1) one wouldn't normally associate a dentist with a happy thought. j had some dental work on friday. he had to get a few fillings and, since he's unable to sit still in the chair, the dentist had to give him an anesthesia to put him out. the procedure took three hours and he had to spend another hour in the recovery room. he was quite uncomfortable and unhappy. he has such a hard time expressing these emotions, but the great thing was that he was able to tell his mom, "head hurt". 2) i feel like i have more time on my hands than i did say six years ago. the ironic thing was that back then, i'd have the time to read an entire harry potter book. maybe it was the fact that the movies hadn't been produced so my imagination was being challenged. despite all the controversies, i think harry potter is a whimsical, inspirational character.
3) we usually have our coordinator meetings at someone's house or a coffee shop. we took advantage of the sunshine though today. we spread out our picnic blankets, ordered some sandwiches and chatted about business matters. we were interrupted for 10 minutes or so due to city lawnmowers, but being out soaking in the rays was a refreshing mid-day joy.
4) dad used to sing me this song, "dream" by the everly brothers. he would play his guitar and insert my name "jean" in the chorus.
5) dementia causes deterioration in the areas of problem solving, attention, language and memory. mental exercises such as sudoku do not only reduce stress level but can provide your brain with a cerebral workout. one study claims that crossword and sudoku puzzles could help give you the brain power of someone 14 years younger than you! i do realize that if i don't habitually attempt to solve a puzzle, the longer it takes for me to decipher.
6) jill got me these bacon bandages a few months back. i think they're hilarious! i haven't had the chance to use one on myself yet. j appeared to enjoy the silly adhesive on his hand a few weeks ago.
7) you always hear that whole grain is the way to go. while i've cut out white bread in my diet, i realized that i eat a lot of white rice. we've started mixing in brown rice with the white rice to slowly wean ourselves off. i do like the texture of brown rice i must say. the chewy-ness of it leads me to believe i'm eating more thus reducing my serving. the other nutritional values of brown rice are the presence of vitamins B1, B3, iron and magnesium which are absent in white rice.
8) by far, the best concert i've been to is the killers. their first two albums are sensational. i could sing or listen to their songs repeatedly. plus, it's equally enjoyable to hear a good brandon flowers impersonation as it is to deliver it!
9) i read the lovely bones by alice sebold on my first flight to hawaii in 2003. not a feel-good book, as its story is about a teenager who was brutally raped and murdered. throughout the novel, the victim (susie) watched from heaven as her family and friends move forward. her sister (lindsey) and father continue searching for her murderer when the police drop the investigation due to exhausted leads. but they don't give up and eventually uncover enough information to reveal susie's killer. susie gets to watch lindsey experience things that she never will...fall in love, get married, have children, establish a career. the character ages which is evident in her narration. while she spends time in her "personal" heaven while uncovering the details of her death, she moves into the larger heaven at the end of the story, symbolizing the perpetuation of her spirit. it's written to provide hope and familial love in wake of a tragedy.
10) ryan and i worked from home the last half of our day. i was surprised with how much of my reports i was able to complete. it was nice to knock a few action items off my list.
