Fadedwords

Andrew so tactfully and sweetly reminded me that today is Merlin Monday!

I know what you’re thinking; he has a tough life.

My alarm went off at 6am today.  This is the first time this has happened in a week, and to say I was displeased is the biggest underestimate of all time.

I got to work and immediately began rearranging my monthly classroom guidance visit schedule to accommodate my irresponsibilty in sending it out before vacation.  I got it done though, and it was comprehensive and well put together.

Then I looked for my cell phone, as I was expecting a call about the results from my MRI today.  My phone wasn’t on my desk, it wasn’t in my pants pocket, it wasn’t in my coat pocket.  It wasn’t in the parking lot or in my car.  It apparently fell out of my pants pocket on our couch, where Jake found it after I left today.

*sigh*

I just spent an hour and a half trying to register three kids and their mother didn’t have all the stuff she needs.  I’m not saying this is her fault, because she’s going through hard times, but it still makes it difficult.

And now it’s 3:15; the announcements are on and I need to go to do my weekly bus duty.  How I hate bus duty.

I have a case of the Mondays.

It has been good being home, minus two small things. One I will write about and the other I won’t.

I managed to score an appointment with one of the PAs at the orthopedic surgeon’s office. This is a lovely fringe benefit of having my mother work there. My back problems are ever continuing, and I thought it might be a good idea to have someone take a gander at it. I was poked and prodded and x-rayed. The x-rays came back normal, which I expected. They only show something when my back has gone fully out. The PA ordered an MRI though; given my symptoms she was concerned about a disc issue.

I went that same day for the MRI. There were several reasons this procedure sucked. First off, I was expecting an open MRI. I did not get that. I am horribly claustrophobic, and being shoved into a narrow tube head first and having to lay there for nearly 40 minutes was totally not OK with me. Second, I wasn’t aware before this, but it really frigging hurts to lay on my back. Not so much in my back, but in my right leg. I knew before this that I had radiculopathy (pain that radiates!), but I was not aware that laying on my back would incite such horrific pain. I wanted to gnaw off my leg after about 5 minutes. By the time the tech came back in I was near tears. It was burning, searing, awful pain. To top it off, I also have paresthesia in my leg from it too. It’s loads of fun. These are symptoms that have existed since I first hurt my back, but I just got names for them Thursday. I like names for things.

I won’t have the results until Monday at the earliest. I’m still experiencing some serious discomfort, and I’m fully expecting my back to go out completely at some point. A day spent traveling isn’t going to help matters. My radiculopathy is really acting up. (I like that word… sue me). My Mom, Dad, and even the MRI tech are under the impression I have a herniated disc in my back, which is 100% on my list of things to never do… so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s something else entirely.

Radiculopathy is ridiculous. So is having back problems at age 26. Three cheers for my last job where I hurt myself.

My plane will leave Albany International at 11ish. I will then fly for an hour to D.C. where I will wait for two hours for my plane to Raleigh. I spend more time waiting for planes than actually flying on them. It will be very good to be home. I have missed Jake and Merlin immensely.

Ahhh, springtime in Glens Falls…

Our back yard

A bad picture of me

The trees love snow

What a lovely ending to my trip. Three inches of snow, and it’s still falling. I lurve springtime in Upstate New York

This morning I went up to my former high school to watch my younger brother’s Octet rehearsal.  Octet is a select show choir group that I was in when I was in high school, and Sean made it this year.  The group consists of eight girls and eight guys, plus two alternates.  They perform various things throughout the year… and it is a really fabulous thing.  Some of my fondest memories from high school are from my time in Octet.

The group this year is great… my former director Pam has done a fantastic job with them.  She is one of those truly gifted music teachers.  I hope the kids who have her understand just how lucky they are.  When I was in school, when Pam first started there, I was so incredibly shy.  It took a good friend and Pam to pull me out of my shell.  I turned in to one of Pam’s select few… the ones she took so much time with and worked with extensively to build my confidence.  Singing with Pam was always fun, always challenging, and always wonderful.  If it wasn’t for her instruction, I never would have sung in front of anyone let alone large audiences.

I really enjoyed visiting today; my brother is a truly talented musician.  Being there made me miss that part of my life though… the part where singing and performing was a big part of who I am rather than something I just do in the car.