I do NOT have breast cancer. Yay. I'm still considered high risk for it, so I have to see my doctor again in two months. I also have to see an oncologist and get an MRI.
My doctor today still suggested that I at least consider a mastectomy and/or taking Tamoxifen. Um, hell to the no. I have no family history of cancer, not even PRE-cancerous cells, WHY would I hack off both my boobs?! And taking a drug which will induce menopause at 40 years old? No thanks. Grrr...
Anyway, I'm glad the tests were negative for cancer but I already knew they would be. I honestly wasn't worried about it one little bit. The thing I was most concerned about today was getting a half-day substitute for my class--not my test results.
My surgeon said that she was a little worried because my mammograms looked so bad. The radiologist called them the strangest films he'd ever seen. The pathologist had two colleagues double-check his report because apparently my microcalcifications look like none they've ever seen. Instead of little pockets of them, I had a diffuse area of them. Right. Hello? My name is T-E-B-L-E. Unusual is my middle name. I've always been one of a kind, right down to my breast tissue.
The surgeon said it looked really bad on the inside too because of all the bruising and scar tissue from the previous procedure. I told her it didn't look like much from the outside either. She said that she removed a significant amount of tissue, so the results are conclusive. She also said that when the swelling goes down I might want to consider reconstructive surgery. Yeah, uh, NO. I've been cut on enough, thank you very much. If I'm lopsided I'll stuff my bra.
THAT is Victoria's true secret.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
My Young Man
My almost twelve year old son is trying his best to turn into a man right before my very eyes, no matter how hard I fight it. Case in point, he's merged right into the whole middle school thing without blinking his eyes. He has all his materials organized, completes his assignments without my nagging him to do so, remembers to bring me all the things that have to be signed, and generally carries on the work of being a big kid without any input from me whatsoever. Yes, I'm blessed. And still, it annoys me.
See, I can remember when this kid was a bratty little three year old who refused to be potty-trained. I have very vivid memories of sitting on the stall floor of Chuck E. Cheese's on his third birthday (8 months pregnant with his brother, I might add) begging him to pee in the potty because we were down to the last pull-up in the diaper bag. Both of us were crying. Both of us were hard-headed, strong-willed, and determined to get our way. He finally peed and then refused to leave the bathroom in underwear because he wanted a pull-up. I caved. Life with this child has always been about compromise.
But now, he's showing me glimpses of the man he's going to be and I love it. Today after school, for example, he "graded" his brother's math homework for me because I was busy cleaning out the class pets' tanks.
(Yes, that was "pets," plural. Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment. This should not surprise you about me.)
Anyway, he was kind, helpful, and encouraging because he knows that math is his greatest academic skill but not necessarily his brother's strength. (Did I mention that this child got a 100 percent in five of the seven Math sections on the TCAP test in 5th grade? Yeah, it freaks me out.) When we got home he offered to play Eight's favorite video game (one that Eleven does not really enjoy) if Eight would practice his "addition with regrouping" skills for a few minutes. See, Eleven and I had a talk last night and I asked him to help me by helping his little brother with homework if I'm busy. He jumped right on that request and became a team player.
But despite all this maturity, he hasn't lost his dry sense of humor because, like his mother, sarcasm is his native language. Tonight it was past his bedtime and I was fussing at him, saying, "I know I'm not the only member of this family who can tell time." He argued that all the clocks were blinking because we'd had a power surge earlier and he didn't know what time it really was. I reminded him that he could consult my iHome clock in our bedroom because it has a battery back-up. Senor Sarcasm responded, "Your bedroom? You mean the Restricted Area? Isn't that like Area 51 for us kids?"
Then, when he finally got in bed, I went in to kiss him goodnight. (Hey, no matter how mature he acts, he's still my baby boy.) I said, "Good night, honey. You're my sweet boy." He responded with, "Yeah. Good night. You're my...uh...Mom." (Insert heavy sarcasm, if you didn't catch that on the initial read-through.)
I love that little goofball. I can't wait to see the man he'll be.
