Is spring really here?

Okay…so, I have been in Pennsylvania now for just over a month. As you might have read in my previous post I have been “sidelined” for at least three months because of my incident. I’m not quite sure how some people got the impression that I wrapped myself around a light-pole…and I must admit it does lend a more dramatic story line but lets be honest. Really…the picture below shows you the dog, the leash, and the sign that helped put me in my current situation.

The dog…Mushu is just fine. He was not injured in the accident in any way. The only way he may have been injured is his pride. After all, we are pros when riding the bike and being on a leash. He knows better than to go on the opposite side.

The sign…is a short handicapped sign. I know…ironic isn’t it given the fact that I am now handicapped in some way. Okay…some might say something else but keep the peanuts in production. I already know what the peanut gallery says. Trust me!!!

The leash…standard six foot leash. Nothing to tell there.

And finally…the back brace. Yes…the contraption that I have been wearing for the last 2 ½ - 3 weeks. This is all so attractive…it really is. If my social life was vibrant before…it is even more so now…kidding of course. It does keep me stable and certainly does help keep me from twisting and bending over quickly.

That silver/chrome piece goes right up the front, just under my collar bone with a strap over each shoulder, and of course the other part wraps around my back and Velcros close. I hope you can get the picture. I tried wearing it under my clothes and that was fine but it was difficult to adjust it when needed. So I now just wear it outside my clothes. So looking cute is not an option. Did I tell you I need to go shopping for some new clothes. I don't even want to with this stupid thing.

I went back to the doctor this week. She said I can start trying to wean myself out of the brace. That means that instead of wearing it all day everyday, I can wear it a couple of hours here and there and see how I feel. Basically, she said to listen to my body. Let me tell you…my body is telling me wear it more…and I am saying no way…so we have an internal discussion regularly. The doctor also said that I might be able to start physical therapy next month…but that it would probably be June before that happens…but we will see. Can I just tell you that a back injury really stinks? In the event you didn’t know that already…I’m telling you it does.

Some wonder how I am. I am doing just fine!!! I am enjoying it in Pennsylvania, in spite of being ‘limited severely’ from participating in activities. I love my job and the people I work with. We have fun…and laugh a lot. Of course, we all have our days when we put our shoulders to the wheel and work, work, work. I am meeting new people all the time. I got a calling in church to teach Sunday school for the youth and because our ward is so small, that means all the youth from 12-18. I guess there is only about 7-8 of them.

On another good note, I received the title to my car in the mail this week. That means it is PAID OFF!!!! Can I shout for joy and tell you how good that feels? I also paid off all my credit cards and closed all the accounts!!! Another shout for joy and in this case dance on the table…

With spring finally here I will take pictures of my apartment at some point to post and the view I have from the balcony. I really do have a nice place…all that is missing is a slide that would drop me right in the park. Okay…and the other full bath, a walk-in pantry, and some more cupboard space. Little things…

March Madness and....

I am still without a TV since DIRECTV was unable to get a clear line of service at my new place. As a result, I have to go back to cable. I guess in the scheme of things it really isn’t that bad but I don’t get BYU-TV on cable, which means that I won’t get conference or women’s conference at my house…okay the internet but still. I am scheduled to have cable installed Tuesday, which means that I get to see the games this week on TV and not streamed on the internet. BYU, UNC, and Duke all advanced to the Sweet 16…I have bets that BYU and UNC advance to the Elite 8 and I begrudgingly say that Duke will also advance unless by some miracle Arizona can pull off a MAJOR upset! Those of you that know me, know that I am no DUKE fan but I tolerate them since so many of my friends and family are PUKIES oh…I meant DUKIES….but what can you do? I tolerate them just as they tolerate me…we still love each other and it adds a little spice to life. Unfortunately, I have not been keeping up with the games this year as I have in the past. Things have been a little hectic but I can’t not get involved in March Madness…HELLOO!!! It is only the best time of the year for college basketball. With that being said, GO Heels!!! And GO Cougars!!! And dare I say go WILDCATS…. ;)

On an entirely separate note, I have to give a shout out to some Relief Society sisters. I have never been one to ask for help but given the mere fact that I cannot lift or move more than 10 lbs due to my back, I had to. I asked them to help me unpack some boxes and get rid of them. They did the majority of it in two hours! They were awesome!! I still have a few left but that is manageable! At least I can move around my apartment now. The tough part now is finding room for stuff…which room doesn’t exist so that will be a trip at some point to IKEA or the Container Store. One or the other…I need some shelves since I don’t have a walk in pantry any more.

