There’s a Light

In a way, I’m pretty happy that Alan made the decision to stay where he is for the time being. He sent me a message on Facebook saying that everyone who was going home got their plans cancelled and then 12 hours later, people were being sent home again. I don’t think I could handle that much emotional turbulence. At any rate, Alan is there for the duration. I haven’t heard from him in a few days, but I’m not worried. SSG Schulz was one of the people going home and he was working the night shift, so Alan was going to start covering him. My guess is that the lack of communication is a combination of adjusting to the new schedule,  learning a new routine, and trying to figure out the time difference. As they say, no news is good news. If anything had happened, I’d already know.

Last Friday, Kellie and I took the babies over to Cassie’s house for the night and went up to Denver to see Rocky Horror. It was seriously fun and there were so many virgins in the audience that no one noticed that I didn’t go up. They were selling prop bags, so Kellie and I each got one, which of course adds to the fun. There were lots of people in costume, lots of shouting and throwing things. The neighborhood the theater is in is not only residential, but pretty upscale with older, high end homes and tree-lined streets. I’m surprised they put up with all the antics that Rocky Horror engenders. At the same time, it’s nice that it’s in a good neighborhood because it means you can park along the street and walk to the theater in a corset and fishnets without anyone thinking you’re a prostitute. I didn’t dress up, but I may very well the next time I go. And there will be a next time. Not September of course (Bondage theme night!), because I’ll just be getting home from Connecticut, but maybe in October. We’ll see. I told Zach that the next time he visits, he needs to make sure it’s at the end of the month so he can go with me and witness this madness for himself.

Right now I’m gearing up for my trip to Vermont and Connecticut. I’m flying out on the 17th, staying in Vermont until Sunday, then driving down to Connecticut and flying back to Colorado on Friday the 28th. That week in Vermont is going to be interminable, I’m sure. And the week in Connecticut will fly by. That’s just the way it is. Vermont would be a lot more tolerable if my parents lived even halfway closer to town than they are now. And no one should ever let my father decorate. Ever. It’s like being in a fucking cave.

But I won’t get myself worked up over it right now. I’m looking forward to some time in Connecticut, visiting with friends and family. And I’ll admit that I’m amused by the fact that I’ll be in Connecticut while school is in session. The last two times I’ve been back have been over Christmas and during finals. I may have to stalk Tony Rosso since there’s actually a chance that I could run into him in late September. And okay, yes, I totally checked Southern’s course catalog for what classes he’s teaching this semester. I do wonder if he would remember me after all this time – 6 years! That’s quite a lot for someone who sees hundreds of students every semester. Still, is he in the habit of having lunch with all of them? Maybe I’m just flattering myself, but I’d like to hope he would know me.

Incidentally, I’ve lost 5.6 lbs on Weight Watchers so far. Pretty good, right? I’m only a couple weeks in after all. The first week I lost 4 lbs! The second I lost a more reasonable 1.6. If I can keep at that rate, I’ll pass my goal weight by Christmas and can set a new goal. Hurray! I’ve started hiking rather than walking or running every morning. Going over the varied terrain is working so many more muscle groups and Pippa makes a great weight vest. I’ll still walk a couple times a week, but I think hiking is naturally variable enough that it will take longer to plateau as a work out.

The one bad thing about hiking is having to carry Pippa. Yes, her weight does amazing things for challenging my body, but in the Ergo, I have to wear her on my front. Actually, I don’t HAVE to, but it’s the only way I physically can. It’s meant to be used in a back carry too, but I have yet to manage getting her in AND out of it safely by myself. I certainly wouldn’t try it with only the backseat of my car to support her. So I splurged and bought a Beco Butterfly II. It’s horribly spendy, but on the other hand, I may be able to just sell the Ergo once Pippa is sitting up on her own. The argument in favor of keeping it for the time being is that I wear her when I go shopping and the Ergo is very quick for the front carry. Once I can sit her in the cart, I won’t need the carrier so much. The Beco, however, is MUCH better for the back carry, because the baby actually buckles into the carrier itself, allowing you to handle them as a single unit and put the carrier on like a back pack. She’ll be a lot more secure that way and carrying her on my back will be better for my body.

So between now and my trip, I have Pippa’s six-month check-up on Friday, after which she won’t have another until she’s a year old. Then next Friday we both have an appointment with Dr. Rocco. I can’t lie – I’m looking forward to it. And then the Monday after we get back, I go to see Dr. Huzij. Also looking forward to that. He’s not my main object of lust, but I do like him and occasionally fantasize. ::sigh:: I really need to get that under control. LOL.

~Liz