BEIJING!!! #5

Hey Everyone,

So I'm sure most of you have seen the results by now. I'm sorry I tried to email yesterday, but the internet here was acting up. Gil placed 9th by 1/100 with a 1:55.36. It was a bit of a tough blow, BUT he's an Olympian. NOTHING beats watching him walk out onto the deck as one of the best in the world. I am glad to say that he is in good spirits. He may be a little more disappointed than he's showing, but that just goes to show how strong of a person he is. The first words out of his mouth when I saw him were "I made it here". In the taxi on the way to eat with Gil we were talking about the race....about what an accomplishment it is to be here.He said it's like that joke "What do you call a Medical school graduate with the lowest GPA? A doctor." Point being....he's an Olympian no matter his place or time. I'm so glad he has that perspective. Although, I confess a few tears streamed down my face at the end of his race. I wanted it for him. I look back four years ago at this time and Gil was 9th at Olympic Trials....now he is 9th at the Olympics with the fourth fastest time in the world. WOW...incredible! It's all about the process.

After talking to him it sounds like he may have been a little over tapered. He may have lost some conditioning because of that. The good thing is he knows for next time. I just keep thinking....maybe it's meant to be Gil AND Brooks in London, both winning medals together for the first time!!! Who knows what's in store.

We're all so proud of him! Thanks for all your prayers and support. This has been such an incredible experience.

Gil will be coming home to Memphis at some point soon. I say we all give him a HUGE welcome home!!

See ya soon
Dottie

Bummer in Beijing

Well, thank you for rooting, praying, sending fish thoughts Gil's way.
His amazing Olympic experience has come to an abrupt end placing 9th
in the Men's 200 fly when he needed to place at least 8th to compete
for a medal.

But that's ok! We love him no less and look forward to his
achievements in the next four years!! We'll see u on the highest
podium in 4 yrs Gil!!!!!!!!! We love u!!!!!!!!!!

~ Kerri

BEIJING!!!! #3

Alright, I'm going to make this one short and sweet. I'm exhausted and ready to go to bed. Gil did great! Swam a 1:55.4. He is seated 8th going into semis. He didn't quite look like himself behind the blocks today. Maybe it was nerves or just this whole new experience of the Olympics!! Hopefully he got the jitters out. He looked awesome though. I can't even begin to describe my feelings as he walked out to swim the fly. My chest swelled with pride!! I didn't expect to feel as nervous as I did for prelims. I think I was more anxious just to see him rather than see him swim!! Anyways, I could go on and on about the Olympic Green. A thousand words couldn't do it justice nor the pictures either. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves....as much as they possibly can. It is above and beyond!! Alright, so good solid start for his journey to the podium!! Everybody say some prayers tonight. Here's to Gil's first Olympic race.....it's just the beginning!! Talk again soon!Dottie

Beijing!!!! #2

Hello Again.... So, it's t-4 hours until Gil swims and I'm getting a little nervous. All the shopping and sight seeing has kept my mind off of things (which is good). But now I'm starting to really feel it. Phelps has 2 of 8 golds so far. He is on fire! Let's hope Gil plays off of all the excitement! He's going to go faster....I just know it! I am at Hometown Hopefuls again and who comes to sit at my table?? Jenny Thompson! Wow, that was surreal. It took me a minute to recognize her. She is from New England so not as friendly as we Southerners, but she warmed up after a while. I think she was worried we might be crazy fans or something because she was wearing her sunglasses during half the meal. haha. We had a good conversation with her and some of her friends. I should have gotten a picture with her, but i didn't want to bother her while she was eating. I think I'll get a chance to see her again....and I'm sure others. No worries, I'll get some good pics! Oh and I have also sat and talked to Brendan Hanson's family. Great people!! So friendly and really funny too :) Ok so today we shopped til we dropped. I mean literally too! The markets here are endless. This city is sooooo big. I've never seen so many large buildings. Beijing alone has 16 million people in it! That is way more than the whole state of Arkansas. The architecture here is amazing. I've heard that this Olympics has the best venues of anywhere. I believe it! We haven't made it over to the Olympic Green yet, but we will tonight for prelims. I can't wait. I'll have to write again to tell you about that. Oh and Gil will swim prelims at 5:30 AM not pm. Sorry i accidently typed the wrong thing. We are 13 hours ahead. You will most likely be sleeping when he swims, but I will email you the results as soon as I can. Alright, I need to go for now, but I will write again soon! Thanks for those of you who wrote back. I will stay in touch! Dottie

BEIJING!!! #1

Hello Everyone!!

I thought I would try and email as much as I could to share what I've been doing in China!! I'll try to keep in touch, but my internet access is limited!

Ok so first....the flight here....stinking loooooong is all I have to say! And even longer because Mom wanted to tell EVERY single person on the way here about Gil. But who can blame her right?? So I met a guy on the plane who swam at Michigan. I quickly learned he was a Tarwater fan. Though he was polite, sadly I could feel some tension there. He didn't come right out and say it, but I think in his mind it was a fluke. His words were "Crazy things happen". I know this may sound imature,but the only thing going through my head was "L-O-S-E-R".

Anyways, so I got here late Saturday night. This is the busiest place I've ever been. Bikes everyone, taxis everyone, people everywhere!! It's been an adventure trying to talk with the people here(we've already gotten into a fight with a taxi driver). They try to rip you off so bad! We rode a taxi to the The Great Wall today. I can't wait to show you all the pictures. It is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Although, with the smog and pollution it's hard to get a clear pic. It really is as bad as they say here. While on the way to the cable car to ride to the site we were going to....I stopped to ride a camel!! Ok that was an experience. That is by far the oddest animal. The humps just don't seem real for some reason.

So I have to tell you that we were in a cable car with 3 girls from Germany. They could speak a little English. John told them about Gil and then all the sudden they were just as friendly as can be. Not only that, but they wanted a pic with me. How crazy?? That was pretty entertaining. It's so amazing going to the Great Wall because you see so many different cultures there. People from all over the world come to see it!! I loved hearing all the different languages and accents.

I had fun heckling with the towns people over souveneirs. They are relentless!!!! But I did manage to get some neat stuff for cheap. That's ALWAYS fun!

Ok so now I am writing to you from the Hometown Hopefuls spot sponsored by Bank of America. Free food, drinks, internet use, etc etc, from 11:00am-11:00pm. It's amazing! My mother's fiance has already met Natalie Coughlins parents and shook George Bush Sr.'s hand. Mom and I met some water polo parents tonight. They have really set everyone up nice. There is definitely an incredible feel to all of this. The whole Olympics thing is really starting to set in now. I'm pumped!!

Thank you thank you thank you to all of you who helped me get here!! Already I can say I have had an unforgettable experience....after just one day.

I talked to Gil today....he sounds ready to go! I can't wait. Prelims for the 2 fly start August 11 at 6:30pm. So, I think that will be August 10 at 5:30pm your time. I don't know if you'll get to see him, but keep your eyes open. I will try to write again tomorrow. Until then, Go USA!!!! and GO GIL!!!

Dottie

YAY LeBonheur!!

So, for those of you who might be wondering, I did not get to see the celebrity who was recently at the hospital where I am working. I did come close - twice. But never did. I did meet the guy in the room next to him though! Anyway!

My OT supervisor was out of town on Thurs and Fri so Thurs I spent in acute care and got to do lots of treatments by myself! Thurs afternoon, I treated outpts by myself!

