deja vu

Yesterday Roger, Patrick and I went to see the movie Deja Vu. We went, of course, to my favorite little hometown movie theater, and as always the popcorn was fresh and the frozen Cokes were perfection. 

The movie itself was pretty good. Roger, Patrick and I had a discussion about the movie afterwards, and we all agreed; when seeing Deja Vu you have to be willing to suspend reality and all rational, reasonable thought. If you go in thinking, you’re not going to enjoy the movie at all. There are tons of holes, and the plot itself is completely unbelieveable. But, we go to the movies to be entertained, and Deja Vu delivered the entertainment expectation.

I used to have a subscription to ScreenIt.com, but we’ve let it lapse. ScreenIt.com is a website where you can look up just about any movie and learn all about it ~ even down to the type and number of swear words. Since our subscription to ScreenIt.com ran out, we’ve been using PluggedInOnline.com for movie reviews. We don’t always agree with the reviewer’s assessment of appropriateness, even though the site is part of James Dobson’s "Focus on the Family." (I won’t even get started on my assessment of "Focus on the Family" and James Dobson’s "christian psychology" ~ perhaps I’ll share my thoughts on that whole thing another time.)

The next time you, your kids, your friends, family, etc., want to see a movie, I suggest you look it up before spending money to watch a movie that may make you very uncomfortable. You can’t trust the movie ratings anymore ~ did you know that PG-13 movies are "only allowed one f-word"?! "ONLY" one f-word? I don’t care to hear ANY f-words, or any of the other assorted 4-letter swear words. I hate that Hollywood thinks they have to cram as many swear words into a movie as they possibly can. I don’t talk like that; neither do my husband, my children, or my friends (at least not in my presence, and hopefully not when I’m not around, either).

Short of paying for a subscription to ScreenIt.com, PluggedInOnline.com is probably the best place to look up a movie before viewing it. Roger and I make it a habit to look up movies online before we go to them, and we ask our sons to do the same. It’s hard to find a decent movie in the theater these days ~ I’m glad to have a site like PluggedInOnline.com to go to for movie reviews. Like I said, I don’t always agree with the reviewer’s assessment of the appropriateness of a movie, but at least I’m able to go in prepared for what the movie contains.

coupon

Here’s this week’s coupon for Barnes & Noble ~ if you’re book~crazy like we are, you’ll probably take advantage of it! 

fibro

If you’re serious about wanting information about fibromyalgia and myofascial pain, click on the first link under my "Fibromyalgia" heading in the left side bar. Devin Starlanyl has fibro and myofascial pain herself ~ she’s a research doctor ~ and she really seems to know what she’s talking about. Her books and website are the first places I go to when I need information. She recommends several other authors and books on her website ~ I intend to read those, as well.

paintball

Sawyer and Patrick really enjoy playing paintball. There’s a paintball field about 10 miles from our house, and the boys are frequent players. Tomorrow there’s going to be a big "scenario" game (I’m not really sure how that works, I just know the theme of the game is that an alien ship has crashed on the paintball field) ~ 6 hours of paintball! The usual fees won’t be charged tomorrow ~ the only thing the kids/adults who come to play paintball will have to pay for are the paintball themselves.

Sawyer saw this as an incredible opportunity. He and a bunch of his friends could get together and play paintball for 6 hours, with no field fees, equipment fees, air fees, or anything else~ just paint. He has always complained about his birthday being in December, especially as close to Christmas as it is, because it’s very difficult for him to have a birthday party. Too many people go out of town for weeks at a time around Christmas, and it has frustrated Sawyer that his friends are usually gone when he wants to have a birthday party. SO, he asked if we would agree to let him have his birthday party in November rather than December. Sawyer has invited 5 of his friends to join him and his brother at the paintball field tomorrow ~ they’ll all get to play paintball for 6 hours, and we’ll pay for the paint (as well as water, snacks, and lunch).

He and Patrick have worked off and on today getting their paintball equipment ready for tomorrow. Patrick hadn’t planned on coming home this weekend, since his Thanksgiving break starts at the end of his last class on Tuesday ~ he thought 4 round trips between home and school in one week was excessive. But when he learned of the paintball scenario game and Sawyer’s plans for a birthday party, Patrick decided maybe he should come home!

