Monday, November 25, 2013
Engagement Photos!
This is the rare post that I'm putting here and on Facebook. But since the two places don't have 100% crossover, I think it makes sense. Kevin and I took engagement photos in late September, and now I can share them with the internet! Gotta love the modern age.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Hooray Insurance
The summer I turned 21, I sprained my ankle pretty badly. Due to a horrific combination of alcohol, stilettos, and old ballerina instincts, I attempted to leap over a group of people who were between me and the bathroom. I did not properly land the grand jete and was subsequently carried to my room. Having grown up dancing, I was no stranger to sprained ankles, so I wrapped it, iced it, kept it elevated, and mostly got on with my life.
But a week later it wasn't even beginning to feel better. I knew I had to get it looked at by a doctor. This presented a problem. It's not that I wasn't insured, but I was insured by through dad who lived in Colorado while I was spending my summer in California. I couldn't find a single doctor in network; even the urgent care wouldn't see me. I finally spent a long and boring afternoon in the ER only to learn that my ankle wasn't broken. All I could do at that point was wait for it to heal on its own.
It's probably no surprise that I continue to re-injure this ankle on a fairly regular basis.
Flash forward to this past week, when I hurt my knee thanks to a poorly executed squat at the gym.
Like past injuries, I wrapped it, iced it, and assumed that it would eventually get better. But Kevin insisted I go see a doctor because knee injuries can be really bad. I'd neglected to actually find a primary care physician since moving to Virginia, so I also had to set up a new patient appointment somewhere. It turns out that this was all super easy, and I was able to schedule everything for Thursday afternoon.
My knee oscillated between feeling better and worse, mostly being fine in the morning and getting worse as the day progressed. In the days leading up to my appointment I became convinced that I had seriously hurt myself and was doing my best to not move my knee at all. By the time I got to the doctor's office, I was fretting over the possibility of surgery.
My doctor determined that I had likely torn a ligament and relayed this information like it was no big deal. She referred my to a physical therapist and told me that I needed to start using my knee instead of just keeping it wrapped and still. I'm now on an Advil regimen to deal with the pain instead of trying to prevent the pain from happening at all.
I start physical therapy next week, and I'm hoping it doesn't take too long to go through it all. The best part is that I don't think I'll need to pay out of pocket for any of this. There was no copay at the doctor's office, and I don't think there will be one for the physical therapy either, which is nice. Even if I do need to pay, I doubt it will be much. I'm really glad that I have health insurance and will be able to have this injury treated properly. Maybe now my knees won't give out completely when I'm 50.
But a week later it wasn't even beginning to feel better. I knew I had to get it looked at by a doctor. This presented a problem. It's not that I wasn't insured, but I was insured by through dad who lived in Colorado while I was spending my summer in California. I couldn't find a single doctor in network; even the urgent care wouldn't see me. I finally spent a long and boring afternoon in the ER only to learn that my ankle wasn't broken. All I could do at that point was wait for it to heal on its own.
It's probably no surprise that I continue to re-injure this ankle on a fairly regular basis.
Flash forward to this past week, when I hurt my knee thanks to a poorly executed squat at the gym.
Like past injuries, I wrapped it, iced it, and assumed that it would eventually get better. But Kevin insisted I go see a doctor because knee injuries can be really bad. I'd neglected to actually find a primary care physician since moving to Virginia, so I also had to set up a new patient appointment somewhere. It turns out that this was all super easy, and I was able to schedule everything for Thursday afternoon.
My knee oscillated between feeling better and worse, mostly being fine in the morning and getting worse as the day progressed. In the days leading up to my appointment I became convinced that I had seriously hurt myself and was doing my best to not move my knee at all. By the time I got to the doctor's office, I was fretting over the possibility of surgery.
My doctor determined that I had likely torn a ligament and relayed this information like it was no big deal. She referred my to a physical therapist and told me that I needed to start using my knee instead of just keeping it wrapped and still. I'm now on an Advil regimen to deal with the pain instead of trying to prevent the pain from happening at all.
