Miserable Dentist Appointment

I have to get my wisdom teeth out next Tuesday and I am REALLY not looking forward to it. First of all, I hate the dentist (REALLY hate the dentist... its like irrational phobia except not bc it is rational to not like DRILLS going into your teeth), and second of all I am terrified of getting put under! I had to meet with the oral surgeon 2 days ago for a consultation and it was disastrous. This is how the experience went:

I arrived at the office with my mom (she insisted on coming with me) and the words "ORAL AND MAXILLARY SURGEON" on the front door almost made me pass out, but I decided to muster the courage and walk inside. I had to fill out some papers but I was so nervous that I couldn't remember anything so mom had to take control. There I sat for the next HALF AN HOUR waiting in misery when a nurse finally came in and took me into a room. She told me to sit in this giant leather chair and she started messing around with the computer directly in front of me. Confused, I was wondering if the doctor was going to talk to me through a webcam or something. Finally, she told me I had to watch an informational video about what the surgery entails and then said the dentist/surgeon would be in when I was finished watching. Being a good sport about this, I began to watch the video. The video was full of bad actors and seriously ugly people talking about how great it was to get their teeth out. THEN a dentist started talking about the actual surgery and demonstrated cutting the gums, pulling some teeth, cracking the teeth, extracting more teeth.. you get the idea. I almost threw up. Then they started talking about side effects which are too disgusting to write here. Finally, they talked about the anesthesia and its side effects which include DEATH. I started to feel queasy and shaky and it felt like the room was closing in on me. I couldn't look at the computer anymore so I turned my head away and was shielding my eyes when the dentist came in. It was very embarrassing... The only bright side was that he looks just like Mr. Rogers which makes me warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

This is how the rest of the scenario went:

Dentist: So, you wanna get your wisdom teeth out!
Me: That would be a false statement. I was forced here against my will! But I hear you are a great surgeon!
Dentist: Oh I'm not great, I just charge a lot.
Me: Jokes about dentistry aren't funny.
Dentist (putting x-rays of my actual teeth on a white illuminated screen. Might I note here that seeing x-rays, particularly of teeth, evoke a sense of nausea and fear in me): Well then, if you look here, your teeth will be easy to get out, especially the top ones!
Me (trying not to cry or puke): Wow how great...
Dentist: See here is what we'll have to do on the bottom, we'll cut into the gum and then cut your teeth into 4 pieces (drawing +'s through the teeth on the x-ray") and then we'll ---
Me: I don't want to know what you'll do, just do it
Dentist: Ok then, as for the anesthesia we will insert a needle into your --
Me: NO SERIOUSLY I DON'T WANT TO KNOW
Dentist: Well I need to tell you the side effects. You may get dry socke---
Me: I REALLY don't want to know. Can't you just give me a paper so my mother can read it in case anything happens to me?
Dentist: Well, miss, by law I must tell you the side effects
*and so he tells me and I sit cringing and then he starts to tell me that if he accidentally hits my nerve my lip and cheek will go numb... for the REST OF MY LIFE. And then it happened. I tried so hard to be good the whole time but a little tear rolled down my face and then another and I couldn't stop and I said "Well if we are done here, I guess I'll be seeing you next Tuesday!" and I got up, walked out, couldn't find the right direction so I had to go find him and ask how to get out and I was still crying and then I went to find my mom, took the car keys and sat in the car while she took care of the payments. (Thank goodness she's paying for it because I would NEVER get them out if I had to pay for it, because I don't even WANT them out!)

It was mortifying.

The end.

DIET

So, on Saturday morning, I was getting ready to go to the Celtic Festival with my family and I decided to wear my very favorite shorts. They are denim, I think they are called Bermuda shorts (they go almost to my knee) and lo-and-behold, I couldn't get them on my legs! In fact, I couldn't even pull them past the middle of my thigh. I ran into mom's bathroom and said "how dare you DRY my favorite shorts!" and of course she said that she did not dry them. Hmm I thought, this is peculiar. It wasn't a big deal, I decided to wear something else so I pulled out a jeans skirt... same problem! I tried my yellow plaid shorts, my white capris, my khaki shorts, my white shorts... it kept happening over and over again. Finally I didn't know what to do when I remembered this enormous pair of capris laying in a storage bag under my bed. Mom bought them for me years ago and they were about 2 sizes too big so I never wore them. I found them and put them on and the top WOULD BARELY CLOSE (they were however, quite baggy in the legs). So I wore my fatgirl capris. The next day I had to wear a dress that I never wear because I think it looks like a muumuu.