See, I can remember when this kid was a bratty little three year old who refused to be potty-trained. I have very vivid memories of sitting on the stall floor of Chuck E. Cheese's on his third birthday (8 months pregnant with his brother, I might add) begging him to pee in the potty because we were down to the last pull-up in the diaper bag. Both of us were crying. Both of us were hard-headed, strong-willed, and determined to get our way. He finally peed and then refused to leave the bathroom in underwear because he wanted a pull-up. I caved. Life with this child has always been about compromise.
But now, he's showing me glimpses of the man he's going to be and I love it. Today after school, for example, he "graded" his brother's math homework for me because I was busy cleaning out the class pets' tanks.
(Yes, that was "pets," plural. Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment. This should not surprise you about me.)
Anyway, he was kind, helpful, and encouraging because he knows that math is his greatest academic skill but not necessarily his brother's strength. (Did I mention that this child got a 100 percent in five of the seven Math sections on the TCAP test in 5th grade? Yeah, it freaks me out.) When we got home he offered to play Eight's favorite video game (one that Eleven does not really enjoy) if Eight would practice his "addition with regrouping" skills for a few minutes. See, Eleven and I had a talk last night and I asked him to help me by helping his little brother with homework if I'm busy. He jumped right on that request and became a team player.
But despite all this maturity, he hasn't lost his dry sense of humor because, like his mother, sarcasm is his native language. Tonight it was past his bedtime and I was fussing at him, saying, "I know I'm not the only member of this family who can tell time." He argued that all the clocks were blinking because we'd had a power surge earlier and he didn't know what time it really was. I reminded him that he could consult my iHome clock in our bedroom because it has a battery back-up. Senor Sarcasm responded, "Your bedroom? You mean the Restricted Area? Isn't that like Area 51 for us kids?"
Then, when he finally got in bed, I went in to kiss him goodnight. (Hey, no matter how mature he acts, he's still my baby boy.) I said, "Good night, honey. You're my sweet boy." He responded with, "Yeah. Good night. You're my...uh...Mom." (Insert heavy sarcasm, if you didn't catch that on the initial read-through.)
I love that little goofball. I can't wait to see the man he'll be.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Kinder, Gentler Blog
Because yesterday's post came across as bitter and angry (well, I WAS) I should update it with a kinder, gentler post about the book I read. I did not mean for yesterday's post to come across as an author bashing. Not at all. If there was any bashing going on, it was all on the publisher's handling of the marketing of this author.
Once you click the "Enter Site" button on Toni McGee Causey's home page, it does mention that SMP decided to rerelease the books as books one and two of a trilogy (as I quoted from her website yesterday). It also mentions, in tiny print on the copyright page of the mass market paperbacks, that the books were originally published as trade paperbacks under another name. However, I did not go searching for that information, it wasn't blatantly obvious, so I feel cheated.
I'm positive that the author had absolutely nothing to do with this marketing ploy. She was an auto-buy for me before this experience, but now I'm going to proceed with caution whenever I see a book with her name on it. I'll check the copyright page before I rush up to the cash register with a big, excited grin on my face. Don't get me wrong, I'll still by TMC's books because she's a talented writer. I'll just double-check my facts first.
It's actually a really good deal for the author, because her books are being released one a month for three months, so it increases her name recognition among people who've never read her before. I wish her only the best, really I do, but I did not like feeling tricked by her publisher.
There, does that sound better? I'm still a fan, just a once burned, twice shy kind of fan.
Once you click the "Enter Site" button on Toni McGee Causey's home page, it does mention that SMP decided to rerelease the books as books one and two of a trilogy (as I quoted from her website yesterday). It also mentions, in tiny print on the copyright page of the mass market paperbacks, that the books were originally published as trade paperbacks under another name. However, I did not go searching for that information, it wasn't blatantly obvious, so I feel cheated.
I'm positive that the author had absolutely nothing to do with this marketing ploy. She was an auto-buy for me before this experience, but now I'm going to proceed with caution whenever I see a book with her name on it. I'll check the copyright page before I rush up to the cash register with a big, excited grin on my face. Don't get me wrong, I'll still by TMC's books because she's a talented writer. I'll just double-check my facts first.
