What I Got

After a referral from my primary care doctor, I went to an orthopedic surgeon almost three weeks ago.  He did yet another round of x-rays at his office and said:  "It looks like you fractured your hamate bone."  I got this sinking feeling in my chest..."There's a lot of other things going on here.  The stiffness in your fingers and swelling really concerns me...I'm going to refer you to the University of Miami."  He called another doctor on his cell phone and got me an appointment for the very next morning.  He told me that I was getting VIP treatment and going to see a great hand surgeon at the best hand clinic in town.  This did little to calm me.  The sense of urgency in which he got me that appointment had already gotten me nervous.

Long time no blog

Well, happy new year!  I didn't mean to let this much time pass without a blog...but as vacation ended and school started up again, life got hectic as usual.  Sooooooo much to blog about....I'll post a more detailed update soon..,.

We started our new year with a new purchase...

It's official--I have the keys!

We got a beautiful 2010 Nissan Altima to replace my late 2002 Lancer.  It handles beautifully.  And it has that wonderful new car smell.  We got a good deal on it, too.  Of course, this wasn't a purchase we were planning on making--my Lancer was in good shape and had some good years left on it before it was totaled in the accident.  I was planning on driving that car into the ground!  So, here's my last goodbye to my little Lancer:

The Lancer and I back in 2005

Goodbye, Lancer--all 104,000 miles of you!

Ode to my right hand

I miss using my right hand.  You never realize how much you need/use something until it's gone, or in my case, out of commission for a little while.  I really miss typing with two hands; picking up my hair or putting it in a bun; writing (my left-handed signature on receipts looks like a kindergartner did it--it's kind of amusing); flute-playing; holding things like cups, bags, and food; opening and unlocking doors; text messaging.  Using my left hand to do things my right hand usually does has been weird--writing, using utensils, and unlocking my front door are the main ones.  (It's not easy to twirl pasta onto your fork with your left hand)!  It also takes me a lot longer to get dressed, put on make-up, and type.  However, I don't miss doing laundry (thanks, mom!), cooking, or loading the dishwasher.  I suppose I could do all that with one hand, but I've  allowed myself to take a break from those things for a while.  =)

CRASH

Another crazy week has come and gone:  GMSB dress rehearsal and concert both went very well, the winter concert at school was great, and our two-year wedding anniversary came and went.  We had to post-pone the celebrations until Saturday.  Steve had planned to take me to breakfast on the beach in the morning, and The Nutcracker at the Arcsht Center later that night.  However, life had other plans in store for me.


After the concert on Wednesday I was done.  Thursday and Friday were supposed to be easy days at school.  Thursday and Friday felt more like hurricane season than December.  The roads around school were really flooded.  You can imagine how relieved I was to finally get in the car on Friday afternoon and head home to officially start my break.  This is what happened instead:

This is what's left of my poor little lancer.

An eventful week

The three weeks prior to winter break are always really busy.  For starters, the kids are all a little crazier than usual (kids=students).  They get more and more restless as a holiday break approaches.  Hell, what am I talking about?  So do the teachers.  (A lot of us have had a countdown going since we got back from Thanksgiving break).


It's amazing how fast the first half of the school year flies!  The end of January through the end of March is the worst part of the year.  It seems to drag on and on forever.  There are hardly any breaks, and every school in the state of Florida goes on 'FCAT' mode.  (I will spare you all my FCAT rant....I'll save it for March).  At least April to the first week of June seem to fly by fairly quickly.  There is so much to do before we close up shop for the summer.

Fa-la-la-la-shopping spree

I discovered that the late evening--right before the stores close--is the best time to go shopping.  A few years ago, Steve and I did our holiday shopping between 9:00--11:00 PM at Dadeland Mall.  It was great--no crowds, no crazy parking lots.

We just got back from The Falls about an hour ago, which was practically empty.  It was so different from the massive and sometimes rude crowds at Dolphin Mall.  In less than two hours, I bought gifts for three people, spent a good deal of that time leisurely browsing at my favorite stores, and got coffee at Starbucks.  The best part was all of the stores I shopped at in The Falls can also be found at Dolphin Mall, so I know I didn't spend a penny more than I would have elsewhere.  (The Falls has a reputation for being a pricier mall, but it all depends on where and how you shop!)

Decked out...part deux

Here is my Christmas centerpiece!  I love decorating...

(Click on 'Read More' below to see the rest of the pictures!)

All decked out...

The Christmas tree is done!

(Click on 'Read More' below to see the rest of the pictures!)

Treading new waters...

This is my first venture into blogging!  Everyone else seems to have a lot of fun with it...so I decided to give it a try.  =)  I will post something interesting later when I have some more time.  Right now, a trip to the post office is in order, then a grading marathon (boo).  In the meantime, here is a pretty picture to look at.

We took this beautiful susnet shot during our honeymoon in St. John's, Antigua. 

Cheers!

Testing

Testing first post.