Friday, October 31, 2014

Snaggletooth

About  a year and a half ago- perhaps slightly longer... I broke a molar. Eating a grilled cheese sandwich. Once my mouth got used to the new shape and sharp edge of the broken tooth, it really didn't bother me for quite awhile. Occasionally, I would get a twinge of pain, but nothing serious. This fall, once 'allergy season' hit, I started having toothaches. (Would it be teethaches when referring to multiple teeth?) They would hit suddenly- usually in the evening of days I forgot to take allergy medication- and involve the top and bottom teeth on the right side. I figured it had to be sinus related... how can you get six+ teeth hurting all at the same time?
A week or so before we went to Ohio, I was getting an ache in the broken tooth. Noticed it when I'd eat hot or cold foods, sugary food, or brush my teeth. I relentlessly scrubbed the tooth any time it would happen... and with aid of ibuprofen, the pain would eventually subside. One occasion, mere days before our trip... I was in severe pain. Swished with peroxide, took a generous helping of ibuprofen, and slept it off.
The same things happened in Ohio- the night before we left I was in dire pain. So, upon our return, I made the dreaded dental appointment.
The dentist got me in quickly. I expected to have the molar pulled. The dentist was persuasive about saving it if at all possible. I agreed.
So she got in, had a look, routed out the old filling and bits of cracked tooth... and said that an extraction was the only answer. The next hour and 20 minutes were intense. I had to have numbing stuff injected three times. Saws, pliers, drills, and mallets... My tooth had been with me 54 years and wasn't giving up without a fight.
It had also been infected. So, I am on antibiotics and painkillers. As of yesterday, I can add yet another painkiller to my list of allergies. Codeine and hydrocodone we knew about. Now, Percocet/ oxycodone is on the list. They all make me ITCH terribly. A prescription for non-narcotic Tramadol was given today. And even that has knocked me on my hiney. I am trying to be careful and not dislodge the clot, which would result in "dry socket"... very painful!

Tomorrow we have friends coming for dinner.
Yes! I invited people over, and Mr C didn't object. Back when I invited them, I felt much better than I do now. But the boys did a decent job on cleaning house while we were in Ohio, so a good family effort tomorrow ought to make us presentable enough for guests. Planning on a cookout: stuffed burgers, hot dogs, tater salad, veggie tray. Appetizer of jalapeƱo jelly over cream cheese. We may also do stuffed jalapeƱos, as a hard freeze is expected tonight, and all our peppers will need picked this evening. Iced tea and lemonade to drink. Dan is making a berry trifle. (Abbots Special Abbey Trifle  from the Redwall Cookbook) . The potato salad is made and chilling in the fridge.
Today is my turn on the kitchen, so I need to get enough oomph to go get it done. My face hurts and I just want to sleep!
Have a blessed day!

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Why yes, This has been a busy month....

Tom and I just returned from our first ever vacation without kids. We spent 9 days in Ohio... or 7 days plus travel. We drove up the usual I44 to I70 route, averaging 68 mph despite stops. We ate lunch in Eureka, MO, at a really good BBQ spot. Apparently it is somewhat famous. The food was good. (Super Smokers BBQ). We arrived early- apparently they had JUST opened the doors- perhaps for a delivery truck we walked around? We got our meal to go... I was surprised Mr C wanted to "go", as he had just ordered a BBQ sandwich with sides of slaw and baked beans. Not exactly easy to eat while driving... through St. Louis! He managed nicely.
I asked to stop at the Warm Glow Candle store, which we did. It has been re-arranged in the years since I was last there, opening a section with micro brewed beers and local wines for sale. I was quick- chose a birthday gift for Tom's sister, grabbed ONE package of votives, a bottle of Peach Chardonnay... and we were on the road again. The Peach Chardonnay was excellent!


We arrived at well after 9:00pm-  Mom Arlene had soup waiting us. She makes fantastic soup! Tom's brother Bob, and one of their sisters, Joyce were camping out back by the woods. I visited outside and in for a short time, then slept inside! Tom and the others camped outside... in the rain.


During the week, Tom and I did quite a bit of hiking through the Hocking Hills. It was very pretty- though overcast/ rainy most of the time we were there. I got a lot of ragging about the number of pictures I take- so tried not to do too many of people this year. I will post some of the shots to the family site . (You are welcome to look- just don't repost peopled pics to public sites.)


