Going to the Chapel...

No, seriously, DH and I are taking the plunge! He asked me to be his wife last week while we were on vacation. As soon as I can figure out where my old camera cord is I'll get some pictures uploaded and a vacation/engagement post written but I couldn't wait to share such exciting news with y'all!

See ya later

I'll be out of touch for a little while. But have no fear, stories and hopefully pictures will abound when I return to blogging world!

London Calling...Or Maybe It's Just Me

I have a confession. I am bad at staying in touch. I suck at it. Majorly. If you aren't part of my daily life or if you didn't give birth to me, I am horrible at picking up the phone.

It's not that I don't want to catch up. It's that I worry about people talking to me instead of doing other things they need to be doing. I worry that I'm really not that interesting to talk to. I worry that I'll realize that there are friends who aren't friends anymore. And that's just sad, even if I know that it's a part of life.

One of my two New Year's resolutions was to be in touch more with my friends and family. I've pretty much fallen off the resolution wagon and into the procrastinator's den of laziness. So be warned, brothers of mine, grandparents, friends from childhood and high school and undergrad and grad school. This is like the public posting of my intentions. I may only have 20 minutes when I call, but I will try to be a little more consistent about this. Because it shouldn't be so so difficult to ask Siri to call y'all. So lock up your children and prepare to chat...no, seriously, lock them up. They make it hard to focus. Ok, fine, don't "lock" them up but just give them lollipops and soda and send them outside.

Thanks, Shell, as always for letting me pour out my heart.

The Big D

DH and I ran the Big D yesterday. Given the recent weather and weather reports, I was prepared for either a cancellation or a delayed start. Or maybe a tornado halfway through the race. God was good, though, and even though it poured the whole way to Dallas and up until about half an hour before the start, things dried up. Around mile 6 it started to rain again and got pretty dark out.

I was super nervous about this run. My recent training runs have been pitiful. Full of side cramps, shoulder cramps, shortness of breath, tired legs, no energy, short distances, barely making it a mile and a half before needing to walk. Discouraging to say the least.

But yesterday, despite DH's knee and hip issues in the first couple miles, we ran great. We stayed just ahead of the 2:30 pacers, walking briefly through a couple water stops and to take a gu, that was it. Our breathing was good in spite of all the hills. Dang that course was hilly! At one point I left him a little behind because there was a huge clap of thunder and one bolt of lightening; nothing like the threat of electrocution to make a girl pick up the pace! Mainly I was the one trying to catch up to him.

I finished 1349 out of 2031 overall for the half and was 141 out of 214 for my age range. I typically finish closer to the middle of the pack, so either I need to work a little harder or this group was a faster group overall.

But the best part of finishing a long race? The food afterwards! We went to Jake's with one of DH's running friends and his cousin. The best burger I've ever eaten, hands down. Then there was mexican for dinner and pizza for a snack. Yep, pizza for a snack.

And I definitely need to work on my core strength a lot before the next half. From the hips up I am sore to the touch. It feels like I've been beaten. Some hot tub time was the last perfect touch yesterday and felt like heaven. In fact, that might happen again today.

A Little of This and a Little of That

I know, it's been practically forever. It's weird the way I go through times where I want to post every day and then I go through times that I can't think of one single thing to pass along. Today is a weird mix. Nothing is solidified enough to warrant a whole post on it's own, but there's more than a single blurb.

DH and I are running in his first half marathon this weekend. He's totally ready for it and is stoked to be doing this. I, on the other hand, am feeling less than ready. I know that running is a mental game, almost 99% of the game. And my mental game is waaaaaay off. This half is owning me right now. I've got to figure out how to beat the game and it's gotta happen before Sunday. Part of the owning comes from the fact that I have yet to run a race with pleasant weather. I apologize in advance for any adverse weather conditions in the Dallas area on Sunday.

I made a playlist for running, in a related note. It's 7 hours long. Please, Lord, tell me that it won't take me 7 hours to finish this run coming up!

My best friend got engaged this past week and I could not be happier. She deserves every second of happiness that she is given.

The allergies here are ridiculous and I have the red swollen eye to prove it. All I did was spend about an hour outside and it looked like I'd been punched. Ok, maybe an exaggeration, but it wasn't pretty and it felt really crappy. Maybe it's whatever the heck is blowing in from Colorado and New Mexico. My system has reduced itself to only handling the horrible Texas allergies and cannot handle anything new.

Work continues to be less than stellar in some ways and better in other ways. At least I know my manager has my back.

Puppy has worn herself out tonight. I love watching her play and figure things out. She came barreling into my room tonight with her Kong and tried to jump up on the bed. Which she can do when she doesn't have a Kong half the size of herself in her mouth. She dropped it next to the bed, jumped up and then proceeded to look over the edge of the mattress at the Kong, then at me, then back at the Kong. Clearly the look said "A little help?" She eventually figured out the angle that she needed to hold it in her mouth so that she could jump up and make it onto the mattress.

Well, spunky showkids, that's all I got.

