Ranting...

Frustrated does not even begin to describe how I feel about the apple store. Those people just have problems. Today marks the 3rd time i have been in there this week, oh and did I mention I HAVE TO GO IN AGAIN! Seriously people? Why are you so dumb as to put the wrong name on the receipt when I specifically told you to put a different name down? I can not even stand the place right now. It also doesn't help that I am on crutches and have to hobble down to your store and then have to wait for half an hour to get any one to help me when I had called in ahead of time. I get that you're all fancy and cool with your iPhone but I hate your service.

I am never going to buy a Mac that's for sure, I am confidently happy now with my PC.

If I ever have to go in for help at the apple store, ever again I'm pretty sure I would scream.



But other than that, I am back in business. You see I accidentally dropped my old iPad, completely shattering the screen, not a good time. Luckily it is getting covered by the insurance from the credit card company(IF THE RIGHT NAME GETS PUT ON IT), so I had to go get a new one. Which ensued the multiple trips to the Apple Store. The first time I went up there I called and they said "oh yeah, come on up and we'll take care of it". So I get there and then they inform me that I would have to make an appointment and there wouldn't be one until 4 hours later, and I was not getting stuck in SLO on a farmers night on crutches... So I had to come back a few days later, with an appointment. They get everything checked out, erase everything from my old iPad and then realize that they are out of stock so I have to come back when the order gets in. Seriously?! So they call me and say that it is here, I come to pay and pick it up and I have to wait for half an hour for them to help me and they put the wrong name on the receipt forcing me to go back again because they can't seem to do it over the phone. All while getting exhausted on crutches.

Overall, I hate the Apple Store.

I love my iPad, but I hate The Apple Store.


Okay that's it for my rant.

Sorry no pictures for today, I'll get back on it tomorrow.

Luckily it is fantastic weather here on the central coast, I can't believe that it is like this in January. I am loving the 70 degrees of stunning weather. It's great, except for the fact that I can't even go for a walk, which really sucks. Hopefully it's less than 2 months left of these wretched crutches and broken leg.

Hope you all have a lovely day

Much Love

Xxx

Sarah

Just a Brief Update....

Okay yes, it's true, I have been avoiding blogging all week. But in all honesty, it was not my week and what's the need for reliving a bad thing. So I didn't blog. Sorry.

But I am blogging now. Horray! and I can't say that I have had much of an interesting Friday evening, although the House marathons every Friday night, kind of make my week. There's just something about the overly sarcastic doctor and his team saving lives that makes your week. Yes I know I am a nerd, I am sitting at home watching House on my Friday night, but hey, I got a broken leg here, there's not much I can do.
Hopefully I can give you a full update and some philosophical thoughts later on this weekend.
Wishing you all a beautiful and safe rainy weekend. Hope you stay dry!
Much Love
Xxx

Sarah

Live From the Central Coast...

Sorry it's been a few days, this has been the most exhausting frustrating, emotional week. I am so glad we have a 3 day weekend (Thank You Martin Luther King Jr.!) I really needed some rest and relaxation. Which is why I spent all of yesterday putting up my leg, drinking coffee and watching The Vampire Diaries on Netflix. It was an extremely relaxing and much needed day. My leg has been doing so much better these past few days, seriously doctors are amazing in how they fix the body. And it has been so nice waking up to such beautiful, clear weather. Sometimes I think it's nicer here in the winter than in the summer.
But oh, how I adore living on the central coast. It is honestly the most beautiful place on earth and I am continually amazed at the precious beauty we have here. Right now I am sitting outside looking at the view from the balcony on my house, listening to the dove in the tree across the street and wondering, how lucky am I to be brought up in this place with such fantastic weather, incredible people and awesome atmosphere. I mean there is not many places in the world you can sit outside with just a sweater on in the beginning of Januaryandnotbe old. It's just incredible Gods beauty everywhere around you.
When I was younger I would gripe and complain about living in such a small town with nothing to do, and sure that might be true in some cases but now as I'm getting ready to leave this place in a few months I realize how fortunate I have been. This is where I was ment to grow up. Today I went out to a deli for lunch with a friend and know about half the people in the place, and then when at the coffees shop, knew every girl that worked there. That's something special. The small community here is fascinating. With every place you go you will find someone you know. You'll run into your grandparents running errands, see you best friend when out at dinner, a neighbor at the gym or at the beach, there are familiar faces everywhere and it just adds to the beauty of our surroundings. I couldn't imagine growing up in a better, safer environment.
This next year is going to be tough moving away, growing up, graduating high school, making my own life decisions. Just thinking about it makes me a little fearful. I can't wait to embark on these new journeys, experiences, friends, this new season of "The Sarah Johnston Show" as I like to call it; but it's days like this that's will miss. The days you just go for a quick drive along the coast because it's beautiful outside, the days you have a spur of the moment lunch date in the small cafe with your great friend. But God has been so good to me the past few months and it makes me excited to see where else I will be taken.
I can't wait for this exciting and scary time coming up, and I can't wait to make new memories and share it with you all. whether that be on the beautiful central coast or not.
Hope you guys havea fantastic 3 day weekend. Take advantage of that extra time of sleep!
Much love.
Xxx
Sarah