It will be fun for the boys tomorrow ~ we’re all looking forward to it.

is it formal?

I talked to Patrick yesterday about the Winter Semi-Formal dance coming up. Apparently the committee has decided to change it to a "formal", and add a theme, "The Phantom of the Opera". The colors are black, white, and red. The girls are allowed to wear pretty much whatever they would wear to a homecoming or prom-like dance, and for this dance the boys are supposed to wear "nice slacks and shirt, and a tie; jacket is optional." The school also said that for the boys, tuxedos are not expected except for prom.

So, my question is, what is the difference between a semi-formal and a formal if the kids dress pretty much the same for both? Patrick’s planning on wearing his black dress/suit pants and jacket; he has a couple of nice shirts and ties, but we were thinking of maybe getting him a black shirt and red tie, or a red shirt and some sort of tie to go along with the theme. One of his friends from school is going to look for costume party masks that fit the "Phantom of the Opera" theme, so there will be at least one group of kids who all have masks and really "get into" the theme. I think it’s a great idea!

As a side note: my oldest son is so creative! He knew who he wanted to ask to escort to the dance, but he wasn’t really sure how to ask her. He told me he wrote a poem the other night in which he asked the question, "Will you go to the winter semi-formal with me?" (trust me, this is a big deal for him ~ poetry is not high on his list of favorite things). The next morning, when he re-read it, he still thought it was a great poem, so he decided to give it to his intended "date". He sits next to her in pre-cal ~ so, when she sat down he told her he had written a poem, and asked if she would read it and give him some feedback. She said no thanks!! LOL She said she didn’t like poetry. Patrick was speechless for a second or two, but then he bucked up and told her he really wanted her to read this particular poem, and he would really appreciate her evaluation. She reluctantly agreed. Patrick told me that about half way through the poem her eyes started to get wide, and by the time she finished the poem her eyes were as big as saucers! She said yes, of course.

Because this is a residential high school, they do things a little bit differently than a "regular" high school. They don’t do boutonnieres and corsages (at least for this dance they don’t), and going out to a nice dinner beforehand isn’t an option because they all have to catch the shuttle to wherever the dance is being held. Either you or your date must be a student at the school, and everyone has to travel together on the school-provided shuttle to the dance. There’s an after party held at a different location, and the same rules apply. The Parents Association is very active in these type of activities ~ they usually provide chaperones for the dance and after party, as well as all of the food and beverages for the after party. I’ve been very impressed with the way this school has handled the logistics of keeping all the kids safe while living in the residential hall and going to school ~ I’m sure their safety will be a major issue and well taken care of for this dance.

It sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun. Roger and I have been encouraging Patrick not to miss out on the "high schoolish" activities ~ after all , he is in high school (technically), and this will be his only chance to do these kinds of things.

Patrick’s friend Ariel has been helping him learn how to dance. They go to a very nice hotel there in town on Friday and Saturday nights where they take lessons ~ the hotel has a band come in and play all kinds of songs, mostly swing and ballroom dancing type of music. Patrick was very reluctant to go, but apparently Ariel can be quite persistent, and he finally went "just to get her to shut up about it." Once he went, though, he was hooked. He’s very proud of himself that he is learning how to dance. He did tell Ariel that the Cha-Cha, salsa, and the tango dancing would have to wait until he’s courting someone and they take lessons together so they can dance on their wedding day! Good kid.

maybe

It’s looking like it might actually be a fairly quiet week around here. I don’t have any doctor’s appointments, and neither does Sawyer ~ the only thing Roger has scheduled outside of work is physical therapy three times a week. I don’t have any extracurricular activities scheduled; Sawyer’s schedule is the usual: choir Monday night, co~op (in place of homeschool) Tuesday, French horn lessons and youth group Wednesday afternoon into evening, and discipleship group Thursday evening. That’s his NORMAL schedule ~ other than discipleship group, I can just drop him off at the church for everything. He’s taking French horn lessons from Pastor Eddie, the worship pastor at our church; after lessons Sawyer simply walks across the street to the youth building where he sets up the AV equipment for the youth band practice and then youth group. It’s all very convenient on Wednesdays, thanks to Pastor Eddie’s timing with the French horn lessons.

