[Super Duper Fantastic] ISFP/INFP. 4w5. World Explorer. Super Hero. Rose-colored Glasses.

Oh whoa, a rare clear photo of my side view. Even my hair’s pulled back, so the jawline is distinct and prominent. It was taken at the orthodontist’s office for comparison purposes.

For many years, I’d avoid such photos or delete them because they were awfully unflattering. While others just accepted that as part of me, it was definitely a part of my self-esteem issues. I didn’t like those pictures of myself AT ALL.

The health benefits are, of course, the REAL reason for the surgery.

All these years of improper chewing and upper and lower teeth not really touching. The braces actually helped a little bit, so the bite doesn’t look as bad here as it was before, but they didn’t do enough. With the way my jaw is, the wear and tear would not bode well for my plan to eat my way into old age…

So goodbye old face!

*wave*

Since it was the last day for stuffing my face, I joined a bunch of friends for a large hot pot meal. Unfortunately, something didn’t settle well in my stomach, and I haven’t been able to keep it in… I think I’ll have to empty out entirely before I can get some rest before the big day. Major discomfort. Major grossness.

All the while, I tried to enjoy the Cirque du Soleil show in town – Ovo – with RV, Kirsten/Stephen, RV’s mom and her friend. It was a fantastic show and definitely worth every discounted penny that we spent on it. Amazing skills and fun costumes! Battling food poisoning while watching the show – not so fun. I survived and didn’t make too much of a scene. Thank goodness for intermissions and fancy portable toilets. *phew*

But yes, that means I’ve crossed off another from the list!

082 – See a Cirque du Soleil show.

It’s not a life or death situation.

It will be several months out of a lifetime.

I have a fantastic group of friends who are supportive and ready to help in any way.

Everything will be okay.

1.5 days to go!

I went in to see the surgeon today. Yup, the Sunday before the big day. He wanted to take a look at my bite one final time before practicing the procedures on my models. It was like being at a zoo, poked and prodded and analyzed by the surgeon and his residents.

One commented, “She doesn’t seem phased.”

Yeah, well two post-op appointments would do that to you. I also had a string of other mouth-related appointments earlier in the week, so pulling of my lips up and down and sticking popsicle sticks along my gums? Used to it.

I’m glad he called to meet up beforehand though. He explained the procedure, and the gist of it is this: Break the upper jaw, move it forward, tilt it, and also widen it. To widen it, they make it into two pieces before they screw everything together and hold it in place with titanium plates. Risks include possibly killing the blood supply to certain parts of the mouth and potentially ending up with dead teeth. Gross. During the surgery, my sinuses will fill up with blood too, so I’ll be congested for awhile, and I won’t be able to blow my nose. The lower jaw will be cut around the nerve and then put back together, so that it lines up with the upper jaw. If they hit the nerve, it might be numb indefinitely.

Fantastic, huh?

The surgery will last between 6-8 hours. The good news? The surgeon has had one of these such surgeries every week for the last month or so. Bad news? I’ll be wired shut with a splint for FOUR weeks.

It’s too late to back out of it now. I knew what I was getting into when I started all the appointments, sorta…

Two more days.

Five more days until surgery, and it appears that all the eating I’ve done hasn’t helped at all. Potluck after potluck. No help whatsoever. I am still at 125. I am already underweight per BMI, which probably contributes to my inability to keep my feet warm. When I mention that I want to actually gain weight rather than lose weight, many others roll their eyes and say something about wanting my problem. The fact of the matter is from what I’ve read, most patients lose 10-20 pounds from being on the liquid diet. I CANNOT lose that weight. I do not have 10-20 pounds to lose. I don’t even have five to lose.

There’s not much else I can do other than to constantly feed myself while recovering. As many hours as I am awake, I’ll need to be on intake mode. RV will be juicing things for me. I have a Vita-Mix at home too, so we’ll blend as much as we can. Another friend offered to make soup and risotto for me when I can actually have soft, but more solid than liquid, foods. I’ll take what I can get, so if anyone else is a blending/soup/soft foods genius, apply!

