older and being sickness is one of them. Monday I survived on a bottle of water because I was sure that if I got out of bed I would be overcome by death and the by the time Sarah got home from work the water supply was getting low, it was a good thing she came home on time.

I was mess, as Sarah so nicely put it in her blog I was tossing my cookies for hours and I will spare you all the details now and say that I will never have to worry about becoming a belimic. Having a migraine for so long has been terrible (30 some odd days now) but that flu was worse, I truly thought it was the end, every part of me hurt. I will stop whining now and get on with life as it is 4 am and I do have to go to work today. I missed two days and I leave Tuesday for the Diamond clinic in Chicago to see about this nasty headache.

WE are getting ready for a cold snap here, low of 38 tonight, I am not sure what that will feel like here, it will be strange I guess I will get to see if the heater works!

Jolly day!

Today was a good day. My students created adjective posters based on the jolly ranchers that I gave them. It was fun, they like to make things with scissors and glue and the like. It was fun to see them work and work and not be loud and obnoxious, not to mention that I got alot of work done as well.

Tomorrow is the annual student vs. teachers basketball game which should be fun. The kids are pretty pumped up for it but I have a feeling the teachers don't have as much of a lock on it as we did last year. Should be interesting to say the least. Then it's turkey day which means four day weekend!!!!

Twilight zone!

Saturday Sarah and I went to Los Algodones, Mexico to go Christmas shopping. We had a great time, I know I have been there alot when the waiter at the restaurant recognized me! Usually we get offers for boyfriends and bodyguards and all this stuff that is nice for our self esteem. This time was different. At one point one man asked me if I was Sarah's mother! As if! And then this guy offered to be my boyfriend but then reconsidered because I was too tall. Let's just say the compliments were not pouring out of the south this weekend.
We did get lots of nice things though and I guess it's a good thing I am getting my haircut tomorrow if I am looking like Sarah's mother.

Physic Cats

The other morning Sarah and I were having breakfast and we remembered the physic cats. When we were visiting Santa Monica they have street performers at night to entertain the locals and the visitors. One of these street performers was a man and his cats, his physic cats! He said that for a fee his cats would tell the future. Now, we did not test this out but I did hang around for a few minutes to see if anyone would. The only thing I saw was a cat playing with some money, it was cute but I did not see anything paranormal about it.
So that's the story of the physic cats.

28 Days

No, I did not see the movie, this is how many days since my migraine started. This one is a doozy. Luckily I have ot missed any work but I am taking lots of pain meds and slleping alot. I am going back to the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago on December 19th when I go home, it makes me nervous being so close to Christmas and all but I am really trying to trust God.

I know I haven't blogged much and I am sorry but with th meds and the sleeping there isn't much time for other things. Here is a cute story though. When we read in class we read a style that is called popcorn reading. The kids read and when they are done they choose another child at random and so on. I let my students read as much as they want and then pick someone else but some teachers only let them read a paragragh. Some of my students, being lower, have trouble with transitions from one class to the next. Troy really likes to read so when he got picked he would read a paragraph and then say popcorn troy, read another paragraph, say popcorn troy and on and on it went for four or five paragraphs. I was laughing a little, trying not too but it was really cute.

These are my students, not the brightest bulbs, but they make my days!

Vampires

It has been a long time since I have blogged about school but I have a funny story today. I put a riddle on the board for Halloween - What do you get when you cross a teacher with a vampire. The kids started guessing all kinds of things and we got to a point of no return when one of my favorite (not the sarcasm) student's said, Ms. Knapp? The answer is lots of blood tests but I am not telling them until tomorrow, a little suspense is good.

Not much else has been going on, the students are better behaved than last year so there are no crazy fights to write about and they don't talk nearly as much so they don't get in nearly as much trouble.

Tomorrow I am dressing up as a Dr. it is great because I get to be really comfortable all day and wear a real stethoscope! The kids said they are going to dress up too, we'll see. I am on my prep hour right now and I don't have much to do which is weird. I am a little put off by it. I guess it is good that I am organized but I am waiting for something to jump out and say ha! You forogt something really important!!

