Map

I got a map. And then I hung it on the wall. My intention is to put pins in it to represent the schools Sarah has applied to and then the ones I want to apply to. I am hoping that this visual will get me motivated. It doesn't seem quite real yet. I have told everyone that I am moving, I have signed the resignation papers at work and I have started cleaning things out to limit the items to move.

But it still didn't seem real. Thus the map. Los Angeles is big. I mean really BIG. So applying for a job has to be very strategic. I have to make sure I don't have to commute because of all the traffic problems that plague the city, I don't think I could handle that. But we also have to be close to the school that Sarah will attend and since that is still a mystery... I am plotting points on the map.

So far it is making me feel better to make little flags for my push pins. I am pretty close to having my California teaching certificate and I joined a teaching network that is advertising over one hundred jobs in the LA area. For this early in the hiring season that is tremendous. I am pretty excited to see the salary ranges too, I will be moving up quite a bit which will compensate the rent increase.

There is still plenty to be done before moving can even be discussed. I will have my final formal evaluation this week and then next Monday our school will have the last walk throughs of the year. Spring break is coming up with a trip to Texas in the works! Then the AIMS tests for the kids - a very stressful for them and us. And then a few weeks of panicked apartment hunting and job interviews before we fly home for a quick visit and say farewell to Yuma.

Right now it is off to bed, Monday is coming to soon.

The Dome

As you drive into Yuma you will see, just off the highway, this dome. At first glance it appears to be just an odd shaped building but as Sarah and I learned when we took the annual Dome House tour it is so much more.

It is a monolithic dome (which are fairly well know around the world) and is huge inside. It is incredibly eco-friendly and just plain fun. There are 8 suites, one full sized kitchen, a three story atrium and a gym/computer room. Each suite has a living area, a bedroom, a kitchenette, washer and dryer, bathroom with shower and jacuzzi tub and the two lower floors have outside entrances. The third floor has a fire escape only.

In this particular dome lives a family. A big family. There is a grandma, two sisters, their husbands, two granddaughters, one great - grandson, one fiancee and one adopted family member. The family members that we spoke to said it is almost like living in a big apartment building. They don't see each other much during the week because everyone is so busy with work and school and such. On the weekend they have one big family meal together to catch everyone up with all that's gone on. They seemed like one big happy family.

all three stories

the atrium

the ponds put moisture back into the air that the dome takes out

it's very tall!

hard to clean windows :-)

What a Week!

Last week was a week! I hope this week goes better. Part of my job is to be a child advocate. I take that very seriously, sometimes a little too seriously. The last few months one of my kids has been bullying some of the other kids. He is good friends with one of Sarah's kids. There are three of them all together who form this little gang and go around trying to start fights, picking on kids who don't fight back and generally making my life difficult.

Long story short I have spent a lot of time writing referrals, calling parents, talking to kids and administration and trying to stop these kids from making mistakes. It finally came to a head this week and we sent the two biggest bullies to our alternative placement program. They go for a minimum of 30 days, a maximum of 60 and usually 45. When the decision was made I was relieved to know that the problems would end. That my kids being bullied would no longer have to walk down the halls in fear or be constantly called horrible names.

After school I went to the office and my student who was being sent to the alternative program was waiting for his mom so my boss told me to go in and talk with him. I tried to get through to him about his choices. I was desperately trying to get him to see that he was making bad choices and that he was better than that. I was okay until he teared up. Then I teared up and then I had to leave the room.

That always happens. I get so angry at the kids who make the bad choices and work so hard to get them the consequences they deserve which I see is in their best interest and then when it actually happens I am filled with remorse and guilt. I think when it comes right down too it I feel like a failure. I couldn't fix this child. I had 6 1/2 months with him and I couldn't make it right. Now, realistically I know you can't undo 12 years in a few months but it still feels like failure.

I know that tomorrow I will go to work, see that empty desk and feel sadness. But I know that I am still a child advocate and I couldn't change those circumstances but there are still 57 kids and many more months to go. So I choose to be optimistic.

I am in a cycle again. I was doing really well for a while with the migraines and it seems like jsut when I get comfortable with everything something happens. I got sick in August and had a sinus infection which somehow set off my blood pressure medicine. This has turned into a downward spiral I can't seem to get out of. I can no longer take the blood pressure meds therefore I am getting headaches again. A lot. It sucks (sorry mom, I know you don't like that word). The docs in chicago are trying to help but it is a cycle I can feel it. Sometimes they last for months with no explanations. I am trying hard to keep going. I know I complain to Sarah too much but thankfully she just pats me on the head and tells me to go to bed. I am trying to stay active though because if I don't they get worse. Today even though I skipped the gym I did a walk around the block and made dinner.

