Living with elves.

Life with the elves has been pretty rough the past couple of weeks.  They just won't give me a break.  They're so excited about summer that they just party all day every day.  And if you've ever had a party inside your brain (a non-drug-induced party, that is), you know that it's not very fun.  Because it's summer and I'm living in a new place and thus want to make friends, I've tried to have a little bit of a social life.  I've been fairly successful, but only because I medicate myself before every social function.   I have to sedate the elves so they'll give me a break.  I've been trying to plan for school a little, but the elves don't like it when I do that either.  I guess I take some of my brain power away from their party so their loud music and strobe lights don't work as well.  Then they get mad and try to take it back--usually successfully. 

The potentially good news is I go to a new doctor Wednesday (any and all prayers are greatly appreciated), and supposedly he's suffered from migraines himself.  It will be nice to get a different perspective--and from someone who's been there.  Going to a new doctor is always a bit of a pain because I have to explain seven years of my life and then see his shock when I hand him a list of the 40 medications I've tried without success.  I'm making Christian go with me to the doctor to listen for me when I get stressed or start hurting and tune out what he's saying--and to make sure I don't minimize my condition.  Hopefully it will be a good experience, and hopefully he'll have an idea none of my other doctors have had.  I'll be sure to update you after my appointment (if the elves will give me permission, that is--darn those elves).

Exercise, for real.

I've made plans to exercise a million times and then never followed through for more than a week, but recently that's changed.  While I was in E'ville, I walked most days with my mom.  Now that I don't have Jones right down the road or Mom to walk with, I joined a gym.  I've been going at least three times a week since I moved.  (It's only week three, but I still think that's an accomplishment.)  I'm able to do more and more every time I go, too.  It's nice.  I feel like I'm in control rather than my headache being in control.  For so long I've put off exercising because it makes my head hurt and I get tired really easily, but this time I've had the patience to slowly work my way up to exercising.  When I started at the beginning of May I could only walk half a mile at a time, and now I can walk two.  Today I walked a mile and then biked two miles.  I'm really proud of myself if you can't tell.  Like I said, it makes me feel like I may be able to beat this headache after all.

Life in Memphis.

I've been in Memphis almost three weeks now, and I'm loving it.  Life in Memphis is a little different from life in Ellisville (or Starkville, for that matter).  I don't run into somebody I know everywhere I go.  The mailman brings the mail right to my door.  None of my neighbors own cows--or four-wheelers.  And nobody knows about show choir. 

So Memphis is different, but I like it.  I miss Jones County a little, but who wouldn't?