Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Safe and Sound
Family and friends, Hurricane Sandy has passed and we are safe and sound. We lost heat but have power, internet, and cable so we'll just put on some extra sweatshirts for now and watch a movie after we go for a walk and get all the stir-crazy off :) It was a loud and windy night but we didn't have any problems other than a small window leak. Bambi sure didn't like going outside yesterday!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Warrior Dash (belated) and Steroids!
Legs here...
The last weekend of September two colleagues and I (a.k.a. the Diplo (diplomatic) Divas) dawned tiaras and hot pink stretch pants to complete the Charles City, VA Warrior Dash 2012! We drove a couple hours out of DC, waited a couple hours in warrior car traffic, did not have to get our small Hyundai towed from the muddy parking field, and enjoyed a 3.58 mile run complete with 11 grueling obstacles We ran, we swam, we crawled under barbed wire, jumped over fire, scaled ropes, and made it through alive! Pancho and Thumper roamed the grounds taking pictures and playing in the mud--all of Pancho's photos are on our photo share site so don't forget to take a look! I hadn't been training for the Warrior Dash more than my regular gym schedule allowed and really just wanted to make sure I could run that far :-) I got up to a seven mile run...on a treadmill. Treadmills are different than running on the ground and running on dry flat ground is different than running in wet clothes through lots and lots of mud! It was hard but it was SO fun! I finished 584/1348 in the 20-29 year female division and 3405/6661 overall...not too bad for my first race ever!
....and then the steroids (if you're still reading).
Okay so it's not as dramatic as it sounds. Last week I had a wisdom tooth taken out. My second wisdom tooth removal because I'm stubborn, I do one-by-one, and because my parents didn't force me to get them all out when I was under the age of 18. This one was impacted (i.e. coming in sideways and only going to cause trouble) so I figured I should deal with it before we move to India. The extraction took two hours and was not fun. The Dentist had just received an award for his extractions and joked that he should give it back after seeing that tooth. Anyway, I spent Columbus day recovering and taking all the pills they gave me, which included a steroid to prevent massive swelling. I had to take Tuesday off from work and managed to survive the rest of the week okay until Friday evening. I had finished the steroid prescription on Thursday and was starting to look less puffy at long last. And then my body freaked out. By Sunday I was in the ER with all sorts of crazy symptoms and the doctors agreed that it was likely a reaction to the steroid...or a virus. Wikipedia and the medical professionals thought I was having symptoms as though I had long-term steroid use...I completely swelled up everywhere, was retaining all fluids I took in, all of my muscles hurt, I was hungry and couldn't feel when I was full, I was irritable, I was completely out of it, I felt so weak I couldn't move, I couldn't put sentences together very well...it was crazy. They thought it was strange I was on such a high does of the steroids for so long (I guess some dentists just do a one-time shot right after the wisdom tooth comes out...I had pills 4x per day for 4 days) but the dentist doesn't feel it was too strong but agrees I should stay away from it in the future so who knows. Either way, no more dexamethasone for me! I had to take Monday off from work and have been slowly but surely gaining cognizance and re-gaining Telugu skills. Here's to hoping all of us stay well for the next month because I test in Telugu on November 14th and I sure don't want to be in language training any longer than I have to!
Last but not least, we have more family coming on Saturday and cannot wait!!!!!!!!! Pancho and I might even go out on a date night :-) Argo just came out and Ben Affleck thanked Diplomats for their service on the Daily Show last night, how can we go see anything else?!
