sx^3

Spent today at Nashville Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center -- Wow. Super impressed by their caliber of employee and their attention to thorough care. (And their apparent superiority at MRI machines). Got my appt with Dr. Byrd and was completely pleased with his POC (plan of care) and his overall demeanor towards my not typical pains and ails. The 3rd MRI for my hip finally showed that the problem wasn't just between my ears. The office physical therapist spent some time pulling, yanking, and testing my muscles. The office nurses gave me this fabulous anesthetic injection to numb my entire hip joint capsule then I ran on a treadmill for 5 min .... PAIN FREE ... for the first time since Feb. Whoa. Right, so sx scheduling on joint #3 to commence sometime this week for a labral tear and possible bursectomy.

And oh, hotel coffee after a long weekend of west coast coffee is NOT acceptable. Just FYI.

drinking blue bottle co coffee 

a bucolic adventure

 Just got settled from my San Fran/Ally Adventure. It was spectacular. Really could not have asked for a better trip. And realizing more and more everyday how thankful I am for the moments with the few people in my life that I can just be me around.

Wine Country

 

A bucolic adventure indeed -- yes, I looked up the word because it was written in one of the winery brochures and I like new words. We did a good handful of tours there, a few in Calistoga and the others in Napa. In between 'sips' we crashed a spa and had some great meals and some pretty amazing coffee. (Clearly the coffee is important here, as it is everyday in my life).

Back in San Fran we did just about everything we could on foot. Walked to bfast, lunch and dinner .. and dessert! Did some super touristy things --- like eat my fav animal fries from In-N-Out, visit the sea lions in the Wharf, sundaes in Ghiradelli Square, and pics at Crissy Field in Golden Gate Park, even though there was no bridge to be seen in all the fog. All in all, great vacay, and great friend :)

... meh ...

I was going to update my blog for the week and fill you all in on all the happenings: the good, bad and annoying ... but then I really lost motivation and went and did a JM work out instead. 

And thanks to LVR via her friends Google+ account (which yes, I'm now using Google+) I was able to find all the Jillian Michael's workout vid's for free :) 

So, if you're interested:

here it is

So I got in a good workout and now I'm attempting to plan my next 14 days of crazy!

Monday & Tuesday I'm working late.

Wednesday I'm working then fly to San Francisco

Thurs-Saturday planning on causing all kinds of chaos in the bay with Ally

Sunday afternoon I fly back to GA

Monday I work all day then drive to Nashville

Tuesday I'm spending all day at Dr. Byrd's office .. (he's kind of a big deal)

Wednesday I'll be back in GA for the birth of my new nephew, Davis James

So yea, expect radio silence for a few days .. I'll still try to post the occasional photo via my 'blogger droid' app, but no promises for those of you who hang on my every word on here. (Ha!)

my best days are ahead of me

Seriously, let's talk about having your day made ... Sitting with a brand new walk in patient in the back of the clinic when this (below) is delivered to the office: 

 

  

So of course the office starts buzzing and getting super excited and because I have sonar like hearing abilities I immediately look up and start tuning in. Then they tell me it's for me!?! Knowing that I have the greatest boyfriend ever, I instantly start blushing -- which is not an easy thing to make me do. Unfortunately this was not oh look she's pink blush, but a full on red in the face, ears burning, can't hide the smile type blush. 

Mega bonus points with the office and especially with the girlfriend. Well done, boyfriend!

Oh and so just when it was looking like Chelsea-6, July-0 my desktop dies!?!?! Ordered a new cheapo laptop like 10 min ago .. if it lasts 8 months I'll be ecstatic!

Also, in case in one was wondering I also completed a full 20 min Jillian Michael's video that I snagged of my comcast on demand for free. The pro's to this is that it was free and I got a good/decent workout out of it. The con's ... I am WEAK & found that yes, my hip does still hurt.

it's warmer when you're waiting, it feels more like july

July.

I have no beef with July... Except that it means 2011 is halfway over?!?! When did that happen seriously!!