I was proud of my kids today. We had our second quarter spell off between Sarah's kids and mine and even though we lost 2 - 1 my kids tried so hard and lasted a long time, it was great. They really got into it this time and focused on actually spelling instead of worrying about winning. They have hit the mid-year grow up stage. It is such a neat age to see them blossom at. Keep in mind that while I write this today, tomorrow will be a whole different story!

Lasagna is a Success!

One of my new year resolutions was to learn how to cook correctly. I have been making dinner more regularly and working on small things but tonight was the big recipe. Sarah and I picked out a new recipe. Chicken and spinach lasagna. We went to the store and got all the ingredients we needed. Then we came home, put it all together and in true new recipe fashion ate it three hours later. But it was fantastic! We loved it and it was so pretty, pretty as a picture. On to the next new recipe.

One Two Cha Cha Cha

I am going through a phase, at least I hope it is a phase. I seem to be taking one step forward and two steps backward in everything. Much like the Cha Cha! It all started when I went back to work last week, I told myself things were going to be different, this was it, the big year. I was starting the big job hunt and this time I was writing the ticket - not settling for the first offer. I was going to pay down some debt, I was going to lose the weight I had put back on. Mostly so my interview suit would fit correctly again :-) Things went well for about 8 hours.

As I am prone to anxiety and depression I always have to check myself and say, "self, is it really this bad or are you making it worse than it has to be" Unfortunately this time I wasn't the problem. I seemed to have run into this streak of bad luck and can't get out. A friend passed away, I got stuck on the way home one night because my tire was shredded (money!), the kids ae acting out, my checkbooks in the red, I actually woke up yesterday at the time I was supposed to be at work, I have a sweet tooth that won't quit and my headaches are back pretty full force.

I know I am whining a bit but it's my blog after all so sorry. While all this is going on I am trying to plan several trips and spend time with friends and get my kids excited about a novel and find my dream teaching job - all happy things but the other stuff keeps getting in the way.

I don't know why but I thought once I got back into reading the Bible and focusing on God things would get better. Maybe I was expecting a miracle, I don't know. I guess I fell into the trap of asking God for what I wanted instead listening to what God wants for me. I know the difference, I have taught it to others many times but with faith it is always about learning and relearning. Baby steps.

Tomorrow I start again. Baby steps. I will start with a positive attitude and
try not to let the negatives in. I know for some people it is easy to do that. For me having a predisposition to the depression stuff I tend to be more of a pessimist and I don't like using that as an excuse but when it comes right down to it there is a chemical imbalance in my brain that I struggle with on a daily basis. The hardest part is knowing that as much as I struggle with those close to me also have to struggle with it.

Please pray for me. And hope this really is just a phase.

Sadness

This was going to be a blog about my day. I was going to tell you that I had to get up extra early to go to work because I didn't really know what I was going to have the kids do. Then I was going to complain about how I had to get used to not going to the bathroom whenever I wanted and how easy it was to forget that pre-teens talk A LOT! Then there was this letter about me boycotting my department meetings for the rest of the year because of the person in charge (which my boss took extremely well). Basically I was going to complain about my day.

Instead I want to share with you that when we came home from work there was a message that a college friend, Kyle Sonneman, had passed away on Saturday. We don't know any details really. Only that it was unexpected and that there is a service on Wednesday in Traverse City. Kyle was a youth pastor, he moved to Traverse City shortly before I moved to Yuma. He was a very funny guy, loved to make everyone laugh and always wanted to have parties!

Suddenly all the other stuff went away, like it always does when I need to be centered. God has this amazing way of shifting priorities around to his way. I had started to depend less and less on that but now that I am back in the Word daily my memory is less and less fuzzy. I am starting to feel centered again.

Kyle had a passion for Christ and he attracted others with his warmth and kindness. His calling was a perfect fit as he was a big kid at heart. Kyle - I will miss you.

Count Down!

This is the count down, a few more months in Yuma and on to the next adventure. I said when I came I wold stay three years and I am not staying one day extra! I have met some incredible people here and have learned tons about teaching but I am ready to move to a city with more than 4 restaurants and 5 stores!

More to come later but right now I have to get up and unpack from the three weeks of being in the arctic otherwise known as Michigan and get ready to see Arcy, the massage therapist to beat all!