The last weekend of September two colleagues and I (a.k.a. the Diplo (diplomatic) Divas) dawned tiaras and hot pink stretch pants to complete the Charles City, VA Warrior Dash 2012! We drove a couple hours out of DC, waited a couple hours in warrior car traffic, did not have to get our small Hyundai towed from the muddy parking field, and enjoyed a 3.58 mile run complete with 11 grueling obstacles We ran, we swam, we crawled under barbed wire, jumped over fire, scaled ropes, and made it through alive! Pancho and Thumper roamed the grounds taking pictures and playing in the mud--all of Pancho's photos are on our photo share site so don't forget to take a look! I hadn't been training for the Warrior Dash more than my regular gym schedule allowed and really just wanted to make sure I could run that far :-) I got up to a seven mile run...on a treadmill. Treadmills are different than running on the ground and running on dry flat ground is different than running in wet clothes through lots and lots of mud! It was hard but it was SO fun! I finished 584/1348 in the 20-29 year female division and 3405/6661 overall...not too bad for my first race ever!
....and then the steroids (if you're still reading).
Okay so it's not as dramatic as it sounds. Last week I had a wisdom tooth taken out. My second wisdom tooth removal because I'm stubborn, I do one-by-one, and because my parents didn't force me to get them all out when I was under the age of 18. This one was impacted (i.e. coming in sideways and only going to cause trouble) so I figured I should deal with it before we move to India. The extraction took two hours and was not fun. The Dentist had just received an award for his extractions and joked that he should give it back after seeing that tooth. Anyway, I spent Columbus day recovering and taking all the pills they gave me, which included a steroid to prevent massive swelling. I had to take Tuesday off from work and managed to survive the rest of the week okay until Friday evening. I had finished the steroid prescription on Thursday and was starting to look less puffy at long last. And then my body freaked out. By Sunday I was in the ER with all sorts of crazy symptoms and the doctors agreed that it was likely a reaction to the steroid...or a virus. Wikipedia and the medical professionals thought I was having symptoms as though I had long-term steroid use...I completely swelled up everywhere, was retaining all fluids I took in, all of my muscles hurt, I was hungry and couldn't feel when I was full, I was irritable, I was completely out of it, I felt so weak I couldn't move, I couldn't put sentences together very well...it was crazy. They thought it was strange I was on such a high does of the steroids for so long (I guess some dentists just do a one-time shot right after the wisdom tooth comes out...I had pills 4x per day for 4 days) but the dentist doesn't feel it was too strong but agrees I should stay away from it in the future so who knows. Either way, no more dexamethasone for me! I had to take Monday off from work and have been slowly but surely gaining cognizance and re-gaining Telugu skills. Here's to hoping all of us stay well for the next month because I test in Telugu on November 14th and I sure don't want to be in language training any longer than I have to!
Last but not least, we have more family coming on Saturday and cannot wait!!!!!!!!! Pancho and I might even go out on a date night :-) Argo just came out and Ben Affleck thanked Diplomats for their service on the Daily Show last night, how can we go see anything else?!
Harvest's Visit
Like I said before, if you come to visit us then you get a blog post dedicated to your trip :-) This one is for Harvest.
It was absolutely wonderful to see Harvest again, and it was great to be reminded of how nice it feels to be around family. We know that many people would love for us to come home for a visit one last time before we leave for India, and, believe me, we would certainly love a little vacation time in the Pacific Northwest, but with Legs' work schedule and our upcoming visitors it just won't be possible. Unfortunately we won't see many of you until either our R&R during our post to Hyderabad, or on home leave after our India post is over. We know that there will be many difficult times ahead given the life that Legs and I have chosen, as we will surely miss some momentous occasions. Although we will face many challenges in maintaining our relationships with family and friends during our lives abroad, I am very proud of Legs for serving her country just as I did in the Marine Corps. If my family can play even a small role in promoting peace and democracy in the world it is, in my opinion, well worth all of the hardships we will face. That being said, here is a look at Grandpa Moon's visit...
We started off our adventures with a self-guided tour of the White House. This was Thumper and my second trip to the White House and, yet again, we failed to see or meet anyone of importance :-( Nonetheless, it was still a great opportunity to walk through the halls of a place in which so many monumental figures have walked. They don't allow any cameras at the White House, so we can't share any pictures with you.
