Grossness to the Max

I like gross stuff. As odd as that sounds, it's true. It helps since I work inside people's mouths all day. And let me tell you, there are some gross mouths out there.

I love to hear gross stories from friends who work in the health field. I have a pretty strong stomach, I don't really get queasy at the sight or sound of things. Sometimes I'm a little bothered by gross smells, but it has to be really bad. Today I encountered the really bad kind.

Sometimes, bad breath is an indicator of a problem much larger than just not brushing your teeth after eating Funyuns. Periodontal Disease (aka gum disease) is one cause of bad breath. If a person's bad breath is caused by gum disease, it is a very distinct smell. Unfortunately, I can smell that odor and know the problem without even looking in a person's mouth.

Today I had the pleasure of assisting a man with a huge amount of oral challenges, to put it nicely. I won't bore you with all the details, especially since you might not like gross stuff as much as I do, but essentially his mouth is in horrible shape because of extreme neglect and smoking.

I was recementing this man's permanent bridge over two implants with temporary cement. His bridge needed to be cleaned. Cleaning something like this bridge that is covered in plaque, calculus, and bacteria usually releases the smell. Blowing air in the patients mouth also gives you a good whiff. I had to do both of these things for this man.

I had to leave the room quite a few times just to get some fresh air. I literally gagged a couple of times. The rest of the morning I was ready to run to the bathroom at a moments notice, expecting to see my Kashi cereal for a second time today.

It was really that bad.

Ugh. I have to stop thinking about it, I'm getting nauseated again.

this is what we do with our free time

We used to be consumed with a ridiculous number of house construction projects. We've moved out of our house, so we have another whole list of non-construction things to do. But it's easy to procrastinate these things since we don't have a definite deadline yet.

Wondering how we spend our free time? Well, take family photos with our ibook, of course:

we have the best friends ever. period.

It's a wonderful thing to be loved. When I read Val's recent post, I wasn't halfway through the second paragraph before my vision was so blurred from a flood of tears, I couldn't read a word.

The process of raising support and preparing to move to Scotland has been a long one, and I'm very thankful for the length of it. If I had to move 20 months ago, intense emotional damage would've been done. I've had 20 months to prepare myself, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I've also had 20 months to get used to the idea of saying goodbye.

Val's right, there are certain events and triggers that bring on a rush of emotion and a vivid realization of our imminent departure for Scotland. The first one for me was the night we finished packing and left our home. I realized we had to leave our cat, our home, and begin the transition period were we don't really have a home. I had a 10 minute breakdown, and then pulled it together out of necessity to get things done.

Breakdown #2 came while reading Val's blog post. We have so many amazing friends here. It's hard to explain the joy that comes with having friends who love us for who we are, support us unconditionally, and are so much fun! It's comforting to know how easy it is to keep in touch; but nothing can replace being here, face to face. If I wasn't so sure that this is what God's calling us to do, I'd have some serious misgivings about leaving. True friendships, like the ones we have with Ross & Val, aren't hindered by time or distance. Actually, many times these friendships are strengthened by challenges like these.

I'm going to miss all of my friends and family more than I'll know how to express; I'll never stop thinking about you guy's and wishing I was here with you. Please know I always want to know what's going on in your lives, keep me updated!

I'm looking forward to coming back and picking up right where we left off. There's so much more of our lives to share...we're gonna have kids to raise together!

Great News!!!

I just spoke with a wonderful friend and learned some exciting news...she's pregnant! I won't tell you who she is, in case you know her and she hasn't told you yet; I mean it his her news and her body and her baby, so that pretty much means she has a right to tell you, not me. So when everyone who could know does know, I'll post some pictures of us from back in the day so you can have a taste of just how much fun we've had together. We go way back.

It's hard to explain the excitement I felt when she told me. I don't have kids myself, so I have no idea how it feels personally. And I have friends who have had babies, and know plenty of older women, and family members who have had babies, but this was different. My friends that have had babies thus far have all been surprises that they weren't necesarily hoping for. That in no way diminishes the beauty and wonder of pregnancy and babies and all that stuff, or their love for their children; it's just that the initial excitement is different when it's someone who's been trying and hoping for a child. And the bond I have with this friend is one that will last for our lifetime, and then some, so when something wonderful happens to her, I'm able to share in her joy at a much deeper level.

Congratulations _________ and ____________! I'm so excited to be an "aunt"!

The Continuing Saga of City Inspections

You may have read here and here about our adventures with the city in our attempts to have some electrical work done on out home inspected. Here's the latest update:

Tuesday (one day after the proposed inspection date) we did not hear anything from anyone about the inspection.

Wednesday, James was at the house all day, working on projects on the exterior. In the afternoon, he found a notice on the front door. It stated the time the inspector came by to inspect and that he found no one at home. The notice instructed us to call and make an appointment for the inspector to come by again. Funny thing is, JAMES WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIME! If the inspector, or any other city employee had given us a call and said, "Hey, you might be receiving a visit from the inspector today, you should keep an eye out for him," I would be writing much happier news.

So tomorrow, I will call the city, the nice lady will make an appointment for the following day, (even though they are running 3 days behind schedule) they will call a couple of times to say they're NOT coming, but then they'll show up unannounced, unbeknownst to us, leave a message for us to call them to reschedule, and the cycle will begin again.

God grant me the patience I most certainly do not have.

short drives to work rule

Living in our temporary housing is wonderful. It's a nice, big house, we can have our dog here, we still get to live by ourselves (some friends of ours preparing to move overseas choose to live with family or friends during the transition times). We really couldn't have planned it better than it was planned for us. And it's cool to know that our friend's whose home we're living in feel that we are helping them out by house sitting while they're traveling. A win-win situation!

So, you see, I have no reason to complain. I'm simply observing some differences. I knew that I loved living 12 minutes from work, and being able to bike there. But I didn't realize how many people must suffer everyday not knowing how wonderful it is to travel a short, traffic free distance to their place of work. My commute is now 30 minutes at best. There are at least 5 routes I can take, but none are direct, and they're all about the same time-wise.

I've talked to people who like the distance to decompress, get a moment of alone time before ariving at home to a whole nother set of responsibilities of family stuff. I guess I can see that perspective, but really, why spend such a large portion of your time in the car.

Just another reason why living and working in a city is such a great idea.

Waiting For a City Inspection Update

Today was the the third day from the day we made our appointment with the city to have our new electrical work inspected.

Guess what...no inspection.

We'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see if we get a call telling us the inspector won't make it that day either.

Maybe if they actually let us set an appointment that they could commit to being at, they wouldn't be so far behind. But that would make too much sense.

The City of Richmond: A Model of Inefficiency Yet Again

My husband and I had some electrical work done on our home in Churchill before we moved into our temporary housing, and our renters moved in. We acquired our permit, like good renovators, had the work done, and called for an inspection. I have to admit, the calling for the inspection bit wasn't the most enjoyable way to spend my lunch hour. I'll share this experience with you, in hopes that you will know what to expect shall you every find yourself in the same position.

I called the number of our inspector that is listed on our permit, Eugene. After leaving Eugene a message and not receiving a call back, 5 days later I called him again. His voicemail box was now full. I called again the next day. Still full. Silly me, why would I think it would be a good idea to call the inspector himself.

I then called the general number for the department of public works. After following the prompts, I reached a city employee. I was unaware that there is an automatic system to schedule an inspection, the employee is unable to help me. She transferred me to the system. Said system informed me that I needed a 3 digit code that is not on my permit which states the type of work done. I requested that the system transfer me to a real person. The same employee gave me the three digit code, told me there was nothing else she could do for me and then transferred me back to the automated system. After listening to the prompts and getting to the end, almost ready to set an appointment, the automatic man told me the system was disabled, and transferred me to the same employee. Now, she could help me, but only because she had to.

