Soo...summer's not done yet, but it's winding to a close. Somehow it seemed shorter this year. But I'm anxious for it to end - the weather is so hot, and I'm actually missing being in class. I don't know what I'm going to do when I graduate and won't have classes anymore!

Brandon was finally able to buy the HDTV he was saving up for. It's 42 inches of pure awesomeness. Tomorrow we're having a party with a Disney movie marathon - Brandon's calling it "D-Day". :D

I'm working on getting my application materials together to join the Daughters of the American Revolution.  The DAR is a society for women who are blood descendants of patriots who fought in the American Revolution. My great-aunt Lena and her daughter were both members, so most of the genealogy (going back to the 1770's) is already done for me. I just have to get birth, marriage, and death certificates (as applicable) for myself, my father, and my grandfather, who was Aunt Lena's brother. Then I can attach those to a copy of Aunt Lena's DAR application (from way back when, they're indexed by the DAR) and I can be a member :)

The DAR is a very exclusive organization. In fact, I've sat on doing my application for years because I was uncomfortable for how exclusive the organization is. My own mother can't join because she doesn't have the bloodline - mine comes through my father and my father's father. But the bloodline is there, so I may as well join. It's something not everyone can do.

Next weekend Brandon is taking me up to Salt Lake and he's going to introduce me to all his friends that he had growing up and all the places he knows (The Pie and Gravity Hill are on the list). I'm looking forward to it. I've only been to Salt Lake twice before and both times it was December and absolutely frozen. There's no snow up there now so it should be much more pleasant than my 2 brief visits before.

I've gotten connected with a group called the Homeless Animal Rescue Team (HART) of Utah. They rescue dogs from animal shelters so that they don't get put down and then help find them "forever homes" to live in. They need a grant writer - and as a Professional and Technical Writing major at Dixie State, I have taken a grant writing course and I can write grants.

So I called them up today and they were SO HAPPY that I can write grants for them! They're waiting on their 501(c)(3) determination letter from the IRS (a letter that says they're a non-profit organization, like a charity, and that donations to them are tax-deductible) and as soon as they get it they'll call me and I'll get to work. It'll be awesome to swing some grants for them, because grant writers generally get 10% of the grant award. So if I get them, for example, a $5000 grant, I'd get $500 of it for doing the paperwork and getting them the money. That would help me a lot!

A reason grant-writing income would help me a lot is because I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to keep working at Wendy's. I had an MRI done on my ankle (after my health insurance took 3 weeks to approve it) and I'm developing arthritis from my injury back in January. That explains the pain. I can walk and stuff...but standing up for over 4 hours at a time really hurts. So I don't know. I'm working on exercising my ankle before going back to work and trying to build up some muscle, but I don't deal with high amounts of pain well. I'm looking for other ways to generate income right now.

I did an interview this week to be a big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah. It'll take some time before I hear back since they also have to run a criminal background check on every volunteer. I've also encouraged my boyfriend to go volunteer because the waiting list of little brothers is THREE TIMES as long as the waiting list for little sisters in St. George. I'm also going to donate all my old clothing and towels to them. Big Brothers Big Sisters accepts donations of any kind of cloth, torn or stained or whatever, because they sell it by the pound up north. They've made thousands upon thousands of dollars doing that. They also accept small housewares. They've got donation boxes all over St. George, too -  and all donations are tax-deductible, of course.

So...that's what I'm up to. Staying relatively busy, even without work. Life is good!

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I'm finally not sick anymore! And my ankle is doing much, much better, though it is still stiff.

The semester is getting into full swing. I'm constantly rehearsing my competition songs for NATS, which is on the 13th. I've pretty much put life after that on hold...I can think about things past that day after I've competed.

Sorry for the short update, but I'm tired...I have class at 9 am tomorrow so I need to go to bed :(

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It's strange - it seems my ankle is recovering faster than my respiratory tract, and I haven't even started physical therapy yet :p

These OTC pills seem to be helping alleviate the symptoms, though. The pharmacist at Target, right by DSC, is awesome :D

I'm having a hard time thinking of things to write about for my creative writing class. I'm tired of writing about events in my life - besides, I've written about all the good ones already. I'm reading in the textbook about what makes a good story and stuff, but I just can't think of anything that will fit in all those parameters!

I'll ask some questions in class tomorrow...I'm sure I'll find some enlightenment there.

The National Association of Teachers of Singing competition (this year, held at Southern Utah University in Cedar City) is approaching *fast.* I have so much practice to do and I haven't been able to do it because of the sickness. But with these pills the pharmacist recommended...I think I'll be okay. I've chosen some very difficult repertoire but it should be good - provided that I am physically able to practice beforehand and actually sing at the competition itself.

And I need to practice now, while I can, but my roommate is on the phone :(

It'll all be fine, sleep will make it all good.

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So today I was going down the stairs at school, stepped on my foot/ankle WAY wrong, and fell down the last few stairs onto the ground. I knew I could not get back on my left foot. I felt something was very wrong.

Everyone was really nice. Lots of people were around. A couple of guys picked me up and put me on a bench, and Dr. Crenshaw, one of my professors, walked by and called campus security. We don't have a health office with a nurse or anything at DSC, but the head of campus security is an EMT. So he came and wrapped my ankle up really well with an ice pack and everything. Dr. Crenshaw and the campus security kept asking me if I wanted an ambulance, but I thought that would be ridiculous...I knew I needed to go to the emergency room, but an ambulance is way expensive and I knew I wasn't going to die or anything.

In fact, my tolerance for pain surprised me (in a good way). I get migraine headaches, and I've been forcing myself to just continue whatever I'm doing through the pain without pain meds unless I absolutely need them. Don't get me wrong, my ankle hurt like heck earlier (and still hurts now) but I didn't scream or cry or use profane language or anything.

So I called my boyfriend and he and one of his friends came and picked me up. Campus security had Brandon actually drive on the sidewalk and back up to like 3 feet from the doors of the building. So Brandon and his friend Josh carried me to the car and took me to the emergency room.

At the ER they did an x-ray and determined my ankle is not broken. However, it is sprained very, very badly and the ligaments are torn. I was sent home with crutches, a splint-sock thing, and narcotic pain medication (which I have not needed). I've been instructed to baby my ankle for the next few days, and will be getting physical therapy.

Thank goodness I have health coverage, or this whole thing would have bankrupted me.

The injured ankle is my left ankle, which means I can still drive, but I am very, very unstable on my crutches. I've never had the best balance - in fact, I'm a bit of a klutz - but I'll do my best. I hope I don't fall again, but maybe if I do I'll get the wheelchair I asked for :p

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