I start physical therapy next week, and I'm hoping it doesn't take too long to go through it all. The best part is that I don't think I'll need to pay out of pocket for any of this. There was no copay at the doctor's office, and I don't think there will be one for the physical therapy either, which is nice. Even if I do need to pay, I doubt it will be much. I'm really glad that I have health insurance and will be able to have this injury treated properly. Maybe now my knees won't give out completely when I'm 50.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
SHIELD: The Well
So I missed writing about last week's episode. We watched it in fits and starts around phone calls from Kevin's office, so the whole thing is a bit disjointed in my mind. Then I never had the time or inclination to go back and watch it again. So I never really gathered my thoughts enough to write anything. Suffice to say that I liked seeing different partnerships. Simmons was adorable when proclaiming that following the rules made her feel nice and Fitz got to be both smart (breaking and fixing the fuse box) and stupid (eating a prosciutto sandwich) out in the field with Ward.
This week we get some more fun relationship stuff and a look at Ward's childhood. I've stopped caring about whatever the case of the week is. It's never really that good, and I don't know that the bad guys even had a reasonable motivation this week. But there were some good character beats mixed in between the show's attempt at a case-of-the-week plot.
The most interesting interaction was, of course, Melinda inviting Ward into her room at the end. I like that, for all of Skye's earnestness, Mae was the one who understood what Ward needed. Mae tends to understand what everyone needs in general. She's by far the most perceptive member of the team, and I like how down-played that is.
Strangely, the relationship I'm finding myself most invested in is that of Ward and Simmons. Their scenes together are adorable, and I find myself wanting them to spend more time together.
Despite the lackluster cases of the week, the reliance on action sequences instead of character beats, and the complete lack of any superheroes, I've managed to become invested in this ragtag group of characters. So I guess I'm in it for the long haul now. Let's just hope that the Captain America tie-in in the spring is more meaningful than this throw-away Thor tie-in.
This week we get some more fun relationship stuff and a look at Ward's childhood. I've stopped caring about whatever the case of the week is. It's never really that good, and I don't know that the bad guys even had a reasonable motivation this week. But there were some good character beats mixed in between the show's attempt at a case-of-the-week plot.
The most interesting interaction was, of course, Melinda inviting Ward into her room at the end. I like that, for all of Skye's earnestness, Mae was the one who understood what Ward needed. Mae tends to understand what everyone needs in general. She's by far the most perceptive member of the team, and I like how down-played that is.
Strangely, the relationship I'm finding myself most invested in is that of Ward and Simmons. Their scenes together are adorable, and I find myself wanting them to spend more time together.
Despite the lackluster cases of the week, the reliance on action sequences instead of character beats, and the complete lack of any superheroes, I've managed to become invested in this ragtag group of characters. So I guess I'm in it for the long haul now. Let's just hope that the Captain America tie-in in the spring is more meaningful than this throw-away Thor tie-in.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Exercising While Sick
Someone remind to just not go to the gym when I'm feeling under the weather.
The thing is, I'm not even that sick. I've got the remnants of a mild cold - some slight congestion and an occasional cough. Mostly I've just been tired, which could actually be more related to the lack of sunlight. At any rate, by the time I finish work I'm exhausted. So I've mostly been skipping the gym.
But I'm also paying a trainer to meet with me every week. I'm doing this so that I don't just stop going to the gym entirely in late Fall, like I have the past two years. Since I wasn't actually that sick, and since I don't want to stop working out entirely, I've been keeping these appointments.
Last week was okay. I told my trainer I was feeling a bit sick and we went slow. We did easier exercises and I was careful to stop when I felt myself approaching limits, which was happening quickly.
The biggest thing I noticed was a lack of balance. I don't have the greatest core muscles yet, so I usually expend a lot of brainpower making sure I stay upright. As fatigued as I was, I wasn't able to concentrate on this quite so much. So I had to go slow, use less weight, take more breaks.
I made it through last week without any injuries, though I was so exhausted I could barely stand by the end of it. This week I was feeling better, so I decided to go for a full workout. It turns out this was a bad idea.
About 15 minutes in, while I was doing my second set of squats, something went wrong. The next squat hurt in a way it wasn't supposed to. I quickly realized that I couldn't bend my left knee or put any weight on it. I'm not even sure what I did, except that I distinctly remember my knee hurting in exactly the same way a few times over the last decade or so.