The next day, thanks to Harvest's wonderful planning skills, we had the privilege of a guided tour of the Capitol Building by one of Senator Patty Murray's staff assistants. To put it mildly, the Capitol Building was far more appealing to look at than the White House. The art and architecture is phenomenal, and having a guided tour is a wonderful way to learn some interesting little facts.
Our first big photo opportunity was a trip to Gettysburg, PA. The countryside was beautiful, and the trip there was almost as enjoyable as the destination. We stopped for lunch in town at a haunted inn and tavern called The Farnsworth House. We then stopped by the Visitor's Center to plan out our route to see some Civil War battlefield sites. It was incredible to drive by open fields with makeshift barriers built out of rock and dirt and to see cannons littered everywhere. It is surreal to think of the carnage that took place in such a beautiful place. We made our way to the Gettysburg National Cemetery, where President Lincoln gave the infamous Gettysburg Address.
It was absolutely wonderful to see Harvest again, and it was great to be reminded of how nice it feels to be around family. We know that many people would love for us to come home for a visit one last time before we leave for India, and, believe me, we would certainly love a little vacation time in the Pacific Northwest, but with Legs' work schedule and our upcoming visitors it just won't be possible. Unfortunately we won't see many of you until either our R&R during our post to Hyderabad, or on home leave after our India post is over. We know that there will be many difficult times ahead given the life that Legs and I have chosen, as we will surely miss some momentous occasions. Although we will face many challenges in maintaining our relationships with family and friends during our lives abroad, I am very proud of Legs for serving her country just as I did in the Marine Corps. If my family can play even a small role in promoting peace and democracy in the world it is, in my opinion, well worth all of the hardships we will face. That being said, here is a look at Grandpa Moon's visit...
We started off our adventures with a self-guided tour of the White House. This was Thumper and my second trip to the White House and, yet again, we failed to see or meet anyone of importance :-( Nonetheless, it was still a great opportunity to walk through the halls of a place in which so many monumental figures have walked. They don't allow any cameras at the White House, so we can't share any pictures with you.
The next day, thanks to Harvest's wonderful planning skills, we had the privilege of a guided tour of the Capitol Building by one of Senator Patty Murray's staff assistants. To put it mildly, the Capitol Building was far more appealing to look at than the White House. The art and architecture is phenomenal, and having a guided tour is a wonderful way to learn some interesting little facts.
Our first big photo opportunity was a trip to Gettysburg, PA. The countryside was beautiful, and the trip there was almost as enjoyable as the destination. We stopped for lunch in town at a haunted inn and tavern called The Farnsworth House. We then stopped by the Visitor's Center to plan out our route to see some Civil War battlefield sites. It was incredible to drive by open fields with makeshift barriers built out of rock and dirt and to see cannons littered everywhere. It is surreal to think of the carnage that took place in such a beautiful place. We made our way to the Gettysburg National Cemetery, where President Lincoln gave the infamous Gettysburg Address.
 |
| Canons lined up near the Gettysburg National Cemetery |
 |
| A beautiful poem at Gettysburg National Cemetery |
 |
| The Soldiers' National Monument |
 |
| Small number markers to represent some of the lives lost |
 |
| A small portion of the headstones at Gettysburg National Cemetery |
Later during Harvest's visit Thumper, Harvest, and I went on a boat tour along the Potomac River. It was short, but provided a great look at some of the Washington DC monuments and bridges along with an interesting narration.
 |
| Arlington Memorial Bridge |
 |
| The Lincoln Memorial with the Washington Monument in the background |
 |
| The Washington Monument |
 |
| Arlington Memorial Bridge and the Lincoln Memorial |
It was truly wonderful to have Harvest come visit before our departure for India, and I am very grateful that Thumper was given the opportunity to enjoy some time with him. It is so refreshing to see a familiar face while we are living in an entirely new environment. Harvest has always been so supportive of me in all of my endeavors; I am very lucky to have him in my life, and now to have him in my wife and son's lives as well. You're an amazing person, and I don't know where I would be without your influence and guidance.
Happy Travels!
Pancho
Happy Travels!
Pancho
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)