Food Truck Rodeo

Hey everyone. How excited are you that I'm blogging two days in a row!

Last night was the first Food Truck Rodeo of the summer - 23 food trucks gather at the public market for a night of fun. Andy, Ran (our friend from Eastman who's staying with us this week), Rose, Will, and I decided to check it out. Rose did a little investigating and decided the "Hello Arepa" truck was the place to go. We stood in line, for a long time... ... ... We were all so hungry that while we waited in line, we sent people off to other lines to get food and bring it back to the arepa line so we could eat it... hope that makes sense.

Will got a carrot slider - like a hamburger, only the patty was made out of carrots. Andy and I went to an Indian food truck and got samosas and chaana. Ran took the prize when he brought back a waffle topped with chocolate, carmel, strawberries, bananas, whipped cream, etc.

Ran with the awesome waffle

Finally after 90 minutes it was our turn to order.

Will and Rose FINALLY ordering

Well, another 20 minutes or so later, we finally got our food. Thank goodness it was good! I had never had an arepa before. What is it you ask? According to their website, "it's a grilled then baked corn flour patty, stuffed with tastiness." Hmm, still need a little more info? Wikipedia describes it as a flatbread made of corn dough, split and used to make sandwiches - at least that's what they do with it in Venezuela. I ordered one stuffed with black beans, cheese, pico de gallo, and avocado.

Arepa de Domino

Everyone seemed to like theirs.

Andy and his Carnivore Arepa

Rose and Will digging in

By the time we got our food, the Food Truck Rodeo was actually closed - that's why it looks dead in the background, but trust me it was packed earlier! So that was that. It was super fun and even though it wasn't the least bit healthy, I'm glad we went.

Today I worked, which included throwing a reception for a group of 7th grade girls and their families who came to the concert tonight. Then... I treated myself to a facial! Hey... I've got a wedding to get beautiful for here people. It was a really nice way to end the day.

Mark your calendars!!!

We have a date! Which means we have a venue!!!

After several site visits and conversations about finances etc, I finally got my way! Haha, jk (sort of). Let's just say Andy would be happy not having a wedding at all, but thankfully he understands that I would not be happy with that, so.... let the wedding plans really begin!

I'll spare you all the details of every place we went - ok except one... if you ever are in charge of a wedding venue, make sure vending machines aren't visible from the ceremony space... oh and also prison/summer camp toilets in the bathroom are unacceptable. Ok, but anyway, our last stop was at Wagner Vineyards. Andy's parents were able to meet us there, and I'm actually really glad they were able to see it because... that's where it's going to be!!!

I talked to my dad right before he called to book the place, and he said, "Are you saying yes to the place?" You know... like "are you saying yes to the dress?" Haha, good one Dad!

View of ceremony and reception site

The ceremony is on the lawn - you have to rent your own chairs/decorations so we can customize it. The vineyards are right in front of the ceremony site... pretty view!

Close up of ceremony zone

What you can see in real life (just not in this picture) is a big lake on the other side of the vineyard! Woot woot! Love me some water.

The reception actually takes place in the restaurant rather than the winery. It's called "The Ginny Lee" which unfortunately reminds me of the girl in Forrest Gump. Booooo. But the inside is clean and best of all, neutral! Plus all of the wood - especially the ceiling - reminds me of the pacific northwest, which of course I love.

Inside of reception space

There's also a deck that wraps around the reception space, so that will be neat to provide some indoor/outdoor spaces for people. And the windows look out onto a great view of the lake. I think with my mom's creativity we can come up with some decorations that look really nice in that space.

8/16/2014! Mark it down! Unless you're some random person that's found your way to my blog... sorry you are probably not going to be invited. :) Gotta watch that budget!

Ok what else. I had PT this morning. It went well but was a little sad. He was hoping to have me start jogging, so he had me walk a mile on the treadmill. I was still feeling some fairly obvious pain, so no running yet. He wants me to walk a mile every other day, so I'll do that - shouldn't be too hard since the weather has gotten nice. I can even do that at lunch time during Job #1.