Since Roger is going to physical therapy three times a week for the next month, he doesn’t have to work that awful operations supervisor job for a while. I think the "ops supe" job is probably the worst job he has had in a long time. It’s long hours ~ 13 hours days are the average~ and he’s constantly busy. It makes him very tired and grumpy.

Physical therapy seems to be going well. Roger has exercise he does at home, and they do some specialized therapy when he goes to his appointment. He’s going to the physical therapy unit at the doctor’s office off base. The orthopedic docs have a pretty big practice going, and their physical therapy unit is pretty well equipped. The physical therapy unit on the base took one look at what the doctor had ordered and told Roger he’d have to go "downtown" for that. The didn’t have the equipment needed to handle the physical therapy he needs. That’s ok with us ~ we’ll take it pretty much anytime we’re able to go to a doctor off base and our insurance will still pay for it.

I’m looking forward to the rest of my fairly quiet week. I have some projects around the house to do, I have a book to read, and of course there are the constant knitting and/or crochet projects. But, I don’t have to leave home except to take Sawyer to the church, and if Roger’s home he’ll do that so I don’t have to. He’s a pretty good guy!

Today I think I’ll spend the majority of the day sitting on the couch working on crochet projects. Even the prospect of a nice, quiet, unstressed, hopefully restful day fills me with anticipation and joy! Here’s to quiet days at home. Cheers!

in 10 years

If you know Patrick and Sawyer at all, you’ll agree ~ this is SO my children 10 years from now………(click on the pink words to see a short video) Be sure your sound is turned up.

word up

My youngest son thinks his parents are geeks. I honestly can’t imagine what ever gave him the idea that his parents are less than cool, but that’s what he thinks. It all started the other night while we were watching TV………….

I don’t remember what show we were watching, but it was something I had TiVO’d (that’s the same thing as recording a TV program on your VCR to watch later, only it records on the digital cable receiver rather than a VCR). The background music was a song that Roger and I recognized ~ it was from the 80’s, of course. It was (and still is) one of my favorite dance songs, "Word Up" by Cameo (click on the pink words to hear the song and see the MTV video ~ about 4 minutes long). It’s one of those "one hit wonders", but when Roger and I were in our late teens/early twenties it was one of the best songs to dance to ~ and it was played at bars and restaurants with dance floors all the time. After the first couple of notes, there would be a mass movement of bodies towards the dance floor, no matter where we were.

Anyway, back to the other night: Roger and I recognized the song immediately and started singing along with it. Sawyer groaned and rolled his eyes ~ that’s when Roger and I decided a little dancing along with the music was in order. The song on the TV show only lasted a total of maybe 2 minutes, so we weren’t able to torture Sawyer with our 80’s style of dancing for very long. He continued to groan about how people "as old as" Roger and I are "shouldn’t dance" ~ apparently Sawyer thinks that young people are the only ones who know how to dance, and therefore should be the ONLY ones who DO dance. Besides, the song wasn’t all that great ~ or so he thought.

After that, Rog and I were on a mission. Roger went to the computer and pulled up Napster. He didn’t have any trouble finding several versions of Cameo’s "Word Up". We found the version we liked the best and played it (over and over) for Sawyer. Roger stayed in his chair at the computer, but I was in the living dancing along with the song. Sawyer was outraged ~ in a very humorous way. He proceeded to tell us that the guy singing the song sounded like a geek trying to sound like a rapper holding his nose while trying to sing. Roger then gave a demonstration of his impression of the dancing gopher from "Caddyshack" and his "white man’s overbite" ~ that was the last straw. Sawyer couldn’t take it anymore. He told us we definitely shouldn’t dance, we were too old to be cool, and he just couldn’t imagine Roger and me going "clubbing" when we were younger. Roger and I were laughing so hard inside that we had a hard time keeping up the pretense that we were offended by our son’s impression of us.