Then, on Friday, I got to follow another OT Heather who does PRN at THE MED and LeBonheur. So, I got to go to LeBonheur!!! It was incredible! I freaking love LeBonheur. You can really tell a difference between LeBonheur and THE MED - lots of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Bottom line: THE MED is poor (for whatever reason - either b/c they don't know how to advertise that they need money or b/c no one wants to give them money.) and LeBonheur is rrrrrrrriiiiiiiicccccchhhhhhh. My friend Karen volunteers there as a special care volunteer (she rocks babies!!) so I'm thinking about looking into that with her. THE MED doesn't allow that for some reason...

I really enjoyed LeBonheur and really enjoyed getting to know Heather better. She's awesome. and she has a blog! (I'll ask for permission to post her blog soon).

Really, I need to figure out what I want to do when I get out of school - general rehab, inpt, outpt, acute, peds, nicu, augh!! the choices!! then there's deciding full time, part time, contract, prn!!!! grrrr! any suggestions/recommendations?!?!

well, on Monday, it's back to the NICU!!! Itty bitty babies yay!

We've had a great wknd so far - my mom's fam came over last nite for dinner - aunt/uncle, their 4 y/o granddaughter, another uncle (whose wife couldn't make it), my mom/dad, and sister (the older one). B & I made lasagna from scratch...it was fun but we'll probably never do it again! We had a fun time & my sister ended up staying the nite...it was nice to catch up. We've done abs nothing today (well, B mowed the grass this morning & I cleaned the kitchen & swept the house) except watch the Olympics & NOVA (Newtonian physics yay). We did make a run to Lowe's for a couple of things. B has a softball game tonite at 9. Tonite's his last game unless the choose to do a tournament.

Also, we have a stray cat...he's beautiful & has a collar but no identifying information on him. I'm going to make a post on craig's list & make some signs. I'll also post some pics on my blog if anyone can spread the word.

I'm out.

xoxo
Kerri

a wknd of nastalgia

b & i had a great wknd (i know-it's not over yet!). we ended up going out to eat at a local mexican restaurant on friday nite with karen, brooke, and todd. brooke is a classmate who is doing a rotation in chattanooga right now (todd's her boyf). it was great to catch up & hang out!

after dinner, karen came over for a short while & entertained us with her creative song writing/guitar playing (which is just lovely :P). karen left to hang out with brooke at a local bookstore where brooke worked the release party for the newest book in the twilight series. if i ever finish pillars of the earth, twilight series is next on my list!

saturday, b & i woke up & had our traditional saturday morning pancakes. then, we borrowed the spiegel's electric lawn mower (THANK YOU E&M!). B mowed grass while i worked in the flower beds - weeding, watering, being amazed at the size of my roma tomato plant & my okra plant!, and weedeating (which was a blast - i have the wounds to prove it!). it was sooooooo hot (like 101*F!!), so b had the great idea to get out our sprinkler to play in!! we had sooooooo much fun! i felt like 10 years old! it was great!

then we played super nintendo all nite (mario brothers 3&2!). talk about nastalgic. i could just about smell the cinnamon rolls my mom would make every saturday morn while my sisters and i played nintendo!

today, b worked on our 3 panel screen which turned out (so far) beautifully!! he really is great at woodworking! he worked on that while i went to dottie's shower thrown by some of john mark's mom's friends. it was a great shower - dottie got TONS of great stuff! it was somewhat awkward though b/c dottie hardly knew anyone there since they were all jm's side. but there were a few ppl there we both knew. anyway - great turnout - lots of fun stuff! i can't wait to see dottie as a wife!! only a few weeks left until her big day!

now b & i are about to watch a movie and play gin rummy! it's been a great whirlwind wknd...and now b has to leave for nashvegas in the morning for the wk :(. so anyway - we're going to get back to spending time together.

xoxo

interesting nicu stuff

so i went to nicu/special care today for my first official day of the next 7 weeks there! i was able to treat, eval, and do notes in the computer! we saw all sorts of babies! some interesting things:
- a baby with a genetic disorder where neither one of his radii form (one of two forearm bones). this made his precious little arms and hands fold to look like wings! his dad and grandad have a similar malformation.
- premies & really most newborns are easily overstimulated. some of the ways they react to overstimulation include crying (duh), putting their hand to their face as if to say "i'm done!," flailing arms & legs, and the most interesting tidbit of the day: hiccuping. Yes-hiccuping is a sign of overstimulation (at least in babies). i wonder if this holds true for adults as well.
- and this heartbreaker: the realization that some of these babies are born, and left at the hospital in the nicu b/c momma just can't handle it or is too overwhelmed or never wanted baby in the first place - much less one with special needs. how terrible is that?
- a miracle baby who's mom had 3 previous pregnancies all of which were stillborn or spontaneously aborted. most of the issues are secondary to the mom having difficulty keeping fluid in her uterus (i can't remember the medical term for this-i should look it up!). the baby grew in limited fluid from 17 wks on & was born at like 27 wks. she's awesome!
- a baby who's been in the hospital for her whole 3 month life with liver issues. her tummy was extremely distended from her enlarged liver. but man she was a cute kid.
- a yummy donut (every friday for nicu!!!)

in closing, my new supervisor is great and i'm looking forward to learning a lot! i plan to contact my family friend who is a nicu ot in chicago to get some more inside info to perhaps help me do the best possible treatments for these precious babies!!!!!! any one know any good nicu / ot resources? i plan to read the chapter on nicu in case-smith this week. any other ideas?

xoxo

ps - happy birthday granny margie! (today is brent's grandmother's b'day!)

yayayayayayYAY

so, finally after much turmoil, i have a psych placement in Jan!! FOR SURE!! it's in West Memphis, AR, with children who have developmental disabilities and mental illnesses and stuff! It will definitely be a learning experience! One of my classmates is there now - I plan to talk to her to get the low down before too long. Anyway!

We've had an amazingly busy week! Saturday nite, I helped host my best friend Dottie's first shower and it was a lingerie shower at my house! It was a huge success!!!! We had a lovely intimate dinner with the most amazingly cute cake shaped like a corset complete with big round bosoms! We then played Kiss the Bride's Ass wearing bright red lipstick and kissing a pic of John Mark taped to a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game! Then, we read a panty poem to Dottie & gave her like 7 pairs of panties (white for first nite, black for honeymoon, red for valentine's, etc.). She opened presents & got tons of amazing stuff - she got a little bit of everything from fru-fru, cute, to racey & slutty! It was perfect!

After the official shower was over, some of the girls stayed after & some of the guys came over: Dottie's mom's fiance' (John), Dottie's fiance' (John Mark), and Anne's brother (Michael). We all played this crazy game - 4 ppl on a couch. Then we played Scattegories which is always fun. Mom spent the nite with me & Dottie slept in the extra BR. Mom & I got up Sun & went to Costco then down to Oxford/Abbeville. B went down the nite b4 after his double header softball game (both games they lost :(. His dad's birthday was yesterday (Happpppy Birthday to my fave FIL!). We got to visit with a lot of his fam-even some out-of-town cousins we haven't seen since like Christmas! It was great!

Then, we came home late last nite to find Dottie & John Mark registering for things at Lowe's on our computer (hint hint). Yes, they have no computer! We played our favorite game, Settlers of Catan while I dovetailed addressing wedding invitations. B won, D & JM left, & we went to bed.