Sing It, Brandi

"Let it bend before it breaks
I'm alright, don't I always seem to be
And I'm swinging on the stars, don't I wear them on my sleeves"
Brandi Carlile, Before it Breaks


As far as I can tell the song above is about a break-up, but doesn't sad heart achingly beautiful music speak to everyone else's hearts too? Even when you're not in the same position but just having a beat down, kick you in the gut, kind of week. And the ironic part of this is that while there have been at least two spectacularly bad moments this week, overall I can't even put my finger on why I'm so down.

Do you ever feel forgotten and left behind? Like life accidentally left you at a rest stop and drove off before remembering you weren't back from the rest room? Man that feeling sucks.

I'm trying to bend before I break. Maybe Brandi will move in with me and be my constant cheerleader.

See A Professional

I spent time last week at my profession's national convention. Audiology's a pretty small world and the things that impact one of us tend to impact all of us. The direction that our leadership take us in or that we take our leadership in affects each of us. There is a constant debate about ethics and best practices and patient care and insurance and payment and test batteries.

There are a lot of misconceptions about what I do. No, I am not an ENT. Yes, I am just as important and maybe more so if you have a hearing loss. No, I don't just turn on the computer and let the test run. No, I can't write you a prescription. Yes, I had to have many years of education to do my job well. Yes, my title is Doctor. No, I do not just push a button to set your hearing aids. No, you should not put Q-Tips in your ears. Yes, I care about your kid's ears more than I probably should.

So here's my soapbox


(Credit to drownmybooks.blogspot.com for the picture)

What our profession comes down to is that we care. That's why we do what we do. We should be giving you the best possible service when you are with us. We don't know all the answers, but we'll strive to find the answer. We will fit you in for earmold impressions, tubing changes, broken battery doors, a feared change in hearing, possible ear infection, when you show up early or late for your appointment. We will sit with you while you absorb the news that your sweet child has a hearing loss that will never get better but might get worse, while you wrap your head around the fact that you don't hear as well and need some help, while you tell us that you hear just fine; everyone else is mumbling, while you take in what we're saying between the lines when your kiddo is pretending to have a hearing loss and we've given them a gracious way out of it. We will work with insurance companies, charitable organizations, our own billing departments to get you what you need at the least amount of cost possible because we know that you haven't planned to lose your hearing or for a pair of hearing aids for your child.

In return we would ask a few things. This is a relationship after all, isn't it? Please see "Us" for hearing aids and hearing tests. "Us" being the licensed audiologists who have a masters or doctorate after our name. "Us" being those that are legally obligated to have you pay because a "free" hearing test is illegal. "Us" being those that understand how hearing aids work and know how best to use the software to give you the closest approximation to normal hearing as possible. "Us" being those that explain why you may not be able to walk into an office and walk out with hearing devices that you will regret. In a nutshell, "Us" not being those who are a hearing aid dispenser. Yes, you can be a licensed audiologist and a hearing aid dispenser. But not all hearing aid dispensers are licensed audiologists. U"s" being those who will not treat you via a hearing screening on line and then sell you a hearing aid off the internet, preying on the economic crisis we are in to provide shoddy care and a poorly fit product.

If you have heart issues, you go to a cardiologist. If you have stomach issues, you go to a gastroenterologist. If you have kidney problems, you go to a nephrologist. If you have eye problems you go to the optometrist or opthamologist. You don't go see a guy who couldn't make it in med school or didn't even try, shrug your shoulders, and think "He's probably good enough".

So please, if you have hearing or balance problems, go see one of "Us". A licensed audiologist.




Thanks, Shell, for allowing me to pour my heart out

Back in the Game

I've been away. Sorry. I was in Boston for our annual audiology convention. There will be at least one thought provoking post on things I think everyone should know. But in the meantime, here is a picture extravaganza, or a Humpty-Dumpty as Stef at iffyinklings calls it, of my time in Boston.

Just prior to Boston was my birthday. I am officially headed into my mid-30's. DH sent me my favorite flowers at work and bought me a Ninja blender, which I LOVE. I'm an appliances kind of woman. He also made me a very sweet gift that will remain unnamed.

Boston with my best friend and two very good friends! Great food, good beer, sore feet, sessions and CEUs, an exhausted brain, motivation to change things, a huge expo hall and views from Top of the Hub.

The convention center, one half of the expo hall and the giraffe genie...who did not make Charlie a real giraffe despite my rubbing his belly. Stupid giraffe genie. And check out how bulky I look in multiple layers!

Views of the city including Fenway and proof that I am not always photogenic!

My BFF with the boots that saved my life. I planned incredibly poorly for this convention and only took Target flats and Nine West heels. My feet hurt by the second day and my knees hurt by the third day. Limping ensued. Thanks D for the lovely furry lined spacious boots!

Our last night was spent at Faneuil Hall, eating the best clam chowder I've ever had, a Sam Adams seasonal and pictures with Norm.

And what would a morning trip to the airport be without breakfast? Yes, all those blackboards is the menu. And those would be my pancakes.

I love visiting Beantown. I especially love the people I get to see when I go there. I also love coming home.