Eat My Shortz

I've been doing zillions of crossword puzzles lately, and I think I'm getting pretty good at it. It helps that the clues are repeated pretty often. Everyone at work was excited to tell me that Will Shortz (the NY Times crossword puzzle editor) was to give the commencement speech at IU this year. I guess that's cool, but I wasn't about to drive an hour to hear a guy talk about puzzles.

Uncle Randy and Aunt Julie were generous to invite us to their condo in Pennsylvania for Memorial Day weekend, so that's where we're headed early tomorrow morning! We'll be headed out of Indy just as thousands of people are headed in to see the big race on Sunday. One of these days we'll go.

Last night we went to Abyssiana, the Ethiopian restaurant on 38th St. It was a rough start, with 10 people all trying to figure out what we wanted to eat and share, but it was a lot of fun. The food was really good, and it was perfect "group" experience. After we were sated, the chef came out to ask us how we liked the food; he was so short and cute.

My employer just began a health-care incentive plan thing, where if you are in good health, they compensate you with money. I started telling my coworkers what a great idea I thought this plan was.... really excited about it. So we were all discussing this, and I said how I think people who were overweight should have to pay higher health care premiums because of all the extra health care costs they impose on the greater population. If they have a glandular problem, then that's something else... but if they just didn't exercise and didn't eat correctly, then it's a preventable problem. Someone counter argued the strong correlation between lower-income people and obesity, and how they would unfairly have to pay higher health care premiums than higher-income workers. He was right. How will the behavior change if there is no punishment? I use the word "punishment" not because I'm a jerk, but because there's a Boy George song playing on the radio and my vocabulary area of my brain is blurred right now. If someone gets 10 speeding tickets, their car insurance premiums are increased, and there is an incentive to save money by driving the speed limit. If someone is overweight, should their health insurance premiums be increased? I would think that a shorter life span and the various other weight-related ailments should be enough incentive to not let yourself become overweight, but I think it's obvious that it's not. If anything, people are motivated to lose weight mostly because of aesthetic reasons. Hey, I just remembered about those Whirlpool employees who were riled up because their health care plan imposed higher premiums for smokers. Same issue.

I took a self-defense class today at work and now feel confident that I can successfully knee an attacker in the groin, if needed. I've always wondered how I would fare in a fight, and while I am able to knee people in the groin, that's about the extent of my abilities. Thanks to some mega-padding, I got to try my self-defense skills on a guy, and I didn't perform too well. Is that very Mennonite-ish of me?

Oh, by the way... I brought $160 with me to Vegas and came back with $210. THANK YOU, WHEEL.

We Meet Again

10 Signs Your Stress and Anxiety are Getting Out of Control:

1. Headaches, headaches, headaches
2. Change in appetite (I can't stop eating or I won't eat anything; usually, it's the former, but not long ago I lost 15 lbs. because I was too bloated and nauseous to eat for a couple of months)
3. Random crying
4. You know that feeling you get in your stomach right as you get up to make a speech? That feeling, for 24 hours a day. It's unbearable.
5. Twitching
6. Heartburn
7. Insomnia, arguably the worst of the list.
8. Skipped heartbeats (palpitations)
9. Bitten nails and picked fingers
10. Constantly taking deep breaths...

Another dip in the rollercoaster of life, I guess.

Not the Best Timing

Dave is sick with a cold :( Poor guy. I hope he is well before we leave for Florida on Saturday. It sucks to fly with sinus congestion.

We visited his new workplace last night. That has to be the most beautiful office I have ever seen. I am so completely jealous. And I want to hire whoever did the decorating and furniture-buying. It was awesome.

After that, we had some massive chocolate/pastry/cake cravings, so we bought some Little Debbie chocolate chip cream pies and Chips Ahoy Big 'N' Soft chocolate chip cookies at Marsh. The Chips Ahoy ones were a little disappointing, because they really weren't very big.

We played a little Wii Smash Bros., and then I fell asleep on his lap.

Has anyone been watching Dr. House on Jeopardy???? We were super hyped while watching. This is better than watching the Super Bowl.

http://www.rose-hulman.edu/news/articles/house-jeopardy.htm

I Sing the Body Electric

I took today off and we went to the neurologist today to find out the results of my MRIs.

I don't have MS! Phew. Phew, phew, phew. I still have transverse myelitis and they couldn't really tell me what caused it, but it should go away in a few weeks. The doctor said he was surprised that I didn't have any lesions on my brain and that he thought for sure that I had MS. Boooooyahhhh! Katherine's Brain: 1, Doctor: 0. I still have to go back in 1 year and have another MRI done.

And now, some FREAKY, freaky pictures of my MRIs.

Wormy Brains:


The scariest of them all (I've got to hide this picture in the refrigerator to scare Dave):


Is that huge lumpy thing my heart?:


I'm so happy! And I wish I could take Sprinkles for a walk outside.

Transylvania, My Eyes!

I have been preliminarily diagnosed with transverse myelitis. I am scheduled to have two MRIs on Friday, so we'll know more after that. I just hope I don't have any lesions on my brain...