Zen Club has also been going well. Anna got Lisa and I these cool "weekly to do" sheets that hang on your fridge.

Once again I'm doing pretty well on all of my goals except one. I'm sure you can guess. ;) Thankfully the Fleet Feet Weight Loss program starts soon!! I think that will really help me find the motivation I need. But I've been getting things done at work, keeping the apartment a little cleaner, and taking better care of my appearance (aka showering daily), so Zen Club is definitely a positive thing for me to keep doing.

I guess that's all for now. Oh except one more thing.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHEENA!!!! This video's for you. ;)

Zen Life Club

Hello friends! I'm so sorry I went MIA for so long. I've been here the whole time, doing things like work and trying to learn how to walk again. Sure there's been stuff to write about, but there's also been a game called Candy Crush that has managed to occupy all of my free time. I will try not to abandon my blog in the future.

A special celebration that you all missed: My mom's birthday! She's also Candy Crushing up a storm on her new iPad!

Work has been nutso. This time of year is always sort of like the "final push" for us here at Job #1. Last week alone I had 7 concerts to organize. All for little kids. There were lots of little kids...

That's Schnoodle the Alien - he was a big hit

We also had a concert on Sunday, which means I'm getting to work two weeks in a row without a break. Thank goodness Memorial Day is around the corner!

I'm back at Job #2. It's ok. I really liked not having to go to a second job for awhile. But the money is needed, and I like the people I work with. Plus the free membership. Looks like I'll be sticking it out there for awhile longer (although that first day back was tough).

Now time for my knee update... it's been exactly 4 weeks from today that I had my surgery. I am finally walking without crutches, and for the most part am limp-free, although I have to go much slower than normal. The bandages are off - the incisions are small and surprisingly don't gross me out too much. I've been cleared to use the bike and elliptical (although only for about 5-10 minutes at a time). And my PT appointments have spread out from 2 times a week to once every 2 weeks. Progress for sure! Bending my knee and stairs are still my most obvious challenges.

And now onto the bigger topic of "life." I've been pretty down lately to tell you the truth. Three whole weeks of being on crutches really zapped my motivation for life. It was hard to get around, hard to clean up, hard to make meals, hard to shower, etc. Since those things were hard, I honestly stopped doing them for the most part. I felt dirty all the time, I felt like I was living in squalor, and I ate whatever was convenient - which is typically not healthy. I was in major need of a reboot.

Enter Zen Life Club! Anna, Lisa, and I decided to get together and talk about what we needed in our daily lives to feel good/happy, and then made specific plans for accomplishing those things. I must give credit here to both Rebecca and Sheena for providing inspiration for Zen Life Club.

Lisa and Anna

First Zen Club meeting!

This is day two of "Zen Club." How am I doing? I'm doing GREAT in all categories, except "food." Big shocker there huh? And honestly I am not doing horribly, but I've just gained so much weight since my knee pain started back around Christmas... I know the key is sticking with it, that things can change slowly over time, but, ugh. I'd like to go to sleep and wake up in a month with 5 pounds gone, and THEN I could take over. This is the heaviest I've ever been in my life. It's hard to find clothes that fit and don't look terrible (especially since it has been super hot here and I refuse to show my arms). But I am very thankful for Zen Club. I think it'll help me get back on track. It's probably silly for me to think I'd get it all perfectly on day one. I will keep trying.

Sorry I know that's not the most thrilling post. But I must add one last thing... HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICOLE!!! I hope you have a wonderful day!!!!!

I'm so excited!

Am I excited because I can shower normally?  No, I still have to sit on a crate and use a cup.

Is it because I feel beautiful? No, this season's allergies are destroying my eyes causing me to wear glasses 24/7. And my nose is not much better off...

Is it because I'm back at work? HAHAHAHAHA. No, definitely not.

Is it because I'm walking? Ok maybe a little... I'm not walking on my own yet, but as of Monday I am down to using only one crutch! Hooray!! That's made a big difference because now I have a free hand and can carry things!