It's actually a really good deal for the author, because her books are being released one a month for three months, so it increases her name recognition among people who've never read her before. I wish her only the best, really I do, but I did not like feeling tricked by her publisher.
There, does that sound better? I'm still a fan, just a once burned, twice shy kind of fan.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Drugged and Duped
So most of you know that I've been home recovering from surgery on my breast, which I've begun to affectionately refer to as FrankenBoob. The stitches and the bruising are beyond sexy, let me assure you.
A few days before the surgery (because I'm a plan-ahead kind of girl, dontcha know?) I treated myself to two new books to read while I recovered. I picked two Toni McGee Causey titles because I remember enjoying Bobbie Faye's Very (Very, Very, Very) Bad Day when I checked it out from the library a while back. The book was funny and kooky, kinda like Romancing the Stone meets Stephanie Plum, and I wanted something fun to read while I was in pain. I'd heard that she had more titles released, so I was excited about reading these books.
When I first started reading Charmed and Dangerous, I thought it sounded familiar. Very familiar. I figured it was just because of the formula of the series, like when you read a Janet Evanovich number book you expect Stephanie to blow something up, you know Lula is going to be eating a lot, Ranger and Joe will both be trying to woo Stephanie, Grama Mazur will be attending a funeral, and Vinnie will be doing something with a duck that you'd rather not know about. That's Evanovich's schtick. I figured the combination of the narcotics and the Causey's schtick were combining to make me feel as if I'd read the book before.
I gave in to the sleepy drag of the pain pills (for a couple of days). When I woke up and started to read it again after the meds had worn off, I was very upset to realize that Charmed and Dangerous was the same book as Bobbie Faye's Very (Very, Very, Very) Bad Day. It had a different cover and title, but it was the same damn book. And, here's what really irks me...the same publisher. St. Martin's Press released this book with two different names and tricked me into buying it. I checked the other book I'd bought, Girls Just Wanna Have Guns and realized that it's the same book that was previously published as Bobbie Faye's (Kinda, Sorta, Not Exactly)Family Jewels. ARGH!
I can understand why SMP would want to rename the books because the first titles were long and tedious, but they should've thought of that BEFORE they were originally released. I know that publishers rerelease books all the time. SMP has republished a ton of Jenny Cruisie's older titles. In fact, they're rereleasing The Cinderella Deal next year. (I own a signed copy of the original.) However, the difference here is that they're calling it a rerelease and keeping the original title. Jenny's website has this info clearly posted, referring to the original 1996 release of the book. Causey's website, once you click on the "Enter the site" button (you can't see it from the home page) says this,
I feel duped, ripped off, and pretty PO'd right now. I don't exactly have an unlimited book budget, you know? I wanted something funny and entertaining to read while I recover from surgery. Instead, I've spent money I don't have buying books I've already read. I feel cheated and tricked by the publisher and I'm not happy about it. I still think the books are good and I admire Causey's writing, but I can't help but feel angry enough to avoid her books in the future.
Does anybody know the background story behind this?
A few days before the surgery (because I'm a plan-ahead kind of girl, dontcha know?) I treated myself to two new books to read while I recovered. I picked two Toni McGee Causey titles because I remember enjoying Bobbie Faye's Very (Very, Very, Very) Bad Day when I checked it out from the library a while back. The book was funny and kooky, kinda like Romancing the Stone meets Stephanie Plum, and I wanted something fun to read while I was in pain. I'd heard that she had more titles released, so I was excited about reading these books.
When I first started reading Charmed and Dangerous, I thought it sounded familiar. Very familiar. I figured it was just because of the formula of the series, like when you read a Janet Evanovich number book you expect Stephanie to blow something up, you know Lula is going to be eating a lot, Ranger and Joe will both be trying to woo Stephanie, Grama Mazur will be attending a funeral, and Vinnie will be doing something with a duck that you'd rather not know about. That's Evanovich's schtick. I figured the combination of the narcotics and the Causey's schtick were combining to make me feel as if I'd read the book before.