This morning, I went in early (7 AM) (no outpt til 10) & tx on the floors!!! (in acute care in other words). Then, we had a full day in outpt care! I even got to make an outrigger splint for a pt - my first splint for a pt ever!!! It wasn't pretty but if you could have seen the guy's face when we put that on, it would have made your week! He was so excited to have a regained ability to open his hand to grasp things! He & I also got in a discussion about Wii games & how he could use his Wii at home to help with his rehab! It was awesome!

I came home this afternoon to B & Dottie who was waiting on me to work out. We ran/walked somewhere around 2/2 miles. Not bad considering I'm far from considering myself a "runner!" I'm embracing it though - Dottie's tolerating me! It was a great workout but man it really kicked my arse.

B worked from home today. Our AC messed up over the wknd but he figured out how to fix it. I'm about to help him, then take a shower, and finally make some fish tacos for dinner! YUM YUM.

This is my last week as full time outpt. I will be floating next week between acute, NICU, & outpt (probably NICU & outpt mostly). I am superexcited to work with the itty bitty babies!! yayayayay!

And I'm out.

xoxo

finally - a full day of outpts!!

Yay! Finally, we saw patients in outpt all day. Recently, it's been like 10 scheduled and only 1 shows up...boring. My CI & I have hypothesized several reasons for this no-show phenomenon: 1. gas: prices are way too high & it's hard to justify coming to therapy when you live 60 mi away or something. as much as I love OT, not everyone has the same passion! LOL 2. holidays/vacations: ppl are in & out of town, busy, and have kids out of school to take care of. Therefore, therapy gets put (understandably) on the back-burner. 3. Ppl may not understand the benefits/importance of OT. So, we need to get the word out there that OT IS AWESOME & EVERYONE NEEDS A LITTLE OT!!

On a side note, I need to refresh on the Purdue Pegboard & learn more about the O'Connor Tweezer Dexterity Test (heard of it?). I don't remember the O'Connor from school. Anyway.

Just wanna say - I have the best husband ever - I've had a headache since last Wed & he's so sweet to me. Even though I want to do stuff around the house, he encourages me to just relax & he'll take care of it all. And he actually does! He's cooking dinner right now (fish tacos - yum!). & it's ready...so I'm going to eat! Thanks for reading!

xoxo

PS I'm going to TMJ specialist on Wed!! YAY!

well, sorry

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days...I've had the same headache for 4 days straight now. But that's ok :). I'm going to a TMJ specialist on Wed afternoon after work to have her analyze me...I hope she's able to help me! All I can say is: at least it's not a brain tumor!

This week has been crazy! My CI has been very sick b/c she is pregnant. She turned in her 2 wk notice on Thurs b/c she is trying to find somewhere she can go full time and get full benefits (her current insurance doesn't cover maternity). So, it looks like I'll be going to NICU a week early! (I was going to do 6 wks outpt/6 wks NICU). Now I get to do 5 wks outpt/7 wks NICU. Am I complaining? I think not! I am really excited about hanging out with the itty bitty babies!!!!!!!!!

Last nite, we had sooo much fun! Karen, Doug, E, & M came over & we hung out for a while, played Mario Kart Wii, and then played Scattergories - which is hilarious playing with those ppl! Their creativity is astonishing! I freaking love Scattergories!

My mom adopted another cat (she already has 2 cats & 2 dogs) the day before yesterday. He's 4, his name is Orangey, & he apparently looks like Sweet Pea (oh, joy.). His owner is moving, and super upset to give him away. But what she doesn't know, is that Orangey is going to the best cat caregiver in the world! The owner is a friend of a friend. Well, the cat disappeared yesterday morning. Mom was soooo very upset. She thought he was gone forever. She was depressed all day long. So sad :(. She called Orangey's previous owner and said something like, "I did the best I could with Sweet Pea, but I'm not sure that I did my best with Orangey!" She felt terrible.

Then, around 10 o'clock last nite, Richard hears a meow. Orangey was in my mom's closet. All day. She was sooooo relieved! As were the rest of us b/c mom would have never forgiven herself if he had disappeared. Needless to say, mom's much better now & I imagine Orangey is, too.

I'm going to look for lingerie shower stuff for Dottie's lingerie shower I'm helping host next weekend!! B's going to another woodworking class. He's mowing the grass right now. He's such a great husband. I really can't believe how fun & amazing our life together is! Cheesy I know.

I promise more posts this week...maybe.

xoxo

ahh the wknd

We had a great wknd this past wknd. On Sat, I woke up at 6:30 AM and went to the Memphis Farmers Market with Karen. Check it out: http://www.memphisfarmersmarket.com/story.htm. I met 3 of her friends who are major foodies. MFM was amazing & fun! But it was soooo hot!

After MFM Karen & I went to the Mississippi River & walked right along the water's edge. It was supercool. Then we sat down on some rocks to watch the water. I found this really cool stone that had layers upon layers built up & threw it to see if I could break it (not very hard or far). 1 piece broke off that looks like 3 states if you turn it the right way (more if you think about it really hard): MS, TN, and AL. It's kind of a stretch but I kept it anyway!

B got up & mowed the grass & got his hair cut Sat morn. We had lunch & B went to a woodworking class at a local woodworking shop. He really enjoyed it, I think!

Last nite, I decided to ride my bike for my workout. I rode for about 15 min when I noticed my tire was low (plus my handlebars were messed up). So, I came home but really wasn't finished working out, so I decided to walk. My legs were already warmed up so before I knew it, my walk turned into a run. And for those of you who know me at all, you know that Kerri does not run. I'm not a runner. Not built like one. It hurts to run. Except for last nite strangely enough. So, I'm going to start running some...just a bit. & incorporate it into my workouts that I already do. Just for a change. We'll see where it leads me! Watch out America - I might be the next Forrest Gump! LOL

FW today was a blast (as usual)! I observed an OT Eval in Acute care first thing since outpt first pt wasn't until 10 AM. The eval was interesting...the doctor was in there the whole time which was fine. At times, I felt in the doctor's way & at times, I think she felt in our way. It was quite awkward. So what are the expectations? If I had to set the expectations, I would say it's whoever is in there first gets to do what they need to do with the pt. If the doctor's in there first, then the OT comes back later. BUT if the OT is in there first, the doctor says "Oh, I'll just come back later," yet never leaves & sneaks her exam in during the OT session! Does anyone else thinks at times this can be distracting to the pt & therapist(s)? Too many ppl in the room? But at the same time, I understand a doctor has a tight schedule...but it's not like no one else has a tight schedule! The doctor today was very nice & I'm sure was well intentioned but I felt we could not get an accurate eval in b/c of her involvement at times. Maybe we could have come back later - but maybe she could have, too. Esp since she said she would at the beginning! Anyway - I'm ranting on way too long - much longer than I really care about this subject!

I treated outpts the rest of the day. We had 2 evals (which I performed yay). One was a girl who is my age & has already had a stroke (at 17 y/o!). She had an amazing spirit though. She really brightened my day.

After I came home & changed clothes & got a snack, I headed to E & M's to see their new puppy - Lucy. She's sooo cute. She looks like an itty bitty German Shepherd with floppy ears & a long body. She's very small though - part Dauchsand (sp) & part something else. Anyway - had a blast over there. Now I'm just waiting for B to get home so we can have dinner....mmmmmm fish tacos!!