2011 has been pretty amazing to me. Passed my NBCOT exam, got my GA OT license, began my job as a real hand therapist (!), got closer with my family & some new friends, reunited time zones with some old friends, and finally pulled my head out of the sand and told the boyfriend how I feel about him.

So July, huh.

Well, so far I've been fairly impressed with what it has had to offer. A cabin getaway with good family and close friends, an Independence Day of Abigail and hanging with the Roberts (and a few of their closet friends), and today is my cats 2nd birthday. Happy birthday Sir Lexicon!

Things that is be okay with changing in July: my current workout abilities, ie the hip pain that has been plaguing me since Feb's 10k, the fact that I'm breaking out like a 14 year old girl all over again -- chalking that one up to humidity, lack of exercise and stress, and this stupid heat rash on the back of my leg that I haven't had since I was 10. (Not that any of you need to know, but as a kid I would get heat rashes in my knee and elbow creases that I would spend all summer scratching).

So my plans to celebrate july aka 1/2 way to 2012: well I head to san fran next week for a 4.5 day getaway with my favorite law student. Then I hit up Nashville to see the southeasts best hip doctor. (Thrilled about a 7am appt that's 3.5 hrs away). Then Davis, my sisters second son will be here!!!! And as if July could handle any more excitement, I also plan on starting to get back into some kind of normal exercise routine again... despite the hip pain ... and to help with that whole "self improvement" plan, ill be in increasing the amount of cooking I do and limiting myself to 2 beers a week --this does not exclude the vodka tonics, thankfully, but will decrease the # of calories that I consume!!

Okay, July, let's do this...starting tomorrow of course :)

posted from Bloggeroid

feet up on the dashboard

Just thinking about how awesome my life is: seriously.

two halves can make a person whole

Haaaaappppy first 1/2 Birthday to my favorite little girl! Today (Tuesday) she is officially 6 mo old. Abby, can't wait to spoil you growing up ((and share all those crazy fun stories about your parents with you one day!))


 






&&&& Thursday is my nephews 2 1/2 birthday which I will also be celebrating this week. Love both these kiddos and couldn't be happier to be their Aunt Chelsea

6 year anniversary

Happy 6th year anniversary to me and my condo! I do love you Foxcroft, in all of your I need a special love and attention kind of way. Thanks for all the great memories over the years and especially for all the great roommates along the way!

Here's a look at how far we've come .... Before photos are from the day I first looked at it. After are photos in the past 10 months.

DIY in the dark

Finally put all my free time to good use this weekend. I had planned to completely remodel the kitchen cabinets and walls ... apparently Foxcroft had other plans -- like losing power for 3 hours on Friday night, 2 hours on Saturday night, and an hour on Sunday night. So approaching another very busy work week and still have some final touches to do -- caulk, paint a wall and 1/2, touch up trim, those things. (The details that no one likes to do ..).

SOOO, here it is! Oh and did I mention that it cost me under $115! Would have been under 100, but I had to spend the 18.95 on the tile cutter :)

before & after

before and after (minus the caulk and trim)

And of course ... what would any DIY project be with out help? Here's mine ...

sleeping on the job, per usual

And a few more photos of the DIY process just because I have them ((and my internet is fast enough to upload them in a timely manner)) ... ;)

chillin on a dirt road

''memory lane up in the headlights
Its got me reminiscing on them good times
I'm turning off a real life drive and that's right
I'm hitting easy street on mud tires"

Easy street ... hmm .. what a concept. Well, this week was just about anything but easy. This week I saw more patients than any one else in my office, began coping with the 1726 miles from here to Utah, and spent 2.5 days without power, hot water, and my sanity.

So I feel like the lesson of the week is communication & team work. Team work doesn't fly without communication. And communication is a two way street. Communication builds and keeps trust. It diffuses situations before they even pop up, calms anxiety, and definitely promotes happiness. Thankfully, the people in my life that I rely on to be on my team, rock at communication. My co-workers help me keep my sanity when the doctor upstairs slams our office waiting room, my boyfriend -- although he works the weirdest freaking hours -- calls, texts, emails, g-chats, tango's & heytells me any and every chance he gets, my friends for always checking in on me, and errr I guess my cats are good at communicating too? Meow? I mean ... they do tell me when they want breakfast, lunch & dinner ....

