So today is a two for one! Unfortunately, YouTube would not allow me to upload the full legnth of video I wished to create, so I had to do two different vids. I also haven't figured out editing yet. Sorry I've been a busy girl! Despite my jaw issues, I explain in the first vlog why I am choosing to do videos rather than the much easier typing. I also apologize for my appearance... I've started tanning again and I was too sore from a long day to bother with redoing my make-up after I melted it off.

It's been a long while and updates are at hand. I haven't felt very up to posting for a while, mostly because I was busy fighting to get my surgery scheduled and then busy healing from said surgery. My long-awaited procedure finally ocurred on February 7th. Yes, it hurt like a bitch.

Of course I was zonked out the for the operation itself. (The surgery took almost six hours.) I woke up looking like I'd been in a car accident, and my mother remarked that she truly 'gets' how people get mixed up with one another after a traumatic event. I was bruised to hell and back and a lot of the pain was reduced with morphine, but note I said reduced. I was kept in the hospital for a total of four days... rather than just the two I expected. My mouth was completely wired shut (not rubber banded), and I could not speak at all. At my first follow-up, the splint was removed from my mouth and I was was released from the wires and placed in a rubber band mouth cage. (This allowed me to make mumbly speech.)

I'm now in just two rubber bands which allows my mouth to actually open and close. I've been chowing the best I can on mushy foods. (Oh yeah, I dropped from 126 to 114 while on the liquid diet... I'm currently very hungry.) I've been trying to make a point of using my mouth so the jaw muscles will become less stiff and thereby allow me to put more in my mouth at time. My swelling has not completely subsided and I feel like people are staring at my chipmunk face at times.

I'd really like the swelling to go down further so I can get an idea of how I'll look for the rest of my life. I mean this is it. This is going to be my face, but I still don't know what I look like. I just have to stay patient I suppose!

As many of my loyal followers may realize, I was supposed to have my jaw surgery on Tuesday. Clearly I did not since I am lucidly publishing a post (hopefully) with no errors! Over the last year I've been patiently awaiting and planning this with the month of December being my goal and thank goodness I was not planning to return to grad school next semester. (Originally, I was planning to be returning to school in 2012...) As time grew closer, the anticipation has only been building with mixed feels of excitement and nervousness.

Now, I have no clue when the surgery will actually occur, but it is most likely after the holidays and will mean me missing an entire pay period (plus) for prep and recovery. If it had occurred during the holiday season, I had my holiday bonus plus a week of paid vacation time to use for my recovery. Now, I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do to compensate for the missed time from work. I've already missed egregious amounts of time this year in preparation. It also means an extended leave from my second job tutoring. I'm honestly stuck in a pickle, and I'm not sure my surgery will be an option for me after everything I've done.

It sucks. I've talked myself up for a year telling myself how everything will finally be resolved in December of 2011. Now, I'm probably going to have to cope with the possibility that the facial structure I have is the one I will have for the rest of my life. I'm sure this sounds fairly simplistic to most, but it really is not.

It's an easy thing to be confident in the less tangible things such as our intelligence or personality. Intelligence can be confirmed by tests and personality is highly subjective. If someone doesn't like your personality, it's easy to say screw 'em. It's also much simpler to change if you decide you don't like yourself. (Simple in the fact that it is in your hands to change rather than someone else's. I don't intend to belittle the intensive self-work it takes to change yourself.) Your looks? Sure, you can work out, eat right, but what you've got is what you've got.

What I've got is called a malocclusion (underbite). And sure, I'm a cute enough girl. I'm probably luckier than a lot of people in the looks department. Deep, deep, deep down inside I kind of know that, but only on a logical level based on the empirical evidence gathered over the years from peer response. Self-image is a shaky and fleeting thing. "How do others perceive me" is a harder question to answer than, "Who am I?" It's not something that can be figured out with self-reflection alone. Personally, I've always been somewhat puzzled by it.

I'm definitely happy that I no longer look in the mirror and see my struggling smile marred by crooked teeth. I'll always be happy with that, and if my surgery never comes to be, I'll eventually recontent myself with my current visage. However, I've spent a year preparing for a physically better version of me. I've been poked and prodded and the places where too much of my gums show in my smile pointed out. Careful notes have been taken of my non-ideal facial structure. Not to mention, chewing becomes more and more of a public humiliation as my bite remains uncorrected.

There are a ga-zillion medical reasons why I need jaw surgery, but the reason that resonates with me the most is the mental calm that will come with knowing my face is the best it can be short of a total reconstruction. (It's me and  my looks, simply adjusted!) There's piece of mind that will come with a clear idea of how I'm physically perceived. I also just want to have it over with. I'd really like the steel mill removed from my mouth.

All I can do right now though is wait. And wait some more. And struggle with the most efficient workers in New Orleans to get my surgery rescheduled.

After thinking on how I've abandoned my blog so ruthlessly--only giving you delicious updates on an almost bimonthly status--I realized it was time for change. And so, I have decided to do yet another major refurbish of The Daily Cabbage.

