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Saturday, September 26, 2009

Dental visit.


I want to start by saying I am a dental wimp. I have a high pain tolerance, BUT due to aforementioned dental trauma as a child, I avoid the dentists worse than I avoid patients with the plague! Well, I have found the kindest and gentlest dentist and his name is Dr Norman Castellano. I went Thursday night for x-rays and cleaning and he did x-rays and got my broken tooth prepped for a crown! The visit took about 3 hours and it was a very late night, but it saved one whole visit! Norman and Robert grew up together from 6 years old on and have GREAT stories. Norman's hours are great for me (7:30 pm Tues-Thurs. and all day Saturday). I don't have to miss any work. It was wonderful to have Robert, Norman, and Chris talking about growing up. It wasn't the quiet, uptight, awkward visit like dental visits usually are. I was really worried about how much work I was going to need since it has been 7 years since my last dental visit, and 8 years before that! I only had the one broken tooth that I went in for and a small amount of decay under a very old filling in a wisdom tooth. My teeth need a good cleaning, but he was amazed at how white and straight they are without having braces! My bone and roots are also in great shape! I still have all my teeth, including wisdom teeth. I have been so blessed to have good teeth and to be the only kid out of the 3 of us that didn't need braces. I think I will start going to the dentist like I should since Norman is so nice and gentle and his hours are so easy to work into my schedule.

On a different note, Robert went to work this morning, leaving around 3:40am, forgot his elbow brace, so he turned around down the street to come back and when he opened the garage door a guy jumped up and ran down the street. He immediately came in to make sure I was ok and no one was in the house, so he let the guy run off. He thought the guy jumped out of the tree, but later realized he probably jumped over the fern in front of his car. We found out later in the morning that the house next door and across the street had cars broken into last weekend. One lady's home was almost broken into in broad daylight last Sunday. We spent the afternoon at Lowes getting motion lights and window locks, and installing all of this stuff!! I didn't want to have to spend that much money, but it happened!! I got the chainsaw and cut down all the bushes in front of windows and cut down all the ferns and palms in the front to open up the area so it is hard for someone to hide. I feel tired but safer! All the neighbors know what is going on and we are all locked and loaded. We'll see what happens!! Shannon and Robert

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Disappointed!



You know, I didn't realize how sad I would be about Patrick Swayze dying. I'm a hospice nurse for goodness sakes!! And it was expected! I guess it brings to a close the wishful thinking and dream that I would one day dirty dance and get grinded on by one of the few men who could be tough and a wonderfully sexy masculine dancer at the same time. He was just HOT!! And he could move like no other man!! I think of him crawling across the floor to "Baby" and dancing in the staff quarters in Dirty Dancing and I just get hot!! I LOVE him in "The Outsiders" which was the movie with all the HOT guys of the day in it. I love Roadhouse! (I love Sam Elliott too! His voice makes me quiver!!) Oh my!! He also made me want to play with clay!! Anyway, God bless you Patrick Swayze for having the kahunies to take dance lessons and not care what other guys thought!! You made us all smile and have lots of sexy dreams about you!!!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Rough Week!!


Whoever came up with the idea that 9-9-09 was lucky is insane!! This is how our week has been: Monday: AHHHH! First day off together in a month. So nice! We went to Busch Gardens, which was not crowded and Robert got CRAPPED on by 2 birds!! Should have been foreshadowing of events to come, but we didn't take it that way. I always heard that if you get crapped on, it is good luck, so he should be DOUBLE lucky!! Tuesday was rough. Trying to figure out what all happened at work from a 3 day weekend. No biggy. Wednesday: THE DAY FROM HELL! Starts with a very confusing call from a nurse, can't go into details, but let's say SWAT was involved in a day long ordeal. During a meeting, my phone rings, it is Robert, figure it is nothing, accidentally hang up on him, send him a text, I'll call when SWAT problems are resolved. I called later only to find out that he had been hit by a car!!!! Read previous post. CAN THIS GET ANY BETTER??? Today, totally miss an important issue on the overnight report because I was distracted and I'm just a dumb a$$, left to deal with my failure and worry about it all day long UNTIL my new best friend the friggen jury subpoena woman shows up at 4:15 pm!!! The subpoena is for a court case that has been continued numerous times since the spring and will fall right in the middle of my vacation!!!!! Tomorrow is 9-11, the anniversary of the worst disaster of our time and the one year anniversary of Robert getting laid off. Sunday is the 5 year anniversary of my Nannie's death. Nannie, I could use you now. I want you here!! You could make me laugh and help me make sense of all of this like you always did!! I miss you so bad! I just hope we have gotten this all "out of our system" and can move on to a much better week!! Oh, and next week I have to go to the dentist twice to fix a tooth that has been broken for 5 years and I have put off due to my severe fear of dentists! Thanks Dr Stratton!! Hey Nannie, can you take care of him up there for me! I'm going to need mental health counseling after all of this!! Or at the very least some ativan, haldol, thorazine, or a cocktail of all the above!!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Unfortunately, It Finally Happened

(As a prelude to this post I have always ridden a bike, 25 years, I love it and I have lost 90 pounds since February of this year.)

This morning, while it was still relatively cool out (GTEFCU sign said 75 degrees at 7:30am), I felt like running up to Wal-Mart to look for some paint for several little projects I am working on. It happened. While crossing the road, a car turning right hit me. Fortunately I saw it coming and prepared as much as I could. As soon as I went down I popped right back up and pulled my bike to the grass. In hindsight, I saw that I had raised my right foot up before she hit me and pushed off the car towards the grass. I didn't make the grass so I am a little bruised and scraped up and the bike was totaled and still sitting on the side of the road. Where my right foot was the right pedal went through her bumper. After the Pasco Deputy and an FHP officer had taken care of the situation the woman offered to take me to replace my bike which I gladly accepted and walked home my new bike. She was charged with the accident. Her citation was for "careless driving" and was $166 and 4 points on her license. Shannon is a bit freaked out with all this and I can't blame her. If my bike is still there tonight and Shannon and I pick it up I will post a pic for you all.
Robert

Monday, September 7, 2009

Happy Labor Day.


Today was the first day Robert and I have been off together in a month. It was so nice to have a day off with him. We went to Busch Gardens for the day. I know it sounds crazy, but it really wasn't busy at all. Marcus, Robert and Brian were supposed to meet us, but they were so tired after their cruise that they couldn't make it. We had a nice time. It was quite warm, but it was a beautiful day. I hope everyone had a great day. Now back to work tomorrow. Time to play catch up!! It will be another month before we have time off together.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

I hate oatmeal!



I have been eating oatmeal for breakfast for the last two mornings because my sister said "eat oatmeal even if you have to choke it down. It is good for you. Just do it." I have eaten it before and I quickly get to the point where I start to gag! WHY, OH WHY CAN'T GRITS BE AS GOOD FOR YOU AS OATMEAL??? It's just not fair! It brings back memories of doing the "Mayo diet" where you have to eat certain things in combination to lose 10 lbs in 3 days. One day you have to eat cottage cheese, which absolutely makes me barf. I have blended it, held my nose, chased it with water, everything. I even made my friend Jeanne sick watching me try to eat it and she loves cottage cheese. I feel the same way about beets. Anyway, I'm going to try to keep eating it, but I'm not sure how long I can. Have a great week. Shannon