End of an Era

I don't think I was ever cut out to be a salesperson, at least not on a commission. Some people are. I have the opportunity to work with, learn from and see some amazing women who have made insane amounts of money selling Mary Kay, not just the product but the dream. I am not one of those women.

I gave it a good try, I worked very hard when I lived back home and I was pretty successful. Mary Kay came along at a time in my life when I needed a self-esteem push and something to do. I guess it would have been cheaper to take up knitting or something but as Sarah reminded me this morning, when I decide something it is impossible to stop me - good or bad.

Today after a very unsuccessful open house and attempt at starting my business here in Yuma, I have made yet another decision. I am going to stop selling Mary Kay. Now really the only difference that will make in my life is that instead of feeling guilt over what I should be doing I won't feel the guilt anymore. I have a lot of product to get rid of and things that I have to do before I hand in my lipstick for good but I think I will start to phase out of the cosmetic industry. I really do like MK and the company and I believe in the product. I just think it is not going to make me a millionaire at this point in my life.

Sarah is disappointed in me because 1. She likes to play store and 2. She thinks I am giving up without a fight. Maybe I am but maybe I am tired of fighting, maybe I will go fight something else.

Owning property vs. Living in a House

This is an important distinction and I am not sure everyone understands it, especially people from other countries with limited English. We took an all day tour last weekend to see the sights in L.A. and it included a tour of the stars homes. The tour guide kept using the phrase "this is the property of...." Sarah and I figure this is a good way of saying that the person may own this but may not actually live there. This is not true in all the cases. In fact, it was interesting to see Bill Cosby's house. The name Ennis was above the door in memory of his late son. It was very interesting to see all the houses and the neighborhoods. We drove past Bel Air but were not allowed to go in it on the bus apparently there are restrictions for that sort of thing and only cars and limos are allowed in Bel Air.

I think the most interesting thing about the tour was going to Hollywood Boulevard and seeing the stars on the Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theater. There were these people in front all dressed up like characters. We saw Spiderman and Sponge Bob, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis (very old Elvis), Zorro, the list goes on but there very many of them. There was a sign in the square that assured us (the tourists) that these impersonator's were not associated with the theater but there of there own accord. I guess I don't get it, do they make that much money doing it and is that much fun? Or maybe they are actors and actresses trying to get discovered? Who knows, maybe they are part of a cult or something.

We also got to go shopping on Rodeo Drive I got a sprite and Sarah got a diet coke, I know big spenders we are! There is this store that you have to make a reservation at and it is a $900 deposit. If you don't buy anything over the deposit you lose it. It is a menswear store, I saw a sport coat in the window that looked similar to one I saw at mens warehouse! We saw the Beverly Wilshire where Pretty Woman was filmed and the Chanel store where Julia Roberts was dissed and told she couldn't buy and clothes.

We spent part of the day at the Getty museum looking at art and photographs and gardens and eating a terrific lunch. L.A. was great, It was much different than I thought it was going to be. Of course there were crazy people. Like the woman driving her car on the 405 talking on her phone (no ear piece), eating a sandwich and using no hands on the wheel!!! And the homeless guy with no legs who we saw once yelling at the non existent bats, once in Starbucks enjoying his coffee and then again Sunday morning sound asleep in his wheelchair outside a store.

The Santa Monica Beach is nice, so is the pier. We went on the ferris wheel which is solar powered. They must store the power because it was super cloudy the day we went on the ride.

Matter of Public Record

Today an interesting thing happened. I got an envelope in the mail from the Yuma County Health Department. I have never been to the Yuma County Health Department so I was a little surprised. The only thing in the envelope was a small card asking me to come or call this person there and refer to the letters at the bottom of the card. It was all typed except for my name and the letters which were written in ink pen. So I called the man at the health department who confirmed my name, social security number and the date at which I was at the emergency room.

Up until this point I was ok, now I was getting nervous I explained that yes I was in the emergency room and that I had appendicitis. He said that didn't matter and just made a crazy statement: You have chlamydia and you and your partner need to come in immediately for treatment

I immediately argued and told him he was wrong. There was no way I had an STD but this man didn't believe me, I am sure he gets this all the time and he was very calm. I couldn't imagine having his job, send people anonymous mail, they call and you tell them they have an STD, all in a day's work I guess.

At some point I apparently started raising my voice and Sarah said to hang up that I didn't have to talk to them and didn't have to tell them anything. So I told him I would see my doctor. I called my doctor's office and spoke with a nurse. When I told her the whole story she was laughing so hard she couldn't even talk to me. She eventually told me that we would have to do another test to confirm that I didn't have it on Wednesday at my appointment but she said I was right, there was no way I could have chlamydia.

I can't wait to tell the Doctor the story on Wednesday, I hope that I can get the whole thing taken off my hospital record and avoid any future embarrassment. Someone, I won't name any names said the next thing would be that they would are going to put a sign on my door at school :-) It all seems so ridiculous now! But earlier I had myself convinced that maybe they were right and there was some other way to get it, of course there isn't and I was being insane as always.

Next time, an L.A. story, I promise.

Hostile Hostel?

We had a new adventure this weekend, okay several but it will take me some time to tell them all so keep checking back. Sarah and I went to L.A. I was pretty nervous because I was under the assumption she would do as she threatened and take me to Compton to see a drug deal. I had requested a Hummer and a body guard but instead I got an all expense paid stay at the International Youth Hostel (thanks mom and dad!). Online reports said teh staff themselves could be hostile but all I cared about was cleanliness.

Last weekend while staying in a kids suite at The Pacific Inn in San Diego (which meanty bunk beads) I couldn't sleep in my bunk because there was blood on the blanket.

The hostel was not hostile at all, everyone was great and friendly and we had a terrific time. I don't have time for a story right now because I am hungry and I had to stop and see new baby Kye at the hospital on the way home but I will write soon.

Calm - Yeah Right!

On Monday September 4th I blogged about the feeling of calm that had settled over me, that I was happy. Four days later I had emergency surgery to have my appendix removed and nothing has been the same since. Not even close to calm. I think I am a glass half empty person. Being the person that I am and have a hard to making and sticking to decisions I waiver between glass half full and glass half empty. But I am pretty sure I am glass half empty now. I feel like I am always thinking of the worst case scenarios. Like just now, my grandma called Sarah's cell phone and she didn't answer right away and I am like freaking out. She had to answer because it was 12:30 there and there must be an emergency or she wouldn't call that late.

It turns out that she just wanted to call us at an appropriate time so she waited, no emergency. But I pushed my panic button for no reason. Staples has an easy button and I have a panic button, I would like to know how to trade mine in.

The next few days will be long, parent teacher conferences, a meeting with the behavioral resource specialists regarding a student, a potluck, and then vacation for two weeks, and actual fun vacation. Yah maybe I can work on that glass half empty thing.

Back in the Swing

I have been back at school for three days now and I am glad. It went well and I really did miss the kids although they had a hard time believing that. We are back in the normal routine now and everything within my four walls is perfect, I love it! Now, as for the outside of the four walls, that's a different story! The school staff is a mess. The administration keeps changing things which is really hard on the kids to start new things and then change again. The staff doesn't react to well either so there is lots of griping and yelling behind closed doors. It is so frustrating to love what you do and then hate the climate you do it in.

T.V. has started again! It is exciting in our house. I am glad Sarah is back again to tape and keep things on track so I get to see everything and I don't miss any of the good stuff. Grey's Anatomy was wonderful, The Office was hilarious and the show after Grey's was not good. That's all I've seen so far because we both fell asleep while watching NCIS last night at 9 o'clock. ON A FRIDAY NIGHT!!! We felt sad this morning!

Today is a new day and we may do some shopping, Sarah got some new plastic and I need some new skirts and pants. I also need a new haircut. Have a good weekend everybody!

Do-It-Yourself-Surgery

At least that it what it sounds like from the bill I got from the hospital today. I paid for things like a scalpel and cath tubes and glue (skin adhesive) and face masks and sutures. There are all kinds of things on the list that is very itemized I must add. Anyone looking at the list would see a list of things needed to do surgery so why shouldn't I do it myself? I know, I can't. But it still doesn't explain why I had to buy the scalpel. All of this amounts to the grand total of $18, 375.44 and this has no charges for the private room I had either. The insurance hasn't paid their share yet so I have to wait and see how much I will pay but I am sure it will be a lot.