Another thing that freaks me out is anesthesia. The whole idea of it freaks me out. You’re not really asleep, but you are basically unconscious and unaware for the duration of the surgery. They do everything in a period of time that does not even exist for you. SO WEIRD. You’ll count down with the anesthesiologist and black out. When you come to, your face is numb, and you’re drooling everywhere. SO WEIRD.

There are some people who videotape their recovery, and while I don’t know if I’m brave enough to POST that stuff online, I might just take photos/videos for my own record. I won’t have much else to write about anyway since all I’ll be doing is consuming as much as I can.

From Free Will Astrology : I’m always befuddled by astrologers who preach the gospel of doom and gloom when they talk about the influence of Saturn. My experience is that the ringed planet provides the greatest gift imaginable: motivation to become the person you were born to be. It steers you away from pursuing goals that aren’t in alignment with your soul’s code. It pressures you to give up vain fantasies that even if fulfilled wouldn’t make you happy. That’s why I’m happy to report to you the following good news: As Saturn travels through your sign for much of the time between now and October 2012, I expect that you will be prompted and prodded to cut away the irrelevancies that distract you from claiming your birthright.

That’s right.

I’m on my way to becoming the person I was born to be.

Inspired by a friend’s 2009 recap post, I looked at my calendar and previous blog posts to jog the memory. I was going to include photos to spruce the entry up a bit, but nah, you’ll just have to read through all this blah-blah-blah to find out the news I’ve been withholding… Please ignore the fact that I switch from present to past to present and back again…

January
We rang in the new year with a party at RV’s and then a party at our friend Matt’s place. It was the start of another “busy season” at work, and I would be racking up the hours. Keane and I decide to get a family plan together, so we purchase our iPhones. I also decide to refurnish my room with a loft bed, so that I’d have more space. Months later, it just gave me more room to expand my mess. :p I also flew a kite for the first time after many attempts in the month.

February
Even though it was the shortest month, it was filled with a lot of activities. I attended three Yelp-sponsored events: Burn the Floor, Tru Spa, Project One. RV and I celebrated Valentine’s at the Top of the Mark, and I was inspired by the wetness outside to purchase rain boots. I didn’t receive them until the following month, but I have no idea where they are NOW. My room is a black hole.

March
Sunny days began, so I took advantage of weekends when I could. It was still “busy season” at work, and while it was busy now, we knew it wouldn’t last. I started talking to recruiters in March to explore possible opportunities for someone with my experience. I didn’t seriously start my search though until April after the lay-off.

April
Mid-April seems to be the turning point of 2009 for me. I was laid off from a job that I had gone into right out of school. For four years and nine months, that was really all I knew. So I continue talking to recruiters and started looking online for both jobs and a new apartment for RV. His lease would be up in June. We head down to LA for a weekend for an “alter ego” birthday party, as well as Korean taco truck chasing and the Death Museum.

May
RV signed a new apartment lease, and we began moving his stuff over. It’s much smaller, but the location is nicer, and he’s living alone. It’s more convenient for the two of us in that sense, and since it’s centrally located, we can hang out with friends more easily. During the month, I interview with various companies, and it’s a frustrating process. It seems that the companies look to hire someone with a little less or a little more experience than me, but never the right amount. When Keane mentions wanting to take a quick trip to Fort Bragg and Fort Ross [both places neither of us have visited], I jump on it. It turns into an amazing weekend.

