Well, I went to Atlantic City this past weekend with my cousins, had a great weekend and relaxed before my finals!! Now it's time to kick butt! :blushing: I'm down to 11 days I believe till my surgery, and I am super excited! :biggrin: We joked all weekend about how once I have this done, and get a job (hopefully) because of our comps from the casinos we get free rooms, and most of the time we get really good and cheap airline tickets or just drive to the place so that cuts down on cost of travel, so all that's left is entertainment (gambling) and food, and once I have my surgery it'll be REALLY cheap to go, because according to my cousin Sandy, I can just nibble off of her plate. lol :thumbup: Yeah, I have to say, I know this is the beginning of my life, this is it!

I have a dogwood blossom tat on the outside of my right ankle, a little above it actually, but it's the pink dogwoods. I got it in remembrance of my Mom who loved them, my religion because of the tale of how if Jesus were crucified on a tree it would have been a dogwood due to the now knarled trunk and the blossoms that go from white to pink that through his blood you can be cleansed. So yeah, I have the tattoo, and I love it, but I'm really thinking that I may extend it, like make it wrap down and across my foot and incorporate into one of the blossoms my rebirth (surgery) date, 12/19/08 and maybe a few little other things like my Dad's birthday or something, because he is very dear to me as well. I just feel so strongly about this being the turning point in my life, and I couldn't be more ready. I have support, I have the knowledge, the will, and soon the tool or means of doing it and I know that I can do this. If it takes a while ok, sure I'd like to be one of those who loses it quickly but I won't be discouraged if I'm not, I'm just going to do it and prove those who thought I couldn't, those who laughed or stared, the sabotaging lil devil inside my head, and anyone else who dares doubt me, I'm going to prove them wrong, I'm going to do this, I will be healthy, and I won't have to listen to my doctor nag me anymore. I refuse to walk into a casino again with my gorgeous cousin Sandy and have them hit on her and laugh at me, act as though I don't exist. I don't need them to hit on me, but don't scoff at me, don't laugh, don't tease, I'm human too. It's time to show the world who I am and what I can do...ya know?

I have one more lecture in my class, and then 3 exams, (a bit much for one class I think, but whatever I'll do it and be done). I go home on the 16th after my last exam, to do shopping and preparing, the 18th I cleanse, and the 19th is the day, this week and weekend are going to fly by, and I'm ready for it.

In other news, I really love to play blackjack and spanish 21...those are so much fun! :wink: