Pirates! ARRRG!
My life has had a pirate theme as of late. I've been reading Under the Black Flag, a history about pirates. It has been quite interesting until the detailed chapter about the boats. Who cares about what kind of boats they had or what kind of rigging was used. Just tell me where Jean La Fitte hid his treasure, right?! This guy hasn't mentioned La Fitte or La Salle once, either. But I have learned a lot about Captain Kidd, Blackbeard and the Dread Pirate Roberts. I've got about twenty pages left so I hope to finish it tonight. Then on to Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.

The other pirate aspect of my life is due to the hospital I live behind. I have to walk through the hospital campus every day to school. And most days I see a sobering sight: Someone either walking to the hospital or out of the hospital with an eyepatch on. We (the other Cheb ESIers and I) have begun an eye patch alert and have made many jokes as to the origins of all the eye patches. We've decided that no matter what you go in for, you come out with out an eye. We're joking, of course, but it makes for some funny dinner conversations.

As many of you know, I have endometriosis which causes me a lot of pain. Walking in snow makes the pain worse and since I live in a country where it snows a lot, this makes walking to school difficult. On Thursday, I realized there was no way I could make it to school. The school told me I needed a doctor's excuse which I told them I couldn't get because I was in too much pain to walk to the doctor's office (almost a mile away.) They told me they would pick me up and take me to the hospital (which is about 100 yards from our front door.) I freaked out. I didn't want to go to the hospital. I told Sarah I was partial to both of my eyes. But I was told I wasn't to object and to the hospital I went.

I won't bore you with details. I was examed and sent home with a really BAD diagnosis but both eyes. But I will share the only funny thing about the visit. I had to give a urine sample. The nurse gave me a plastic cup that resembles a parfait glass. I was told to pee into it and bring it back. Pee into it? I didn't want to hold it. It looked like many people had used it before and it had not been cleaned. And this is what they wanted to use to diagnose me? Crazy! Also, the nurse said that I should drink more beer and I would feel better. This is a usual comment from Czechs when it comes to health. It never ceases to amaze me.

Just so you know, I am going to try acupuncture and a radical change in my diet to help control the pain. I am going to my regular doc on Tuesday. He also does acupuncture so I'll get more info about it then. I am also trying to get an appointment with an English speaking doc in Prague this week. Will update you on the situation soon.

Let it Snow!
Not really, I don't like snow so much. But it is pretty when it is falling out of the sky. And I like how quiet everything seems when there's a lot of snow on the ground. I also like the crunchiness of freshly fallen snow under my feet. I'm a tactile person, if you didn't know. Who said tactless??? That wasn't funny! ;)

We actually haven't had much snow during the last week. But it decided to snow this morning, just a light dusting as I was walking to work. This picture is really for all you folks in the 80 degree Texas weather. I know y'all are complaining that you haven't had winter, yet. Well, consider this a gift of winter from me!


Hair today, gone tomorrow
Here's an after pic sans mullet. I know you wanted to see it. Sorry I took so long and that this is the only one I have. More to come, I promise.

Is it too early to be counting the days to Spring Break? It's 31, in case you're wondering!

Jess