Good Morning

Good morning from hot and steamy Oklahoma!  The temps this week are predicted to hit hundred to a hundred plus starting today through Friday.  Can we all say, "UGH!".  If the summer  temperatures end up anything like last year's, Jon and I may consider emigrating to another, cooler location. I still haven't won my argument to live in Europe, but, I have broken him down to Canada.  One step at a time, eh?

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So, as I enjoy the last bit of my coffee on our front porch, I'm going to just have an all out brain dump if you don't mind.  So much has been happening, and I feel the need to clear out my head.  Brace yourselves, this could get messy.

 Pride and Prejudice, in French.  I flip back to the English version when I'm lost... I'm not that good!

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First thing on my mind are my, still, incredibly sore arm and upper body muscles!  I started working out with a trainer in February, every Friday, as I was having a persistent psoas strain.  I couldn't figure out what in the world I was doing wrong in dance to cause this issue.  I'm happy to report that, the strain has gone away, I've gotten stronger, fitter, and am learning how to train and take care of my body better than before.  My Irish dance teacher has noticed a difference too, so double win.  I love the intensity of my workouts, but, dear Lord I do not like the soreness.  It's so bad this weekend that I still can't fully extend my arm and lock in my elbows?  How sad is that?

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My muscles did not benefit from the extensive yard/garden work Jon and I did yesterday.  Did I mention we have been working out tails off to elevate our yard and garden from a neglected/abandoned state to work in progress?  We started a little late, May, but, we are nearly done with the beds and we hope, that we can make a patio happen in the backyard before summer's end, so we can enjoy some outdoor living.  I have had romantic notions of sitting outside, enjoying dinner, and some wine, looking at a lovely the backyard or front yard (as you can tell from the picture above) and just enjoying slowing down and taking in the world around me.  Is that silly?  I will be posting pictures soon to give you an idea of what we've been up to out there.  I feel kind of, well, odd that I've gone all gung ho for gardening.  I used to hate it as a child, even though I adore flowers of all varieties.  After two years of looking at the depressing landscape that was our yard I decided it wasn't going to look pretty unless we did something about it, or struck it mondo big, and pay for someone to exorcise the weeds and shabby bushes from our neglected beds.  And, yeah... that last one, wasn't going to happen anytime soon.  I should be grateful for my trainer, though, I don't think I would've been able to do half of what I have done if it weren't for the strength I've developed.  I guess, in that way, it's worth the pain, huh?

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Also on my mind, is the road trip to Chicago Jon and I will embark on this Saturday.  That's six days and counting folks!  I'm super excited about this trip because, not only is it the first time Jon and I will go on a legit vacation (don't get me started how sad it is that it took seven years to do it!), it will be a week full of Irish dance mania as the Nationals are being held there that week.  Oh, did I mention it's in CHICAGO??  I did?  Can you tell I'm excited by that?  

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This trip has been fun to plan as I've never really planned out one like this before.  We had to book a hotel room WAY in advanced, figure out driving, had to find a place to park our car cheaply once in Chicago (mega challenge btw), we will be getting public transit passes which I haven't done since living in Japan.  Being foodies and watching tons of travel and food shows, we've looked up places to eat and we are overwhelmed by all of the options.  We also plan on going by the Navy Pier near our hotel and we have more than one option to do something on the 4th of July.  I'll also be hanging with my awesome Irish dance peeps, get some dance shopping in, seeing some AMAZING dancing, but, at the same time I'll get to enjoy Jon's company, and then go out with him in between all of that.  Oh, yes, and doing all of those fun things within a reasonable budget. The only hitches left are getting the house sorted, getting the key to our cat sitter, making sure we get enough supplies for the trip, getting the dogs situated,  and figuring out what to do with Leo.  His health scare has put a bit of a delay on partnering, which was planned on happening very soon.  I'd love to take him with me, but, I need to check with Therapetics to see if they're comfortable with that idea.  I can't blame them for not wanting him to be out of state, even though he is getting healthier by the day.  So, some things have to get figured out and more manic work will be done in the following days to get ready for this trip, but, I think it will be worth it.