We concentrated on arms and abs for the rest of the work out. I managed to hobble home, where I wrapped and iced my knee. Now I'm just hoping that it doesn't take too long to heal. I'd like to get to the gym this weekend, since I'll actually have time. But if I can't walk it'll be a moot point.
The thing is, I'm not even that sick. I've got the remnants of a mild cold - some slight congestion and an occasional cough. Mostly I've just been tired, which could actually be more related to the lack of sunlight. At any rate, by the time I finish work I'm exhausted. So I've mostly been skipping the gym.
But I'm also paying a trainer to meet with me every week. I'm doing this so that I don't just stop going to the gym entirely in late Fall, like I have the past two years. Since I wasn't actually that sick, and since I don't want to stop working out entirely, I've been keeping these appointments.
Last week was okay. I told my trainer I was feeling a bit sick and we went slow. We did easier exercises and I was careful to stop when I felt myself approaching limits, which was happening quickly.
The biggest thing I noticed was a lack of balance. I don't have the greatest core muscles yet, so I usually expend a lot of brainpower making sure I stay upright. As fatigued as I was, I wasn't able to concentrate on this quite so much. So I had to go slow, use less weight, take more breaks.
I made it through last week without any injuries, though I was so exhausted I could barely stand by the end of it. This week I was feeling better, so I decided to go for a full workout. It turns out this was a bad idea.
About 15 minutes in, while I was doing my second set of squats, something went wrong. The next squat hurt in a way it wasn't supposed to. I quickly realized that I couldn't bend my left knee or put any weight on it. I'm not even sure what I did, except that I distinctly remember my knee hurting in exactly the same way a few times over the last decade or so.
We concentrated on arms and abs for the rest of the work out. I managed to hobble home, where I wrapped and iced my knee. Now I'm just hoping that it doesn't take too long to heal. I'd like to get to the gym this weekend, since I'll actually have time. But if I can't walk it'll be a moot point.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Halloweiner IV: Quad Damage
This was our fourth year hosting Halloweiner, and I think we're really perfecting this party. Although we definitely got way too much meet this year. So much that I barely remember all the things we ate. And I was so busy cutting and serving it to our 30+ guests that I didn't even attempt to take pictures. So I'm relying on the help of my friends for this particular blog post, in terms of the list of meats and pictures of said meats. Our friend Alyssa takes far better pictures than I ever could, anyway.
We started the day by braising a pig's foot to be grilled later. We also set out some cured meats to snack on. I managed to get pictures of both of these things (with my crappy iPad camera) because no guests had arrived yet.
Like always, we had a rabbit. Although the popularity of this seems to be declining. Bunnies aren't large, but most of this one was put in a quesadilla a couple of days after the party. The stuffing went really quickly, though.
We also got a lot more seafood this year than in the past, including this catfish that was prepared three ways (and also went mostly uneaten).
We also got a Mako shark steak at the Eastern Market. The verdict? This basically tastes like swordfish.
But the real star of the night was the cow heart. Everyone was pretty excited about this. Unfortunately it took a really long time to cook and didn't make it to the table until everyone had already stuffed themselves. It was still fun to try a bite are pretend I was khaleesi.
Rather than talk about everything we cooked and tasted, I'll leave you with this list that Alex recorded through the night:
I'm looking forward to next year, when we will hopefully buy a little less meat. I'm not too fond of the leftovers that are currently (still) sitting in my fridge.
We started the day by braising a pig's foot to be grilled later. We also set out some cured meats to snack on. I managed to get pictures of both of these things (with my crappy iPad camera) because no guests had arrived yet.
 |
| Pig foot! It's already been braising for an hour or so at this point |
 | ||||
| Cured Meats. Some of these were spicy, some were fatty. They were all delicious. |
 |
| Mmmmm, bunny |
 |
| Catfish with a spice rub, a lemon-pepper rub, and unseasoned. I think there's also some conch meat in that pan. |
 |
| Shark steak! |
 |
| Zach is ready to demolish the heart |
 |
| Heart halved and cooking. Most of it is still in my fridge |
- Kangaroo loin
- Wild boar loin
- Mysterious fish (something flounder?)
- Chorizo sausage
- Lamb & herb sausage
- Squid
- Octopus
- Rock fish
- Wild boar sausage
- Pig foot
- Roast bunny
- Ostrich loin
- Asian barbecue sausage
- Mako shark
- Ox tail
- Bunny sausage
- Elk medallion
- Duck duck brandy (sausage)
- Conch
- Catfish
- Pulled pork
- Cow heart!