One More Sleep

Only one more sleep til the big day! We here at the Knapp house are ready to go. Which is a surprising turn of events this year. It has only taken 27 years that I know of to get everything to a science to enjoy this day of expectation. Which is why I can sit, lazily drinking cocoa, telling you about my time in the mitten state.

We arrived in the great 2007 snow storm and had a snow day the first Sunday here which meant no Knapp Christmas :-( but a great day to relax and get the Christmas cards written. Monday was playing elf as was Tuesday. Wednesday brought the flu for me and bed all day. Thursday mom, Sarah and I headed for the windy city and had a nice dinner with cousin John. We took in an evening showing of the Broadway show Wicked - phenomenal!

Friday I had a check-up at the Diamond Headache Clinic, I am going back on blood pressure medicine which makes me dizzy so we will see how long that lasts but other than that they will see me in six months. We picked up John, had a nice lunch at the Weber Grill and made the long trek home (John goes to Columbia College and we were his ride home for Christmas).

Saturday I was still not feeling great so I laid low, there was busyness going on around me but everyone has been low key.

Sunday we lit the advent candle at church and saw many friends that we only see a couple times a year. The snow has melted but the wind has come in strong and is not going anywhere.

Now it is Christmas Eve morning. The time has flown, I am so thankful to be feeling better. I am having dinner with one set of grandparents today and a great-grandmother and then tomorrow will be another family. The Knapp family Christmas has been rescheduled, weather permitting, to New Year's Day.

May you all have a wonderful, love filled Christmas day and welcome the baby Jesus in style!

First Step

Admitting you have a problem is the first step, or at least it is at AA. I am not sure if it qualifies for everything. Yesterday I had to admit that I have a problem. I am not going to be able to save all of the students I have had, have and will have in the future. I have been pretending that I could all this time. Well, maybe not pretending. I have been doing my best. I have worked hours past my salaried time, worried constantly, called parents and counselors, written letter after letter, and yesterday I went on my first home visit.

As I went back to school after talking with the mom and student I did some heavy thinking and realized that I have been trying to save them all. All of this is to say that I am really considering going to a prep school next year instead of a public school. I am so exhausted that I fell asleep with a bad migraine at 8:15 and slept until 8 this morning. I was so out of it last night I fell asleep in Sarah's bed (the small one) and she couldn't get me to move.

So I think after this year I am going to take a break from saving all the children I come into contact with and take a less stressful gig if that's possible.

Anyway, at least I have admitted I have a problem. Now when I go over board I can name the reason why :-)

Holiday Preparations

I have been trying not to get too excited about the holiday's yet, it seems a little early, not even being Thanksgiving yet. But I have given in. Yep, I'm in. All in. Let's do Christmas :-) We are elbow deep in Christmas cards, so everyone should be expecting wonderful creations from us this year!

I am making Christmas CD's for the kids to listen to for the next three weeks and we started designing posters for the door decorating contest today. There is tons of Christmas shopping being done online and shipped to Michigan for the big day and lots of secret phone calls that leave one of us whispering or e-mailing and frantically shouting "don't read my e-mail!"

Yep, we are all in for Christmas and don't forget the carols Sarah has been playing all weekend to get me in the mood to make the cards.

Christmas has come early to Yuma this year and we are making the most of it so Happy Holidays everyone!

Constantly Learning

I am always learning new things in my profession. I haven't written about teaching in a while because there have been so many other things going on with my health and vacation and now Christmas fast approaching. But this week I made an improvement in an area of my job. Parent contact. Those of you who have ever had to do this especially for the not so good reasons or have been on the receiving end of a call know just how awkward it can be.

Parents can be stand-offish, they can yell at you, they get pissed off, they blame you and my favorite - the ones that just say ok, ok, thank you. And nothing. Sometimes the parents are more of a battle than the students which is why we teachers hate calling. we threaten a lot but we hate following through.

I made a list this week and just started dialing. I got a couple of disconnected numbers, a couple of not homes, one mom who was wonderful and talked for almost 40 minutes (I love her!) And I had to have two calls made for me in Spanish. One is coming in for a conference and the other came in and withdrew her child the next day because evidently taking her child to another school will fix the problem.

Yes to all parents reading this: The teachers are the problem. We spend all day picking on your children and thinking up things to call you about just to bother with at home on our breaks.

