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This Thursday marked 1 year for me living NY.

So far it has been a mixed bag of both good and bad times. I enjoy my job and getting a paycheck every two weeks. I like the house and area where I live and my landlord is very agreeable and helpful if there is something wrong or needs to be fixed. I was able to find a church in a relatively short time where I was able to join and get involved with easily. I haven't even minded the fact that since moving here I have not had the best of luck health wise: chest pains in Feb & my recent ordeal of breaking my wrist and hand. Sure its not been easy but I guess things like that happen since we are unable to control everything. I even finally switched the car over to NY plates.

The downside has been (the lack 0f) my social life. While I have many met many people through work, church, and practically living at the YMCA I still lack a group of FRIENDS. When I was planning on moving and when I got up here friends from home and people I met here continually say that it must take alot to move to a new area and not know anyone. If I had a dime for every time I had this conversation, I would have a lot of dimes. While I know these people mean well, it sometimes just reminds me of how alone and isolated I feel. It has been great that my brother lives in Conn. and Craig lives in Boston, but it is not like I can call them up and go hangout with them for the evening. It is not like I have isolated myself either, I do go to different activities through church and work but have had no luck forming meaningful friendships...and lets not even start on the whole girlfriend/significant other topic. There is more in this area I could go into but I really don't feel like it at the moment, I just wish things would get better and the effort I am putting in would payoff.

The year in numbers:
Pay grade started:16
Pay grade now:18
Pounds lost: 42 (32 if you count the 10 I have put on due to breaking my wrist)
Visits to the ER: 2
Visits back home: 3


and on a lighter note...

Mom and Phil were up to visit this week. They got here Monday evening and left yesterday afternoon. I think they had a good time during there visit. While I was working they rode the motorcycle in the Adirondacks , the Catskills, and down to Conn to see a lighthouse. In the evenings we would go out to eat and then go back to the house. They also stopped in the office and saw where I work and met my coworkers. Phil helped me hang some pictures and mom did my laundry and my dishes. It was nice to have them here and I am glad they enjoyed their time. I went to see the doctor Friday so he could reevaluate my wrist. I start physical therapy on Tuesday . I am going to wait till then to see what they think I should or shouldn't do exercise wise at the gym. I can't wait to get back into the workout groove and figure it is going to be somewhat difficult.

Not much else exciting happening this week but I am headed to Cinncy in 2 weeks so that should be fun.

-c

Cast Away and Vacation

WARNING: This post contains lots of pictures and a video from YouTube.

So I now I promised weekly updates on the blog awhile ago but the last 2 weeks were the exception...whatcan I say,you get what you pay for. Truth be told I took off work the week of the 4th and drove down to WV.

The Friday before the 4th I drove to Morgantown and spent the weekend there visiting friends before heading on home . The catch was my mom did not know I was coming in so when I started down the road I called and told her I would be calling later after I got off work because I needed her to look for something on the computer for me. When I pulled into the neighborhood I called and made sure she was at the computer before pulling in the driveway and ringing the doorbell. Needless to say she was surprised and I think glad to see me especially since she was planning on coming up to Albany in 2 weeks. While home I got to see my grandparents and we had an impromptu cookout on the 4th.

While I had a fun time on the 4th it was hard to watch everyone else throw horseshoes and not be able to myself. Saturday I left home and went back up to Morgantown, spent the night, then left for Albany after going to church. But overall I enjoyed my week in WV and was glad I went even if I did have to drive one armed in a hot car with no AC for 10 hrs and feel I got the proper amount of mothering after having to take care of my injured self for over a month.

So Monday morning when I got back to work I had a ton of emails to go through and it turned out the meeting that I was supposed to have which I had to reschedule my cast removal for had been changed to this coming week. I was not happy especially when 2 days last week were very hot and humid and I had an oven on my my arm. Well Friday finally came and I could not wait to get my cast off my arm.



As you can tell this one is better then the first becasue I knew what I was doing this time. Just in case you can see all the dead skin here are some better shots of my hand/arm that was covered by the cast:


Here is a picture of how skinny my arm is:


I now have limited usage of my thumb and wear a wrist brace. I am going back on Friday to be reevaluated to see if I require rehab.


I need to come up with a creative way to use this to remind myself not to do stupid stuff in the future:



So this weekend I have been picking the dead skin off my hand and cleaning my house which has fallen into much disrepair over the past 2 months (pictured below) or so especially since my mother is going to be here tomorrow.






I was in the middle of a massive organization of the collection when I had the accident.

I am hoping to start spinning again at the gym again within the next week. Since the accident I have probably put on 8-10 pounds and I can feel it ...UGH! Well I better jet still have some stuff to do before tomorrow when mom arrives.

-c