I got to read/ borrow a book of Memoirs of Joan Cook, who is my MIL's first cousin. I was surprised to learn that another of Arlene's cousins, one of Joan's sisters, lived many years in Jay, OK. We are close enough to Jay that I have worked with people at the airport here (XNA) who live in Jay. (The book is "COOKIE 7th from the top, 4th from the bottom").


On the drive home, we went south out of Ohio, and stopped to see Serpent's Mound . I have been interested in visiting the site since I first heard of it in school so many years ago. I did have to wonder how much they present as "fact" is instead supposition. What if this was really some ancient guy building a nice flower berm for his Mrs.?


Crossing into Kentucky, we drove mostly on the Parkways. When on the lesser highways, we did see some awesome horse farms and just beautiful country. Most of the daylight was in Kentucky, though we did get across the small part of Tennessee and cross the Mississippi as darkness fell. This was our shortest travel ever across Missouri- just into the 'foot' of the SE bit of the state, and onto HWY 412.
This was the route we traveled the rest of the way home, in the dark. We did stop and sleep in a roadside rest area several hours... and arrived home at almost 5:30 in the morning. I saw several very interesting towns that would be so fun to explore... all closed up for the night. Maybe another trip someday?


Have a blessed day! hope to see as many of my friends and family as possible when we travel to Texas next month. New baby "Peaches" Coder should be arriving before we do. ("Peaches" is the name until gender is known, then s/he will get a real name!)
~Tammy~

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

October 1th

Goodness, already October.
We had a nice family reunion with my Mom's Taylor side on Saturday. There were about 30-35 people there. Afterwards, the twins and I went on down and stayed overnight at my Dad's and Kathie's house. We got to see them, as well as Robbie and Ruby. We had to leave fairly early the next morning, so it was a very brief visit.
Everyone is doing well.
Mom started going to the gym back at the start of the year. Kathie and Dad started a few months ago, and all are really getting into shape. As for me... round is a shape!
Tom began a low carb diet a couple of months ago, and has lost a goodly amount of weight. I am cooking with less carbs, but myself, I am not saying I am on a low carb diet. I still eat tortillas and such when I have them available! I did switch to green tea instead of coffee on a daily basis, and have dropped at least 8 lbs. (Some days the scales say it is 12 lbs., but the 8 is solid for sure gone.)

Monday's mail brought an invitation to Tom's dad's side of the family, Coder Reunion. It is this coming Sunday. In Ohio. No, I really don't think we will be attending that one. Less than a week's notice? I am wondering if perhaps they really didn't WANT us to come, but felt it was wrong to NOT invite us. Sam says I am reading more into the belated invitation than was probably intended. I suppose benefit of the doubt is just that the organizer of the reunion let the date sneak up on her.

Daniel has been working hard to persuade Sam to accompany him on the AT hike. They are also discussing plans on what they will do when they return... and leaning heavily towards following in Ben's footsteps and going into firefighting. Sam is looking at backpacking supplies. I would feel much better about them going together than Dan alone.

I got to work a day, last Friday. I was sent to a local greeting card manufacturer/distributor. I got to work on an assembly line. It was fun, but at times I felt like Lucille Ball in the Candy Factory episode. The team leader said she hears that a lot from the temps! And I just this very minute got another call from the temp agency. Apparently, I impressed the employer. I have been requested by name to come test for another position! Whoo hoo. I'll head that way as soon as I finish here.

Monday afternoon, Mr. C helped me clean out my front flower beds. We pulled out the dead rose bushes, and I put Stella d'Oro lilies (corms) in their place. (Aunt Lennie will be proud of me- as I spoke on the phone to one of the kids the other day, I was pulling weeds from the back of the house, where she and I pulled them last year!)
Both indoors and out are beginning to look so much better.

Mom got me an ENGRAVED bottle of adult beverage for my birthday, as well as a copy of the book  I posted on here a week or two back. Mom's birthday is the 4th, Ben's is the 7th, and Kimber and I share the 20th, if anyone wants to mark their calendars! Tom's sister Joyce ends the birthday month on the 31st.

Have a blessed day, I am off to take a placement test for the staffing agency!