Shelby Cass’s Weblog

Ringing in 2009 at a big fat whopping 158 pounds, I am far from my goal of 135, but definitely working on it.  I start with this line because it’s a lot of what I think about.  Since the last surgery I have been doing wonderfully, except recently I have been sleeping over 12 hours a night and dark circles are making a comeback under my eyes.  It’s worrysome, and today on our way home from Novato (where we had lunch with my old friend Brad - Hi Brad!) I started nodding behind the wheel.  After 12 hours of sleep, a taco salad and 2 cups of coffee, that shouldn’t happen…so I am scared and sad…And have been on a 1200 calorie low carb diet since December 15 with only 4 pounds off to show for it (I know you’re supposed to lose it slow to keep it off, but I would still like to wake up with curves in the right places…overnight weight loss would be fine by me!).  Grr.  Depresso entry.  Sorry.  We also picked up badminton again after my sprained ankle, and as soon as my freaking hammer squished finger heals, I will get back into yoga and light weights.

Here’s something awesome: When I was in ballet, oh so many years ago, I had a best friend at SFB.  Her name was Britta.  I called her Brit-Brit.  She called me Shelb-Shelb.  She lived in Daly City, so her family let me stay with them whenever I could (mostly summers and Nutcracker season, but many Fridays as well since we always had class on Saturday).  Britta and I lost touch when I left the school to go to high school (the ballet school told me I had to consider “home schooling” going into the next level which I thought meant I was going to be dumb and not go to college so I chose school), but her mom always remembered me and tracked me down right before Britta got married about 5 years ago.  I was invited to be a surprise guest…I was SO EXCITED.  So excited that even though the day of her wedding was the same day I was released from the hospital with kidney stones still partying in my urinary tract, I wanted to go.  David and Courtland had to very sternly tell me I was INSANE and sat with me while I tearfully called the hotel and left a message for Britta’s mom that I would not be attending.

Fast forward 5 years and I still had not seen Britta.  She and her husband lived in the Caribbean and until two years ago we hadn’t even spoken on the phone.  When we finally spoke on the phone, they had just moved back to Daly City and I was just about to have my MMA.  We again lost touch until December 7 when Britta was going through her mom’s address book looking for people to invite to her mom’s surprise birthday party and found my number.  I was invited to the party and 3 days later got to see the whole family again.  It was awesome.  Amazing.  Britta looked the same and we just picked up where we left off…it was just NICE.  So comfortable and nice.  AND Britta has a goal.  She wants to lose some weight and take a ballet class.  It’s funny how people can travel through life, taking different paths here and there, changing little bits about themselves, yet still be, for lack of a better vocabulary, the same.  You know what I mean.  Not the same person…a richer person who knows more and has been through lilfe-shaping things…but a person who even today, if we met brand new, might still end up being a good friend.  Those ones are hard to find.  And you can bet your bottom that she and I will reach our goals and start taking a ballet class from Zoltan (another story) together.  (By the way, Britta has a cat she named Shelby - teehee *big grin*)

So this year has been great.  I know lots of stuff has happened, but everything has had a positive outcome…as in, I believe I am better off today than I was one year ago…and I aim to keep that trend going.  Tonight Nicholas is coming over and we will very mellow-ly watch tons of Psych and if we’re up at 12 we will all three pour bubbly stuff into glasses, clink them together and wish each other a very Happy New Year.  Which it will be.  I have creed.

Happy New Year to you ALL!

xoxo

Shelby

Holy cow and a half!  Okay it’s been a while.  Since I last wrote I have gained weight (ankle fail), hired a professional organizer (consequently got a horrible upper respiratory cold due to *cough* dust *cough* - but kept on breathing), took a mini vacay to Half Moon Bay with step mom Anne, was spontaneously invited and spontaneously accepted trip to Hawaii for a week before Thanksgiving, had two Thanksgiving dinners (=more weight most likely), skipped out on the NECE in Vegas going on right now (National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition), and put Mochi kitty on a diet.  I’m sure there are more things that happened, but those are the highlights…now let us look at the breathing part of those highlights.  Did you notice?  If ANYTHING was going to test the efficacy of the last roto-rootering of my throat, it was that cold.  Dr. Li for the win!  Party on Wayne!

Oh.  I also had a birthday.  12th Annual 24th.  I had my party at Caprino’s down the street.  There were over 40 people in attendance and I had an absolute ball.  I even hooked up with a cake gal and got myself (in addition to a wonderful raved-about opera cake) a special Shelby cake.

I have now spent about an hour trying to upload photos.  Mood = bad.  Need heat (thought I turned it on–evidently not enough) and food.  TBC.  Sorry!

Mochi baby is cute.

My title is probably not funny unless you’re Cynthia.

This morning (Monday) I went to see Dr. Li, my favorite doctor in the world.  He looked in my throat and pronounced me stitch free.  I wondered why I still had sore throats after talking and he explained that while the stitches were in my throat was reacting to the foreign material and only now after the stitches are gone can the tissue fully heal.

