MRIs and Teal Laptops

I want to make an effort to write on my blog as often as I can. Then I might get more consice with my story telling. I often write mega huge emails and say it'll be super quick - I just talk a bunch. Right now, I'm writing for myself I guess, since I haven't really announced my blog yet. : ) I'm shy.

There's been a series of happenings. The movie is going well - picking up steam - but somehow, I haven't mixed anything up yet. We are under two months to principal photography. Next Saturday, we have our open cast calls, followed by a different set of scheduled auditions on the Monday. It's going to be a very busy few weeks. We got stuff going on left, right and centre. Just all over the place, and it's amazing how at home I feel. This is where I belong. I promise to backpack soon, but for now, I must follow this path - God clearly shined light on it for a reason.

I went to MEC last week. I finally have enough money to buy my backpack - this Bora 75 series bag from Arc'teryx. It's like $390. Ouch. All gift certificates. I MIGHT buy MEC's Brio bag - it's only $109. I might be gone for so long that I need a heavy duty pack. But then again, maybe I need to only go on short spurts of trips. I simply have to decide pros/cons of each bag. But if I buy the Brio, i can also afford my sleeping bag and a tent. For those of you thinking I'm insane for even thinking about spending $390 on a backpack, you clearly don't know backpacking - please understand that to debate the financial issue, you might want to research both bags and the type of trip I will be embarking upon. :)

I found a travel pass that sounds fantastic too. I would fly out from the west coast, go to NZ, then be able to travel to Australia, Cambodia, India, through China, there are like 3 other destinations, Tokyo, then fly back and finish in San Francisco (wonderful, beautiful city - if you've never been there, plan a trip - well worth it!!!). Ideally, this is the trip I will want. Let's see if I can afford it when the time comes.

Anyway, both of those were side tracks to what I've been thinking about.

MRIs - ever have one? I just finished my second one on Thursday night. Originally I was supposed to have them, one day apart, at 2:45am on BOTH nights. What is that? So I called to reschedule - cause no TTC, female travelling alone, not so cool. My new times were 9:00pm and 10:00pm. Much better - but still strange how you can't go through the afternoon. These machines at Princess Margaret Hospital run 24hrs a day. Crazy. I had a good experience though. I met a bunch of people as I sat waiting in my fantastic wardrobe (gown). I was the only one on my first night who didn't get pants. Every man/woman got pants and a gown...and I was flying solo showing off the pale leggies. Oh well. The staff were wonderful both times - which usually doesn't happen for me in hospitals - it's usually rushed folks working way into the overtime hours and just grumpy (understandably - but it doesn't make it easy to be a patient!). MRI machines are so tiny!!! I didn't have to get my head in all the way because I was only doing my knees, but wow on the size of this tube. If you were a larger person, I honestly don't know how you might feel about going into one of these machines - quite uncomfortable. Anyway. My whole goal was not to move my knee. Sounds easy - except when you are trying not to move something, you're thinking about it, and generally you start having problems. My right knee kept twitching on me. That night was annoying. Apparently it only showed up on one frame, so I'm okay. So when I came in for my second knee I was really worried. They were about an hour behind and I didn't get in until 11pm. I get on the machine - they lock my knee in and shove all the padding to help in not moving (cause this tube like lock is huge compared to my scrawny let). And then they put a nice warm blanket on me so that I wouldn't get cold - cause there is a weird draft in that room. Probably cause some people get so anxious in this cramped space that they sweat a bunch. The nurses hand you this air pump ball that you can squeeze if you need help. So, on my second time there, I tried so hard not to think about my knee. I closed my eyes (cause there is this laser beam right at the entrance to the MRI tube and my eyes were right in its line of laser zapping) - and prayed about it. Then I just fell asleep. The male nurse made me jump when he was pulling me out of the MRI cause I didn't know it was over. Anyway. It's funny how the machines work - you get ear plugs or headphones - and it's just a series of loud clacking. I kind of liked it - cause at least you knew when it was taking the pictures - so if you had to move, you would know to go on the silent moments. The sounds must increase terribly once your head is in the tube though.

So this is the final step in finding out what's wrong with my knees. Outside of the fact that the sports medicine guy says my hips are hyper-extensive and pop too easily in/out of the proper joint area. My knees are really being affected by this and the years of abuse in sports. If my dad is 50 and on the verge of needing new knees - I don't want to know what's in store for myself. But if it helps and allows me to finally climb up stairs without excrutiating pain - I'M IN!!!

My blog entries are long - cause I think a lot - and I like to just get it out of my head. And if you are actually reading this, you must be even the slightest bit interested in my life. :)

I was walking to Staples yesterday with Malcolm to go buy my new laptop (my first ever new computer!). When we cut through this alley, I noticed pussywillows growing on the trees. Oh oh. I mean, winter is still going to eventually arrive - even though it was like +11 yesterday???? But what does that mean to our flora? Will it not spring up once the real spring arrives. I'm a little concerned that our trees/flowers won't grow or sprout the same this year. The ones in Toronto at least - they are confused. : (

The laptop. The teal laptop. I finally found a computer I want. My MACtop is dying on me and I need to stop hogging Malcolm's desktop. So I finally decided on this Toshiba Satellite M70-SR2. Great. On Monday I made sure the Staples had a bunch for sale. On the Friday, I actually went in to buy it. It wasn't on the internet anymore - which made me worried. So I phoned a location (which is just a nightmare in itself - cause you can never reach a computer person unless you go through customer service - and if you do go the computer department route - you always get the answering machine, and there is no way that they ever call you back 'within 24 hours' ALL LIES!!!). They said they had 2 left, and that their price had dropped. By $200.00. Stellar. I'm down with a deal like that. I loved everything about this computer - up until about 5 mins before I bought it - and noticed it had a TEAL cover. Who designed this??? All the toshibas at the store had this crappy colour to it. I mean, any other color - but worse is on the internet - it's advertised with an image that is clearly BLACK covered! I ended up buying it, but i'm simply studying it. I need second opinions. I don't know if I like it's inappropriate colouring. When we finally took it out of the box when I got home - it was more green than I actually saw at the store. Bummer. I mean to me, it's a great story for down the road - "I had a teal computer" but for now - what a bummer. Everything about it is wonderful - should I really let the colour bother me this much? I should post an image and get some opinions. Maybe I will.

That's my story compilation for now. There's more. I always have something to say. But I'll try to write shorter entries from now on. I guess details tend to bore people. However, I have been told that I write exactly how I talk - so it makes some people in my life feel good when they read my emails cause it's as if I were right there chatting away.

I'm going to assess my laptop again. peace for now.