Sunday, November 11, 2012

Accomplishing goals and snapping out of it.

I go through ups and downs just like any other person.
Lately I have been going through a down.
Dislocating my shoulder and being out of it for the last 2 weeks didn't help all that much.

This week was kind of a testament to my state of mind.
Didn't really work.
Couldn't really focus on school, or thesis, or...anything.
My room is an absolute pig-sty...scratch that, my apartment (the parts that I touch) is.

So, this weekend I am trying to snap myself out of it.
I spent the morning doing menus, schedules, and setting goals for the week.

Life will continue to improve.
That is the plan at least.

I know because I wrote it down.

One of those goals is to update this weekly.
So despite a pretty uneventful week, I AM UPDATING!!! 

Take that melancholy.

I spent the morning planning (as stated above) but also watching videos on lds.org, specifically the Mormon Messages.
If you are feeling a bit down I totally recommend this.
Big time.

Speaking of complacency...which has been my theme for the past few weeks...here is one of the videos I watched this morning.


I hope your Sunday is happy because it is your choice if it is.

Happiness is perspective, perspective is a choice.

♥ ♥ ♥


Sunday, November 4, 2012

Mountains of Miracles and Mountains to Go

This week was absolutely insane for me.
Meaning it drove me insane.
Let me explain:

Monday
meh, not to exciting.

Tuesday
I started off the day like most days, biking to work, working for a few hours and then heading to class.
Class was in Special Collections in the library and it was absolutely awesome.
For class we are preparing an exhibit and we went to Special Collections to look at old photos but ended up finding boxes and boxes of journals, writings, and books from the woman who donated the collection we are exhibiting.
In a word: AWESOME.

On the way home from class I needed to stop by the Creamery to pick up some ingredients for the dinner we were going to cook for our visiting teachees.

As I was biking to the Creamery I had to bike around a construction sign and go on the grass.
Hidden under the beautiful fall leaves was a nice big rut.

My front tire got stuck and instead of just letting myself fall I jerked my handlebars about to stay upright.

There was some seriously loud popping in my left shoulder.

My first thought was, "Oh crap, I think I just dislocated my shoulder"...which was promptly followed by me trying to move my arm.

I couldn't move it, it just sat there on my handlebars.

Then the pain hit like a freight train.
Oh my goodness it hurt SOOO bad.

I was stranding there straddling my bike and I realized my vision was getting really blurry, I thought I was going to vomit everywhere and there was this unbelievably loud rushing sound in my ears.

My next though was, "Oh crap, I think I'm trying to pass out...ummm...GET OFF THE BIKE!!!"

So I stumbled off my bike, put the kickstand down as I threw my backpack down and laid beside my bike.

I stayed there a good 5-10 minutes before I could move.

When I got up I tested my shoulder and despite some pretty significant pain, I was able to move it.
Because of that I thought that maybe I hadn't dislocated it.

So I thought, "Well, you haven't dislocated your shoulder, I still need to get the groceries".
Yep, I'm a bit of an idiot.

Anyway, quick ending:
I biked to the Creamery 
(people looked at me a bit oddly, probably because I was white as a sheet and looked as though I was about to pass out),
got my groceries and ate a mint brownie
(I needed the sugar),
and biked the rest of the way home.

After talking to the padre (who has had extensive shoulder and knee problems) we came to the conclusion that I had very likely dislocated my shoulder and that it needed to be looked at first thing in the morning.
I was in some excruciating pain but I eventually went to bed and thought maybe I would sleep it off.

Wednesday:
After not sleeping really at all I made an appointment at the doctor's office.

She thought that I had dislocated the shoulder but that it had popped back into place.
Just to make sure she sent me to the hospital to get an x-ray.

Final prognosis was somewhat miraculous.
Apparently it is not unusual to have the joint pop back into place.
What was unusual was that I had no pinching or tearing of the muscles and ligaments surrounding the joint.
Everything is just pulled and SUPER sore.

So, I am in a sling for the next week or so and then...well and then I will try to avoid ruts.

Thursday:
I was able to do my shift at the temple with minimal pain.
Major blessing.

Afterwards I went to class and came home to a big bottle of ibuprofen and mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Friday:
As a class (or 3/4 of one) we drove to Ignacio, Colorado to go to the Southern Ute Museum.
We spent most of Friday driving.
Except a quick side trip to Hovenweep National Monument.




That night we stayed in the most disgusting, cold, revolting $22 a night motel that I could ever imagine.
It put the worst hotels I stayed in while traveling all over the Mediterranean and Europe to absolute shame.

Saturday:

Left Cortez, Colorado first thing in the morning and headed to Ignacio.

The Museum was AMAZING!!! and I loved every minute there.

After the Museum we went to Monte Verde National Park!!!

These are of the Cliff Palace.






This last photo is of the Spruce House.


Shortly after this we made our way back home and got back around midnight.

Very quick trip, but really good.

♥ ♥ ♥

There was the week!

Crazy right?

♥ ♥ ♥