Regardless of all this I realized that I didn't learn how to do this in school, college can't teach you how to toughen up when calling parents or to be relentless when trying to find a phone number and not give up calling until you are satisfied. To not take it personally when that student withdraws because you picked on him.

I made those calls to benefit my kids and I it wasn't easy, I still get that weird feeling in my stomach and will for a while but I was proud of myself for sticking to my principles an following through this week.

The San Francisco Treat

The idea of going to SFC appealed to me because I like to travel, I had read a little of the guide book and knew about the Golden Gate Bridge and Lombard Street and that it was the birth place of Lee jeans. But really that was the extent of my knowledge of the place. I intended to be very dependent on Susie and Sarah for tour guiding. We all know what happens to the best laid plans...

We picked Sus up at the airport in Las Vegas and headed west for 9 hours. It turned out not to be a long trip as we all had lots to talk about, naps to take, Harry Potter on CD and music galore. It was by far one of the best road trips ever and I have been on quite a few. After settling into the Hostel (quite a deal by the way) we found some food and decided to call it a night after the long car ride. Sarah and I were sharing what was comparable to a twin and a half bed (I like to think the same size as beds at Shrute Farms!) so I noticed when she half rolled on me to get up around 3 and was sick. Very sick. She was still sick the next day so Susie and braved the big city on our own.

We had a good time, took a tour of Boudin's sourdough bread company, who knew sourdough bread can really only be made in SFC? I didn't. Or that Cosmopolitans and popsicles originated there! There is so much history in the city, it was incredible. We also saw Pier 39 which is famous for sea lions. Susie said we were going to see sea lions. I was not sure exactly what to expect but by golly there were hundreds of them, loud and stinky and adorable! They moved into the pier after the earthquake and never left, now it is a huge tourist attraction.

Monday we visited Alcatraz for an incredible tour and lots of souveniers for my kids. Sarah was feeling better so she got to go on the tour too but she got sick again in the afternoon so it was back to bed while Sus and trekked all over Union district. I know we all see the hills on TV but let me just tell you, they are not enhanced for dramatic effect, they are amazing and incredibly difficult to walk up!

Tuesday Sarah was feeling more like her old self so we took her to the Exploratorium, a hands on science museum and across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was very cold so we did not walk it like we had planned. I think we got the better end of the deal judging by the way the bikers and walkers look. I was the designated driver with Sarah out of commission so I drove us down Lombard Street and I parallel parked on one of those crazy hills, no small feat for me. Just the parallel parking is challenge most of the time :-)

Wednesday we loaded Sarah up with motion sickness medicine, and headed back to Vegas early in the morning. That evening we checked into the luxurious Bellagion Hotel and Casino for two nights of fun for Sarah's 30th birthday. We started the fun immediately and never stopped. We shopped, ate, drank, danced and celebrated the big day in style!

Friday morning, Sus caught her flight home and we headed out, stopping in Lake Havaseu to see the London Bridge before making the last leg of the trip home.

On our shopping excursion I bought a Macbook so I can say goodbye to the desktop that drives me crazy and only half works. So now I am a Mac and Sarah is a PC, we want to do a commercial!

All too soon we had to return to our regular lives, but it is never boring!

Las Vegas Part 1

After leaving the Grand Canyon, we retraced our steps to Las Vegas and checked into Bally's for the week. It was a good week, we saw many of the sights, shows and ate at some very fine restaurants. Here is a synopsis of the Strip:

$ Shows - We were able to see Blue Man Group which was fabulous and I am not sure why, but it was. It is hard to explain but it is a must see if you ever get the chance! We also had great seats to "o" - the Cirque de Soleil water show. It was phenomenal, and fun to get all dressed up for. One night we went to a dueling piano bar at the Paris casino with some highly talented musicians.

$ Restaurants - I have been to Vegas on several other occasions but never have I had the opportunity to sample the fine cuisine the city has to offer. We went to some very nice restaurants and ate food that I didn't know could taste so good! If you are going let me know and I can steer you in the right direction for some tasty cuisine. My personal favorite was the dessert at Bellagio Buffet.

$ Miscellaneous Adventures - The girls tried out the Bally's spa complete with massages, hot tubs, showers and a vanity area to do your own hair and make-up while dad tried out some different casino slots. We found a small shoe store off the beaten path that catered to hard to find sizes and got mom some nice work shoes that she loves! We had about 15 fireman outside our hotel room one morning and the alarm went off for about an hour but they wouldn't let us leave. I had a minor panic attack and even with the earplugs in almost attempted to climb out the window! I also dislocated my thumb somehow, that was painful for a few hours. Dad got to get his picture taken with Pete Rose, which I thought was really cool until he told me that he is more infamous than famous but oh well, I guess a celebrity is a celebrity!