So guess what?! Ladies and gentlemen, I am on a diet! AND I'm working out -- shocking, I know. I bought a jump rope last night and man, is that a workout! So please, don't buy me cookies. Or cake. Or olives. Or cheese. NO JUNK FOOD. I am eating only vegetables and fruit for snacks, Slimfast for breakfast, Slimfast + sandwich for lunch and then Mom's dinner. And only water to drink. And IF I go to a bar, NO BEER.

This is short, but I just thought about this. I spend all day babysitting a baby, and then at night I head over to my great-grandma's to help her get ready for bed. I go from spending time with someone at the very beginning of their life to someone who is at the end. It is just interesting to me and makes me realize how fleeting life is.

old fashioned things

I have always loved history, and as a young girl I was obsessed with all things old-fashioned. Yesterday, while I was babysitting, I came across an episode of The Little House on the Prairie and it reminded me of being a little kid and of all the things I used to like, so I thought I would document some of these things here!




Image from the Piqua Heritage Festival, which is held on Labor Day weekend... easily my favorite weekend of the year as a child!! Going to the festival feels like stepping back in time!




My family has an old desk like this that I used to play old-fashioned schoolhouse. I made my sister sit in that front chair with no desk haha




On most days, you could find me wearing a bonnet like this!













Some of my favorite books about "olden days," as I liked to call them.






I had a boy and girl rabbit dolls like this and I was convinced that they were old fashioned and that Laura and Mary would have had dolls like this!

Books I have read since the start of my 101 list and the dates I finished reading them

1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (7/6/09)
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (7/11/09)
3. Window to the World (7/14/09)
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (7/16/09)
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (7/18/09)
6. The Undomestic Goddess (7/19/09)
7. Kiss the Girls (7/20/09) -- serious insomnia last night!!!
8. The Memory Book
9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (7/27)
10. Undiscovered Gyrl by Allison Burnett

WAL*MART

I have a love-hate relationship with Walmart. Actually just hate. But one would think that I love it. Or maybe I do love it. But I hate that I love it. Who knows? It's complicated.

A few years ago, a Walmart was constructed in my hometown. As expected, it caused a lot of local stores and shops to close down, including the filling station where my family has gotten our gas for as long as I can remember. The residents of Piqua used to have to drive to Troy, or maybe Sidney or even Greenville to get to a Walmart, but now there is one just across town. Of course this elated the hillbillies of Piqua (which is sadly a majority of of the population, I have come to think). Conversations heard around town:

"Wow Betty-Lou, that's a super cute shirt, where did you get it?" "Why, Melba, I done bought this at the WALmart! It ain't even cost me much, it was only $3.98!"

"Hey ladies! There's a sale on undies at the Walmart!"


To the hilljacks, Walmart is not only a noun, but a verb and adjective as well. For example: "Hey what are you doing later?" "Oh, you know, goin' Walmartin'" or "This here is a Walmarty bargain, and I didn't even buy it there! I got it at the consignment store!"

As much as I hate Walmart, when it comes down to it, there is nowhere else in this town to buy half of the things I need, and I'm certainly not going to spend the gas money to drive down to Dayton to buy what I want. Plus, where else can you buy makeup, books, socks, swimsuits (not that I would wear a Walmart swimsuit), groceries, gloves, medicine, auto supplies, toys, even fish, all at the same store?

I think that there is some type of Harry Potter-esque magical spell cast around Walmart, because if I am anywhere even near the vicinity, it pulls me in. If I am on that side of town (which, mind you, is only about 5 minutes away from the other side of town), I think to myself "Gee, I should stop by Walmart, I'm sure I need something!" When I do go there for one specific item, I can never just buy one thing. I will inevitably see something else that I want and it will be too new and shiny to resist. It is impossible for me to leave the store without spending at least $10.

