Saturday, March 03, 2007

Back to my NYC life

Friday, February 23, I flew home, arriving an hour late. Luckily, I'd called to complain to Tom. He'd been planning to surprise me at the airport, and would have been pretty frustrated if he's waited all that time. I didn't know how long my delay was going to be, so I told him I'd call when I got home. He came to visit me in the city. We ordered in some yummy Chinese food.

After a couple days of my normal diet and walking aroung the city, I felt better than I had when I first got home. As mentioned in my last post, Grandma stuffed me with restaurant food. I think lack of exercise on vacation threw me off, too. I'm used to walking a lot, quite quickly. In Arizona, I didn't walk much, and when I did, it usually had to be at a pace my grandfather could match while toting his oxygen tank. That said, it was hard to see my grandfather (who had been very active, even building houses for Habitat for Humanity just a few years ago) so run down. On the other hand, he was not nearly as bad as I'd feared. The worst part was how he doesn't like to leave the house much because he gets tired. He was a farmer; he's not meant to sit around indoors.

Tom and I hung out a lot over the weekend. Then on Monday, it was a pretty snow storm and going back to school. The less said about the whole teaching thing, the better. I don't remember anyone doing anything cute, although my 703 students did write some great poetry. Wednesday I had to leave work a little early to pick up a transcript from Fordham and take it the Brooklyn to file for a salary differential (a.k.a. a raise) for graduating. My school was annoying about it , but it was worth the hassle.

Even though the snow had just melted the day before, it felt like spring! I never realize how much winter's lack of light depresses me until spring comes and I'm just so happy! Tom met me when he got off work and commented on my euphoria.

"Remember, I warned you once: 'If you know me in the spring, you'll see. I'll be like a whole new person.' I hope you like happy, springtime me."

"Me, too. I guess we'll find out," he teased. "Can you imagine? 'Oh, I miss depressed Erin.'" We laughed. Then we went and had fish and chips and split a fried Snickers bar. (I know, that's as crazy as anything I ate on vacation!)

Thurday I went to the dentist. She wants to fix (for free) something she doesn't like about a filling she gave me last year, and she doesn't see and cavities (Yay!) but she does she a spot that concerns her. (Boo.) Also, I have this tooth that I got a root canal for several years ago. It bothers me off and on because they didn't fill the ... canal, I guess?...all the way. Besides, it doesn't fit flush to my gum. If the tooth doesn't bother me, I should leave it alone, but what if it bothers me after I quit teaching and lose my nifty insurance? With the nifty insurance it will cost at least $100, and my dentist says the crowns my insurance co. recommends aren't that good, so I should chip in $350 for better ones. Ouch. That may hurt more than the tooth ache ever has. On the other hand, I don't want an ugly, cheap crown that I'll just have to replace AGAIN! I have no idea what to do. Oh, well.

Then I went to the doctor. Warning: too much information may follow! To avoid it, skip to the next paragraph. I have another urinary tract infection. I've had five this year, and the doctor says if I get one more, I have to go to a urologist. Sheesh! He also gave some prevention advice, the most interesting of which is that my boyfriend has to wash up before he can touch me. Hee! Now I have this image in my head of him scrubbing up like a surgeon before we go to bet, entering the room with his hands in the air, purposely not touching anything.

Last night, I was on my own. Tom's chaperoning his school's senior trip, and all my girlfriends planned to snuggle with their honeys. I came home and watched Stranger Than Fiction with Rick. It's a quirky movie, and we enjoyed it. We don't often hang out, but it was kind of nice.

I feel like I've been lazy today, but so far I've finished reading John Irving's "A Prayer for Owen Meany," watched "Citizen Kane" (which I've been meaning to do for years), checked my e-mail, researched college financial aid, had a conversation with Tom and made an appointment to go to H&R Block for help with my taxes. And now I'm updating my blog! Not bad. Tonight I may meet up with my friends in The Village. Good luck to you all on a productive and/or happy weekend.

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