Category: A Bit Of Randomness

This category is full of randomness that really doesn’t fit nicely into any of the categories having to do with my road to walking.

Body Control

Yesterday, at  ATI, there was one other person  there. I was getting my ice on the first table and she was doing her exercises on the third table. I don’t know what was wrong with her, maybe something with her back but she was on all fours on top of the table and was pushing one leg straight out backward while raising her  other arm  straightforward. I don’t know how many she did but I know that I stared at her.

I watched as she pulled her stomach in so her back was bowed like a cat. I was amazed at all of her body control. I can’t remember when I could control my body like that. When she finished, I had to look away so she did not know that I was staring at her so blatantly.

I stared at the ceiling and thought. Earlier in the week, As I watched Good Morning Football, Rashad Jennings was on. He most recently was on Dancing with the Stars and he was talking to the breakfast table about that.   He talked about how similar dancing was to football.

He spoke of body control. I LOVE watching football and I started watching Dancing with the Stars when Von Miller was on it.   I wanted to watch it because I had a feeling he would do well and I enjoy watching dance.   I’ve been thinking about this for years but I like to marvel at people who can control their bodies because as the years pass, I can control my body less and less.   During the Olympics, I watch swimming, diving, and gymnastics as well.

Over the years, I am grateful that I was not a dancer or a serious athlete because those abilities are gone now. I liked hearing Rashad Jennings talk about the similarities and how running backs look like they’re dancing if you slow the tape down.   He said something like, when the tape is slowed it is beautiful and graceful.

My sentiments exactly!   There are so many things,  so many abilities, that I miss SO TERRIBLY  having been diagnosed with MS!  MS  rages through my body wreaking havoc and it has been for the past 16 years, having to recover from the surgery is DEFINITELY insult added to injury!   I am even more limited with this locked brace and having to deal with the pain of recovering from surgery. It’s really very frustrating!

??? #31!

Aside from watching Good Morning Football on the NFL network, I haven’t been watching a lot of NFL network. I  I am somewhat ashamed to say that I haven’t been watching the top 100 players of 2016 at all. However, during GMFB, I saw a commercial for #40 to #31. Matthew Stafford was shown throwing a football.  Really?! My Matty?! I was SO excited!

I knew that I had to watch it on Monday night and told Brad about it at physical therapy  the day I saw the commercial. However, when it was on, I was still in the backseat of mycar.  I was able to see what was going on onTwitter and it was at #32 and Matthew Stafford was not on it yet.  Turns out, he was #31!

A second showing of this portion  of the show was on at midnight. Of course, I had to stay up and watch it! I really enjoyed seeing it at 12:55 AM!  I wanted to stay up to watch the reaction show but I was SO tired!  Click the second picture to watch the segment. I ABSOLUTELY love  that man!  ???

(CLICK THE ABOVE PICTURE TO WATCH THE SEGMENT)

Daddy

I’ve been thinking A LOT about my Dad lately.

Lots of random memories have come to my mind recently.  I remember being in the backseat  of the station wagon with my brothers and their friends.  My Dad was driving us somewhere.  One of my brother’s friends made the observation that my Dad, “Just drives.”    All of us  kids were in the backseat laughing and talking while my dad was in the front “just driving.”

My Dad didn’t talk a lot.  I can remember taking long drives just me and my Dad and not talking at all. It wasn’t uncomfortable, we just didn’t talk.  So, my Dad didn’t talk much and he sure DIDN’T dance!   The other day, I was riding in the front seat of my car with my mom.   I let her pick the music; it was hot outside and  it was really affecting me.   I just leaned my head back against the headrest  and stared out the window.   My Mom listens to either the 50s, 60s, or 70s channel on my XM radio.

Ocassionally, I can dig it because I know so many of the songs from hearing them growing up.  My Mom was listening to the 70s on 7 and I didn’t immediately recognize this song but I found it strange that I knew all the words and could sing them if I wasn’t so tired.   It wasn’t until the refrain started that I knew what song it was.