The people who work there aren't even nice, so it is definitely not the hospitality that drags me in! One day I thought I would buy my sister a hamster for her birthday, so I asked the woman working in the pet aisle if they had hamsters and she barked at me "NO! This ain't a pet store, lady!" Then last summer, it was late at night and I was looking for something in particular, I can't remember what it was and I asked for assistance and the guy replies "Ma'am I obviously work in the dairy section, so I can't help you." You know, now that I think about it, my friend used to work at the Walmart in her hometown and she told me stories about how the workers all gathered together everyday to sing the happy little Walmart song (w-a-l squiggly m-a-r-t! who's Walmart? OURS!) I have never heard them sing that at MY Walmart...

I suppose the point is that Walmart is evil, and should not have been built in my town, because it is slowly draining me of all my money.

Aunt Lo

This photo is just too much!!! It needed to be documented, so here it is. It is my aunt in high school, and really... it speaks for itself.

closer to DC every day

For the last week, my parents and I have been pulling our hair out trying to figure out how to get all of my things plus the family to DC for the big move. At first I didn't want my family to go because I was thinking I would be too sad when they left me there, plus I wanted to do a big 8 hr drive by myself, but then I started to get really excited about them going with me. We were going to rent 2 cars, or a u-haul thing... or ship my stuff and rent a car for the fam. Anyways tonight Mom said "are you just afraid to fly right now?" and I said no, thinking she'd say I should fly so there is more room in the car or something, but then she said that maybe I should just fly and ship my stuff, and then they will come visit in October when it's not so hot. Then I looked online and found a $39 ticket into Baltimore, and then a $9 ticket into DC and it was too good to pass up. So... I booked it. And now I'll be going alone -- in the long run, it will probably be better because I'll just say goodbye in Ohio and it will be quick instead of a long drawn out one. And I probably won't overpack. And the whole travel time will be about 2-3 hours which is so much better. And then I can set up my room in whatever leisurely time I like. And I'll be able to research hotels for them. And I can set up an itinerary for them. It will be good. I was just looking forward to showing them around town and I miss them already -- I'm still here!!

Anyways... the tickets are booked and earlier today I took care of my student loans. I probably took out too much, but it should cover tuition, books, food and rent. I'm pretty much ready to go except for packing, and now since I'm shipping my things I guess I will be packing less. Alright time for bed... goodnight!

Stan the Van and a little lost kid

Today I got to do something that I have always wanted to do! I was walking up the stairs at the library and there was an adorable little girl wearing a blue skirt with gold beads all over it. As I was admiring her skirt, I realized she was crying so I asked her if she was ok and she told me that she couldn't find her cousins. I have always wanted to help a little lost child! I don't know why, but it's just one of those things I've always wanted to do. Anyways her name was Mallory and I walked with her around the library until we found her cousins (who were like 10 years old and I don't know why anyone would ever leave them in charge of a 5 yr old kid but that's beside the point). I don't really know why I've always wanted to help a lost kid -- I think I feel compelled towards the greater good to help little kids. I really don't know, but I do know that I felt like a REALLY good person for an hour or so afterwards.

I just got back from watching "The Proposal" with Kyle and Abbie. It was pretty cute. I like a good romantic comedy every now and then. I can't say it was the best movie I have ever seen but I liked it. There were a few spots where I felt awkward because it was like the the directors and actors were struggling to make the scenes work -- kind of like those times during first dates when no one knows what to say. Also Sandra Bullock's nose is starting to look stranger by the minute... I would say it kind of looks like Michael Jackson's but I'm afraid people will yell at me right now.

Finally, I think the time has come to introduce Stan the Van. He's a 1996 white Ford Aerostar and is the first vehicle that I have ever actually owned. I would like to say that I worked really hard and bought it myself, but really I just sort of... fell into him. A few months ago, everyone was doing this '25 things about me' list on Facebook and our choir director did it and one of his things was "I have a lot of vehicles just sitting around that I don't use," and I jokingly commented "I'm taking donations!" The next thing I knew, my dad and I were over at his house putting a new battery in my beautiful creepy oversized white van. We cleaned it out and then I bought myself a shiny gold steering wheel cover. I finally had enough money to buy insurance and new license plates and now my van is legit mine. Of course, I will only have it for about a month until I move to DC... I thought about driving it there but I don't think it will make the trip. We will see though, we'll see...

