I'm ready for the weekend after work and babysitting this week. Saturday is the party in Katy, and Sunday is a day to rest before the big game Monday. The Astros will hopefully win Monday's game so Mom, Dad, Martin and I can go home happy. I wouldn't want his first experience at the ballpark to be a bad one. :-) The rest of the month I'll be working, praying for friends who are out of town, and seeing the pain management specialist. It's going to be a good month.

August and the rest of the year look good too. I'm hoping to have more students to tutor, and just enjoy the fall.

Today I got quite a bit done, and had a peaceful day with Mom. After doing two loads of laundry, looking at Mom's Europe souveiniers, and watching soap operas with her over lunch (homeade BLTs), I'm pretty content. Dinner was good too. Fried Talapia fish, fresh asperagus, homeade tarter sauce, black eyed peas, and cornbread (can you tell I'm from the South?), to quote my favorite cook, Rachel Ray, Yum-O! Her new show starts this fall on a local channel versus cable. I am ready! Anything I can cook at all is good, but if I can cook something in thirty minutes, hey, even better. The whole day just made me happy.

I also got lesson plans done for the rest of the summer for Spanish tutoring, along with mandatory paperwork to be turned in. I work again tomorrow, and hope for the best. I really love the job. Flexible hours, great kids, and just all around good colleagues. We don't meet over the summer, so there's going to be a lot to say about summer come August. I can't wait.

I've really learned a lot about patience, the human body, and the human spirit this summer. It's been a great Godly journey, and I am looking forward to the fall.

The week has been interesting to say the least. I discovered more about CP and the results are staggering. I found out that my body physically ages faster than someone who is able bodied. Scary. This would help explain the slowness and pain though. Mom likes to go back in time to my college days when I zipped across UH campus. I was still in pain then, and had four years of massage therapy to treat the pain. Today, I am looking at options to treat the pain, like massage from interns at a school, pain meds from a specialist, and of course, more exercise. I'm also feeling better about exercise because it always used to just weird me out. I've finally come around though, and discovered that exercise can be fun, instead of a chore. When I dance, life is good. Taking walks with family is also nice.

In other news...I read that the final installment of Harry Potter will result in the death of two more characters. Yikes. It's been said that the last chapter has been hidden away, and no one knows how the book will end. Hmmm....thought provoking.

Work is going to be good this week. My educational hobby is going well too. Letting folks know more about CP has become my mission in life. The friends and colleagues that I educate really care about my health as a whole. Even though my disabled friends and family are gone, the legacy lives on. It's still really hard not having them around. I feel isolated. But I'm doing what I can to educate others. All I can do is hope that they take it as being important.

While my body ages it's important to pay attention to the pain. This is my body's way of saying it needs help. Amazingly, my mind has not been adversely affected here. I'm like my friends in that we could tell people things, but our bodies just wouldn't do the things we asked it to do.

I'm going to keep going on, and hope more goodness will come out of teaching, both in English, and in Spanish. No matter what the language, the needs are still there. It's a bear to deal with, but I'm doing okay. I'll post again as the week progresses. I think overall, life is good right now.

Yesterday was a pretty good day compared to Friday and Saturday. I went outside, got some sun with my iPod Shuffle, hung out with family, and we witnessed a windy rainstorm on the way to have Mexican food for dinner. That was bizzare. After dinner, we headed to The University of Houston, my alma matter, to see my sister's kids swim in Gulf Champs. I think they did pretty well, but kids from other teams kept placing first. Ouch. The whole new facility that was built on campus for students and the athletes is nice. There's an exercise gym, an indoor track, indoor pool, and a health and wellness center that now includes women's health. Anna's mom works there. Saw her and Anna at Rachel's wedding, and Anna's mom says that even though the campus is not student friendly, this facility is one of the best state of the art ones she's seen in a long time. There's even a nursery for parents with babies who come to work out. Very nice. Size wise, it's huge. After the meet, we headed home. I still think it's funny that it only took 30 minutes to get to and from Houston, but we took the Hardy Toll Road. Huzzah! We then settled in for The Astros vs. The White Sox. Oh man, what a game. A grand slam by the Sox tied us 9-9, and I still don't know who won, since I went to bed at 11 PM, and they were in inning 12! To quote Collins from RENT, "Daaamn!" Even if we lost, it was still a great game. This makes me want to really attend the one July 3rd. The Sox in general, are a tough team. We shall see. I'll post again later this week in case there are more games to report. In the meantime, today should be a good day. :-)