I’ve heard this song numerous times and my Mom would always tell the story of when she was dating my Dad and this song came on and he sang along and danced!   Granted, it was just arm rolls  finished off with a finger in the air but   I’ve NEVER witnessed this.  My mom would show me or us how he danced to it so now I think of him doing that and smile. I smile because I miss my Dad,  who I only called “Daddy,” and witnessing my mom tell the story, she smiles at the memory  which makes me smile at seeing too.

“Too Late to Turn back Now”  Cornelius Bros and Sister Rose

6.26.17 Stunned

Monday, I had physical therapy. When my son got home before I got ready to leave, I had him bring in the mail. I received a letter from my employer.   This letter terminated my employment and my benefits. I didn’t get through all of the letter before I started crying. I am still recovering from surgery! It’s  sure but extremely slow! My knee still hurts A LOT!

I wore my sunglasses during physical therapy like I used to wear them  when I went inside the building once I got to work ( before the day started with students) when my Dad first died. I wore them in the morning (at 6:15,  when it was still dark outside)  because back then, I cried the entire way to work so my eyes would get puffy and red. I was afraid my eyes would be  puffy and red again because all I could do all the way  to physical therapy was cry.

My job there was my only teaching job. I was hired in right after college. It was my first “Big Girl” job.  I was hired in having MS with a three-year-old son.   I’ve worked there for 12 years, first as a seventh grade English teacher and once I got my Masters degree, the Reading Specialist.   I have many fond memories there with the staff and students alike.

Given that my benefits package was also terminated, I still have to pay for continued post-surgery rehab and doctor’s appointments.   I’m not quite sure how I am going to do this. I looked into a Go Fund Me account and the possibility of  holding another Booster because I am a sucker for a logo-Ed shirt!   I saw the fees for both of those and it disheartened me.

I have heard of having a PayPal account (I  know that I am late to the party)  but I have one and that account is linked to the email address:  jfr0945@gmail.com. If anyone can give me suggestions on what I could/should do to raise money, that would be great!  I have a mortgage to pay and I do not live lavishly, however; am a single mother so any guidance or donations would be appreciated! Thank you so much! For now, I am just stunned! I have a few blog posts to write but again, for now, I am just stunned!

“My Cup Runneth Over”

I saw Hope Floats  on TV late the other night.  I hadn’t seen that movie in a long time but I still  really dug it! I wanted to find a movie clip to remind you all about the movie because that movie came out 19 years ago, in May before my Junior year. ( I am so old!)   I found these three movie clips on YouTube:

Movie clip 1:  The Toni Post Show

Movie clip 2: Justin Matisse  It’s because of this clip that I call Sean “Justin Matisse” at times.  I’m not sure that he even knows where comes from but I say at all of the time!  I get it!

Movie clip 3: Dancing with Justin

So,  the whole reason I bring this movie up is because after the Barwis golf outing, Sean, my mom, and I were driving home and Sean wanted to go to the movies. I told him (given my current job situation)  that I didn’t have any money. My mom said she had to pick up my nephews so Sean said that he and I could go and that he would pay! He wanted to see the new Spiderman movie that came out and I was  okay with seeing that.

He bought the tickets (Full price –  something I never do!)  and even got us drinks and popcorn! After the dinner at Barwis AND  being taken to the movies by my son, I told him that “my cup runneth over!”   That is a quote from the movie and it means that I am very happy!

I WAS extremely happy and Sean even let me take a picture with him to commemorate the event (but his arms are longer than mine so he had to take the picture  for me!) I tweeted this picture because movie dates with Sean are few and far between now that he is older. We used to go to the movies all of the time together when he was younger  but now that he’s older, not so much.

That 3%

So,  Dr. Frush  gave me a Cortisone shot on Monday. My knee still feels really good! It feels like a normal knee, not one that has been cracked open like it felt for eight months before surgery and  the gnawing, aching pain for 2 1/2 months after surgery.  When he gave me my first Cortisone shot pre-surgery, he told me that 3% of women who received the shot  experienced face flushing as a side effect. The pre-surgery Cortisone didn’t take the pain away and I was not part of that 3% whose face flushed.   That was a really big bummer!