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Oh, quick mention.  I'll be getting another puppy to start training with Therapetics.  It'll be so sad to see Leo go, but, you know he's such an amazing service dog and he genuinely loves to work.  It'd be a shame for him not to be partnered.  So, I must let go so he can be happy and fulfill his 'destiny' (gawd I watch way to much Sci Fi/Fantasy stuff lol).

Speaking of Mr Leo, here's a cute shot of him and the other dogs chillin' with me on the porch.  I don't think I've introduced you all to the little beagle in the corner.  That is Miss Penelope, Penny for short.  Jon and I saw her, in April, walking along side a busy street as we were pulling out of a our parking spot.  Jon got out of the car and literally scooped her off the street and the poor baby was just so stressed out.  We had no luck finding her owners in any ads, and she doesn't have a microchip, despite being a purebred beagle.  The biggest stressor was that, at first, it appeared that she was preggers!  However, a vet's visit later we found out she was actually going through a false pregnancy; probably due to being very stressed out while she was in heat.  How wild is that?  She has since been spayed and she has steadily learned to relax and enjoy being a dog.  You can tell, she was probably left outside and neglected for quite some time; for example, it took us nearly a month just to get her to accept treats from our hand without cowering.  How sad is that?  I'm glad Penny has joined our small zoo as she has a very laid back temperament and doesn't take up too much space.  She's so sweet,  and I like to think she is glad she's here too.

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Alrighty, that's it for my little brain dump.  Sorry if this post has no cohesiveness whatsoever, but, some days are just like that.  I've gotta get to some errands and more yard work.  Can you hear my aching muscles scream with delight?  You can't?  Hmmm... funny thing is, neither can I. ;-)  I hope you, my dear friends, are having a lovely weekend and I wish you a pleasant start to the week.  Bisous tout le monde!

Getting My Zen On

For the past three Saturdays I have been going to an Ilyengar based yoga class. I've always been interested in doing some more yoga, but, time and money never seemed to line up. Now that I've made more time in my schedule to be a happier, less overworked human being I figured better late than never. To say this class has been doing great things for me is an understatement! My head feels clearer and my body feel better; it's as if I'm undoing the tension caused by life and the physical impact of dance and work.

Of course, Irish dance is my 'addiction' and thus I've been practicing more, taking private lessons, and gearing up for a feis September 17th in Oklahoma City. There will also be a couple of performance opportunities in the next two months which I'm going to do as well. I'm excited about the competition and performing, which is kinda new- typically I'm a nervous wreck with excited mixed in there! That began to change a couple of weeks ago, I was watching an interview with Jeff Bridges. He said something that struck me, "Have fun, but, don't take it too seriously."* Of course! I tend to take everything too seriously, and sometimes I miss out on enjoying activities because I so desperately want what I do to be perfect. This is silly of course, no one is perfect, yet I stressed myself out about every little move I did wrong in dance, and subsequently in life. I won't go into everything I view as incorrect, but, I have realized that I need to keep life and activities in perspective, because if I'm not enjoying dance, work, training Leo, etc., I truly am missing the point.

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It seems that getting in shape, mentally and physically, and enjoying it really has a multitude of benefits. Which I know you're thinking, duhhh!! Even I knew this, I'm really beginning to experience these much talked about benefits for the first time. I think life offers many challenges, some wonderful, some not so. But, if you work to keep happy, live life, enjoy what it has to offer and put things in balance it seems, at least to me, that even the not so fun challenges are much easier to face.

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How do you keep your life in balance?

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*Jon has dubbed this statement as the Tao of The Dude. I feel like I should ring a bell every time I say it now. ;-)

News On The Horizon?

You guys haven't had a reminder of the cuteness I'm surrounded by everyday. Here you go. You're welcome.

