The Travels & Life of Egypt

We had a senior car parade today.  Here is my attempt at celebratign them! You'd think with all this time on my hands, my house would be sparkling clean and I would be totally organized.  Nope.  Not at all.  The anxiety and med insanity over the past 6 weeks has been almost debilitating on my productivity. But today I was productive in my classroom and even at home.  As I walked, I listened to a podcast tonight by a lady traveler that I follow on instagram about her travels around the world.  It rejuvenated me; I am really excited about Korea.  I am glad that it will place me Asia and give me the opportunity to explore worlds that I've never seen before.  She reminded me that people make bucket lists but never complete them.  I don't have a bucket list and I don't want to leave this earth not having lived.  I ordered my first 2 duffle bags for Korea.  I plan to pack one of them as soon as it comes in with all of my winteri...

Teacher appreciation gift Today, I visited the cardiologist and I feel good about the conversation we had.  For now, I will stop taking all medications but one. We can see what is really happening over the next few weeks.  I think one of the pills I was taking was dehydrating me and zapping me of nutrients and some of the meds were not playing well together.  I am grateful!  Yesterday, the parent organization gave all of the teacher's charcuterie boards with cheese, pickles, fruit and other goodies.  It was too sweet and I am grateful for their thoughtfulness.  For many teachers, they delivered them to their homes.  ONE GOOD THING:  I went to counseling (virtually, of course) even though I was feeling pretty lightheaded and crappy at the time.  It was so helpful to talk about things! I am grateful for the Lord's provision, lunch with a friend, potential answers to questions about my health, the gift of salvation, that I am going to ...

I attempted to make gluten free, low carb pancakes this morning.  FAIL.  They tasted horrible.  I think from now on.  In trying to lose weight, I am eating very few carbs.  It is making a positive difference with my health. . .but I think if I want pancakes or biscuts or carbs.  I am going to have them and only have bite rather than making these offensive substitutes. A few weeks ago in the middle of the pandemic, I was desperate for people to talk to, so I signed up for the Facebook Dating app. . . I wish my readers could hear me wail, "WHY, Lawd, WHYYYYYYYYYYYY?"  This week I started exchanging messages with a guy and today we finally talked I knew in the first 5 minutes that I wasn't interested in him.  He cussed and I asked questions about his online experiences.  Basically, the dating world is trash and has been infiltrated by prostitutes and women who want sugar daddies.  This makes it difficult for women like me.  Neverth...

In Houston, things seem to returning to normal.  I had friends go out to eat tonight.  They chose to eat on the patio and said that other tables and customers were at least 20 feet away from them.  My friend was ecstatic to share this news.  My friends who are scientists and nurses and some others do not seemed to be freaked out by COVID, I ask my nurse friend today and she was like I'm not worried about it.  You can't control everything.  They think being outside especially in the heat of Houston will pretty much kill the disease and expecting that recovery from the disease provides some future immunity. I visit my friend Melissa today.  I tried to maintain social distancing, but there were a few moments where it was clearly violated.  She decorated her son's car for a graduation parade tomorrow morning.  I watched her and talked with her.  It feels good to talk, laugh, and spend time with people.  My friend has a country home an...

Today was a horrible day, but a blessing in disguise.  I have been saying for weeks that I have chest pressure and blamed it on sinus drainage.  Last night, I wasn't able to sleep because the pressure was too much and made me uncomfortable. At 1:30 am, I went to one of the Emergency Room Clinics. After EKGs, Blood work and being there until 3 pm today, I have a diagnosis of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.   I don't understand it all but with diet, exercise, and the right meds, I can heal and live well.  But basically my sinus troubles and anxiety uncovered a serious issue that could have killed me. I don't know what this means for South Korea or even my current job.  What I know is that I want more family and friends around me.  I cried a lot today because I just don't know what to do.  I know that Korea has excellent medicine.  Korea is safer than America right now. I rushed from the ER to participate in my friend's graduation parade of cars....

The admin team delivered gift bags of treats to teachers today. I am grateful they remembered us  Many teachers received their bags at home, but because I'm at school everyday, mine was left on my desk.   I grew up in church. . . missionary baptist (thank God it wasn't Southern Baptist).  Nevertheless, the legalism from the Baptist church still resides in me today.  As a result, I think it is extremely prideful and vain to self acknowledge the good things that I do.  My therapist thinks otherwise and I have discovered that this is the root of all my insecurities.  My therapist wants me to have a mantra that celebrates and encourages self-care, but I'm having GREAT difficulty finding one that I don't think is vain or prideful, i.e.  sinful!  The full moon on my walk tonight Therapist is proud of how much self-care that I am engaging in during the quarantine.  According to Therapist:  going to the doctor is self-care, ...

I prepared NHS Stoles and Cords for Senior pickup today I was given these beautiful flowers by the school secretary.  I wish I had followed up more on why she brought them to me.  I think she's trying to cheer me.  It's teacher appreciation week and usually I do something with NHS to celebrate my colleagues.  This year, I did NOTHING to organize teacher appreciation--for the past 4 years I have organized it, so this was big change.  When I walked downstairs, the school secretaries seemed to be wrapping gift bags of treats.  Teachers will love that someone didn't forget them with all of the craziness of COVID 19. I am not feeling well today.  I'm pretty sure it is sinus drainage issues.  I'm going to bed early.  I have not planned a lesson for tomorrow and I am okay if I don't have one when I get to school tomorrow.  I'll figure it out or dismiss class early.  Because of how I'm feeling, I barely ate my dinner.  I made ...