- Russo sausage
- Orata (fish)
- Calatrese sausage
- Heart sausage
- Eel (dry)
- Venison saddle
- Tofu bunny
- Octopus
- Venison pork cherry sausage
- Eel (wet)
- Cow tail
- Camel burger
- Salted jellyfish
I'm looking forward to next year, when we will hopefully buy a little less meat. I'm not too fond of the leftovers that are currently (still) sitting in my fridge.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
SHIELD: F.Z.Z.T.
We got an episode about Simmons! I was so excited to learn more about her character and watch her interact with more than just Fitz. Although it was also nice to see more definition in her relationship with Fitz.
Anyway, this was an exciting episode that kept me guessing. I liked that the monster of the week wrapped up so quickly and we were able to spend a bit more time with the team. I suppose that was an extension of the MotW, being the same virus and all, but it nice to see it contained to the main cast. After the third firefighter died, I fully expected the episode to turn to Coulson's resurrection, it being November sweeps and all. So I was surprised when it was revealed that Simmons was infected.
I really liked watching her try not to fall apart as she frantically searched for a cure for herself. It sure was lucky that she had three lab rats and it took her three tries to get the antiserum right. But I did like the breakthrough moment and Fitz rushing in to help her.
The whole skydiving bit was seriously thrilling, too. An excellent use of the huge budget this show has.
As for relationships, it seems the Fitz has a crush on Skye, though I doubt she reciprocates it. Simmons may or may not have a crush on Fitz (setting up a handy mirror of Buffy-Xander-Willow that I'm not sure needs to be repeated). But mostly I'm interested in Skye and Simmons' friendship. Skye clearly cares more about her (and probably all of them) than she's let on, and I want more of that.
This show definitely has the action scenes down. The witty dialogue is coming along. And now we need to work on all of the relationships. That's what tends to make a Whedon show special, so I'm glad that we're starting to deepen them.
It's also worth noting that the November 19th episode will apparently deal with aftermath of the Thor movie, which is an interesting ploy. I doubt there's anyone watching this show who wasn't planning on seeing that movie, so I don't think this is an attempt to boost box-office sales. As for getting more people to watch the show, well we'll have to wait and see if that ploy works. It better be an excellent episode, though, if that's what they're going for. Otherwise this will backfire horribly.
PS Does anyone know what F.Z.Z.T stands for?
Anyway, this was an exciting episode that kept me guessing. I liked that the monster of the week wrapped up so quickly and we were able to spend a bit more time with the team. I suppose that was an extension of the MotW, being the same virus and all, but it nice to see it contained to the main cast. After the third firefighter died, I fully expected the episode to turn to Coulson's resurrection, it being November sweeps and all. So I was surprised when it was revealed that Simmons was infected.
I really liked watching her try not to fall apart as she frantically searched for a cure for herself. It sure was lucky that she had three lab rats and it took her three tries to get the antiserum right. But I did like the breakthrough moment and Fitz rushing in to help her.
The whole skydiving bit was seriously thrilling, too. An excellent use of the huge budget this show has.
As for relationships, it seems the Fitz has a crush on Skye, though I doubt she reciprocates it. Simmons may or may not have a crush on Fitz (setting up a handy mirror of Buffy-Xander-Willow that I'm not sure needs to be repeated). But mostly I'm interested in Skye and Simmons' friendship. Skye clearly cares more about her (and probably all of them) than she's let on, and I want more of that.
This show definitely has the action scenes down. The witty dialogue is coming along. And now we need to work on all of the relationships. That's what tends to make a Whedon show special, so I'm glad that we're starting to deepen them.
It's also worth noting that the November 19th episode will apparently deal with aftermath of the Thor movie, which is an interesting ploy. I doubt there's anyone watching this show who wasn't planning on seeing that movie, so I don't think this is an attempt to boost box-office sales. As for getting more people to watch the show, well we'll have to wait and see if that ploy works. It better be an excellent episode, though, if that's what they're going for. Otherwise this will backfire horribly.
PS Does anyone know what F.Z.Z.T stands for?
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