So, I got the shot on Monday and my knee felt good. Tuesday, I woke up and my knee was not in pain. This morning I woke up as my mom came over to help me  and she asked me if I had a fever. I shook my head and gave her a puzzled look. She put her hand on my cheek and forehead to make sure that I didn’t have a fever. I looked at her and told her  that face flushing is a side effect of the Cortisone shot. I asked her (kind of excitedly)  if my face was flushed.

She nodded and said that that was what it was. I told her to take a picture of my face. I was really excited to be part of that 3%. She took a picture of me and I could not stop cheesing.   I would share this picture but my teeth were not brushed and I kind of have a thing about teeth. So, I got ready for the day and into the car and took a picture that I’m willing to share:

Now, I was outside so I HAVE to wear sunglasses but if you notice by my nose, its pink.  My face stayed flashed for most of today and my knee has not hurt either. I don’t want to jinx it but I am very excited so I thought I’d share. I really hope this shot working sticks! Brad told me that I can only get four shots a year  and I’ve already had two so…

Gifted

I saw an advertisement OnDemand for this movie to rent and to buy  yesterday and I remembered  that I wanted to see it when it was in the movie theater  and I couldn’t find anything else on TV so I ordered it.  I really dug it and have seen it six times  so far and I still have 23 hours left in my two-day rental of it.

(CLICK ABOVE PICTURE TO WATCH TRAILER).

It feels like when I rented Burnt and watched it over and over. Now, I really don’t have a thing for Chris Evans like I do for Bradley Cooper but I think I could but I really liked this movie!

This was the first scene that I decided that I really liked the movie!:

This scene made me laugh! It’s another one of my favorite scenes in the movie:

I am not a cat person by any means, (my cousinT Shannon can attest to that) but I absolutely LOVE this scene because it shows the compassion of the teacher and how important the cat is to Mary.

This was an absolutely beautiful scene! This  scene was one that made me cry. But I do that often now anyway.

Now, I am not a movie critic by any means and Sean would say my taste in movies is terrible but I would suggest this movie to anyone! I really liked the content but in the back of my mind, I also thought about how difficult it is going to be in the Fall when I no longer have any students. In the meantime, I will be entertained by seeing this movie a couple more times in the next  21 hours or so…

My 2 “Sacreds”

Yesterday was Sean’s first Homecoming at DC.  It was extremely warm yesterday and I was unable to get out of the car to orchestrate pictures being taken. I stayed in the car with the air on and watched as Sean, his date, and five of his friends and their dates took pictures. My  mom used her phone to take the pictures and I received this picture this morning.

Two definitions of “sacred” as stated by Merriam Webster Online are:

entitled to reverence and respect

hghly valued and important

This picture is of my two “Sacreds!”  It is of the two MOST important people in my life!  They both are sacred to me! My son and my mother.   Seeing this picture makes my heart swell! It makes “my cup runneth over!”

Check my boys shoes! They look SO good!   I was so excited for him and to see him looking so good that I had a really hard time moving this morning! MS really sucks but  even though I feel bad  today, seeing him yesterday was worth it!

James

I was doing leg lifts at ATI today and as Brad was working on me, this song came on the radio. I  told him this was the first song to play when I test drove my first car. It was my first “big girl” car that I had my name all alone on the lease.  It was a silver Malibu and I think it may have been a 2006?

I leased that car from my Dad’s salesman  who my Dad had been buying cars from the last 20 years. He had it all gassed up and ready for me to test drive. It was at Bill Wink Chevrolet (it’s not open anymore) and it was right by my parents’ house.

It had light grey interior and a sunroof.  I think my mom had dropped me off at the dealership and I was driving the car back to her house to get Sean. Bob told me to keep it overnight.   It was comfortable getting into the car and i situated my mirrors and the seat (it was all automatic),  and I was so excited!!! I put the key in the ignition and started the car and this was the first song I heard:

“Unbelievable”   EMF

I started the car at the exact moment where there was  pause for a moment and then, “You’re Unbelievable!”   It was that exact moment when I knew that this car had to be mine. It was destiny!

I think I signed all the papers the next day after work. After I had all the papers signed and it was mine, I got back into the car and started it. A James Blunt song was playing so even though my car was a girl (because the gas tank was on the passenger’s side),  I named her “James.”   I hadn’t thought about this car in a very long time and this song made me think of the day I test drove it and it made me smile!