Handicapped

Well according to the state of California I am a handicapped citizen. Pluses: free parking, being able to park close to places, having the ability to get late to school and still have parking, getting help at the gas station; some pretty good perks. Downside: another month and a half of crutches, a broken leg, painful mandatory stretching out of my ankle. But as Safetysuit's(my favorite band of the moment, go check them out. Awesome and motivating lyrics, great music, what's not to love) new song "these times will try hard to define me but I will hold my head up high... These times are hard but they will pass and I know there's a reason, I just keep hoping it won't be long 'till I see it and maybe if we throw up our hands and believe it. I'm telling you these times are hard but they will pass." Yeah, Safetysuit rocks. Their lyrics are targeted towards those hurting in the current times, those falling with the economy, those pained by loss and plagued by the pressures and tortures of a society geared towards perfection and wealth, crushing anyone who can't achieve it or breaks the "rules". If The Fray and Augustanna had a music child, they would be it. Overall their album and my new handicapped status were the highlights of my day, so seriously go get the album. I love finding those on the rise bands, the ones that are so positive, have incredible potential and the ability to make it big.
Your probably wondering "why does she keep going on about this weird band and all this existential stuff?" "How come she's going on about some weird band?" Well it's really not about that at all. The past few days I have been the most pessimistic person in the entire world, hating my situation and wondering why. But when listening to these simple lyrics, I realize it is for a reason. It's just a simple reminder of the simple things I need to cherish, like walking, running, family, friends, those simple things. And let's face it, I'm going to have another day when it's just too much for me and I get frustrated and can't handle it but I'm going to remind myself that I need to appreciate what I do have.
So this is what I take away.
Wishing you all a fantastic rest of the week.
Much love.
Xxx
Sarah

Back into the swing of things

So its been a few days since I've updated you all. Well I'm back in school and the first day I hated it. No seriously, it was the worst. I was so tired from struggling to get around and frustrated to have to tell the same story every five seconds, I was done by the end of the day. But it's getting better , I'm making my way around and getting use to everything. I think it might take me a few more days before I dread going, but I'm going to take it a Dayana time.
Other than that, the doctor went well. All the stitches are out. The funny prt is that the doctor accidentally missed one, so being the do it yourself kind of resin, I took it out myself. It was a good time. Not really but it's a great story to tell. I wish I had something fun to tell you other than the exhaustions of a new semester and hobbling around on a broken leg, but that is it for now. It is kind of nice getting back into a routine with something to do other than sit on my couch watching house marathons(but when I'm in class I would rather be watching a house marathon). So I'm getting back into my routine, hoping things will continue to go smoothly for the rest of the week.
Hoping you all have a fantastic week.
Much love.
Xxx
Sarah

Oh The People You Meet...

Dr. Seuss had it right, there are some interesting people out there and the further you get out of your comfort zone the more interesting people you will find.
More and more I am beginning to appreciate the people around me. Sure I get frustrated with having to constantly be helped 24/7 and I get annoyed when people think I need to be babied because I have a broken leg(I know you think you need to help me buckle my seatbelt, but no thank you, I am perfectly capable of buckling my own seatbelt.), but quite honestly I really do appreciate the help even though I hate having it at the same time(at least I can get in and out of the shower by myself now).
Today when at a coffee shop with my best friend, we were sitting there chatting when an older man in a wheelchair came up and asked if he could sit with us.of we course we obliged not, not wanting to be rude, but really we were a little confused at his gesture. We found out his name was Jude, he had had 2 strokes putting him in his current condition, has been divorced, remarried to his first cousins ex wife, has two children, one a baker and one a banker, was a post man since he was 17 and dropped out of high school, and his nick name is JJ, standing for Jabber Jaw. Now this man was a little bit off his rocker, which is not surprising when you have had 2 strokes, he didn't mean any harm and we wanted to be polite and assumed he was just lonely and didn't want to eat his dinner by himself, so really what harm is it for us to be kind and talk to him, but it still was a bit creepy, I don't think I'll be adding him as a friend on Facebook any time soon(although he says he has over 2000 friends from all different countries that are all catholic). But he has had a pretty interesting life, thats not meaning I wish I could live my life that way, but it was nice to hear someone in that situation so happy and joyful. Jude was always saying he was blessed, not wanting any pity but open to talking about how he ended up the way he did. Sure Jude was a bit crazy and the guy sitting in the corner of the coffee shop was laughing so hard at our situation, but I liked talking to Jude. He is a prime example of don't judge a book by its cover and I admire his joyful and well meaning heart.
Now don't worry everyone I will not start going up to strangers and talking to them(my mom taught me well not to), but this just teaches me that all people have a story to tell if you let them and people are never exactly the way they seem. It brought so much joy to Jude just to talk to people for a little while and for us to listen and treat him kindly, and if that's all it takes to make someone's day then I am personally glad to do that. I think I can take this lesson and use it towards the people that are already around me, listen more, speak less and really show love and compassion towards them, something thats lacking in my everyday life and I am assuming the lives of tons of people out there. We go through each day so quickly, never wanting to waste time, when there are people all around us feeling lonely. And living on a planet with 7 billion people on it I don't think anyone should feel lonely, we just need to take our time to smile at one person and that could make their day. It's so simple, yet so overlooked.
My new motto is "Show love to them". It's a good thing to live by, not only will it bring others joy, but I find joy in this too.
So until we meet again,
Much love
Xxx
Sarah