Employee: "When would you like to set up an appointment, the inspectors are running three days behind."
Me: "Well, I'd like to set it up for Friday, but does that mean they won't be there until Wednesday?"
E: "Yes it does. I can set it up for tomorrow for you, and they might make it by Monday."
M: "Alrighty, tomorrow it is."
E: "The inspector will call you in the morning if he's not able to make it that day."
M: "OK. So will he set up another appointment with us when he calls?"
E: "No."
M: "Well, should I call you and set up another appointment through you?"
E: "No."
M: "So I guess he'll just call us on the day he will be able to make it?"
E: "Nope, he sure won't."
M: "Well what if we're not there when he comes by?"
E: "He'll leave a note for you to call in and set another appointment."
M: "Wow. Really? I mean, I know this isn't your decision to make, but don't you think that's a pretty inefficient way for them to go about this process?"
E: "Yeah, I guess so."
(Had a chuckle with the employee.)
M: "Would you mind taking my husbands phone number and asking the inspector to call his number instead of mine, he's able to take phone calls during the day and I'm not."
E: "I'll write it down for you, but I can't promise that I'll be able to remember to do it."
M: "Well, I appreciate your honesty. What's your name? I'm sure I'll be talking to you again soon!"
E: "I'm Charlotte. Have a nice day."
M: "You too, thanks for your help!"

A city employee did call my husband the next day and told him he wouldn't be coming by. Tomorrow is Monday, I'll be waiting with abated breathe to see if the inspector makes it!

How can you say no to this adorable cat?

I've needed to write this post for a while, but have put it off because I hate the thought of being separated from my precious Naomi


As you may know, my husband James and I are preparing to move to Scotland for two years.
I've hoped and prayed that taking Naomi with us would work out, but alas, my dreams have been shattered. I've realized that flying her across the Atlantic might cause her irreparable mental health issues so now we are faced with the the dilemma of finding a new home for her. If we can't find the perfect match for Naomi, we will take her with us and hope she arrives with some of her sanity still intact. Take a look and fall in love:









If you're interested in learning more about Naomi, or know someone who might be, let me know!

Weekend Review

Friday
-Worked on many of the millions of projects going on at our house with my parents and James' parents from early in the morning until late at night.

Saturday
-Ditto of Friday

Sunday
-Rested

House Projects

With our move out date, July 13th we have a to-do-list that is half a mile long. When we bought our lovely home less than two years ago, we had a 5 year renovation schedule. Deciding to move to Scotland shortened our time line by 3 years. Below is a list of what we've done in the last week. The same amount of items have yet to be checked off the list.
It's a TON of work, but exciting to know that it's all part of getting us to Scotland.

If it weren't for our parents, 95% of these items wouldn't have been accomplished. Seriously. My parents live right outside of Richmond and are here helping all the time. My dad knows how to do EVERYTHING. Really, everything. The hours he's used his skills to beautify our home are easily in the hundreds. My mom comes to work also, but more importantly, always brings food. My husbands parents live in Indiana, but visit often and always do so much work when they're here. My mother-in-law has been here a week, my father-in-law since yesterday. They haven't stopped working since they've been here.

We'll soon be able to come out of hiding and be social again.


Drywall and Mud:
Foyer
Bathroom

Hung Trim:
Foyer
Bathroom

Hung New Doors:
Foyer Closet
Back Exterior Door

Hung New Ceiling Fan:
Kitchen

Primed and Painted:
Foyer-Walls, Ceiling, and Trim, Closet Door
Bathroom-Walls, Ceiling, Trim, Door
Kitchen Ceiling

Touch up paint:
Kitchen
Stairwell
Living Room

Removed existing floor in Foyer

New Floor:
Foyer
Ante-Room of Upstairs Bathroom

Hung New Chandelier in Foyer

Built Closet in Bathroom

Replaced Electrical Outlets:
3

Plus lots of other little projects I've already forgotten about

The Goodbye's Begin

While our projected date of departure for Scotland isn't until Septemberish, our renters will be moving in soon, which means we'll be leaving our home, our neighborhood, and our beloved Churchill. Below is a letter I wrote to our immediate neighbors, but the same sentiments go out to all of our Churchill neighbors. Thanks to all of you for making this a great place to live!

Dear Neighbor and Friend,

It’s with joy and sadness we write this farewell letter. After a year and a half of planning and preparation, we are getting very close to the time we will move to Scotland for 2 years. In case you don’t know the details, we’ve been raising funds to live and work in Dornoch, Scotland. We’ll be working for a church that is in a partnership with the church we attend here in the metro Richmond area. Mainly we’ll be assisting with the church’s service to the children, youth, and young adults of the town. We’re hoping for an early September departure date, but the exact date has not been set.

We’re very excited about this opportunity, but we are heartbroken to have to leave our home in Churchill. This is the first home we’ve bought, and we didn’t know what to expect of Churchill or of our immediate neighborhood. I can assure you, our expectations have been exceeded far beyond what we could ever imagine. You have all had a huge impact on our lives here. From the simple hello’s from across the street, to the quick catch-up conversation in passing during dog walks, to talking about the significant aspects of each others lives: being a part of your lives has been a huge blessing in ours.

When we first moved in, we were one of three occupied homes on our block. You can imagine our excitement when, in the first month, we saw a moving truck bringing us another neighbor. Now, after 2.5 years, there are only 3 vacant houses left, with two of those under renovation! I think that’s pretty significant. But the changes we’ve witnessed don’t end with the houses. We’ve seen a new litter of puppies, a couple of marriages, and 3 new babies (with one on the way!), all within a three-block area.

The sense of community here is amazing. I’ve bragged, countless times, about my “awesome neighbors,” and the way everyone looks out for one another. That was one of the first things that I noticed, and have not once been disappointed. We've learned how much better living in a community like this one is, compared to the suburbs. Now, after living here, and with neighbors like you, we know that the city is where our hearts are.

We will be back in a couple of years, and we can’t wait to see how much the neighborhood will have changed, as well as see all of you again! Please feel free to contact us and keep us updated on the happenings of Churchill, and our little corner of the neighborhood!
-James and Jennifer

The Weekend of Work

Friday:
-Worked until 12:00
-Treated to Lunch at Stuffy's by Mr. Boss Man
-Packed
-Packed
-Packed

Saturday:
-Bought Rainbow Donuts for the fabulous friends who helped us move
-Moved everything into a big truck
-Drove it to my parents house
-Unloaded almost all of our belongings into their new resting place for the next two years
-Made a second trip with the rest of the stuff
-Dinner at Akida for my Birthday celebration!

Sunday:
-Church at Stony Point
-Lunch, cheap gas, and iced coffee from Sheetz
-Home to sit outside with my mother-in-law and chat with my neighbors
-Church at Franklin Street
-To my parents house to have the family birthday celebration for me (27) and my nephew (9)
-Home to our house with limited belongings in it

Kashi, I love you.

I like cereal. But not the kind that gives you more of a sugar high than three Snickers and a bag of Reese's. Doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose to eat that much sugar for breakfast?

My most favorite kind of cereal is Cracklin' Oat Bran. But it comes in a smaller box than most cereal's and is way expensive. So I don't ever buy it. Not too long ago James and I were at Wal-Mart, and apparently on a cereal extravaganza, we bought three boxes and two bags of cereal. About of week later, I didn't think we had enough variety, so I bought some Kashi cereal. I'd heard from my mother-in-law that it was really good, but thought it looked like there was no way it could be good with two people's faces on the front of the box with the tagline, "Good Friends."

I'm now a hard core Kashi fan. I first bought Honey Almond Flax, and Oat Flakes with Wild Blueberry Clusters. Yum. Be careful with the former, you've gotta let the nutty goodness soak in your milk for a while, or your teeth might break. When I checked out their website, I was even more sold. Their food is listed third on their home page; pretty good marketing strategy if you ask me.

One tip for you when you're looking for your first box of Kashi delightfulness: go to Wal-Mart, it's twice as expensive at Kroger.