June
Still unemployed. By this time, my severance has run out. To keep my head above water, I kept my calendar full. I planned RV’s surprise party, which thanks to friends, was a success. He was definitely scared – hah. I also put together a birthday party at a local wine bar. Later in the month, we took a weekend trip up to Fort Bragg where we went crabbing and fishing. This was sort of where his obsession with fishing started…

July
I helped plan a benefit for the SF Food Bank called Pig Eat Fest, and it is successful! Meanwhile, I’ve been going to my orthodontist and dentist regularly. My teeth are ready for scheduling surgery, but the hospital isn’t ready to schedule anything for me. Figuring out COBRA puts my head in knots, but I finally figure it out. RV and I decide to go to Burning Man this year, but we want to take RV’s dad’s RV. To do so, I join him on a road trip to Oregon in this RV, and it turns out to be a very frustrating week. RV’s father is not an easy man to coexist with. Somehow, I survive the week…

August
We began preparing for Burning Man. I also learned about the All You Can Jet in August, and because it’s a difficult offer to resist, I buy a pass. Of course, the month couldn’t end without a hitch, so I find out that my house in Portland has caught on fire. Luckily, the damages aren’t too bad, but still, I have to deal with an incompetent insurance agent and all that fun stuff.

September
Burning Man! It’s awesome and fun, and I want to go next year. Of course, right before the week, I’m called in for a last-minute interview. It went well, so I had follow-up interviews… All this went down while I’m getting ready for Burning Man, and as I head out for the first stretch of my All You Can Jet travel. I end up only going to one place because I’m offered a position with the company. It’s on a temp-to-perm contract. Meanwhile, my surgery was scheduled for early October, so I go to my surgery pre-op. I then find out that someone messed up, and my surgery has to be moved due to scheduling conflicts. Not happy.

October
Birthday month! I’m at the new job, getting used to it all. I attended a Kylie Minogue concert because a friend had extra tickets; we were in the very last row, which worked out because we ended up dancing the whole time anyway. As usual, I am frustrated with the oral surgeon’s office. I’m given a December date, which is fine, but they decide to try for a November surgery date, only to find out later that it won’t be possible either. So back to December! We spent Halloween resting up because I over partied the night before. Oops. It’s also in this month that a former coworker of mine asks for a place to stay. Since I live at home with my parents, I ask a friend from high school who agrees… Little did we know, getting her out would be an ordeal.

November
I spent Thanksgiving at RV’s mom’s. Fun parties all month long led up to it, including a Festizishow and a post-Thanksgiving meal with friends. CPA exam on the last day of the month, which I didn’t pass [Found out today - Ugh]. Plus, I started volunteering at the SPCA. The year has not been an easy one, but I am ever so thankful for all that I’ve got.

December
Unusually cold temperatures, so we’re all keeping warm. I’m a fan of the holiday parties with warm and tasty alcoholic beverages. I decide to ask for advice on the blog regarding the former coworker who won’t get her shit together and move out of my friend’s place. I passed the responses on to him, and I think she’s finally out of his place!

As for other news, I’m in the process of closing on a house that I bid on earlier in the month. There was little mention of it before because I didn’t want to jinx it. You heard it here first. I’m buying a house! There’s so much involved though – financial documents, insurance, appraisals, blah blah blah!

I also have surgery coming up in a week and a half. During the early Christmas party at RV’s mom’s place, she gifted me with a care package of Ensure and bendy straws. LOL.

Fingers are crossed that this will ALL go down smoothly. It looks like I’m going into 2010 head first. Or perhaps face first. Hopefully, I will have a new house AND a job that I can call permanent to go with it. This temporary status just isn’t enough!

Finally, my surgery date is set!

I wasn’t entirely sure until I finished up my pre-op appointment and got through the phone consultation on Wednesday. Prior to the phone consultation, I was constantly worrying about whether or not the hospital would call the right phone number. They had both my home and cell phone on file, but for some reason, they were calling the home number to confirm the appointment. I had an appointment at the clinic on the same day, so there was no way I’d get home in time for a phone call. For a few weeks, I followed up with the clinic and the folks in Prepare to make sure the right number was on file. Even after having the final surgery date set after the run-arounds in October and November, I wasn’t 100% sure. The scheduler kept changing, so I didn’t even know WHO to talk to when I called in. Ugh.