Word to the wise: If you have to have surgery it might be cheaper to get the supply list from me and then find someone who can do it for free. Maybe we should find some pro bono surgeons, they have lawyers, why not surgeons.

Thieves among us

I hate missing working. Now, I know most people don' t say that but I have a special job. See, the way I see it is that there is never enough time when you are a teacher. There are always benchmarks to reach and books you want to read and fun things you hope you get to. When you are gone there are not enough chances to do the rest. For this reason, most teachers will tell you they don't like being gone. Also because inevitably (not anyone's fault) things get messed up, stolen, dirty, unorganized and there is major chaos upon returning.

I went to school today to get lesson plans ready for the sub this week and I am distraught. But it will be my students who will be distraught when I return and they experience the wrath of Ms. Knapp for stealing my stuff. The stuff I buy. The stuff I allow them to use. I am very angry now so I will quit before I say things I will regret. Let me just say this, any bad day at work for me is better than missing work unless of course Mc. Dreamy whisks me away to Hawaii.

A Whole New World

I have entered a whole new world and please somebody take me back to the old one!!!! About a week ago, the 7th of September, to be exact, I had an emergency. Now, this is familiar territory for me but this one was a bit scarier as it resulted in surgery and the doctor removing something permanently from my body that I may or made not need later on (depending on the possibility of eating raw meat??). Anyway, I had my appendix out. They say I had acute appendicitis. The pain I had was not acute because two doses of morphine didn't even help a little. So anyway, for more on that refer to Sarah's blog linked to this page. She gives a nice blow by blow of the weekends events and my inability to save myself in even the most dire circumstances.

What I want to talk about or rather write about is the world. I have been watching a lot of news this week because there is not a lot to do when you are in pain and laying in one position. And I have decided that there is a limit to how much Law and Order I can watch in one day. The world scares me! In one day this is what I learned:

*Whitney Houston filed for divorce after 14 terrible years
*Brittany Spears had another boy who was supposed to be a girl
*Anna Nicole Smith lost a son and gained a daughter
*A 23 year old beautiful teacher is serving 3 years house arrest for sleeping with her 12 year old student
*No one did a news story on a very homely looking woman who also slept with one or more students
*People in South Korea are angry and chaining themselves to fences because the government is bulldozing their homes to make way for a new U.S. military base
*The Today Show spent way too much money making their studio high definition (I don't get that at all..)
*Brad Pitt won't get married again because same sex marriage is illegal...but he wants to marry a woman...he was already married once... this was always illegal...
*Barbara Walters thinks her dog spoke to her
*People are mutilating and killing sting rays because one accidentally killed Steve Irwin
*People are more upset that the new Survivor is segregated than that there is genocide in the Sudan
*600 + American civilians have died in Iraq as contractors under Haliburton since this drive for freedom started
*More soldiers and Iraqis died but whose counting....


This is an outrageous world we live in, how are we supposed to keep up and what is supposed to be important? All I know is that I need to get back to work where I know I can make a difference, a small one, but a difference still.

Thanks for all the well wishes that have flooded in, you guys are great.

Calm

Today I feel calm, it took me a while to figure out what I was feeling, but I think it is calm. Let me explain. Normally I feel tired, anxious, or ill. I know, I know, I am probably also insane but indulge me. We had a three day weekend and didn't do very much, in fact I talked Sarah into staying in bed until 4 p.m. yesterday watching 24 season 3. Then I cleaned the house and we cooked and hung out and then today I read a book and made tuna casserole and hung up a sun outside. It was very quiet and nice. Then a little while ago I was painting Sarah's toenails and watching season 1 of Grey's Anatomy and I thought something was wrong. I had this weird feeling in my stomach. At first I assumed it was anxiety but this was a new feeling.

Then I got to thinking, what if I have finally reached a point in my life where I am happy, clam and enjoying myself, not always trying to catch up or figure out what is next. I am content to go to work and teach my kids and come home and cook or watch T.V.

This is a good feeling and I hope it lasts for awhile. And for those of you who are wondering, I didn't even have to take extra meds to write this! Night!