What A Beautiful Weekend!

This weekend was just gorgeous!  I couldn't have asked for better in March!  :-)
On Friday night, I got to just spend time with my parents.  It was pretty good, minus the occasional unneccesary remark.  But I guess it should come as no surprise!!!

Saturday I got to spend time with my Grandma.  It was great!  She needed a new microwave, so I took her shopping.  She just turned 85 this past Tuesday and she is still a firecracker!  Although her memory may not be the sharpest anymore, her stories are always wonderful.  Saturday night I spent time with my sister Amy and her boyfriend Timm.  They wanted to go bowling, but I unfortunately can't bowl right now.  Just a bad idea so I just watched.  We went to a couple of bars after thery finished bowling and had a few drinks.

My crazy sister Amy!

Sunday morning brought a new, beautiful day.  The forecasted rain stayed south, making for a sunny day.  I went to church with my Grandma and she was just thrilled!  When I got home, my brother-in-law brought over my nephew Jonathan.  He is gwoing up so fast!  He can sit up all by himself.  I only saw him a few weeks ago and he couldn't!

He is just growing up so fast I can barely believe it!

The only downside of seeing my nephew at my parents' house is that my dad can't bear to let anyone else have time with him!  He is such a proud Grandpa that he can't get enough of the little man!  Ah well, I guess it is something I will understand when I have that experience!

And finally, here is the King of the Castle.  Dakota kitty!  He is the rule of the roost!  My parents took him in as a stray many years ago during a vacation to Rapid City, South Dakota.  He's my baby!!!!

This picture is him claiming a bucket used for foot soaks.  My mom had a pampering party.  The consultant was filling the buckets to soak our feet and he claimed the bucket as his own.  This is typical Kota!

FINALLY FRIDAY!!!!

Ah it is finally Friday.  This couldn't come soon enough!  Just a few more hours at work, then a meeting and then the weekend!!!!  I look forward to spending some quality time with my parents and seeing my little nephew.  Maybe even play catch-up with a few old friends :-).

I have been able to control my stress at work pretty well.  Just keep plugging along seems to work.  I can't help but get worried or paranoid sometimes though!  But when that happens, I stop and take a breath and remind myself why I am here!  The stress of my knee is another story!!  I can't help but get shorth with people or be unhappy when I am hurting.  I hope people understand this and let it slide.

Dum Dum Dum....

Well, even though nobody reads this anyhow, I guess I should share how my follow up appointment went for my knee injury.  After four weeks of physical therapy, with little change, the orthopedic doc said the next thing to do would be surgically repair it.  So following my business trip at the end of the month I will be having surgery.
April 8th is the date!  I worry that it will creep up on me faster than I think.  Right now I think, "gee, that's five weeks yet" but I know it will come and go quickly.  I am not too nervous about the surgery, but I have never had surgery before.  I think once the time draws near, I think I will become more nervous.
So that's that..

A Boring Friday

Today is just another day.  Going by slowly like all the rest.
I just sit here, thinking of what's best.

Ok.  No more rhyming.  Not really flowing today.

My knee hurts and it keeps me from being able to really concentrate on anything.  I am doing alright at work, just a slow day today.  Everyone has those now and again.  Every other day I am so busy trying to bust out my current project.  I can't tell you a better feeling nowadays than the boss saying "keep up the great work!"
I am probably going to leave a little early, I can't sit here for much longer.  I need to go home and ice it, maybe nap a little too :-P.

I am just wishing the clock would jump an hour ahead right now! 

I wonder if anyone even reads this thing?

Bad and Good

Had a visit with an orthopedic doctor today to get my knee all figured out. 
Bad- I have a tear in my patellar tendon.  Good- it is not a complete tear. 
Bad- this could mean I need surgery.  Good- I will be doing physical therapy for four weeks to try to improve it first.  This could prevent surgery altogether. 
Bad- if I do have surgery, it is pretty major.  It comes with 3 months of recovery time.  Good- my knee would be fixed!
I am hoping for the best, but I am willing to go through whatever I need to to eliminate this pain!

Work is work, I am trying to relax whenever I can.  I need a serious destresser weekend!  I think I should convince Kate to go up to GB for a weekend.  I could use a spiker or two!

As the days get longer...

As the work days get longer, everything else gets put to the wayside.  It is somewhat frustrating to feel like things are undair when people leave work early all the time and I sit here for 3-4 extra hours a day.  I know it's all part of the job, and the way it works... but it gets lonely and boring.  I don't particularly enjoy sitting here by myself into the evening.  Ah... that's why they pay me the "big bucks" right? 

On a not much lighter note, I go to see an Orthopaedic doctor tomorrow afternoon.  I fell onto my knee just over 6 weeks ago, and it has been causing pain/discomfort with slight swelling ever since.  I had an MRI about a week and a half ago which showed a partially torn patellar tendon.  That explains the difficulty standing, pain when on my knee for more than 10-15 minutes, and constant pain.  Well anyhow, I have to see the Orthopaedic doctor to determine if I need surgery or what kind of things I can do to allow it to somewhat heal.  The odds of it healing completely on its own are very low though, due to it being a tendon (versus a muscle that has constant blood flow).  I am hoping surgery is not necessary.  It is a major surgery that could put me out for several weeks to months.  That would mean, no walking anywhere, no work for a few weeks, no driving, no anything :-(.  I guess we'll have to see...

Long Day

This day is the longest I have ever spent at this job.  Over 12 hours...  All thanks to my new project.  The reaction takes literally that entire time!!!  It's crazy, and ridiculous.  The worst part is that I have to complete it even though I know it is not going to work out!  Ugh... darn not being able to dispose of it without completing it!!!

I am just going to be sitting here, waiting for something to run for 2.5 hours yet with nothing to do!  Hence the reason for the blog.

My little nephew is growing so fast, learning fast and getting cuter by the day!  He's going to be a heartbreaker someday :).  I totally miss the days where I didn't have to care about anything except playing and sleeping... I wish someone would've warned me back then!

Did you ever not know how to deal with a problem?  I am stuck there right now!  I guess the details aren't that imperative, and I don't want to risk trouble starting because I wrote about it.  But I have been trying to work out this issue on my own for some time, to no avail.  It has not changed my feelings towards the problem.  It is becoming frustrating!!!  I just don't know how much longer I can put on this front.  Ugh.

I've been in a total cooking craze lately.  I love the whole feel of knowing that I worked hard to make a good meal when I am enjoying it!  I have yet to cook something that I find totally gross.  My recipes aren't quite perfected, but someday they will get there.  I don't have the time or means to do it now.  If you have any good recipes, please share!!!!!  I absolutely love trying out new recipes!  I am going to make a new recipe this weekend in the crock pot and I am so excited to do it!

This snow has been incredible!  Ten inches last night, totally awesome; well minus the foot tall drift next to my car that I had to step in to clear off my car this morning.  Brr that was chilly.

Well that's about all I've got to say right now! 

Thanks for reading, whoever you are :-)