Day One Hundred and Twenty Eight

Very exhausting day. I stayed up all night in order to get the soldiers, Zach and two of his fellow battle buddies, back to the base by 0430. So I didn't get back to the hotel until around 0500 and then conked out until around 0900.

We then went to breakfast and stopped to get some sandals, my mom and I found some but Susie didn't, she was sad :(. We then headed off to the airport. My flight was changed around because of delays and I ended up being on the same flight as my mom and sis for the first leg of the journey. I got to travel around the Charlotte airport on one of the carts which was awesome because the airport was HUGE!

I had a looonngg wait before my flight left, and the actual flight was pretty nice. There was no one sitting between me and the other person and I was able to watch a movie on my laptop, create my menu plan and shopping list for the new eating plan we are starting Monday, and take a nap.

Daniel picked me up at the airport and it is so nice to come home, Riley missed me TONS! And I missed Riley and the weather TONS!

Day One Hundred and Twenty Seven

Wonderful day today. My baby boy graduated from Basic Training and it was a really cool ceremony. I did get annoyed at the freaking people who started walking out when the ceremony was still going on since their soldiers had already marched by but they didn't listen to the directions to stay seated until the end! It was totally disrespectful. (Zach on the left in the picture, of course)

We went to the mall to get Zach his first pair of civilian shoes since joining the Army; he was excited to buy something with colors other than green and bought some with orange on them and a bunch of different bright color laces. Zach tried out a wind tunnel they had in the middle of the mall as well. Yeah, not sure what that was all about! He also signed up for his own cell phone plan and got an iPhone. He is totally thrilled with it. I was totally thrilled with seeing him spend so much of his own money instead of mine!

We also stopped at Bojangles Chicken and Biscuits since we had never heard of it and then it was back to the hotel where Zach was able to change into civvies and spent more time playing with his iPhone. He buddy Smith stopped by and they went wandering around and got in who knows what trouble. Good day, but I am looking forward to getting home and seeing Riley and relaxing!

Day One Hundred and Twenty Six

Fun but exhausting day. Sooooo happy to see my boy and hug him. We went shopping, wandered all over the base looking at things. Zach hadn't seen anything else on base except his small area. We also ate in their mess hall, which they called D-Fac (Dining Facilities), which wasnt bad at all! And we got to see an early preview of Iron Man 2. Looking forward to graduation tomorrow! So proud of my boy!

Day One Hundred and Twenty Five

Busy day today. Holly picked me up to take me to the airport and we caught up on a lot more things. At the airport people were pretty freaking chatty. I was stopped at the security check and had my body and bags thoroughly checked off to the side.

At the gate a guy chatted me up and talked about fishing for some reason and then I met a military guy whose wife was graduating from a different company as well. I was able to  pre board on both flights and on the second one the military guy helped me carry my bags since we had to go on the tarmac to get on the flight. While on the flight I met another guy, same age as me, whose daughter was graduating from Zach's same company.

The flight finally landed. And Susie and my moms flight landed the same time at the gate next to me! Very handy!

Day One Hundred and Twenty Four

Martina stopped by today and brought me a coffee and just to visit. It was nice to see her and hopefully we can start meeting for coffee every week like we used to. I had a busy day making sure I had everything I needed for the trip and packing. I am super excited about this trip and seeing my mom, Susie, and Zach!

Day One Hundred and Twenty Three

I made the most awesome muffins today! I found a receipe on RecipeZaar and made a few changes to use whole wheat flour and brown sugar. I am so shocked out how scrumptious they are! I used the blackberries that I picked last year and froze. I was so glad to finally use them! Here is the recipe I used; including the changes.








Ingredients

1 lemon, juice and zest of (I also used the zest from half an orange)
1/2 cup milk (almost)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup blackberry


Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Spray or butter a muffin tin (insides and tops to prevent the muffins from sticking with the puff up) and set aside.
• Zest a lemon, and set aside.
• Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a measuring cup over a sieve to catch the seeds and pips.
• Pour milk into the measuring cup to make up a half cup.
• Stir in the zest and vanilla, and then set aside.
• Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, measure out the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Mix well.
• To the lemon and milk mixture, add the egg and whisk to combine.
• Next, add the cooled butter and mix well. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix just to combine.
• Do not over mix- there may well be lumps but that’s alright.
• Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling them halfway.
• Sprinkle a few berries in and then continue to fill the muffin tins to the top.
• Bake in a 400 F oven for 25 minutes until the tops are springy.
• Cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Day One Hundred and Twenty Two

I had so much fun tonight! I finally was able to make it to a derby practice and got to attend a rules clinic and then participate in a scrimmage. I didn't get to skate, of course, but I got to be the "coach" for the black team. My coaching consisted of making sure the girls knew who was going out next and who was jammer and pivot. It was so fun and exciting and I can't wait to get out there knocking down girls myself!

