Various thoughts...

Birds
Well, the birds seem to have taken a liking to the free food. I really need to get that bird ID book I have been thinking about. Anyway, I have seen quite a few at the cedar feeder and the hummingbird comes by occasionally. Actually, he likes to come when I am taking Shadow out...and then he swoops around the corner only to see us and freaks out...so we are trying to remember to go farther away from the feeder for her to take care of herself.

Fitness
I had a full day today...had to get up early for that fitness testing stuff. They said I checked out okay... ;-) The guy giving the TB tests seemed to have a little difficulty giving me mine, as he ended up sticking me multiple times and at one point all the vaccine was dripped all over my arm and not in the "little bubble" it is supposed to create. So then he had to get a new needle and start all over again. 8-P Other than multiple "track" marks on my arm, I am none the worse for the wear. :-)

Orthodontists
Then later in the morning I had an orthodontist appointment. This was a follow up to the initial "let us look at you and see what we think" visit. This is the visit where they tell you what they think. ;-) So anyway to try to put it concisely, they recommend that I
1. Have all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed. "No big deal, they are erupted, so it should be fairly easy."
- these are not direct quotes, but paraphrasing and interpreting
2. Have a temporary splint made that will help ease some of the constant tension on my jaws.
- temporary? why? well, because the rest should probably wait until we see if and how much insurance will cover! yep, you knew that catch was coming! ;-)
3. Have braces for several months to year + to get my teeth in alignment for the next phase...
- patience, the big news is coming...
4. Have jaw surgery to "fix" my upper and possibly lower jaw.
- okay, there is some hugemous fancy name for it, but I cannot recollect it at the moment...apparently I have had a bony "defect" in my jaw since ??? anyway, one side is longer than the other...it is significant enough that I picked it out on the x-rays before he even got to saying it...anyway, this causes me to "compensate" for my teeth not aligning correctly (because it is impossible for them to) every time I bite, chew, swallow etc...consequently this causes constant strain and tension on my jaw muscles...and this could be a significant source of at least some of my constant headaches.
5. Continue treatment in braces for several months to finish up "detail" work on my teeth.

Then at this point I should not only have teeth that align correctly, but a jaw that does as well. While he cannot "guarantee" that this will help with my headaches, he is pretty sure it should help with at least some. From start to finish this will take an estimated 24 - 32 months...but we cannot really start until we get the word from the insurance.

The blessings are that
1. the oral surgery should be able to be covered under my major medical insurance, which covers more than my dental.
2. I am provided dental coverage through work.
3. I believe my dental coverage includes some orthodontics. (I do not have my fine print book to look at this moment, but before I even went the first time I tried to read up on it and I believe I have at least some coverage. So, until I learn otherwise, I will count that as a blessing.)

The prayer requests are
1. wisdom concerning all the aspects and decisions that I must make regarding this.
2. The financial needs involved.
3. That it would totally get rid of my headaches.

At this point I am thinking I will progress this direction as far and long as the Lord lets me. I have often prayed for answers to my headaches and thought I would pay anything I could to get rid of them. Even if this only reduces them by 50%...wow! that would be incredible! (I take something, usually OTC, for some degree of a headache just about every day.)

Well, seems like I was about to type something else about this...and it totally slipped my mind...Oh yeah...I go for my consult with the oral surgeon next Thursday, so would appreciate your prayers as he reviews my "case" before I get there and your prayers as we meet. Thanks.

Other than that, not much happened today. ;-) I am currently at work...figure I better start saving up the OT again...Whew! ;-) I think I will go try to catch a nap...hope I didn't just jinx us. :-P

Thoughts on sleep

Do but consider what an excellent thing sleep is: it is so inestimable a jewel that, if a tyrant would give his crown for an hour's slumber, it cannot be bought: of so beautiful a shape is it, that though a man lie with an Empress, his heart cannot beat quiet till he leaves her embracements to be at rest with the other: yea, so greatly indebted are we to this kinsman of death, that we owe the better tributary, half of our life to him: and there is good cause why we should do so: for sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. Who complains of want? of wounds? of cares? of great men's oppressions? of captivity? whilst he sleepeth? Beggars in their beds take as much pleasure kings: can we therefore surfeit on this delicate Ambrosia? Can we drink too much of that whereof to taste too little tumbles us into a churchyard, and to use it but indifferently throws us into Bedlam? No, no, look upon Endymion, the moon's minion, who slept three score and fifteen years, and was not a hair the worse for it.

