suggestion

Do not get in a car accident. I was in one Sunday afternoon at 4:45, and that's a moment I won't soon forget. My dad was driving me home from the two of us playing disc golf up at a place on the lake. We played 18 and I found 3 discs, so all was going great, I also got my low score for that course. But then about halfway home at a bend of the road, my dad looked off to the side of the road at a restaraunt we had been thinking of eating at sometime and it all happened so fast. I glanced forward to see an SUV with its left turn signal on and stopped and very little space. I yelled at my dad to watch out and stop...he slammed on the brakes and we screached to a halt about 3 feet from the car, but the relief had no time to set in as the car behind us hit us at 35, didn't brake at all or was speeding something awful. My head slammed into the metal piece holding the visor in place and I had a nice 2-3" welt to show for it just under my receding hairline. My back has become increasingly sore each day after and my dad is very shaken up and hasn't yet gotten back in the driver's seat. I can't blame him, I just did today.

I talked to the paramedic who was on the scene quickly as well as the police. THe paramedic asked me quite a few questions and determined that I didn't need immediate medical attention. It was to my discretion as to whether to go to the hospital or not and I can go in if any other problems develop.

My dad isn't at fault, the car behind is with an ACD...that is all.

more dental adventures

Is it sad that I'm excited for a 7:45 dentist appointment tomorrow morning? It means I get to sleep in. Typically I work at 7, but 7's when I'll get up tomorrow.

Watched White Noise 2 tonight...it was alright, though the first was definetly better.

That sums up the day.

More to come.

lazy day

Ever have one of those days where you are tired all day, but never sleepy? You are just sort of lazy and don't feel like putting effort into anything? They tend to happen on days where you should be busy. Today...I had the wonderful experience of that feeling falling on a day where I could do just that...nothing. It is a glorious thing. It was much needed too, after having started work this past week. I've not yet adjusted to starting at 7am or to standing all day so sleeping in 'til around 11 was the perfect remedy.

On a completely different topic, I find it quite sad that 83% of polled Japanese are following our nation's presidential race while only 80% of our own people are. How can more of another country's citizens care about our country than our own? I think this proves the pure and simple fact that a great number of our population don't feel that they count in our representative democracy (or as I may begin to call it: "Smoke and Mirrors Democracy"). Apathy is running at an all-time high, yet we all reserve the right to complain about how this nation is run. I am, myself, guilty of this most of the time. Most other countries also feel that Barak will make a better president than McCain and that no matter who is elected, changes will occur that will be for the betterment of foreign policy as compared to Bush's reign.

Another scary fact dawned on me today; the terrible flooding occuring in WI and IA has and will continue to destroy a large portion of the world's crops and food. This is going to cause gas related inflation of grocery cost to balloon terribly, increasing our country's poverty and unemployment rates. Not good times, not good times. I am quite glad that upon graduation I will be able to find a job that will never cease to exist. Children will always need an education.

thunderstorms

There's nothing like a good summer thunderstorm. I mean, honestly, cools the area down, gives much needed rain to the ground, fun to watch, and is the equivalent of fireworks in terms of noise production. How can you beat it?

There was a decent one tonight that I watched develop over the lake. I am taking note that I need to do this more often. It is so different watching it in the open and over water. Perhaps one day I'll see a water spout. I don't think that I should move to an area that doesn't have a lake nearby. I've become quite attached to the great lakes over the years.

official

My car is now official! It has license plates. I find this to be pretty cool, however...it probably isn't that special, since I'm almost the last person among my friends to get a car. I'll revel in my excitement a bit longer though. I have a car, and it has plates. Amazing.

Today I managed to knock about 6-10 eggs onto the ground causing a huge mess. That's about all I have outside of the license plates for excitement from my day to this point. THe trumpet lesson was good, but uneventful. The evening should be good though. I look forward to popcorn and Centenial.

On a sports note...how 'bout that injured Puljos...sucks to be a Cards fan. Cleveland has won two in a row, pretty amazing. However, in order to do it...C.C. had to retire the last 17 Twins batters in a row for a 5 hit shut out because the Tribe's offense is so impotent that 8 runs only led to 1 run. We went from one night of 8 runs on 3 hits to the next night 1 run on 8 hits...explain that to me, if you can.

All is good in Mentor.

dentistry is a cruel profession

SO, I had a dentist appointment today. I got in and sat in the chair at 7am (yuck). The dentist proceeded to work on the tooth farthest to the back of my mouth. THis was both difficult for him, and a strain for me. Having your mouth wide open for about 30 minutes...not fun. At any rate...the dentist sort of laughed at me as he was discovering the cavity last time. Today, as I waited in the chair while the drugs kicked in, I was forced to listen to the patient next door choking because a hygenist had allowed something to fall down his throat rather than using her vacuum thingy (for lack of a better term).

All in all the day turned out well, but that was a rough start.

hairball

So, I went to visit Judith and Kristin today. And the highlight of this activity was their cat Silver. Silver hacked up a hairball, and having only had dogs in our family, I had never heard the noise cats make. I thought it was a baby talking, so I looked around for Kristin, but she was in the opposite direction from which the noise had come.

Well, other than that, I think Kristin finally warmed up to me a bit. I can now get high fives and share a yatzee pencil with her. So those are definitely plusses. I'm getting used to this having a car thing. Picking up and leaving when I want is a great feeling.

Now, hopefully I'll be taking in a scary movie with another of my nieces tonight, having already taken Hannah to see Kristin. Sarah's the one left. Jeremiah gets my attention all the time, and Matt's a bit of a long drive.

'Twas a good day.

solved

Well, that last post is now worthless, because I finally have orientation tomorrow. Just an update. In other news, a mission family from Nigeria is coming into town and staying at our place tonight. I'm looking forward to stories.

Side note...I tried the Magma wings at the Winking Lizard and they are definitely hotter than Blazin' at BW3's. That is cool however, because I like this establishment better anyway. I've never had to wait over an hour to be waited on and have food brought. Whereas, BW3's cannot make that same claim.

no ranting

My apologies for not posting, though I fear no one reads this blog. My reason for not posting is simple, I've had very little positive to say lately and my reputation does not need any help toward being a rant-er. I'll keep this complaint brief. Why won't a place that says they'll hire you give you a call so that you can go in for orientation...especially a place which is painfully understaffed and could use a reliable, hard worker?

Case closed. I'll check in again soon, I hope.