Once upon a time when I moved back from South America I went to the dentist. I had been living abroad for a year and a half without dental care, but wasn't concerned - I made sure to get an exam and cleaning before I left the country, and took extra good care of my teeth while I was away. While I was gone my parents had switched dentists.
I got a cleaning and an exam done, pretty typical. Until this new dentist pulled out some machine I had never seen before. He used this hand held tool to "scan" my teeth, and every time it beeped he explained, it indicated I had a cavity. It was beeping. A lot. Like, 12 times. He didn't confirm these cavities by comparing the spots that beeped to the x-rays, either. I was wary. He knew I was heading back to school out of state soon, otherwise he was going to try and book me for multiple appointments to drill the heck out of my mouth. I was grateful for the excuse not to.
Fast forward a few years... I never went back to that dentist. I offered myself as a candidate for a dental student's final exam at UCLA thinking that maybe I could get one of those supposed 12 cavities taken care of for free. The dental student did a preliminary exam, took x-rays, and only found one cavity. That's right - ONE. And it was too small to qualify for his final exam. I was immediately grateful I hadn't returned to my parent's dentist.
That first exam back in the states however had left a bad taste in my mouth - so to speak; and I slacked on visiting any dentist regularly afterward. I just couldn't trust them! Trying to conquer my fears (and realizing I had a very likely cavity), I finally caved this year and went to a dentist I had met through a friend. Turns out that cavity (and one other) were bad enough that I've been to the dentist 4 times in the last month to do 2 crowns, and I still have one more cavity to fill in about a week. I do trust this dentist, but I am looking forward to not seeing her again for six months!
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Travel Wish List
Occasionally I check the map app I have at the bottom of my blog, as it's fun to see where in the world my blog has been read. Tonight I opened it up and discovered that someone had visited my blog from Casablanca, Morocco! Let me just tell you - Morocco has been near the top of my travel to-do list for many years now, for no particular reason really. I just want to go! That's how it was with New Zealand while I was growing up, and it turned in to the best trip I could have imagined when I went in 2009. So, since I spent the next several moments daydreaming about travel, I thought I'd post the places highest on my travel to-do list.
1. The Mediterranean - Greece, Turkey, Spain, Egypt, Morocco. There are a few more countries nearby that I wouldn't mind seeing as well, but these countries are the main draw for me.
2. Alaska - I think I'd prefer a cruise with maybe a couple of days in a row on land. I need to go in winter to see the northern lights, but don't want to completely freeze my butt off.
3. Oregon and Washington - In the fall to see the leaves change near the coast. I also need to stay in a tree house motel. This is non-negotiable.
Okay, I thought I would be making a bigger list of top contenders here, but as I continue to ponder I realize that these three are really the trips that would be my priority if I had the means to up and go right now. Everywhere else I can think of all fall at the same level of desire for the moment. I'm sure they will make their way up the list when I get the chance to check others off one day. So, in no particular order, here are a few more places that are milling around waiting for their time in the spotlight:
India, Australia (hiking Uluru would be cool), somewhere in Africa (I can't decide if I'm intrigued or petrified by the Congo, or if I want to see the bigger cities down south or go on a safari, etc. SO many options), Buenos Aires, Sweden (for their summer festivals), the rest of the 50 states I've never been to, Central America (Costa Rica, Belize and Panama), Peru, New Caledonia.
Now everyone wish for a bunch of money to fall in my lap so I can make it all happen! Ha - right. I'll be happy if I can save enough to see even a few of these places.
1. The Mediterranean - Greece, Turkey, Spain, Egypt, Morocco. There are a few more countries nearby that I wouldn't mind seeing as well, but these countries are the main draw for me.
2. Alaska - I think I'd prefer a cruise with maybe a couple of days in a row on land. I need to go in winter to see the northern lights, but don't want to completely freeze my butt off.
3. Oregon and Washington - In the fall to see the leaves change near the coast. I also need to stay in a tree house motel. This is non-negotiable.
Okay, I thought I would be making a bigger list of top contenders here, but as I continue to ponder I realize that these three are really the trips that would be my priority if I had the means to up and go right now. Everywhere else I can think of all fall at the same level of desire for the moment. I'm sure they will make their way up the list when I get the chance to check others off one day. So, in no particular order, here are a few more places that are milling around waiting for their time in the spotlight:
India, Australia (hiking Uluru would be cool), somewhere in Africa (I can't decide if I'm intrigued or petrified by the Congo, or if I want to see the bigger cities down south or go on a safari, etc. SO many options), Buenos Aires, Sweden (for their summer festivals), the rest of the 50 states I've never been to, Central America (Costa Rica, Belize and Panama), Peru, New Caledonia.
