A Long One

Having not blogged in quite some time, I have a lot to say. I've been putting it off, mostly because some things have happened that I just don't want to talk about yet. But I'll just distract your attention when it comes to those parts, and you won't even notice.

Let's start with the beginning of SPRING Break. Oh, it has been glorious! I don't know if you've noticed, but SPRING has sprung! I don't care that the saying is hopelessly cliché! It's so awesome when it happens that every year I want to write a song. But I don't know how to write songs. I've always wanted to...but I just can't quite do it. Maybe I'll make a SRING resolution: this SPRING, I'll write a song.

I had a beginning of SPRING party last Thursday, to celebrate the first day of the season. Unfortunately, Allison had to work. There really is a shortage of people that we both like enough to have over to our house, so it was a small gathering...but I made fettuccine alfredo from scratch and grilled shrimp to go with it...homemade ice cream and cantaloupe. Really, if you've never been to my house for dinner, you need to do something to remedy that. Then, we just hung out. Matt, Mason, and Herb...we had a fun time with you guys.

The next day wasn't quite so swell. Although the weather was so beautiful that I felt compelled to ride around with my windows down, and walk around down town. I've noticed lately that if I walk around town, I'll run into someone I know. This time, it was Joe, Herb and Jen. The whole day I was bummed because I knew I'd have to go into work.

Hey-look-there's a really weird bird right out your window!

If that didn't distract you, then I'll say this-I'm no longer bartending at McGuires, which is mostly OK, but I'm not really sure what to do about the other things I do there. See, I'm pissed. And I never really handle anger in a positive way. But I'm also stubborn and proud. And I simply can't see how I'll let myself make money for a person when I feel like they are doing me dirty. 'Nough said about that.

So, I suddenly had myself a Friday night free! And I decided that the first order of business was to sit down and have dinner, so Jon brought me a new shirt, and we dined on food that is quickly losing it's charm. Then Joe and Herb came in...they seem to appear out of the blue a lot...and after hearing my story, it was decided that we should all go play disc golf.

Now here I should say...I love going to the park, and I love walking the dog while I'm there, and smelling fresh air and all that...but I've got no love for disc golf. When I was in college, I went to Florida with my then-boyfriend Lynn. We played disc golf at a beautiful park there. Now I know you aren't supposed to catch those things...and I can't remember all of the details...but what I do remember is Lynn hitting me in the middle of my nose with a putter. I still have a little lump on my nose from that frisbee. So, I didn't play...I just walked around, because all of my irrational fears seemed to come into play this week. But, it looked super fun, so I'm sure that I'll play next time. Probably.

Jon's brother Thad got into town when we got home. We hung out for a while, but I had ants in my pants. I had this theory that since I unexpectedly had the night off, it was my responsibility to make the most of it, so sitting on the couch was out of the question. Then Joe called and invited us to go dancing. It seemed perfect to me, but Jon isn't really the “go dancing” type. He looked at me a little bit like I was nuts, but he was precious and sweet enough to send me on my own. We went to City to City, which is a new dance club downtown. The owner, Franky, is really cool, and I run into him all the time. This place is sort of weird...I've noticed that no one of my race and age ever goes there. They have hip hop night, which is a little scary, because they have 6 bouncers. 6! Why could you need 6? I'm scared of a place that needs 6. Then, other nights, they'll have these old people bands, where no one under the age of 40 would really have any reason to be there. This was the kind of night I went on. Joe and I were the only people who were not working and had naturally ungray hair. Not to say we didn't have a fun time...because we did. I danced my little heart out all night, and all the older people kept looking at us and smiling. I'm sad I'll miss this Friday's band.

The next day was spent mostly with me being sad about having to decide on the McGuires issue. I cried all day, as silly as that sounds. My poor husband really has to deal with a lot. I skipped karaoke for the first time since we've started it...and that was a good choice, really. We were able to go to bed early, so we could wake up early to go to Greensboro.

We spent Easter with my mom and step-dad, sister, and my brother's family. It was fun, but that's a lot of people for me to be around non stop. So, Jon and I went for a ride around my mom's neighborhood. That was particularly pleasant, because I love stealing moments with my husband. We had an egg hunt at my mom's and mostly talked a lot. We spent the night there, and came home in time for trivia. Eddie had some sort of surgery, and couldn't come, and Jon stayed home because he's angry and is boycotting the place. So, I was all by myself. Allison, though, being the best friend that has ever existed, helped me plenty and I got through just fine.

Tuesday...DENTIST day. A little background for you, as if this blog entry hasn't been long enough. I'm terrified of the dentist. I used to love the dentist, but some bad experiences got that out of my system. When I was younger, I had this awful surgery where they removed this muscle that goes from the back of your throat, over the roof of your mouth, between your front teeth, and ends at your lip. If you pull your upper lip up to your nose...feel that thing right in the center? I don't have that, and the process of removing it left emotional scars more than anything else. I'm allergic to novocaine, which wasn't discovered until some 12 years later. But novocaine makes me panic...shake, sweat, cry, hyperventilate. These aren't things you want to happen when there is a man standing over you with sharp instruments, you know? I also had a root canal, complete with novocaine, and a very nasty mean dentist. What sealed it for me...my complete fear of dentists, was getting my wisdom teeth removed...just the top two. I was supposed to go back the next month for the other 2, but I just couldn't do it. I've been scared for years. So, I haven't been to the dentist for a regular check up and cleaning since high school. Oh-10 years or so. The wisdom teeth and the root canal were in college, but both at least 6 years ago. My mother in law made me go to the dentist. God bless her, she made me go. I'm pretty sure Jon had her back if I tried to make a run for it too, so I just toughened up and went. And by “toughened up”, I mean I turned into a bowl of jelly, completely at the mercy of the dental professionals. My mother in law is going to Ecuador later this year on a missions trip to help people with really bad teeth. So, she's been volunteering in this office, just so she can be more helpful on her trip. So, she was there, and all the people she worked with were extra nice to me. New technology is awesome, and they were able to take my x-rays, with me in the chair, and they immediately popped up on a screen right in front of me! It was so cool that I forgot to be scared during that part. I remembered quickly, though, the first time anyone touched my teeth.

Long story short (ish), my teeth are in terrible shape. The root canal that was so horrible didn't even work. I have to have another, get those 2 wisdom teeth pulled, and fill 6 cavities, although only 1 is bad enough that I have to fix it pronto. They did this horrible in depth cleaning on my teeth-they gave me 10(!!!) shots in my mouth, and then went to town while I tried very hard to breath and not break off Jon's hand. It wasn't fun. But my teeth are beautiful.

We were going to go to the mountains right after, but I felt a little beat. So, we stayed home that night, doing mostly nothing, and went to bed at 9.

I had to drive myself to the mountains, because Jon is going to Virginia for work after we leave here. It's very very peaceful. Jon's mom and dad have this beautiful house on a bunch of land, surrounded by nothing at all except hills and wild turkey and deer. Yesterday we saw about 5 turkeys walking around, and a little doe hanging out in the mountains. Bertha loves it here...she loves the freedom, and also the creek. Bertha's favorite thing in the world is the creek, I think. So, it's Thursday now. I'm typing out this blog on my computer, but there isn't internet, so who knows what else will happen before I post it.

Ooh-Jon and I waxed my legs again, and they are perfectly smooth and beautiful. It's been a painful couple of days, with the waxing and the dentist...but I'm heading out to the hot tub, so it all seems OK. Have you ever seen a deer while you were in a hot tub? I have, and it's cool!