I mentioned a potential name change in an earlier post, which will be the last of changes to occur should it come into fruition. Don't worry, it will still be Cabbage-y. The largest of changes I was thinking of implementing is the layout. After working very tirelessly to tweak the theme you all know and love, it's time to not only aim for something more sleek, but dynamic as well.

I honestly feel a more dynamic and personalized blog would be what brings The Daily Cabbage to the next level. I'm hoping to include a weekly (or more) Vlog update as well as many, many more pictures. Hopefully some actually taken by me.

But the thing I want to achieve the most with all these changes is interaction. It's the one thing The Cabbage sorely lacks. I know y'all are reading it. I see the stats! But very few of you are leaving me comments, telling me what you think, posting on my Facebook page... I really do want to know what you think. I welcome suggestions, stories, ideas. Seriously. I'm not as rabid as I pretend to be.

Coffee is LOVE <3

So I've made everyone wait, mostly because I've been low on fuel. You know, the brown gold, love in a cup, coffee. My reluctant months of working from home [frequently nude] finally came to end. Could you tell I hated it? Probably not, because I knew if I blogged too much during that time, my disdain for what I was doing would leak through loudly. The unfortunate side product of no longer working from home for the [insert expletives] I used to work for meant cutting back on costs which included my caffeine addiction. [insert more expletives]

I found ways to make my online presence free, essentially pay for itself and then some. Woot. At least I was able to continue supporting my internet addiction. And speaking of support, please don't hesitate to click that donate button, even if it's just to drop me a few cents. For real. You'll be buying me a cup of coffee to keep this blog going. No lie.

Honestly, things got tight for a few months and I had to take a part time job to avoid starving to death. [insert rant about the failings of government assistance] Finally, I'm back in office work at least temporarily and though it has served to remind me how jipped I've been at my last two jobs, I've been enjoying my time in air conditioning, wearing business casual, and not having a ceiling leak on me as I attempt to work. (Nor have I been listening to the mindless nagging of the office hoe.) It's been a blessing and a relief, but it was a long time coming.

I've of course been interviewing like crazy in between working hard in the hot, hot sun, and there have certainly been some duds. One I think was just to help someone get a bonus if I got hired, which I surprisingly didn't... however, I think it could be because they could tell I wasn't terribly impressed by the job or the pay. Not to mention I had a terrible time finding a cup of coffee on the way there. Seriously, a stretch of Covington with no coffee shop? No cosy chairs and constant sounds of grinding and brewing? Well crap. I don't know how I could handle a lunch break without the loudly quiet café to escape to. Just saying.

Of course after is when I found the hidden cafe by accident next to the Smoothie King I resigned myself to stopping at. Considering what I saw going in and out looked like they were straight from Jersey Shore (or Chalmette) I'm not sure I'm worried about missing out on that café. And anyway, I discovered the Green Tea Tango with Strawberries and it is delicious. Just like I'm pretty glad I missed out on driving 20-30 minutes to a low paying job in a crowded building.

I always have great ideas about what I'm going to post next while I'm driving and forget those ideas once the car comes to a stop. Seems to be how it works, and go figure that it is difficult to jot down said ideas while driving. Such is life!

I've been trying to concentrate on writing my last paper for this semester, but as usual my mind is clogged with a million other things. Switching to part time work had alleviated much of these distractions, but it seems new ones clamored in to take the place of the old ones. Right now, I'm slightly disappointed that I have not heard back from a job (part time) that I was really interested in and would have solved a lot of my financial problems. I'm also disappointed by my last encounter with the opposite sex. Yes, I have actually begun dating again (thus new distractions).

Though my last try at making a human connection with a male of my species seems to have flopped, I suppose I can't complain. I'm suddenly more interested in being me again. I'm suddenly more interested in leaving behind my virtual world and re-entering the real one. Nothing is as bad as it seemed. No regrets are to be had other than it never went further than a few dates.

I seriously have very little in the way of snark to share about it! I mean sure, I could definitely come up with a few things. (Like arrogance!) But honestly, what I gained from a drop of male attention was enough to send me flying back into dating and socializing and to remind me how much I enjoy doing those things.

My current part time job has done plenty to help me start getting back into shape, and I actually went for a run a few days ago. It was hell, but I'll keep at it until I make it. Despite the misery my last job left me in, it really seems that how things are now are coming together for the best and leading me in a much better and much more determined direction. I hadn't even realized how miserable I had become until I wasn't anymore. I feel healthier, I look healthier, I actually have a libido again.

Now to get past my writer's block, finish my final paper, and figure out what I'm going to do if the job I want doesn't call me back. I'm sure I'll figure something out.

Recently I decided that enough is enough. It's not that I think I'm ugly or unattractive, it's simply that I believe I have room for improvement--room to blossom back into my former glory of a perfect 10. So I've decided to make a few small repairs.

I've recently been hitting Snap Fitness pretty hard and with a fury. I've determined it's time to eliminate that extra bicycle tire and snap that landing gear back into flawless shape. I want to tone my body back to the place it was just a couple of years ago--the kind of body a man doesn't leave without a lot of regrets...

