Book I Read Half Of And Then Just Went to the Movie Instead

You probably could have guessed it:  Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo.

I had great intentions of reading the whole book before I saw the movie (because I've never seen the musical either).  Then I found out the book is 1500 pages long.  No, thank you.  So I found an abridged version that was *only* 600 pages long.  Do-able.  And I tried, I really did.  I got through Fantine's depressing existence and Cosette's childhood and I was really loving Jean Valjean's unwavering morality, and then I got to Marius and we started talking about French politics...and I just. could. not. go. on.  I'm sorry, Marius!  You're just too boring!

So, with knowledge of only half of the story, I gave in and we just went to see the movie instead this weekend.  (Just in time, too, since it did quite well for itself at the Golden Globes last night!)  I honestly ended up with mixed feelings about it, possibly more on the bad side than the good, but I'll just stick to what I loved and leave out the parts I wasn't so crazy about.

• Anne Hathaway deserves every good word, pat on the back, accolade, and audience member tear she gets for this.
• Amanda Seyfried looks awesome in bonnets.
• The hoodrat child is the best.
• Hugh Jackman, I would like for you to come rearrange all my furniture with your brute strength while singing me lullabies.
• Samantha Barks, your waist is so small it rivals Scarlett O'Hara's, and you sang "On My Own" almost as good as Joey Potter.  Just kidding, you were obviously better than Joey, but thank you, Dawson's Creek, for the first time I ever heard this song and my many years of not realizing it wasn't written specifially for your show.
• There is always hope.  Always.  If these wretched, miserable peasants don't let it die, nor should you.  Hope is found in love, and, as ol' 24601 lets us know:  "To love another person is to see the face of God." 

Vive la France!  Vive la Revolution!

Still Can't Get Enough of Mustard Yellow

Most recently made item:  another square sweater, from this simple tutorial, this time in my old standard color, mustard yellow.

I love the simplicity of making this top:  it truly is just 4 rectangles sewn together.  As a wannabe minimalist, it can't get much better than that for me!

You might notice that this shutter closet door is normally reserved for my shop pictures, but I decided I already have enough yellow things on Dottie Adele (proof).  Ha!

Oh, and remember that photo shoot with Kate Ignatowski I did in December? Here's a sneak peek, with one of the models wearing this top! Look forward to all the pictures next week!

Recovery Update

Tomorrow it will have been 3 months since my surgery.  I imagined that by now I would be, at the very least, able to stand up and bend over without feeling the same ol' pain, and had even grander dreams of running and skiing and dancing again.  While that's not exactly the case, I feel confident that things are improving, albeit really, really, really slowly.

My surgery fixed up my major problem, which was herniated discs in my lower back.  But, now that those are cleaned up and no longer an issue, a bunch of other issues that we all previously chalked up to being symptoms of the discs are still lurking around!  Basically, in an attempt to cause me the least amount of pain from those slipped discs, my body has been trying to help me by overcompensating with other muscles (thanks for the effort, body!), but those tiny changes in the way that I move and do things have been causing damage that now needs to be undone.  Upper back tightness, lower back inflexibility, hip rotation, pain in the glutes (yes, my butt hurts!).

I'm going to physical therapy twice a week and being the best darn patient I know how to be while at home, doing my exercises every day (except for a couple I missed while traveling over Christmas), changing my habits of movement and sitting, and just trying to be aware of what I am doing to my back.  It's helping - I know it is - but it's not at all the instant relief that I had hoped I would have the moment I woke up from surgery, and honestly, it's frustrating.

In an effort to keep myself accountable for my own back health and to keep a record for my future self of the changes I've made, I wanted to document these things here.  (Also, if you have lower back pain on a daily basis, try changing up some of these things!)

- I don't lift anything over 10 pounds.  If I need to move something heavy and no one else is around, I usually just push it with my feet.  This has been a hard one for me because I've always prided myself on being strong (that's even what my name means!).

- When I do pick something up, I keep it as close to my body as possible.  One of my physical therapists told me to pretend I have T-Rex arms.  I love that visual.

- If I need to reach the floor or something low, I always squat instead of bending over.  I've rearranged my kitchen so that the things I use more than once a week are no longer in lower cupboards, so I have to do this even less.

- I try to remember to stand up at least once an hour.  That sounds like nothing, but I have a desk job, and I really could go a long time without ever getting up!

- Ergonomics of my work spaces and how I sit are also a big part of it.  As part of my PT, we took pictures of me in the places I sit the most, and my therapist helped me make adjustments.

Sewing table:

 I need a chair that I can lean on to help support me.  My sewing machine should be at least 6 -12 inches higher so that I don't have to bend over and slouch to see what I'm doing.  Both these things will help me sit up straighter and take pressure off my lower back.

Work:

I've moved my phone to the right side of me so it's easier to reach with my right hand.  We raised my chair up so my hips are higher than my knees and I no longer cross my legs.  I also sit scooted up so the chair's arm rests are all the way up to my desk.  I have pulled my keyboard to the edge of my desk now, and use a wrist rest while I type.