Edit: The Astros beat the Sox!!!! I can't believe it. We won in the 12th inning, by one point! OMG. July 3rd is gonna rock. It's one thing to see the Astros on TV, and another to see them in person. I'm doing a happy dance right now. Squeee!

Today has been relatively quiet. Plenty of time to be with God, and just reflect on a new day. Tonight I'll be in Houston with family dropping off the baby, but other than that, not much else going on till I go to work Thursday. Revising lesson plans has been a good brain exercise though. I'm all set. I've also got to gear up for July tutoring, and then, August is when we can get involved with the kids going back to school. The new elementary school in my subdivision should open sometime in August. We're looking forward to marketing the company there in case some of the students need a tutor. Should be fun, and good for us. I'll post again later...must go do something constructive now. This could be anything from sleeping to spending time with family, so it'll be worh writing about. :-)

Yesterday and today, the war against my pain continues. The support has been great. Today I was telling Brent how much Rent means to me, and what song I want at my funeral when the time comes. Will I? and I'll Cover You are the two songs that are speaking to me right now.

The weekend is going well. I'm getting things done around the house, and this is a good thing. As long as I busy myself, I can forget the pain for awhile. Dark moments come and go, and that's to be expected. But light always shines in the darkness. This is key right now. I need a ton of light.

Next week should be good. I work, and then, on July 1st, the party in Katy will take place. One event at a time is all I can do right now, so I'll post about others later on. Happy reading! :-)

This week has been good. Work and babysitting have gone well. But to break away from the normal routine was nice too. The disability counselor at North Harris College has asked me to help her with her podcast. Of course, I said yes. So we spent some time on the phone looking at what direction this will go in, and the topics we would cover. Awesome stuff when one thinks about it. I've always been one to educate others, in languages as well as health impairments. There's more to come, so keep reading.

My health will be dealt with too. No word on sugery yet, but that will come in due time. For right now, the focus is on pain control. I'm seeing a specialist at the end of July. This is such a blessing. Pain is half the battle. The muscles will come next. One thing at a time, one day at a time.

Next week, I'll be working again, and preparing for July events. It's going to be great. July 3rd is the baseball game, and July 4th is the Independence Day party in Katy. Whoo hoo! More later. I must get back to work with lesson plans. Work is life, and time is money. Oh, how true this is. :-)

Today has been a challenging day, but all ended on a good note. My pain will be managed. And so will the tight muscles. The only question left to ask now is when to set up the appointments. More on that later. I got great information from a counselor at North Harris College who suffers from Chronic pain herself. Having a community of support matters most. I'll post again later when I know more information. Just wanted to post these happy thoughts. :-)

Despite the not so good things I still have a lot to look forward to in life and in the coming months. I called Martin last night, and we talked awhile. I just have to keep standing firm with regard to health care and something will eventually get done.

I'm gearing up for work, and figuring out what I would like to do for the disability interview that I'll be doing for North Harris College. I'm also waiting for the other counselor to get back to me about a pain management discussion. North Harris has more resources than any other college I've been to, and I'm impressed with the results.

I'm also looking ahead to July. On July 3rd, there's a baseball game in town, and I've asked Martin to go with me. He's never been to a game, and this will be a first for him. Then, July 4th will be the party in Katy. Whee!

I hope to continue working till August too, so the income will stretch. We'll see about the school year later. I'm off to check on lesson plans, and get some things done around here, so I'll post again later. Ciao!

Today was interesting. My sister came to get the baby, and we shared food from Mission Burrito. Yum. Then, Mom and I slept with the cats because we were full. Now I'm thinking back to a conversation Mom and I had about General Convention and the gay community. A bishop was elected and ordained in New Hampshire, and controversy still goes on about him being in the church today. As a member of the Episcopal Church, I must say, get over it. We have female rectors, and a female bishop was just named for Texas. If being gay was as huge an issue as women in the church, well, we'd be more than divided.

It just irritates me. The Texas Episcopalian has articles on the gay issue and this new bishop. If people can't accept either one of these, I have to say tough. The church is progressive today. We are learning to accept what we're given in this world. And if we can't accept it, then the world will just be as sinful as ever, in my opinion. Men are not always on top in the church. Women can step outside the box and show themselves to be as good as any male priest. The same thing goes with the gay bishop. If all you see is gay, then you are narrow minded. Look at him as a whole person, and the difference he is making in his diocese.

The gay debate will wage on until we are all wiped out. Mom always said if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. And for those who know me personally, you can take your feelings about the gay community and shove them where the sun don't shine. I happen to be in the community myself, and don't feel any shame or guilt, confusion or frustration. Case closed. If you really know me, you know this is just one small fraction of who I am as a whole person. If you could see the bishop this same way, then maybe life would be a little bit easier to live and this world wouldn't be so bigoted.

I'm not ashamed. God created me in His image, and this is just one small thing that He decided to make me over with. My CP is just as unique. He created me this way for a reason. To chase the bigots and mean people out of town.

I hope GC will continue to go well despite this debate. Tomorrow I'm going to be spending quality time with two of my best friends, and yes, for all you bigots, we're gay as the sun is yellow! I have yet to go to Pride Parade in NYC to prove it. I plan to enjoy my time with them, and that's it. It's like Pink sings...stupid girls. She should sing stupid bigots while she's at it. The key in this life is to live the way you were made to live, and love your neighbor as yourself!

Next year will be my ten year anniversary since coming out. And I plan to throw a party! More later...must go eat with family...and pray that GC gets a spiritual facelift.

Today was a good day. I tutored this morning, and had lunch with Mom. I then spent the afternoon going over lesson plans for next week, and answering some e-mails that I got. It's been great. Tomorrow I'll get more done around the house, and get ready for Saturday. Summer is really going well as a whole. It's just going to take patience to deal with my physical needs, but I can manage like I usually do, so that's no problem either. I'll post again soon, and in the meantime, I plan to enjoy the weekend. :-)

Today has been a good day so far. Don't be fooled, I have my not so happy moments too. Talking to Mom today didn't work out, so we went for a walk instead. Now, after the walk, I am feeling okay physically, but my emotions are still in left field. One minute, I'm happy and the next, I am sad. You'd think I was bipolar. My hope is that this whole situation will work itself out with God's help. My parents yell and complain about me all the time now. It's sad. But like everything else in life, this too, can change. There are lots of little things that happen to change the body, mind, and spirit. My week and this weekend will prove that. Mom is going to lunch with Peggy and Gail and tomorrow, I work. Friday I have the day to rest, and Saturday, Sandy and Brian will be here. I'm looking forward to it all, because this is what a full, enriched life is supposed to have. Depth. I'll post again later to let everyone know how these next few days shape up. In the meantime, let's enjoy the time we've been given. Do as much as you can, and don't worry if perfection is not achieved. Life will still be worth living. :-)

Edit:

Over dinner, Dad said that now is not a good time to deal with my physical issues. He didn't elaborate. Summer is typically ideal since there is no open enrollment for insurance, and he can take time off. Now I am left hanging again. Since he won't work with me this summer, I am going to have to wait three more months before I get anything done. This is frustrating in so many ways, but I'm going to fight it.

Last night (Sunday) rocked. The TONY Awards were just amazing. Jersey Boys took home a whole lot of awards, but The Color Purple got one too! Yay! And now, to backtrack...

