Rolling stones

Time for a bit of spring, no?

Welcome home!

That's the fake forsythia wreath I made on my day off, February 27, 2009.
Funny to think that last Sunday night, I was really really hoping for a snow day. It snowed about 6 inches overnight, resulting in a delayed opening Monday morning.
Then it was 70 degrees yesterday and I ate dinner outside.

And now the time change has happened. Please, can we choose a time and stick with it? I hate adjusting to the time change...

So on Thursday night I thought I would never get better. While my lower right back had been injured/hurting all this time but was mending (7 weeks now), my lower left back was fine, until I was collecting trash...something happened, a pain shot down my left leg, and I went down to the floor. At least the pain down the leg went away, though the pinching/aching sensation in my left back has not. I guess the good news is I think the right lower back is almost completely healed now. Or the left side just hurts more than the right side, but in a different way than the original injury. If that makes any sense.

A coworker helped me discover heat wraps, which magically become warm when they are in contact with air (ok, with a BA in chemistry I should know what reaction is taking place here...but I have not bothered to google it yet). They stick onto the body and last for at least 8 hours. They are a fantastic distraction. Maybe it's only psychological, but it's helping.

I have done a bit of shopping...I bought a new mattress to help with my back, and today I ordered a mini-laptop, or "netbook" as I heard they are called. It will be great for mobility around the house and also when I go to a conference in less than 2 weeks--I don't think I can lug an 8 pound laptop through the airport in my current state. I played with a netbook in Best Buy this afternoon and not only is it super cute (such an important quality for electronics, no?), it is so lightweight. The one I ordered is a hefty three pounds--but that's because the 6 cell battery should last for 7 hours. The 2.25 pound one contains a 3 cell battery that lasts 2 or 3 hours.

Rounding out my spending spree will be the ticket I will buy to see Pete in late April or early May. I have to do my taxes soon to get my refund!

In the meantime, I think I'd rather have the back injury than a kidney stone. My friend Devin has been in pain for 4 days with one, and finally passed the stone this morning. Congrats!