Weekend Summary

Friday
-Biked to work
-Worked
-Biked to Lowe's to buy some packing tape
-Had an old man ask me for a ride on my bike
-Biked Home
-Packed lots of boxes

Saturday
-My awesome parents helped us paint, pack, put up drywall, and mud dryall. amazing. for the first time in almost a year since tearing down the plaster and lath, we have walls in our foyer!
-Watched Breach with my husband.

Sunday
-Sunday school and worship service at Stony Point
-Lunch with parents at home
-Dad and James put another coat of drywall mud on the foyer walls
-Franklin Street Community
-Enjoyed a beer on the porch with Owen while James was enjoying a beer at Ipanema with Ross
-Watched a tv show about a family with a set of twins and a set of sextuplets. omg.

Eight.

That would be the number of hours I just spent packing. That's nothing compared to what I've already done, or what is still to come. It's quite a job. I've moved A LOT in my relatively few years: I'm on move number 15 in 26 years (in 6 days change that to 27 years!).

This packing job is way different than all the others. One bunch of stuff is going into storage for 2 years. Every box is being labeled with everything that is in the box, lots of bubble wrap and such is being used. Every box is also being prayed over, to ward off the bugs and mildew. Another bunch of stuff is going to Scotland with us. I have no idea how to pack that stuff to withstand the flight and still stay within the airlines regulations (the specific airline has yet to be determined). Another bunch of stuff needs to go with us to our temporary home after we move out of our house. I can't think about this too much or I start to get overwhelmed.

There's only one thing left to do tonight: make some guacamole and eat lots of it. (Amy, you have no idea how much your delicious recipe is helping me stay sane.)

Serious Props to the Churchill Firemen

I was biking to work this morning when I looked ahead and saw a big plume of smoke billowing way above the houses. Since I need glasses to see details at a distance, I couldn't tell where it was coming from until I was a block away. Thankfully, the fire was contained in a metal trash can. Not wanting to see a burned house on my ride home, (with memories of frequent fires in the recent past, like this one, one block east of the trash can) I called 911 to report the fire.

The trash can fire was located at 32nd street, I talked to a 911 lady when I was passing 29th street, by the time I passed the fire station on 24th street, the fire truck was pulling out of the station with it's lights flashing. That's only 5 blocks! Can you imagine how fast those guy's must move? I mean, seriously, how amazing is that? I don't know about you, but I am very impressed. I'm also very appreciative to have those guys protecting my neighborhood. Thanks so much Firemen, for all of your hardwork and sacrifices, you're doing an awesome job!

Weekend Update

Friday
Off of work.
Spent all morning on the phone setting up meetings and events. (I don't like talking on the phone for extended periods of time. especially when I have to call a bazillion people and say the same thing over and over again.)
Needed more caffeine after the telephone marathon.
Packed up some boxes.
Ate dinner with James.
Did some more packing.

Saturday (James' Birthday!)
Got up super early.
Went to Ukrops and Wal-Mart and Church to get stuff for James' Birthday party cookout.
Packed more boxes.
Moved stuff around and put stuff upstairs so our house looked semi-functional.
Did some cleaning and laundry.
Had a BLAST at James' birthday cookout. Enjoyed good friends, had fabulous weather, ate all kinds of food.
Hung out with and got to know one neighbor couple better...we have awesome neighbors!
Went to sleep.

Sunday
Tired, slept in.
Went to Church at Stony Point.
Home.
Took cookies and communion crackers to Franklin Street Community Church.
Went to my parents house for Bocce Ball/Horseshoes/Croquet Tournament and Cookout, and to celebrate Father's day. Ate all kinds of food.
Hung out at my parents with a fun family friend visiting from out of town.
Got home after 10.
Ready for bed.

Back to work tomorrow!

Looking for an Electrician?

You need some electrical work done at your home? I've got just the guy for you! Our new electrician Mike is downstairs finishing up some incredible work for us.

The geniuses who first wired our house, put the electrical box outside. That needed to be moved inside, and updated to 200 Amps instead of 100. We also just inherited an almost new fridge and stove. Our current stove is gas, so we needed some wiring done to allow us to use the new electric stove.

We found Mike from his ad on Craig's List. He is a Master Electrician and has been working in this field for almost as many years as I've been alive. He grew tired of working for The Man and is starting his own business.

We've checked around and asked for a bunch of quotes for this job. Mike was by far the lowest price. But don't think for a second that a lesser price means lesser quality, this guy is on top of his game. He was extremely professional, considerate, and trustworthy: we left him, without hesitation, at our house all day by himself. And boy did he work hard.

And the final test: the use of multiple heat drawing appliances at once. Victory! I can dry my hair while James irons a shirt!

If you've been thinking about getting that electrical job done, but aren't quite sure what it would take, give Mike a call, he'll give you a free estimate.

I'm so relieved to have that job done! Thanks Mike!

NOT Homeless as of July 15th!

We have a place to live when our renters move in mid-July. Some friends of ours are leaving today for their adventurous 3-month-long retirement celebration RVing trip to Alaska and back. They've been thinking and praying for someone to stay at their house for months, but hadn't actively pursued it. While talking with my parents last weekend, they heard of our dilemma and wondered if their prayers had been answered.

I just can't believe it, the way this has worked out is incredible. They are helping us out in a tremendous way, but it makes us glad to be able to help them out as well.

So now we have exactly one month to pack it up and move on out. We're hoping to be completely out of the house by the beginning of July so there's more space to finish up the work we have left.

I'm a firm believer that events like these aren't coincidences, it's pretty cool how my friend Jesus works it all out.

The Joy of Being a Jennifer

I just checked out the SSA website after reading about the most popular baby name list here. My name was number 1 on the list each year from 1970-1984. 58,362 were born in my birth year (1980) alone! Turns out hundreds of thousands of parents think my name is as awesome as I do.

newly engaged and glowing

When this photo was taken, Blare and Zach had been engaged all of 30 minutes; aren't their eyes sparkling!

I'm so excited for these guy's. It's so funny to think back to our wedding (three years ago) when they were both a part of the wedding party, walking in the processional together, and having no interest in each other (that they spoke of, anyway); and now look at 'em! Crazy kids.

Congratulations guys!

Homeless as of July 15th

I'm sure once July 15th gets here, we will have a place to live. But right now, I have no idea where that place will be.

It was just confirmed that we will have awesome renters moving in that day. This is great news, an answer to prayer, a relief, so exciting, hard to believe! But...it means we'll have to move out.

We're thinking we'll be headed to Scotland sometime during the end of August or beginning of September, that date hasn't been nailed down yet. So we'll only need a place to live for about a month and a half. We're really hoping for no cost or low cost accommodations so we can bank some cash-o-la for any unforeseen emergencies that may arise.

My head is swimming and feeling slightly wobbly at this moment. Our reality is becoming a bit more real with every passing day. With 98% of our funds raised, and renters in place, things seem to be falling into place. But I realize they're not just "falling into place." Seriously, God's planning has made this process much less stressful (thus far) than I thought it would be. Alas, there are many more things to be done. Here's a list of a few things that are coming to mind:

1. find a place to live
2. finish renovation projects on house
3. pack house, move stuff to storage
4. get Visas
5. get flight lined up
6. spend lots and lots of time with friends and family

Anybody out there have any ideas on housing? We're open to any and all thoughts!

weekend review

Friday
-worked until 2, spent a few minutes recovering from the patient who successfully sucks the life out of any person he/she interacts with.
-ran a bunch of errands
-took my friend's 2.5 year old daughter to her father's wedding rehearsal to be the flower girl.
-vacuum packed a bunch of clothes and sheets in those space saver bags

Saturday
-packed some kitchen stuff
-took my same little friend to her father's wedding, she was a fabulous flower girl. calamity was averted (15 minutes before the wedding) when caitlin (dressed in her beautiful flower girl dress) tripped on her dress/was pulled by the ring bearer and fell down three concrete steps and landed face first at the bottom. it had to be God's angels softening her fall: hardly a scrape, no blood, and no tears!
-met James in DTSP for dinner at Allison's apartment with she, Sam, and Andi. dinner and dessert were so yummy, Taboo was hilarious

Sunday
-woke up late and very tired
-church at Stony Point
-home to have soup and grilled cheese for lunch
-took a long nap
-Franklin Street church
-Ran for the border with the Catrow's, discussed the Extremeness of the quesadilla
-home to wait for the Sopranos to come on

Our smart dog

We've left town, and our dog Owen, on several occasions. A couple of times we've had friends stay at our house with her, many times she's stayed with my parents and had a blast playing with their dog. The last time we were gone, it was for a month, so this is her most recent memory of us being away. Who knows if dogs actually remember stuff like that, but I do know they are able to infer things based on prior experiences. Like, us sitting at the table means there will be food to beg for, leash in hand means going outside, etc.