I gave in to the sleepy drag of the pain pills (for a couple of days). When I woke up and started to read it again after the meds had worn off, I was very upset to realize that Charmed and Dangerous was the same book as Bobbie Faye's Very (Very, Very, Very) Bad Day. It had a different cover and title, but it was the same damn book. And, here's what really irks me...the same publisher. St. Martin's Press released this book with two different names and tricked me into buying it. I checked the other book I'd bought, Girls Just Wanna Have Guns and realized that it's the same book that was previously published as Bobbie Faye's (Kinda, Sorta, Not Exactly)Family Jewels. ARGH!
I can understand why SMP would want to rename the books because the first titles were long and tedious, but they should've thought of that BEFORE they were originally released. I know that publishers rerelease books all the time. SMP has republished a ton of Jenny Cruisie's older titles. In fact, they're rereleasing The Cinderella Deal next year. (I own a signed copy of the original.) However, the difference here is that they're calling it a rerelease and keeping the original title. Jenny's website has this info clearly posted, referring to the original 1996 release of the book. Causey's website, once you click on the "Enter the site" button (you can't see it from the home page) says this,
"I have exciting news for the Bobbie Faye series—St. Martin's Press is going to release the books in mass-market paperback this summer as a back-to-back trilogy! You'll see new titles for the first and second books (and there's a little something extra in both for the inveterate readers who want to have a copy in this format as well)"
I feel duped, ripped off, and pretty PO'd right now. I don't exactly have an unlimited book budget, you know? I wanted something funny and entertaining to read while I recover from surgery. Instead, I've spent money I don't have buying books I've already read. I feel cheated and tricked by the publisher and I'm not happy about it. I still think the books are good and I admire Causey's writing, but I can't help but feel angry enough to avoid her books in the future.
Does anybody know the background story behind this?
Friday, August 7, 2009
Valium is my new best friend
I'm home and I'm comfortable after my surgery, but I'm high as a kite. My vision is blurry from the pain pills, so I can't read what I'm typing. Please ignore any typos--I can't see the letters to fix it.
Maybe because I'm snockered on pain meds.
Everything went well yesterday. They won't know whether the tissue they removed is cancerous for about a week. I had all kinds of meds running through my system yesterday. They gave me Valium at first to relax me before the needle localization. Wow, that stuff is awesome. Wish I could take one before school every morning! Dan says I was quite entertaining.
After the surgery, when I was in recovery, I was talking up a storm with my nurse until they brought Dan back to my room. He kept laughing at me because I was stoned out of my mind. I started talking about the spider that I found in our bedroom that morning and how I wanted him to kill it right now and all kinds of goofy stuff. He and the nurse kept laughing at my crazy random comments.
I had an anti-nausea patch, pepcid, Valium, some kind of antibiotic, lidocaine, pain meds (Fentanyl, maybe?) and knock-out juice in the anesthesia IV, Percocet, and then later Loratab. I slept most of the afternoon yesterday. I had some really technicolor hallucinations too.
The worst part of this is not being able to read. I have two new "Bobbi Faye" books and I can't read them because the words are all blurry. I'M SO BORED!
Thanks for all your prayers and white light. I feel much better after this surgery than I did after the last one.Maybe because I'm snockered on pain meds.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Middle School? Are you kidding me?
I survived my first day of middle school. Oh, and so did my kid. The one who actually went there.
I had to DROP HIM OFF AT THE DOOR! ARGH! Don't they know that it felt like ripping my uterus out of my body and throwing it on the sidewalk at the school's front door? Do you know how hard it was to say goodbye and drive away, not knowing what he'd face on the other side of the door? He may be almost twelve years old, but he's still my B-A-B-Y!
I cried all the way from Eleven's school to mine which, admittedly, is not that far to drive, but I was crying hard for the short drive. I sobbed to my younger child in the back seat, "Don't tell your brother I cried when I dropped him off." Eight said, "Don't worry, Mommy. I'm sure he'll be fine."
And he was.
Although he doesn't have any classes with his best friend (but a girl he doesn't like is in three of them), he says that he had a good day. It was only a three hour day, but it seemed like forever to me. I was watching the clock the whole time I was greeting my own students, waiting for the moment when Mom would bring him over to my school so I'd know that he was safe and hadn't been stuffed into a locker by an eighth grader.
