Wednesday Hodge Podge 11/9

1. Of all the tools and gadgets you own which do you most enjoy using?

I refused to get the iPhone for quite some time. Then, one day, my Samsung Fascinate just went wacky and stopped working. I was going on a trip the next day, so I went into the Verizon store and told them to just give me the iPhone. And they did. Everyone who knows me knows I love to talk, so I have always loved phones. But, I find myself hardly talking on this phone. I am fascinated by all of its capabilities! I can take photos, listen to music, have my texts written out for me, play Words with Friends, not lose my sense of direction which is awesome because I am navigationally challenged, find a new place to eat, check email and Facebook....and Facebook again...and again. The list goes on and on. There are so many things to do other than talk on this phone. Dare I say this gadget might have the ability to make me mute? ;-)

2. When (if ever) is impatience a virtue? 

 

I really wish impatience was a virtue. I have been impatient my whole life. I was born 3.5 months early. See, I don't even have enough patience to stay in the womb! But, I'd like to think that most of my impatience comes when I am excited or want to get a jump start on something. I make an effort to be patient with people. 

God knows patience is hard for me so He makes me practice it a lot. As I type this, I am sitting in the same chair I have been sitting in for the last 3 weeks with at least 3 more weeks to go. My right leg is in a cast and I am not able to walk or do anything for myself. This recovery is certainly humbling and an act of patience and reliance on God. Patience is one of the fruits of the spirit. So, while I would love impatience to be a virtue, in my life, that's a negative.

3. What temperature do you keep your thermostat set to in winter? Do you have another way to heat your house besides a furnace of some type? 

This is a battle my parents and I have had since I can remember. My mom and I are always cold while my dad feels like he is basking in the sun on a tropical island in his own house! An agreeable temperature is 71. At my condo, the thermostat goes up and down like a roller coaster until I get the heating bill! Yikes! I think I might stick with 71 from now on.

4. Do/did you have a close relationship with any of your grandparents?

My closest relationship was with my maternal grandma.  She and her husband Austin, who I called "Grandpa", lived in Houston, TX but would come to visit my family every summer.  We would celebrate my half-birthday, go shopping, go out to eat and chase after bunnies and bugs when I was little. She nick-named me "Killer Jessica" because I loved to kill the bugs that would end up inside the screened in porch. Don't judge! When Grandpa died she moved to Virginia to be close to us. That was a lot of fun because I got to see her almost every day. Grandma loved the color pink and spaghetti. She hated things to be untidy and dirty. She was also the most fashionable and beautiful elderly woman I knew.  We had a lot of fun together!

5. When did you last have a family portrait taken?

I love family portraits, but my parents and I do not share the same sentiments. Our last family portrait was taken in 2000, right after I graduated from high school. I had begged my parents to take a portrait before I went off to school. It just so happens they won a portrait session at my school's auction! So, voila! A "pre-college portrait session" was a must! I've kept my mouth shut about how it has been 11 years since our last official family portrait! (Hear that, Mom!)  I do love looking at my friends' family portraits and dream of many portraits sessions with my own little family in the future. 

We don't take professional portraits, but we are close- knit and take lots of photos together. This will have to do for now:

6. What does the word patriotism mean to you?

This is a tough one. Not because I don't know how to answer it, but because it means SO much. My dad worked for the Federal Government for 40 years. I feared I may have lost him in the attack on the Pentagon on 9/11. Praise the Lord he is still here and was not harmed at all. I now work for the Government. I live just outside of Washington, DC and DC is one of my favorite cities in the whole world. I think about patriotism everyday. The daily view of the Capitol never gets old. I love all of the monuments. I tear up at the National Anthem and sing it proudly ever time I hear it. Oh, random question, is the US the only country that places their hand over their heart when the anthem is being played? I love America. I hate that the city I hold so dear is a terrorist target. Patriotism to me is pride in your country and what we stand for. I see palpable and visual demonstrations of this every anniversary of 9/11. I only pray that it wouldn't be reserved for holidays and the anniversary of such a tragedy, but everyday.

7. Do you like to play cards and if so, what's your favorite card game? 

My grandpa loved to play cards. The summers that he came to visit we would play every night. He was a card shark and poker was his favorite. I never quite grasped poker, but I can play a mean hand of Blackjack or Gin Rummy. I also really like to play Uno. Sadly, I haven't played any of these games in so long, I am rusty at best.  Card games do bring back fun summer memories, though.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

I love cupcakes!

Happy Halloween!

My best friend and I used to get dressed up and go trick-or-treating in each other's neighborhoods. One, dark Halloween night, as we were walking through the neighborhoods, on the look-out for the houses with the best candy (You know, the ones who give out WHOLE - king size - candy bars! We skip the ones with the pretzels. Who wants pretzels on Halloween?!), we created this song:

Here we go a trick-or-treating on this Halloween night

Getting lots of candy and being full of fright!