Is it because of Physical Therapy? No... I'm not exactly excited for it, except that it is nice to see the progress I make. Plus they gave me a stretchy band to do my newest exercises that I've been assigned. Who doesn't want a free stretchy band!?

Then why am I excited?

Because in my email today I saw this!!!

GET FIT. HAVE FUN. LOSE WEIGHT.

I'm going to do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's like the universe knew I needed help getting my butt in gear. It's been so long since I've really exercised - thankfully this program starts in a month, and by then I hope to be a lot more mobile than I am now, so hopefully I can fully participate! As soon as I saw it I mentioned it briefly to Andy and he said he'd do it too. I hope he was being serious. I already have visions of us leading a healthy happy summer makings salads and going for walks, haha.

What else... not a whole lot to report. I'm going back to Job #2 this Saturday. I've REALLY liked not having to work there. :-(  Right now is a very very brief calm before the storm for Job #1 - things are about to get "cra cra" starting Thursday and won't stop until May 21st. Yuck. At least being busy will mean the time will fly - and my weight loss adventures with Fleet Feet can begin!

Making Progress

Slowly but surely I think I'm actually getting better.

This morning I had my second physical therapy appointment. They seemed really pleased at the progress I've made with the crutches and the strength in my quad... they said if I keep practicing we could talk about moving to one crutch on Monday. I sure hope they give me the green light!! For now I'm still on two crutches, but getting around pretty well - I'm just slow.

My PT Place

They had me do the exercises I've been doing at home, added two new ones (one I raise my leg up and down - very hard...the other I use a strap to stretch the back of my leg). And then... I got to go on the exercise bike!!! Now I can't actually pedal for real - my knee won't bend enough. But they had me do "arcs" where I would push the pedal with my good foot in one direction as far as I could tolerate it, and then back in the other direction... sort of like making a half circle with the pedals back and forth. I did that for 10 minutes! Although it was boring, I could tell my knee was bending more at the end of the 10 minutes than when I started. Progress!!! After that they had me back up on the table - they put some electric pads around my knee and zapped me for 15 minutes while they also iced my knee. Supposedly the electricity helps with the inflammation. It was really weird, but if they say it'll help, I say turn it up!!

Now I'm at work - which I drove myself to! It was my first time driving since the surgery. Driving isn't so bad but getting in/out of the car is challenging, and then the "walk" is tough because I don't have a handicapped sticker so I can't exactly park in the most convenient place. They should really give you a handicapped sticker as you leave surgery...

Today isn't my first day back at work. I came in for 2 hours on Tuesday, and have been to one rehearsal and two concerts since then. My entire leg is much happier when I'm not at work. It's hard to elevate/ice it while I'm here, but I do still try...

Icing at work

I must also send a massive huge shout out THANK YOU to all of my friends. You've texted/emailed/called/cooked for me/washed my clothes/encouraged me/listened to me whine... I'm positive I have the world's best friends. Ever. And of course a massive thank you to Andy. I can tell he's getting tired of it all, but he still helps me put on my shoes and will do anything I ask.

I wish that's all I had to report for my week, but yesterday Andy and I made a trip out near Niagara Falls for his grandmother's funeral. Very sad. I didn't know her that well at all, but she attended several Brown family functions and was always very pleasant to be around. Turns out she led quite the busy life and helped many many people along the way. Please take the time to read her obituary - you will see how remarkable she truly was!

Physical Therapy Begins!

Yesterday turned out to be an even busier day than reported in my last blog post. I watched the race, went to lunch, went grocery shopping... and then at night Andy and I headed to Anna and Bipul's to celebrate their half marathon.

Anna, Lisa, Bipul, Lydia, Ben, and Andy

After scooting up a flight of stairs on my butt, Bipul had a rolling desk chair waiting for me! It was a good way to get around!! We had a lot of fun eating Mexican Food (it was an early Cinco de Mayo celebration as well). I had a lot of fun, and was so glad I was able to be included in the festivities, but my foot/leg sure paid for it... even after a night's sleep my foot was still super swollen. For some reason it really grosses me out to see all of my fat little toes all mushed together. Yuck!

