fucking hipsters

Ugh. Last night I went to a wedding celebration (the actual wedding was a week before in Texas, this was just a party) for one of Mike's coworkers. And it was nice, I guess... except that you had to stand in an overheated, small, crowded area and scream to be heard with a ton of hipsters that I don't know (but who all know each other) and I had to get up for work in the morning so I wasn't even really drinking.

But Mike's boss LOVES Mike and was really excited to finally get to party with him (because Mike is an old man and rarely goes on all-night benders like these young hipsters do.)

In my defense, talking to people I don't know is my idea of torture, and yet, I did surprisingly well and had several funny conversations with people. I want that noted for the record.

And then after a couple of hours, my throat hurt and my back was spasming and I said, "fuck it." Mike helped me find a cab home and then he went back inside. Mike's boss's band was playing and Mike went onstage to sing a couple of songs with them. Funny how (apart from our wedding) I've never seen Mike perform in front of people.

You know how it is... a guy is onstage singing and suddenly he is really hot? Well at the end of the night two girls got in a mini catfight over Mike. Both (of these skanky whores) wanted to make out with him. I have two things to say about that... first is- WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE WOMEN??? They KNOW he is married and in fact, met me (his wife) earlier that very evening. And this is probably why these women are single... they have no self-respect or respect for others.

The other thing I have to say, is that it is really nice being with someone that I trust so completely. Mike and I jokingly talked about the fact just the other day that he could never cheat on me because he could A) not handle the sad puppy-dog look I would give him when I found out and B) he would never get away with it because I have an amazing sense of smell and would be able to sniff it out and know if he tried something. Whose perfume is this? Did you hug someone who showered with Dial soap? I would know.

My other thought is that while it is nice that Mike and I can tell each other anything... that doesn't mean you necessarily SHOULD. Because now I'm going to have to kick his slutty skank-face coworkers in the head the next time I see them. Hipsters, man, fucking hipsters.

walking in a winter wonderland

One of the perks of last weekend is that we had a blizzard. Normally that wouldn't make me happy... but it meant that Mike's work was closed so I got to spend the day with him. And since we had no food in the house we decided to order pizza. But I am a pain in the butt and I wanted red wine with the pizza, so we decided to brave the elements (Mike LOVES the snow so this was no problem for him) and go for a quick walk over to the local shop where I got a bottle of Mike Ditka Cabernet Sauvignon.

Things I am thankful for...
1. Having good outer gear. As Mike likes to say, "There's no such thing as bad weather- just bad clothing!" (As I like to say, "Shut up, Mike! This snow sucks!") But I've been perfectly toasty while out and about this winter.
2. See-thru umbrellas.
3. Discovering a new, really quite delicious wine.
4. Being out in a big storm when everyone else is inside.
5. Video cameras and memories.
6. Playing volleyball again and our team (of old geezers) beating the pants off the new team of 24 year olds!
7. The future being full of possibilities. My life isn't quite where I want it to be at the moment but there is always time to do something about it.
8. My friends. I've been feeling very, very lonely lately which makes me appreciate the friends I do have even more.
9. Date nights with Mike- we've been exploring our neighborhood more and we've had some epic air hockey battles and discovered a cute little shop that sells delicious hot chocolates (we split a sampler of three different kinds) as well as homemade, flavored marshmallows and truffles.

 I love this couch! 

 Salted caramel, semi-sweet and Mexican hot chocolates.

Dr. Sha

My new favorite teacher is Dr. Sha. She is a cute little Chinese lady who is probably around 60 years old and is from Shanghai and has a VERY thick accent. But she also has a great sense of humor, on top of being a bad-ass, super-talented acupuncturist.

The other day in class we were learning some advanced needling techniques. In China they do something call "fire needles" where they actually insert the needles into a fire and heat them and then stick them in your body. We don't do that here in the states, instead we do something called "warming technique" where you take moxa (which is a loose Chinese fluffy herb that you can roll into a ball) and stick it on the end of the needle (that is stuck in someone) and then you light the moxa on fire. The heat transfers from the moxa to the needle and then to the person.

And it feels GREAT! It is very useful for places like the knees or the knuckles and feels good for arthritis. I did it to my right knee only and it felt so different (and better) than my left knee after I was done.

The moxa turns into ash, but retains its shape. So it sits there as a little ball of ash on the end of the needle. You can put some cardboard around the needle just in case the ash falls so that you don't burn the patient. But when you are done you take this spoon that has a slot in it and put it around the needle and scoop the ash off.

So Dr. Sha was explaining to us (in her very heavy accent) that when she started teaching she called it a "crack spoon" and all her students had laughed and she didn't understand because it was a spoon with a crack in it, so what was so funny? And she turned to us and goes, "And that's how I learned about drugs." And then she goes, "So don't you go home now and tell them that Dr. Sha taught you how to use a crack spoon today!"

