Nature Cabin

I'm doing...okay. My spine resembles a bicycle chain. Grr. Channeling my emotional ickiness to the dance company that lives in my brain.

Gastric emptying scan tomorrow morning. It'll be fine. Reading material for the downtime between my photo shoots: the latest issue of Sojo, a Nelson Mandela biography, a novel, and a catalog so dumb, it's a guaranteed rofl.

haaahaha

et

West Bank

Single Moment - Satellite Soul

Entirety(?) of dance in silhouette. Orange/yellow graded backdrop. No entrances/exits- onstage all the time. Women's quartet. Lyrical...? or ballet maybe. no pointe. definitely no ego. Must be a true ensemble piece. Motifs in symmetry; pairing; unity. Few moments of literal not moving, but whole piece feels "still." Chene turns, circular movement, tracing a circle on the floor. Center or upstage; stays center. Dancers, attention to placing. Canons during the ending orchestral part.  Zero to little dramatic level usage. Smooth movement. Gentler focal points than I normally use.

Knee-length dresses with one sleeve? Research more performance apparel sites.

this song is great.

KIPP LA Schools

I love Waiting for Superman. Have you seen it? You ought to see it. You should definitely see it. It has earned my highest recommendation. Four stars, and it's in my top 10 documentaries ever. Waiting for Superman. Remember that. Put in on your Netflix. Check the Redbox. Order it via OnDemand. Request it at your local library. This film, especially as an aspiring educator, just... agh. I can't say enough. Get it! (And if you have seen it, don't forget:  DonorsChoose.org)

After some rough times yesterday, I was so pleased to have some energy today and *royal trumpet sounds* conquer the mall! Woo! Look at me go!

But you know what's embarrassing? Walking around a store and somehow ending up behind the counter. And trying to be like oh, heh, pardon me, didn't see you, ha, i guess my shift's not till later, well best be on my way, i'm feeling way too stupid to buy anything now, sorry again lip-pierced guy at hot topic, i was definitely not staring at you when i commented on the emo music accidentally out loud and i really did mean it when i said in my nervous sarah palin voice, you have a good day now.

All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
I dunno, but a bunch of them work at dorky mall kiosks at 2 o'clock on a Wednesday. Kioskians, hence dubbed. For your people, I have great sympathy.

Please enjoy. Now every time you go to a mall you will think of this and chuckle.
SNL - Kaitlin at the Mall

hug a kioskian!
et

Starzeddel, Brandenburg, Germany

Gastroenterologist appt today went fine. My 29th(?) new doctor since this whole ordeal began. I appreciated her honesty; she has limited knowledge of whether my weight loss and indigestion are caused by drug interaction. She was somewhat familiar with the basics of POTS though, and sees two other patients with POTS.

She ordered a gastric emptying scan- set for next Monday. From what I understand, it's not particularly painful or invasive. It involves brief fasting, eating food with special dye in it, and then getting X-rays taken every 15 minutes for 2 hours. No biggie. I get to bring my own reading material. AND I don't have to wear a hospital gown. I get to wear my own clothes the whole time! YES. Obnoxiously bright-colored socks are being set aside as we speak.

I'm keeping pretty positive overall, but it's not without its occasional mental breakdowns. Body, you are so difficult. When can I drive again? This is pathetic. Listen! Don't you know there are dozens of third-world countries I'd rather be living in? Quit tossing my life around! I am not a salad.

...which makes me think of a multiculturalism lesson I once heard, about whether we should strive to be the great American "melting pot" or, rather, a tossed salad, where each identity is kept intact in creating a larger, more diverse community. hmm... :-)

keep well, love well!
emma

Recommended films:
Convicted (starring Hilary Swank)
Inherit the Wind (1960, based on the real-life Scopes Trial of 1925)
Night at the Opera (Marx Bros.)
Rainman (starring Dustin Hoffman)
God Grew Tired of Us (about the "Lost Boys of Sudan")

Telegraph Hill

I think I slept for like... 2 hours? Plus maybe 30 minutes. Uhhn. Not a good brain day.

Enjoy this spoof.

et

Soda Fountain

Doing "well" since I got off the Nuvigil.last week. Fever today's only 98.9!

The day I did 5 loads of laundry, I jumped for joy. But it was the wrong type of detergent, so I jumped up and put it back. I love working. Being productive is so fulfilling! I got to help out at my mom's office and dog-sit at my aunt's. A couple days were tough when I couldn't sleep, but overall I'm happy with my ability to focus.

Still difficulty eating. Things We Take For Granted today is brought to you by... Saliva! It really, really helps break down food. Or at least that's what I imagine when food turns sandy in my mouth and I want to spit (pun intended) it out. I am virtually never hungry. Eating is so unpleasant; I can't even think about it. But I am able to eat some. It helps if I'm reading, or if I'm eating with someone else, it's usually a welcome distraction.

I'm frustrated, but not worried. I can recondition and get stronger physically. Go team.

Hey. I'm behind on like 12 means of communication. Sorry. I'm working on it. So I'm sending you BIG oodles of love!! And a blog you might enjoy: Things We Forget.

I have Random Acts of Kindness stories for later! Gotta sleep now!

TWLOHA,
emma

Torres del Paine National Park

Survived the blizzard! I was glad I didn't react too badly to the storm itself; randomly teary eyes, but no mood swings, brain fog, or higher fever than usual. (Still around 99-100 all the time. Generally staying away from Advil/Tylenol/etc - the "relief" is so temporary for me that adding another drug isn't usually worth it.)

I'll be the first to admit, yes, I'm on the scary side of skinny. It ain't pretty. My body doesn't want to eat, doesn't want to digest. Very little appetite and short on saliva. Could drug interactions be to blame? Saw my IEP yesterday about it - he took me off Nuvigil and we'll check my progress in a couple weeks. He recommended a gastroenterologist and as much high-calorie, high-fat, high-protein foods as I can stomach. Oh dear. Trying!

Have to rest. Have to sleep and eat...and plot how on Earth I'm going to fit 10 more amazing travel pictures on my wall.

wander,
et