See ya later

2009! Good riddance I say. Here's to a better 2010.

And for those keeping track, or who care.

I went to my regular dentist for my cleaning yesterday. My hygenist was cracking me up (which is hard to do when she's got her hands in your mouth!) She was amazed at how good the one side of my mouth looked after my surgery. She was even calling others into her room to have a look-see. She said she thinks I will end up having to have a root canal in that one tooth that is still giving me fits. She doesn't seem to think the bone will grow enough to completely cover the nerves. And since I already have two root canals in my top front teeth from a teenage fight with the road and the road won, that would be no big deal to me. I remember how much pain I was in for a number of years until those root canals were done because of exposed nerves and how quickly the pain went away once the root canals were performed. I can only hope for as good of results if that is the final outcome with this molar. But we'll see what the Perio has to say when I go see him in April.

Happy Birthday...

To my bestest cyber-buddy Chris! You don't look a day older than you did yesterday. I sent her birthday gift early since I knew I wouldn't have time to get it mailed with all the last minute Convention crap I had going on. I made her an accordian photo frame that she can use at home or at the office. And I found the cutest T-Shirt for her. I found it here: SnarkyMommies: Personalized Apparel for the Family : CafePress.com Great customer service too! Hope your birthday is fabulous girlfriend! The first drink tonight will be a toast to you and Flip Cole Sue!

Cyber Auntie!

I'm gonna be a cyber Auntie again! My best cyber-friend, Chris and her hubby Mike are three months pregnant! I've known about it for a couple of weeks now, but have held off blogging about it until I was sure Chris had told everyone. I am so stankin' excited for them. They are gonna be the BEST parents! The baby is due sometime around Valentine's Day, but we know how babies have their own schedule and timetable!

Two years ago today...

I smoked my last cigarette. I smoked for 30+ years and never thought I'd ever quit. I enjoyed smoking. And yes, I knew all of the adverse things it was doing to me, but I still enjoyed smoking. Then I got rear-ended in Nov 2005. And I had damaged disks at C-3 and C-4. The Neurosurgeon told me had the driver who hit me been going 5-10 MPH faster, I would have been in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I had the same damaged disks as Christopher Reeve, mine just did not leave me a quadriplegic. It was decided that in order to stabilize the neck, surgery was going to be necessary.And my Neurosurgeon wouldn't touch me until I was smoke free for 6 weeks pre-op and 5 months post-op. He told me if I was smoke free, I would heal 80% faster and would come back to 95% from where I was before the accident. So I decided I'd humor him and quit for the 6 months. But at 6 months and one day, I was going back to smoking! I'd show him!!! Feb 19 was D-day! So I gave the rest of my carton of cigarettes away...I darn sure wasn't throwing them away! I paid good money for them! And I became a straw connoisseur of straws! I found I liked McDonald's straws best of all. I'd gnaw on those poor things all day, every day. But I never cheated. Not once. And I had the surgery and the headaches that I had been having every. single. day. since the accident were gone. Gone! And my neck felt better than it had in 6 months. I didn't creak any more when I'd turn my head. And every day got a little better with the cravings for a cig, and I began to rely less and less on the straws. And pretty soon it was approaching the day when I could smoke again! And I didn't want to. I'd come this far. My lungs felt better. Clearer. I felt like I had more energy. Why would I want to start smoking again?! So I didn't go back. And two years later, I'm still smoke free. And I've still not cheated once. And I still miss it. Every. day. Some days more than others. I miss my first one in the morning and my last one at night the most. But I liken myself to a recovering alcoholic. I will always be a smoker. And I can't have that first one. Because if I do, I'll smoke for the rest of my life.

And I have to give props to John too while I'm talking about quitting! He is now smoke free for four months! He has stepped down to the second stage of the Patch and I think has another week to go on it and will then go to the third stage. Each stage lessens the amout of nicotine goes into your body. I'm so proud of him!!!

31 Years Ago

We had measurable snow on the ground in Florida! I was a freshman in college. I remember mom & dad coming in and waking me up about 5:30. They told Kathy, Jan and I that it was snowing. We couldn't get outside fast enough! It was the first time any of us (mom & dad too!) had seen snow. It snowed as far south as Miami that cold January morning, 31 years ago today, Jan 19, 1977. We've had flurries here since, but nothing measurable. We had 1/2" that morning!That's me in the beautiful white housecoat. I LOVED that housecoat! And what happened to Kathy's head you ask? That was and still is a favorite thing of mom's to do. Cut off peoples heads. We're still looking for Kathy's head, as a matter of fact! And I have no recollection of where Jan was!