Oh - btw - made tzatziki sauce from scratch yesterday. Found a great recipe - give it a try: http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/07/worlds-best-tzatziki-sauce-recipe-greek.html. It's deliious with beef, chicken, rice, anything really!

and I'm out.

xoxo

NICU NICU I LOVE NICU

so, my CI called in sick today, so I was able to observe TICU with a new OT for 1 pt. Then I went to NICU with another OT. I was stoked. I freaking LLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEE NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)!!! I saw the tiniest babies I've ever seen. The smallest one being 2.5 pounds!! & her PCA was term! (her post conceptual age was 38 weeks). She was born at 34 wks so it's strange that she's so small. But man, NICU was amazing. I really think I've found the love of my OT life. Actually, I am probably going to go to the NICU for the 2nd 6 wks of my 12 wk rotation. The OT said I'll get to do all the treatments with the babiesssss!!!!!

ok. so anyway. I can't be a NICU OT right out of school - I have to have 2 yrs clinical experience. But it's possible to work for 2 years in the same location as a NICU but in a rehab (either acute or inpt) then transfer to NICU. So, I dunno - we'll see!

I'm excited to learn more & more about OT in the real world!

xoox

the sweet pea story

When I was 6, my mom got this cat as a gift from a Presbyterian minister. His name was Sweet Pea (the cat - not the minister!). We had him for about a year when he had trauma. Major trauma. To this day, we're not sure what happened, but we think he got hit by a car or something. And lived.

We were dirt poor (we = my mom & me) living in Memphis. My mom somehow paid hundreds of dollars to have Sweet Pea's dear tail amputated so he could live. I mean I'm talking blood transfusions, stitches, the whole nine yards.

A couple of years later, we move to Water Valley, MS, & I get a kitten named Tigger. Sweet Pea has moved with us from Memphis to WV. At this point he has no tail.

Tigger develops a sore on the side of his cheek, so we take him to the vet who then diagnosis Tigger with Leukemia. No more Tigger much to my dismay. The vet suggests we bring in Sweet Pea b/c Leukemia is very contagious within cats. So we do.

When we bring him in, the office says, "We also have this new test for Feline HIV/AIDS. Can we test him for that, too?" Sure go ahead. The cat tests negative on Leukemia & positive on AIDS. At this point, he has no tail & AIDS.

A few years later, Mom's dear cat gets constipated. And of course, being the animal-(esp Sweet Pea)lover my mom is, she is giving Sweet Pea daily enemas at home. The vet in Oxford tells her it's his colon. She takes Sweet Pea to Memphis & pays no telling how much to have his colon removed. At this point, he has no tail, AIDS, & no colon.

B/c of all of these surgeries on his ass, Sweet Pea now has no nerve endings to push out his poo. No worries though - Mom to the rescue. For the next 5 years (yes, 5 YEARS), my mom literally squeezes the shit out of Sweet Pea every day. He thanks her by kissing her face every morning. Either that or he's trying to lick her to death so he can rest in peace!

If my mom didn't squeeze him regularly (& sometimes even if she did), Sweet Pea had anal leakage. Oh joy. My mom figured out the best way to clean it up was to let it dry & then vacuum it up with her $1000 Kirby. Genius. That vacuum cleaner still smells like poo to this day. & she still uses it.

Anyway, in June 2003, we were leaving for the airport as I was heading out west to Cali to stay with my g'parents for the summer. I was pulling my rolling suitcase through the house when I ran it over some of dear Sweet Pea's anal leakage. I hated that cat btw. & so did Richard.

We saw Sweet Pea out in the yard when I said, "I hate that cat." My mom said, "Don't say that about my Sweet Pea!" & ran & gave him a kiss. That was the last time we ever saw him. He was 13 y/o when he just couldn't take it anymore - having no colon, no tail, no nerve endings, & AIDS. Perhaps he could have benefitted from OT! LOL

But wait it gets better. Mom finds his body after a few days (ewww) & buries him where she saw him last with a bird bath as a grave marker. The following Feb (2004), my parents go to France to visit some friends living over there. Naturally, my mom carries a pic of Sweet Pea with her in her wallet. She commissions an artist in France to draw a chalk drawing of Sweet Pea. So, 6 wks later, the chalk drawing comes in the mail.

Mom then takes the drawing to the most expensive place in Oxford to frame it (only the best for Sweet Pea!). Mom comes home, walks in the living room, takes down the family portrait & replaces it with the portrait of Sweet Pea! He has finally relocated into her bedroom sitting area.

One more side note - when my mom would go out of town, she would pay someone to come squeeze Sweet Pea everyday so he didn't explode. Richard & I would not touch him EVER!!!

Here's a pic of the portrait with my cat that we've had since I was 11 (he's 13 y/o), Squirt, who mom tells everyday "I still miss Sweet Pea, too, Squirt!"

Well, here's my question for you: what about OT for our furry friends - pets, zoo animals, wild animals? At times, they need rehab, environmental adaptations, etc. At conference last year, I went to a session where a girl discussed her Level 2 rotation at a zoo-treating animals! Thoughts?

just a warning

COMING SOON:


the first ever version of the sweet pea story in writing! (or typing!)

get excited!

i freaking love trauma icu!

Unfortunately, trauma occurs to ppl. But fortunately, these ppl have wonderful facilities like THE MED to come to for quality care from ppl like urs truly! I started out the morning in outpt...slow as usual. Then, my CI let me go with the COTA to the trauma icu (TICU for short)!!! It was incredible! All the tubes & wires & doctors & nurses & stuff...o-mazing!

We treated several pts in the course of 2 hours...I really enjoy that fast paced setting. Actually, I didn't treat, I just observed the COTA treat. I'm still trying to just get more comfortable with all the wires & stuff & the kinds of injuries that are common. For example, we saw this poor kid, we'll call him Tom. He is 17 y/o and was in a bushogging accident & lost both legs. Tragic, I know. But man, his heart, his will, and his smile will melt your heart. He is from a small town near where we're from so we made some connections being from close areas. He's one of those pts you'll never forget b/c of his awesomeness. At the end of his (very short) session, he gave us both hi-fives & squeezed our hands as if to say thank you (he's on a trach which means he can't vocalize words - just mouth them). He made my day. God bless him!

I left at lunch for 2 reasons: 1. my CI was leaving & 2. I had a dr's appt with the neurologist who specializes in neurosurgery just to follow up my findings from last week:

1. find out if my "possible communication" between my frontal sinus & my brain cavity is a) possible and b) something to worry about.

2. to reconfirm the findings of the MRI - that my brain damage is not progressive & there's abs no reason to follow up on it.

3. my headaches - to be sure he thought nothing else was going on &

4. to help me out with my sciatica (it's having a flare up) esp since my internist doesn't want me taking pain meds right now (except for the migraine meds he gave me samples of)

His conclusions:

1. IF there is hole in the bone, it seems evident that the membranes on either side are still intact. He concludes this by the fact that I've never had meningitis. He's going to get my sinus CTs from my allergist from last year to see if he can see anything more to confirm or disprove the existence of the hole. If in fact there is a hole (big if) then to fix it I'll just need sinus surgery where they fill my sinus with bone cement or fat or something.

2. No need to follow up on my brain stuff. It's HIGHLY unlikely (like 1 in a billion) that it's a benign weird tumor that is in the exact same place as my head trauma & concussion from 13 yrs ago. Hmmmm. We know it's definitely NOT malignant b/c it did not light up with contrast.

3. TMJ syndrome. Pretty much nothing we can do about that right now. F/u with my dentist.

4. Prescribed me a medrol dose pack (steroids) to decrease the swelling & hopefully decrease the symptoms. Since my internist wants me to fast from all OTC pain relievers, it's hard to treat the sciatica with just stretching & heat. (Anybody have a TENS unit I can have? Thx.)

