Apr 20 Five For Friday 4/12/13 & 4/19/13

What a difference a week makes.

Last Saturday at this time, I was in a cocktail dress, with my hair and makeup done, surrounded by so much love and support, hosting Life as a Zebra Foundation’s second annual benefit concert with my sister.

This Saturday, I have just woken up, I am sitting with heating pads on my back and neck, and I am in my sweats, blogging and watching Knocked Up.

I am not complaining.  Both are spectacular feelings. 

Hopefully, this is the last week I will need to combine weeks for Five For Friday.  My life has slowed down quite a bit now that the benefit is over, so I am really excited to hopefully get back to more blogging.

1.  Medical Stuff:

• I’ve been really naughty with rehab,  I must confess.  In two weeks I have rehabbed 3 times.  It wouldn’t be so terrible if my body wasn’t screaming at me right now, and if it was not a struggle to hold my back and neck up.   This week was a reminder that with EDS, I can never just take a week off from rehab, no matter my energy level.
• I saw Larry on Tuesday.  I entered his office one hot mess.  I left feeling put together and so much better.  That man’s OMM is magic.
• The week before the benefit, I got very little sleep, and was pushing way past my limits.  Needless to say, this past week has been all about recovery and rest.

2.  So much has happened in 2 weeks, I don’t even know where to start.  I guess I’ll start with this picture…it makes me smile.  I have always wanted a picture with Sparty and now I have one.  He came to “read” to all the kindergarten classes, and by “read,” I mean that his “bodyguard” read the book, while Sparty acted it out.  The kids LOVED it.  I LOVED it.  Such a great day.

3.  The week before the benefit, Evan Pinsonnault of News 6 gave me the opportunity to join him on the morning news to talk about the benefit and our foundation. I was also able to get the word out on Melik Brown’s show, TimeSlot.  I feel the need to grab every media opportunity I can to help spread invisible illness awareness.  It’s important.

4.  We had kindergarten roundup last Wednesday.  It is always one of my most favorite days of the school year.  As a teacher, I love watching the excitement and curiosity on the children’s faces as they look around the classrooms and the school knowing they will be a kindergartener soon.  I also love being able to chat with the families in a laid back atmosphere.  We had a lot of families come through so I left feeling pretty pumped.

5.  Allie and her boyfriend, Gabe, arrived last Thursday for the benefit.  We spent Thursday and Friday putting together gift baskets, practicing our speeches, burning the PowerPoint, running errands, going over the emcee script, wrapping up loose ends, and doing interviews for HOMTV.

6.  Speaking of HOMTV, we recently found out from Max Ieuter, the HOMTV reporter who did the Life as a Zebra Feature story, that he will be putting together an extended half-hour feature story.  Apparently, the first feature that was released in March had such a positive response, that his news directors gave him the assignment to do a half-hour story on Life as a Zebra.  Crazy.  Max filmed Allie and me on Saturday getting ready for the benefit and then throughout the benefit for the extended feature.  It will air the beginning of May.  More to come as I know.

In the meantime, here is the other Life as a Zebra feature story if you have not already seen it…

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9VNE757iSo

7.  So now to the BENEFIT!  What a spectacular, incredible, magical night.  I’m not sure if there are enough adjectives to describe what it was like to be surrounded by so many supporters, family, and friends while raising money for invisible illness research with my sister.  I am not going to say too much because I will write about the benefit in its own post, but I will say that we raised over $25,000 this year for research!  I still cannot believe it.  Someone pinch me…So, SO thankful to all who supported us near and far.  Here’s just a few pics…More to come.

8.  We had a day after the benefit, pasta lunch. I love these peeps to death…

9.  This past week, I slowed waaaayyyy down.  My body has desperately needed this recovery time.  I have gone back to just teaching and napping.  Now, I must add hard-core rehab back into the mix!  I’m giving myself one more week to decompress, and then I will get back to foundation work.  I have a foundation meeting scheduled for this Friday…

10.  Finally, I just want to express my deepest thanks to everyone out there who supports Allie, me, and the Life as a Zebra Foundation.  This past week with the benefit, and then the crazy events that transpired in our country; it made me realize even more that you always, always, always count your blessings.  You don’t just write them in the sand, you carve them for all to see.  Thank you all for being one of my blessings.

Love to all ~ Katie ~