Finally…can we say TICKS are of the devil??? I can…TICKS are of the devil! Last night I found two ticks on Mushu. Not one, but TWO and they were engorged!!! Nasty!!! I immediately, pulled them, burned them, and applied some antiseptic to his wounds. There are ticks galore around here and since Mushu feels the need to get up under trees, I guess I will find more. I did apply some Frontline to him last night and I put a Preventic collar on him as well. That should help but it would sure be nice if they were just eliminated entirely from the face of the earth. What in the world are they created for anyway?

Going for the GOLD!!!!

Remember that trip to the ER I had last weekend? The results, indicated that I have a minor T12 Compression Fracture in my back, which really stinks!!! I am in a fair amount of pain on a daily basis. I went to the local OAA - Orthopedic Specialist and Surgeons facility. This was quite the facility...holy cow!!! You walk in and they have a huge check in operation and then they direct you to the right or the left...you know like you do in a movie theater where there are numbers on top of the doors and the name of the movie. This was very similar...I went to the theater #5 - Theater of the Spine.

The doctor confirmed that I have a compression fracture and basically that there is not much they can do. All I can do is keep the inflammation to a minimum and get a brace. So the brace is one that I can imagine will help me when the GOLD medal for attractiveness...

...this is a corset brace. The goal is to stabilize the back as long as possible to help the healing. I have not actually seen the brace they want me to wear yet since it is held up in the insurance approval process! Needless to say, I am using a lot of ICE and taking Motrin every 4 hours to help keep the inflammation to a minimum...if such a thing exists. The best part is that I cannot move or lift more then 10 lbs. for at least 4 weeks....okay...I am being totally sarcastic.

All my goals of playing softball, volleyball, biking, hiking, etc...just got put on hold for at least 3 months!!! Uhg...I just went from a boring life to dead in a matter of minutes. I am able to walk but that is slow and careful. Whatever...it could definitely be a lot worse. I could be paralyzed.

So long for now...

A trip to the Emergency Room

One might guess that as outgoing as I can be I would meet new people daily, which has really been the case since I have moved to Allentown, PA last week. Saturday, I decided that I would take Mushu to the park on the bike so that he could run his little heart out. He loves to run along side me, however toward the end and as we were coming back to the apartment, he was taking his sweet time so I put his leash on to make him keep up. We made the trip across the street and up the sidewalk…however, Mushu decided to go around the other side of the post, which I didn’t see. As a result, I took a pretty good spill and heard something pop in my back. First thing I did was see if I could move my legs which I could so I was relieved but in a lot of pain. One of my neighbors a few doors down saw the whole thing and luckily they were willing to help me out so a thanks to Sonja and Gil.

I laid on the sidewalk for about 10 minutes before I called Sharon, a friend from work. I called her on her cell phone and told her “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” She thought I was joking, until I told her that Sonja and Gil were there. She said she and her husband Andy would be there in 10 minutes. Thank goodness they live close by. They pulled up and saw me lying on the sidewalk, brought blankets to keep me warm, and then Andy called 911 for an ambulance because I could not get up. I really don’t like emergency rooms…I’ve spent far too much time in them in my lifetime. Good thing is I met Jeff and Jason, the paramedics. They were both very nice and helpful. Jason was the cuter of the two and he was funny.

They rolled me into the ER on the back board and in the neck brace, which was so comfortable and fashionable I might add. I must give a Kudos to the Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest ER…I didn’t have to wait for hours before I was seen. I was seen relatively quickly, which exceeded my expectations. Everyone was very nice and helpful. Sharon stayed with me in the ER and helped get me back to the house after I was released. Her husband Andy came to pick us up when I was discharged brought us some food and then, they went to a 24 hour pharmacy to get my Rx for pain medication so that I could sleep through the night.