So then B & I came home (he went with me to the dr of course!). We had spaghetti for dinner (yum). We decided to pass on small group tonite 1. b/c we wouldn't be together & after the week we've had we really need each other right now! and 2. b/c we weren't sure what was going to happen at the dr.'s office. It's really a good thing b/c we were gone for 4 hours. My appt was at 2:20. We didn't see the dr until 4:20. I actually took a nap on the exam table waiting for him! We didn't get back home until 5! Needless to say, as non-energy-zapping as that might sound, I'm exausted!

We finished watching the Princess Bride (as you know, I, of course, fell asleep b4 the end of it last nite!) & played gin rummy (did I tell you I love that game?!).

I talked to my gramma today. My great aunt - her sister - Viv is not doing so well. She fell and broke her hip about 2 yrs ago & has never been the same since. She's living alone but not taking her meds right or eating properly if at all. Meals on wheels has started coming which is great but not enough. They are meeting in San Francisco in the coming weeks with the case manager & social worker & doctors & stuff to get her in a nursing home near my grandparents in SoCal. They've had difficulty trying to convince her in the past. Let's just pray that she easily concedes that her quality of life will be much improved by living in a home near gramma & grampa.

Today is my aunt, Renee', and my stepmom, Aimee's birthdays! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LADIES!

Anyway...it's been a long day & I'm ready for bed (at 9:30!!!!). Can't wait for tomorrow! Hope I get some acute care in again! I LOVE IT!

xoxo

get it wal-mart

i unfortunately have to give it to wally world. we were just there & since it's so far from our house (like 7 mi instead of 2) we rarely go there so when we do, i like to walk around and window shop (one of our fave pastimes anyway!). we found some really awesome patio furniture. but we're going to think about it b4 we buy them.

yesterday & today were great as far as fieldwork. yesterday, i followed an OT on in acute care. it was AWESOME. except for the fact that i almost puked & passed out...not sure what it was...something subconscious didn't like what i was seeing, smelling, and what i had eaten for lunch. but the OT was great about it. she escorted me out of the room, sat me down, and got me some water. she says it happens all the time. saw a guy who shot himself in the shoulder with a shotgun. he had a skin graft and shortly after the OT showed it to me, i started feeling woozie. but anyway.

today i went to acute for the morning and followed a well-seasoned cota who has sooooooooo much to offer. she was awesome! i saw my first pt with hiv/aids. the cota treated him as i watched. he was end stages and unresponsive. it upset me slightly on the inside but i held it together. i've really developed my empathy skills (if that's a skill?) through school while

omg. i just witnessed jerry f'ing springer crying!!! lol.

ok. anyway. oh yeah empathy and stuff. school's helped me find a balance between empathy (feeling what ur pts feel) and maintaining composure when necessary.

anyway enough sappy stuff.

after work yesterday, karen came over and we all went to wolf river park and walked. it was great fun.

i'm still trying to finish reading pillars of the earth...slowly but surely. but man that book is amazing!

today, we went to pizza hut to celebrate my cousin, Katie's 96th b'day!!! yeah, longevity runs in my fam: my great-gramma lived to 96, her sister til 90 something, my great-grandfather to a month shy of 90, my great aunt is 88, and the list goes on! a couple of years ago, i met the grandson (who was in his 70s!) of the oldest living woman in the world (she was 114 y/o at the time). she just recently passed away (at 116!). incredible!

couple of ot questions for those out there in the field:

1. any inservice ideas? (wii-hab's been done!) ideas i've had:
- low vision
- case study with wii-hab
- create a project myself
- therapeutically create a project for a pt to leave at the facility
- all of course will follow the centennial vision: evidence-based, client-centered, occupation-based
2. how do you remain occupation-based when u have no money or goods? ideas i've had:
- have a pt create a meaningful project that will be useful for future pts. (e.g. someone who likes woodworking, make a shoulder arc or something)
- make something urself for inservice
- bring random inexpensive things to work

ok enough for now

garden help

does anyone know how to plant a veggie/fruit garden in memphis? i want to start a garden potentially but don't really know the details. thx!

Gil's going to the Olympics!!

I can officially say that I now know an Olympian! My best friend (I have a lot of best friends!) Dottie (the one who is getting married Sept 6th!) has 2 younger brothers, Gil & Brooks. All 3 kids have been swimming forever - but I knew them all b4 they started swimming...just for the record. Gil, the middle one, swims for Georgia and is a senior-ish there. He just went to Olympic trials this week to compete to go to Beijing. He was ranked 3rd in the nation going into his event - the 200 fly. He had to place at least 2nd to make the team. Well, Michael Phelps - that stinker - dominates the 200 fly. So Gil was vying for 2nd place against Tarwater - Phelps' teammate apparently. Gil was 2nd going into the semi-finals & 3rd going into the finals. He swam his personal best time for the finals & beat Tarwater, got 2nd, and is now going to the Olympics!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow. What a week! I will update you on the rest of my week very soon. It's been very hectic.

So, if you don't watch anything else in the Olympic games, make sure you watch Gil Stovall in the 200 fly.

Here's what my congrats was to Gil: "Dude, no pressure, but can I touch your gold medal when you get back from Beijing? Thx."

Hopefully, he'll let me!

A Timeline Starting Tues of This Past Week

Tues, July 1st. Our 2nd Wedding Anniversary!



11:30 AM: My internist calls & leaves a msg on my voicemail regarding my CT scan from Saturday. He says he sees a "spot" on my right frontal lobe that he wants to get checked out with MRI & that he'll call the other number on my chart.



11:35 AM: The internist gets B on the phone & tells him the same thing (nothing less, nothing more).



12:15 PM: I get the msg, call B, cry, freak out, go in shock, and we call the dr. back. On hold for 30+ min off/on trying to find out where the doctor is.



12:45 PM: Find out dr. had left to go do rounds. My MRI will be scheduled by the office.



1:45 PM: Dr. calls me back & tells me it's a 1 cm lesion/spot on my right frontal lobe that he wants to have checked out with MRI. He informs me that it could be malignant or benign but probably gonna have to be removed. I ask him if it is possible for my lesion to be caused by scar tissue or something related to my 4 wheeler wreck when I was 11 y/o b/c I hit a brick mailbox & a brick hit me or I hit something really hard over my right eye & my right forehead. He said he seriously doubted that possibility (GREAT!). The doc tells me that his nurse is out of the office for the afternoon and I probably won't get scheduled for an MRI until tomorrow (Wed) afternoon, but to call back and ask for a specific lady who might be able to schedule it sooner.



2-3 PM: B plays secretary, calls the office for me b/c I had to get back to work. He gets the lady the dr. said to & expresses the urgency we are feeling. She says she'll call him back in 30 min with more info. She calls back with an MRI scheduled for tonite (Tues) at 7:30 PM. B calls & tells his parents.



3:15 PM: I get off work & call B who was calling me at the same time. He tells me about my 7:30 PM appt. I head home. Call my mom tell her the news & see if she wants to come for my MRI and she of course says yes. She, Richard (my stepdad), & B's mom & dad come for my MRI (THANK YOU!).



7-8:30 PM: We're at the hospital & I get my MRI.



8:30 - 8:35 PM: The awesome ppl at the MRI let me look at the images of my brain!! Yes, folks, it's true - I have a brain!!



8:45 PM: We all go get ice cream.



8:45 PM on Tues - 12:00 PM on Wed: We play the waiting game.



Wed, July 2nd.