So imagine my relief when everything was set on Wednesday. Just so glad this part is over – the administrative part!

I have a few straggling appointments to tend to this week – orthodontist and dentist. A week and a half later, I’ll be rolling into surgery. After a little research online for what to expect post-op, I have a feeling that I won’t be sociable for at least the first week. I’ll look hideous with balloon lips and a lot of bruising. I’ll be drooling all over the place because I won’t be able to control my face below my eyes. My metabolism will reverse because my body will start eating away at itself since we probably weren’t made for a liquid diet.

So basically, I’ll be miserable.

I have another week of work, and then it’s mandatory vacation. Of course, since I’m still on contract, it won’t be a paid holiday. Oh well!

We don’t really do anything at our house like put up a tree or line the windows with holiday lights because we are too lazy to take it all down. The parents aren’t into gift exchanges, so we aren’t really either. To get into the spirit of things, I’ve been doing a lot of celebrating/gathering/decorating elsewhere.

Several nights ago, RV and I went over to his mother’s place to put up decorations and trim the tree. She’s having an early Christmas party because she’ll be out of town on the actual day. RV will be at his dad’s, so I’ll take every opportunity to get a peek at any presents he’s giving me. We’ll be opening gifts on Sunday!

Last night, a bunch of us gathered at Keane‘s [the place I helped to decorate last week] place to wrap presents and gift each other with “not useful to ourselves, but useful to others” presents. Most of us are not of the gift-giving variety [except to maybe significant others and siblings], so it was our little way of gathering and stacking a ton of presents under the tree regardless of whether the presents were for ourselves or just regifting of old items. Add some small bites, cider+rum, some good wine, and a movie or two, and you’ve got a fantastic night with friends and gift wrap!

I also got to open up one of my gifts [apparently there are a few more!], which is the namesake of this entry. RV got me purple pens. What is the significance of purple pens?

I’m a fan of surprises, but I am not the most patient person, so if you tell me you are giving me something, I will do all that I can to squeeze that information out of you. A month or so ago, the sister bought a present for me. I kept asking her over and over about the present, and she finally gave in and told me that she had bought purple pens. That was her default answer, even though the present was not actually a purple pen.

So purple pens last night – hilarious. And it appears that I’ll never be able to get RV or the sister to open up their lips when it comes to presents! *shake fist*

I was on one of my anti-social trends this week, and I used RV being out of town and me wanting to save money as an excuse. Last night, with a little bit of prodding, I was out and about with a dear friend [Hi Keane!], doing what we do best – crashing ["networking at"] tech parties! He’s in the social media industry AND was invited, so not technically crashing.

It was not too far away [ideal because the weather in SF has not been friendly lately] and a lot of fun. We caught up with a few people I hadn’t seen in awhile. At the end of the night, we threw up his Christmas decorations under the influence of drinks and amusement.

Good times.

Last weekend, we drove down to Carmel Valley to see Melanie and her choir, The Choral Project, sing. We followed the lovely performance with an equally awesome dinner with friends at Passionfish. Of course, some time during that weekend, I volunteered at the SPCA. A few of the dogs that’d been there for awhile have been adopted, which is awesome. I’m skipping out this weekend because I’ll be in LA.

Tonight, I’m hopping on a plane to join RV there. We’re staying with Jen and Alex in their new-to-us apartment that they were in the process of moving into the last time we were down there. Not sure what the plans are for this trip (other than a fabulous wine and cheese party at Amanda’s), but it’s always fun to head out of the city and see some friends down south. We might stop by Pasadena since I’ve always found it a lovely place. It’s sure to be decked out in holiday spirit.

(Parts of this entry were updated using the WordPress app for the iPhone, and some were updated while on Virgin’s free wifi, courtesy of Google – just sayin’!)