Here are some pics of Stan:






Sidenote: I will probably keep messing around with the look of my site until I figure out how I want it to look

*101 things in 1001 days*

Starts 4/05/09 Ends 4/12/2012
In progress: italicized
Finished: bolded
TRAVEL
1. Visit Laura in Sweden
2. Visit Dubai
3. Sit in on a class at Yale
4. Go back to Lake Jocassee
5. Visit Abbie when she studies abroad (or at college if she isn’t yet in Ireland!)
6. Plan cruise to Antarctica
7. Visit my aunt in Rhode Island
8. Visit my aunt in Tampa
9. Sent postcards from every city I visit, including ones to myself
10. Visit Boston and L.A.
11. Live in London for a month
12. Go to Key West and see the green sun
13. Visit Italy and Greece
14. Spend some time in the deep South
15. Go to a new amusement park
16. Go on an archaeological dig

LEARNING
17. Write a book
18. Become fluent in Spanish and learned an additional language
19. Take a ballet class
20. Learn to play the piano again
21. Learn to play the harmonica
22. Learn the American presidents in order
24. Memorize all of the continent maps
25. Read 100 books (7/100) - list is here

LOCAL TO DC
26. Go up in the Washington Monument
27. Go to a vineyard
28. See the monuments at night
29. See the giant pandas (9/7/09)
30. Tour embassy row

FOOD
31. Be a vegetarian for one month
32. Try a new fruit and vegetable
33. Drink Strongbow
34. Eat at Nobu in NYC
35. Eat crab in Baltimore
36. Taste caviar
37. Once I have my own apartment and kitchen, cook at least 10 meals and list them here

HEALTH/EXERCISE
38. Get contacts (7/09 - FAIL. Wouldn't stay in my eyes so I had to get new glasses instead)
39. Eat vegan for one week
40. Kayak
41. Buy rollerblades/gear and rollerblade
42. Get 8 hrs of sleep each night for a week
43. Get my damn wisdom teeth out (8/4/09. miserable!)
44. For one week, drink only water (& black coffee)
45. Give up alcohol for a month
46. Be able to do 10 pushups in a row
47. Exercise 5x a week for one month
48. Run a mile easily

NICE THINGS
49. Buy a plant and keep it alive for at least one month
50. Donate blood at least 3x (0/3)
51. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or food kitchen
52. Do some sort of volunteer trip
53. One Christmas, make enough of my candy to send to people
54. Put flowers on family member’s graves
55. Send people cards/letters just because –20x (0/20)
56. Plant a tree each year (0/3)
57. Always send cards or notes on special occasions at least 20x (0/20)
58. Write to my penpal at least 2x a month (1/66)
59. Come home at least 6 times a year (0/18)
60. Start using reusable grocery bags

DIGITAL/PHOTO
61. Buy a digital camera (7/7/09)
62. After getting the camera, take a picture a day for a year ( here started 7/8/09 --- 1/365)
63. Go one week without Facebook
64. Start a photoblog (7/8/09 here)
65. Reach 100 blog posts
66. Buy an old school Nintendo with the original Mario Bros game
67. Start a professional/political blog or turn this into one
68. Go one week without texting
69. Get all of my photographs printed and put into albums

$$/CAREER
70. Get a real job
71. Create a budget and stick to it for at least one month
72. Have something published
73. Invest in stock
74. Go one day without spending ANY money (once I am in DC)
75. Join a professional association
76. Get my own apartment
77. Save up $10,000 in a separate bank account

EXCITING/SCARY
78. Go on the skydeck at the Sears tower or the skywalk at the Grand Canyon
79. Ride a zip-line
80. Audition for a tv show or movie and/or try modeling
81. Speak in front of a crowd without being nervous
82. Go snorkeling
83. Do the 100 strangers project
84. Finally take the hot air balloon ride that I’ve been wanting to take my whole life
85. Learn to snowboard

