Another Snow Day

Well, here I sit at home because of another southern snow day :(    That means another check that's short...UGH  Also my hubby was the doc's (my boss) 7am patient and for the 2nd time I have to reschedule him because of weather. My hubby drove all the way to Chattanooga but my boss thinks we can't make it across town. Grant it my drive looked pretty bad at around 7am but I think we could have at least worked 1/2 a day.   Anyways, I'm sitting on my butt watching TV surfing the net and chatting on Facebook & Twitter.   

What a Surprise That Was...

Well... Cleveland. TN got a real surprise yesterday... our first snow storm of the year.  No one was prepared for what was to come.  Our weather man didn't come though that was for sure and Al Roker even let us down. I wonder if Ron Burgundy could have done better....hehehe

Anyways, it was a freaking nightmare for us in the Tennessee valley.  There were wrecks every where and traffic was backed up as far as you could see in some areas.

Picture taken from
window of my office

Near where I work the road is hilly (see picture) and 10 or more cars got stuck trying to come down it.  By the time I finally left work there were more stuck cars.

It all started bout 9am when it started to pepper snow and being from Ohio I didn't really think to much about it because it was very fine but then it really started pouring down and by 11:00am the roads were a sheet of ice, schools were shutting down, traffic was backing up, and cars were in ditches.  

Here in the south we are just not equipped to handle such snow falls and with all the hills and valleys around us it just puts things at a stand still. 

My husband had to go to Knoxville that morning so I called him to see if he had started home yet and told him I may want him to swing by the office and pick me up as I might not be able to drive out myself due to the bad conditions which turned out to be the case.  So when he got close to the office I hitched a ride to the corner from a co-worker

that was gonna try the back way home and walked up the hill where the main road (Georgetown/60) was and it was a freaking parking lot one side going out of town towards the school.  I suppose everyone was trying to go pick kids up since school let out.  I was like OMG I don't want my hubby to get caught up in that mess so I kept walking down to the Rt. 75 exit and just as I got up there he was at the end of the exit ramp, Praise the Lord, and I jump in to the car and took off avoiding all that traffic.

So we are driving towards home and just as we are about 5 minutes from the

house we run into a road block.  I guess there must have been some issues going down the hill that is in that area.  We had to turn around and go all the way back to the center of town and take an alternate route.  We finally made it home 45 minutes later (usually about a 13 minute drive) and parked the car at the entrance of our street because it's just too dangerous to try to drive up our street which is just one big giant curvy hill.  There would have been no way we could have parked or gotten up our drive anyway since it's about a 35 to 40 degree angle up.  So we hoofed up the road and up our drive in 15 degree weather and snow.

I hope all my friends are safe at home now and tomorrow will be a nicer day :-)

Keep Smiling!
Sherri 

My Weekend Walmart Encounter

OMG I know most of you have seen the People of Walmart website or heard of Wal-martians.  Well I had a Walmart experience that was both hilarious and out there.   Anywhoo...  I was in checkout #17 which happens to be right in front of the restrooms. There is one older lady in the line in front of me and it's taking just a little longer to check her out.  No biggie.  A young man about 18 or 19 comes up behind me with a cart with just a few items in it and says to me and cashier "I'll be right back I'm just gonna run to restroom real fast."  No problem, she's still checking the old lady and no one else in in our line.  

So a minute or 2 later the young guy comes back to his cart of items, the cashier has just started checking my stuff out and he says to me "I don't know what was going on in there in the stall beside me but there was 2 guys in it and some strange noises."  I was like "oh really".  Just about then another young guy about 18 or 19 comes out of the restroom and guy with cart says to him "hey man, are you alright"  Guy #2 says "Yea, I'm good but my D8@# hurts." (you fill in the blank).  I busted up laughing Cart Guy says "well I wasn't expecting that response."  The poor cashier was so upset and distraught about the exchange of conversation that she was trying to call security to get guy #2 thrown out of the store but honestly he had already taken off.  I just wanted my items rung up but Ms Cashier was too frustrated and on the phone to ring them up and I was about to get over the whole situation.  

Finally some other cashiers came over to her rescue and took over for her so she could gather herself.  I finally get my items rang up and I'm outta there as fast as my little legs could carry me.  The things you see & hear nowadays.... LOL! 

Happy Birthday to Me!