She is adorable. We are learning some really fun things this semester. Last week we learned to do needles with moxa and this week we learned to do needles with cups over them (to intensify the treatment.) As much as I complain about school, I have to admit that it is pretty awesome too!

family privilege

So I just got a massage... in my apartment. That is friggin' awesome. I've had massages before but never IN my apartment where I get to just roll over and go to bed afterwards. I decided I needed a massage because it's been months since my last one and I have to give a massage to a new client tomorrow so it's always good to have a refresher. Plus they just feel nice. So nice.

But my therapist was a woman I used to work with at the spa and we were catching up and she told me that our other former coworker's mother had passed away. I didn't always get along that great with the other coworker, I mean, no big fights or anything but we didn't really click so I usually just kept my distance from her. But I just found out that her mom and dad had divorced when she was really little and she doesn't really talk to her mom/ get along with her. But she was talking to her dad on the phone and he just casually mentioned that her mom was dead. It had happened three weeks prior and nobody had bothered to tell her.

Just let that soak in.

Can you even imagine?

I can't. I really can't. My family is weird and nerdy and we certainly have our issues, but I am so lucky to have them. And I just feel bad. It just goes to show that you have no idea what other people are going through. My coworker could not have had a very easy life and I should have cut her more slack.

You hear about "white privilege" a lot and it is certainly true. But I also definitely have "supportive and loving family privilege." There are so many things that I take for granted because of the way I was raised. I used to be mad because I didn't get tons of hugs and kisses and "I love yous" when I was growing up. But I had a dad that came home from work early to coach my soccer team. I had a mom that made sure I did my homework. I had siblings that were always there to play cards or a board game with me. And I know I can count on all of them thru thick and thin.

I dunno, just another reminder to be thankful for what I have and to be kind to others no matter what.

Puerto Rico- family vacation for parents' 50th anniversary

So I almost don't even want to tell you guys about my trip, because I will just sound like a bragging asshole, but it was absolutely amazing. A true bit of tropical paradise. 

We went down to Puerto Rico with my entire immediate family (all my siblings with their spouses and children, my parents as well as an aunt, a cousin and my nephew's girlfriend.) So that was 26 of us separated into two gorgeous vacation homes that were next door to each other on a resort in Puerto Rico about an hour from San Juan. 

This is the fort at San Juan. This is the picture that is on their license plates. 

This is the view off of our deck at one of the houses. 

This is (almost, my mom is missing) all of us in one of the pools. 

The entire trip was pretty amazing but one of the highlights was going "hiking" in the rainforest and then zip lining down. Um... so I was so not prepared for what we had to do. My sister had described it as a one-mile hike. No biggie, right? 

WRONG! It was basically climbing up a waterfall for a mile. We climbed up a river. A lot of it was almost totally vertical climbing, with water rushing down at us. It is an absolute miracle that I didn't sprain an ankle on all of the slippery rocks. 

It really was an adventure of a life time. 

We spent a lot of time just lounging around the houses, because they were amazing. But we did make another day trip out on a boat to go snorkeling around these two private islands. It wasn't the best snorkeling because the water was a bit stirred up. But let me tell you, crappy snorkeling in Puerto Rico in January is still a hell of a lot better than anything in Chicago in January.

The only bad part about the resort we stayed at is that the beaches were full of seaweed and therefore didn't smell that great and you didn't want to go swimming there. We had pools so it didn't matter and we got to go on the beaches during our day out snorkeling. But the beaches at the resort were perfect for horseback riding! 

The other thing we did was have "house olympics" since we were divided into two houses. We played all sorts of games including my personal favorite which was called "what's in my hair." It was a game that my sister Sam actually made up. One person wears a shower cap and "safety glasses" which were just funny glasses. Another person has one minute to put an entire can of shaving cream onto the person with the shower cap's head and then a third person has to try and throw cheese balls so that they stick in the shaving cream. The team with the most cheese balls stuck after two minutes wins. 

Technically, my team lost, but I'm pretty sure everyone is a winner in that game! 

And again, this is the view from our house. And no, it really never gets old. I could (and did) stare at this for days!

 And now I'm back in Chicago after having my first flight cancelled and almost having my second one cancelled due to the crew working too many hours. Then we had to sit on the tarmac for 45 minutes at 1:30 AM because there were no gates available. I finally got home and now I have the killer cold that my dad had. Luckily (?) school and volleyball are cancelled tomorrow because of the extreme cold. Welcome back to Chicago, I guess! I'm already looking forward to our next family trip in five years! 

I miss the old christmases

Do you remember when Christmas used to be fun and magical?

Christmas as an adult is different. It's expensive. And exhausting. And emotional.

That's not to say it's not lovely. It's still fun. I still enjoy parts of it. I do. Really.

But when we were at my aunt's house last night I got pretty down. I had been doing really well, but last night it was baby central. It seems like all of my cousins (who are younger than me) are popping out babies. There were four babies under the age of 2 years-old there last night. And lots of happy aunts/grandmas cooing and cuddling them and it was sweet. And I wanted to punch them all in the face.