Chillaxing:

The right side of my back is extremely tight with all the overcompensating my muscles have been trying to do, so I need to stop sitting with my legs curled to that side.  If I sit with my legs to my left instead, it stretches out the right side of my back.

Fascinating, I know (<--- sarcasm).  There are tons of little changes and adjustments to be made and reteaching my body the correct way to move, but I really want to have less pain and more movement, and get back to the level of strength and energy and mobility as I had before.  I'll keep you updated!

NYC List: Roosevelt Island Tram

Last week, while our NYE co-conspirators were in town, we also went down to ride the Roosevelt Island Tram, thus marking off one of my "Things We Must Do Before We Leave the City" items!
When I'm being a tourist, I'm always a sucker for views, and I love to ride anything that gives you a different perspective on a city that you wouldn't normally get just walking or driving through it.

The Tram takes you from East 60th St...

over the East River...

and drops you on a skinny little island in the middle of the river, which was eerily quiet (away from the city traffic).  It's mostly apartment buildings and a hospital, from what I can tell, but we did snag some pizza!  (Duh, it's still New York)

Your parallel companion as you're tramming along is the Queensboro Bridge, which we decided looks like it was built with K'nex (remember those?).

The whole ride is merely the cost of a Metrocard swipe, and probably only lasts 4 or 5 minutes one way.  A unique, inexpensive way to get some views of the city's East Side!

One item done!

Something You Do Once and Then Never Do Again: Times Square NYE

With two of our favorite friends from Oklahoma in tow, Scott and I celebrated our last New Year's Eve in NYC the most classic way possible:  Times Square Ball Drop!

First of all, I need to confess that in this case, I use the term "Times Square" lightly.  Normally, Times Square would be considered the range of 42nd St. to 47th St., and we were standing waaaaaay up on the 57th St. block.  But our entire goal was to be able to witness the ball dropping into 2013 with our own two eyes, and that we did!

See?  That light blue streak of light in the middle...was the 20-story building which the ball was on.

The picture above was really the best I could get.  The rest of them all looked like this:

Which is actually kind of cool looking, but not if I'm trying to document my view on New Year's Eve.

Here are my quickest tips for surviving such an adventure:
1.  Wear a ton of layers.  I wore 5 tops, tights, jeans, wool socks, my biggest winter coat, a hat that covered my ears, and a giant scarf.  I wasn't sorry.  The good news is that the millions of people packed into each tiny block also really help block the wind.

2.  Go with people that you don't mind having a long conversation with just standing somewhere for several hours.  Also with people that you don't mind standing uncomfortably close to.  (Love you, Blake and Julie!)

3.  Go the bathroom before you get there and then just hold it at all costs.  If you leave, first of all, there is no way the cops are letting you back in the barricades and, second of all, you would never find your people again anyway.

4.  If all you want to do is see the ball drop, it's not necessary to go crazy early.  We went at 9:30 PM and could see just fine for what we wanted to see.  Also, there are fireworks in Times Square AND Central Park, so if even if you're closer to the park, you still get a good show!

We went, we stood, we saw, we left.  Welcome, 2013!

Probably Our Two Coolest Family Xmas Pictures So Far

We took some pretty classic family pictures this year over Christmas break, and here's what makes them so great:

Scott is wearing a t-shirt featuring Chevy Chase wielding a chainsaw (name that movie!).

The wonders of Skype technology made this one possible (my sister and bro-in-law are actually pretty close to life-size!).  Also, Scott and I are basically shaking hands.

Goals for 2013

 I don't want to call these resolutions, because I feel like that's setting myself up for failure, but I can reasonably call them goals, though, and they're simple enough that perhaps I really can accomplish them!  2013, I can already tell, is going to be an excellent year, and here's what I want to do in the next 12 months:

Find a signature scent.
I'm currently not a perfume person at all, but I plan to become one!  I love the way that scents remind you of certain people, and I want to adopt one of my own that can be my signature.  For example, the evening janitor in my office building must wear the same cologne or aftershave as my grandfather; every time he comes in the office, I smell him coming first and get an instant inkling of my grandpa.  I love that.  I want one of those!  I'm thinking it may be Clinique Happy, but I'll let you know when I decide for sure.

Keep a short daily journal.
Although I would love to, I know that I'm never going to be able to keep a diary with long, detailed entries every day.  I do, however, think I can manage one sentence a day.  Maybe just the best thing that happened that day, something I had a laugh at, a significant milestone, or even a prayer request.  One sentence I can surely handle.

Have another year of greeting cards.
My resolution last year was to remember to send cards for birthdays and anniversaries to my family and closest friends.  And send them on time.  I mostly did this!  The one person that I actually didn't send a card to was my own sister (oops!), but I'm going to use my surgery as an excuse since her birthday is in October, and I basically lost that entire month of my life in a bedrest vortex.  This is something I want to continue to do, so I'm keeping this goal on the list.

I find other people's resolutions so fascinating, so I would love to know what you're planning for 2013!