It was an incredible week and another vacation for the Knapp hall of fame, our vacations are never boring that's for sure!

The Wild West

As most of you know Sarah and I went on a crazy, whirlwind vacation for our two week intercession, we traveled just over 2200 miles in the car and saw some amazing things. I am going to start at the beginning, a very good place to start. Believe it or not this is the first opportunity I have felt I have had enough time to sit and give you a good accounting of what a marvelous time I had and all the things I saw.

We left Yuma on Friday afternoon (October 5th) in a dust storm. I drove us to Las Vegas to meet up with mom and dad. Mom was asleep, though very happy to see us through her eyelids! The time change is a killer! We spent the night at the Golden Nugget Casino on Freemont Street in downtown Las Vegas so they could see the light show. We hadn't made it in in time because of parent teacher conferences. The next morning we got up an checked out early as we were headed for the Grand Canyon.

This is something I had vowed to see before moving out of Arizona and as my time here is coming to a close it was time to make the drive. It is about a 5 hour drive from Las Vegas. It was a good time for us to catch up and talk in person. We got the National Park around 5 in the afternoon, checked into the hotel, and headed to the Canyon. I am not sure what I was expecting but I got a whole lot more. If you haven't been there, it sounds weird to say that people come from all over the world to stand and stare at a big canyon but that's what you do.

We just stood there. Staring. It's amazing. I could use a bunch of fancy adjectives as I am an accomplished English teacher but it won't make it any more real. It's big, and different colors and amazing. It's almost like you go into a trance and then everyone has to take 500 pictures, We did and we had 3 cameras going at once. That was just the first day and we only stayed for an hour because it was freezing. I had my winter coat on and gloves and I thought for sure I was going to die from hypothermia in that hour. So back to the hotel and then we went to the local IMAX to watch the movie of the Grand Canyon, much warmer!

The next day dawned warmer and we spent the whole day exploring the south rim of the park. It was very exciting, we saw elk and more rock and had lunch looking at the rock and then we went into a tower to look at the rock from above and then we watched the sunset over the rock. I know this sounds like it might get a little boring but believe me it was worth every second and every photograph. I will attach a couple for you to get the idea. Overall, I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to visit such a marvelous place and see a place that has remained untouched by technology and development and still has the wild west feeling. I do believe it was the highlight of the trip. But remember this was only stop 1. Check back
for Stop 2!

There's a lot going on in my head right now. I want to blog, to catch you up on my life and tell you everything that has been going. Except that I can't seem to get it out right now. All the words are stuck somewhere between the brain and the fingers. Here's a few things that are going on and I will fill in the rest later:

* I have an appointment at the Yuma Sleep Clinic Wednesday to see if I have sleep apnea, which can cause migraines, it is a long shot but I am up for anything these days.

* I have a new mysterious pain in my leg but I am pretending it isn't there and hoping it will just dissipate on it's own after a while. It is the knee I had surgery on so it is nerve-wracking.

* I get to go on a huge vacation over the next two weeks and I can't wait!!!! San Francisco, Vegas and the Grand Canyon - Life is Good!

* My students are wonderful, I love them and I couldn't have asked for a better group this year, they are working so hard, they are already so mature it's amazing.

* I read a whole book this weekend! An adult novel called Sammy's Hill - if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. Sarah and I both thoroughly enjoyed it which rarely happens when it comes to fiction.

* My bonus came last Friday which was such a blessing, I was able to pay my bills and actually have some money for the trip. We only get one bonus a year and it was perfect timing.

* A million things to do at work and the mail order prescription company lost my meds AGAIN!!!!

* I had a panic/anxiety attack last week and one over the weekend. The triggers are not for sure but I have a pretty good idea of the cause and I am taking steps to remedy the situation. I am so fortunate to have Sarah, she is so helpful and calm and understanding when I get all worked up.

I have to go, my mind is going ten ways if it is going one, hope everyone is having a good week!

Hibernation

We are done hibernating! It is a very exciting morning here in the Knapp apartment in Yuma, Arizona. I woke up this morning to the sounds of outside noise and the fan and it was fantastic. I wasn't cold from the air conditioner, I was cool from the breeze outside as nature intended! Yes, that's right summer is officially over.