All this to say, she's familiar with seeing us pack bags and load up the car. Even if we're leaving just for the evening, she can tell; she goes to the door before we do, trying to convince us to take her along.

Lately, we've begun the packing process for Scotland. We've loaded up some boxes with items we'll be storing, and packed winter clothes to take with us (I certainly won't be needing my bikini). Concurrently, Owen has become much more attached and clingy. She's never been one to have symptoms of separation anxiety, but I think she's sensitive to us leaving. I wish I could communicate to her that we're taking her with us so she'll stop being so pitiful. Oh well, she's a dog, she'll be fine.

On a separate note, It's such a relief that these unimportant "parenting" items relate to a dog and not a baby. Oh dear Lord help me if I had to move a child to another country!

Highlights

Some of the highlights of my week because I'm forgetful and want to be reminded of these things.

James and I talked to some of our friends in Scotland. Hearing their voices made me really ready to be there.

Tuesday a patient told me he has an affidavit with my name on it, so when he sues a co-worker of mine, he can have me questioned. What?!? Craziness I tell you.

I biked to work on Tuesday and Thursday

Engagement announcement! One of my best friends and one of James' best friends are getting married! I can hardly believe they're dating, much less getting hitched. I felt so privileged when they biked over from Chimborazo Park to tell us. We were the first to congratulate them in person.

We had dinner with my parents and had a very real, honest conversation about some serious stuff. It was very freeing.

Saw a friend's wedding pictures. She got married in Jamaica last week.

Found a good album on ITunes

Lunch on Thursday was at Pho So 1 near Horsepen behind Home Depot, a treat from my friend Phavy. I had Barbequed Pork and an egg roll over Vermicelli. It was so good I just HAD to eat the entire humungous bowl.

I accidentally did something so silly and stupid at work; I laughed so hard I cried...a couple of times.

My last patient of the week was a doozy. I'd tell you all about it, but honestly, I'm slightly afraid of him.

My 3 day weekend

Friday
-Biked to work. (I'm loving this transportation/exercise combo)
-Showered at work, worked, ate a donut.
-Biked home from work at 12:00
-Painted trim in the upstairs hallway
-Went to my parents for dessert.
-Enjoyed watching my husband and 8 year old nephew light fireworks

Saturday
-Painted the hallway trim some more
-Did some other stuff around the house that I don't remember
-Went to the wedding of a friend from high school

Sunday
-Overslept. meant to go to the early church service, but missed it.
-Met some friends in Ashland and went wakeboarding with them on Lake Anna
-Pondered the affect that water used to cool a nuclear power plant reactor could have on people
-Talked about family stuff with family for a long time

Monday
-Packed some stuff that will be stored for 2 years
-Did a little cleaning and laundry
-Talked to friends in Scotland through Skype (get a Skype account so you can talk to us for free while we're in Scotland. do it now. see the link on my blog)
-Went to Wal-Mart to get some big Rubbermaid tubs to store stuff in/fly stuff to Scotland in
-Saved a lost swan next to Wal-Mart by letting it through the gate so it could leave the parking lot and go back to it's pond (I thinks its wings were clipped).
-Went to family Memorial Day cookout/birthday party for my cousin
-Trying to decide if I should bike to work tomorrow since I got ZERO exercise this weekend

Thoughts on getting older and enjoying it.

There are certain landmarks in ones life that proves the inevitable progression of time; a.k.a. getting old. I'm getting old.

I'm now one month from turning 27, and while there are many people who would roll their eyes and mumble something about wishing they were that young again, it feels old to me.

I went to a high school friend's wedding on Saturday and was able to spend some time with a few friends from that era. First of all, next year will mark the 10 year anniversary of my high school graduation. TEN YEARS. That's a decade people.

A family I know from high school was at this wedding. The oldest of four sons is my age. The youngest is now a sophomore in college. The last time I saw him he was 9, a round-faced chunk of cuteness. I saw him and could only stare, unable to believe that little Bobby was in this football players body. I could barely believe when those dreaded words came to my mind and I fought as they came out of my mouth, "I can't believe how old you've gotten; last time I saw you, you were 'this' big!" And he stared at me like I used to stare at the "old" friends of my parents who used to say that to me: smiling politely with not a clue in the world as to who they were. Yup, he had no clue who I was.

I love where I am in life. I'm relishing being a part of the, "young marrieds without children" group, and looking forward to what the future holds. I definitely would NOT want to go back to any stage of my younger days...one time through is enough. But there is something eye-opening about realizing the passing of time, and it forces me to choose how I will view my stage of life. It's the people who are bitter about getting old that make me sad. Another year passed is another gift of spending time on this earth and another year closer to eternity in Paradise.

A friend gave me this statue a while back that helps me keep these ideas in perspective. The name of the idea is Sankofa from a West African people group.

The Weekend

Friday
-Worked until 1:00
-Got my hair washed (always such a treat) and cut by Gary at Vision's
-Helped James get packed up for the Beerble Camp-out
-Did some exercising
-Hung out with Blare and Allison on their front porch. Met a very interesting old man who used racial slurs as a regular part of his speech because "that's how things were done when he was young"

Saturday
-Road my new bike
-Did lots and lots of laundry
-Checked out the annual Churchill neighborhood yard sale
-Did some more laundry
-Cleaned the house
-Had ice cream cones with my aunt and uncle

Sunday
-Sunday School and Worship at Stony Point church
-Cheeseburgers and ice cream for lunch. yum.
-To Jenna's to hang out at the pool
-Biked to Franklin Street for church with James
-Ate cookies after Franklin Street even though I told myself I wasn't going to. no willpower.
-Wondered how long I'd have a sore butt from riding my bike
-Watched Soprano's and Entourage
-Started but then stopped watching the Omen because it was freaking me out too much
-Went to bed and had a very long and involved dream about being held hostage

A New Love

I'm back from my short trip. What a great time! I'm now know why so many people love riding bikes.

My route there was Churchill-Leigh St.-Belvidere-Main-Grove. It took me 45 minutes. On the way back I took Cary-Parkwood (to bypass the Cary Town area)-Cary-over to Grace in Shockoe Bottom-home to Churchill. The ride home took 30 minutes.

I'm excited about biking to and from work a couple times a week. I'd love some route suggestions that any of you think would work well.

And here's a story about the most exciting part of my ride. I came upon a little boy on Parkwood (couldn't have been older than 2) hanging out in the middle of the street trying to get into a mini-van. I stopped to look, and there were no other people around anywhere. The door of the house he was near was wide open. The little guy said (in the cutest little voice you've ever heard) that that was his house when I asked. I rang the doorbell and then said, "hello?" when no one came. Finally a mom and her other son came down the stairs. A wave of emotion came over her when she realized what happened: shock, worry, relief, appreciation. She was obviously not a negligent mother; just busy, I'm sure, with active boys.

I can't say for sure what would have happened, I can only imagine there are some horrible possibilities that could result from that little boy's curiosity. But I do know that God predestines everything, and I'm glad He directed my route in the direction He did.