So today was my 53rd...YES 53rd.  It's hard to believe that I've been on this earth 53 years. Dang that's a long time...hehehe I'm not afraid to tell my age like some women.  I'm proud that I'm in my 50's.  I have to say being in my 50's is actually pretty great. I've been around long enough to know what I want and what I don't want. Plus I've got the nerves to let it be known.  When I was younger I use to let people run all over me. Now I'm mature enough to know how to pick my battles and how to handle situations better. I also know how to say no or yes to situations. 

I had a great weekend with my hubby and he got me a iPad Air and a massage not to mention a yummy birthday cake :)  He's the best!  Today I had lunch with my mom, g'ma and my niece, Shaylee.  Then Shay and I did some retail therapy but I didn't really buy that much...LOL  I have all I need really although I still enjoy a shopping trip from time to time. 

Another great day!

Sherri 

A New Year

Well... it's 2014 and I wonder what this year will hold for me.  I have declared this the year of spreading and being HAPPY.  My favorite song right now is Happy by Pharrell Williams.  I am determined to think and be happy.  I am going to enjoy my life and be a help to others around me because I find great joy in helping those who are in need. I want to smile at others and let my happiness spread to them.  I no longer want to go through this life thinking it's a drudgery or not worth living.  I'm a great person and I have a lot of living left on this earth.  I want to be like my 94 year old grandmother who never gives up and even though

My 94 year old Grandmother, Irene

her eyesight is failing still sits a the sewing machine and makes quilts.  She hasn't and will not give up what she loves to do which is sewing.  I hope I can be that kind of person that never lets the things of this life take my life away from me. I know that in there will ups and downs but I don't want the down days to take over my life. It's just an inconvenience and as the saying goes "this too, shall pass".   I must confess I've had a great life so far with wonderful, loving  parents and family.  We've had our struggles just like all families but we stick together when the going gets rough.  I have a awesome husband who is always there for me and we'll soon be celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary.  I've got a great life and it's up to me to live it to the fullest.  It's up to me to be happy.  So if you're with me, declare 2014 the year of your happiness too. 

It's gonna be an AWESOME year!!! 

Sherri 

Happy video by Pharrell Williams

Hillbilly Hygienist

Well... Wednesday I went to the periodontist to see if he could do an immediate implant for my broken off upper left lateral (#10) and low and behold he said he could.  So his hygienist Jamie numbed me up.  Jamie and I took our local anesthesia course together about 6 years ago I guess.  She did an awesome job too didn't feel a thing :-)   So the doc takes out the remaining root and then Shannon his assistant does a iCat scan of my head, which I got a copy of being the tech head I am.  I love looking at stuff like that. Any who... then he proceeds to put in the implant.  Boy that was a head rattling experience.  About an hour and a half later implant is in and I'm on my way back to the house.  Now we wait and see if it integrates with the bone and in 4 months we can start to build my new tooth on it.  I hate the appliance I'm wearing to replace my missing tooth though. It's a pain and makes my other front teeth sore if I wear it all day.  I'm getting another type of appliance to replace this one which should be more comfortable but I have to wait till the lab gets it done :/  So right now I am truly the hillbilly hygienist.  

All I want for Christmas is my left lateral...my left lateral...my left lateral...hehehe

For a Dental Professional....

....I have the worst luck with teeth.   You name it and I've probably had it done to my teeth or need it done. 

Today as per our usual Saturday events, my hubby and I had planned to go to the movies to see Thor: The Dark World.  We get to the theater get our usual concessions a large popcorn, medium coke zero and a nachos & cheese get our seats and start munching on our nachos while the advertisements are playing on the screen.  Then the previews start and we get to see a cool 5 minute preview of the new Captain America movie that's coming out soon.  Then the Thor movie starts and we're chowing down on our popcorn.  I'm tired of salty stuff so I have a cherry tootsie pop in my pocket so I pop that in my mouth and after I've worn it down to the tootsie roll center I bite it and start chewing it up. That's when I hear a SNAP and my upper left lateral incisor breaks off right at the gum line.  I freak out start crying and my hubby is wondering what the heck happened and I tell him and I'm still freaking.  He's trying his best to console me...poor guy. We get and leave I call my boss and leave him a message. I tell my hubby we might as well try to finish the movie since there is nothing we can do but wait for him to return my call.  No sooner did we get back in the theater my boss/dentist calls me and says he'll meet me at the office in a hour.  Luckily even though the tooth broke clean off into the gum and I can see the nerve it's not hurting.  Thank the good Lord for that :)  Any who... long story short my wonderful boss fixes me up temporarily so I don't look like the hillbilly hygienist and I have to have an implant done hopefully real soon :)

You know the last time I broke a tooth it was at the movies...hmmm maybe I need to rethink this movie going habit we have... nawww don't think it's gonna happen...LOL

Have a great weekend and don't do that "how many licks does it take to get to the middle of a tootsie pop" thing  ;) 

Cruise Day 3 - Naples, Italy!

