Weekend Review {10/07}

Last week was all over the place.  Posts were late (Weekend Review) or didn't happen (Friday's post).. but life had to come first last week, and then over the weekend, life (aka sickness, owned my ass, le sigh).  But I did make an A on the test I had on Friday (with the 10 point curve), sooo I'm calling it a win.

FRIDAY

Friday was Ring Day.  This is a special days for Citadel seniors because we get our class rings.  There's a presentation ceremony and some traditions after you get your ring (saluting the war memorial, tapping your ring on the war memorial plates on the Chapel, banging your ring on the Chapel doors as a ring blessing).  I was skeptical on the whole thing at first, but I'm glad I participated.

If you look in the middle of the face of the ring, you will see the current "Class of ___" year.  The year doesn't get changed until the ring presentation ceremony.  Usually the ring is covered in the AM after it gets changed and the cover is removed at the end of the ceremony, but I arrive to campus pretty early, so it wasn't even changed or covered yet.  I did see it covered last year though.

The only time that the current class year is not on the ring is when there is a class reunion.  Then, the ring is changed to the year of the graduating class.  I remember seeing 68 on the ring one year.  I think this year will be the reunion for the class of 1970.  Since all my classes are in the same building room, I no longer cross campus and see the ring on a regular basis, so I may not see it change for the reunion this year.

The morning started out like usual, class, class, class, then Teh German came and we had lunch together.  Since the Canteen was bursting, we went back to the CS dept to have lunch.  We ended up in my dungeon since the teacher's lounge was occupied by a meeting.  Teh German was like, you're in this classroom... all day?  Yup.  Sucks, right?

I walked out to my car after my classes ended and the spot next to me was open.  I put my stuff in the spot and stood there, saving the spot for Teh German, pissing off at least 5 other people who were denied such a solid parking place.  #SorryNotSorry

After lunch, Teh German headed to the Field House where the ceremony would be taking place and I headed to the barracks where we were lining up.  We marched from the barracks to the Field House.

But first, a selfie!

Class of 2020, sweating it out.

The march to the Field House was a surprise.  I've never involved myself with any of the campus activities ever.  No Friday parade, no after hours things..  So when we marched out of the barracks and both sides of the road were lined with freshman, clapping to the beat of the drum line, I almost cried I was so (good) overwhelmed.  Behind the freshman were by-standers (parents and friend, since it was Parents Weekend) and some of the other students (juniors and sophomores).  I saw a few of my classmates, which was cool.  One was recording the march, so I'm hoping she sends me the video.

The ceremony felt like it was never ending.. Probably because active duty and day vet students were in the front this year and so I was just holding this box and I wanted to open it and see what was inside and put the ring on.. but I knew the time would come when we would be instructed to do so.. so I had to wait a millionty years (or 35 minutes, same difference).

Finally, the time came and we were instructed to put our rings on, with the number facing away from us.  We will turn the ring to where the numbers face us when we graduate.  I know it seems kinda weird, but these weird things are what make traditions, so I'll follow these fake rules.. because it's kinda fun to be included.

After the ceremony, while the cadets ran across the parade field to salute the war memorial and bang their rings on the Chapel doors, the day vets and active duty walked down the street to the war memorial and chapel.  Originally, the cadets had been told they would form up instead of running over to the memorial/chapel, but that is NOT what happened.  Oh well.

I explained to Teh German that on Thursday, at ring ceremony practice, we had discussed the fact that we weren't sure we really wanted to bang our brand new, quiet expensive, piece of jewelry on anything, tradition or not.  On Friday, that wasn't even a consideration.  Granted, I didn't slam my ring into the various surfaces with all my might, I did try to be moderately gentle when I tapped my ring on the war plates.. but I put a little bit of might behind my bangs on the Chapel doors... because tradition.

You bang your ring on the Chapel door (generally 3 times), as a symbolic prayer.  Someone mentioned it on Friday, but I can't remember the 3 reasons.  Something about thanking God for getting you this far and asking for a blessing for the rest of the year and post-graduation.  Teh German waited in the shade while all this was going down, and then we walked down to the big ring so we could get some photos, as I requested.

It was important to me to get photos WITH Teh German because without him, I wouldn't have survived the last 2 years.  He had to pick up the slack since I have more commitments now.  He's also had to deal with my emotional/stress roller coaster, and that's always a good time... not.

After photos, we headed back to the vehicles and agreed to go home and drop off a vehicle and feed the dogs half their dinner, then head back out.  I had scheduled a couples massage for us earlier in the week because I needed a massage and Teh German hadn't had one in a while (and he won't make an appointment for himself for whatever reason).

The massage was everything I knew I needed.  After my masseuse asked me how long it had been since I had a massage and I said, "During the hurrication."  He played off his surprise well, because he responded with, "Oh, your shoulders were VERY tight."  I believe he thought I was going to say many months ago or something... not just 4 weeks ago.  When I said, "Yeah, I call those my perma-knots," Teh German's masseuse really got a kick out of that.  #ISeeWhatYouDidThere.

After the massage, we headed to Kaminsky's for dessert alcoholic beverages.  Conveniently, it was still happy hour when we arrived.  I made sure to take advantage of that.  I enjoyed a chocolate martini, the starburst martini, and an almond joy martini.  The starburst drink was like drinking fruit juice, it was deliggghtful.  The chocolate martini was very delicious and the almond joy was a great dessert drink.

I ordered a dessert to go and Teh German and I agreed to pick up Famulari's for dinner.  We don't really have any reason to go all the way to our favorite Famulari's anymore, so being kind of in the neighborhood was a good enough reason.  There were no regrets.