A Shiny New Bike

I got a new bike! I'm so excited, this is my first official road bike. You can see a picture of it here. But I got it at a much cheaper price than what's listed at that site...you know how I love a good deal!

The funny thing is, James got the same exact bike (much larger of course, since he is a foot taller than me.) It just turned out that the same bike he really liked was the only one that fit me really well, after looking for weeks at many bike shops. So we are "that couple" with His and Her's. This is a first for us. I have to say, even though it was not intentional, I think it's pretty cute.

I even got a matching helmet. That fact, I am very excited about.

I'm about to set off on my first long journey. From my house to my work. It's 6.4 miles. This will be a test to see if I want to make the trek during the week.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Weekend Update

Thursday Night
Dinner with mom, dad, grandmother, brother, husband, nephew, brother's girlfriend for mother's day. Ate at a delicious restaurant, Antonio's, on Route 10 in Chester. It's a hike from the City, but seriously amazing food.

Friday
Work until 1:00
Worked out for a while
Worked on painting the hallway for a little bit
Received a delivery from James and Ross of our most fave thing ever: free stuff, from Ross' parents
Made some yummy Thai food for dinner

Saturday
Ran the Susan Komen Race for the Cure 5K with Macaria, had a great time. SOOO many people ran it
Did some more painting in the hallway/stairwell
Took a break to drive down Williamsburg Rd to get some more paint from Scherwin-Williams
Got a Gardenia plant for my Mom from Southern States
Babysat for my boss's kids from 5-12. had so much fun with them, as usual (5 yr. old twin boys, 6 yr. old girl, 12 yr. old boy)

Sunday
Sunday School and Church at Stony Point Presbyterian
Ate a ton of meat for lunch: shrimp and steak...and nothing else
Enjoyed the sun at Jenna's rooftop pool at her Shockoe Bottom apartment building
Franklin Street Community and a yummy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Played Ticket to Ride with James and my parents
Watched the Soprano's: OMG, I can't believe he killed him. I mean, I can believe it, but I can't.
To bed.

Little kiddie's are so stinkin' cute

Conversation I had with two 5 year olds at church today

girl: "He got hit in the eye with an orangutan!"
me: "Wow, an orangutan? How'd that happen?"
boy: "No, it was a BOOMERANG!"
me: "Ahh, that must have really hurt." (holding back a chuckle)

Review of Last Weekend

So it's Friday, and I'm thinking about how great last weekend was. I just have to sum it up now, even though it was a week ago. This is more for my benefit, so I can reminisce and be full of joy that I am blessed with such wonderful friends who are loving, caring people and a blast to be around.

Friday:
Had a bunch of people over. The boys watched a silly movie while the girls hung out on the porch. Enjoyed some drinks, dominoes, and Texas hold 'em. It was a blast. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy


Good times with friend's visiting from Colorado!


Zach's in a total trance: spellbound by Blare's love =)


Owen, stop looking at my dominoes!

Saturday
Slept in while James helped his friend move. Went to my great aunt's yard sale, got lots of great old stuff.
Went to friend's home to have a cookout and enjoy another fabulous game of dominoes, hung out and had a blast...AGAIN.

Sunday
Went to church, lunch with parents at Joe's Inn in the fan (never go to Joe's Inn on the Southside...yuck). Home for a minute, Franklin Street Community service at 4:00. Met friend's (Jeremiah and Emily, visiting from Colorado) and mom and aunt at Legend's for food and beer.
Home to watch Soprano's. Disappointed by the lack of action.
Went to bed with much appreciation for time spent with friend's.

The Search for My Replacement: The Saga Continues

Three more interviews for my replacement at work happened this week...Three more strikes.

But, today there were murmurings of another possibility that has some promise...

The Art of Dumpster Diving

I began thinking about the glories of dumpstering when I read my friend Valerie's recent post. It's pretty hilarious that when people have junk to get rid of they think of us. You know, most people might be offended, but I'm flattered. My husband and I are pretty economical (a smarter sounding version of "thrifty"). We love a good sale and love free stuff even more.

Now, don't think just because we like free stuff, we have a house overflowing with junk. Granted, we do have some items we don't need, and are working on diminishing that pile, but doesn't everyone? Be assured, we don't live in one of those houses you see on Dr. Phil's that has newspapers from 2 decades ago and a back-yard full of non-working appliances.

I didn't used to have this affinity for finding good deals and appreciating free stuff.

In fact, the first trip James and I made to the grocery store ended with us putting the food back and leaving in a storm of miscommunication and misunderstanding. You see, I come from a background of:
"give freely to others, money is no object" and "usually brand names are better than generic."
James comes from a background of:
"definitely buy generic, no matter what" and "only use half of a dryer sheet per load of laundry"

I think that both schools of thought are valid and have their benefits. That's why I'm glad James and I are together: we can foster our positive traits in each other, while tempering our out of control traits.

The first time I visited James' apartment, he and his friends pointed out all of the items they had acquired while dumpster diving. I have to admit, I was intrigued, but also grossed out. I mean, who would want to actually get in a dumpster??? I soon found out, that most of the time you don't have to get inside the dumpster, a lot of times the treasure is sitting right next to it!

My favorite kind of dumpster dive is the kind you can give away. Don't worry, we won't dumpster something and wrap it up nicely for your birthday. Anything that is dumpstered and given away, is fully disclosed as a dumpstered item. It's great when we've found something that someone else needed, and we could never afford to buy it for them, but we sure could give it to them since we found it for free! (Hope you like your table and chairs "friend who just moved"*!)

The other great aspect of dumpstering is making a profit off of free things. For example: we found a dresser on the side of road with a "free" sign on it, add a fresh coat of white paint, shiny spray-painted brass handles, and you've got yourself a $60 sale off of Craig's List. Can't beat that. I could name quite a few items like that.

So bring on the free stuff. If we can't use it, we'll give it to someone who can, or sell it to someone who's dying to have it.

*Name removed in case friend prefers not to reveal himself as owner of a dumpstered item.

p.s. James and I are now able to go to the grocery store together and have a very enjoyable time.

I love Churchill.

My area of RVa is awesome for many reasons, but the biggest reason is the people. You never know what kind of interesting person you will happen upon on any given day. Lots of other people love Churchill too, here are some of them.

A couple of weeks ago renovations began on the condemned house next door to us. We are so very excited. We've met the contractor and his two main workers; they're all great guys.

Here's a story for you that gave me and my husband a good chuckle and also reconfirmed my love for my neighborhood.

Fridays my office closes early (praise the Lord, it's an amazing thing). While exiting my car with a smile to be home at noon, I heard our worker friend's next door yell, "Hey, it's the lady from next door!"

While enjoying a nice chat with the three good ol' boys, one of the workers said, "I see ya got some of them there scrubs on, whaddya do?"

[To give you a mental picture of the scenario, I must describe the appearance of this man to you. I am, in no way, being judgemental, just descriptive. Mid 40's, short, overweight, long stringy brown hair that was last cut back in '05, teeth that could badly use a professional cleaning, wearing one of those Volkswagon farfegnugen t-shirts that said something like, "farfrompukin"...you get the idea]

"I'm a dental assistant."
Surprised, like I caught him off guard, he responds gleefully: "No kidding! I'm a licensed massage technician!"
His boss, the contractor, looks at him like he wants to smack him in the back of the head and says, "Now what does that have to do with dentistry?"
"Well...the scrubs!"

Fast forward one hour.

Owen and I head out for a walk so she can sniff other dog's poop and run around in the park.

Arriving back home at the end of our walk, I stopped to talk to my across the street neighbor and her friend. She's a single mom of three, so friendly; she's always got a, "Hey Girl!" for me. I'm still not sure how she spends her days when I'm at work and her kids are at school, but she's on her porch whenever I'm outside, no matter what time of day or night. They're great neighbors.

My neighbor's friend stated that she saw me in my scrubs earlier and asked me what I do. "I'm a dental assistant"
"No kidding! (with surprise and glee) I'm a licensed massage technician!"