Today on our Mediterranean we port in Naples.  We get off the ship and meet up with our tour director, Josh, who happens to be from Tulsa, OK.  Josh is in Italy studying of all thing philosophy.  Not sure what you can do with that degree other than just teach but he was a really nice young man and spoke really good english LOL  :-)   Anyway Josh and our guide, Nello who was hilarious I might add did a great job as did our bus driver.  We started off on our way down the Amalfi Coast which was pretty but also dirty in my opinion. The big thing there is lemons and limoncello.  Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy, especially in the region around the Gulf of Naples, the Sorrentine Peninsula and the coast of Amalfi and islands of Procida, Ischia and Capri.  Boy they had some HUGE lemons there too.  I didn't partake of any limoncello but I did have a refreshing lemons freeze drink when we got to Positano.   Then we went to the ruins of Pompeii, which was destroyed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. It was pretty cool seeing all this old stuff LOL.  

Pompeii Ruins

Entrance to Pompeii

Pompeii

Day 4 we're off to Rome!

I'm Back....

Well, I haven't blogged in a few weeks so here's the deal.   My hubby and I went on an amazing Mediterranean cruise so for the next few days I will take you on a revisit of our adventures day by day.  We booked our cruise with Norwegian which we used for an Alaskan cruise about 10 years ago which was also wonderful.  

Sagrada Família church

Columbus Monument

 Casa Batlló

Arc de Triomf

Day 1 -- We flew out of Atlanta to Barcelona, Spain.  When we landed in Barcelona we were there early, 8:30am and the cruise line had arranged to take us on a bus tour of the city prior to boarding our ship, the Epic.  Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain. We got to see some highlights of Barcelona which included the Sagrada Família a still unfinished Gothic style Roman Catholic church by Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi also did some other amazing buildings in Barcelona such as 

Barcelona Cathedra 

Casa Batlló & Casa Vicens.    We also got to see the Barcelona Cathedral, the Columbus Monument,  & the Arc de Triomf among other sites.  Then we were off to board our ship the Norwegian Epic. Pretty big ship I might say too at 155,000 tons with 3, yes 3 water slides, 3 pools, 5 hot tubs and over 6000 people on board.  We left Barcelona about 7pm and were on our way to our first port Naples, Italy on Tuesday.  Monday was our day at sea so we just relaxed and explored the ship and that evening went to dinner at the Taste. We had steak & lobster which was soooo yummy and then we were off to see the Blue Man Group which was really fun.

Cruise Day 4

Today our adventure takes us to Rome, Italy!

We started our day off walking down to the train station in Civitavecchia to meet our guide, Josh from Can't Be Missed Tours.

Civitavcchia Train Station

We take the train to meet our tour guide who's name escapes me but she was a very informative guide.  We venture on to the Colosseum.  It was so cool getting off the train and going out to look over at the the Colosseum which is situated just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in 70 AD, and was completed in 80 AD under his successor and heir Titus. 

The Colosseum

The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, and was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology.

Inside the Colosseum

After the Colosseum we hopped on a city bus and road around looking at the sites of the city on our way to the Pantheon. We pass the Altare della Patria 

Altare della Patria 

The Pantheon is a building in Rome, Italy, commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus as a temple to all the gods of ancient Rome, and rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian about 126 AD.

Pantheon

Then we continue on our walking tour on around the plazas until we come to the famous Trevi Fountain.  You can hear the waters rushing from blocks away and we you finally get there it's really awesome. 

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain a fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Pietro Bracci. Standing 86 ft. high and 161.3 ft. wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world.

A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. Coins are purportedly meant to be thrown using the right hand over the left shoulder. This was the theme of 1954's Three Coins in the Fountain and the Academy Award-winning song by that name which introduced the picture.

Spanish Steps

From Trevi's Fountain we made our way over to the Spanish Steps which climb a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church at the top. The Scalinata is the widest staircase in Europe. 

After a nice lunch of Pizza and gelato we made our way over to Vatican City.