All the Pieces

Have you ever thought of your life as a jigsaw puzzle? Really, thing about it. Only a jigsaw puzzle where we don't have the box to look on, only God has that bigger picture in mind for us. We just have all the pieces. We start by making the outside, it's our essentials, what we're given to us when we're born, our bodies, our parents, our families. Sometimes you'll get lucky and have a few pieces already stuck to each other that make thing a little easier in life. But you just build from there, the picture becoming less of a cloud and more defined as you go. Some of the pieces are turned over, they're those things you know are there but don't want to look at, although you know you're going to need to at some point if you ever want to finish your puzzle. Then there are the pieces that fall on the ground. Some you don't even notice you lost, some that are just to far reach for and you have to get up and chase them down. Then there are the pieces that fall and another person finds it and adds it to your puzzle, making them part of the plan, part of your life. There are the pieces that somehow wind up under the couch,only to be found later, when spring cleaning comes around. You have some pieces in the wrong spot, unnoticeable until someone points it out or you yourself finally notice the small mixup. You might even get a piece to another puzzle mixed up in there and then have to find who that piece belongs to. And in the worst situations pieces are lost, creating a hole, but also leaving a space to be remembered by. There are all the emotions that come with finishing it, excited when a piece fits and the frustration when it becomes difficult. And then there are the memories, from every small piece comes a memory of how it got there, who helped you along the way.Memories that are inscribed throughout every piece, just as we cling to our memories. Without the bigger picture we don't know how to put the pieces together, we can try, but it takes so much of a greater effort. But with God on our side to help us, it all makes sense, the pieces match up, the puzzle can be finished. It's an amazing thing.
I'm going to try to keep this mindset more this year. To know that I, by myself, can't see the bigger picture, I only have pieces. And I have to take all those pieces to God and he'll show me the way. It's amazing when you think about it. I could even be a thousand or a million piece puzzle. And maybe I even have dolphins or maybe a unicorn on me, I can't tell from the small amount I have put together now, but I can't wait until I get more pieces put together.
It's funny how the simplest of activities can bring on thoughts of such meaning and relation to the real world. Maybe spending my time making puzzles and relaxing has done me a lot of good. I can't wait to share with you the pieces that I find this year.
Hope you all have a fantastic friday and a great weekend ahead. I know I'll be spending my day running errands and lunching with my grandma and maybe finding some time to read or listen to some music. I want to challenge you guys to take some time and relax this weekend, see what you find, you never know, you could just stumble upon a crucial piece to your own puzzle.
Much Love
Xxx
Sarah

Get err done....

Today was a get err done kind of day. Filling out Dr. paperwork, making some puzzles (thanks Tamara :)), getting some school work done. Overall relaxing and successful.
It's funny how I hated having to be at home doing nothing at first, but it has become quite enjoyable. But school is coming soon, just looming there. Not looking foreword to it, at all. I'm going to take advantage of these last 3 days of break.
So I hope you all had a fantastic day and have a relaxing last few days of break.
Much love.
Xxx
Sarah

Survival Tips

A week and a half into this and I think it is safe to say I have gotten use to being a gimp. I have worked out the tricks to make life a bit easier. So I'm going to state this post as my "Survival guide for those whose walking abilities are altered". Yeah, it's a long name, but I figure you all appreciate my descriptions. So here it goes.