-- Thomas Dekker

(I cannot take credit for this comment, which I found posted on RuthAnn's site.)

Flash flood!!!

Well, it happened again! It was kinda' frustrating at first, because I was literally about to walk out the door to go to church...but on the other hand, I consider it a blessing that I had not walked out the door yet! My washer flooded my kitchen! I guess the "stability" of this apartment floor (or the lack thereof) causes the tremendous seizures that my washer sometimes has (even though I have made sure it sits level and that the clothes are in it "evenly"). So apparently the item I had wedged in between the drain hose and the drain pipe (to keep them from coming apart again) worked its way loose...and the drain hose fell out, spewing dirty wash water over my kitchen floor. I heard something (and heard Shadow freak out) and went to investigate. Fortunately it was just about across the kitchen floor and I was able to grab a few towels and stop its trek. Then I hurriedly found more towels (okay, so now ALL the towels in my house are dirty) :-) and finished mopping it up. (Wow...telling the story is sure a lot easier than doing it was!) Well, as much as I have any say, it will not happen again! I took some wire I had and wired that silly drain hose to the adjoining faucet head...so in order to come out of the drain pipe it will have to break the wire. :-p Any way...I was disappointed that I wouldn't make it to church (since church had already started by the time I got it anywhere near cleaned up...good thing I am used to moving overweight patients...washing machines full of wet laundry and half the wash water are pretty heavy!) :-) I found a sermon tape and listened to that while I cleaned up. It was about finding how the Christian's joy is found in the Lord. It was good and encouraging. Well, while I was tempted to be mad at first...because I only get to go to church every other Wednesday b/c of work...I was really grateful that I was home when it happened...as finding it 3 hours later would have been MUCH more tragic! (that happened last time!) And I reminded myself that God allowed it, and knew it was going to happen, so it was okay and there was something else for me to learn/accomplish tonight.

Well, my tummy is a little hungry, so I better go eat something...in just one hour, food is forbidden, as I have my work physical in the morning, and it includes blood tests...that means I will be famished in about 1 hour and 15 minutes...as I have not really been hungry all day...just like you ABSOLUTELY have to sneeze if you are under strict orders not to move or make a sound. :-) Oh well...what shall I eat? nothing I have sounds good...but that is no excuse...I shall just make myself eat something I have. ;-)

Bread and a spider

I thought I would try making some bread tonight after church...so I followed the directions very carefully...and it flopped! It did the same thing the last time or two I tried to make this recipe. I have a "help" email in to Tanya, as it was her machine and the same kind of mix she used...maybe the machine just misses her? Anyway, instead of nice fluffy, sweet Hawaiian Bread, I have heavy, dense, Hawaiian brick. :-D So that will be headed to the trash.

My next idea was to make Monkey Bread. I have never made it before, but it sounded good. So I made some of it. It seems to have turned out pretty well...though I haven't actually tasted it. I was thinking about taking it to work, since I can't eat the whole thing myself...and am never quite sure if it is rude to take something to work that I have "started" eating? Hmm...

Anyway, the spider comes in as I am baking. I am in MY kitchen, minding MY business...when Mr. Eight-legs Hugemous goes prancing along the floor between MY oven (where the treasured Monkey Bread is) and MY refrigerator. Well, in a split second I determined I was going to be really brave and find a shoe and step on him...in that same split second Mr. Eight-legs Hugemous decides to go between the cupboard and the refrigerator, circumventing any intentions I have of squashing him! Great!!! Now I resort to the chemicals...good thing I keep a can of spray handy in most rooms...I whip it out from under the sink. Squirt.....! I can't quite tell if I have gotten him...he turns in a little circle...wait...(muffled scream)...he is running TOWARDS me! (Why on earth when something is trying to kill you do you run TOWARDS it?!?!) SSQQUUIIRRTT....................!!!!! (Have you ever noticed that you press the little squirt button harder when you are REALLY trying to kill the monster as he runs towards you?) Aha! the chemicals kick in...he decides that running towards the spraying menace is not the best option, but it is too late...he begins his tremorous convulsions. (For the sake of the faint of heart, I refrain from further describing his last few agonizing moments...) Now comes the disgusting task of disposing of his body! Ugh! I should call in the Crime Scene clean-up team, but decide that multiple layers of paper towels may offer me enough protection, if I am careful. Now, just for the record...I try to live a peaceful life, and I let the little creatures live...but they need to stay in their domain...and that is NOT my house! I don't go around outside looking for their homes to destroy, or take over or whatever...so they need to leave me and my house alone.