Knock, knock, knock! At the door

Trick or Treat

Candy! Score!

And a Happy Halloween to you and you and you.

And a Happy Halloween to you!

Happy Halloween!

"Sweet" #16

Surgery is just a part of my life.  That doesn't make it easy, but it is what it is. Most of the time my surgeries are in Minnesota, so to have #16 at Mt. Vernon Hospital close to home was pretty sweet!  Maybe my drugs are making me delirious enough to post unflattering photos of myself, but my surgeries have definitely played a part in who I am.  Here is the story as it unfolded on October 14, 2011:

My arms are wrapped in warm blankets in an attempt to get my veins to pop up for an IV

The nurse got the IV in on the *first* try!

All ready to go! Don't worry, the smile didn't last long!

The first few minutes in my room

My first visitor: Paula

I would fall asleep in the middle of talking or playing with my phone

Kathryn came and saved the day! She fed me my dinner because I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to use the fork and spoon to eat it on my own.

All by myself.  In pain and pitiful.

Sean and Amanda's surprise visit perked me up!

Rough night. My roommate and I were ignored by the nurses for 3 hours. They got into trouble, but I was not a happy camper!

If I can sit up for 1.5 hours, I can go home.

I did it! Home sweet home soon

Jay, the PT, teaching me how to pivot. This is key.

All set to go!

On my way

How I pass the time most days

In the end:
5 screws in my foot
4 Percocets per day
3 pins in my toes
2 Oxycotin per day
1 cast on Thursday

A long road to recovery (8+ weeks), but my days are brightened by flowers, cards, care packages and visitors.

Rest in Peace, Steve Jobs

The first computer I learned to use was an Apple. The ipod has made this music lover's dream come true. I swore I would never get an iPhone. I gave into the hype and don't regret it for a second. My MacBook Pro captures my precious photos and the documents that signify late nights that lead to a MBA. The technological ingenuity of Steve Jobs transformed my life, making it more convenient and more fun! But, in his death, I am learning that he put the same passion into life as he did his work. His words are those to keep in my back pocket.

The Water Slide with Sharks

If you have ever been to the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas, you know that it has many water slides. One of the water slides is surrounded by a shark tank. You board the slide at the top and along the journey through the tube to the deep water, you zoom passed some sharks! This experience is simultaneously thrilling and unnerving! The last month I feel like I have been on this water slide.

I love the thrills and the speed and the fun that comes with this unique attraction at the largest hotel on Paradise Island. There is no way I can say the last month has not been filled with thrills and speed and fun! I have been traveling almost every weekend to visit friends or to spend the weekend in NYC to see a show, celebrate FOCUS' 50th anniversary, and savor a super expensive but totally worth it brunch at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. This past weekend I also enjoyed seeing Les Mis at the Kennedy Center and spending some quality time with good family friends. Life has done anything but move in slow motion as I have jam packed my schedule with fun knowing that "house arrest" and a slower pace is just around the corner!

Amidst the thrills and the speed and the fun are the "sharks". When you zoom down this water slide at Atlantis, you intellectually know that you will survive. The sharks are not going to eat you as you zoom by them. But they are there. And you acknowledge them. And emotionally you get a little nervous that the highly unlikely situation of ending up in the mouth of a shark might actually happen. In the end, you do survive and are glad you rode the slide. I am blessed to have been joyfully dancing through life the last month, but the sharks have tried to butt in and break my stride.  And in some cases, have succeeded. 

Health problems have plagued me and my parents. My renter moved out of my condo, but left it a mess. Much has to be cleaned up before I can move back in. Surgery is in a week and I have yet to purchase "my wheels". Work is rapidly changing and I am the only person doing my job. I have been trying to be conscientious about completing as many tasks as possible while also leaving the files organized in such a way that someone can take over if need be. I spend too much time thinking about the things I am not going to be able to do for the 8 weeks that I have to hit the pause button on life as I currently know it. On the flip side, thought is put into the things I feel I can and should accomplish while on "house arrest". The argument in my head over what to do about online dating during this time period resembles a ping-pong match. The "sharks" are there. I know it.  I see them. 

If I reflect on the water slide at The Atlantis, it is the combination of the fun, thrills, speed AND sharks that make the ride what it is. The sharks are present, but they do not kill those who embark on the adventure.  As you exit the tube, you plunge into the pool with joy! The joy overcomes the fear the sharks momentarily aroused in you as you zoomed by.

While I have had variations of my upcoming surgery five times during my lifetime, it seems different this time.  Not only have I not had major surgery in 7 years, life seems more complicated this time around.  Surgery is roughly one week away.  I must remember not be to overcome by the sharks. I'm confident my friends will come and visit me. In fact, I already have some special, out of town guests lined up! I have been and will continue to be surrounded by joy and blessings. My upcoming surgery and recovery seems like a mighty big plunge! But, I am hopeful I will look back on the experience acknowledging the sharks, but being overcome with joy.

