So. Today’s the day: the septoplasty, the general anesthetic, all of it.

I can’t really decide if I’m nervous or not. I’m more about just getting it finished with; the anticipation period has been nothing short of gigantic.

I go in in a few hours. My dad has the day off and is going to drop me off, pick me up, then take me home for the big ugly recovery.

Who knows if this will even help my ear/sinus issues? Who knows if I’ll be the most swollen, worst case ever? Who knows.

It begins. — I am SO not a candidate for cosmetic surgery when I’m so melodramatic about the smaller day surgery varieties. haha, I’m such a wimp.

Starting this school-year, I have Kindergarten and Grade One blocks added to my instructional schedule. They are the funniest, most enthusiastic human beings alive. I could listen to their stories and thoughts forever and often times: I do.

Yesterday we started a technology rotation where the students did a quick introductory computer activity.  On the onset, students were asked to key in their names.  For the kindergarteners we ended up just having them key in the first letter of their name, as that was enough of a challenge; abilities were quite mixed.  However, The students were SO thrilled just to be in a new space and on computers, nothing could have spoiled their time.

One student came over and alerted me he couldn’t find the “z”-key.  I was helping another student so I told him, I would be right there, but that he should look while he waited.  He didn’t mind.  He just waddled back to his station and began the hunt.  As I continued on with my current student, I hear:

“I FOOOOOOOOOOUND IT!” and look up to see a huge smile as the student slowly relished in pushing his new found button with his hand starting above his head and slowly making it’s way to [what I assume was the] “z”.  No one else was watching or listening.  The theatrics and celebration were merelly for his own amusement.

Oh, boy.  Imagine being so kind to yourself still and finding such pleasure in new abilities.  Four classes later, nothing changed: the day continued to be laughter, excitement, and random issues easily solved.  Some students just chose letters they thought looked nice; to be honest, none of it really mattered.  A few even wanted the letter, ‘yellow’, to which we just entered a “y”.  haha…

I love my job.

I love waking up to the house that has just been filled with company. I can always sense the shift in ‘order’ as soon as I open my eyes.

With Lee having her brand new camera for last night’s birthday soiree, as soon as our whirlwind tidy ended we were able to treat ourselves with [very well-focused] pictures of our entire evening.

What could be better than spending the whole night laughing, eating, introducing, and drinking with the best circle anyone could possible ever ask for? Nothing. Last night was incredible. Then, today, I get to reflect on how great I have it in my fair city and how I could not feel any more supported or cheered for as a new year begins.

Then with Facebook and voicemail and Skype [from the great beyond], I get to reflect on my much wider circle of creative, brilliant, incredible, energetic, enthusiastic lives. This whole weekend I’ve smiled, felt so much gratitude, and so much excitement for all the visits and laughter and scheming that are about to take place this year.

Experience tells me I can’t even guess at what’s to come. Just when I think I’ve figured out ‘young urban’ life, I prove myself wrong. The family, however, has ensured that the condo is IKEA-stocked and my work attire is sufficient. The friends have ensured they’re all here to nourish the ego… and the rest, as Natasha Bettingfield (non?? sp??) would say, is still unwritten. …so many blog posts still unrealized.

And if you missed this gathering, don’t worry. The condo awaits for many more gatherings! 28 and well-beyond! I’m pretty much now hooked on starting off each year this way! =)

Whether it’s my inner-Libra or Northern-hemisphere upraising, my year begins each Autumn.

January with all its New Years’ resolutions and dead-of-winter self-affirmations has never felt like the dawn of much to me. October however, with the school-year and birthday and left-over tans (and fitness levels from swimming) has always felt like a new-beginning for better or worse, for nerves or anticipation, for confidence or upset.

This Autumn has started a whole new year that I perceived as much more familiar than it actually was. I neither prepared for the newness nor gave myself credit for ANY successful adjusting.

On the advice of nearly every single person around me, I stopped to look around…
…and as I did I saw a mat my sister gave me last birthday: green, for yoga, and all rolled up from the last session that took place MONTHS ago.

Yesterday, I went to a yoga session with that green mat and connected to a practice I’d long forgotten. It was hot yoga on a very cold day so the warm humid room was very welcoming.

This new year, the ’09/’10 one, yoga and otherwise, I really hope to achieve many new things from both the perspective of a true beginner and of an aspiring expert. ‘In the eyes of a beginner the possibilities are many; in the eyes of an expert the possibilities are few.’ * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JceGBL2kYk4 for more. This, from today’s Uptown Cinema find with the roommate. *

Yesterday, on my mat I felt just fine groaning through inflexibility and feeling like a total doofus. Today, I feel just fine sore in truly random places sitting here reflecting on the whole process. This winter, as so much new begins, I commit here on this blog to find comfort in the familiar: in yoga, in swimming lengths, in reading, and in writing, and in coffees with friends, and time with family, all those things that don’t feel so different from Edmonton, or even Red Deer, or even high school.

To anyone reading this: a Happy New Year! …and all the very best in pursuing ANY resolution or working through ANY change or expressing ANY level of gratitude, especially to yourself.

To thine own self: be true. ….and kind. THAT is what I learned this round as I found myself back on my mat…

…trying my very best.