Right --- so easy street -- -yes. Not so easy, but rewarding none the less. So what's on the agenda for this weekend to unwind and relax? I'm thinking about working on my DIY project. Stay tuned for the official unveiling. Going to crunch the budget for the scheme tonight and if it's under $150 I'm going for it! 

last mini DIY was the balcony plants .. and my herbs are running amuck! (after they've died multiple times from the summer heat)

totally amazing mind, so understanding and so kind

Insomnia is over rated. So is hip pain. And so are the 1726 miles between here and Utah.

Thus, distractions are necessary. 

Lots of distractions.

Trying to fill my plate for the next couple of weeks to ignore the voids. The calendar is currently filled with things like Comcast appt (ew!), learn to row program rows, USC Alumni socials & holiday parties with friends. 

To start off the week, I went for the culinary approach. I read a recipe this weekend on sausage stuffed red peppers ... so I made my own twist and did bratwurst stuffed orange peppers ... mmmmmmm. I'm not a super amazing chef, but man was it delicious. 

So good -- beer included to dull the hip pain .. it's lightening and can't swim, therefore no endorphins = mass pain

To make my version of bratwurst stuffed orange pepper:

dice your fresh -- and in my case, balcony grown-- herbs (basil, thyme, green onion)
onion
slice and gut out orange pepper
ground or dice your bratwurst

Cook in pan with olive oil until onion caramelizes and meat is cooked. 

Add any other pepper or spice you might want.

I didn't and mine was a little under spiced 

-- next time I'll probably add black pepper and red pepper 

flakes since those are staples in my kitchen.

I might also dice up some wickles into the mix.

Fill gutted orange pepper with all your sauteed goodness.
I then added sharp cheddar to mine.

Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes. 

Did mine at 350, but honestly, 

who know really what to set your oven at!!? 

Add a side and a beverage of your choosing and mmmmm! 

(I cheated and reheated some black beans I had from the 

cuban restaurant Josh's family took me to last week).

Things that I want to do more of to fill my time:

DIY projects (have one in mind ...)

Cooking stranger recipes (next up is chili with a cornbread topping) 

NOT GO OUT OF MY MIND. 

Re-pick up scrapbooking perhaps!? Perhaps not .. who knows. 

Rowing. Get my hip fixed and quit complaining about it. 

Actually get a good night sleep. 

Book a trip to utah.

like a river flows, so surely to the sea

 Friday I was smart enough to take a day off of work to spend entirely with the boyfriend -- In hindsight, I completely wish I had taken more time off, but that'll just be extra hours to spend later.

 
 Woke up early (like every morning because used to being up before the sun) and headed to the lake for the day on Josh's family boat. Spent the day in a cove, met up with some family friends of his and their windless sail boat.


After, we headed home and then out to the VA Highlands for a GT frat reunion of sorts at Neighbor's. It was nice to see some of the familiar faces from back when I met Josh and I hope to keep in touch with a few while he's away.
 
Doesn't sound like anything super spectacular, but 8 hours on Lake Lanier, 1 mild sunburn, a few beers and a ton of teasing, mocking, and witty remarks it made for the perfect day.

The majority of the nights were spent at family dinners with me attempting to eat new foods. Which I'm sure would have and was hilarious for any one that knows me. Some of it was quite tasty -- like the hot 'salad' at the Thai restaurant. Other things, not really my forte, good thing I love veggies.

And so here we are late night on Monday night. I'm here in Atlanta preparing to go to work in the morning and the boyfriend is driving a uhaul with all his belongings to Utah. And not just Utah, Utah, but nowhere, Utah. I'm really excited for him and his job and all the traveling and fun things that we'll be able to experience together by not living in the same state, timezone, or climate patterns, but I'm also pretty sad that we're not living in the same state, timezone, or climate patterns. But, we both have amazing jobs that we love and so the phrase of the month is "we'll figure it out when we get there" ... seriously, I sound like broken record, but I do believe in it and all that interconnected meaning and growing we learn from experiences.