Sharon was a trooper…she was laughing the entire time because she said I was making her laugh. She even commented that I couldn’t be in pain if I was laughing…It hurts to make any sudden movements and sit for a long period of time. I am now on a pain management regime until I can see a primary care doctor, which I don’t have yet since I just moved to the area. The hospital called this morning to tell me that they found that I have a T12 mild compression fracture, which means I need to see someone sooner rather than later.

A whirlwind just happened...

Before I get started on this adventure, I must warn you there are a lot of details…so bear with me.

When I say whirlwind that may be an understatement none the less a lot has happened in a very short amount of time. Not many of you know that I have had a feeling of unsettledness for the last six to seven months. I could not pin point it but I knew something needed to change, whether it be personally, professionally, or both. I was having a hard time figuring out what I needed to do. I am glad to say that Heavenly Father has a sense of humor and sense of confidence in me. He knows me! What does he do? His hand was involved in the ward boundaries that we had in the Raleigh Stake in November. As a result, I moved to the Knightdale ward. For the first three weeks I was sitting pretty knowing that I was not going to be in any of the presidencies, I didn’t get called to primary, or the relief society. Then I get a calling to teach gospel doctrine, for those that are not members of the church that means I was asked to teach adult Sunday school. I was in a state of denial when the call was extended. I told them to make sure because I am not a scriptorian by any means. I am simple minded and have great faith. Some may have guessed that this calling, in my opinion was beyond me. There are certainly more people out there that are qualified to teach than me, however after about ten minutes of bantering, I relented and accepted the call. I did that because as much as I personally didn’t want the calling, I knew in my heart that teaching gospel doctrine was where I needed to be at that point.

So teaching gospel doctrine I did, which was good. I learned a lot and more importantly the calling drove me to my knees as I was seeking guidance from the spirit on what direction the lesson should be taken and of course so that all would be edified and uplifted. Admittedly, I was intimidated in the beginning because I was in a new ward and didn’t know anyone but I started to get more comfortable as the weeks went on. The other good thing about this calling was that I went to the temple on a weekly basis so that I could be in tune with the spirit, not only about my lessons but for my own sense of unsettledness. Looking back on it, I am glad I did the things I did to prepare because it helped me to recognize the spirit and to listen, thanks also to Dennis Moore for our singles Sunday school class.

What does this have to do with the whirlwind you ask? It all started when I randomly looked at a couple of different external (outside Fidelity) websites to see what kind of positions I would be suited for if any. I looked at Progress Energy in North Carolina, The Shaw Group in Louisiana, and PPL, who was one of my clients. It just so happened that PPL has a position that had been posted since September 2010 so I asked Barb (she was my regular client contact) about it. As a result, I sent her my resume and let the process take its due course. This was sometime in early to mid January. On Monday, January 24th Barb called and let me know that she was forwarding my resume to HR and that I should get a call soon. In my mind, I was thinking okay, a couple of weeks since that is how most HR groups work. On the same day my brother let me know that he would be in Baltimore for an overnight layover, at which time I was not going to drive for five hours to see him for two hours. On Tuesday, I had a strong feeling that I should go up to see my brother so I went to my bosses office and let her know that I was going to take Thursday, the 27th and Friday the 28th off so that I could go see my brother. Wednesday afternoon, I received a call from HR asking me a few questions about the position and why I was interested in the position. Routine questions… Thursday morning, I was ready to leave and walking out the door when I had an impression to get a skirt and some boots. My initial reaction was whatever, I am not going to get dressed up but I listened and got a skirt and my boots. This is so crazy, right? I know…trust me, I know. About 2 hours into the ride, I get an email from HR asking me if I was going to be in Allentown anytime in the next week or so to which I responded, no but I am on my way to Baltimore to see my brother who just got back from his Middle East deployment and I know Allentown is about 3 hours out. A couple of hours later I got another email asking me if I could go over to Allentown Friday and if so, what time. My response was sure but lets do 1 so that I don’t have to rush out of Baltimore in the snow. About 4 that same afternoon I got a call from Barb telling me that I was coming over…and I was like yep, but how did you know? She said I would be interviewing with her, Eileen, Tim (HR), and Pete. I was like, okay, then I can’t ask you what to expect so I will see you tomorrow. I now understood why I had the impression to get a skirt and boots. Had I not gotten them I would not have been able to interview or I would have had to buy a skirt and some shoes and anyone who knows me knows I HATE shopping!!!

