The Good and The Bad

Whoa. I have a bad habit of letting this beloved blog of mine fall by the wayside when life gets busy. I don't blame myself, but when I finally sit down at the computer, bright-eyed and ready to write, I'm faced with one of my least favorite questions: What happened last week?

No wonder Adnan doesn't remember what happened in 1999.

Seriously, the last couple weeks have been the usual hodgepodge of both good and bad that has gradually become the norm around here. So, in an effort to ease my mind back into the blogosphere, I'll give you some quick and dirty updates.

The Good

+ My mom is still showing no signs of cancer. Praise God. She had a CT scan of her abdomen and lungs and everything looks good. She had successful colostomy reversal surgery yesterday, so we're just waiting for her to recover and get home. She'll be in the hospital for a week while the doctors make sure the plumbing is functioning properly, so we'd appreciate all the prayers we can get for a quick recovery!

+ I bought a wedding dress. I know my timeline for this whole wedding planning thing is all out of whack (I should probably have a date and venue before the dress, eh?), but thanks to some fortuitous timing and sales at David's Bridal, I found the perfect dress. My mom, best friend, and her mom accompanied me to the store, where we were helped by the sweetest girl (Alqueeah) I could have ever imagined. She actually picked out the dress that I chose, so I'll be forever thankful for her help. The dress fit me perfectly (something I can't usually say) without alterations and I burst into tears when I saw myself in it. I even got to take part in a David's Bridal tradition: Once I picked out the dress, I closed my eyes while wearing it, made a wish, and rang a hand bell. I was fairly nervous heading into the appointment because unlike everyone else I know, I had no idea what kind of dress I wanted, but it turned out to be an exciting, seamless - ha!, and memorable experience.

+ My dad and I finally ate at the Varsity Club for the Pacers vs. Pistons game on Friday. I made reservations for us as his Christmas gift, but in complete honesty, it was just as much a gift to myself. The buffet was delicious (especially the sweet potatoes), dessert was fancy (chocolate-covered strawberries, anyone?), and the view was incredible. Unfortunately, the Pacers lost at the last second, but we still had a great time. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique experience at an NBA game.

The Bad

+ Sickness. Wheat scored himself a pretty nasty head cold that lasted about a week and now I've got something else. What does it mean when your entire neck is swollen? Seriously, I feel like the Rock with how massive my neck feels.

+ I met with a witch doctor nurse practitioner at a Walgreens clinic. In an effort to combat the aforementioned sickness, I made an appointment on Saturday. The kind woman who examined me promptly told me that she doesn't believe in medicine, advised me to stop drinking tap water, and told me to put cold compresses on my neck and eat organic honey with the comb included. She also suggested that I do a bowel cleanse and said that she was only telling me the truth because "we're both Sagitarius and we like to hear the truth." I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry and instead, resorted to begging for an antibiotic. Is it just me or should Walgreens rethink hiring a person who advises against taking medicine?

+ I got my very first speeding ticket. The kicker? I wasn't pulled over, so I didn't even get the chance to employ the cry-my-way-out-of-it strategy. I was doing 51 in a 35, pretty lost on a street I've never been on, in a city I seldom visit, in a state where I don't live...and I got the ticket in the mail. Rather, my dad got the ticket in the mail and had to mail it back (and get it notarized) to prove it wasn't actually him driving the car. Fantastic.

+ The Packers lost the NFC Championship Game in improbable fashion. I don't want to talk about it.

I'll save the MLK-inspired celebrations for tomorrow's post. I mean, if he gets his own day, he certainly deserves his own post.