Now everyone wish for a bunch of money to fall in my lap so I can make it all happen! Ha - right. I'll be happy if I can save enough to see even a few of these places.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Surviving "Fridays"
My bad sleep pattern has continued throughout the week. It didn't help that I checked out new books to read from the library, started a new puzzle, and attempted to binge watch everything on my Netflix queue that was on their March 1st removal list. I may or may not have tried participating in all 3 activities at once.
Last night I was looking for some additional material for my part of the Relief Society (women's organization) lesson I helped teach in church today. I got started later in the evening after attending a friend's game night and didn't think it would take me long to find the type of information I wanted; I had the basics of my lesson but wanted to add a personal touch - a story or thought that would make the subject of the lesson resonate a little better. During my search I pulled a thick binder from my bookshelf full of letters that I received during the 16 months I lived in Uruguay while serving a full-time mission for my church. I started flipping through the pages scanning here and there, and quickly found what I was looking for. I jotted down my notes, connected my disjointed thoughts on the paper by drawing arrows between paragraphs and underlining certain points I wanted to make sure I highlighted, and felt content that I had enough bullet points to complete my task the next day.
The binder was still sitting open on my bed and I continued to look through its pages. I quickly noticed from the beginning that the vast majority of letters I had received from friends and family all included happy messages meant to lift me up; they talked about how they knew I would be a great missionary and that they knew I'd have a lot of success, and how they knew that I would return feeling blessed and happy at the end of it all. They knew. Or maybe that's just what you say to someone who suddenly moves away from everything familiar to them for a year and a half, and you expect them to probably encounter a few difficulties along the way. A few words of encouragement. They sounded so sure that I would come home with nothing but love for the country and people I served, and a few handfuls of nothing-but-awesome experiences. I wish they had been right.
I then came upon the letter I received about six months after I had arrived in the country that flipped my entire experience upside down. I remember the day I opened it after our weekly planning meeting. I remember my vision fading to shades of black and white and tunneling in as I read what was written, stumbling backward until my knees hit a bench and buckled, collapsing me onto its seat and quite possibly saving me from a concussion had I hit the ground. I'm not ready to talk about the exact contents of the letter or the details of what had happened in such a public place, but I remember feeling like everything I had been working for was a waste. I felt my efforts were hurting rather than helping people find joy and happiness. I struggled with those thoughts, doubts, and guilt for the remainder of my time abroad; I have struggled with them since I have been home. Over time I have slowly gained some understanding and some peace about the situation, but that's not to say those feelings and thoughts are completely gone. They occasionally resurface, and rereading the letter last night sent me back through a wave of those emotions.
I couldn't bring myself to get through many more letters after that; I was now both physically and emotionally wiped out. However, one last letter from a friend serving a mission in Cambodia caught my eye as I cleared the binder off of my bed. He referenced a talk given by an apostle of our church; one which I had heard before, but couldn't quite remember it's take away. I pulled it up on my computer and read through its message, and was amazed by the timing in which the letter had been sent to me. My friend knew nothing of my current situation; letters we wrote to each other took over a month to reach their destination. I'm pretty sure the message helped in the moment, and it was a great reminder for me last night as well. My favorite part:
"Each of us will have our own Fridays - those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.
"But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death - Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.
"No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."
-Joseph B. Wirthlin
Life gets tough at times. Reading letters at 3:30am that bring up bad memories doesn't help. Hang in there, take things one step at a time and we'll get through our "Fridays." Even if it doesn't seem like it right now.
Last night I was looking for some additional material for my part of the Relief Society (women's organization) lesson I helped teach in church today. I got started later in the evening after attending a friend's game night and didn't think it would take me long to find the type of information I wanted; I had the basics of my lesson but wanted to add a personal touch - a story or thought that would make the subject of the lesson resonate a little better. During my search I pulled a thick binder from my bookshelf full of letters that I received during the 16 months I lived in Uruguay while serving a full-time mission for my church. I started flipping through the pages scanning here and there, and quickly found what I was looking for. I jotted down my notes, connected my disjointed thoughts on the paper by drawing arrows between paragraphs and underlining certain points I wanted to make sure I highlighted, and felt content that I had enough bullet points to complete my task the next day.
The binder was still sitting open on my bed and I continued to look through its pages. I quickly noticed from the beginning that the vast majority of letters I had received from friends and family all included happy messages meant to lift me up; they talked about how they knew I would be a great missionary and that they knew I'd have a lot of success, and how they knew that I would return feeling blessed and happy at the end of it all. They knew. Or maybe that's just what you say to someone who suddenly moves away from everything familiar to them for a year and a half, and you expect them to probably encounter a few difficulties along the way. A few words of encouragement. They sounded so sure that I would come home with nothing but love for the country and people I served, and a few handfuls of nothing-but-awesome experiences. I wish they had been right.
