llKagomell's Xanga

Monday, June 15, 2009

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:08:43 GMT

Hey guys. Just got back from my doctors appointment. He laughed when I told him they didn't let me go back the last time I went there. He pretty much said "Well yeah, if you're going to develop a hernia, you're going to develop a hernia, I'm just trying to protect you." At any rate, he wrote me up a new note that says I can return to work with no restrictions.

He suggested that I get a stomach brace to prevent any further damage. I asked him why it still hurts to sneeze, and he said it was due to the fact that my scar is still fresh.

Before he came in, I had to talk to the nurse while she took my vitals, and she was shocked that I had been out for over 5 months. I guess word doesn't really travel here, because I constantly have to explain what happened to people. She first asked if it was a back injury, then I told her about the surgeries. Same reaction everyone else gives: "Why on earth did you have a stomach ulcer at your age?!" Lately I feel more and more like a broken record.

Dad and I went to Kinny's and bought my stomach brace, it's so ugly. I don't want to wear it. :(

From there we went to Hanaford where Dad splurged on tons of sugar free stuff. I tried to read the back of a Spanish item, I think it read 'Wake up every morning with the delicious taste of Thomsons' Corn Bread!' I could be wrong though.

So I guess my next step is to go down to the Lutheran Home with my note and get back to earning some money.

B-N
L-Banana and Yogurt-422
D-

Monday, June 15, 2009

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:20:15 GMT

Today was quite uneventful. I told my mother what my psychologist told me, and she laughed. She laughed at me, and told me I was never abused. She's not in denial, she told me, I am. I'm scared that she won't let me go back to my doctor because of what I told her, because she thinks I'm getting the wrong ideas. But honestly, I've never felt more free then when I walked out of her office, so happy to have told someone, so happy to have found someone who agrees with me.

I have a Doctors appointment tomorrow at 2, I am hoping to get a back to work slip out of it. If I can get back to work, I can start earning money again, and move out.

Lately I find myself looking into the mirror and hating what I see.
So I thought, why not try and change it?
My biggest issue is my weight.
I have a doctor appointment tomorrow, so I'll have my current weight tomorrow.
My diet starts now.

B-nothing
L-bowl of cauliflower and cheese
D- 2 hotdogs

Bleh.

GW: 114

christmas pictures

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:27:59 GMT

I am not looking forward to taking down our 10' tree.

1. Matt got a slinky and juggling balls for Christmas. He tried to juggle the slinky. It did not work well.
2. I made the ever-popular bacon-wrapped dates as an appetizer.
3. Anise likes to lay on his back and look at the Christmas tree upside-down.
4. Lilah updates my Facebook.

*dreamy sigh*

My immediate family made it to my house safely, despite the weather. My mother, who lives four blocks away, got stuck three times but we dug her out. We feasted on cheeses and mimosas and meats and green bean casserole and potatoes. I have desserts up to my ears - does anyone need pumpkin pie, chocolate peppermint cupcakes, or cookies? I will share.

There's still too much snow outside. Walking around is like trudging through a slurpee. Public transportation is sporadic at best. Matt and I can't get the car out of the garage. I worked for five hours today and I have vacation time for the next week, but I don't know what to do. All this inside-time sent me on an Internet shopping spree this evening, during which I may or may not have made good decisions. In the next week or so, Matt and I will receive deliveries of Cinnamon Bun hand soap, natural dishwasher detergent, and fluoride-free toothpaste. Reviews to come.

Current Music: way over yonder in the minor key

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:12:24 GMT

wishlist

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:33:24 GMT

I made this for my family because they are overwhelmed by my enthusiasm for pretty much everything. Hopefully this narrows things down a bit.