JUST THINGS TO DO
86. Get a pet cat and then walk it around town on a leash
87. Go to a professional football game
88. Send in a secret to PostSecret
89. Ride a segway (in a city where no one knows me so I can't be recognized while doing so)
90. Clean out all of my stuff in my parent’s attic (started 7/16/09)
91. Go 2 weeks without wearing tshirts, sweatpants or Soffe shorts out of the house
92. Find a 4-leaf clover
93. Write in my real journal everyday for at least 3 months
94. Start sending/receiving postcards from Postcrossing.com (7/20/09 - sent 1st 2 - to Germany and Finland)
95. Kiss on the beach
96. Go to a bookreading at a bookstore
97. Go to 3 movies by myself
98. Sleep in a tent
99. Watch Fight Club
100. Read one book off the classics list a month (should be in learning but its not) (0/33)
101. Learn how to do a figure skating move

COME UP WITH ANOTHER LIST OF 101 THINGS WHEN THIS IS DONE!

countdown

Since I am an absolute idiot when it comes to html, I'm just putting this in a posting. Sorry for the ugly colors, I couldn't figure out how to change them. Methinks perhaps an html class is in my future.

#1

Hi!

So here is my first blog entry in this new blog. I have tried about 4 times to write and maintain a blog but somehow I always end up neglecting it. This time will be different! I am about to embark on an exciting chapter in my life and I am determined to keep up with my blog. I'm going to make it available to all my friends and family who will like to keep up with me, as well as any new people I find online.

A little about me... I am 23 years old, from Piqua, Ohio. I graduated from a liberal arts college close to my home in May 2008 with a degree in Political Science. I moved to Washington, DC last August where I had a eventually found an unpaid internship, and only lasted about 2 months before I came back to Ohio. When I wasn't working, I basically sat around in my room feeling sorry for myself because I was lonely. I definitely didn't take advantage of the beautiful city around me and now I miss it! Since then, I have been working various jobs -- helping with my dad's security business, a brief holiday stint at Bath and Body Works and since April I have been nannying a one-year old boy (babysitting really, but doesn't nanny sound so much more profesh?). He is absolutely adorable and I will miss him when I leave. Which brings me to my next point!

In August I will be returning to our nation's capital! I will be going to grad school for my M.A. in G*vernment, and I will be working a journal!sm internship. I've never done any type of journal!sm before, but it has always interested me, so I'm going to try it out! It is something new, which is good, because I'm not sure yet what I want to do with my life. I will be living at the same dorm I was before -- it is a woman's dorm which has a weird reputation throughout the city, but I like it. People call it "the nunnery" or "the virgin vault," because you can't bring boys to it, you can't drink in it, and it attracts a lot of... interesting girls. However, there are also lots of really cool people who live there from all across the world. Utilities, wireless, breakfast and dinner are included in the rent and it is very safe, so I like it. I will be living there until I find an apartment or house with some girls (or boys lol).

I am nervous about being homesick again, but I think this time will be better because I will have a (paid) internship, classes to go to, homework to do, lots of friends, and no boyfriend to miss. I am much closer to my family now though and more attached, so we will see how it goes. This time, they are driving me instead of me flying all by my lonesome.

Enough about that! What else... for those of you who don't know me, I have a younger brother and sister, and I love my family a LOT. I call my dad Weezie. I see one of my aunts a lot because she lives close, and my grandparents (my dad's parents) live right next door. I have two best friends -- Chief and Pal. I have known Chief foreverrrr and we have been best friends since high school. He is hilarious and we love all of the same things (usually). I met Pal at UD and we lived together, worked together and were in the same pre-law frat. She is funny and loves parties, animals and the sun just like me! Other important people -- Ang, who I have known literally since I was born. She lives in St. Louis and we only see each other a few times a year (if that) but we are like family. Hol- best friend from grade school.. she's getting married in December and I'm going to be a bridesmaid! E is my bff in DC and B is pretty cool too. For now, those are probably all the people I will mention on a daily basis.

Well, thats my first entry! I'll probably write a million more soon and then slow down for awhile!

**I originally had everyone's real names in here, but I've decided to attempt to google-proof this, which is why I have random symbols in some words too.