Ten Years Later....I Remember Everyday

I debated for a whole week whether or not I was going to write a post about the tenth anniversary of September 11th. You might wonder why I would hesitate to write a post regarding my feelings 10 years after that tragic Tuesday. The main reason I waffled at the idea was because to me it does not feel as if it has been a decade since that horrific day! I remember the day our country was attacked every single day. I did, however, decide that it was important to document my feelings and experiences over the last 10 years (and one week), so here goes...
Sarah Herr and I were walking through Tyler Haynes Commons on campus on our way to our leadership class. I happened to glance up at the TV that hung at the Student Activities Center and saw a plane headed towards a building. I didn't think anything of it and just assumed that the students sitting at the desk were watching a movie. It struck me as a little odd to be watching an action movie so early in the morning, but to each their own, and I continued the journey to my class.
I arrived at class and the projector screen was down and my professor and classmates appeared to be watching the same movie I had glanced at on my way to class. I quickly discovered what I had witnessed was not a movie. It was reality.  My professor explained what was happening and I sympathized with my classmates who were from New York. Then the news reported that the Pentagon had been hit.  I started shaking and crying. We were at war. My heart sank to my feet.

Where was my dad? Was he at the Pentagon or at his other office? Was he safe? Were his friends and colleagues hurt?


It turns out my dad saw the plane hit the Pentagon from his other office. Fearing that his building might be the next target, he called my mom to let her know he was safe and bolted out the door to his car. He was stuck on base for eight hours and not able to call me until about that amount of time because all of the phone lines were down. Richmond had officially cancelled classes that day, but we were required to go to our classrooms and discuss the attack on our homeland. Many students hailed from the targeted areas and the professors and administration wanted to ensure everyone was supported. Thank goodness I was required to busy myself because I worried until I came back to my dorm and saw the message "Your dad called" scribed in my roommate's handwriting on our whiteboard!  My dad was safe....but my world was rocked....and quite honestly, I have been forever changed by that tragic Tuesday in 2001.

Little did I know that 4 years later, I would be working in the Pentagon. I do not work there now, but I will say, the moment I stepped into that building to report to work, the memories came back to me and they remain to this day. One of my bosses was the only survivor of his colleagues. He was spared from the attack because he went to the bathroom. He returned to find all of his colleagues dead from the blast. Another one of my good friends at work has been officially recognized as a hero. He searched the gaping hole and hallways for survivors. I am awed by Dan and Steve's humility, perseverance and heroic acts. I work with individuals who defend our country everyday. I love my hometown. I hate that it is a terrorist target. But, I also see the patriotism (and vigilance and security measures) that resulted from 9/11/01 on a daily basis.

So, while the 10th anniversary is significant, it does not necessarily stand out in my mind. I remember daily.  I will NEVER forget.

There's a whole lotta shakin' going on!

Ever since the news of my impending surgery, my life has felt like an earthquake!  I had big plans for the fall and they are "all shook up!" Trying to juggle moving into my condo (then moving out 13 days later), repairing the damage in my condo, working "two" jobs, dating, and having pain in my ankle that restricts my driving seems unbearable at times. Couple this with not being able to weight bear for 6-8 weeks after my triple joint fusion and I feel completely out of control! The ground as I thought I knew it has been shaken. The plans I had made are now on hold - or will not be executed as I had imagined.

Fast forward two weeks later.....

Yesterday, around 11:30am, I bounced outside to escape my cubicle and the air conditioning to enjoy lunch. It was beautiful outside. Clear, blue skies, 85 degrees, a light wind -- I reluctantly returned to my cube after thirty minutes, longing to stay outside.
About 2:00pm, the floor beneath my desk started to rumble. At first, I thought there was some sort of construction going on. Then a bigger rumble came, the entire building started shaking and the power went out. The building was pitch black! My colleagues and I were stunned and silenced by what had just occurred.  Our first thought was that we were experiencing a terrorist attack. Being in DC and given that we are so close to the 10th anniversary of September 11, sadly, that seemed realistic.

Then the lights came back on.  Our phones were ringing off the hook and we all realized what we had just experienced was an earthquake. While it was scary because I had never been in an earthquake of that magnitude before, I was relieved. It wasn't a terrorist attack. Nobody was hurt. I had survived. I was alive. It wasn't as big of a deal as it had seemed while it was occurring.

My hope is that "the earthquake that is my surgery" will be the same way. Right now, it seems daunting because I have not had a major procedure in seven years. My life is much more complicated than it was when I was growing up and having these surgeries. Without a doubt, this is a *whopper* of a medical procedure! But, I will recover, and I will be better for it in the end.

Right now, the unknowns and uncertainty feel unbearable and suffocating at times. In the end, it will feel like this:

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future" -Jeremiah 29:11