This morning started bright and early with my first trip to physical therapy. I was nervous for it and had no problem telling my physical therapist that I was scared and that I got queasy very quickly. First he had me take the wrap off my knee. I've seen it enough times now that it doesn't gross me out quite as much as it did at first, which is good. Then he had me stand and try to put my foot flat on the ground - which I was able to do, but only by sticking my butt out behind me, haha. Eventually I was standing up "straight" (or as close as I could) with my fat swollen foot on the ground.

Next I had to walk down the hall and back practicing putting my foot flat on the ground while using the crutches. It was tough - I got very sweaty! Thankfully by the time I got back to where I started he had me lay on the table, which was veeery good because I was starting to feel nauseous. Then he showed me the exercises I am supposed to do this week and had me practice them.

Ankle Pumps - this one is my favorite

Quad Sets - I don't like this one

Heel slides - this is my least favorite

He had me do one more exercise that involved tightening my quad muscle and then lifting my leg in the air. I couldn't lift it on my own, so he helped me... and then I started crying because it hurt. Thankfully he didn't try to push it, and said we'd save that for another time. And that was the appointment! He thanked me for not throwing up on him, and had me schedule another appointment to see him at the end of the week. Phew!

It's amazing how much you can accomplish in 30 minutes, even if it actually doesn't seem like you're doing a whole lot. Even though I'm told I won't be getting off crutches this week, I feel a lot better about the progress I'll make by putting my foot on the ground. I must be putting more weight on my foot this way because I feel a little less pressure on my hands - which is excellent because my hands really hurt from using the crutches.

That's all for now! I still haven't gone back to work - and apparently the only entrance that is handicapped friendly is going to be blocked off because Spiderman decided to film their movie right outside of my office. Hopefully I can figure out a way to work from home!

First day out

Hello friends. It is Sunday afternoon, which means it has been 5 whole days since my surgery. I will be honest in saying I thought I would be much better off by now than I am. I'm still 100% reliant on crutches (although I'm getting much better at using them). I'm also still super reliant on Andy for pretty much everything.... he's a good sport, but I know he was expecting me to be fine by now, so I'm sure it's trying for him.

But! Breakthrough today! I left the apartment!!! This morning was the Rochester Flower City Half Marathon and I had 7 friends running it. The course goes right by my apartment building, so Andy crawled out of bed to take me outside so I could cheer everyone on. CONGRATULATIONS to Sarah! Katie! Scott! Maddie! Anna! Bipul! Nelson! You are all my hero's for the day. :-)

Once the race was over, I got to leave the house again! Andy and I met Sarah, Jon, and her parents for lunch to celebrate her accomplishment.

Another medal for her collection :-)

Using my crutches to get to the restaurant patio felt like my own personal half marathon. It's amazing how tired I get from using them. After lunch Andy and I decided to go to the grocery store in hopes that they'd have an electric cart that I could drive around. They did!!

By far the highlight of my day

Shopping and Icing

Success!

I've obviously never shopped in an electric cart before. 1) I am a natural electric cart driver, 2) when you back up it beeps - very embarrassing, 3) it's safe to assume no one will look out for you, give you the right of way, understand that you are broken. I have a knew level of sympathy for people who have to use these. The other shoppers make it frustrating, and on top of that, it's hard to reach things on high/low shelves. I'm glad this is only temporary. I couldn't imagine being in a wheelchair for life.

I did meet one very friendly chatty woman near the deli. Turns out she had knee surgery by the same doc that did mine. I asked her how long it took for her to walk again and I guess she made me feel better by saying it took awhile... not that I want it to take awhile, but at least I'm not the only one who wasn't dancing out of the OR.

And now I'm back on the trusty couch with my newly purchased bag of frozen peas working their magic. Whenever I am upright for a short period of time, my left foot/leg starts to turn purple.

See the difference?

And that picture was taken just after a quick bathroom trip. You can only imagine what it's like now after my big outing. But as much as the color change grosses me out, it was really good for me to get out of the house... I felt alive again (even though I was frustrated a lot).

Tomorrow morning is my first physical therapy appointment. I hope they help me learn how to walk again!