Silver Lining*
I got some great news today...after another consolidation round with my loan people, I was able to knock my loan payments down to almost half of what they were supposed to be starting in February.

Weight lifted.

That said, I'm buying myself the new shoes that I have been wanting in celebration.

And also, thanks for all of the sleep tips. I think the tensing and relaxing of the muscles is the one for me. Well, that and the wine of course.

*An ode to Bonnie Raitt who I will be seeing in concert on February 21st!

Sleep Deprived
Having the students back on campus has left me exhausted. Too exhausted for many things, but mostly just too tired to sleep. When my head starts to hurt from the exhaustion is usually right about the time that my body finds it impossible to relax enough to close my eyes and drift away. I tried a bunch of different things all week to to strike the right balance: chamomille tea, soft music, light reading, a long bath, a Tylenol PM and finally two Tylenol PM tablets. By Thursday, when I got home from work around seven, my mother just looks at me and says, "Wow, you look tired. I guess work is kicking your ass." She was right, on both counts.

I am open for any and all suggestions.

Diagnosed
I finally saw my doctor today for the previously mentioned award worthy injury I inflicted on myself last week. I went because, although the bruising is slowly fading, the giant bump is not. After about twenty seconds and yet another confirmation of my stupidity the doctor informed me that my hematoma should be gone in about four to six months. Seriously? Seriously! And better yet, once it is fully healed I may be left with a permanant mini-bump to forever remind me that horseplay and the office don't mix.

It just gets better and better...

Resolved: There will be no resolutions*
Someone asked me today what kind of New Year's resolutions I had made.

I replied, none.

Resolutions just seem so...unnecessary. I am the type of person who is always working on something, always trying to make improvements and adjustments in my life in an attempt to become my true self. I have goals, lots of goals. I write them down-in list form-and mark them off when I have accomplished them. And I usually buy myself something special when they have been met.

At this moment in my life I am working on completing my ever-elusive thesis (May 2006, seriously!), working hard at the new job trying to complete all of the tasks that are ahead this semester, I'm trying to be better about calling/e-mailing long-distance friends, attempting to excercise regularly instead of sporadically and working on not taking my family for granted. All of these things are not resolutions, they are simply a few new additions to the "life goals" section of one of my many word documents. The list is on-going and grows and shrinks as I go about the daily task of living.

So what I guess I am saying is who needs New Year's resolutions when just living life gives you plenty of opportunities to work on getting it done right.

*Except for the resolution to take myself to Disney World...I resolve to do that every year and I'm still working on it.

"I don't think worker's comp covers stupid!"
I know that I shouldn't act like a child at work. But I work at a university and pretty much we all act like children because that is who we deal with everyday. So in that environment, island surfing isn't such an unusual occurance. And usually, usually I am pretty damn good at it. In fact, I am the champ of sorts in our office. I can cover more countertop ground than anyone else around. But on Wednesday my form was off and the running start and leap onto the counter resulted in hitting my thigh on the ledge of the counter. And I knew immedietly that it was going to leave a bruise. What I didn't know at the time was the extent of that bruise. In true Ebony fashion, I have a bruise that is so large and so discusting that everyone I have shown it to has taken a picture, my mother took two. I had to leave work early on the day of the injury because the swelling was protruding through my jeans like a newly forming tumor. By the time I got home and removed my jeans the lump was roughly the size of a half a cantalope. As we stand today, the lump is about orange size (even smaller than the grapefuit size of yesterday) and the color is a lovely mix of eggplant, raspberry and blueberry. The bruising extends from my inner thigh to the outside of my thigh and from my knee to my hipbone. I have worn the same stretchy pants two days ina row because nothing else will fit over the lump and even when it does, the pressure is just a little more than I can bear.

It's just so appropriate that such a small collision with a tiny counter ledge should result in an injury that looks like I have been beaten with a metal bat. Even for me, this is one for the record books.

Full Circle, Again
The New Year has arrived. As such, I think that it is a perfect time to look back and reflect. Mainly on the fact that no matter how much things change some things, the great things, stay the same.

New Year's Eve 2006



















New Year's Eve 2005