Go me, its my birthday, we're going to party like its my birthday...

I'm all of 28 years old today. 28 on the 28th! Isnt that cute?!

I have no idea what I'm doing today, but I'm sure I'll have something to blog about.

Have a wonderful day!!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Here's what's going on since I finished my finals--

1. Went to my niece's 3rd birthday party where kids were all over the place.
2. I had plans to go out on Monday, but could not get into my car since the doors were frozen shut. The best part of that is I told myself I needed to by that de-icer stuff the day before.
3. Went for some more physical therapy where my consistent quote was, "I don't bend that way."
4. Saw the movie "Closer" which I really liked.
5. Downloaded my 200th song. (Ran Away to the Top of the World Today--Of A Revolution (O.A.R.))
6. Eating like nobody's business.

Sadly, thats it.

Thankfully I have a very fun roomie, and she proposed that we drive to Boston tomorrow for the eve. So maybe I'll have something to say by then.

I always get a little nostalgic this time of year.

Its hard not to when on TV and the radio people review everything that has gone on in the past year.

I even prepare myself for nostalgia.

First, it would be a complete disservice if I did not order you all to go see Garden State. I have fallen completely in love with this move, and not just because I'm in love with Zach Braff. The soundtrack is TREMENDOUS, and I've been listening to that continuously. That and "This One's for the Girls" by Martina McBride.

Incidentally, the Garden State DVD will be released on my birthday (December 28th). Because my birthday happens to fall 3 days after Christmas (December 28th), and 3-4 days before New Years (December 28th), which all depends on if you count the 31st or the 1st as New Years. I get extra nostalgic this time of year.

Sometime in early November I saw Garden State, which is a very thoughtful movie. Then in late November, I went to my high school reunion where I basically saw parts of my past again. When you take things one day at a time, you sometimes lose track of all the days gone by, who you were, and where you've been.

I have my last final on Friday, which is the end of a semester. Personally, this was a very long semester and I'm glad its over (hopefully I wont be taking any subjects along with me for another semester). The next semester is from January until May, with a 2 week Spring Break in between. In May we all fly off to our respective internships. (I dont know where mine will be yet) My expected date of graduation is May 2006, and pretty soon this will all be over, and these people won't be part of my everyday life anymore. Sometimes I wonder if CLS Boy will be there too. I hope so.

I'm also in awe, and completely excited for my 28th birthday (December 28th). I remember when I was 13, I thought I would be this big adult at age 24, married, with all the trimmings. I'm almost 28, and I still can't imagine that life in the recent future.

I am a lover of birthdays. Its the one day I dont mind that all the attention is on me. ME! I embrace my birthday (December 28th). I dont have any year I would want to go back and relive. I like moving forward. Even my Dad gets a little nostalgic, and goes over the events that occured the day of my birth. Snow, getting stuck on the side of the road, and how happy he was that I was a girl. My mother on the other hand is in denial about her age. Even though she's a grandmother, she prefers to be ageless, so she gives me a happy birthday hug, the mushiest card of the year, and a little gift. Then I feel like a little girl again, and sometimes I wish I was. Mainly because the focus was on storytelling, games, and lots of happy things. Now its more of, "When are you going to settle down?" I'm confident that things will happen the way they are supposed to, when they are supposed to.

But my friends keep talking about things we should do on my birthday (December 28th), and all these secret plans and secret gifts. I feel so special.

My head is filled with all of these little thoughts. One thing I see in myself is that I'm more comfortable in my own skin with each passing year, no matter what the events of the year gave to me.

I like that.

This is how I feel when I think about all of you!

Turn up the speakers.

:)

Lizzie is the only friend I have from the beginnings of my childhood. We used to play together everyday without fail. We used to pick dandelions from the yard and give them to each other.

Lizzie got married a little over a year ago. It was at her wedding I met CLS Boy (FYI: Things are going VERY well).

Last night I signed on to one of the many IM's I have, and I saw her name pop up.

Me: Hey Lizzie!

Lizzie: Hi.

It was then I knew something was terribly wrong. She never says hi to me like that. On IM or real life.

Me: How are you?

Lizzie: I have been better.

One of the main issues of her marriage is that her husband is getting his Ph.D. He was supposed to finish a year ago, and he keeps postponing the graduation date. Lizzie isn't working at the moment because she thought he was going to graduate in December, they were going to move, and she can do something more permanent then.

So she tells me that she doesnt think he's ever going to graduate. I try to offer words of encouragement.

Then everything unfolded.

She said everything changed between them right after they got married. He changed. All these promises went out the window. They haven't been like a couple for 6-8 months. On their one year anniversary, he went to his parents house and didnt take her.

I offered to punch him in the face.

I thought I saw a glimmer of hope when she said they were in counseling together. She says that she's done. I said that I would support her in whatever decision she made, and even if she wanted a ride somewhere, I'd take her.

I had seen them a couple times, and I didnt notice anything really wrong. She was mainly upset at him not having a graduation date.

It was weird talking to my friend through a possible divorce. I felt really sad for her because she doesnt deserve this. She's one of those people who has been through enough, one would think her time to enjoy life would be coming up soon.

The marriage has been 13 months long.

And dandelions just wont do.

The doctors finally got to the root of my supposed problem.

I little HPI (History of Presenting Illness):

For the past 1 year I've had recurring leg pain, especially after I exercise. I went to see a doctor about it a couple months ago. He ran some blood tests on me all of which came out negative. He then sent me to Orthopaedics who did an X-Ray of my lumbar spine. That also came out negative.

All this negativity made me question if I really had a problem at all. I figured they would send me to psychiatry next.

The Ortho doc did physical examination on me, which consisted of bending, flexing, extending, turning, and other weird positions, none of which were sexual in nature. (Sorry guys)

Diagnosis? Really stiff muscles in my lower back and hamstrings. So the muscles have been very stiff my whole life, and now they are trying to grow (since I was exercise happy some time ago), and no can do.

Treatment: Physical Therapy

At first I was excited for physical therapy thinking I would be getting a great massage every couple weeks. They make me do exercises, and the PT is consistently amazed that I can barely get my hands past my knees when trying to touch my toes, or that I can't lift my leg past a 45 degree angle without pain.

So after a bit of pain, she gave me homework. I get to do all these exercises, and inflict the pain on myself in the comfort of my own home. I feel like I'm doing yoga, and I dont like it. But I'm taking care of myself in one way, even though I need a mental vacation.

I've been so tired with exams and papers due that the only thing I want to blog about is Madonna's greatest fashion statement, which we all know is from her "Borderline" video when she wore the neon green socks with yellow high-heeled shoes.

But this is about all I can muster.