Layout of Vatican City

Vatican City is HUGE & BUSY with visitors! Vatican City territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome. It has an area of approximately 110 acres, and a population of around 840. This makes Vatican City the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world by both area and population.

Pomodoro’s Sphere Within a Sphere

We enter the museum and embark on The Path to the Sistine Chapel.  Along the way to our destination, we’ll pass the countless works of art that have been collected and commissioned by the popes over the centuries, spanning from the BC era (The Belvedere Torso) to the twentieth century (Pomodoro’s Sphere Within a Sphere).

Last Supper Tapestry 

After viewing some of the museum pieces we finally make it to the Sistine Chapel were we get to see the famous painted ceilings by Michelangelo.  We weren't suppose to take picture in the chapel but I tried to sneak some anyways but they didn't come out so good...LOL

Sistine Chapel

That's about as good as I could get without having the "photo police" after me....LOL

We exit the Sistine Chapel through a passageway reserved for tour guides, which will lead us to St. Peter’s Basilica, the final stop of the day.  After a brief talk about the building’s history, we're  given time to wander through the biggest church in the world, and take in over a hundred years’ work of the greatest artists of the sixteenth century. 

Vatican City has so much to see there is no way I can put it all in this blog but it was totally awesome and I'm not even Catholic LOL 

Tomorrow we're off to Pisa & Florence!

Have a good one!

Well, that's just what I needed...

Well, that's just what I needed...

Krazy Katie

Came home from work today and the first thing I do after I enter the house is take our our 2 dogs, Kassie & Katie.  Katie usually goes out first cuz she meets me at the door while Kassie is laid up in the back bedroom :-)  So I put the leash on Katie and we go out and instead of her usual quick pee she decides to take off down the hill with me.  As I'm running and screaming at her just just ignores me like I'm not even there and I think she's gonna get away from me. I have NO idea what the heck she is chasing after because there is NOTHING around us at all.  I'm yelling "STOP KATIE STOP"!!! My neighbors probably thought I was a crazy woman if they heard me. LOL  But she keeps on going and finally about after 30 feet of dragging me I just sit down in the mud because otherwise she's just gonna have me heading and pitching down the hill.  Sitting down is the only way I can stop this train wreck but she keeps going and now my scrubs are all muddy, my favorite Keens are muddy, I've be bumped and contorted into a pretzel, my left elbow is skinned up, my left hip slammed to into the ground and my right ankle & shin skinned.  Ugh!  What the heck was she thinking.  She's only done this to me one other time about  4 years ago.  She's a strong mutt I'll give her that.  Maybe I should hook her up to a dog sled. LOL  I'm getting ready to go on vacation in 10 days and I sure don't want to have to go in a wheelchair.  I've got big plans for this vacation...hehehe  Anyway I was really ticked off at her afterward and she just looks at me like "what mom...I didn't do anything" and gives me that big dopey look she has.  She totally doesn't get that I'm mad at her behavior.  Kassie on the other hand knows and curls up in the corner away from me thinking "I'm steering clear of mom she's sure is mad about something."  I already feel the soreness settling in my joints.  UGH Aleve here I come LOL  But I can't stay mad at a face like that now can I ...hehehe 

Until next time....

Keep Smiling... Sherri :)

What a Week!

Well...I haven't blogged in a week or so because I've been so dang busy! Finally got mom all moved in thank goodness that is over!  Then had my conference in Vegas which was great! RDH Under One Roof is one of the best conferences for hygienists I've ever attended.  At RDH UOR you can meet lots of new RDHs,  attend great continuing education courses, win lots of prizes, visit dental exhibitors, & see what's new in the field of dental hygiene. I attended several great CEs, met up with some old friends and made some new ones.  I even won a Twitter contest that RDH UOR had...whooohooo I rarely win anything but I got lucky this time and actually won 3 times :-D  I won all sorts of "bling" in the RDHUOR Twitter #RDHBlingQueen contest and also $150.00.  Then I won 2 times in their Twitter trivia contests which was a blinged out keychain, lanyard & pen. I gave one set of them to my roomie, Kathy.  It was so great seeing all the ladies from the "list".  The "LIST" is a email group of RDHs that my good friend Amy started and is located at RDH LISTERS  

Then I get back to work Monday to find they have reset all the computers and had to "tweak" the settings and everyone was complaining.  I had to get the computer guy to hunt down all my files that I had made. Then I had to go around and help some other other fix everything on theirs too.  They freak when when the computer gets messed up LOL.  But things are getting back to normal and I think our new computer guys might be a blessing because at least they know more than just networking and they only deal with dental offices so that's a real plus.  