Donate money to Write Around Portland through Williamette Week’s Give Guide (on the right-hand side, under Arts). Write Around Portland offers free writing workshops to people who normally wouldn’t have access to the healing power of writing and community, including people living on a low income or living with a disability. Writers have their work published in an anthology at the end of the workshop. I am so proud of the work that they do. Giving even a few dollars allows them to buy supplies to keep their organization going and growing.
A laptop sleeve for my 15” laptop. The SUMO laptop sleeve from OfficePDX looks nice. (Most other things from that store would make me happy, too.)
To me, soap is always the perfect gift. Why? Because it is both practical and delightful. Bar soap, liquid soap, handwashing soap, shower soap - it’s all wonderful. It is no secret that I, like most other reasonable women, would like to spend an hour or two each day in the shower with Lush soap. Price isn’t the point, though – I love any soap that is handmade and there are many fine handmade soaps available at Saturday Market or through Etsy. I even saw a Big Lebowski White Russian-scented soap on Etsy once.
In the “smelling nice” category of gifts, I would also like a bottle of perfume. I’m not attached to any particular fragrance, but I would recommend visiting The Perfume House at 3328 SE Hawthorne Boulevard. Just tell them you need something for a fat, sassy redhead under 30. She hates vanilla and likes most things (and people) that are fruity, floral, and warm.
A mandolin so I can chop up my fruits and vegetables tout de suite.
Anything to enhance my visibility while riding my bike in the dark – including a safety vest, reflective decals, and reflective tape. A gift certificate to River City Bicycles would be handy, too.
Burt’s Bees beeswax lip balm. The pomegranate flavor is fantastic.
Home décor. We have a lot of wall space here – I would love photos, collages, drawings, etc. Anything framed is great. Handmade and local is even better. I have a quiet dream to cover one wall of our living room in nudes. Don’t tell Matt. (Here’s a list of craft sales in Portland.)
An electric mattress pad, size queen. I’m also a sucker for cozy flannel sheets, big down comforters, and pajamas. Can you tell I like sleep?
General things I always enjoy:
1. moose,
2. rainbows,
3. vintage thingies,
4. thrift scores,
5. The Big Lebowski,
6. kitchen thingies & cookbooks,
7. stationery,
8. wine,
9. board & card games (can you believe I don’t own Apples to Apples yet?),
10. gift certificates to Portland businesses (Powell’s Books, Laurelhurst movie theater, etc.),
11. and not-so-local gift certificates to iTunes/Torrid/Target/Old Gravy/Lame Giant.

the paycheck game

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:28:06 GMT

I think I suck with money.

Example: I will get paid $813.20 tomorrow.

$813.20 - $400 to Matt for rent/bills/debt* = $413.20.

$413.20 - $413.21 (my credit card balance on card with a $500 limit) = -$0.01.

*Yes, I am still paying back my half of our $3,800 deposit from when we moved in. When did we move in? February 1. What is today? Oh yes, November. Agh.

Now I'm down a penny from my net pay for the last two weeks, I have $83 in my checking account, and my credit card balance is $0. For the next two weeks, I'll put things on my credit card because I have no cash and then when I get paid again on the 21st, the cycle repeats.

My mother suggested that I pay off half the credit card and try to spend only cash. That didn't seem to work last time, but I guess I could give it another try. I just panic that I'll have no cash and no credit and then I'll really be screwed.

Solution: Buy less stuff* + make more money. Hand jobs, anyone?

*Stuff, including: drinks, Thai food, books, handmade soaps, knee-high boots, and that $230 rain jacket to wear while riding my bike to work.

if it is true

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:30:33 GMT

if it is true
that she poured everything
she had
into him
then it surprises me
not at all
that her vessel has emptied
when tonight
he is so, so
full.

thank God
for Madelyn Dunham
and the man
she made.

Monday, November 03, 2008

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:09:08 GMT

##Stacey Tudman
Journalism
Interview
11/4/08

TITLE

Rachel Murphy is a 20 year old 2006 Notre Dame graduate. She is friendly and outgoing. “I consider myself to be blunt and combative, maybe even sarcastic. I stand up for other people as well as myself.” She I currently attending MVCC and is interested in journalism and politics. One of her favorite activities is running.
Her father had been running since 2001, and encouraged his children to join the tradition. Rachel decided to take part in her fathers hobby and started running 1 mile In May, she had progressed to a total of five miles.
School and job-related activities slowed her training down. “I didn’t want to overwork myself,” she said. She picked up her training in July and planned to run the boilermaker.
“I was nervous before the race,” she said. Shortly after starting the race, she spotted a sign in the crowd that read “.3 down, only 9 to go.”
Being able to finish the race is what she considers to be one of the happiest moments of her life so far. “I was so proud of myself, I sprinted the last mile.”
She isn’t positive of what her end time was because of a time chip error. Times were off by a few minutes in some cases, but she believed her time to be around 2 hours. Rachel hopes to get a better time for herself next year.
Aside from running, she also believes that graduating from high school and holding all of her previous jobs for at least a year to be some of her greatest accomplishments in her life.
Rachel’s job history includes placements at Chips, a local seafood restaurant, St. Luke’s, working as a dietary aide, American Eagle, and in July, she helped open Aerie, a small branch off of American Eagle.
Her other pastimes included cheerleading in high school, watching Indie films, and bonding with her siblings.

