I've been wanting to write... Really.

I've had a bunch of jumbled thoughts in my head lately. For some reason I just haven't found the will to sit down and sort them all out. I have the means, I have the words.. but, boy the act of sitting in front of the computer just hasn't been my first priority. (Or any priority for that matter)

Summer has finally hit Chicago.. Extremely late. I (still) have to register for my math class. (How I hate thee) I promise to do that on Monday.

I finally joined Bally Total Fitness again. I miss swimming, I miss my twice-a-week yoga, I miss my activity. I finally got a great deal through the mail! Sign up for $15.99 and pay $9.99 a month. No contract at all! I can quit when I want to.

If it's possible, I'm going to try to take the class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That way I can also go to yoga those days. I can meet up with Sara after class, somewhere in between, do homework with her, go to my yoga class and then head home! If not then I'll figure something out.. Maybe Monday and Wednesday.. I don't know.

I have to meet with an adviser no matter what because I'm on academic probation for failing math the last semester. Also I need to see where I am standing on my credits. Make sure math is one of the final classes I have to take. I meant to go to school on Friday but it was raining and I couldn't find my student ID. I am well known for putting things in different places.. I am not well organized in the slightest.

What else?

I had a great friend Catrin stay at my place for a while. I met her at Gallaudet 10 years ago! On my birthday I met up with her in Chinatown and she was also with Marlon. Marlon was heading back to D.C on Wednesday. I offered Catrin a place to stay until she heads off to Toronto. When I get back to my apartment, I will work on a photo blog and
incorporate some pictures I took while Catrin was staying here.

I'm so jealous of Catrin traveling around to different places that now I feel is the time for me to start working on what to do with my life. I live monthly from hand-to-mouth. It's nothing I'm proud of. Disability wise, it has been difficult. I have a bunch of mad skills with the computer, fluent in American Sign Language, I can build websites and take great pictures. I've also been to college so that gives me some leverage, right?

It's all a work in process.. and more jumbled thoughts.

In other news, I've been in contact with two different doctors. I'm working on getting a type of laser surgery done for my scars from the bacterial meningitis. The scars left over, look like burn scars. With Obama approving funds for medical research and experiments, this is a great time to try to get something done. I might be able to go to Baltimore this fall sometime and get it done for free.

I had a consultation on Monday at Northwestern Memorial in Chicago but because of my insurance not paying for it {they call it a Cosmetic Procedure so they won't pay for it}.. it sounds like it's going to go a little longer in trying to find a trial or something that can help me get it done for free. Where ever I do go for the surgery, it's going to take a very long time. Because it's an experiment, they have to test a tiny area.. if it's successful then they will do a whole arm. And then small areas, then if that's successful, another arm. It's going to be long. My legs are probably going to take the longest. Other than how long it might take, I'm actually excited. It's going to be a very long process because it takes about six months to notice major improvements.

One of my friends thought this would erase my scars. I had to tell her, no that's not going to happen.. it's just going to improve their appearance. They'll be less bumpy, less red.. depending on where it gets done, that area will hopefully improve. I know nothing can ever erase them but improving them will be better.

If you learned anything from this post.. I hope someone comments!

I Miss You

I miss writing out my every thought, feeling, and tiny bits of intent. Other than trying to think of which key to push first to get my fingers flying over the keyboard, I know I’ve lost my touch. It’s been a few years since I was able to creatively write and I miss it dearly.

I admire friends who are writers and can keep it going through the internet on blogs and other inter-webs {yes, stealing your word Ana}. Unfortunately though, I still blame the memory that still haunts me. Just like an awful reoccurring dream that happens to some people on a nightly basis, that memory of my father threatening to sue my every word sadly robbed my muse. Yes, it was blasphemy and logically cannot happen but I was young and it was my way out of my frustrations but my muse is still locked up. Well, I am still young, still in my twenties but 21 feels like many moons ago.

I’m sitting here rocking back and forth in my chair between keying breaks to gather thoughts and throw them in a bucket. I kind of wish I could do that naturally but handwriting doesn’t come as quickly as using this keyboard.

I have a scattering to do list roaming through my head and laundry to do. Homework to catch up on, cuts on my leg that I worry is getting infected. Owing help to friends and I’m unable to show my face at the moment. The weather is ugly, wet and that used to be an inspiration.

I’m still waiting for my sigh of relief from getting these things off my mind.

I love the sound of the clickety-clack on my keyboard and even that used to be inspiring. Where did my muse go? I can write a list of the things I love but it feels too automatic and useless. Sure, one person will see my love list and smile because there’s something in common but it never feels the tiny bit original.

Wow someone is cooking something but I think they burnt it. Whatever it was, it better not set off the fire alarm. Yes if you recognize those lines, I did tweet them earlier.

I changed my twitter username from @katemp to @bellastars. What do you think? I was bored if using katemp - Kate is my first name of course, but M stands for Meredith and P is for my last name, Pastorelli. Yep, Italians rule!

If I change it again later, don’t be mad at me okay?
Ah, now I’m feeling better. Certainly not 100% but this did help.

To blog or not to blog

I have so many blog spots.. LiveJournal, Xanga, and my own at my website that's password protected. It's not like I have anything to hide, it's just the weirdness I guess of todays world.. besides, I tend to think I complain too much. [plus, really, a bad experience that I don't feel like going into]

Anyway, I'm sitting here multi-tasking homework wise. I'm writing a three page paper on my experience at a museum that I went to yesterday on the south side of Chicago. My physical science class has review questions at the end of each chapter and I've got about five more of those. But I'm having a brain freeze finding the answer for it or at least how to write it without copying it word for word.

Realizing I have a very busy day tomorrow.. at 9:30am, I'm going downtown to get my leg braces fixed. I've gotten creative and bought some gel soles to help with the massive pain in my left big toe. That's helped a ton but then of course, my left ankle has a new scratch. And my right foot got a scratch that I'm unsure of when I got it because I never felt it with my shoes and braces on. Then at noon I see my therapist, this will be the first time she sees me in my braces because I couldn't think of what to do when I was having this terrible numbing pain in my toe. Then, I head to school for a class at 2 to 4:30, for my Physical Science class then a break til 6 for my three hour math class.

Trust me, I'll be the one with the coffee in hand.