12:00 PM: No news from doctor. We talk to his office - he's out on Wed's & won't be in until tomorrow. We call B's aunt J who is an office manager for a doctor. She suggests we request my results from the MRI place & go get it ASAP. So we do. The lady at the MRI place has it ready in 20 min for pick up.



12: 30 PM: B returns home with the results (I'm at work 20 min away). According to the radiologist, there are 2 findings of significance. 1. the 1 cm spot on the CT is actually encephalomalacia most likely due to remote trauma. In other words, it's scar tissue essentially. 2. My frontal sinus - which should be an enclosed space - is open to my anterior brain cavity.

12:31 PM: We are RELIEVED.

2:00 PM: Internist's nurse calls to set up an appt. We make it for the next day - Thurs at 3:30.

6:30 PM: Dottie's brother Gil swims in the finals for the 200 fly for the Olympics! He is seated 3rd going into the final & must get 2nd. Well, HE DOES!! He's going to the Olympics! (see July 4th post)

7:30 PM: B & I celebrate our anniversary with tuna melts, chips, champagne, and white table outside for the evening. He was soooo sweet (as always); he made the dinner & surprised me with the champagne and white table cloth!

Thurs, July 3rd. Dottie's 24th Birthday!!!

3:30 PM: We meet with the internist. He cuts to the chase and says basically it was caused by my 4 wheeler wreck after all; he was wrong, I was right. But I'm still having headaches and the doctor is unsure of the relative risk of the frontal sinus communication with my anterior brain cavity, so we're still gonna go to the neurologist still on Wed, July 9th. So now we just wait for the neurologist appt to re-confirm the findings. But we're confident there are no worries.

So now you can understand why I haven't posted much this week! But no worries - I'm back into the swing of things!

xoxo

2 more reasons my cat is a dog

1. she comes when she's called (preferably call her "Kiii-tty")
2. she ate my leather shoelaces out of my sperry top siders (bummer) but i love her!

FW: Day 1 at The Med

So, today was my first day of FW! It was quite interesting & exciting! My classmate from Chattanooga (we'll call her Linda) & I rode together since neither of us really knew where to go! It was great to have someone else share the same excitement, anxiety, and curiousity as me - it helped validate the spectrum of feelings i was having!

We did mostly orientation stuff in the morning, got ID badges for The Med (yeah, we're legit!), and flipped a coin to see where we would be: heads=Linda in outpt & acute; tails=Linda in inpt. Well, it landed on tails. So Linda headed upstairs (:() far away from where I was. But I met my CI and she seems great! She's got tons of personality and seems easy to get along with. I think I can learn a lot from her, too! What was really neat to discover is that she actually has her OTD and a deep passion for occupational therapy. I'm excited to get to know her & learn from her.

I got out a little early today, so I headed over to the building where our OT school is to find one of our professors. Today was his last day at UT (:() but he wasn't there! Apparently he's been working from home the last week. But I'll try to reach him another way. He's in town until mid-July.

Speaking of July - tomorrow is our 2 year wedding anniversary!!!!!! And it also marks our 8 year dating anniversary!!!!!! Boy, it's been a blast! He's so awesome (i tell him that all of the time & he says i had better stop or his head will explode from being too big!).

This afternoon, B & I went to the library, Kroger for tilapia - which they didn't have. What?!?! Kroger didn't have tilapia?!?! nope. then we came home. Our landscaper stopped by and told us we can now cut our yard if we want (YAY!) which means we've been watering it properly (more yay!).

So, today, B accomplished giving us 3 brand new light fixtures for free. Well, kind of. We bought a ceiling fan from Home Depot with AmEx points & replaced the fixture in our bedroom with that. We then moved our breakfast room chandelier thing into the dining room (no more 1950s chandelier!!) and put the fixture that was in our bedroom into the breakfast room. So there you have it folks! 3 new light fixtures for free!!

After dinner, we went to a local trail on a river that runs through town & rode our bikes for about 4.5 miles. It's so fun to do that plus that area is soooo beautiful. I have to remind myself that, yes, Kerri, this really is Memphis, Memphis can be beautiful!

When we got home, we were taking our bikes off of the rack on my car & a neighbor (whom we've never met) was walking by and told us our house/yard/grass looked beautiful!! After 6 months of a 7-ft-deep trench & dirt for a front yard, I'd say anything is an improvement! I just wonder what people/neighbors thought for those 6 months!!! Probably nothing good!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow & will hopefully get to see some more patients/clients as opposed to orientation kind of stuff (though that's necessary!). Anyway. I'm excited & heading to bed! 5:15 comes early!!

xoxo
Kerri

gin rummy's the best

gin rummy is the best game ever. My Gramma taught me how to play. My fam's been playing it for generations apparently. My great-grandfather (Grampa Hatch - my Gramma's dad) played like a champ. I like to think that when I beat my Gramma at a game of gin rummy, that it makes my Grampa Hatch proud :). Brent & I love to play. We played yesterday & tonite! It's a great stress reliever, too.

I'm really excited about my FW starting tomorrow!! I hope everything goes well! I'm really excited to have a friend/classmate from Chattanooga at the Med with me!

We've had a great & relaxing day! We went to church, hung out, at lunch, sat out on our DECK in the shade & read!, then we helped E&M move stuff (long story). Well, really, B helped move stuff & I helped watch the kids! The kids & I went for a walk then went to TCBY. Jilly got rainbow yogurt & got it all over her face!! She was soooo cute & funny. Then we came home & started watching Juno which was hilarious btw. We grilled out marinated pork & veggie kabobs which turned out GREAT!

I had a happy nite...I've been working on Dottie's lingerie shower invitation using my computer & printer. It's been impossible. So, I gave in and went out to FedEx Kinko's. Well, lemme back up a little bit. The invites were $1 apiece off the internet. But, to have that company print them, it was $90!!! So I ordered the invites blank & hoped for the best! Anyway, went to FEK...typesetting (i.e. typing in the information) would have been $25! Instead, I went to their business station, typed it in Word, saved it to my jumpdrive, and did it in less than a minute & a half for 20 cents! Then, for her to print them up (much better than I ever could have at home) it cost an incredible $2.13!! YAYAYAY! Not only was it cheap, but it looks amazing! I couldn't believe it. Why didn't I do that sooner?!? ok. just got really excited about that!

OK - going to bed to get some rest b4 tomorrow's long day!! Good luck to all of my classmates!!

xoxo

PS If u get the chance to read Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet then read it. It's great. I'm only half way through it (it's really long) but I love it!

ok gnite now!

get it highpoint

Brent played softball tonite with our church, Highpoint Church (check it out: www.highpointmemphis.com), and they won!!!!! Actually, they kicked some major boo-tay and the umps called the game when we were up 21-1 in the top of the 5th. B scored 2 runs & made a great play as catcher at home & got a runner out! B went 3 for 3 plus a sacrifice RBi! YAYAYAY!

fieldwork disasters! augh!

Well, I just received an email from my FW coordinator that my last FW which was going to be at the North Mississippi Regional Center in Oxford, MS (AKA God's country) has fallen through. I am so bummed. I should really be looking at it as there's some reason - there must be a better psychosocial placement for me out there.

I went to the Dr. today for my TMJ syndrome. Dr. Wener is awesome. He suggested I stop taking all the pain meds (Excedrin, Ibuprofen, Tylenol etc.) and try some migraine meds when I feel a headache coming on & perhaps an OTC sleep medication as needed. He was great (Thanks E&M!). I'm going in the morning there for a CT scan to be sure I have a brain. LOL

E is here at the house working with B (who is on vacation!). But that's ok! I enjoy the company!