I had emailed Dr. Li over the weekend and mentioned that my chin still hurt.  I found this out on Friday when I leaned on my chin…or did I lean on my hand?  I propped myself up with my hand on my chin?  Oh you know what I’m saying.  And I felt pain…only on the right side…where the screw that broke lives.  So Dr. Li prodded that area and shook his head…I’m sure he wishes at times that I just wasn’t so darned sensitive.  I said it was fine.  Something I would live with I’m sure.  And he said give it some time and we’ll revisit it.  But then…THEN…he said “Keep in touch.  Email me in a month. I don’t need to see you.”  Yowzah!!!  I mean, I know I will have a follow up sleep study at some point, but I guess it’s true.  He doesn’t need to see me again.  *tear*  Now what am I going to blog about?

Can I just say that 3 day weekends and the following short work weeks are awesome? I think I just said it.

Tuesday morning I got a desperate call from my boss…co-worker who was supposed to teach class was not feeling well, was there any way I could teach?  Sure.  Why not.  So, I went in to work and walked straight over to the classroom where I proceeded to talk to over 30 people for 1.5 hours straight.  Good thing I’d stocked up on iced coffee and ice water.  But alas, after class my throat was none so happy.  And then I had to do 3-4 more evaluations in Mission College no less (I hate shuttling around, in all honesty).  Needless to say, I was absolutely thrilled when 6 rolled around and I could stop talking until 7 when we walked down the street to Gin Mon for dinner.

Wednesday morning I woke up with…yes, a sore throat.  It actually woke me up a few times during the night too which was lovely.  I got to work and found out I was getting on the shuttle again midday to Great America, but being as it was my Friday, I wasn’t too concerned.  I stocked up again on iced coffee and water, and plunged in.  At the end of the day I STILL had a sore throat.  I mentioned this to my boss, because I noticed that next week has me teaching again, and I am a little not thrilled about that, but maybe next week will be better.  Best way to find your limits is to test them?  Well, that’s about where I am.

Yesterday (Thursday) I did not talk for over 8 hours.  Not even to the kitties.  And I feel MUCH better.  Lesson learned?  Probably not.  Next weekend is the MMA “reunion” of sorts in Sunnyvale, and what to want to bet I talk a little too much?  What else am I supposed to do?  Peeps from out of state are going to be there!  Must talk…must chat…  Talk to you later!

Hello Party People.

So…Monday I woke up…with no sore throat.  Yes throat aggravation and stitches awareness, but no pain.  And this continued…all week.  Hooray!!!  Today I have a sore throat but of the allergy/am I getting sick kind and no real stitches awareness…could those buggers be gone?  Another Hooray!

So, although feeling like I am coming down with something (though my ears are involved so maybe is just allergies) on a 3 day weekend is not ideal, I have high hopes for my future.  Have a wonderful holiday weekend!  Be safe!

Dr. Li told me to let him know if my throat still hurt on Friday.  It’s 50 minutes til Friday and I’m not comfy so I wrote him an email.  I mentioned I might be a wussmonster because really, what gives?  When he looked in my throat on Monday he said it looked great.  I would think he’d have noticed and/or mentioned if it looked inflamed still.  Or maybe most people deal with this sore achey uncomfortable throat and don’t complain as much as I do.

Tonight I had a wonderful surprise.  My friend David spontaneously came over, and then I got a phone call from #1 saying she’d gone to Ikea and got stuck this side of Santa Cruz so did we want to get dinner in Palo Alto?  Yeahoo!  David and I hopped in the car(pool lane) and met her at Nola’s (New Orlean’s fare) where I realised that in New Orleans…everyone eats SHELLFISH.  hahah  I got a burger.

I also found out that when there are 3 people at the table and the place is LOUD, my throat will hurt if I want the people I am with to hear me.  But my burger was excellent…as were the beignets after that.  Of course.  When is deep fried dough smothered in powdered sugar with dipping sauces NOT good?

Tomorrow I am off to Murphy…wherever that is.  I looked on a map and I still don’t know.  I just know I should get water and gas in Stockton and not pick up any hitchhikers.  My sister is going to a wedding on Saturday afternoon so I am to play Super Aunt Shelby while she is away.  Can do.  Have a great weekend, all!  Revel in your non-sore throats.

It has been brought to my attention that there has been a dearth of photographic evidence…and so I show you some things.

First, the recovery.  And my trusty nursemaid Rira and troublemaker Mochi…

Mochi takes over the couch:

Then awesome boyfriend bought fruit section of store.  I *heart* him and I *heart* living in California.

Later on, pizza arrived at house…I did what I could to indulge…

There you have it.  Still eating with the little spoon and a straw.  Cheers to you chewers out there.

…You lie down and think “Oh YES!  A BED!  My feet are not hanging off the end of the chaise.  I could sleep on my side!”…and then the stitches say “Let us irritate your throat.  Let us make you cough.  Let us make you choke.”  And then the boyfriend says “Urmph” as he turns over away from coughing girlfriend.  And coughing girlfriend says “sorry” and goes back out to chaise where she gets figity and decides to post a blog entry.

I miss my bed.

BECAUSE THINGS IN BLENDERS SUCK

and cake does not.