The furious work out sessions have also helped temper my frustrations and annoyance with my last failed attempts at romance. Why? Because the best vengeance is living well. As a result of this, I will be walking away with an improved physique and more suitors than I can shake a stick at and what will they have? Not me and nothing that compares. Hey, it's true. I really am just that great.

But wait a minute, that's not all. I have a dental hygiene visit coming up at which, I will look into my options to have my root canal darkened tooth redyed. Recently, I've begun to notice it shows up in pictures... meaning it has become far too obvious. I'm tired of looking in a mirror and seeing such a small thing ruin an otherwise gorgeous smile. It's time for my smile to shine the way it should. It may even sparkle and glitter with the addition of braces!

My final act of self-improvement entails my very first facial. Oh yeah. That's the icing on the cake! Okay, so that's more of a treat for working so hard at making myself a better me, but all the same I can imagine it will help further my goal.

So, yeah, guys--get in on this now or take a number and get in line! A perfect 10 is on the rise!!!

I have yet to upload pictures from my weekend trip, but I feel I can not cheat my audience of their eagerly anticipated update any longer. (Yes, I am aware I am kidding myself there!)

In a nutshell, my weekend turned out to be everything I expected and everything I never expected. Most of the people stepped out of their respective cryogenic freezes long enough for me to bump into them. If they weren't wearing the same thing as before, it was definitely something very similar. The few who's style had changed, were still the same on the inside, so all was well. The river was still precisely where I left it. However, to a degree the town felt closed to me.

Life was still going on for all of those around me and I was just stepping in and watching a bit of it. The room I sprung for the WiFi on was great, but as my luck would have it, the pool was closed and the cheaper hotel I normally stayed in had attained WiFi as well. Oh well!

What Columbus offered me this time in exchange for my time there were the following:

• Discovering new spots along the river walk
• Meeting new people
• Lessons that there are, in fact, bad people even in Columbus
• Hope

In honor of MUW's Homecoming, The Daily Cabbage will be calling itself The Columbus Cabbage for the weekend. This better not mess up my Google hits, bitches!!!

Okay, no BIG deal if it does. I'll win them back slowly and surely with a lot of SEO love. Go eat cabbage, Google!

Because The Cabbage is so important to me, I actually sprung for a hotel with the extra amenities--like WIFI! This is a first for me. Usually when I visit Columbus, it is more important to me to have a room within stumbling distance of the bars. See how much I love you?

Currently, I'm waiting for my first visit from an old C-town compatriot. After a couple more glasses of moscato, I'm going to try for a trip to the river (in broad daylight) with concealed wine beverages. Ah, yes. Already up to my old tricks again!

The only difference this time around is that I didn't recognize myself in the mirror. Well, I say this time around, but I actually encounter the same issue every time I visit. I don't recognize myself anymore. I don't look like a little girl--a teenager. I look more like a woman. (I'm definitely larger than I was...) It just feels strange. It always startles me. I stop and I say, "Who the fuck is that? I don't remember her name..."

There are others I knew when I was living here that haven't changed a bit. It's almost like they went into a cryogenic freeze when I left. Hell, I almost expect them to still be wearing the exact same outfit they were wearing last time I saw them. Then there are other things that have most definitely changed. Some of those things are for the better, others not so much.

I still mourn the loss of CJ's. I loved the pizza and I loved the drinks even more. It has been replaced by a new pilot bar, Fuhgetaboutit. Fuhgetaboutit is great, I love it too. It's just so much more crowded. CJ's must have had some sort of magic behind it. It was a MUCH smaller bar.

Perhaps that's because when I lived here, people distributed themselves more evenly. I spent most of my nights out in Columbus walking back and forth between bars. I just could never make up my mind where I wanted to settle for the evening because there was a good crowd at all of them!

The last few times I've been up, Zachary's has been almost empty and when there are souls within, they aren't usually the crowd I'm looking for.

It was rumored the party died when I went away. Perhaps it wasn't just a joke after all.

Stay tuned for more Columbus adventures this fine Homecoming weekend.

Well, I suppose I should begin by apologizing for being less than daily.  As you can see though, I have begun putting a more serious effort into my blog and have given a whole new look.  (It no longer looks like I just threw some crap together!)  If you look to the right of your screen, you will find that you can now follow me on Twitter (as well as read my latest updates), share a post with Facebook, and follow me via RSS.  I've also included links to some of my favorite sites as well as links to my LastFM profile and DeviantArt.  (Not to mention my About Me section has improved significantly, but still needs work.)

I nearly forgot I've added a Ping Box!!!  You can IM me right from this page.

Perhaps all of the work I have put into this will impel me to be more regular with posts.  I think my lack of regularity is becoming the theme of this blog...

I need to get regular in all aspects of life.  I have no rituals, no habits, nada.  I just do things as they seem like a good idea.  Sure this leads to some level of daily spontaneity, but that isn't necessarily always a good thing.

Dictionary.com defines spontaneity as "careless disregard for consequences."  That doesn't sound particularly positive to me.  Perhaps it is time to create some daily habits.

With some daily habits and good financing, I could afford the apartment I desire!

Anyway, until next time.