How can it be, that in a few days, I have done so little, yet so much has happened? I'm almost disoriented by it all. Good stuff seems to be happening folks. I'm not at liberty to share all, but, I'll at least clue you in. Jon may have finally found an area of law he'd love to work in and would be great at. As in, he actually is motivated about something and is will to pursue it. This. is. HUGE. He has spent three years with his current firm and lately has acknowledge the lack of satisfaction he gets from it. I could've told you that two years ago, but, he's come to this realization and may just be on the verge of taking a leap of faith and go after something he wants to do.

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I'm thrilled, to put it mildly. I hope I can share more with you all soon!

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In the meantime, I have been offered to head up a couple of volunteer positions with my Irish dance studio I shamelessly promoted the other day. I will help take and archive photos, run a private share page for the school, and put together a yearbook at the end of this year. I'm also looking at helping out with some public relations stuff- can we say COOL!?!

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I'm also on the verge of making some big scheduling decisions. First, I need to hear back what my school schedule is officially (yes, I'm still waiting to hear about that!) but I have decided to cut back on my private lesson hours. The last two-thirds of the school year I worked from 8am-6pm, four days per week, with children, on top of caring for Leo's needs, all of which made for long and draining days. Too long and much too draining. I need more time during the work week to decompress and do things around the house and practice. And if Jon is going to do what I'm thinking he'll do and I'm helping with my dance studio that extra time is all the more precious.

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That's where my life stands at this point. The week has been crazy, but, exciting. Many things aren't set yet, but, I'm keeping my head up, working to get things settled and organized around the house, and bracing for new and wonderful things. I can't wait to share more with you guys soon. Say a prayer, send good vibes, thoughts or whatever you want that it all works out please! Thanks in advance!

When It Rains It Pours, Literally and Figuratively

The weather for the past two weeks here in the OK have been wet and stormy. Before the rain came we were actually experiencing an unusual spring drought. There were wild grass fires all over the state and talk that the wheat harvest wasn't going to make it. Well, Mother Nature woke up and holy crap did we get soaked! Storms have been producing up to golf ball size hail (as my car will testify to) and tornadoes have come. Nothing as bad as Alabama and Mississippi thank goodness. Still, it has been interesting and that's just how it goes in Oklahoma. When it comes to weather, expect the unexpected.

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With these storms dumping on us it seems that the universe has decided to dump on people as well. I'm not just talking about me, but, others around me that have been experiencing a wide range of 'life challenges'. At work we've been going through the difficulties of state testing, which we finally finished last Friday praise the Lord! But, along with it we've lost a teacher who resigned out of the blue. Another employee, who's son has a brain tumor, found out that the medicine to keep the tumor from growing after its removal would cost nearly $1000.00 per month. A cost, she obviously cannot afford. Kids have been wild, teachers moody and stressed, have added to the strained environment.

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For me, the week hit a huge bottom when the kid who was shadowing me was told by his mother that he wasn't allowed to be around Leo and thus me. She is under the impression that Leo makes his asthma issues worse! Can you believe it? They have a family dog at home, he's been around Leo all year, bonded with him and such and she decides to pull this. She's not thinking of it's spring in Oklahoma and the allergies are horrendous. Yeah, explain that one to me. I was gutted, absolutely gutted. The kid too was very upset. Such an emotional blow for both of us and his teachers who have worked with him and me to build a relationship with him and get him to where he is now. Leo was the ice breaker and has continued to serve a positive role for this student. It maybe unusual to some, but, it has worked brilliantly. Then in one day, it looked like all was gone as we have no choice, but, to obey a parents wish even when it doesn't make sense.