1. Obtain crutches. This is for the obvious reasons that your leg is not to be walked on.
2. Make your crutches more comfortable. I did this by using a small piece of foam, some prewrap and a small piece or fabric adjusted to cover the top of the crutches. I'm working on more decorations to come (maybe some zebra print duct tape??)
3. Have a refillable water bottle. Those aim meds do not suit digestive systems well so you gotta stay hydrated.
4. Use a backpack. Well for the implications of #1 you have no hands so this will be your new savior.
5. Fuzzy socks. Since shoes are questionable on fitting (I'm also not walking on that leg so there is not much need for the shoe), fuzzy socks will be your best friend. Not only do they keep you toes nice and cozy, they're also fun (I was going to say stylish too, but that's questionable).
6. Get a Spinny Chair. Spinny chairs are magic. Most know for its cameos in office buildings or "The Office", the Spinny chair is a fantastic method to get around. Just use your good foot and crutches to push off, kinda like a row boat and viola, instant gratification.. And don't tell me you did not use the Spinny chair as a pirate ship when you were a child. They're pretty much the greatest things ever invented. Period.
7. Use a watch. This is so much easier than having to pull our your cell phone to check the time.
8. Set an alarm to take your meds. I absolutely hate taking medicine, and I forget to take it at the right time, an alarm is key. Also you can set the alarm to your favorite song, what's better than that?
And those are my 8 tips of survival. There may be more to come later, we'll see how it pans out, and hopefully I can get on decorating those crutches some more.
For now I am sitting outside listening to some good music with my awesome sister, it is such a beautiful day here on the central coast. It's like summer in January! Today I was also able to wear jeans for the first time now that the swelling has gone down so much, yayy!! Wishing you all a happy Wednesday, half way through the week!
Much Love.
Xxx Sarah

Just Another Day

Well I guess it was just another day. Sorry this post is so late, I was having writers block throughout the day, which can also be interpreted that i got distracted by being lazy all day long and didn't feel like writing until now. So hopefully I will have something more interesting to share tomorrow(which I will force myself to write at a much earlier hour and spend adequate time on, I promise). But for now I just wanted to say hello and wish you all a great day. I'll give an update on my leg for now, almost all swelling has gone down tremendously, along with the pain. Which I am very happy about. This can only mean good signs. The only thing is those darn crutches, I think I'm going to have to do something to those to make them more comfortable. It can be my project of the day tomorrow.
I also can not wait to be able to get out more tomorrow and help celebrate a friends birthday dinner. It will be great to have some fresh air, since I am beginning to go a little crazy in my house all day long. But soon it will be back to school, and I would much rather be at home than there. But it is what it is (that's my new motto by the way).
Hope you all had a fantastic day.
Much love
Xxx Sarah

Some Needed Rest and Relaxation

I have not gotten out of my pajamas yet today. And if you know me, you would realize this is a major feat for me since I get dressed every single day. This is a first for me, but it's a very good thing. So I have spent my morning trading off watching the Pretty Little Liars Marathon and the Rachel Zoe Project Marathon. They're my guilty pleasures. And I'm not going to lie, the highlight of my day is going to be the winter premiere of Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Games, I know it's a very exciting life I'm living.
So I have spent my days watching TV, being glued to my iPad, getting some pet therapy from my cats and Bandit, and munching on random snack around my house. My doctor told me my bones are we and recommended to eat a lot more meat and less carbohydrates, so that means a diet change for this pasta eater, which is getting harder as the week goes on, but I'm hoping that I'll get use to it and it will get easier. But this will do me good, I guess I can call it a forces New Years Resolution(I'm also commuting to not drinking soda or lemonade or anything that comes out of fountain drink machines for the whole year). I'll keep you all updated.
But I am so blessed to have wonderful friends and people in my life who take the time out of their days to come hang out with the gimp I am as of now. I can't thank those people enough and am overwhelmed by the extreme kindness I have received. I keep saying this but it still amazes me daily the love that I have seen. Gods love has been sent to me this way. I can see who my true friends are and the people who truly care about me. Even through this hard situation good has come out of it. And it causes me to think and reexamine myself. I have been thinking that as a Christian I need to live my life that way to make it recognizable, not just as something that I do, but what I am. This encourages me, I don't know where this will bring me just yet, but I will wait and see where it takes me.
Overall this downtime and rest is doing me good. Instead of being constantly busy, going from one place to the next with no time to relax, no time to just breathe and think, I now can focus on all the things I have been putting off and focus on myself. So I'm going to make that my other New Years Resolution, to love others the way I have seen love, but also to spend time reshaping myself and being okay with that.
God Bless and Much Love
Xxx Sarah