vote

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:45:25 GMT

I can't read news stories about the hours that people are waiting to vote. It makes me so fucking angry. Voting shouldn't require three, four, five hours of waiting. Old ladies shouldn't pass out from the heat. It shouldn't involve computer glitches or broken machines or not enough machines.

Multnomah County is at 12% voter turnout today with over 52,000 ballots received. Hours spent waiting in line? Zero.

Hello, rest of America? Do me a favor? GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER. Srsly.

In brighter news, Back Fence PDX last night was awesome. Beth Lisick was there and she signed my copy of Everybody Into The Pool. It was the first time I'd seen her in seven years - the last time was at Powell's in 2001, when I gave a reading with her, Justin Chin, and Thea Hillman. She wrote in my book that I was "all grown up and so purdy" - aw.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:02:55 GMT

LAB REPORT

Stacey Tudman
Stephen R. Getchell
Environmental Sciences
10/14/08

Stacey Tudman
Stephen R. Getchell
Environmental Science
10/14/08

Water is one of the most important resources on our planet. After visiting the Starch Factory Creek and the Utica Marsh, we gained a better understanding of what water is, and how it works. The oxygen levels in a stream are very important because it effects all life within the ecosystem. If the levels are too low, fish will die.
The stream was a lotic environment, meaning that it can be described as having a flow that goes in one direction, it’s always changing, and it contains many inhabitants. The water in the stream came from a watershed, which is where all water comes from.
Different activities that effect the watershed are carried to the stream and can effect the stream as well. The topography is the speed at which the water flows. That, along with the shape of the stream all contribute to flooding conditions in a stream. The smaller the stream, the greater chance there is of flooding.
The soil also effects the stream and it’s ecosystem. The type of soil can effect how much water the stream has. If the soil absorbs water well, it will have less water than soil that doesn’t, and it will not flood.
In order to find out how all this information relates to us, we measured all aspects of the stream and exchanged data results with one another.

By collecting and sharing results on the abiotic variables, we were able to broaden our knowledge about the stream. We went to the Starch Factory stream, collected water samples, and tested them in the various Hach kits we were given.
We tested the flow rate by letting pinecones float down the street. We timed each ten meters. It took a total of two minutes and 59 seconds for it to reach the end. The flow rate isn’t the same every time, some of the pine cones took longer because they got stuck, or strayed off the path of the current.
Human activities, especially pollution, can definitely effect the flow rate pattern. Also, if we build dams, or control where the stream flows, the flow rate will change. Runoff can also have an effect on flow rates, as well as natural waste, such as leaves falling into the stream and getting trapped by rocks as we saw in our experiment.
If it is dryer, and the water level decreases, the dissolved oxygen (DO) rate decreases as well. Also, if it is warmer, more wildlife will live in the stream and will create more DO. Oxygen gets into water by movement in the water, photosynthesis, and diffusion from the surrounding air. Things such as temperature, waste and waterflow can all lower the DO levels. If it gets too low, it can be harmful to the life forms in the stream. It also should not exceed “110% of the oxygen concentration in the air. “
Temperature is another factor that effects flow rates in a stream. If a tree falls down and no longer blocks sunlight, the stream will get warmer, allowing more wildlife to live there. Also, some factories spill chemicals that may cool down the stream, which in turn will drive things such as fish away. We found the PH levels in the stream to be a bit above average. Runoff agriculture can have an effect on the PH levels in a stream as it can contain things such as aluminum, mercury or other harmful elements. Through these experiments, you learn that the way a stream functions effects the wildlife that live in it, not just the stream itself. The oxygen determines what can breath, and the temperature determines what can survive in the stream. Streams can drain the watershed where the water came from and prevent flooding. Helping both humans and animals, the stream is an important part of our environment.