More from my older brother's visit

Josiah is my cute little fireman! :-)





Shadow cracks me up when she walks around on her back legs...she heard "intruders" in our back yard and had to investigate. She couldn't see outside (because it was dark) so she stood on her back legs to get a better look. :-) It is really funny to see her...



John and family were here for Easter too...



Two "lovables"...



On Monday we went to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia.



These two elephants were "fighting" over this hay...it was funny to watch, finally the "original" owner of the food picked it up and walked off. :-)



We got to watch the seal feeding...it is amazing how strong God created their "flippers".



I found this stoic little guy to be humorous...he stood there like a sentinel just about the entire time we were watching the penguins, and that included their "feeding" time too. :-)



The kids got their picture next to cutouts of Emperor Penguins. Riverbanks didn't have any of these, but had the cutouts so you could compare their size to that of the other penguins that they did have.



Well, I should post more LATER...as I need to head to bed, in order to make it to church in the morning. :-)

May you have a blessed Lord's Day!

My older brother's visit

Last week my older brother John, wife Maria, sons Johnathan and Josiah and daughter Kaili came to visit. They wanted to see Living Gallery, and then stayed to visit for a week. It was nice to see them and nice to get a break from my regular schedule. :-)

We stopped at one of the overlooks on the way to Pretty Place.



Aunt Lana, Kaili and Johnathan at Pretty Place. (Josiah was not feeling very photogenic at the moment.)




Josiah took great delight in Shadow, the two of them becoming fast friends the first day. One morning as he was burying himself in her "fluff" he looked up at me and said "She loves me!" :-) Yep, she did...and he loved her!




Kaili on the other hand was not so sure about the dog. She finally decided that if she got in Shadow's crate, then the dog would not be able to "get" her. However, seeing a little girl in her crate only made Shadow curious and want to investigate. :-D In the end, Kaili warmed up to Shadow...as long as their "meetings" were on Kaili's terms. :-)



Johnathan decided he wanted to impersonate Shadow playing frisbee.




My sister Lynetta came to Living Gallery with us on Friday night so on Saturday the kids and I took her back to Ambassador Baptist College in NC. We stopped in Gaffney to see the "Big Peach", or as Kaili called it..."the REALLY big peach!". :-D




If only I had known to order tomato plants before they came...as I had a very willing little "gardener".

My older younger brother's visit

In March my brother Brian, wife Molly and nephew Andrew came for a visit. Of course, most of the pictures I took were of Andrew. :-)




Andrew got to meet a doggie for the first time. ;-)



We did take a stroll through downtown Greenville and looked over the Reedy River at Falls Park.

A little more...

The houses/architecture are supposed to be a signature of Charleston. However, I couldn't help but notice how crooked everything was...from shutters to exterior walls to "fancy" decorative brick work. Definitely not a place for the Obsessive/Compulsive! ;-)Maybe that's the way things get after umpteen hurricanes. :-)




In truth though, there were some really pretty things to see. :-)

Phases...

Wow! I have been a busy little person the last few weeks and have a TON of pics to upload. I also know that if I wait to write a lengthy update...it will never get done...as I am struggling with time issues right now. (Though I will say that I have been working on that.) So I will just update with a few pics and thoughts as I can. :-D You won't get to see all my lovely pics at once...but that might get old and boring for you too. ;-)




The weekend of April 7th Holli and I went to Charleston with my friend Kendra from work. Her church, Hampton Park Baptist, was having a singles retreat.





