I've Missed the Blog!

Hey all-

I am so happy that I am blogging. I've thought about the blog a lot lately. If I had $1 for every time I've wanted to hop online and blog, I'd have a significant amount of money. Luckily I was able to come home tonight after Swim & Gym and relax and lay low for the most part. Since my Wednesdays are less strenuous I can get a fair amount of work done during the day tomorrow.

I very anxious for October for numerous reasons. My workload will drop a little bit because I'll be done assessing TAs at the end of the month. Do you remember being assessed Tiffany or Nicole? I remember Michael watching me teach HS 105 once but that was it. I'm trying to institute a process where TAs are assessed early in each semester and later in the semester. It really eats away at my time though trying to watch 15 graduate students teach a full class in a two week span of time.

I'm also anxious for October because fall weather will officially set in. We had taste of cool weather but it's been hot and uncomfortable this week. The humidity was killer today. I want to officially shut off my air conditioner and keep my windows open for cool nights. I am anxious to pull out my Halloween decorations too. Gavin hasn't figured out his costume for this year yet but I'm happy that he's leaning towards scary.

I've been having health problems for about a month and I've been pretty private about it. I've been to the doctor numerous times and had a lot of blood drawn. My last visit included a neurological exam too. I've been nauseated and dizzy off and on for about a month now. My energy levels have been an issue the last two weeks too. Last week was especially bad and I have symptoms almost every day that would influence my ability to work and/or drive. My doctor has been unable to find a source of my problems though. My blood work is not indicating diabetic tendencies, infection, or thyroid problems. My liver and kidney function are ok too. I passed the neurological exam with flying colors. I think it may just be my stress level that is wearing my body down from time to time. Weight loss may help alleviate my issues too.

My classes have been going very well at ISU. I am on schedule or a little bit ahead with my lectures and activities in all classes. I'm a little behind with my DMACC lectures. It's tough to cover 1-2 chapters in my once-a-week lecture on Wednesdays. It's tough to leave content out so I can be efficient with my time. It doesn't help that many of my students treat my health and wellness lectures like rocket science. Half of the class at DMACC has dropped the class so I only have 10 students. The motivation and passion for learning are so much different than the atmosphere I see at ISU.

My main stressor this week is a lecture I'm completing for a coaching clinic at DMACC. I have to help lecture for periodic coaching clinics since it's part of my contract. I have to teach for 5 hours on Friday night. Who wants to attend a class on Friday night?!?!? I know the timing of the class is going to reduce the motivation of the participants greatly. They are going to be anxious to leave all night. I have to lecture on basic human development, some sport psychology content, and common issues with coaching. Sadly I still need to create my Power Point for that evening and generate any handouts that could be useful. I'm going to do a lot of group activities and active discussion because that's a lot more interesting.

Exercise has been at a standstill for me. My weight has been steady though. I was worried that I have gained since the end of August but I think my busy lifestyle helps me burn some calories each day. My diet has been awful. There has been a lot of eating out and convenience foods in my life. My energy in the evenings is often very low and I really don't want to cook. I want to make some casseroles this weekend so I can have them ready to go and bake. Or I'll bake some ahead of time and have a nice amount of leftovers to eat from throughout the week. I need to start making weekly goals so I can make the necessary baby steps to a healthier way of living. I priorities are on work again and I need to redirect my energy.

Ok, I'm ending this before it becomes a novel. Hope everyone is having a good week!