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However, there good news came. We managed to resolve the situation somewhat. Mom is now ok with me being in the classroom for a period of time to help out, but, she does want him to stay away from the dog as much as possible. I believe she realizes that her initial statement was inaccurate as her son's asthma acts up majorly when he's outside and active, but, she doesn't want to completely admit to being wrong. Just my humble opinion. What a rollercoaster ride! I'm still on edge though, what if he has an asthma attack again like he had when he didn't take his morning medicine and his mother asks about Leo? I know the whole situation sounds silly, but, we often deal with parents who get something stuck in their head and hold us at this school accountable. We have had more than one angry parent at our school giving us a hard time for situations that their child started. Yet, it's our fault in the end. Most of the time the threats end up empty, but, it goes to show how little respect and authority we're given as educators (by some, not all). It's frustrating and I hope I and the rest of us can make it to the end of the year without too much grief from parents.

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There are only 25 school days to go. May is going to get crazy busy. Jon's 30th birthday is tomorrow, there are more birthdays coming soon for both our families, of course the studio recital is coming up, Jon's work is going on a float trip later in May, both of us are volunteering to help out at a Therapetics fundraiser, and the list goes on! I think I'm ready for the flood, but, I just hope it won't exhaust me as much as these past two weeks at work have! Here's to making it through another crazy May!

[Working On] Getting My Groove Back

Last week I went back to work. Back to the elementary school, back to piano lessons, back to forty hours teaching children. All of this with my surgical eye recuperating and having three weeks off because of the eye issue- so with 2+2 equaling 4, I've been exhausted. Working and not seeing properly causes more strain than I realized. To think I was doing my everyday thing for over three weeks with impaired vision and dismissing it- gah! How silly was I??

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I shouldn't be driving, but, I have been. Scary stuff! Depth perception is an awesome, awesome thing- especially when you don't have it. Don't worry, I drive as little as possible and as slow as possible without being annoying of course. I have to wear sunglasses in the classrooms I work in because as my pupil can't dilate properly causing the bright light and me aren't good friends. I get splitting, throbbing headaches otherwise (I won't go into how I found this out). I've been reassured this is part of the recovery process, but, while it could be a lot worse, I'm ready to get it over with.

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This Wednesday I go back to the surgeon/opthamologist to see how well my eye is healing. I'm hoping I can go back to dancing, I would like to compete at a feis at the end of April. I'm hoping that the gas bubble with be gone and I can see normally or close to normal-ish. And I really hope the cataract that I will inevitably get (could happen now, could happen in 2 years) hasn't developed so my plans to visit Europe may happen (I've lost so much work thanks to the blizzard and this, I lost nearly all of the funds needed to do go). Mainly, I want to get back to some normalcy and to not feel so tired all of the time.

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Sorry about the whiny entry. I haven't seen correctly since the end of January. While I am beyond grateful my eye was fixed before I went blind, the recovery process feels so slow! I'm ready to move on and get my life back to normal. So, so ready.

Le Sigh

My dearest friends, (if you're still out there) I owe you blog posts. Too many to count! I don't know what's been happening lately, but, to say my life has been hectic is a major understatement. Just in one week I've been to Arkansas and back, had a birthday, worked on getting a big present ready for my dance instructor, had a friend get injured, go to the ER, and have surgery (she's fine btw thank goodness), had work, and to top it all off managed to get a stomach virus early Thursday morning that I'm still getting over (today it just feels like I have a yucky cold).

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When did life manage to get so busy?! Hope you all are well!!

Fall Beckons

I can't help but have a, "My thoughts on fall approaching" entry. So if you'll allow me a bit of musing here and random photo-age I'd appreciate it. Even though, the daytime temps still hover in the lower 90's we can feel fall approaching here in Tulsa as the morning temps are much cooler and the humidity is beginning to drop. I don't think fall really starts in Oklahoma until October, so, with the end of September approaching I'm anticipating the cooler and crisper air! This probably has to do, at least in part, with my car not having a/c. But, seriously I do love fall!