I drove over to Allentown out of Baltimore…seeing the worse part of the city that I hope to never have to see again and saw some pretty country that I would like to see again if I could only remember where it was at. You see, I borrowed the Garmin from a friend so I followed the Garmin in and followed the Garmin out. I must admit that when I was done with the interview, I was pretty confident that I would get an offer, however I was not certain of the timing and I certainly was not presumptuous. The following Monday, I received an email with the application and a summary of benefits for salaried employees, which was a good sign in my mind. I filled out the application and emailed it back that night. I had asked Tim what the next steps were and expected timeframe was and was advised that “the next steps (offer) he would need to know my current salary.” I responded with a question and then they got hammered in Pennsylvania with snow that week so we got slowed down. We finally talked Friday night about the salary issue and he had what he needed before the weekend. Monday morning, February 7th I got a call with an official offer and the letter emailed to me that morning, which I signed and sent back. The offer was very generous and provided a great salary increase for me as well as a relocation assistance package. I must admit, even if I wanted to ask for more money, there was no way I could do that in good conscious with the relocation package they provided.

My boss was out of the office on the 7th so I had to wait until Tuesday to give my notice, which I provided them with 3 weeks notice all come to find out that I was to start my new job on March 7th. Wow!! I couldn’t believe it! I was in a state of bewilderment trying to absorb all that was happening to me in such a quick timeframe. I had to get the house ready to put on the market, get movers situated, find a place to live in Allentown, and get up to Allentown in enough time for me to be “settled” (used lightly) before I went to work on my first day. Thank heavens I have Barb as a resource in the area knowing that she was born and raised in the area. She told me right away that I was not to sign anything unless I ran it buy her first so that she could tell me if it was a good area or not. I took her advise and boy was I glad I did. The realtor sent me some decent places to look at but the one place that Barb and everyone else in the area gave a thumb up was Trexler Park Apartments. I drove to Allentown Presidents day weekend to look for a place to live. I looked at some of the places that the realtor provided just so that I could get a sense of the area and then I drove to Trexler Park, which by the way is very popular so getting an apartment is not the easiest thing to do. Once I drove to the area I understood why Barb was for Trexler, along with everyone else. It is very nice and it just so happened that they had availability for March 3rd which was great since I was driving up to Allentown on the 4th. The timing could not have been better. Now you tell me that Heavenly Father’s hand is not in this entire process. The last hurdle is to sell the house quickly, which I have every confidence that Heavenly Father will take care of. He has taken care of everything thus far! I have hired a painter to paint the house and am getting the carpets cleaned so it will be ready. What else is there for me to do except have faith.

I drove out of Raleigh Friday, March 4th knowing that I will not be going back “home” but knowing that I am embarking on a new journey with new adventures in store for me. I have already been to the ward and met some people and I already have people that are willing to help me from work. As an example, Barb was more than happy to get my keys for me so that I didn’t have to rush out of Raleigh to make it to the leasing office before 5 and to add to that she pulled the “mother” card on me when she asked me to send her my staples so that Saturday morning I would not have to worry about what to eat or drink. She is truly an amazing person and for that I am very grateful. I continue to surround myself with amazing people!

The movers unloaded everything Saturday morning and as I sit in the living room I wonder where in the world I am going to put everything! I didn’t think I had that much stuff but based on the boxes it looks as though I do. I guess I will see in the coming days and weeks as I unpack! Right now, I don’t have a dining room table and I have boxes almost from wall to wall in the dining room area. My office is similar and last but not least and the most exciting, my BED is put together so I get to sleep on my bed tonight!!! Thursday night I had to sleep on the floor because my pump broke…it was made in China and I could have gone to a friends house but I needed to stay with the animals. Friday night Barb brought me a twin mattress with a pump that worked…and I was so thankful!!!

