Focusing Fifteen Freewrite

I am having a hard time focusing on Ephesians 5 this morning mainly because I am in pain. For the first time since Valentine's Day, my back is definitely out, and I know EXACTLY what I did wrong. I thought I was to a point where I could do the sitting hamstring curl at a heavier weight. It was no problem to lift, but it ALWAYS pulls my S-I joint out! DUH! If I do lift on it, I usually do a VERY light weight! Apparently, I thought I was superwoman, and I am paying the price for my stupidity. I am not going to be able to do much until Doctor Koen can fix me. Darn it! Not smart. Live and learn. 

I had forgotten what it was like to live in pain and discomfort, and I learned something about myself: I eat when I am uncomfortable physically! LIGHTBULB (just sneezed, and it was VERY painful!) moment!!!!

LIVE AND LEARN - do better in the future.

Despite the desire to munch when I am uncomfortable, I am still maintaining my weight even though I am in my "no recording" food phase with just doing it by "feel" (which usually gets me in big trouble). It is frustrating that I cannot exercise to get my serotonin/dopamine in check at my CORTIZONE time, but I am doing very well considering my circumstances.

Focus, Carol, focus. I might have to make this a reading day until I can get in to see Dr. Koen.

I am going to go back to just doing the chair heal scoot that Logan gave me for my hamstrings! That seems to be great (unless you do it after you pull out your back and think you are better like I did yesterday)!

Today, I must make one an IRA deposit at 9 am. Then I am going to press the button and get a refund, hopefully in ten days!  This tax journey has been a lesson in realizing that I need to pass it off to someone else. I am sure I took advantage of every single opportunity and reported everything correctly on the form. So many people have tax people who save them thousands more, but I never trust TurboTax and always read up so I can find more. I am positive it is correct! That is a good feeling, but it also makes for a very long journey that would take a tax person a fraction of the time because they know all the rules, and I have to read document after document. I PROMISE that I will bite the bullet and pay for a tax person. Through this, I am AMAZED at how many people who are fairly low income use tax people! That surprised me. I am usually so frugal. Too frugal for my own good.

Speaking of frugal. I am very pleased to evaluate our spending over the last few months and see how we have "retrenched" with George being cut back to .78! Other than major car repairs in December that caused our spending to go up considerably (weighing the option of getting a newer car with better gas mileage since George will be commuting so much very soon), we have done exceptionally well! We have had major expenses with Michael's Animation Mentors tuition that we have recently discovered is NOT covered by the Oregon College Savings Program (OUR MONEY though. Do not like this!), but he will use the bond his grandfather gave him for all future tuition payments. So, we will have paid for half, and his grandfather half, and he will still have money left over from the bond for getting his start in the world. Thank you grandfather!

Well, the timer is going to go off.

Have I mentioned that I have LOVED soaking in Ephesians the last week or more? My favorite book is so rich. Rachel and I are thinking of studying it together, but we still have Romans 9-15 to go. I wonder if we could combine the two studies this next year or even start in the summer? Maybe? I hope so. I really want to study ALL of Romans with another. Then, I will have studied the BIG FIVE with other people (even though I have studied them myself): Genesis, John, Romans, Ephesians, and James!

The timer went off. On to Ephesians 5!!!!