Mina doesn't get a lot of face time on my blog, but, she's still around and Queen Bee of all.
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Fall makes me wanna clean. I know there's spring cleaning, but, what's wrong with a little fall cleaning I say? Oh, right cleaning involves work. Well, guess it's a small price to pay for some good clean 'feng shue' around the house right? Oh and fall means new clothes must be bought. Especially since I've been wearing the same black slacks 3-4 days of the week (different tops of course!) at work. A new job and a change of season is the perfect time for shopping, n'est ce pas?
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Okay... so anytime of the year is a good time for shopping really. I just get buyers guilt if I don't have a good rationalization for shopping.

The dogs love that temps aren't in the 100's anymore. Can't say I blame them there!
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Fall also means I'm back to Irish dance and hopefully my French language classes (if they're offered on one of my few free nights. Fingers crossed!). I'm still sore from last Thursday night's dance class and I've discovered that my feet lost their most of their calluses. I've been on blister watch for the past two days. Luckily, none have popped up yet, but, the balls of my feet are tender. Getting back into the groove of dancing has it's price. Oh why oh why did I not practice during the break!? Oh, right, I was trying to get a job. Then I got a job. I guess that's a reasonable excuse. ;-)
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Fall also brings the Scottish Games, the Tulsa Oktoberfest, and the Tulsa State Fair. Plaid skirts, Highland games, leiderhosen, bratwurst, beer, fried food, and mullet sitings- what's not to love?! Naturally I'll be attending these said events and going bananas with the camera. I hope I can capture a shot of the illusive 'skullet' at the fair. There's always a couple in the crowd, but, getting a clear picture of this phenomenon, and being inconspicuous about it, is very, very challenging.
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I love fall, but, I love every season for one reason or another. I think that's because, by the time a season ends I'm ready for a new one to begin. I love the changing of seasons the holidays in them, and the events, big or small, they bring.
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Do you have anything to look forward to during fall?

Finding a New Routine

This post is going to feature Leo's new routine picture wise, but, I'm really going to discuss little ol' moi and my new routine. Today marks the third day of my new kinda unemployed status. I am still teaching as you know, however, it is so WEIRD not having a pile of emails, calls, and projects to worry about. To be honest I didn't even think I worked all that much as I did quite a bit from home, but, I'm beginning to realize I did put in more time than I originally thought.

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So, I've been spending plenty of time with Leo and Louie. We can't go outside for walks as it is WAY too stinkin' hot around here. And technically Leo is not supposed to be doing much of anything so my new routine has consisted of keeping him (or attempting to as reflected in yesterday's post) calm and as still as possible.

My boys. Those faces make any gloomy day better.

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Easier said than done of course, but, oh the satisfaction that comes when I and the Benedryl succeed in taking down the puppy energy. Leo's pin removal comes at such an interesting time too. Now that his pins are out I don't have to spend so much time keeping his leg cleaned. Seriously, cleaning those blasted pins could take up to 10 minutes though by the end I was getting it done in about 5-7 minutes. Now mind you I don't mind not having to take care of all of that at all. It's quite a relief actually. However, that leaves me with more time.

The pin wounds have already closed up! I've been looking at those babies, cleaning them, and praying for them to close up and there they are closed up just a mere 24 hours post-surgery.
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More time to do what exactly? Well, read blogs, post blog entries, do laundry, clean up, and....?? If I had a/c in my car I would go ahead and run errands, but, since there isn't a/c and the temps have been in the 100's I'm not getting in that hot box on four wheels unless I absolutely have to.

Leo still needs to take anti-biotics- that has stayed the same.

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What's a girl to do? I've already put on hold library books to read, have been putting in inquires about jobs. Yet despite all I've been doing and will do, I still feel as if I have a bunch of time one my hands. I may have to start scheduling projects if this keeps up. I think I am going a bit stir crazy, which is just silly but, there nonetheless. Then there's the fun conflicts that have begun to surface. This morningI cried on the phone with Jon frustrated that the Irish dance class schedule [starts in September] will likely conflict with my [current] work schedule. How the h*** did that manage to happen? I have TONS of time during the day, as I'm not working full time any more, but, when I do work it conflicts with my life/activities?? Really?