Yup, great week. Great life.

G'night!

A fish won't do anything, but swim in a brook

Thursday night my mom met my at my office to pick me up as her plus one to a private hosted event at the Georgia Aquarium. Had no idea what I was really get myself into, but it said tour, drinks, and dinner. I was in.

We arrive and are greeted with wine at the door followed by a self-led tour of an empty (with the exception of the 30 other people that were at the event) tour of the entire aquarium. No lines, no people, no waiting or rubbing elbows with anyone. It was awesome. Of course I forgot my camera, so bear with the cell phone quality pictures here.

 Was able to see all of the best parts of the aquarium and then sit and have a catered dinner in front of the Beluga Whale Exhibit. It was really neat to see the animals after typical hours .. for example, apparently the dolphins entrainment every evening is mocking the guy that vacuums the carpet right next to his windowed tank.

Please note that my mom and I are the ONLY people standing at this tank!!! 

Beluga whales were the entertainment at the dinner table! It was an incredible chance to see things in a chill environment and it was a great chance for me to hang out with my mom. All in all, a very successful evening!

consistantly, inconsistant

No two weeks are the same. Ever. Some weeks are good, some are slow, some are hectic and stressful, and others are just amazing. Well, this past week falls right above amazing and heads for just about extraordinary ... that is until it had to end. So let's recap a bit huh? 

semi-candid, semi posed at dinner.

LAST sunday I strolled my happy little high heeled self to the airport to pick up the boyfriend. (Yes, don't let me mislead you, you did read the concept of Chelsea, high-heels, and boyfriend in the same sentence. Try to take deep breaths here). After an awesome afternoon of friends, patios, and alligator bites with blueberry lemonade made our way down to Fogo de Chao for dinner. It was amazing ... and as much as I do love red meat, I was certainly craving my veggies for a few days thereafter.

The following Monday and Tuesday I had to work all day, but after work hours on Tuesday he came down to see my office and ended up meeting just about every single one of my co-workers. Went to Tin Lizzy Tuesday's with my typical GNO crowd.Wednesday I worked all day, treated a wicked awesome hand replant injury ((gruesome but completely amazing!!))

Next update: Aquarium. ((Which totally gets it's own post because it was so awesome!))

put a little gravel in my travel

What a weekend ... so far. 

USC is in town for ACRA's & Juli graduated from high school. Crazy!?!

Friday I left work, just after hearing that I got that Atlanta Rowing Club scholarship,  to head to Lake Lanier to get the team situated with the boats I rented from various crews all across GA. Stayed up their all night pretty much explaining traffic patterns, launching novice crews, explaining humidity and that no this is not as hot as it gets in GA, and helping manage their clearly disorganized chaos. Left late Friday night to come home and wake up at 5:15 to go to my parents for pictures with Juli and her friends -- got some pretty decent shots of them. Then off to watch pseuda graduate. The graduation was mediocre, but so proud of her for graduating with honors. Both me and my little sister are now EHS, KSU and after this first semester of college, GSU alumnae! I could go on for hours how proud of her I am and how much it melts my heart that shes followed in so many of my footsteps. 

Saturday after graduation was more boat races and spent a few minutes catching up with a former GSU rower who was there with his own team, always fun to know people in the rowing community, especially since I spent the last 2 years networking myself into it. 