No joke, same exact conversation, within one hour, with two people who couldn't be more opposite.

Please let me know if you figure out the connection between dentistry and massage therapy.

The Search For My Replacement: Off To A Bad Start

Our departure date for Scotland is not yet set, but we hope to be in the land of bagpipes and haggis before the end of this summer. I promised my boss that I would give him two months notice to give him time to find someone, and to give me time to train her. (Saying "her" is not a sexist comment. Yes, a male could competently do my dental assistant job, but my heterosexual male boss does not care to sit 12 inches from another male all day every day. Can you really blame him?)

Since we are thinking July would be a great, and probable, time for us to leave, two months from then begins next week. Although I'm very excited to start this new chapter of our lives, it's also very sad to leave people and experiences I love being a part of.

I love my job; my boss and co-workers are amazing. I really enjoy what I do and am very sad to leave my job. But it is inevitable. When I heard the add was placed in the paper, I got a little nauseous, realizing the end is now beginning.

We had our first interview this week. Oh my, what an experience. If you are preparing for an interview, read on to learn what NOT to do in yours.

DO dress professionally.
-Over-dressed is better than under-dressed. And if the only thing you have to wear is an old t-shirt, AT LEAST iron it.

DON'T talk badly about your previous employers
-We will probably think you'll do the same of us

DON'T tell us your personal life in detail
-We don't need to know that your husband left you suddenly with a new baby
-We don't need to know that you were "mentally unstable" for a while after he left
-You don't need to repeat 5x that your life has stabilized now and everything is "smooth and calm." The repetition makes us think you are trying to convince us of something that is not true.
-We don't need to know you're reading the best book ever "Positive Thoughts for Mom's" and you'd recommend it to us (even though neither of us are mom's)
-We don't need to know what t.v. evangelist you watch every week, where he preaches from, and how many people attend his services
-We don't need to know what day of the week you've chosen to work on building up your daughters self-esteem
-We don't need to know the details of your child's sport of choice and when you've decided to give the team their snack
-We don't need to hear you talk for 15 minutes without taking a breath about all of these personal matters

DON'T boast about your skills when they are the exact opposite of what the interviewer has just stated that he prefers in an employee
Example
-Interviewer: "We have a large office with many employees. We like to help each other out and volunteer to do what is needed for others. It's a necessity to work well with others, be a team player."
-Interviewee: "I work well alone. I'm very good at doing a large amount of work by myself. I used to run three operatories all by myself. I work very well alone..."

PLEASE KNOW
-When the subject of compensation is never broached, you don't have a chance at getting this job.
-When the first comment out of the bosses mouth after you've spilled your guts to us is, "Well, we've just begun the interviewing process, we have others to talk with, we won't be making a decision for a few weeks." and there's no comment of us contacting you,you shouldn't expect to get a working interview.

Here's hoping next weeks candidates are more promising.**

**If you know anyone who's interested in a dental assisting job, PLEASE let me know. Experience is a plus but DEFINITELY not required because I am willing to teach you everything you need to know if you're the right person for the job. I can only encourage (not teach) Laugh-ability, Flexibility, People Skills-ability, and Work-Hard-ability, you've gotta come up with those on your own. (you can even make up words, like me!).

Wal-Mart Woes

I'm a fan of Wal-Mart. The prices are nice, you can find a bunch of stuff you may need in one place, and there's always some entertainment that can be found in fellow shoppers.

I was pleasantly surprised, on my and husband's most recent trip to the Brook Road Wal-Mart, to find the bathroom renovated. My first clue to the make-over of the ladies room was when I first stepped in. While preparing myself to breathe as little as possible (remembering the unpleasant odor that lingers in any bathroom in any Wal-Mart) I realized I could breathe normally with no threat of gagging. Then I noticed the new sinks, stall doors, and tile. Wow, way to go Wal-Mart.

As I was giving props to the super-center, I prepared to leave the restroom by washing my hands. But alas, the pleasant experience of a newly done restroom came to a screeching halt when I discovered the absence of any soap. Not even a drop...in any container.

Come on! Do you realize how many hands touch those carts and door handles and stall knobs??? A sick kid who just picked her nose, the uncouth guy who just scratched his bottom, a mother who just used her own spit to wipe something off her kid's face. Ugh.

While I appreciate the cosmetic work, I'd much rather deal with the nasty smell and other yuckiness if I could just get some soap.

"Who would be the best lip model?"

This is what we girls do when their boyfriends/husbands are watching the Phillies vs. Nationals game.*







Jenna (candidate #3) was declared the winner.

*We're really not that shallow, it just seemed like an entertaining idea at the time.

A New Experience For Me

My friend Valerie took me as a guest to Gold's Gym for a Yoga class. She told me how relaxing it was and good for stretching, so I wanted to give it a try. I don't stretch enough after running and had an orthopedic guy tell me I really needed better flexibility, maybe this would help. And I've been super stressed lately from some life issues and really needed to relax.

I love that the lights are low so you don't feel like everyone is looking at you, and in my case, seeing my horrible form. At the beginning the teacher (who is a patient of mine at the dental office. I don't think she recognized me. which is fine for me, sometimes that's a little awkward) asked if anyone was new to yoga. I proudly raised my hand, she was very kind to explain lots of things and tailor the session to newbies like me.

I don't really believe in all that clearing your mind and finding peace within your inner being stuff. I just don't think that it's possible to find that within myself since I'm naturally a chaotic being. I have to look outside of myself and find peace from my Higher Power. But deep breathing and physical wellness is a very needed aspect of one's life. So I definitely benefited from aspects of the class.

I almost disrupted the peace a couple of times. First of all, I really had to pee most of the class, but felt like I would've been thrown out of all yoga classes at Gold's for life if I walked out and came back in. At the very end when we were, "finding that quiet place in our minds" I had to hold back from laughing out loud when she said, "take note of where your body is and give it total acceptance." All I could think about was, "body, I accept you." Like my body was suddenly relieved to hear me give it total acceptance. Maybe you had to be in my mind at the time.

The funniest part of the evening was the sales pitch to get me to join. I realized at many times during the manager's talk, I was looking at her like she had two head's...what a spaz.

Year 3 and Counting

Tuesday, April 3d, my husband and I celebrated the 3 year anniversary of our wedding day. I know people say it all the time, but it really is hard to believe it's already been 3 years. It's even harder to believe because I don't really think of myself as an adult, and I'm getting closer and closer to the age of "the adults."

It was an exhausting work day for both of us, but coming home is like entering the safe zone where you don't have to worry about dealing with all the crap that goes on in the world outside our doors. We rested for a little while and then decided where to go to dinner to bask in our 3 years of marriage. We settled on Akida. Let me tell you, we tore up some sushi. Desert was cinnamon rolls and neapolitan ice cream from Ukrop's.

Recently we've been bombarded with sad news of crumbling marriages among family friend's and acquaintances. It's a hard thing to understand when it happens to families that we thought were sure to last forever. It's reinforced my belief that marriages need to be nurtured, fed, and cared for every day. I love my husband and our marriage!

Best Weekend EVERRRRR!

OK, so maybe not the best ever in my life, but man it was a good one. Mainly as a result of our house guests. I'll give you the short background on these friends before I sum up the weekend for you.

It was March 2005, James and I were driving to the ATL for a week-long training/interview/orientation for our upcoming two-year-long stint in Scotland. We were praying that we would meet at least one couple that we could hang out with that week. Our prayers were answered when we met Josh & Amy. They are going through the same process we are, with Mexico City as their destination. We met up again in Brussels, Belgium for the month of training in January. If you're part of a couple you'll know that it's not a requirement that both spouses be friends with each of the other pair, but it sure does make for a more enjoyable double date. There are certain people you click with and you're sure that you'll be friends for eternity. Josh and Amy are a perfect example of those people for us. As you can imagine, we were thrilled when we found out they'd be visiting from their home in Texas.

