You are currently browsing the monthly archive for July 2012.
Last year, I told you about a brain tumor I have, that the doctors found after trying to determine the cause of my Bells Palsy. The tumor and the Bells Palsy were completely unrelated; I do feel grateful that I even got Bells Palsy to begin with – otherwise, I would have had no idea about the tumor. I have to have a yearly MRI for a while to make sure that the tumor isn’t growing. I had my appointment with the neurologist yesterday, who gave me great news: the tumor has NOT grown and it is NOT pressing on my optical nerves. I feel so happy. And relieved. Obviously. Hooray!
There is nothing like having a brain tumor to put things into perspective.
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I got injured again during a practice at the beginning of June, to my other knee. The trauma to the knee caused my bursa sac to rupture and blood poured in, then clotted. It’s still swollen a bit, and still very sore. It’s slowly getting better. Emphasis on the slow. (I can’t WAIT to get back on skates and start hitting the ladies again. It is so theraputic.) To combat my time off of skates, I’ve been attacking the pile of books that I’ve been wanting to read. Anyone have any recommendations?
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We have busy weekends ahead of us. I wish our summers weren’t crammed into such a short period of time. This weekend, my friend from high school is getting married, so we’re headed back to Jersey for that. I love gettin’ fancy every now and then. We’re also trying to plan a weekend trip to Mehoopany for sometime in August or September. And another camping trip. And another trip to the beach would be awesome. And a weekend at home with not much to do would also be wonderful. Ahh, the possibilities.
Back in March, B asked me what I wanted to do for my upcoming 30th birthday. We talked through some options, and when she offered to rent a house at the beach where I could invite some friends, it was pretty much a no-brainer. I found an awesome house for rent in Chincoteague, VA (hello, wild ponies anyone?) and friends were selected and rent was paid and all that was left to do was wait.
A little over two weeks ago, we set out on our first full week’s vacation away in almost two years. The house was beautiful, large, and right on the bay (with our own dock and hammock). It was the perfect setting for an actual relaxing vacation The day after we arrived was my birthday, and it was a simple and perfect day. B made my requested breakfast of french toast and bacon (don’t judge, it was my birthday!), and off we went to explore the island with my friend L. We picked up some bunker (crab bait) on the way home before having some sandwiches for lunch, then headed out to the dock to set up the crab traps. I taught L how to crab, as she never had before, complete with cutting and tying the dead bunker. B spent most of her time in the house reading while the two of us were crabbing, alternating laying in the hammock, drinking beer and chatting. It was perfection. Around dinnertime we cleaned up and headed in with our day’s catch. We caught 78 crabs (SERIOUSLY) and 10 of them were keepers. My other friend, LH, arrived, and we all got showers and headed out for a seafood dinner to round out the day. It was spent exactly how I had hoped, without any big party or flashiness, but with so much that I loved.
The whole week was my favorite, really. Every day I had wine or cocktails or beer, even if it was 11 in the morning. I read books. I went to the beach. I saw a lot of nature – wild ponies, all kinds of birds, dolphins, and even a bald eagle. We rented scooters for a day and went mini-golfing one night. We went out for ice cream 5 nights of our trip. I spent an hour in the little local bookstore, leaving with many new finds. I saw the sun set almost every night on the bay. I walked the beach in the black of night, lit only by the moon. I spent quality time with a few good friends, and of course, my girl. I slept in. I recharged. It was all so needed. It was my first time ever visiting Chincoteague, and I fell in love with the island. It was so very laid back and chill – not a lot of hustle and bustle – but still, everything I loved about a beach town.
This vacation re-solidified my need for being (and eventually, living) at the edge of the land, where I can smell the bay breezes and hear the seagulls call out. It’s in my blood. And makes me very happy, as you know.
Life continues to keep me equally busy and entertained. Complaining about anything would be whiney and ungrateful of me, and fluffing things up under a veil of semi-perfection would be oversimplifying and not quite true. For the most part, things are good. I have an itch to write, yet time is hard to come by. (As evidenced by the fact that it’s already the second week of July!)
The Others Have Spoken