One post for two days :)

I shall divide my post into two sections...Here we go!

Monday (February 14) aka Valentine's Day: I woke up and did the usual...Walk around the house a bit, try not to scream when my back flares up, etc. I was having a pretty good day as it went along. Not too much pain, pretty stoked about the evening's events. It's funny how some days you are so busy being excited/nervous/etc. that pain seems to come secondary. This was definitely one of those days. As the afternoon wore on, I began the preparations for the night. I took a shower, got dressed, did the makeup, and so on. I had bought a new outfit (shoes, shirt, earrings ring, etc.) so I was excited. A few things went wrong as I was getting ready. I'll spare you the details, although I'm sure they would add a bit of spice to my story. Nonetheless, I was ready to go in time for Dad to drop me off at Nathaniel's house by 6. As I walk in the door, there stands Mr. Golden, all dressed up and looking suave. It turns out he was not taking me to dinner, but had spent the afternoon cooking up something delicious for us. I was super hyped, as much of an understatement as that may be. He had made everything from an appetizer to salad to pasta to dessert...My inner fat kid rejoiced. I was blown away by his culinary abilities, and I mean that wholeheartedly. We had sparkling grape juice to drink of course, since my medications prohibit me from having anything dangerous. I had a blast just sitting there, eating delicious food, and talking with a pretty amazing dude. After dinner he opened my present which was (embarrassingly) a poem book that I had written. It covered all of the goings-on since we met in September. He was kind enough not to laugh in my face as he read it. :p We ended up watching some episodes from Season Six of The Office...My favorite show! I loves me some Michael Scott and Jim Halpert. I successfully sat on the couch with my legs laying on the ottoman. With a pillow behind my back, I was set and ready to go! As we were watching it, I had very little pain. I'm telling you, I am pretty excited about the progress that I've made over the past few weeks. It's amazing that I am leading a fairly normal life only six weeks after having my back cut open and my spine adjusted. Although Nathaniel hadn't seen very many episodes of the show beforehand, I made him a believer, I do declare! :p We then went upstairs and I got to listen to a sweet jam session with Nathaniel and his roommate Mark. Those two boys plus guitars and a harmonica equal awesomeness. I was pretty impressed by their abilities, and may even have joined in with a little shaker action during one of the songs. :) Once Clay got home, we all just chilled and talked in Mark's room. It was great getting to know the boys better. They're good people. They were of course curious about my surgery, and I tried to describe it as best as I could without making it sound horrible. Yes, there is lots of pain. Yes, I get very frustrated when I can't do something for myself. But overall, I am gaining patience and empathy as every day passes. When I have a student in the future who has a setback similar to mine, I can help them as best as I know how. On a tangent, I feel the same way about heartbreak. Since I've gone through it, I can now help my future daughter when she goes through the same thing. I can honestly say "I know how you feel" and mean every word. God gives us horribly rough situations to sift our way through to show us in the end that the strength was there all along. As true as it is, I digress. Nathaniel was kind enough to get the car started and warmed up before I went outside. A nice ride home while listening to some classical music was a wonderful end to the night. He is a true gentleman, and one that I know God placed in my life to show me that amazing people do exist, and we can't take them for granted. If you're reading this right now and thinking "Hey...So-and-so really means a lot to me and I haven't really expressed that in a while", go for it. Don't miss the chance to tell people how much you appreciate them and are blessed that they stand by your side. We really are so lucky to wake up in the morning, take a breath, and approach the day with a positive attitude. Does my attitude turn a bit sour sometimes? Sure. But I'd like to think this surgery has taught me that negativity only reverses progress. :)

Tuesday (February 15): I woke up a little bit late, but was very lucky to have a tiny amount of morning pain. I think we've gotten this down to an art where I can manage my medications and getting out of bed just right. Of course there are days when my body is like "Hey guess what? You're going to hate me for a while". We eventually make amends. :) I ate a delicious lunch of leftover mac and cheese from Outback. If you have not had Outback's "mac a roo and cheese", I highly advise you try it. On my list of mac and cheeses, it probably has the #1 spot. Once again my inner fat kid chimes in...After lunch I watched a little TV with Mom and then got dressed to go walking. Amber came over and was nice enough to pick me up. After stopping at McDonalds for something to drink, we went to the park and walked around the lake. One lap around is a 1/2 mile, so at this point in my recuperation, I should make 3 laps a day. I was so stoked to get out of the house to walk, since my dining room is only exciting the first thirty times you walk past it. We walked and got to talk about all kinds of things. From surgery to relationships to friends and family, we got a lot off of our chests. I love that girl so much, and I appreciate all she has done for me pre- and post-operation. I'm blessed to have such a strong Christian woman as a friend. We took a few strolls around the lake and then decided to leave the chilly wind and get in the car. Arriving at my house, we chilled for a little bit as she checked her Facebook. I figured since I had just knocked out my whole walking regimen for the day, I could treat myself to a little job hunting on the web. I feel bad, because something came over me and I got super tired/melancholy/weird as she and Mom were talking. I didn't contribute much to the conversation, but boy did I have a relaxing time on the couch for a bit. I'm so glad I can get into and off of couches/chairs/car seats easier now. That is one area where I have definitely gotten better. I no longer require an army of pillows to accompany me in car rides. :) Amber left to go watch her adorable nephew, and we got dressed for dinner. Mom, Dad, and I headed out to the Chinese buffet near El To's. We ran into some people we hadn't seen in a while, so that turned into a lengthy chat session over Chinese food. Once the feasting was over, we went to Walmart. Enthralling, right? Dad and I stopped at the Redbox and rented Dinner for Schmucks. We enjoy our new bluray player, hehe. I made sure to get some healthy food so that I don't pig out on junk like I usually do. This whole self-control when it comes to eating thing is new to me, so we'll see how long it lasts. :p No, I really do think the surgery has caused me to desire being healthy in more ways than one. Straighter back, smaller waistline, more exercise, etc. I am excited for the momentum to carry me into a period when I can actually do more activities. Of course I have the motivation now, but I can only bend forward ten degrees...AKA not very much haha. But I make do, and I look forward to what is to come. In more ways than one. :) Goodnight all!