AT NERVE'S END

I'm getting really nervous/excited for our big trip.  I keep having images of the plane crash from Lost and picture Chris and I falling into the Atlantic.  Fortunately, my sleep has been more restful than my waking hours (for the last couple of days anyway), so I feel somewhat ready.  

I'll catch you guys on the other side!

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I HAVEN'T GOTTEN A FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP IN TWO MONTHS

This morning Chris and I were leaving the rec center after our morning workout, and when we got to the truck I said, "Oh, no!  I left my water in my locker!"

Chris replied, "You mean the water bottle that you're holding in your hand?"

INSERT COOL PICTURE HERE

I've been waiting to post until I could get my hands on a picture from our trip to New Mexico or even our trip to Norman.  I strategically waited until today when Chris would not be needing his computer so I could steal the pictures I wanted off his laptop.  Alas, I was thwarted by the fact that he has not yet downloaded the pictures onto his laptop AND the fact that he took the camera with him, so even though I have access to the downloading cord (which he keeps in his laptop case), I still have no access to the pictures.  *Sigh*

In the last two weeks we have entertained my parents and sister, driven to Albuquerque and Santa Fe and back, driven to Norman and back, and participated in Vacation Bible School 2008: "God's Army" a.k.a. "Bible Boot Camp" a.k.a. "Everybody Scream 'OORAH' at the Top of Their Lungs Over and Over Again for Three Hours Every Night (and By the Way, We Love Jesus)".  Have I mentioned that I'm exhausted?

I also haven't had a sound night of sleep in weeks, and I think it's because I'm internally freaking out about being so far behind with everything in my life (work, housework, bill paying, etc.) and the fact that I do not feel at all prepared for our next trip, which is a big one.  Apparently I'm too exhausted to have a conscious freak-out, so instead the stress has been internalized in my subconscious, where it is prohibiting me from getting restful sleep.  Makes sense, right?

Tonight is actually activity free, so I can commence my conscious freak-out in 3, 2, 1....

PIZZA CHICKEN ROLL-UPS

This is for Becca, who seems interested in trying this recipe:

Pizza Chicken Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

12 pepperoni slices

8 mozzarella cheese slices, divided

1 can (15 oz.) pizza sauce

Minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions:

Flatten chicken to 1/4 in. thickness.  Place three slices of pepperoni and one slice of cheese on each.  Roll up tightly; secure with toothpicks.  Place in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish (a square pyrex dish works for me).  Spoon pizza sauce over roll-ups.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.  Uncover; top with the remaining cheese.  Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

This recipe is courtesy of "Taste of Home's 5-Ingredient Cookbook".

MY FORWARD; YOUR BACKWARD

Chris and I worked out yesterday morning, which is something we try to do twice a week.  I'm very ADHD when it comes to working out, so every few months I try something new.  Lately, I've been hiking upstairs to the indoor track to run a little.  I set off running on the track, which was empty.  On my second to last lap, a woman came in and started walking in the direction opposite to mine.  In my experience with indoor tracks you usually go in the same direction as the other people, so I was a little put off.  I was going in the direction opposite to the way that people usually run on the track, but all of the signs ("Don't spit on the track!") are posted in both directions, so it's not like there's a designated direction that you are supposed to use at all times.  I took a break to do some sit-ups and then did my final lap.  By that point other people had joined this woman in her direction on the track.  I don't know what the point of this story is; just that I was really annoyed that this lady went the other way.  I mean, isn't it common courtesy to go the same way as the other person who is already on the track?

Rudeness should not surprise me anymore, I guess.  The other night Chris and I took a walk in our neighborhood, and there was a couple standing outside in their front yard, and even though we were in the middle of a conversation we took the time to do a little wave and say "hi", and the couple just GLARED at us as we walked past.  How Texas got the reputation of being friendly is beyond me.  I once had a friend (who is a native Texan) apologize to me after I told her all of these instances of people being unfriendly (and at times downright rude) to us.  I appreciated that a lot; if more Texans were like her I wouldn't feel quite so alienated.

In positive news Chris and I are finally starting to really get to know some people and do more activities with these new friends.  It only took four years, but I'm finally starting to feel like we're on the brink of finding our place here.  It will never be home, but at least it will be more tolerable.

My crazy nightmares have also subsided somewhat.  I had one last week about various family members committing suicide, but since then I've only had mildly bad dreams like the one where it's finals week and you realize there's a class you were enrolled in that you never actually attended.  You don't know how laughable that dream is until you've had the other really bad ones.

My stomach problems have also subsided quite a bit.  We're not sure why, which is frustrating.  Several factors changed all at once:  we bought a new dishwasher with a "sanitize" feature, our water filters were changed, and I stopped eating lettuce.  My new GI suggested the lettuce thing because he said that lettuce is very hard for the colon to digest and its nutritional value is basically nothing.  (Chris disagrees and is upset that 50% of my vegetable intake is now eliminated from my diet, but oh well!)  Then the GI wrote a prescription for me that is still sitting on the kitchen counter because the symptom that the prescription was supposed to help has completely gone away.  I'm still not 100%, but after 4 years of suffering I'm so happy to be feeling even 75% that the problems that are left are nothing to me.

My family is coming tomorrow, and hopefully I'll have some fun pictures to post from our trip to NM.  Happy 4th of July, everyone!