Now I'm counting down the days until my hubby and I go on our Mediterranean cruise wooohooo I'm so excited. Only 11 more days and we take flight to Barcelona then off to Naples on the Norwegian Epic. I'm already packing my bags in my mind LOL.  




Until next time....Keep Smiling!

Sherri

What a Day!

Well...I'm off from work for 9 big days!!! Whoooooohoooo!!!  So today I went to help my mom do some finishing touches on her kitchen remodel.  Well...it was a slow start to say the least. Can't find this...where is that...you know the drill.... oh yeah where is the drill by the way...LOL  Anyway finished putting knobs on the drawers, the carpet cleaners finally made it over and carpets look pretty good now :-)  Just as the carpet cleaners were leaving the water meter man knocks on the door and tell us that the meter is running a mile a minute and there is a serious leak somewhere and there had been over 27,000 gallons of water used since the last reading... WHAT THE HECK!!!  OMG that's enough water for a 20' x 40' in ground swimming pool!!  There NO water standing anywhere around the house other than a small puddle in the driveway.  My uncle looked under the house and NO water leaking anywhere.  So where is this water coming from and going too. Not to mention the fact that it has rained most everyday for the last 2 weeks and even with that there was no water standing.  I don't get it.  So we had to start calling plumbers which there was not one in our town that was available.  What does everyone have a plugged up toilet or something in this town???!!!  So then we went out to my mom's other house to get the insurance policy that came with the house when she bought it but of course they don't cover if it's something from the house to the meter UGH.  Well..then it's lunch time so we run to McDonald's down the road and were just gonna get Happy meals cuz they are easy. We got 3 Happy meals and it was over $12 freaking bucks.. What the heck! And little did we know that you only get 5 fries with a Happy meal now.  When my mom opened the box on our way out of the drive thru and saw that she blew her stack and said "Go Back...I'm not paying almost $13 for this". So I pull up to the front and she snatches up the 3 Happy meals and the teaspoon of coke they gave us and marches right in and lets them know she's not being ripped off.  LOL I wish I had filmed it cuz she was so funny snatching up the stuff and getting out of my little 2 seater car.  I started rolling laughing.  OMG we laughed all afternoon about that incident.  Thanks mom for making my day :-)  We did however finally finish the trim on the cabinets.  But still don't know where the water is going or coming from...it's a mystery that has yet to be solved. 

Another Day of Cabinetry

This long weekend went by too fast as they usually do.  Today was day 2 of

operation cabinet rehab at mom's place. and it's coming a long pretty nicely if I do say so myself.  We've busted our butts getting it done and we still have quit a few things to complete and we would have gotten them done but Lowes didn't have the decorative strips that we needed so we'll have to add the rest of those later. So after 2 hard days I'm icing my poor old knee because my knees and ladder climbing just don't get along too well.  Tomorrow my uncle is hooking up the dishwasher, stove and finishing up the cabinets hopefully the countertops will be ready to install.  I have to work tomorrow so I'll stop over after supper to see what has transpired :-D  I'm hoping the rain will go away for moving day which will be Saturday.  I'd really hate for everyone to have to get drenched to get all the stuff moved.  Saturday is the only day that we can get everyone together.  Wish us luck! 

Until Next Time...

Keep Brushing!

Oh the Pain of It All

Before

As I've mentioned before my mom purchased a home and it needed a facelift so your's truly has been helping her. Today I painted the molding around the ceiling and we started painting the kitchen cabinets.  It's actually been really fun helping her even if my muscles are telling me different.  My mom and I are lucky to have a good relationship and I can go to her about most anything. We enjoy each other company.  We always find something to talk about and usually end up laughing the day away.  We started pretty early...well, early for me on a

Mom Painting

Saturday 9am...LOL  She had to rund to Lowes of course before she came over to the house. While I was waiting I started on the molding.  When she go there we started on the cabinets and then she realized that one of her bags got left at Lowes so she had to go back and get it.  UGH... Seems you never have what you need when you need it.  You spend half your time running to get this or taking this back. It's frustrating!! We did however end the day with a coat of paint on all the cabinets!  Back at it tomorrow for coat #2. And most likely a trip to Lowes...LOL 

Until Next Time....

Keep Smiling!