the transformation: it's a process.

Saturday was the big day, full of cleaning, moving furniture, putting up new blinds, rearranging, organizing, and reorganizing.  As an added bonus, I got two new pieces of furniture, both of which needed to be assembled.  It was a long day, but worth it for the results.

This picture was taken 8:15 on Saturday night. As you can see, we are in the midst of putting together the new dresser and my bed is covered in drawers.

Fast forward about a week. My room is nearing completion with all of the finishing touches. I bought new curtains, as you can see hanging. As you can also see in this picture, the pattern runs horizontally, but the four panels I bought didn't match up. Call me anal, but I knew this would drive me crazy, especially since the two windows are so close to one another. So, I pretty much bought every panel in existence, at least in Bakersfield, and began matching the pattern until I successfully found four panels that line up almost exactly.

Stay tuned for the finished product.

the transformation: before.

Awhile back I promised to show you pictures of my room since I've rearranged and somewhat redecorated. This has been a long time coming, I know, but I finally remembered where my camera cord was. I'm having a hard time uploading all of the pictures in one post, so I'm going to have to do separate posts.  Here are the before photos:

This was Wednesday, July 28. This was pretty much Day 1 of the process, although some stuff was already moved out at this point.

This was Friday, July 30. As you can see, most of the excess junk has been removed from the room to prepare for moving day tomorrow.

Also Friday. Same day, slightly different view of the "Before" room.

The transformation continues in my next post.

mixed up.

I try to be content, I really do.  But there's part of me that can't stand it.  I need to go somewhere new, do something different.  I wish I could be irresponsible for a week or two and just go.  I'm happy where I am.  I really am.  I just need to shake things up, do something different.  Or something.

Maybe I'm just anxious for the changes about to take place in a little over two weeks.  That's when I become a student again.  I'll also become a teacher again (substitute, of course) as soon as my begins to ring again.  My mom recently observed that my life is going to be so busy as I go to school as both a student and a teacher again, as well as continue to work for her.  Maybe that's what I need for awhile. 

I have only a couple of friends here, and I'm anxious to see the ones down in LA again.  Sorry to the friends here, as I've been MIA this summer as life took over.  It happens to the best of us, you know.  I need to get out and be more intentionally social.  Maybe then I won't feel so discontent.

a weekend of changes.

Saturday was the big day...rearranging the furniture in my room, that is.  What started out sounding like merely a chore turned into a huge, all-day event.  Since Wednesday I had been taking stuff out of my room, moving the items to various locations around the house, mostly to my sister's room (thank goodness she's not here!), or stashing them into an ever-growing pile inside my closet.  Which, by the way, looks like I never even touched it back in June.  Oh well, round 2 will see better results, I'm sure.  Anyway, by Saturday morning, I pretty much had the clutter cleared out and was on to the things I used everyday.  When I had everything out I could move myself, I called in the troops, better known as my parents, and got things moving.  We took out the furniture that was being replaced and cleaned everything.  My dad hung the new blinds we've had sitting in the box for awhile now.  New curtains were hung, the cable I need for my TV was run around the perimeter of the room, and we were in business.  My bed and chair were set in place.  Now it was time for the real fun to begin!  We exchanged the tall dresser/shelving unit I had previously for the dresser I had in my apartment...it's been sitting in the garage waiting for this day to arrive.  I also decided to switch the desk I had in my room already for the desk that matched the dresser (also from the apartment).  By the time we had that in place, it was decided that the other long, old oak dresser I had in my room needed to leave.  My mom and I took a break, got cleaned up, and went furniture shopping.  My preference was for one of those lingerie chests...tall and not too wide.  We found the perfect one at World Market and got a really good deal on it, too! We brought it home for my dad and I to assemble later that evening.  We started on it just before dinner.  At 8:30, I still had pieces strewn about my room.  I was wondering if I was going to be able to sleep in there!  After my dad finished up some work he needed to get done, we started working again, this time moving fairly quickly through the second half of assembly.  We got everything screwed in (much more difficult than it sounds) and turned it over to put the back on.  It was then that we realized that my dad had put one of the pieces in backward earlier.  Which meant that the small cut-out groove the back was supposed to rest inside was not there.  Seeing no other way to resolve the issue, we then got to unscrew all of our hard work enough to pull that piece out and turn it around.  Then we screwed everything in...again.  We finally finished assembly a few minutes after 11.  Oh, and I should mention that earlier when assembling the drawers, one of the pieces was manufactured incorrectly, so we only could put 4 drawers together.  (I was thankfully able to get the piece I needed at World Market Sunday and all is right now!)  After a long, exhausting day, we were all worn out.  But my room looks good and I'm slowly getting things put away in their new homes.  I got a new bookcase on Sunday, as well, which was assembled last night.  I was going to post pictures of the transformation, but I currently cannot locate my camera cord.  It's been moved with the rest of my belongings, so I'll post the pictures as soon as things are more put together.  I still have to take all my pictures down off the wall and move them around to better suit the new arrangement.  I'm not holding my breath for that to get done too quickly.  Hopefully soon, though, and pictures will follow shortly thereafter.

P.S. Feel free to leave a comment or two.  I love to hear/see/know people are reading...

officially official.

Well, it's official! I just completed registration for my Fall semester return to school.  Classes begin 4 weeks from tomorrow.  I have mixed emotions about going back to school to say the least.  But, now that I've been planning on it for a few months, I'm getting used to the idea and I'll admit, a little more excited.  I know that in the long run, this work will pay off.  And, hey, what's a little more debt, right?