Eight met his new teacher today too and really likes her. He's excited about third grade, even though he's also separated from his best friend.
I'm very excited about my new class. I'm looking forward to a great new year, once I get my stupid surgery over with on Thursday. NOT looking forward to THAT.
I had to DROP HIM OFF AT THE DOOR! ARGH! Don't they know that it felt like ripping my uterus out of my body and throwing it on the sidewalk at the school's front door? Do you know how hard it was to say goodbye and drive away, not knowing what he'd face on the other side of the door? He may be almost twelve years old, but he's still my B-A-B-Y!
I cried all the way from Eleven's school to mine which, admittedly, is not that far to drive, but I was crying hard for the short drive. I sobbed to my younger child in the back seat, "Don't tell your brother I cried when I dropped him off." Eight said, "Don't worry, Mommy. I'm sure he'll be fine."
And he was.
Although he doesn't have any classes with his best friend (but a girl he doesn't like is in three of them), he says that he had a good day. It was only a three hour day, but it seemed like forever to me. I was watching the clock the whole time I was greeting my own students, waiting for the moment when Mom would bring him over to my school so I'd know that he was safe and hadn't been stuffed into a locker by an eighth grader.
Eight met his new teacher today too and really likes her. He's excited about third grade, even though he's also separated from his best friend.
I'm very excited about my new class. I'm looking forward to a great new year, once I get my stupid surgery over with on Thursday. NOT looking forward to THAT.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Things I Love about Hendersonville
Since I already told you the things I miss about my old town, here are a few upgrades in my new town that I didn't have before.
1) My awesome house. I can't say enough good things about my new house compared to my old house. It's bigger, it's brick, it has hardwood floors and a basement with a storm room and a big back yard and a huge attached garage plus a detached garage and a carport. This was exactly the house we described when we first started listing what we wanted. Of course there are a few things we want to add (to finish the work we started in the kitchen, build a fence, add a downstairs bathroom, rearrange and reorganize the princess closet) but overall we're delighted with the house.
2) Being close to my mom. Grama is 10-12 minutes away now, compared to at least 45 minutes before (and that's if there was no traffic). It's so nice to meet for lunch, go back-to-school shopping, drop the kids off when I need babysitting, borrow tools, whatever. My grandparents live right behind my parents' house, so I can see them more too. Oh, and calling them isn't a long-distance call anymore, which saves on my cell phone minutes.
3) Old Hickory Lake. We live very close to the lake. If we walk down our street and keep going through the Rock Castle grounds, we're there. When the house was built back in 1967 you could see the lake from our yard. (If you know where I live, you know that's where my street got its name.) But now the trees are taller and they obscure the view. Last weekend we did something we could never do in Smyrna: we spent part of the afternoon at the beach at Lock 3.
The downside to living near the lake, as I mentioned on Facebook tonight, is that my dog has decided that goose poop is an irresistible delicacy. I was walking her down at the lake earlier tonight while talking to my Paw Paw on the phone. (It's his 85th birthday!!) I kept having to juggle the phone while jerking Lily's leash back because she kept finding particularly succulent turds and scarfing them up. Shudder. This is what my neighborhood looks like on any given day, so it's like a freakin' smorgasbord for my sick pooch.
4) Demo's restaurant is six minutes from my house. Yes, I timed it. We used to drive to Murfreesboro to enjoy Demo's, but now we're practically neighbors. This is Dan's favorite restaurant which is fortunate because it's also pretty cheap. The four of us can go there on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday night when they have special pricing and eat for less than $25. We spend about $20 getting fast food, so this is way better.
5) Many of my other favorite restaurants are within a five to ten minute drive also, just like they were in Smyrna: Chili's, O'Charley's, Cheddar's, Zaxby's, and more. The boys are very excited because there's a Burger King here and we didn't have one in Smyrna. They've also discovered the joys of Subway, thanks to Grama.
6) Kids' Kingdom. We used to have to drive to Murfreesboro to Kids' Castle, but this park is much closer to our house. The boys spent the day there with their Grama today while I was at an in-service at school.