B's so awesome - he finished the deck this morning!!!!!!! YAYAYAYAYAAYAYAYAYAYAAY! We have an amazing, beautiful, large, fabulous deck built by 2 of my fave guys - B & my wonderful FIL!

Boy I'm sleepy - but the doctor says no more naps in the day b/c of my TMJ/headaches/sleeping probs! augh!

I'm excited for this weekend! Just relaxing, fun, and restful b4 my first day of Level 2 FW!!! Yay! I'm out.

xoxo

more of the same

loved the weather this morning! cool, sunny, refreshing! hard to believe it's June in Memphis!! Then it got bloody hot this afternoon! But that's ok!

Karen is here (as usual you will learn soon). She brought her own bagette to eat for dinner...gotta love her! She's stealing my cheese - noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! I looooooove cheese!

Anyway.

Brent's dad (Ronald) came up today and helped B with the deck. Ron's so awesome to help us with all of our home improvements!

Dottie's lingerie shower invitations came in today!! I love them! They are so cute! Now, I just have to figure out all the funky margins & stuff & print them up! I worked on those a little this morning.

Well, Karen decided she didn't like my cheese so she's having a PBJ bagette. Hmmm. Oxford is very interested....

I then spent an hour trying to find a general practice doctor here in Memphis that is good (for my TMD). Finally, it dawned on me to just ask the Spiegels. And of course, they love theirs & I made an appt with him for tomorrow (YAY!!). I think it's hilarious - his name is Dr. Wener. Tehe. Too bad he's not my OBGYN. LOL

Can cockroaches fly (those found in Memphis)?

B & I then went to Colco Fine Woods b/c we roll like that. The guy told us that he just got through turning a pen for Oprah...his neighbor's daughter lives in the same neighborhood as one of Oprah's houses in SoCal & knows Oprah. She's going to give her the pen to encourage Oprah to endorse her father's book that is about to be published. So, you heard it here first folks. Neither of us can remember the name of the guy or the book. So just keep your eyes & ears peeled. We're less than 6 degrees from Oprah!

Then we went all around Memphis - Sonic (for Cranberry Slush during happy hour!! Amazing), Home Depot, Costco. We also almost witnessed a wreck of a guy on a motorcycle - if we had been there 2 minutes eariler we would have seen it happen. The guy was still on the ground and covered in blood. No worries-the ambulance was there, he was conscious, and we were in a low-speed area so he could not have been going very fast.

We came home & unpacked. I didn't make it to Ave Maria Assisi Adult Day Center like I wanted to - I volunteer there. I try to once a week make it there and after this week b/c of fieldwork and the hours, I don't know if I'll be able to go each week :( I freaking love that place - and all the clients and the ppl who work there! You here that ladies - if I don't see you, I love you Leigh, Quita, Charlotte, Robin, Nancy, Renee'!! You're awesome!

Anyway. We got my car fixed - it was the catalytic converter. Or as someone I know once called it - my cadillac converter. Too bad - you mean my Honda can't be converted to a Cadillac anymore? Damn. The peeps who fixed it were great: Advance Muffler & Something on Summer Ave here in Memphis. They fixed my car in less than 45 minutes & had FANTASTIC customer service - which is hard to come by nowadays!

Now, Karen's here & might go with me to Curves tomorrow (I work there from 8-1 tomorrow). My aunt owns 2 of them & I work at the one in Germantown at Exeter (come visit!). Tomorrow's really my last day...I might be able to squeeze in a day or 2 here and there throughout FW but it's been a fun ride!

Anyway. So busy today, haven't showered yet! Better go do that! xoxo

PS I freaking love my dog-tranny cat (Oxford)! She's amazingly doggish!

home at last!

well, we've made it home from orange beach - at last! just a short post...my cat is a dog trapped in a cat's body:



1. My cat plays fetch.

2. My cat likes people.

3. My cat loves water.

4. My cat kisses my face.

5. My cat chases her tail (she's doing it right now!).

6. My cat is a dog that doesn't bark. And I love her.



boy, it feels good to be home! more tomorrow!



xoxo

i hate tmd!

TMD (AKA TMJ) is when someone has problems with the jaw and the muscles of mastication (chewing). Sometimes TMD can be caused by misalignment of the jaw. Symptoms include clinching, grinding your teeth, tender / tight muscles around the jaw (including trapezius), headaches, pain, etc. Symptoms can be exacerbated by stress.

All of that being said, I am at the lowest stress level in my life, yet my symptoms are the worst they've ever been. Ibuprofen does not work. I have to take Excedrin. For those of you who may not know, I don't drink caffeine (just water), and Excedrin has caffeine in it. So you can imagine that I'm bouncing off the walls much of the time! Secondly, experts advise those with TMD not to ingest caffeine as that may exacerbate the symptoms. So, I have a dilemma: take Excedrin for TMD-related headaches, not sleep well, and exacerbate my clinching/grinding. OR have excruciating headaches with no relief ever. hmmmm....what would you do?

It's quite hilarious b/c it's gotten to the point now where my grinding is so loud (I have a custom-fitted night guard) that I wake myself up! I often wake up B when I grind, too! He wakes me or grabs my jaw or something and I apparently stop (for the moment).

B/c I'm so active in my sleep, I am needing more and more sleep to feel rested. Last night I slept 11 hours - almost 12. And B still had to make me get up.

I know what you're thinking: GO SEE A DOCTOR!

Here's the problem: my insurance does not cover any treatment related to TMD. Bummer. I have researched 2 different specialists in Memphis & my first visit would be $300!!! AUGH!

First, I plan to see a general prac doctor when I get back to Memphis (do you recommend any?). We'll see what he/she recommends, then go from there. A $20 copay is much easier to digest than a $300 out-of-pocket fee.

If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment!!!

OK, I abs HATE complaining, so let me close with this: we are about to get out of bed and get ready for the beach. I am so happy to be here with my honey! While I'm blogging he's just navigating around Google Maps on his computer following the roads down to Key West and back up again. He's so entertained! I love him! He's so freakin' cute!

xoxo

va-cay bay-bay

hellzyeah. B & I are finally on our vacation to Orange Beach, AL. We got here around 5:30 PM, checked out the beach, then went to dinner at a place called Hazel's Seafood Restaurant. I've decided I'm a little too much a food snob. It's really hard to find good food that's decently healthy for you. I tried to order the grilled mahi mahi - they were out. so i got the grilled grouper - and only ate half of it. They had a seafood buffet for like $25 per person (outrageous!) and it was outrageously bad for you. We were talking about how maybe we have become too accustomed to eating at home - making things how we like it. But I like it that way! That's how we stay healthy! I feel for those people's whose parents don't cook and they eat out all of the time. Blah! How can you do that and remain healthy?!? The only place with good food that's pretty good for you that I've found in my short life is Oxford! Another reason to call Oxford "God's Country."

Which reminds me. A lady at the airport in CA asked Mom and me where we were going. When we told her Memphis, the lady said she just got back from Greer's Fairy Lake (beautiful area might I add). While she was applying the following statement to AR, Mom and I both agreed the same holds true for Oxford: "It's like God made that place and then kissed it!"

We came down 45 all the way from Tupelo to Mobile; in other words, we basically drove down the length of the east side of MS today. Man, I saw some beautiful countryside. I would think it's hard to believe this is MS. Then I would think, well, really it's not hard to believe. This state has a lot to offer. More than most people realize!