We reminded Sawyer that the 80’s are back in style now (and we’re so glad the retro 70’s styles are out!), and that in the mid 80’s to mid 90’s WE were the trend setters/trend followers. We went to parties, we went to bars, we were the ones on the dance floor ~ we were cool! The "new in color" now is a mauve pink ~ the last time I looked, mauve and several complimentary shades of pink were the colors in our wedding and in our household for several years thereafter. I pointed out the obvious to Sawyer in our wedding photos, but he still claimed, "It’s not the same."

I guess to Sawyer’s generation Roger and I are old. I can remember being in high school and seeing the sign that read, "Welcome Class of 1966!"  I thought those people were really old, and wondered were they going to do at their class reunion, play shuffleboard??!

So, I can understand WHY Sawyer thinks we’re old; he’s almost 14 and thinks all of his great adventures and best times of his life will happen somewhere between 14 and 29 years of age. In some ways he’s right, but in other ways he’s so far off and sadly mistaken. While I enjoyed being a teenager (for the most part ~ except for that whole high school experience thing), and I certainly enjoyed being out of high school and into my early 20’s, I wouldn’t go back. I love being a "real" adult; I enjoy having 2 teenage boys; I love the house Roger and I bought, the strength of my marriage to Roger at this stage, and overall this season of my life. For me, this season of my life is the best one so far.

Perhaps in the eyes of our teenage son Roger and I are old. We certainly don’t feel like we’re ancient yet ~ there are days when we feel older than others, but for the most part we’re pretty young to have a 16 year old and 13 year old. I look around at the other couples our age in Roger’s squadron and at church who have little kids ~ toddlers, even babies ~ and I marvel at their energy and wonder how they do it!

Roger and I downloaded "Word Up", and we’ll continue to play it every once in a while ~ not only because we enjoy the song and think it’s a great song, but also because hopefully some day our youngest son will get over himself and start dancing along with us!

and yet another doctor’s visit…..

I guess it’s my week to be bombarded with doctor’s visits. Yesterday I saw my PCM (Primary Care Manager) on base ~ he’s a Physician’s Assistant, not a full-fledged "doctor", but I really like him. He has been very cooperative when it comes to my different and varied medication needs, and if he doesn’t know the answer to one of my questions, he says so. Then he’ll find the answer for me. When I told him the pain management doctor diagnosed me as having fibromyalgia, he started doing research on fibromyalgia. Anytime one of his patients has something he’s not familiar with, he’ll research it so he knows the latest, most current information regarding that particular disease (or whatever).

Today I saw the pain management doc. He didn’t change any of my medications, but he did give me some suggestions for working out some of the trigger points I’ve developed. Trigger points and tender points are two different things. Please don’t get them confused. Tender point are the 18 places on the body doctors use as part of an initial diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Trigger points are what develop when a person has chronic myofascial pain. It works kind of like this; fibromyalgia is a mis-communication in the brain/nerve signal center ~ fibromyalgia makes the brain feel more intensified pain than the average person. When someone touches my shoulders, for instance, I really shouldn’t feel any pain. But because the fibro messes up the signals my nerves send and how my brain interprets the signals, someone even gently placing their hand on my shoulder can send pain messages that will cause me to react ~ I will pull away from the person’s touch because it’s quite painful. Fibromyalgia itself doesn’t create pain in any one centralized area, it’s all over pain. The centralized pain I feel when, continuing with the previous example, someone touches my shoulder, is caused by chronic myofascial pain. Myofascia is all of the connective tissue in the body ~ myofascial pain, therefore, is pain residing in or originating from, my body’s connective tissue. The pain the myofascia is experiencing is enlarged, expanded, and/or intensified by the fibromyalgia (the way my brain perceives pain). I know it’s confusing, but think about it this way; when my shoulder hurts because of myofascial (connective tissue) pain, my brain interprets that pain as being even greater because of the fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia creates all over body pain; myofascial pain is centralized pain. And they’re both exacerbated by the nerve to brain signal interpretation. Is that all clear as mud now?

Anyway, the pain doc gave me some ideas as far as dealing with the myofascial pain and the bunched up, knotted up muscles and tissues all over my body. I went to a massage therapist in Jacksonville who actually has fibromyalgia herself, and it was WONDERFUL. Unfortunately, she has so many clients that booking with her is difficult. So, Roger and I are going to have to start doing some stretching and massaging exercises at home. Otherwise the myofascial pain will just continue to get worse.

