CL: 5 (shake) (palm facing left)

That means it's all finished! Silent Weekend was a great success! Lots of review, which is always good. New things too! Mostly I learned that I can actually communicate. Something that is always comforting to know!

There were a few unpleasant moments of the weekend. The only thing I'll say about it is, I'm thankful that I don't live for the "drama". @@

Was good to see my classmates. It's hard though because I can see us all drifting apart and it's a little sad. It's life...and I understand. It happened at CMU, former jobs, and I know that it will happen in the future too. I understand that but it doesn't mean I can't be a little sad.

Silent Weekend

Here I am, in Orlando at Silent Weekend. A weekend full of ASL/Interpreting workshops. I learned so much here last year I couldn't pass it up again. A few of my friends from class are here and it's so wonderful to see them. We've already spent some time in the bar before the "start" of the weekend so we could use our voices. From now until Saturday night, I'm supposed to only communicate via Sign Language. I thought about going to buy some groceries and not sure if I'll be able to not talk or not. We'll see....

Another big plus is that I'm staying in a hotel. Love 'em. I have the room extra cold because I want to feel the big plush blankets on me tonight. Although it's not too hot today here in Florida. *shrug* Guess those storms helped break the heat a little. Anyway...

_\,,/

do didi do do ..didi didi..do do (newsflash music)

Two days until Silent Weekend. Jeanne is excited!

That is all!

:(

I didn't get the internship. I'm feeling really defeated right now. It doesn't help that I'm still waiting to find out about my state certification. I'm trying to stay positive that I've picked the right path but right now I just want to go to the beach and have a good cry!

Stimulation

HEY...get your mind out of the gutter!

The past few days at work, the stimulation level has been low. I'm yawning more. I am trying to over come it. I tried loading up on caffine one day, nothing. Yesterday, I thought I would try making sure I got plenty of water. That helped a little as it gave me something to do. Fill the water bottle...take a trip to the bathroom....fill the water bottle...(you get the picture)

I'm not saying I want a high pressured job, not at all. I'm also sure there are things I could be doing here that I don't know how to do yet.

What's that saying "don't look a gift horse in the mouth"? Maybe I should just be thankful that I'm not over booked right now.

*yawn*

Pain in the neck

Poor Jerry has been in pain for over a week now. On Thursday he called me and told me he needed to get to a doctor. I left work and took him to the ER. BIG mistake. It was 4 hours of him waiting in the waiting room before they even saw him. He was in agony. When they did finally take him back it was another 2 hours before they gave him anything for the pain. Basically what they did is rule out a heart attack, as it was left shoulder and arm that was having pain. So after 4 viles of blood, an EKG they decided that he was dehydrated. DUH! it's been 6 hours since he walked in the door and hasn't had anything to drink since 4 hours before that. So they gave him some fluids via IV and FINALLY a percocet. After xrays they decided it was a pinched nerve. Gave him a collar to wear, ordered an MRI and discharged him. They put the collar on and before we made it to the door, Jerry was complaining that his arms were going numb. By the time we made it to the car he was begging me to take off the collar. So I did. The percocet didn't take the edge off.

Next day, I call the imaging place for the MRI and they won't accept the order from the ER Doctor. This is where I panic. Jerry and I don't have a primary doctor. We both have medical issues that require us to see endocrinologist. Apparently you have to have a primary doctor to get an MRI. So I scrambled and got him an appointment on Friday with a PA with what will become our Primary doctor.

Friday, we go to the appointment. Jerry can barely stand the car ride. The PA examines him and says "Don't wear the collar, it will only worsen things" and starts massaging Jerry's back. Within minutes he finds a trigger point and explains that he has inflammation of a nerve bundle. Okay, great...now what. So he gave him a steroid shot in the trigger point and prescribed some muscle relaxers as well as some different pain meds. Also showed me how do massage his back with a tennis ball and some exercises that needed to be done. Yay! I felt like we hit the jackpot with this office.

We get home and of course Jerry is in TONS of pain as he had to sit up for the ride to the office and back. I dropped him off and went to get his RXs. Doped him up and I think he was so tired he finally slept a little.

Today, he is a little better. Still can't sit up, needs to be on his back but doesn't seem to wince when he moves as much. We did his exercises and I can see that he is getting some mobility back. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

*insert clever title here*

Jerry and I had these "colds" in our back. Or so I thought...maybe we both did strain something at the same time. I am 98% better because I haven't been lifting anything for days. Jerry on the other hand is still in terrible pain. That is because he had to lift things for 3 days straight at his conference. I didn't even think about him taking the hanging bag vs. the rolling overnight bag. I should have thought about it..oh well. I gave him a darvocet and he is conked out on the futon with a heat wrap around his shoulder. He should be out for hours.

I'm just glad he is home. I didn't sleep well while he was gone, and every little sound in the house seemed a thousand times louder.

Work is going good. Starting July 1st I'm going back to part time hours so that I can take some interpreting gigs. I'm very excited about that. Now if I my QA results would just hurry up and get here I'd be much happier.

Still waiting on news on the internship. Don't like that I'm competing for it with my classmates. Emily and I decided that no matter what we should start a study group or something to get more signing in. Sounds like a plan.

My car...UGH...I hate it...keeps overheating and stuff. I'm so spoiled about having a car that works that I get frustrated when it doesn't. Maybe I should be come one of those lease people. *shrug*

Joiner

Another step in my journey to being an Interpreter. I just joined both the statewide and national Registry of Interpreters. Basically now I have to adhere to all the Code of Professional Conduct and stuff.

Other things I've joined is Plurk. It's crazy it's fun you can find me at http://plurk.com/user/gkneefl (gknee was already taken. GRRR! )

I <3 hotels

Jerry has his big conference this week which means he'll be gone for a few nights. He won't be far, just at the beaches. I'd stay but I don't want to deal with traffic in the mornings. Too bad, really, cause I love hotels. I guess it's because they aren't cluttered and I know I don't have to wash the linens and stuff. The end of the month I'll be heading down to Orlando for my own hotel stay. (Silent Weekend)

Badluck Schleprock

I had one of those weekends that was weird. Yesterday I seemed to be a magnet for injuries. First I stepped on a piece of glass in our kitchen and gashed my heel. Thankfully Jerry was there and helped me to get my foot up and stop the bleeding. After cleaning me up with peroxide and alcohol he bandaged me and told me to "Just sit still" while he cleaned up the blood. Apparently there was a lot

So later in the evening I was hobbling around to the bathroom and needed to get something out of the vanity and somehow scraped and bruised the heck out of my forearm. YEOWCH!

Today there were no incidents, thankfully. It has been a day of recuperating. Yes, my foot hurts. Yes, my scraped up arm hurts.

In other news, I did try Bud Light Lime. It's okay. Still prefer Landshark with an actual lime.