And then Mike sees me get upset and then he gets upset. And then I think about all the people who are single and how hard it might be for them to be there pretending it is all great. And then I think about all the people with anxiety and other problems who struggle to be in those situations and how hard it is for them. And then I think about all the people who are missing someone who has passed away and how hard it is for them.

Like I said, do you remember when Christmas used to be fun and magical?

I have an amazing life. I have the best husband ever. But that doesn't stop me from getting sad sometimes. As much as my brain tries to convince my heart to be happy, it doesn't always get with the program.

Was 2014 a good year? It was a hard year. Lots of hurdles. Lots of challenges. Lots of being in limbo, especially in regards to Mike opening his restaurant, which I have no control over.

It wasn't a bad year. I did lots of growing. I totally rocked this school year. I learned more than I ever thought capable. And I did pass my comps, by the way!

But given the choice, I would not repeat this year. I'm glad to have it behind me.

I could post about the awesome presents I got for Christmas, and the amazing dinners my husband cooks me and tell you about my upcoming trip to Puerto Rico. I could paint a picture that would make you super envious of my life. But that's what Facebook is for! Ha! Here on my blog, you get the more balanced picture. Yes, my life is amazing, but I'm a little down right now. And that's okay.

Balance is good. It makes you appreciate what you have. And right now I have a bed that is calling my name!

I hope everyone reading this had a wonderful Christmas and found more reasons to smile than to cry this year.

winter break! woohoo!

A friend just complained that I haven't updated this since September... so in honor of the one person that actually still checks this, here goes...

I just finished my "hell week" which was actually more like two weeks. I had six finals and then my "comps" the big scary end of the year test (which consists of eight different sections) which you need to pass to move on in the program. It was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I had to know the locations and actions of over 200 acupuncture points. I had to know the Chinese and Latin names of over 200 herbs as well as their functions and I had to be able to identify them based on their looks. And I had to try and remember something about how to practice Chinese medicine and the theory behind it. I haven't gotten my grades back yet but the only portion that I bombed was actually the bio-science portion which is odd because that's one of my strengths. However, the questions were not at all relevant to what I am going to be doing in real life so I'm not that upset about not doing well on it. For example, one of the questions was which type of plant is more common: angiosperms or gymnosperms? There were four possible answers but I ruled out whatever the other two were. And then I just had to guess. Because WHO FUCKING CARES??? How is that going to matter as an acupuncturist? I just looked up the answer and it is that there are more known species of angiosperms that all other types of plants combined. So I got that right, so maybe I got lucky on some others too? Fingers crossed!

Here are all the herbs I had to learn!

Now I'm on vacation. And it's lovely. And I don't know what to do with myself! I'm almost done reading my first book. I have several more lined up. Vacation is lovely. Oh, I already mentioned that. Well, it is!

I went to the eye doctor yesterday and she had me do the Snellen chart (I bet you didn't know that had a name!) where you read the letters that she has on the far side of the room. And I was able to read the bottom line so she put up an even smaller line and I could read that too! She told me that she only asks people who have had Lasik if they can read that one- it means I have 20/15 vision! Woohoo! Seriously, getting Lasik was the best thing I ever did. She told me that a lot of professional athletes are coming in and getting Lasik to TRY to get to 20/15 vision to give them an advantage!

Christmas is coming and I'm very much looking forward to it. What's your favorite part about Christmas? Mine in my stocking! My parents' rule was that you only got stockings while you were in school but I love them so much that Santa (my sister!) took over for them and has continued to fill it year after year. Did I tell you that I got Mike a Justin Bieber stocking? He hates it, but I think in twenty years time when it becomes "retro" that it will be awesome. You have to think ahead on things like this.

I got really pissed at a client the other day. She wanted super duper amounts of pressure. More than I wanted to give her, but she was adamant and said it felt great and was really helping and how she gets migraines when people massage her with less pressure. So I gave it to her. And then she complained later that she was really, really sore. No fuck! Grrrrr!

Mike and I are already plotting ideas for next year's christmas card. Some of Mike's friends didn't realize that this year's was a Word Find puzzle. How do you NOT realize that it is a word find puzzle? It SAYS it is a word find puzzle. It has a list of words. It looks like a word find puzzle. I don't understand. Well, they are all stoners so perhaps that has something to do with it.

There is no room in our tiny apartment for a Christmas tree, so I "put up" at tree on our fridge. I was going to decorate it with paper ornaments and garland but Mike had the great idea of using the Christmas cards we receive as "ornaments." It turned out kinda cute, all things considered, but we are running out of room.

Speaking of Mike, he is doing well- as I type this he is off talking to a chef he hopes to hire. We are just waiting on one teeny tiny stupid woopid permit from the City of Chicago zoning department and then we can get our small business loan! Again, fingers crossed!

Alright, buddy (you know who you are!), I've posted something, are you happy now?

Merry Christmas everyone!