Tomorrow I have to go to another doctor on base for a check-up. Ugh ~ I hate these visits. I don’t like going to a new doctor because I have to explain the fibro/myofascial pain all over again, and at least half the time the doctor doesn’t believe either one of them actually exist. I keep volunteering to trade bodies with these doctors for a week to let them get a taste of these diseases they claim don’t exist, but so far I haven’t had any takers.

another doctor’s visit

Roger went to see a doctor today about his right wrist. When he broke his elbow, he also injured his wrist. His elbow healed up fine, no problems there. The continuing problem has been his wrist. The doc he saw today said he’ll have to do 30 days of physical therapy, then come back to be re-evaluated.

I’m beginning to wonder if Roger will ever be able to pilot a C-130 again. He hasn’t flown in I don’t know how long due to all of the injuries he has had this year. Poor guy. He gets stuck with all of the jobs in the squadron no one else wants to do ~ they’re so short on pilots that there just aren’t enough people to go around. I hope Roger will be able to return to flying ~ maybe 30 days of PT will be all he needs to heal the wrist and start flying again.

bragging section

If you don’t care to read about how wonderful my oldest child is, you should skip this post and move on to the next one.

For those of you who are interested in knowing how Patrick is doing at school, here’s the scoop:

Roger went to parent/teacher conferences a few weeks ago (while I was in North Carolina with Rebecca). He met with each of Patrick’s teachers, and Patrick was present for each conference. Roger said the teachers had nothing but praise for Patrick and his performance during the first nine weeks of school. Patrick has been working hard, going to tutoring when needed (the same thing as asking for extra help ~ it’s expected that the kids will attend tutoring in at least one class each semester), contributing well in class, and is obviously doing the research and homework necessary to succeed at this school. His grades are excellent, and many of his teachers said Patrick was their best student. Roger said one teacher even told him he wished they had an entire school of students like Patrick.

Patrick has one of, if not the, highest GPAs in his class. If he continues to work hard and do as well as he’s doing now, he’ll graduate with excellent grades, recommendations, and a high placement in his graduating class of 2008.

Patrick told me the rumor going around is that because this junior class has had so few drop-outs, only the CLs (Community Leaders) will have single rooms next year. CLs are the students whose grades and contributions single them out as leaders among the student body. Patrick wasn’t sure he wanted to be a CL because there are added responsibilities and expectations, but now he’s thinking that maybe being a CL wouldn’t be so bad. He gets along well with his roommate Ethan, and the 2 guys next door (whose names escape me at the moment) who share the shower between their rooms, but Patrick is, and always has been, a bit of a hermit. Sometimes when he comes home for the weekend he spends so much time in his room by himself we wonder if he really even did come home! I understand his need for quiet and solitude ~ I’m the same way. So, if he wants a private room next year, the best guarantee he has is to become a CL. That in and of itself may be enough motivation for Patrick to continue to work hard, get good grades, and contribute in the class room and around the school.

Patrick’s graduation date isn’t set in stone yet, but it looks like it will probably be May 24, 2008. If you live out of town, please mark May 2008 on your calendar as a time when you should come to Arkansas. Roger and I would like as many family members and friends as possible to attend Patrick’s graduation ~ and we’ll probably hold a barbecue or party of some sort at our house in honor of Patrick’s graduating from one of the top 5 high schools in the nation!

new neighbors

Almost a year ago the people living in the house across the street from us moved out. They had rented the place for 4 years ~ and had done so much damage to the house and property that they were finally evicted.

Last December the owner of the house came down from Ohio to assess the damage. He was appalled. The 4 teenage boys who lived with their mother in the house had been allowed to do whatever they wanted to do ~ including things like shooting arrows into the doors, door frames, window frames (it’s a wonder they never broke any windows doing that), closet doors, and any other "suitable" target they could find. The house was trashed; the owner had to clean up the mess somehow.