For us that means it will no longer be 115 degrees 24 hours a day. It will be nice and warm during the day and cool down to a nice sleeping temperature at night. This is, what I believe to be, the only reason people live in this town. The winter temperatures are fabulous. And now that it has begun we are very, very happy!

Out of Commision

In more ways than one! The last few weeks have not gone well for me health wise. I have been to urgent care twice, the emergency room twice, the neurologist, the ear, nose and throat doctor and had two cat scans and been in antibiotics for a month. Apparently there is nothing wrong with me. Except that I am dizzy and nausea all the time, have bad headaches and am having some blurred vision. But hey- as long as the doctors say there is nothing wrong, I guess I am alright. I have had several plans but so far they have been shot down by my family. My previous post outlined the "check myself into the mental ward" plan and I also had the "go cold turkey" off my meds plan. So if anyone has any ideas for a new plan let me know.

The ENT had a fabulous idea, he knows of this place that people can go to who have debilitating headaches and get any answers from their doctors, it's called the Diamond Headache Clinic. I laughed, I know he was being nice but I was expecting some great answer to come out of his mouth and he came out with Diamond, I was like yeah, I've heard of the place....


Now, to the other reason I am out of commission. I am blogging to you from Sarah's computer. Mine has died. I tried to get it fixed a few weeks ago but no, sadly it's life has ended. I have realized over the years that computers, much like people, have a life span. Mine has reached its lifespan. I have been wanting to save for a laptop. The goal was to get one when we move next summer. So I am going to start saving and use Sarah's for now I suppose.

Anyone that wants to send donations for a new computer for a poor teacher is more than welcome, I have no pride when it comes to asking for money!

Have a good weekend everybody!

Rumor Mill!

It has been a rough couple of weeks. I am sick. Two trips to the ER, one cat scan, one neurologist, one ear, nose and throat specialist and several antibiotics later I am still dizzy, nausea's and having blurred vision. But none of that even remotely equals the hilarity of the situation that happened at Walgreen's on Thursday night. Yes, that's right Sus, I said Walgreen's!

Thursday was not a good day, I was supposed to take the entire week off to rest which I did not do because according to my loving friends I am trying to kill myself but I did take Friday off out of exhaustion. I had a horrible group of 18 detention kids that night and had to stay at work to write sub plans so I put in a 10 and 1/2 hour day and still had to hit the pharmacy on the way home to pick up a new medication. As I was waiting for the said medication I was browsing and needed to pick up something for a yeast infection courtesy of all the antibiotics I have been pumping into my system.

Picture this: You teach 7Th grade, are trying to buy something for feminine itching and from down the aisle you hear "Hi, Ms. Knapp" and it's a boy! A 13 year old boy coming at you. So I put the box on the shelf and turn discreetly hoping to protect my privacy a little. Chatted wit the boy for a moment and then as he turned to leave he looked at me with this little grin on his face and said don't worry, I won't tell. This is when I noticed I had turned to move away from the products I was buying only to stand in front of the home pregnancy tests!

Now, this combined with the fact that I was MIA on Friday should make for an interesting Monday. I can't wait to see what rumors will be flying - should be interesting!

At least it was something to laugh at in the midst of all the rest. It is all pretty much a mystery right now, the ENT can't agree with the neurologist and has ordered a new CT and the neurologist thinks I am dehydrated and my coworkers think that is absurd as I drink more than a camel on any given day.

I came up with a brilliant plan last night to go to the hospital and check myself into the psychiatric unit and tell them I am making myself sick to force their hand into making a diagnosis. It was perfect, until I realized we don't have a psychiatric department in this hospital. Yeah, that's Yuma.

Royalty

I was treated like a QUEEN this weekend! It was so fun, I love birthdays! I know some people don't but it has always been a celebration in my family and even with being so far away it is still special. Saturday I got a massage and Arcy (the best massage therapist in the world!) gave me a certificate for a free massage in the future as a b-day gift! Sarah took me to the movies Saturday afternoon and then surprised me with dinner at Chili's with some friends and coldstone after - perfecto!

Sunday - the big day - She made me chocolate chip pancakes, turkey bacon and OJ in bed, I didn't have to get up at all! Then we goofed around most of the day watching T.V., grocery shopping and such.

There were so many cards, phone calls and gifts, I was beyond grateful for everyone's good wishes, it always makes the homesickness better.

I am off to dry me hair - a la Sarah's post of loving water and then I will get ready to sleep a little, it's only Tuesday but it feels like next Thursday!

Love you All!!!