Home Again, Home Again, Jiggitty Jig...

It was so good to just be home today!  I slept in because Lani didn't wake until 8:00 -- a miracle from God!  What a beautiful, wonderful, lovely thing...I love just lying in bed and feeling the warmth of the fleece sheets (just had to bust them out before we left town last week because I was just too cold with the regular cotton sheets), the weight of the down comforter and the blankets that I pile on top of that:  one from my mother-in-law (it is really heavy, plush, warm), one from long ago that I bought to be a throw for my couch (heavy chenille), and one from my dear friend Sara that is one of my favorite colors, a gorgeous, muted teal (a lightweight chenille with a basketweave pattern).  Sara gave me the blanket when I was going through my cancer ordeal (now 7 years ago, I think).  It was the perfect gift because I was always cold at work and I could wrap it around my legs or sit in my office chair and wrap my whole body in it if I needed to warm up.  I just love to snuggle down into bed when it is cold outside and I can just stretch and wake up slowly.  It is a treat.

I also got to go to yoga today, so I am an especially happy camper.  Got my haircut this afternoon and while my mom was working on it, I tried to convince her to join me tomorrow and give yoga a try.  I hope she does, because I think she will enjoy it.  She cut Jon's hair, too, and then later, Dartagnan's.  I think D got about 3 inches cut off and it is now out of his eyes.  I kept telling him he was going to give himself whiplash because he was always jerking his neck to flip his hair out of his eyes. 

Didn't study today...that is bad.  I have a lot of work to do tomorrow.  Test coming up early next week in PNS, I believe.  Also, must put together the rest of our group presentation in Toxicology (3 more pages, single-spaced) and then from that have to create the PowerPoint presentation...should only take about 30 min. or so.  Ha ha!  Right!  I wish!

Jon finished reading his Dan Brown book, "The Lost Symbol," that he borrowed from Win.  He really wants me to read it.  I told him I probably won't be able to until the PNS test has passed because I need to focus energy to that.  He understands.

While we were out of town, I did a bit of shopping, but I was unable to find a dress coat to replace my very worn Banana Republic black peacoat I bought in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on my very first recruiting trip at my previous job.  It is about 9 years old.  I stayed behind to shop in Peoria while Jon brought D and Lani back home yesterday.  I was just preparing to leave Peoria (without having found a coat I'd fallen in love with) and had stopped by Panera to get a sandwich so I could eat and drive home, when I was sitting at a light, waiting to go to the interstate.  I was munching on my sandwich and waiting for the light to change and suddenly, I saw a red Dodge Durango spinning around in front of me and another red Durango looking like it was pushing the other one and they were both headed right toward me.  There was nothing I could do and nowhere to go, so I just thought, "Oh, no, I'm going to get hit."  I tensed up a little, and thankfully, the two vehicles began to lose momentum as they approached my car and then one hit my Honda Civic on the right front quarter panel and smashed it up.  It stopped and two men jumped out and ran away.  Very strange behavior.  The other Durango came to rest right in front of my car, as though I was in line behind him at the light.  Three people were taken away on back boards and I hope they are all OK.  I was fine except BP was a little elevated, as was pulse.  Jon's dad, Jeff, and Mariola, his wife, both came to see me from their ballroom dance lesson.  Jeff checked out the damage and said it would be OK to drive after he bent out a piece that was rubbing on the tire.  I'm glad I could get home, because I was really tired of being gone at that point.  I finally arrived home by 9:00 and couldn't wait to fall in bed, but Jon and I had to unpack the car, which held our food and other bags that we split between his van and the car for the trip.

While we were in Peoria, Jenni, Jon's stepsister, gave Lani an ice-skating lesson.  Jenni teaches at the local rink and is quite an accomplished figure skater.  Lani loved it!  I expected she might be on the ice for 15 min. or so, but she was out there the full 45 min. available and didn't want to quit when it was time.  She's so fearless!  We took pics and I am quite certain she is one of the most beautiful, fun kids in the world!

I still need to call my friends and catch up with them, but just felt like I needed a "decompress" day to myself first.  I'll be on the phone tomorrow to return phone calls and e-mails.

Break!

I was reluctant to get out of bed this morning.  Yesterday my ribs were aching so much that I had to breathe shallowly.  I slept OK, but really just wanted to snuggle back down under the down comforter for some more zzz's instead of going to PNS.  I'm very glad that I did not snuggle back into my bed because we ended up getting a 2 point quiz in PNS today!  That is really unusual.  Dr. Schmiedel's past pattern is to give the quiz in the week before the upcoming exam.  We just had our exam the first Friday of December and won't have the next until the second Tuesday after break.  So we were very surprised and over half the class wasn't there.  Two of my friends missed the quiz, sadly, because they are re-taking the class, too, and could have used the points.

I stopped by the Clinic after class to get adjusted.  It took several attempts and methods, but my thoracics, which had subluxated anteriorly, finally cooperated.  I am feeling better now, but am still craving a little more sleep...

I went to Wallace's Garden Center afterward and picked up a few of their Christmas items that were marked down to 20-40% off.  I love going in there and just browsing for when I have time (which is not often).  They have such creative people on their staff who put together beautiful displays.  After blogging, I'm going out to the garage to pick up the things I'll be using to put together the gifts we'll be giving this year and I'll get that set up on the dining room table before I leave to head back to Palmer to judge the Admissions contest.

The prizes for the contest are great!  One is a day off work, others are an overnight stay at the Radisson, half days off work.  I wouldn't mind winning any of those and I'm sure that everyone who decorated her/his (more ladies than gentlemen in the department) cubicle will be delighted to win.  It will be fun to be part of it!

Once the judging is over, I'm headed out with my friends Trine, Sheila, and Jen to celebrate Christmas, Jen's Birthday, the Break and some time off school.  We are very much looking forward to hanging out together and having some girl-chat over Mexican food - yum!

When I get home, I'll get to work on the Christmas present project & I might go ahead and wrap the things I picked up at a garage sale for Lani this Fall.  I remember that one of the items was a Melissa and Doug wooden "paper" doll set.  The dolls & their clothes are magnetic and they have multiple outfits.  I know she will have fun with that.  And I also found some more train cars and figures to go with her Thomas the Tank Engine train set she has.  She loves getting it out and setting it up and driving the train on the track.  I can't remember what else was in the bag;  I hid it about 3 months ago.

I have to get the laundry done today, too, because we'll be headed to Peoria sometime tomorrow morning for our Christmas with Jon's dad and stepmom.  Will be nice to see everyone and visit.  Looking forward to going.  Jon hasn't decided if we'll stay the night or not.  It doesn't matter to me either way, but it would be nice to get to go to our church on Sunday morning.  If we don't, we can always go to the wonderful church that Jeff and Mariola attend.  We really like it, too.

Headed out to the garage...brrrr!