Here I Go . . .

This weekend has been a long one, although good.  I have felt kind of funky all weekend -- just gassy and uncomfortable.  I looked online this morning and apparently the gas that they pump into you during surgery can take many weeks to work out of your system.  I think that the back pain that I’ve been having is because of this gas.  I had a good time at the baby shower/Open House yesterday, too; it was nice to visit with folks that we haven’t seen for awhile.  We stopped home to let Cira out, and I just wasn’t feeling up to going out for the rest of the evening, so we ended up staying in.  I started reading Mockingjay, though, and it is fabulous.  I actually fell asleep with it on my face, LOL.  I only have a few more pages to go, so I am hoping to finish it tonight or tomorrow.  
PhD classes start this week, so no more thoughts of relaxing for me.  As usual, I did not get much of anything accomplished in the three-week break between quarters.  At least I don’t feel as if I did.  I have one class and my clinical internship -- which are the online courses that I am developing that I keep talking about -- but based on the syllabi that I printed tonight, the quarter is going to once again eat away at my life.  I wish that I could take a sabbatical.  It would allow me to focus on my course work without always feeling so run down and exhausted, or guilty for doing something other than school work or course work.  Also, I have the last four-day Colloquia coming up in a few weeks. Yikes!!! At the last one, I start to really narrow down my thinking and put my dissertation ideas on paper.  AAHH!!  Wow, that is a great feeling and a scary as hell feeling at the same time.  I mean, I have some ideas, but not anything too set-in-stone.  I better do some serious thinking in the next few weeks!  
Eating today has been pretty low-key.  I certainly didn’t overeat this weekend, but having two get-togethers/parties, I did eat “normal” food.  I had some pumpkin cream of wheat for breakfast, a Colby jack cheese stick for lunch, two BelVita crackers with Justin’s Chocolate Almond Butter for snack, and two vegetarian “chicken” nuggets with a bit of sauce and mozzarella on them for dinner.  I am a bit hungry at the moment, but at this point it is only a protein drink, if anything.  I do feel a bit better; not such a heavy feeling.  
Well, I can feel the stress level rising as I think about the amount of work that I need to accomplish, so I am going to attempt some sleep.  The Comcast tech person will be here between 10:00 and noon to install wireless since out router pooped out.  I tried to reinstall the software, but our laptops are too new for it.  So, time to upgrade.  Thus, I must try to get some rest so that I can be ready to get to work once the system is restored. 
Until tomorrow. . .