Thankfully the owner, Don, is a master carpenter. He teaches woodworking at one of the hobby shops on a base in Ohio. Don worked on that house for months. He tore out carpeting, flooring, sub-flooring, tiles, doors, door frames, window frames, windows, appliances, cabinets, and even sheetrock. He worked tirelessly, almost around the clock. There were nights when I couldn’t sleep that I would be up watching TV at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, and the lights would be on across the street. After Don pretty much rebuilt and replaced the entire inside of the house, he painted everything inside and out, brought in new gravel for the driveway (remember, we live in the country!), and shaped up the plants around the outside of the house. He also cleaned up the barn-like garage and the workshop over the top of it. Roger and I are still amazed at how much work Don put into that house.

The "For Sale" sign went up a few months ago. I was a little concerned because it seemed that there was very little traffic in and out of the house; I thought Don might be having a hard time selling the place. But, last weekend the "For Sale" sign came down, and our new neighbors started moving in.

Sawyer and I walked over there today to introduce ourselves. The parents weren’t home, but we did meet one of the teenage daughters who was home from school sick. She told us she has several siblings, but only 1 sister and 1 brother lived there with her and their parents. All of the kids are either teenagers or adults. I didn’t ask what her parents do, but I’m sure we’ll get to know them over the next couple of weeks. I’m glad someone bought that house instead of Don having to resort to renting it out again, and I’m looking forward to getting to know our new neighbors.

“gloomy” weather?

Yesterday’s weather wasn’t as cooperative as Saturday’s for the airshow. Roger had to work in a food tent all day, baking frozen pizzas. He said it was a little cold out for an airshow. Personally, I’m glad they moved the airshow from July to late October/early November. July is MUCH too hot in Arkansas for people to be out on the black asphalt flightline.

Today it’s cool and cloudy again. It has rained off and on, and of course Jake had to have his "puppy valium" last night because of the thunderstorms moving through the state. The leaves are falling from the trees, and the grasses are all starting to go into hybernation. I love this time of year ~ fall is definitely my favorite season. I love the colors, the cooler weather, the restful atmosphere. People, animals and plants are all starting preparations to hunker down for the winter ~ it’s just such a restful, quiet season to me.

it’s a boy

It seems as though for the past little while all the baby blankets I have made have been for girls. I have another baby girl blanket to make for a mother who’s due in March. Yesterday I found out that one of our church friends/family is having a boy! Congratulations to Leah and David ~ their firstborn will be a son. So now I get to make a baby boy blanket ~ that should help to break up the monotony!

air shows and other stuff

Roger took my dad and our sons to the air show at the base today. It’s a wonderful day for an air show ~ sunny and warm with a cool breeze. I decided to stay home despite the wonderful air show weather ~ I’m sure I’m missing a fantastic show. The Blue Angels are the final act.

We live far enough away from the base that we can’t see the planes while they’re doing their acts, but we sure can hear them. Jake (the ‘fraidy-dog) is hiding under my feet while I sit at my desk typing this. He thinks the loud airplanes are thunder. Dumb dog.

We have new neighbors across the street. We haven’t met them yet ~ we’re planning on walking over and introducing ourselves later this afternoon. I put together a little gift bag to welcome them to the neighborhood. I’m also taking them a tray of sugar cookies, much to the dislike of the males in my household. They saw the cookies and immediately assumed they were for their own consumption. I had to smack a couple of hands away from the cookies before the "hint" was taken!

I have finished all of my immediate deadline crochet projects (5 felted purses, 3 baby blankets, and 2 afghans). I’m working on Sawyer’s afghan, then I’ll make Patrick’s afghan. That will leave me as the only person in the house who doesn’t have their very own handmade afghan. Well, that’s ok. I have some other projects I need to finish before I work on my own afghan.

I made a beautiful shell stitch country rose afghan that I gave to Rebecca. When I saw how "well loved" the blanket I knit for her is, I asked Roger to send her the country rose afghan. It’s a heavier weight afghan, so she’ll really only be able to use it in the winter. I already have plans for a new summer throw for her ~ she’ll probably get it for her birthday in April.

I’m going to spend the rest of the day working on Sawyer’s blanket. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish it in the next couple of weeks. He and Patrick have been bugging me for years to make them their own afghans. I guess It’s about time I got to them!