Day One Hundred and Twenty One

Busy day today. First I met some friends for brunch at a neat little place called Pomegranate Bistro. A gaming friend, Steph, was in town from Texas so we all gathered for brunch. It was nice. 

Later that day I took my friend Christas daughter, Callie, and her friend Krystine to a roller derby bout. I think they had a good time. It was a great bout! I also met up with Dawn, the girl who broke her ankle after I broke my leg, we had fun chatting and moaning about our woes! 

Angela, the girl I convinced to check out Derby even after I broke my leg doing it was there as well, and Drea grabbed a ride up there with us.

Day One Hundred and Twenty

About a week ago I reconnected with a childhood friend via Facebook. And I was super pleased to learn she lived up here in the Seattle area! We met for coffee today and had a really nice time reminiscing and talking about what we are up to. It was so weird looking across from her because she looks exactly the same; it was like no time had passed at all! It also turns out we have a lot of the same likes and hobbies. I am excited about hanging out with her and her family and going camping and hiking with them. :)

When I got home I let Riley off her lead as usual and she tore off after something. I finally caught up with her and found she was mauling a poor baby bunny. :( I think she injured it's back leg, but I wasn't able to get it before it dragged itself into the blackberry bushes. Oh yeah, did you know that bunnies squeal, or scream, or make some sort of high pitched noises? It was so sad :(

Day One Hundred and Nineteen

I had a doctors appointment today, with my GP, and decided to stop at the library and grab some books. Oh yeah, and return the book I have had out since I have been injured and pay some fines! I am such a good library patron. :)

Day One Hundred and Eighteen

Busy day today! This morning I went to my first water aerobics class at the gym and had a blast! It was hard work, but it was awesome to WALK in the pool with no limp and actually do some sort of cardio exercise! I really enjoyed the class and plan to keep doing it.

I put together a yummy salad to take over to Christa's house for movie night. It consisted of hearts of Romaine, tomatoes, pineapple, apples, sliced almonds, avocado, dried cranberries, and a little bit of shredded jack cheese with a yummy dressing I made with EVOL, red wine vinegar, garlic, OJ, and a little pear and gorgonzola.

Everyone seemed to like the salad, yum! Maybe I will bring a yummy salad each movie night. Though I was thinking I might want to bring tacos next time, maybe taco salad? Along with the salad we had some cookies Christa made that were created from; oatmeal, chocolate chips, and banana and we watched Avatar. I love that movie. Now I know what all the fuss was about!

Day One Hundred and Seventeen

Holy cow! I have absolutely nothing to write about today! But that's okay because tomorrow I will have TWO things to write about! See ya!

Day One Hundred and Sixteen

I went to 24 hour fitness today to try it out and ended up signing up. I liked the people and atmosphere way better then Golds and the price was like half of what Golds charged without all the sign up fees either.

I swam too and it was awesome! I walked part of the way and swam part of it and it felt so good to walk without limping! I felt like a real life normal person walking. I also sat in the hot tub for a while. Very nice!

Day One Hundred and Fifteen

 

I went to the store to pick up three very specific things; pink duct tape, a cane, and the movie Avatar. Three very different things that almost look like tools of a serial killer...

The movie was great! They did an awesome job with it and I can't wait to watch it again!

Day One Hundred and Fourteen

I got out of the house today and went to the movies with Sara. I saw Kick Ass and it was pretty good. It was a lot more bloody and violent then I thought it would be; but I guess with a name like Kick Ass I shouldn't have been surprised! The little girl in the movie had quite a mouth and said things that even I wouldn't dare utter.

Oh yeah! and there was this dude sitting at the end of the aisle that was a total slob. He left all his wrappers and junk all over the floor and there was a lot. I got up once to go to the restroom and I had to maneuver around all the trash with my crutches. I hate when people do that. Why is it so hard to gather then stuff up and toss it in the garbage can that is always right outside the door?

Day One Hundred and Thirteen

Busy day today! First off Riley decided to sneak up on me wearing my glasses. She thought they made her look smart! She is such a silly puppy.

