KWDesigns

It’s been three months since I had surgery to rid my body of Cushings syndrome. A lot has changed since my last post about my recovery progress. My body is slowly starting to gain muscle strength and my energy levels are about 75%. I started teaching my cycle class again about 5 weeks ago - that was a scary accomplishment. I try to work out 3-4 times a week - I look at it as physical therapy. I so badly want to go to the gym 5 or 6 days a week and hit the weights hard, but I have to remind myself that I have to take things slowly. This isn’t something I can just power thru because my body can’t rebound like it used too.

The biggest changes I’ve seen so far have been the weight loss in my face. Big difference - lost the jowels & no more red checks.

The rest of my body is slow to shed the weight. I’m still on steroids (a small dose) and my body is having trouble finding balance. Speaking of steroids… After surgery I decided a change was in order - I cut my hair super short & went platinum blonde. Apparently bleach & steroids don’t mix very well because a couple of days after I become a blondie, my hair started coming out by the handful. My hair was breaking off about 1 inch from root, mostly in the back. @#$!!!! I had two choices. I could crawl in a hole & cry until my hair grew back or I could go with the flow…I still had hair on top, right? Screw it, I want a mohawk! And you know, I actually really like it. Now many women can say they’ve sported a mohawk

The muscle & joint aches are getting better - slowly. The move I move, the better I feel. I look forward to the day I can get out of bed without hearing pop crack pop crack and feeling like I’m about 90 years old. Patience is a virtue, right?

The part I’m enjoying the most is the ability to sit still & relax and for the first time in more than 4 years I can sleep. Before surgery, my body felt like it was constantly zinging - you could almost see the electricity. Now I can sit comfortably & watch a movie from start to finish. And sleep - ah sleep! No more waking up at 2am and getting 3 or4 hours of sleep every night. Now I can sleep thru the night…just like a baby.

I’m still struggling with how to move forward and put all of this in perspective. For now, it’s just one day at a time and the journey continues.

I know I’m one out of a gazillion other people posting an article or story related to Earth Day 2008. But I feel compelled to share my part in giving back & striving towards sustainable living. For some reason, this day, celebrating the place we all call home, has more significance than those previously. Not to say that I haven’t been conscious of my living habits, but I don’t think it had such an impact as it does now. I’m old enough to see the impact of wasteful living.

I feel extremely privileged to live in Portland, Oregon, a place that whole-heartedly practices sustainable living. Much of the new residential construction in The Pearl adheres to green standards and Portland is one of the few US cities that has an electric car dealership.

I could name a few more ways Portland practices sustainable living…but that isn’t the intension of my post. Living in Portland has influenced me greatly, as well as the simple fact of ‘getting older makes you wiser’ (hopefully). Since moving here more than 6 years ago, I’ve changed my habits for the better. I’m a faithful user of public transportation, use cloth totes instead of plastic or paper bags for my groceries and recycle just about everything in my house. I know this is a small contribution & I can do more.

Ever feel like this? Didn’t get enough sleep, no clean clothes to wear to work, running late and didn’t have time to eat breakfast? RAAARRRRRR!

Wonder if this is real chocolate? If it were, I would seriously consider using my spiderman climbing skills to sneak a bite. I wonder how long it would take to eat one square of chocolate…ummm?

This was not just another rainy day in Portland. For a brief moment, the rain gods decided to have mercy & filled the sky with rainbows in every direction. And not just a quick, oh look there’s a rainbow. These were full fledged rainbows that spanned the entire sky.

I grabbed my camera and ran outside with my 4 year-old son. There were too many trees in the front yard to get a clear view of the sky, so I ran into the backyard hoping to get at least one photo.

As I’m trying to frame the shot, my son says

“Mom, I think you’re standing in poop.”

I looked down at my feet and sure enough, I was standing shit.

PDXpo 2008: Annual AIGA Portland Event Showcases Creative Industry

PDXpo means many things to many people. In its third year under the banner of PDXpo, AIGA Portland is excited to provide this showcase to the creative community. The Expo is an opportunity to stay connected with Portland’s most notable graphic arts vendors and service providers and get real-world answers to design questions; from education, to ink and interface.

Creatives are invited to join AIGA Portland Thursday, March 27 at Portland Center for the Performing Arts as Alicia Johnson and Hal Wolverton, Executive Creative Directors at Euro RSCG in New York, reflect on Portland, and present the creative work their firm created for Amnesty International, the Sundance Channel and Miller Genuine Draft, among others. Experience the work of their notable collaborators; the designers, artists, agencies, directors, animators, photographers, writers and musicians who call Portland home. Plus, you’ll get a peek at how their next chapter in New York, shaping Jaguar and the world’s most memorable luxury brands, is playing out for two of our city’s most formative design icons. Keynote begins at 8:10 p.m., Winningstad Theater, PCPA.

Thursday, March 27, 2008
5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Portland Center for Performing Arts: The Winningstad Theater
1111 SW Broadway, Portland OR 97205
503-432-2917

Ticket Information
Tickets available in advance (beginning March 20) at the PCPA Box office located at:
1111 SW Broadway, Portland OR 97205. 503-432-2917.

$12 AIGA members / $17 non-members (includes Expo and Keynote)
FREE* AIGA student members / $7* Student non-members (includes Keynote only)