As you can see, a whirlwind just happened in my life and there is still more to come I’m sure…stay tuned.

Time Flies

Time flies doesn't it! In just two weeks, I will be traveling to New Bern, North Carolina for the ride! I will be riding in the MS Ride and over the course of the weekend I will be riding 100 miles. Don't fret, I am not ready to do 100 in one trip but I will be doing 50 miles on Saturday and 50 miles on Sunday. I am looking forward to it again this year!!! I hope the weather cooperates and with the blessings of heaven is just a nice as it was last year.

I have been riding 30 miles the last two Saturday's in Cary, NC. It has been fun...however, I must tell you that last weeks ride was probably the most miserable ride I have ever had. About 10-15 miles into the ride, I started getting what's called 'hot foot' in the cycling world. I had felt this before but never as extreme as I did on this ride. What happens is that your foots nerves start to get pinched and it feels like the ball of your foot or the arch area is cramping and turns into knots that won't subside. I tried to adjust my cleats differently but nothing worked so I rode the last 20 miles or so in a severe amount of pain. Mind you I have a pretty hight tolerance for pain...it takes a lot. As soon as we were done with the ride, I rode right into the shop and asked about it. Unfortunately, they don't fit without appointments on the weekends. I made my appointment for the first available day, Wednesday with my schedule. I took the bike in with all my gear and decided that I should do the advanced fitting, which includes video and a little coaching. Brandon, the tech made some adjustments and kept the bike until Friday night so that I could ride Saturday. This was my first ride after the fitting and it was much more tolerable. My left foot was still a little hot but not near as bad as it was the previous week. At least I didn't want to cut my feet off!!! So he made a few minor tweaks for my next ride and I will see how it goes. If after that, it still isn't 100% then we will look at new shoes that are wider, giving me a little more room. All in all, I was pretty happy with the fitting. I better be for the amount of money it costs.

Life is good! Life is busy!!!

Okay…so that dog that we encountered the other day riding was there again today. Unfortunately, he kept following me and seemed to be a little more aggressive last night. I was a little nerve wracked…simply because I don’t want to get attacked. I saw the dog coming and started to go a little faster, however, it was on an incline which didn’t make it very easy to go any faster, at least for me. So I stared the dog down…and he kept coming. I finally, yelled get back and kicked my left foot out. It seemed to help but it also helped that the owner FINALLY yelled for the dog.

I googled, “How to combat dogs while cycling” and found the following:

One major issue while out biking is that you will at one time or another run into dogs. Sometimes these dogs are friendly while at other times they are not. Find out what you need to know so that you can deal with dogs that you encounter while riding your bike.

First, do your best to just ignore the dog. Many dogs are just curious or looking for some attention. If they do not get this attention, they will move on to someone or something else. At other times dogs are territorial and want to protect what is theirs. If you ignore the dog, the dog will not feel that you are threatening their territory as much.

If the dog does come up to you and start being a bit aggressive, use your bike as your protection. Try to keep the dog between you and your front tire. Do not look into the eye of an aggressive animal. Wish I would have know this before…I thought staring was a sign of my confidence. Boy was I wrong!!!

Make noise at the dog. Yell things like "back" or "no". Be firm with your voice and try not to show fear. This many times will cause the animal to back off.

Take your water bottle and spray it at the dog. This is not something that most dogs like. If this does not work, act like you have a weapon in your hand showing the dog that it should not be bothering you.

Get an anti dog device like a dog whistle. This can make a very uncomfortable sound that the dog will not like and will make it run away.

If it is a common problem, talk to the owner of the dog to see if there is anything can be done. The owner might not be aware that the dog is threatening you and making you feel uncomfortable.
If you are not sure who to talk to, call animal control to come and take care of the problem.

I have to say though that nothing happened...not yet anyway. We rode 20 miles last night and found a good route. We are experimenting with the milage and will likely find additional routes to take out there in the boonies of Rolesville. It really is pretty and quiet. Traffic is at a minimum. Very nice!!!