The other great accomplishment of this week so far is that the elliptical we bought mid-June is finally put together.  It was started the day after it arrived and has since been stalled in the living room, pieces strewn about everywhere since then.  Until Sunday, when my dad finally decided he had some time to put it together.  Once we got going, it was no big deal...obviously it was just a matter of getting going!

My room is now in the process of being emptied.  I have a plan as to how I want to rearrange the furniture.  The first step to that, though, is emptying the room of all superfluous items so that furniture can be moved around.  My hope is to move things around on Saturday, but I'll keep you posted on my progress.

In other news, I'm happy to announce that I am still continuing on with my read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year reading, and almost caught up to where I should be today...just a couple of weeks behind now, but I'm still making strides to catch up.

Please continue to keep Papa in your prayers.  He is doing well, but still has room for improvement.  my parents spoke to him on the phone last night and he sounded just like himself.  However, he still has moments where he is confused or just not himself.  His follow up appointment at UCLA is this Thursday, where adjustments to the shunt will be made if necessary.

Well, I think that's all my news for now...

awesome news.

Big news! Papa had his surgery yesterday, everything went smoothly, and he is recovering well! What a HUGE answer to many prayers! The surgery was scheduled for Friday morning, between 7:30 and 9:30.  However, he didn't end up going into surgery until mid to late afternoon.  Got to love the waiting game hospitals make you play.  Waiting aside, the important thing is that he got the surgery.  The surgeon said that when he opened him up, liquid came up like a geyser.  Obviously a good thing to relieve that pressure! Results may be slow to take effect, as they start the draining at a slow rate.  He'll go back in to the hospital in about 10 days for follow up and making adjustments as necessary.  In my mind's eye, I somehow always pictured the shunt as a valve that you have to crank open or shut.  In reality, from what I've been told, the way you adjust the shunt is through a magnetic force, as there is apparently a magnet near his right ear now.  Anyway, it was a good day with good results.  Please continue to pray for healing, a speedy recovery, and that the doctor's will get the right speed of flow figured out relatively quickly. 

And, in other news, I woke up at 4:00 this morning.  For no reason in particular, other than not being able to fall back asleep.  Second time this has happened in the last week.  Let's hope it's not a lasting trend! Happy Saturday to me...

down and back up.

Since my last post a couple of weeks ago, so much has happened.  The first is this: Papa continued to decline, to the point where we really didn't think he was going to make it.  He was completely unresponsive some days, couldn't swallow, couldn't walk, barely speak, couldn't stand, sit up, etc.  My parents and I went down on Sunday the 4th to celebrate the day, as well as to visit everyone.  It was basically decided that another attempt would be made to get Papa into UCLA to see the hydrocephalus specialists there.  Nothing much changed between Sunday and Monday, so my aunt and uncle decided they would take him down to UCLA and try to get him admitted through emergency while he was somewhat stable.  Through a series of ups and downs (I'll spare you all of the details), he was finally admitted to the neurology floor and they decided to do a complete work up on him.  Once the test begins, it's a 72 hour wait for results.  Fast forward to this last Sunday, the 11th.  My parents and I, along with my sister and great aunt and great uncle (Papa's sister and brother-in-law) headed down to UCLA to visit.  We left around 4 since nothing much was happening.  About 4:45, the neurology intern came in and said they were going to start the test, which consists of them removing spinal fluid and observing him.  He had some complications, however, and said the test would be done on Monday instead.  As of yesterday, Papa was showing distinct changes in his behavior.  Before he could speak to you, but couldn't really carry on a conversation, couldn't remember where he was, etc.  Yesterday he was conversing, knew where UCLA was, remembered his nurses and their names, was up walking around (with some help, of course).  The nurse that was there, who had also been there last Friday, didn't realize he was the same patient until she saw my aunt and grandma come in the room.  Because of these and other remarkable changes, it does look like surgery will be a possibility for him to relieve his symptoms.  He has been cleared for surgery from a cardiac standpoint, so hopefully by tomorrow we should know more about the next steps.  Please continue to pray!

Onto other topics, my days have recently consisted of me working 8+ hour days from home.  I love the from home aspect because I can work in my pajamas, pick my own hours (although I always start later than I should and end up working until late hours), and watch Friends while I'm working.  Because June was the end of the quarter, I'm under a big push to get things finished up.  I have until Monday to get it all done...

One of the funniest things that has happened:  My mom decided sometime last week that she was going to shave Molly (our Westie) into more of a "Westie" cut.  Last time she went to the groomer they cut her short all over.  About 10 minutes later and one wiggly dog later, Molly's back had a series of hacks in the fur, resulting in her looking like she has some strange disease or something.  Her fur was short enough in some places to show her skin, so we've been having to put sunscreen on her back so she won't burn.  My poor mom has gotten more grief about her "grooming," but it was hilarious.  Molly is just cute, though, so even with a "hacky backy", as we so lovingly refer to it, she is still adorable. 

My life also consists of picking up other people's mail.  We are having my grandparents' mail held a week at a time, so every Friday I get to make the trek across town (about 1 hour round trip) to pick up the mail, water plants, etc.  I've also been asked by some family friends to pick up their mail (house and a P.O. box) while they are vacationing for the summer.  Between all of those trips every week, I feel like I'm constantly checking someone's mail.  (I really don't mind, though)

In the last few weeks, huge strides have been made in this household.  Lucy, our adorable, but standoffish, cat has become my stalker.  Since I'm home during the day, she'll come into my room and lay by my feet as I work, laid on my bed one day with me, even lets me pet her with my hands (usually it's feet only).  She'll yell and yell at me until I pay attention to her.  Our relationship is still on her terms, but things are looking up! :)