I spent the day with Mom since we stayed home from church. Both she and Dad are still feeling crummy, and this time, I'm stumped as to the symptoms matching with a cause. Dad feels like his is allergies, and Mom's headaches have been bad. Hmmm...I have to look closer, I guess. I did more paperwork for work, did some audio recordings for my student and her mom, drew up lesson plans, and then, saw the Astros game with Dad. Whoohoo! 14-4...Houston did it again! I'm of the opinion that when we have home games, we do well. But I'm biased. :-) After the game, we went to Target to shop, and I got an iTunes music card. I can get 14 songs, so I made my list. Whee! After Target, we headed to Chili's for an early dinner and a chocolate shake. Mom and Dad split a burger, and I had the nachos. It was all really good. Then it was off to HEB to get groceries, and head home for the TONY'S...see top for more on that.

It's Monday, and I plan to do some music downloads, and work on more lesson plans. I eat, sleep, and breathe Spanish now, and life is so wonderful. Both my student and her parent are feeling good about all the tutoring, so that's a huge deal. I look forward to each week. Given the fact that my student stays entertained, is a plus as well. Her mom never sees her during the tutoring hour. There's always that fear that she'll come out of the playroom bored, etc. But no...she is content there and in her room too.

I'm off to start my day, but I'll post again soon. This is the best way to keep track of current events. Enjoy! :-)

This weekend is going to be great. I worked today, ran errands, had pizza with Mom, and now, I'm just taking care of paperwork for work. I really love all the job has to offer. My little student is so cute. She asked if she could walk me home today, and if I could move in. It was priceless. Spanish is being picked up quickly, and she's doing a great job learning.

Mom and Dad are kind of under the weather at this point, so I'm trying to stay healthy. The daily vitamin still works wonders. Whatever I can do to help, I do. C'est la vie. Right now, we're each doing our own thing, but we'll have dinner together tonight.

Tomorrow, The Tony Awards will be on, and both Brent and I are going to sit tight and pray The Color Purple wins. So many good shows have come up in 60 years, one wonders how you can get that much footage in. It'll be a blast.

Next week, I have to babysit, work, and get ready for the weekend. Sandy, Brian, and I are going to spend time together Saturday, and I sooo can't wait to see my boyz. It's been about five years since we left college, and almost six years since we said a fond farewell to Scott. It's time to celebrate being with friends. :-)

I hope to post during the week, but if I don't have time, I'll post again on Sunday of next week. Do what you love, and love what you do...

As babysitting and work continue to flourish, I am learning so much about teaching through play for young ones. A friend of mine got her degree in music therapy, and my hope is that since she's living abroad for a few years, she'll be able to use those skills in her new environment. We'll see. I sent she and her brother who is also abroad, a little note about my experiences, and I hope it brightens their day. I also heard from a friend in NY about his experiences with musicals for the summer stock program he's doing. He'll perform in CATS, South Pacific, and Fiddler On The Roof. Yeah! Tradition! The Tony Awards are this weekend, and we both hope The Color Purple will win an award. The musical theatre world is something I've always liked. Having been exposed to theatre, foreign language, dance, and music, I feel like I have come full circle from childhood to adulthood. The arts are my gig in life, no matter what I use them for. Most of it, of course, is for pleasure, but work can also have these things interwoven in them. It just gives me great pleasure to do lesson plans each week, and exercise creativity in myself and my student. What a blessing. I'm going to sign off now, and get back to work...I babysit today too, so life is about to get busy again. Ciao!

So far, so good! The weekend is here! I tutored on May 31st, and the session went really well. Now I'm drawing up lesson plans for the future, and my student and I get along really great. Teaching through play is incredible, but when you teach through play in a new language, life is really fun.

I'm going to spend the weekend finalizing lesson plans, and getting feedback from Mom and the parents. And I thought I was going to struggle in the field of education and the job market. Ha ha! This job is just awesome. I can't explain how wonderful it is to help a child learn. You have to see it to believe it.

I hope all is well with those of you who keep up with my blog. Until next week...