I then came upon the letter I received about six months after I had arrived in the country that flipped my entire experience upside down. I remember the day I opened it after our weekly planning meeting. I remember my vision fading to shades of black and white and tunneling in as I read what was written, stumbling backward until my knees hit a bench and buckled, collapsing me onto its seat and quite possibly saving me from a concussion had I hit the ground. I'm not ready to talk about the exact contents of the letter or the details of what had happened in such a public place, but I remember feeling like everything I had been working for was a waste. I felt my efforts were hurting rather than helping people find joy and happiness. I struggled with those thoughts, doubts, and guilt for the remainder of my time abroad; I have struggled with them since I have been home. Over time I have slowly gained some understanding and some peace about the situation, but that's not to say those feelings and thoughts are completely gone. They occasionally resurface, and rereading the letter last night sent me back through a wave of those emotions.
I couldn't bring myself to get through many more letters after that; I was now both physically and emotionally wiped out. However, one last letter from a friend serving a mission in Cambodia caught my eye as I cleared the binder off of my bed. He referenced a talk given by an apostle of our church; one which I had heard before, but couldn't quite remember it's take away. I pulled it up on my computer and read through its message, and was amazed by the timing in which the letter had been sent to me. My friend knew nothing of my current situation; letters we wrote to each other took over a month to reach their destination. I'm pretty sure the message helped in the moment, and it was a great reminder for me last night as well. My favorite part:
"Each of us will have our own Fridays - those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.
"But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death - Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.
"No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."
-Joseph B. Wirthlin
Life gets tough at times. Reading letters at 3:30am that bring up bad memories doesn't help. Hang in there, take things one step at a time and we'll get through our "Fridays." Even if it doesn't seem like it right now.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Un-Alarming
Nearly every day of my adult life requires me to wake up with the use of an alarm. Waking up with an alarm is normal for me; I even tend to use an alarm on a day off to make sure I still get up and do something productive. The only time I find an alarm annoying is when I fail to get a minimum of 6 hours of sleep - my body seems to function semi-normally as long as I get 6 hours a night, but it really wants 8 or 9 hours if possible.
Remember how I said I was subbing classes for another instructor? I was originally supposed to sub for about two and a half weeks, but just wrapped things up this week after subbing for four weeks! I definitely loved having the extra work and seeing my students more often, yet my body is ready for a break!
Tomorrow I have nothing on my calendar until 8pm. I can't tell you how excited I am to snuggle up in my bed tonight! And I will NOT be setting an alarm for tomorrow.
Remember how I said I was subbing classes for another instructor? I was originally supposed to sub for about two and a half weeks, but just wrapped things up this week after subbing for four weeks! I definitely loved having the extra work and seeing my students more often, yet my body is ready for a break!
Tomorrow I have nothing on my calendar until 8pm. I can't tell you how excited I am to snuggle up in my bed tonight! And I will NOT be setting an alarm for tomorrow.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
The Magic Castle
Our final group consisted of 6 people; Blaine, a catcher in the flying trapeze world and aerial performer, his girlfriend Leia who is also an aerialist, my business partner Mike and his date (her name is escaping me right now), and myself with my friend/date Chris (not in the circus world at all). We arrived early and entered the castle for our dinner reservations, whispering a magic word to an owl on the bookshelf to reveal the secret door. Once everyone had met each other's dates we sat down in the lounge to listen to invisible Irma (a ghost) play the piano. If you ever get a chance to visit with Irma be sure to ask her what the scariest song she knows is - it cracked us up!
When our time to dine arrived we headed upstairs to the restaurant. Everyone visiting the castle is required to make dinner reservations and order an entree, and they start around $35/plate. With the main course, a few appetizers, and desserts to share, and gratuity included, our bill for 6 people was just over $400! We did know what we were getting into and splurged a little anyway - we were already there, why not enjoy the experience?
Wandering the castle after dinner was the best part of the night. Because we went during the week the castle wasn't very crowded and we could easily get in to see various performances. We saw shows in three different rooms, such as the Parlor of Prestidigitation (say that 5 times fast!), and the Close-Up Gallery, a tiny room that seated about 25 people, where the usher had me sit at the front table next to the performing magician! Because of my viewpoint I could figure out some of the illusions that were being done, but there were many I could not! A few other magicians performed in little alcoves along the hallway as well, and a couple of them even offered us their business cards with an invitation for us to come to the castle again in the future.
It was a fun night filled with good food and entertainment, and it was even more satisfying to have everyone in our group just enjoy each other's company, even though walking into the evening some people didn't know each other well, or at all. The conversation between everyone never once felt awkward or forced; a perk of growing up I guess?
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| Chris, me, Blaine, and Leia outside of the castle at the end of the night (photos aren't allowed inside); Mike and his date left later. |
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