Next I went with Sara to get a new battery for my car. After they put the battery in they also cleaned my car. They washed the outside and vacuumed the inside. Best place ever!

We also stopped and got Italian food for lunch. Yum!

I made a couple more stops looking for a cane to use instead of my crutches; but after trying a couple out realized I am not comfortable enough using a cane and will stick with the crutches a while longer. 

To top off the day I made pink snickerdoodles! Yum again!

Day One Hundred and Twelve

With this latest knitting project I tried something new in using double pieces of yarn. By doing this it made an interesting pattern when using two different colors. The lighting in my house makes the colors of the hat look blue and orange with black when it should actually turquoise and pink with black.

Day One Hundred and Eleven

Movie Night! Since I am mobile we started movie night back up and I went over to the Charters to spend time with them. I had to get my car jumped before I left and then when I was trying to head home my battery was dead again! I think I need a new battery!

We watched Inglorious Basterds and I made a yummy parmesan crusted chicken cordon bleu and mashed cauliflower. It turned out pretty good!

Day One Hundred and Ten

Today Riley and I worked on perfecting her skill at balancing a treat on her nose and then tossing it up to catch it in her mouth. She did really good and followed the wait command. Yep.. that's my exciting life!

Day One Hundred and Nine

I went and checked out Gold's gym today because they have a salt water lap pool and therapy pool but the cost is expensive! I don't know if 60 bucks a month will be worth it. Need to think about it a bit more. Also Zach called, he graduates basic training in 2 weeks. WOW! Oh yeah, and a friend from elementary school found me on Facebook AND she lives in Seattle... frickin' small world!

Day One Hundred and Eight

I ventured out into the world today and drove my car all by myself. Well Riley came along, of course, but she wasn't driving. I had to get my car jumped since I hadn't used it for a while. I then took it for a drive on the freeway to charge up the battery. 

I took Riley to the dog park. It was really, really busy since it was so nice outside and a weekend. I still hobbled around using my boot and a crutch, but I managed to walk around for a while. Riley was super duper excited!

Now my leg is really sore so I am icing and elevating it and popping Norco. So it isn't too bad. :)

Day One Hundred and Seven

While at the physical therapists they had me use a device to work the different angles of my foot. The therapist suggested I get the pieces from the hardware store to make my own. Since I am not really able to get to Home Depot, I decided to put one together from whatever I had in the house. So this is my creation. I used a shelf with candles taped underneath! It works really good, I am such a good Do It Yourselfer!

Day One Hundred and Six

I went to my first PT appointment today. And while it was good to learn some exercises and get my ankle iced and have the TENS unit used on it, once again my sucky insurance knocked my for a loop. Apparently I have to meet my $1500 deductible before the 80/20 coverage goes into effect. While my surgery should cover a lot of that 1500, the 1500 I am going to have to pay SUCKS.

Also, I could not get a straight answer of how much the appointments will cost when I do only have to pay 20%. I was told it could be between 100 and 250 each vist. SO 20% of that. WTF.  Seriously, how are you supposed to make appointments if you don't know how much something is. Whatever. I will most likely do a lot of the PT at home and maybe get a couple visits in. Lame. Alright. That was my one bitch for the next few months. :)

On a different note. As we were driving down the road I noticed what looked like Martina driving 60 MPH in a 35 MPH area. I stared at the speedometer for a while and then asked Martina if it was broken or something and she said, no, it's a Canadian car. Ohhhhh kilometers! LOL.  That was funny.

Day One Hundred and Five

I really like these gloves that I made with the new yarn I just got. The colors are awesome together and the pattern is real cool. I purposely made the pattern different on each glove because I saw it done a pair of gloves I came across somewhere and thought it looked uber cool!

Day One Hundred and Four

I ordered a bunch of yarn in tons of different bright colors and it finally got here today! I just have to now fiigure out where to start! So many colors and so little, actually, a lot of time.

I also got my Instant Watch disc frmo Netlfix for the Wii. So if my Xbox breaks again, I am still good to go with watching Netflix. Though when I tried it out today I realized that I have a really good picture via the Xbox. The picture quality was horrible via the Wii compared to the Xbox!

Day One Hundred and Three

I was so excited to do something that involved putting weight on my leg and walking that I may have overdone it a tiny bit since my ankle is pretty swollen. But I did get lots of exercise!  Who ever thought taking out the trash and getting the mail would make you sweat! The first picture is of my house down the stairs and by the garbage cans. The flowers look gorgeous!