Smiley went too...and rather enjoyed himself. (okay, so I have a "strange" sense of humor on 1 hour of sleep, and have this really bad habit of personifying inanimate objects.) I guess I helped keep Holli awake by keeping her amused. ;-)


Well, we arrived late and so had to take the "leftovers" in our cabin, which meant 2 of us got the hide-a-bed couch to sleep on and 1 person got to share a room with a "stranger" ...so we did the friendly thing and decided to make our own 3 person "room" on the screened in porch. ;-) It was rather amuusing to watch the reactions from the other girls as we moved the couch out onto the porch. It really was not that heavy...especially compared to some of the 400 lb. + people we get called out to assist in EMS. ;-) One girl who appeared to be the "leader" in our cabin commented incredulously...

you can't move the couch onto the porch!

I am not sure if she was doubting our ability or if it had never occured to her to move furniture to suit her needs better. Nonetheless, we assured her it was a viable option and proceeded. Yep, lifting 70 lb. stretchers with 300 lb. patients can come in handy sometimes. :-)

After we arranged our makeshift room for the weekend we decided to take a walk around the park. (We were staying at the James Island County Park.) Kendra and I, being night shifters, were wide awake at this point...and proceeded to drag Holli along around the ENTIRE 1 mile + trail. There was a nice ocean breeze and it was a comfortable walk. Along our way we stopped by the boathouse and found this swing. Oh yeah, we also found signs that said it was illegal to

"feed or harrass the alligators."

ALLIGATORS!!!

Great! Here we are walking around in the dark, the path goes beside the lake/bay...how are we supposed to know where the alligators are?!?! But we didn't let that small fear deter us and stopped shoreside for this picture. ;-) (Notice the beady little eyes pearing through the darkness in the background. ;-) Ha, ha. After arriving safely back at our "room", we happened to read the rules for the campground.

Please refrain from walking around the park after dark.

Oops! :-) We were good the rest of the nights.

Birds and mice...

The early bird may get the worm,
but the second mouse gets the cheese.

:-D I thought this was funny!

Munchkin & muffins!

Well, I just found out that Shadow likes blueberry muffins. I was in the spare room trying to check the weather for later this week when my brother and his family come...I heard this funny noise from the living/dining room...when I walked around the corner, there is Shadow standing ON TOP of the table, licking her lips while she sniffs around. Silly girl!!! The half of blueberry muffins I had set next to my tea...no where in site! Tsk, tsk! My girl is part kangaroo and part mountain goat, in addition to her dogginess! Oh well, it must have hit the spot, as she seemed very satsified! :-p

Delinquent posting

okay...so I have not posted FOREVER! it has been somewhat hectic...which is my fault... uhm, so several of us went to the opera @ BJU. It was Mephistopheles. Very good performance. The prelude was pretty impressive, utilizing footage from NASA. The group photo below is from that night.

Shadow is as lovable as ever...seen in photo below.

Brian, Molly & Andrew came to visit. They were down in the NC area looking for housing/jobs for when they move down in June. We had a nice visit and I enjoyed getting to meet Andrew. I also got to see the "official" wedding album. It was very nice...though they forgot to bring their Hawaii honeymoon pictures. ;-) I look forward to having them in the area. I have some pictures from their visit that I hope to post in the near future...I am at work at the moment, so can't post them.

John and Maria and family are coming next week. I am trying to get off work while they are here...but it might take a miracle...We hope to go to Living Gallery.

This weekend I am going to Charleston. A friend from work goes to Hampton Park Baptist Church and invited Holli and me to go to their Singles Retreat. I am looking forward to some time away and recreation! Things have been rather stressful at work lately and I really need a break. Charleston is supposed to be a pretty fun/neat town and I have wanted to go for a while.

I got "reassigned" to the Simpsonville station, Post 9, at work. I enjoy this call area so am happy to be back. I did really enjoy my time at Post 12 on Pelham Road. I got to know several of the Wade Hampton firefighters pretty well and we had fun. :-) They learned to save their "left over" food for me...and I would bake and bring them candy. :-D So we all got along really well. :-D I will miss them...but will be back. ;-) (right, B-shift? you can't get rid of me! ;-)

Well, I have a few more emails to write for work related stuff...so I better close this post.