When we got home, we managed the dogs, ate our dinner, and then it was bedtime.  The heat and the sweating while I was outside took a number on me.  In addition, I was wearing heels for the ceremony, so all of the walking was in heels and that tore me up.  PLUS the massage?  I was d.u.n.

This notification brought me joy in my brain.
But I don't feel like it FELT like 18° cooler on Saturday....

SATURDAY

Saturday, Meri was done with the sleeps by 0730... as always.  I was not though, I attempted to snuggle her to calm her down, which worked for a few minutes.  She got annoying quick and finally, I gave in, went downstairs to feed them.

After taking care of the beasts, I fed myself and then headed to the office for homework time.  I managed to get a few things accomplished.  While I was doing school things, Teh German did tank things.  I had to laugh when he came downstairs wearing long sleeves.  I told him that it wasn't that cold out (which I had observed when I'd let the dogs out) and he said he wanted to wear longs sleeves, and I laughed because he had the sleeves rolled up.  We are such winter people.

Eventually, I gave up on school things, since I was only making myself frustrated. The Hurricanes and the Capitals were playing at 7, so I went upstairs, finished up the laundry, grabbed my jersey, and headed back downstairs.

The game was blacked out on NHL, so I had to do some nerd troubleshooting to get it figured out, but I did come up with a successful work around, after paying $100 for a VPN that wouldn't work (I requested my money back).

The Hurricanes WON!  And it was an earned win, after we had a millionty penalties, which gave them several power plays.  I also told Teh German that next time, we can listen to his announcers because the announcers for the Hurricanes annoy the fuck out of me and make me so disgruntled and ragey.  At least if I'm going to hate on the announcers, it should be the other team's announcers.  Siiigh.

After the game, it was bedtime.

SUNDAY

Because my entire body was hurting when I went to bed on Saturday, I took a Flexeril before going to sleep and I had zero regrets.  At some point doing the night, I felt it hit and I might have just been a blob contained by skin.  Nonetheless, I woke up on Sunday feeling like a bag of ass.  My throat hurt and my head hurt and my skin hurt.. and I do NOT like being sick.  Know what else isn't fun?  Being sick at the same time as Husband. 

I needed to do homework things, but knew that with the way I was feeling, nothing would get accomplished, so I spent the day on the couch.  Oh yeah, and I didn't get out of the bed until 1130 (thanks to the Flexeril magicks).

We were productive about sick day.. we finally finished The Americans.

I asked Teh NY Chef if she could make chicken soup for our sick house and she obliged like the best adopted Mom anyone could ask for.  I'm not gonna lie, there's something special in that soup because for a few hours after eating it, I felt functional again.  My throat hurt, but I didn't wince each time I swallowed.

Nurse Meri was on duty, but ONLY for me.  Apparently, she didn't nurse Teh German at all last week, despite his being home sick Wednesday and Thursday.  He said she stayed upstairs at her post all day until I'd come home.  Part of me is happy with this.  Part of me is frustrated.  Happy because she loves me the mostest (and Pax too, because he didn't come down for most of the days either).  Frustrated because the dogs are always up my ass and I can't get a break.  But it makes me more happy than frustrated... so c'est la vie.

I had toast as a dinner snack.  I wasn't really hungry, but knew I needed to eat something.  Being sick is really my favorite diet plan.  During Hurrication I gained a few pounds that I've been struggling to work off.  Sickness always helps kick start minimal weight loss.

In the evening, we watched Big Mouth, instead of The Ranch, because we needed some laughs after the heaviness that was the last season of The Americans.  We headed to bed around 9:45, but I got up at 10:45 to do some homework that was due at midnight, conveniently, when my project partner was also up working on it (this partner told me he was sick with a fever on Saturday and might go to the hospital.. so when I woke up on Sunday with a sore throat, I knew I was fucked).

We didn't manage to get the code to work, and by we, I mean him, because I have ZERO idea what is happening for that project.  He said he'd rather turn it in late and get 10 points off a correct submission than turn it in on time and get 15 points off for that part of the assignment not being done correctly.  I said fine and then I went back to bed.  Teh German was still awake reading up on tank things, but when I crawled back into bed, we finally went to sleep.

______________________________________________

Monday came, as it does.  Because I had PITA Professor for 3 classes and I knew that there was a quiz in at least 2 of the 3 classes, I went in, knowing he's also there by 0730, and requested to take all the quizzes for the day so I could go back home and be sick at home.  He said ok to my request.  I spent 20 minutes taking the quizzes and returned the papers to him and headed home.

./squeeeee

Since I'm not in class today, that means I should be working on things that are due tomorrow, but with the pressure in my ears, the way my head is screaming at me, and the inability to swallow without 13/10 on the pain scale, I'm not sure how successful I'll be at accomplishing things.

This week includes:
-Quizzes and tests in all my classes.. rah
-Programming assignments in all my classes.
-Hopefully starting on a paper that has a rough draft due on 11/1.
-Tattoo session on Saturday, which I am woefully unprepared for, mentally and physically, as I have a concept of what I want, but no good example, which means that a portion of my time will spent not being inked since Noel will need to draw out the stencil, which means not taking advantage of the full day... ugh.
-I'm supposed to have a hairs did appointment on Friday, but I think I'm going to push it back because my hair doesn't look bad yet.  Also, I'm considering going somewhere different so I don't have to drive to BFE to get my hair done.  I'm all about convenience and her new shop is not convenient for me.


This week is also Teh Sister's birthday and Phil's birthday. 
Pretty sure Teh Sister is forever 14, despite what the math just told me.

If it's finally fall where you are, congratulation.  While the temps dropped into the low 80s here, it still feels hot.  Then again, I might have a fever.. or it might just really still be hot because #SouthernProblems.  Either way.  I JUST WANT TO WEAR A FUCKING HOODIE AND NOT SUFFOCATE.