I hate being sick!

Wow, this has been a crazy weekend! On Thursday I went to the doctor because of some back pain I have been having. He gave me drugs and sent me to physical therapy. Turns out (according to my physical therapist) that my hips were out of alignment so we started working on that. Later that evening I started getting the sniffles. No big deal, I thought. A little congestion won't be so bad---boy was I wrong!

Friday was a normal day at work, except my sniffles started getting worse. By the end of the day I knew I was completely sick. All I wanted to do was to go home and sleep--and by home I mean my mom and dad's. So that's what we did. I was still hoping, though, that this cold wouldn't be too bad. The next day I took a dose of sudafed and headed off to Ikea with my sisters. We bought lamps, a rug, storage boxes, a mini ironing board, and throw blanket, and a wall shelf to hang in Jessica's room. Oh, and some Swedish goodies. I really like the stuff we got (especially my lamp) but shopping was stressful and exhausting. We decided to get some dinner after our shopping trip, then we headed home. By this point I had taken multiple doses of sudafed but they had stopped working. This was the beginning of hell.

Sunday I was too sick to go to church. I spent the day in bed reading, but I could feel the congestion moving into my chest. A few years ago I had a nasty case of bronchitis, and my lungs have never been quite the same, so feeling that cough coming on was not something I was too happy about. The coughing started, and that combined with the sneezing, and the tossing and turning in bed started to wreak havoc on my back. By Sunday evening I was completely immobile. I was lying flat on the floor and I couldn't even roll over. It was brutal.

Monday was more of the same, but worse. The cough had definitely settled in, and I felt yicky all over. I was stressed because I knew I had a physical therapy appointment the next morning, and I had work the next evening--I didn't know how I was going to do either. In the end I decided to skip on the physical therapy, but I was going to try to make it in to work.

Tuesday morning was awful--major coughing and congestion, but I got myself ready for work. When I got in I could hardly stand, but I didn't know what else to do because I needed the work hours. Fortunately, I work with great people. They told me to go home and we'd trade weekend shifts around so I could still get my hours. Jess came and picked me up, and after a stop for some food, I went home and slept for about 4 hours. I'm heavily medicated (Dayquil is my friend) but I'm doing much better today. I can't wait for this stupid cold to be over with! 

Wasting Time at Work

I'm really bored at work right now, so I'm posting this just to pass some time. (I stole it from a girl I work with--from her blog. Thanks Cupcake.)

1. What is your occupation?
Manuscript processor
2. What color are your socks right now?
Orange and tan striped
3. What are you listening to right now?
I just plugged my iPod in, put it on shuffle, and Mika's Big Girls (You Are Beautiful) just came on.
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Hershey's kiss.
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
No, and my attempts to do so have been ... adventures.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
I hate questions like this.
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
My sister.
8. How old are you today?
26 years, 6 months, 25 days, 6 hours, and 49 minutes old. Approximately.
9. Favorite drink?
Rootbeer.
10. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Tennis. I can't wait for Wimbledon!
11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yes.
12. Favorite reality TV show?
1900 House from PBS. Some of the other "House" shows were good, but this was the best.
15. Favorite day of the year?
Any day spent in laughter with people I love.
16. What do you do to vent anger?
Throw pillows. Pout.
17. What was your favorite toy as a child?
There was some doll that "grew" hair if you cranked on her arm. That one was fun for a while. My Barbie dolls (*blushing*) and my marbles also provided much fun.
18. What is your favorite fall or spring?
Fall is my favorite. Spring is too artificial: it promises more than it can deliver.
19. Hugs or kisses?
Hugs from people; kisses from Hershey's.
20. Cherries or Blueberry?
Fresh I prefer cherries, in pies I prefer neither, and in artificial flavorings I prefer cherries. In other words, I don't like blueberries.
21. Living arrangement?
I share an apartment with my sister.
22. When was the last time you cried?
I don't know, and even if I did I wouldn't tell you.
23. What is on the floor of your closet?
Shoes and storage containers.
24. What did you do last night?
Went to the store to buy dinner, ate dinner, watched t.v., then read my new annotated copy of Pride and Prejudice.
25. Favorite smells?
Fresh baked bread, homecooked meals, and so forth.
26. What inspires you?
People who change their lives for the better; Jane Austen.
27. What are you afraid of?
Being wrong.
28. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
The cheesier the better.
29. Favorite dog breed?
My two mutts.
30. How many years at your current job?
Almost a year and a half in this position; six years in other positions at the same place.
31. Favorite day of the week?
During the school semester it's Tuesdays because I get to sleep in; during breaks it's Saturdays for the same reason.
32. How many states have you lived in?
3
33. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery?
No, although I got a ride on a motorcycle once when I was little--from my grandpa or uncle, I don't remember which. I was really little.
34. Who's your favorite NFL team?
I have no patience with professional football.
35. Do you have a house phone that is NOT cordless?
No. I only have cell phones. My parents have three non-cordless phones, though.
36. 10 inches of snow or 100 degree weather?
100 degree weather because then I'd be in the desert. I love the desert.
37. Oldest thing in your freezer?
That container of kidney beans I've been too afraid to go near.
38. What makes you laugh out loud?
My family when they're just being themselves.
39. What is one thing you are REALLY good at?
Learning things, analyzing literature, loving people.
40. What would be TWO things you would like to do before you die?
Travel England; finish college.
41. Hardwood or carpet?
Depends on the room, but generally I prefer hardwood floors.
42. What do you plan on doing when you finish answering these questions?
Go to the bathroom.
43. Are you a morning or night person?
I'm a night person all the way. Mornings suck.

Snow Snow & More Snow

Yesterday a huge snow storm hit northern Utah and we got about 14 inches of snow dumped on us (more and less in some areas). Here's some pictures taken from my back porch.






In the second picture you can't really tell, but there's a bird in the tree. Jessica and I threw down some food for the birds and soon had about four little birds hanging out around our porch and munching on the goodies. It was cute.

School had started up again, and I'm not so glad. I think the spring semester is harder than the fall because you jump into the spring semester right after the holidays when you're still feeling fat and lazy. Fall semester is after a long summer break (unless you're stupid enough to take summer classes) so you're pretty well rested and ready for school to start. There is nothing restful about the holiday break.

I'm taking two classes this semester: Introduction to Music, to satisfy my creative arts requirement, and a writing class. The music class meets for the first time tonight so I'll post later about that one. My writing class is on notebooks, journals, and creativity; I'm hoping it will help me be more creative because I really don't feel all that creative right now. In fact, class has been somewhat discouraging and intimidating because most of the people in the class are creative writers and have all these great ideas (one guy has even published a novel already and is working on the second). I, on the other hand, am crap at creative writing, and (lately) all writing. I've felt like quite the idiot in class so far, but the professor is a really good one so I'm hoping in the end I'll feel better about my writing.

Well, that's all for now.