Anyhow, 2 days of the weekend down and 1 more to go. Sans sunburn, I'm having a pretty great time.

my family (+davis .. due 7/20)

Pounce

Remember when you were 18 and that time came to put on your very first cap and gown? Well, 3 cap and gowns later, I'm getting to watch my little sister put on her first! This saturday she will graduate from high school and move on to GSU to follow in her big sis's footsteps. So of course the majority of my weekend was spent celebrating her. We had 60+ people cycle through my parents home on Saturday, more food than any one party should have, and did some pre-graduation pictures with Juli and Jackson since he won't be in town for next weekends big event. Basically, I'm spent from helping mom clean, arrange, and setup both Friday and Saturday, hosting all night Saturday, and this 90 degree weather is not helping my cause! -- Oh and I had my Atlanta Rowing Club interview today to see if they want to 'sponsor' me to row with them and volunteer coach and stuff for a year! (Let ya know the results soon!)

Congrats kid sister, you deserve it!

A little pre-grad pics preview:

get what you give

*first official mobile blog here, still not computer operating here from Foxcroft. Bear with any spelling or grammar issues, we all know mobile phones have an auto spell with a mind of its own*

Get what you give. It's a song, its a saying, its a religious philosophy. It's also something we have to learn how to interprete into our own lives in our own context.

::Insert rant on doing good, loving fully, and crossing your fingers your life turns out how you want::

Get what you give. It's a coin toss, a dice roll, a roulette wheel. The good old 'nice guys finish last.' People you love leave, they lie, they change their minds. (And they do good stuff too I'm sure).

I do believe in karma and usually positive thinking, so get what you give right? Wellllll.... Thats the thing, a negative person is already negative so their injust moment is a dose of the reality they're already living in. Sounds reasonably unfair right?

What about the person who loves and gets left time and time again. Or the person who emits positive but then doesn't know how to take in when it is finally their turn?

Then what about the person who gives and gets hurt over and over their whole life but then pushes away those who want to stay? Surely that's not karma.

Get what you give. Perhaps not. Human nature vs karma. I don't think I want to know you wins. Hopefully there's room in this world for a healthy dose of both.

posted from Bloggeroid

roomies

Things that I will not miss when I one day do not have roommates:

Stopping the dishwasher to reload it with more than 6 tupperware after it's already been started.

Lightbulbs missing randomly from the living room lamps.

Unplugging the toaster everyday.

Taking turns in the laundry room .. aka my closet. 

That's it for today. 

леко разочарован.  frustrado. lidt frustreret. frustrated.

plain and simple, today was just frustrating. 

The computer systems at work crashed, so we had no patient charts. Good thing I know most of my patients, but seriously, would have been nice to be able to look up at least who my new 7:30 patient was .... At work I learned that starting monday I'll be up in our Marietta location 2 days a week  --- meaning my 1/2 day is no longer Weds. (Which is awesome since I have already scheduled a MD appt next weds afternoon and asked for some days off in July to go to San Fran and now will have to work that Wednesday and take more PTO) Not that Marietta is bad, and its only temporary for this summer, and it helps my company out A TON, but still, it's .... frustrating. Then I went to the doc to get my MRI results and talk some more about my aching hip -- which has only gotten worse. Basically, he said that the MRI guy said I have bursitis, but he didn't see it in the scans. Then tells me to just continue with what I'm doing. Hi, umm, what I'm doing has clearly not made it any better. But the doc really didn't care to hear it or help me problem solve. I was super frustrated. And I let him know that I was. ((Although I was very restrained in my choice of words. Quite proud of myself, however, he probably should have heard more than I said)) ...

And now ... I am a little less frustrated, but still in pain. And still frustrated. 

So what's next? Well, a second opinion and job sharing between 2 different locations. Hmmm... 

At least I have some stuff to look forward to here soon: 7 weeks till I see Ally and 8 till my new nephew Davis James is born!

simplicity

The simplest things are often the truest

(a quote by a guy I don't remember but should probably mention that it's not an original thought). 

However. 

Things that are true: smiles, smirks, grins, and daydreaming. 

Thankfully, they are all simple. 

Things that are not simple: distance, time, & the future.

Simplicity is not synonymous with the unknown (which all of the above are). 

Suggestion: KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID. 

So, KISSes for all.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication (Da Vinci).

But then again, sophistication can also be over rated.

Toccoa River

how to devour a cupie cake!