Here's the weekend wrap-up:
Friday:
-Worked until 1:30
-Went to the 10K expo to pick up my race packet. Got some free Power Bars. Yum.
-Home to join James in cleaning the house so we can give the appearance that our house is always pretty clean. Even though we live in a super old house that will never be completely clean unless it's torn down and built again from scratch.
-Super excited and stoked that my husband is such a hard worker. He had done so much already!
-Went to my parent's house for my Dad's birthday dinner. Happy birthday Dad! I have a fabulous dad.
-Got home and welcomed the Oettle's (pronounced Ettly) into our home. Hung out for the rest of the night.
-Yay! The Oettle's are here!

The fam: dad, mom, brother, nephew, me, James

Saturday:
-My supremely supportive and sacrificial husband awoke at 8:00am to drive me to the Monument 10K
-Ran the 10K in 54 minutes. was excited about my time.
-Was so happy when I saw my husband, Owen, and Ross on the sidelines cheering. It was a great moment.
-Didn't do much of anything until 2:30 (Amy and Josh were hanging out with their sister)
-Went to my friend's wedding shower. Did the usual wedding shower stuff.
-Came home around 6:00
-Didn't do much of anything for the rest of the night
-Played a round of our most fave board game with James: Ticket to Ride (I bought it for James for our anniversary. You can also become addicted while playing online).

Sunday:
-Began a marathon Sabbath day at 7:30
-Arrived at church at 8:15 for the 8:30 service
-Since Amy and Josh are raising support, we had some things set up for them with our church so they could share their story with a new group of people. Amy sang and played her guitar at the 8:30 and 11:00 services. OMG, you have to hear the song, it's incredible. It's the one titled You Are Enough. Beautiful.
-Sunday School at 9:45. James taught a great lesson on Proverbs and fools.
-2nd church service at 11:00
-Lunch at The Hill Cafe with Josh and Amy
-Home for about one hour
-Franklin Street Community at 4:00
-Beverages and Brownies after FSC
-Off to Stony Point for the 5:45 service. The Oettle's gave a 15 minute talk on their heart for Mexico City and plans to live there
-Hung out with the youth group kids for a bit.
-Ate dinner at the Shared Meal after church
-Home to hang out and enjoy some beers

Monday (not officially part of the weekend, but our guests were here so it felt like the weekend to me)
-Work all day while the Oettle's explored Williamsburg & Jamestown
-Dinner with our friends, cheeseburgers and homemade guacamole made by Amy (you definitely want the recipe)
-Capital Ale House for some delicious beer
-Home again to hang out some more
-Said goodbye to friends, they were leaving in the morning
-Bed

The Weekend Summary

Thursday
Saw 300 with James. Lots of carnage and nakedness. I wouldn't reccommend it for kids, or any adults who don't like to see blood and unclothed bodies. But it was really good. Movies are rediculously expensive, I'd be bummed that we spent nearly $20 if it wasn't so visually impressive on the big screen.

Friday
Off of work, couldn't sleep later than 8:00.
Started doing laundry (total of 7 loads in one day)
Unintentionaly went to Ukrop's, Kroger, and The Market all in the same day (hit up Ukrop's for 50% off thrift)
Bought some t-shirt's for work
Worked around the house, completed 95% of my to-do list
Cooked dinner
Intended to go running, my stomach wasn't feeling up to it
Watched Grey's Anatomy re-run
Hung out with my husband
Ate some Edy's popsicles.
Fell asleep on the couch watching basketball

Saturday
Up at 7:30 and again at 8:30: Owen barking
Up for good at 9:00
Went running
Found some Dansko's on Craig's List for super cheap, still waiting to hear if If I'm the lucky new owner
Cooked breakfast for lunch (sausage egg and cheese biscuits)
Did some organizing/discarding of stuff in our house: went through THOUSANDS of photographs
Had a great time with some friends and their two kids at dinner at Ashland Coffee & Tea
Bed at 12:00

Sunday
Youth Bible Class (James taught on Proverbs and wisdom) and worship at Stony Point
Lunch with our friend Paul at Jason's Deli
Home to relax for 2.2 seconds
Franklin Street Community, the cookies and water were good, even better were the conversations with friends
Home to finish some organizational stuff, watch Real Life on MTV, eat a sandwich and popsicle for dinner and go to sleep at 12:00

My Biggest Fear

I've realized recently what one of my biggest fears is. This fear has been a part of my life for quite some time now and I can't seem to kick it. But I guess fears are stubborn that way.

I'm afraid that something will suddenly happen to a family member or friend that is very traumatic. This something could be death, a physical injury, a serious health diagnosis, or an accident/bad decision that may lead to very negative legal ramifications. The "sudden" part of these scenarios is what is most nerve-wracking to me, but I guess this list of items don't usually happen gradually. Sometimes I get nervous because I've made it this far in life without having to deal with too many of these unfortunate events, and because of that, maybe there's a big one looming around the corner.

I used to be plagued with horrible thoughts of horiffic things that could happen to people I love. It was as if a tiny little thought crept into my mind and then it snowballed until I'm almost freaking out. I'm a fairly empathetic person, which is to my detriment sometimes since I imagine how I would feel in these situations or when I see things that happen on the news to other people. I draw up the emotions I would experience during one of these events, which makes dwell on these situations on a deeper level, and then am unable to quickly forget these thoughts and news stories. James thoughtfully tries to keep me from watching the news.

It's starting to sound as though I'm paralyzed by these fears. It's not super often that these fears arise, but when they do, it can be pretty upsetting.

Really, the only thing that helps me is to pray about these things. I'm able to rest in the peace that comes with the assurance I have that my God sees and knows everything. And that He would give me the strength to deal with any event in my life, no matter how traumatic.

yay for sleep

I get a three day weekend. Boy do I need it. I'm particularly exhausted, emotionally and physically. It's been a wild week. Being exhausted isn't always a bad thing, it means life is eventful and interesting. But it's much more tolerable when there's a break somewhere in there to recuperate from the tiredness.

How would YOU like to have YOUR anal sacs expressed?

Our poor dog Owen had to go the vet yesterday, she had a very unpleasant experience. If you don't like gross things, you may not want to read the rest of this post, consider yourself forewarned.

For the last couple of months we've noticed her periodically licking her behind area...furiously licking. We didn't think much of it, dogs do strange things sometimes. Until one day I noticed it was a little inflamed. I called the vet, they said it could be that she can't "express her anal sacs on her own"...waaahhh? Apparently they have these sacs that emit a "territory marking" scent when they use the doggy toilet. Most dogs do it automatically, a fair amount of dogs can't do it themselves. Owen is one of them.

So treatment involves reaching inside the anal area (yes with your finger) and putting pressure on one or both of the anal sacs to expel the stuff (gas like substance I guess?). The first thing I inquired about were the consequences if this doesn't get done, wondering just how serious it is and how soon I needed to get Owen to the vet. Well, according to the vet, these anal sacs could rupture. "So," I inquired, "will I see a little blood or something if that happens?" Actually, I'd see ANOTHER HOLE!!!

I was in the waiting room when the vet performed this procedure for Owen. Suddenly I heard some intense yelping. "Was that Owen?" I asked. The girl said it was and that although it's not painful for dogs, it's pretty uncomfortable. "Well...," I asked, "wouldn't you be uncomfortable if somebody did that to you?"

This procedure will have to be performed whenever we see the symptoms, for Owen that would be the furious licking. Other dogs may bite or scoot along the floor in hopes of solving the problem themselves. I was informed at the vet that some owners prefer to do this "expressing" on their own, while others bring them in to have the vet do it. After no discussion at all, James and I both came to the same conclusion that we'll gladly put up the $12 to have someone else put our poor dog through this miserable process.

