Made in Richmond

Work: The new job is great. The people are all incredibly nice, fun, and smart. More importantly, they are all extremely dedicated to their jobs and committed to having a positive attitude. That is such a nice thing to be around. I love going there and I love how I spend my day.

Being a former teacher: I’ve gotten a lot of emails and questions concerning how I feel about not going back to school in the next few weeks. I will miss my co-workers desperately, but I know I made the right decision. But still, as they say at my school, “Once a Reams person, always a Reams person.” It’s true. That school and the people there will always be in my heart. I started there when I was 21 and I grew up there in many ways. I wish them the best of luck as they get ready for another year with those little babies.

Defatting: I am officially at a stage in which I only need to worry about maintaining my current weight. I ended up going down to about 121, 4 lbs. lower than my goal weight. I’ve been at 121 for several weeks, so I’m assuming that’s right where my body wants me to be. Best of all, exercise has become something that I need to do in order to feel normal.

Recuperating: It has now been 2 1/2 weeks since The Cyst of Death. During my ultrasound the technician said that recovering from a cyst is like recovering from a bruise; the pain will get less and less over time, not suddenly. It took over a week for the discomfort to go away completely and my stomach is still somewhat tender. I’m getting back into the abdominal work slowly but surely.

Home Improvement: This summer, with the help of my amazing in-laws, we have replaced the fence, air conditioner, furnace, and water heater. Over the next few weeks we will begin the process to replace the hardwood floor downstairs. It’s pretty overwhelming to think about everything, but I know it will all look amazing when it is finished.

Reading: C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters was recommended to me by someone at work. In case you’re not familiar, it’s a one-sided conversation (via letters) between a senior devil and his nephew about the best way to bring the nephew’s “patient” to the side of “Our Father Below.” It’s a great way to look at the temptations that people face - and it makes me LOLz 4real.

Overall, things are going so well. I hope they are for you, too.