Walking…into the after-blue
As some of you may or may not know, my best friend Francis has MS, and was diagnosed in July. She is currently undergoing treatment while finishing her PHD at UMASS Dartmouth.
I decided on Thursday that I would walk for her this Sunday, and have already raised $340 towards my $500 goal. Please donate if you can, especially if you know le FrAncis. She is a hysterical and amazing young lady, and easily the smartest girl I know. She is also someone I have looked up to for her resolve at getting her bachelor’s finished, her masters, and now into her PHD in such a short span of time.
The link to donate is here: http://msnyc.kintera.org/walkms/forfran
On a related note, school is fine, even though I have been on the verge of losing my fucking mind. This full time work part time school thing seems ok until you actually do it. Halfway in to the second semester, I really was over it. It’s not the work or anything, but the time and the energy. And I am one of those ideal individuals for such a venture since my social life primarily rotates around the needs of two particularly cutie pups. So it’s not that kind of time or energy. But I work 5 days a week and do school one night, and have one day off per week I usually spend working on school. It’s just entirely too much. If I could get some help so I didn’t have to work full time, I could take three classes (or even 4!) and graduate before I am 40. Luckily for me every student I have told my real age to seemed shocked, so I can probably keep the young innocent college girl rolling for a few more years.
So I am for sure taking the summer off. I plan on spending more time drinking margaritas and eating ice cream and all the good stuff summer brings. For Fall I will have a new fresh perspective (I hope).
Now I have to figure out how to drop ten pounds so when I go ziplining through the jungle and swimming in volcanic pools I can fit in some freaking shorts. 10 pounds in 6 weeks? Maybe I can do even more…
It’s time to break out the running shoes and give the old ticker an extra push. I had had only..let’s see, one open heart and two aortic replacements and did spinning and that was fine. I think people are sometimes so afraid of dying, they are afraid to live….it reminds of a documentarian I saw speak yesterday and how she was like, if you were the only person who was able to tell a story, wouldn’t you feel compelled to? It was a documentary on Guatemala and the struggle the Mayans have had with the military in the Reagan era. The student she was speaking to said, no, I still wouldn’t do it because I would be too afraid. Interesting when you consider it… but yeah. This girl, who’s on coumadin and eats whatever the hell she wants (but consistently) and a bit curvy for shorts will be seen running in a neighborhood near you with a little pitbull in tow. Well, maybe not a neighborhood near you, but a pretty cute cute one.
You’re alive! lol. Glad to see you’re chugging along in school. Just think how much sweeter summer will be once all this hard work is done for this school-year.
Sorry to hear about your friend. I just donated.
Good luck with the weight loss- B and I have been on Jenny Craig for 4 weeks now. People are starting to look like giant cheeseburgers to me- sort of like that episode of Bugs Bunny and his desert oasis.
🙁
xoxo
Tara
you rule!
haha. It’s funny. I thought of you originally when I decided to do a lil’ community service, wondering how I could give back to something. This is my first “walk”. I have never even done anything for my disease. That is more because I have found the foundation that supposedly represents us exceedingly dumb and greedy.
I just sat next to a huge box of delicious cheese fries and ate…like 6. 6 is better than a box so I’ll deal.
I would be online more but I’m in one of those I hate my life phases.:)
ps
thank you for donating. it’s really nice of you to do that…
and I know Francis feels loved!!
Well- see that’s the thing. I prefer to do my “good deeds” per person. Not particularly an “organization”. I wouldn’t have just donated to the MS foundation, but to me, you put a face to it- yours and then by extension of knowing you- your friend. Eh- it probably doesn’t make much sense, but I like my giving to feel more personal. Also, I’ve read about Francis here so I feel like I know her too. 🙂
If you’re hating life and have time to get out when school’s done- you know I’ll come pick you up!
My days are far crazier. I have a 15 hour day in an OR and an 80 hour work week. When I am lucky to not be ignored then I am yelled at for virtually any reason by PA’s, residents and attendings. It is extremely charitable of you to do the MS walk. Both of you are examples of perseverance the rest of the world should follow.
Francine,
Let me know how the walk goes tomorrow. I will be thinking of you too. Regarding juggling school and work, believe me, I know. (And I know you know that I know – LOL). It just takes some getting used to, and the first year back is always the most difficult. Like my B.A. year—-that was hell. I barely slept and was trying to juggle 50-thousand responsibilities at once and there were many times when I thought I would not be able to finish. But just remember that as time goes on and as you get used to juggling all the plates, it gets easier to manage. I believe in you, so please don’t give up. I wanna be there when you graduate.
Love to you,
Frisk XOXOXO
thanks, Francine!!
I know it’s supposed to be tough, and it’s tiring. I just get a little overwhelmed sometimes. I learned a few what not to do’s this year, and honestly…I have put very minimal effort in. B’s are ok, but not the best I can get, and I will probably only get one A and two B/B+’s. BLeh. I need to break this habit and relearn what got me crazy early in school and compete with myself for those A’s. I know I can do it. I just need to DO it.I’m not giving up–I’ve already been loaned 11k, so it’s just the way it works.
love you FRancine!