Only METAL folding chairs for me from now on

Here's a funny scenario for you:
James' basketball game had just ended yesterday, I was sitting in the gym with his teammates. To truly appreciate this story, you have to be made aware of the sizes of all involved. James and the four other basketball players sitting on either side of me are all above 6' tall and each weigh 200+ pounds. While I am on the short side at 5'4", and weight 125 lbs. We were all sitting in the exact same type of plastic folding chair. While listening to the guy's chat it up about how the game went, I ever so slightly shifted my weight. All of the sudden...CRACK! To my surprise, I'm suddenly falling swiftly toward the floor as my chair crumbled beneath me. Not to worry, though, because the back of my head broke my fall when it slammed into the cinder block wall. We all had a good laugh at the irony of it all.

Tales of Trampolines

I babysat for my boss' kids earlier today. We (the four of us) jumped on their trampoline for, no joke, a combined total of 2 hours. Those 2 hours were broken up into 3 shorter sessions. And when I say jumped, I don't mean hung out for a while in between jumping...I mean jumped continuously, no breaks longer than approx. 45 seconds.

I am now a firm believer in, and proponent of, those net cage things that keep children's bodies (and older people's bodies; aka...mine) from sailing right over the edge to meet the ground at a high velocity, which has been known to result in injuries, which is a babysitters nightmare.

You know when you used to go skating at the rink (not rollerblading, the old-fashioned kind) and you'd take your skates off at the end of the night after the couple skate finale, you'd try to walk, and you felt like you were still rolling? Or if you spent all day in the ocean, you'd feel the relaxing rhythm of the waves rocking you to sleep? As I am attempting to drift off into a deep Friday evening sleep, all I feel is my body bouncing over and over again. I can assure you, it's worse than those times it feels as though the room is spinning.

Weekend (sans James) Review

Friday
-Worked until 11:30 (off even earlier than usual!)
-Met some co-workers at River City Tattoo to partake in a support group. A suburban, mother of two, co-worker of mine decided to celebrate the 40Th year of her birth with a nose ring; she needed some back-up.
-Lunch at Buzz & Ned's with co-workers
-Sent James off to Timberline, WV to snowboard for the weekend
-Straightened the house
-Welcomed my wonderful friend Jess for a visit from her new home in Raleigh
-Bought some veggies, wine (very delicious, thanks Jess! Anapamu Pinot Noir & Chateau Ste Michelle Pinot Gris) and Belhaven Beer (brewed in Scotland) from the Market.
-Went to the Modlin Center for a Modern Dance performance
-Hung out and caught up with Jess until the wee hours of the morning. Well, not exactly the wee hours, but late in comparison to my usual bedtime.

Saturday
-Slept until 10:30
-Made breakfast & coffee: bacon egg and cheese biscuits, oj, hazelnut coffee.
-Said goodbye to Jess at noon
-Bummed around, little bit of housework
-Went to Jenna's apt. for lunch (sandwiches with her amazing home-made bread)
-Helped mom pick out fabric for curtains
-Got a variety pack of Belgian beer from Total Wine (thanks mom). A fun surprise for James when he returns from snowboarding.
-Walked the perimeter at Target (all the clearance stuff is at the ends of the aisles).
-Bought Zoolander, another surprise for James.
-Dinner at Chipotle (pork tacos).
-Home, played with Owen, more laundry and dishwasher stuff.
-Waxed my eyebrows
-Cleaned up the hot wax that Naomi spilled all over the floor
-Bed (with the help of some Ambien)

Sunday:
-Stony Point Church in the morning
-Lunch at Jason's deli with my parents
-Home for a quick power nap
-Franklin Street Community
-Coffee & yummy cookies at FSC
-Home, made lunches for tomorrow
-Welcomed James home into my loving arms
-Sleepy time

Can't We Let These Ladies Live and Die in Peace?

It's a sad testament to the American public that Britney Spears and Anna Nicole Smith are the foremost stories in the media.

As a result of the set-up of my office (TVs in every room) I'm inundated all day with what the media deems as newsworthy. I try to watch anything other than the news, but many times patients prefer those 24 hour news stations of torture, so reluctantly, I concede to their wishes. For the past week, whenever such stations have been tuned to, the stories I have heard have to do with these two blonde(ish) ladies.

What I don't understand is why these stories take precedence over the 100's of other events happening all over the world that should hold much more bearing on our lives. How about just one example that involves 66,000 kidnapped children.

So Britney made some mistakes and has made herself look pretty silly over the years. Can't she just go to rehab and attempt to get her life back on track without her every step and new ink being reported on? And why does a judge who likes his name in lights get to draw out this silly trial for a week when the poor lady just needs to be buried?

Are people so sick of the War in Iraq being in the headlines, that they prefer something on the opposite end of the spectrum? Whatever the reason, it's just sad. America needs more hobbies so we can quite obsessing over celebrities.

Our Parents Rock

Seriously, it's an amazing thing, the parents I have.

First of all, they're still married and love each other very much, which in today's society is a rarity.

The most recent example of how they're so awesome is the fact that they renovated our bathroom while we were gone. It was a real life episode of, "While you were out of the country, we worked for 15 days straight to change your completely demolished bathroom that had only a working shower and was stripped down to the studs, into a beautiful fully functioning bathroom that feels twice the size. Oh, and we also cleaned the whole house to get rid of the nasty dust that comes along with renovations and stocked your fridge with some home-made food."
I think it may be a new t.v. show on TLC next season.

My dad changed around all the plumbing, moving the fixtures to different places, rewired the electricity, and drywalled. I'm sure making innumerable trips to Lowe's, while working his extra full-time job. He's so talented. My mom did tons to help, picking out great lighting and hardware, decorating beautifully, and adding a nice touch of fresh flowers. (We'll post pictures when it's finished. They thoughtfully left the painting to us since they know how picky we are about those kind of things.) When we walked into the bathroom for the first time, you guessed it, I cried.

They have always been incredibly supportive and giving, it has only increased over time. I'm taking mental notes on all the ways they've loved me for the past 26 years, and how they've loved my husband as their son, and hope to be the same kind of parent to our children.

Not only do I have great parents, I've got great in-law parents. None of those stereotypical in-law issues here. We arrived at the airport Monday to find that my mom-in-law had made the 9 hour drive from Indiana to welcome us home and be the expert house-cleaner that she is: making our house spotless, our kitchen floor newly waxed, and our cabinets stocked. My husband's dad would have loved to come as well, but work calls.

Both sets of parents have been our biggest supporters in our endeavor to Scotland, and not just financially. It's so great when your parent's and in-laws are your friends too!

Our parents are pretty cool. I think I'll keep 'em.

Back Home in RVA

Ahhhhh, what a great feeling. Our 8.5 hour flight landed at Dulles Monday and I shed a couple tears of joy at being home. You haven't received much of an update recently as a result of our attempting to squeeze as much into our last week in Belgium as possible, and our inability to stay awake past 9:00pm while our bodies adjust to EST here in Richmond.

Just a few things I'm enjoying with greater depth after being in Belgium for a month:
*free public toilets
*free condiments at restaurants, especially mayonnaise
*Diet Coke (Coke Light is NOT the same)
*the sunshine!!!
*large drinks, unlimited refills, and free tap water instead of still or sparkling bottled water
*our king size bed (we slept on two single beds pushed together).
*real cheeseburgers, not mystery meat patties.
*the English language
*Owen and Naomi, my family, and friends
*my job
*RVA

Just a few things I'm missing
*exceptional beer
*chocolate sprinkles served for breakfast
*a quieter culture (we Americans are LOUD)
*amazing public transportation
*beautiful architecture and really really old history (America is a baby; and in construction, beauty is sacrificed in the name of time and money)
*a slower pace of life
*our new friends
*Fanta Orange (it's a completely different drink in Europe)

Thanks for your support and encouragement while we were gone!


James checking out the guillotine, one of the many torture devices at the Castle of Counts in Ghent.


My skinny friend (please note the attractive, warm scarf made by my friend Valerie)



James' new buddy who aspires to be his equal in size.



Goodbye Friends! See you in Madrid and Mexico City when we visit!


One final self-taken potrait for you to enjoy