I have recently and often thought of moving away from the South and maybe even the U.S. to live somewhere we've never been before just for a change and for fun and discovery. Then, I am reminded of how wonderful the South really is, how much My South has to offer (even MS!), and what a great place it truly is to live.

I am beginning to realize - I really do love it here. Just probably not Memphis!

Tomorrow, our plans are to hang at the beach & pool, read, sunbathe, shop (maybe), and RELAX. I am getting up and working out first thing (I know if I don't do it first, I won't do it!). This has now become my lifestyle - not just something I need to do! Vacation is no excuse!! (This is mostly a reminder to myself LOL). Ok - 2 long posts today. Hope you enjoyed them!

xoxo

My South

We're getting ready to leave for Orange Beach, AL, in a few minutes, but I wanted to share something that I loved! We went down to Oxford (our home town) for Father's Day. We ended up going to the Grove for a free concert with my parents to celebrate with my dad. It really made me miss Oxford. I truly love the South - the small towns, the college atmosphere - and especially Oxford. It's such a beautiful place and great town for great food, fun entertainment, and Ole Miss of course! It's also a wonderful place to raise kids...we'll probably move back there someday.

The following is an email I got from my dad (Richard; he's really my stepdad; I call my stepdad "my dad" and my real dad "my real dad."). Apparently he heard this guy speak at the Chamber of Commerce dinner in Oxford; he told this story. I found it very accurate, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Can you keep a secret?

This was written by Robert St. John, executive chef and owner of thePurple Parrot Cafe, Crescent City Grill and Mahogany Bar of Hattiesburg, MS.

Thirty years ago I visited my first cousin in Virginia. While hangingout with his friend, the discussion turned to popular movies of the day.
When I offered my two-cents on the authenticity and social relevance ofthe movie Billy Jack, one of the boys asked, in all seriousness; 'Do youguys have movie theaters down there?' To which I replied, 'Yep. We wear shoes too.'

Just three years ago, my wife and I were attending a food and wineseminar in Aspen, Colo. We were seated with two couples from Las Vegas.One of the Glitter Gulch gals was amused and downright rude when Idescribed our restaurant as a fine-dining restaurant.
'Mississippi doesn't have fine-dining restaurants!' she insisted andnudged her companion. I fought back the strong desire to mention thatshe lived in the land that invented the 99-cent breakfast buffet.

I wanted badly to defend my state, my region, and my restaurant with a15-minute soliloquy and public relations rant that would surely changeher mind. It was at that precise moment that I was hit with a blindingjolt of enlightenment, and in a moment of complete and absolute clarityit dawned on me -- my South is the best-kept secret in the country. Whywould I try to win this woman over? She might move down here.

I am always amused by Hollywood's interpretation of the South. We arestill, on occasion, depicted as a collective group of sweaty, stupid,backwards-minded, racist rednecks. The South of movies and TV, theHollywood South, is not my South.

This is my South:
My South is full of honest, hardworking people. My South is thebirthplace of blues and jazz, and rock n' roll. It has banjo pickers andfiddle players, but it also has BB King, Muddy Waters, the AllmanBrothers, Emmylou Harris and Elvis.
My South is hot. My South smells of newly mowed grass. My South was kickthe can, creek swimming, cane-pole fishing and bird hunting.
In my South, football is king, and the Southeastern Conference is thekingdom.
My South is home to the most beautiful women on the planet.
In my South, soul food and country cooking are the same thing.
My South is full of fig preserves, cornbread, butter beans, friedchicken, grits and catfish.
In my South we eat foie gras, caviar and truffles. In my South, ourtransistor radios introduced us to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones atthe same time they were introduced to the rest of the country.

In my South, grandmothers cook a big lunch every Sunday, so big that wecall it dinner (supper comes later).
In my South, family matters, deeply.
My South is boiled shrimp, blackberry cobbler, peach ice cream, bananapudding and oatmeal cream pies.
In my South people put peanuts in bottles of Coca-Cola and hot sauce on almost everything.
In my South the tea is iced and almost as sweet as the women. My South has air-conditioning.
My South is camellias, azaleas, wisteria and hydrangeas.
In my South, the only person that has to sit on the back of the bus isthe last person that got on the bus.

In my South, people still say 'Yes, ma'am,' 'No ma'am,' 'Please' and 'Thank you.'
In my South, we all wear shoes....most of the time.
My South is the best-kept secret in the country.
Please continue to keep the secret....it keeps the idiots away!

lowe's, target, and books-oh my!

It's been a busy 24 hours! We hosted Eric, Melinda, and their 8-month old beautiful bouncing baby boy (Dylan) last nite for dinner. I use the term "hosted" losely b/c they brought most of the food! It's been a while since we all have hung out and it was great fun! We didn't do anything structured, just laughed, ate, drank, and were quite entertained by the baby! I am so glad to have them as a couple to hang out with. AND it doesn't hurt that they have cute kids!

Today, I got up at 8:30 and went to my uncle Dale's house - I've been house/dog/cat sitting all week! It's been fun but I'm glad it's over! We then had our ritual Saturday morning pancakes (one of my fave rituals of ours!) and lounged around for a while. Then we went to Lowe's to look at metal panels for the 3 panel screen B is building for the area from our kitchen to our dining room. That way we can keep the kitty in an area that is big enough to maintain her interests an lower her troublemaking abilities!

After Lowe's we went to the library to find some fun books to take on our trip. We got The Old Man and The Sea by Hemingway on CD. I know what you're thinking but don't be jealous! Brent got some of his geeky mathematics/physics books so he can excitedly describe to me novel theories and philosophies...oh joy.

We then went to Target to buy me some new sunglasses b/c mine disappeared on mom & I's flight(s) to Cali. I was a little confused...the sunglasses that had 100% UV protection were $20. However, you could buy bargin ones (which we did) that were 99% UV protection for $6. I don't get it - why is 1% more UV protection so much more expensive?! And my next question, does that 1% really matter that much - are my eyes going to get scorched with that 1% UV burning through my sunglasses?

We've been packing all afternoon long. Melinda (we call her M sometimes) came over so we could show her our amazing-engineered-by-Brent sprinkler system for watering our (NEW!) yard. She's so awesome to do that for us. I know she's really busy so it means a lot to me that she would take time out of her day to do that for us!

I'm so glad Karen's back soon. We've really missed her...and her craziness. I talked to her briefly tonite - she's made it safely back to Nashvegas for a few days - then back home to Memphis on Tues.

I'm also helping Dottie (my best friend since diapers-our moms were college roommates) and John Mark (her fiance') with wedding planning since 1. I'm her MOH and 2. I've done it before (rather recently). It's been a blast so far, but I know Dottie is very stressed and strapped for time. I hope she continues to enjoy it, though - I think she will...it'll pay off! Everything will work out-it has so far...beautifully I might add.

Brent remembered at like 4 o'clock that he had a softball game tonite, so we went to that. They lost. But that's ok - it was quite entertaining. B has a headache for some reason :(. I hope he's feeling better by morning. I'm sure he will be - we're headed to the beach (yay!!)!

Well, laundry's done-gotta go finish packing! Hope I'm not boring u to death!

xoxo

PS - feel free to comment!

exciting first blog

yes, i'm a blog virgin. and probably not very good at it anyway - but i thought i might give it a shot. i have been trying to decide what i want to put on this blog but i'm not sure yet what the theme will be. i imagine it will be everchanging as life is most of the time anyway! well thanks for being patient and following my life...hopefully i won't bore you to death! xoxo