Leo's the best pill poppin' dog in Eastern Oklahoma.

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It's a challenge isn't it? Finding ways to keep preoccupied when I have all this free time. I may have to get more organized than ever before just to feel productive. I know it's too early to really have a 'new routine', but, I'm ready to have one soon. In the meantime at least I can enjoy time with my pets and getting to sleep in a bit. That's someting right?

Current State of Things

Currently oh so sleepy and tired. Had friends over last night, got to bed later than normal, and then slept like crap. Today my back and some of my ribs hurt which I think happened when I had a severe bout or two, well okay it was three, of the hiccups. The picture above reflects what I'm doing right now, sitting on the couch, occasionally closing my eyes, and being an utterly useless lump.

Wow that makes me seem rather boring.

Despite the urge to stare blankly at the tv and become somewhat devoid of all feeling,I finally decided to blog, convincing myself you all were dying to see how Leo is growing and what he's doing. 'Cause you are right? As you can tell, he's quite the adorable mutant. His weight is steadily climbing towards the forty pound mark (he's almost 14 weeks btw). I feed him Eukanuba, the reccommended portions, and just grows and grows. At least he still has that precious puppy face. He really is a sweetie, quite the cuddle bug too. He's rather smart and able to do things, except for when I take him to our one-on-one dog training lessons at Therapetics. Ha! All bets are off when we're there and he acts absolutely wretched. Friday he was actually barking in my face despite every mean voice I could conjure up and two 'time-outs' (yes, I put my dog in time out and the little toot still threw fits!).

Did you know dogs could throw hissy fits? I haven't really experienced this before so I was quite beffudled. Naturally he hasn't done anything remotely close to a fit since, so I dunno. I think I just need to work on training a bit longer at home and not get so intimidated when I'm in front of people. I don't want to sound too mean you know? Afraid that may come across wrong- I bet he can sense that. You think? I mean I know children can be quite capable of smelling weakness and thus test every boundary possible. Perhaps puppies do the same too?

Either way I'm probably the one to blame. Greeaaattt.... feeling really confident about this puppy raising thing lol. Let's not even begin on starting a family, I don't wanna. And as long as I put my fingers in my ears and scream, 'Lalalalalalala!!!' I don't have to think, talk, nor hear about it.

Yeah I know. I'm real mature huh?

The not so little cutie, looking extra cute, while probably plotting his next fit to show what a horrible 'mom' I am.

Despite what feels like a stepback or two, the one-on-one sessions have been a success. I've learned more to address how Leo needs to learn in just a day than three sessions with the before mentioned trainer, dubbed, "Drill Seargant Jane". It's a major relief and the director wants me to write what I went through down and send it in an email for documentation. After going through some guilt (because I really do like trying to get along with people!) I really don't have an issue with this as I realized the last thing this amazing organization needs is volunteers being so frustrated with the training they quit. I will play my small part in helping this organization grow even if it means calling someone out on their teaching methods. Not what I expected, but, hey life sometimes asks you to do the unexpected right?

In other news, work is going well, and I've been loving Irish dance class and am trying to get to more classes in the week. It's just too much fun, a great way to forget what's going on in the day and just workout and focus on dance, and not to mention I have some of the nicest classmates in the freakin' world! One of them is actually allowing me to hitch a ride to a feis in Dallas and share the hotel room so I can go see what this whold dance competition thing is about without having to spend a whole lot. Another classmate has lent me an older pair of ghillies (softshoes) so I can get used to them and not dance on the tile floor barefoot and so on and so forth.

Hmmm... guess I'm lucky huh? Despite the drama, the ups and downs of daily life, I can't help but look over this entry and think how lucky I am to have all of this going on in my world. Weird huh? Now, if I can get my taxes in order and somehow get to travel abroad this year things will be golden. Alright, so I can't help but wish for a little more. Keeps one motived right?