The next picture is the driveway down to my mailbox (notice Riley snuck in to the pic like always!).  The rain didn't help much since it made it a tad slippery, but I did it!  I took out the garbage (which is no easy feat when you are on crutches!), and got my mail and made it back inside in one piece!  Hip hip hooray!

Day One Hundred and Two

Busy day today! I had my two month check-up today for my leg and it was a good one! I ended up walking (yep, walking!) out of the office, on crutches, but with a huge ass smile on my face! The doc said I can start putting weight on my leg and gradually get to the point where I am walking with no boot and no crutches! I can't wait!

I also need to make an appointment with a Physical Therapist in the area and get started on that. I also should be able to drive real soon too!

My roller derby Peggy was the one to take me to my appointment and for her helpfulness while I have been injured I gave her a pair of homemade mittens and took her to lunch at Chipotle!

Going to lunch at Chipotle was also a great excuse to finally use my disabled placard. I found it very interesting that my placard ends with 666.

I have new X-rays of my breaks too and they are looking good. The doc was pretty darn impressed.

Day One Hundred and One

This is my favorite set so far! It has all my fave colors; orange, pink, red, and yellow. I also used a lot of the 'lace' type stiches that I am getting real creative with and the color pattern looks real cool too. I think I will post the pattern and pic at Ravelry.com.


My neighbor snuck over and mowed my lawn for me. Neighbors are cool!  Thanks!

Day One Hundred

I have had my new sewing machine a week now; but hadn't touched it until today. As you can see it is very expertly setup on a plastic storage shelf and a Wii Balance Board. Nothing but the best, more fanciest stuff for me!

Speaking of fancy, my first sewing project had to be something to hold my double pointed needles. They can be a pain to keep track of since the sizes I write on them wear off from handling and it is real hard to see the engraved size on them, especially the smaller ones like the ones and twos.

I took an old pillow case and just ran some stitches up it to make a cozy little holder. After getting frustrated trying to thread the needle and then after threading the needles discovering I have some automatic needle threader thing-a-ma-job this was all I was up to! Maybe with the next project I will get all fancy and stuff.

Day Ninety Nine

I can't help myself! I love putting new colors in my hair and I held off for as long as I could... but I gave in to temptation. I kept it real light this time though and just added a pretty color called cupcake pink to my bangs and on the bottom layer tips. I think it looks cute! (Even if my hair is a mess!)

Day Ninety Eight

Today the weather was full of contradictions! This morning there was a ruckus outside that ended up being tons of hail and sleet falling. Riley went to go check it out and thought it was cool.


And then around 15 to 20 minutes later the sun was shining. It kept doing that back and forth all day. Oh Washington state, you are so kooky!

I always giggle at the pictures of Riley because she will sit/stand there staring at me until I take the shot. It is like she knows I am taking a picture and wants to take a good one!

Day Ninety Seven

Guess who checked their gauge before starting to knit! I think the worsted weight yarn made a difference too. My first complete adult hat (that fits)! I think it looks pretty good. I like this type of hat because I can use left over yarn to make stripes etc. I am making some matching leg warmers next. Stay tuned!

Day Ninety Six

What is this boring picture of food you ask? It is what is going to help make my bones strong and tough and able to withstand lots of hiking and skating and other stuff! Lots of calcium and bone building nutrients.  Yum!

And what is this other picture of a deformed hat? This is to remind me of the importance of measuring gauge when knitting! I guess when it says X stiches = X inches, I am supposed to knit a swatch and get the right measurements.  OOPS!  Ahh well, you knit and learn. :)

Day Ninety Five

I haven't made a yummy salad in 4EVAH! As I was chopping and mixing and stuff I realized that sometimes making the salad takes longer then eating it! But that is the price you pay to have a fresh and yummy salad :) Let's see if I can remember all that I put in it. I started with mixed baby greens and fresh spinach. I then added strawberries, apple cubes, sliced almonds, cucumbers, yellow peppers, and smoked salmon. I topped it off with a mix of pear gorgonzola dressing mixed with a bit of pineapple salsa. See... yum!

I always like to try new and interesting chocolates; well, I always like to have an excuse to eat chocolate. I came across this one that mixes curly q's of ramen with dark chocolate. It's not bad. It isn't as good as Voges pink sea salt chocolate, but it is good. :)