7) Short commute. I drive about five minutes to get to work--three if I'm running late like I was today because I remembered that I had to make a presentation at the in-service. I love how much I'm saving in gas money.
8) The Streets at Indian Lake. This mall is similar to The Avenue in Murfreesboro, but it feels cozier. The best part is the Summer Music Series: every Thursday night during the summer they have live music on the square. Mom and I go just about every week. Dan even went with us a few times. They usually have photographers walking around taking pictures for their website. Here we are a few weeks ago enjoying the show. There's a great grassy square in the center with fountains that the kids can run in, like Aaron did on this night (in the blue trunks) while his brother looks on from the left side of the photo. In this shot, Ryan looks like he's scheming. This takes the place of the fountains at Stonecrest that the boys used to run in.
9) Within a ten minute drive there are THREE ice cream stores that I didn't have close by in Smyrna: Maggie Moo's, Marble Slab, and Baskin Robbins. I know Smyrna has a BR, but it's over by Wal-Mart so I hated going there. Marble Slab is at The Streets, which makes going to hear the music on Thursday nights even better.
10) My new friends. Nothing could replace my Smyrna girls, but I'm slowly making new friends up here, mostly people I work with. Most of the teachers at my school are great and we sometimes socialize outside of school. In Smyrna most of my friends were moms who have kids the same age as my kids. The problem up here is that I taught at the same school my kids attended last year (Aaron will still be there, but Ryan is moving on to middle school). I can't really get too buddy-buddy with the other moms because it could get awkward if I have their children in my class next year. Plus, with me working full-time and being confined to my own class, I don't get to meet the other moms volunteering or going on field trips and things like that.
But, we've been attending church up here for six weeks now. This Sunday is the boys' last time to go to their current classes before they're promoted. After this weekend, Dan and I will try to find a Sunday School we like and hopefully make some friends through that.
I like my neighbors a lot, but most of them are a lot older than we are (parents of people I went to high school with).
I found a new vet for Lily and got her updated on shots Monday. The new folks seem great and they talked to her the way the staff at Premier did, so we liked them. (But we'll still miss Dr. Hatcher and his staff.)
I still have to find a family doctor, but one of the ones on my insurance list is a Tennessee Top Ten doctor for thyroid care, so we may have a winner there. I took Ryan to check out the middle school on Monday and gave him the tour. He says he's ready; I feel like crying just thinking about him wandering the halls of that great big building.
In short, we're settling in and adjusting to life on the north side, even though we still miss our friends.
1) My awesome house. I can't say enough good things about my new house compared to my old house. It's bigger, it's brick, it has hardwood floors and a basement with a storm room and a big back yard and a huge attached garage plus a detached garage and a carport. This was exactly the house we described when we first started listing what we wanted. Of course there are a few things we want to add (to finish the work we started in the kitchen, build a fence, add a downstairs bathroom, rearrange and reorganize the princess closet) but overall we're delighted with the house.
2) Being close to my mom. Grama is 10-12 minutes away now, compared to at least 45 minutes before (and that's if there was no traffic). It's so nice to meet for lunch, go back-to-school shopping, drop the kids off when I need babysitting, borrow tools, whatever. My grandparents live right behind my parents' house, so I can see them more too. Oh, and calling them isn't a long-distance call anymore, which saves on my cell phone minutes.
3) Old Hickory Lake. We live very close to the lake. If we walk down our street and keep going through the Rock Castle grounds, we're there. When the house was built back in 1967 you could see the lake from our yard. (If you know where I live, you know that's where my street got its name.) But now the trees are taller and they obscure the view. Last weekend we did something we could never do in Smyrna: we spent part of the afternoon at the beach at Lock 3.
The downside to living near the lake, as I mentioned on Facebook tonight, is that my dog has decided that goose poop is an irresistible delicacy. I was walking her down at the lake earlier tonight while talking to my Paw Paw on the phone. (It's his 85th birthday!!) I kept having to juggle the phone while jerking Lily's leash back because she kept finding particularly succulent turds and scarfing them up. Shudder. This is what my neighborhood looks like on any given day, so it's like a freakin' smorgasbord for my sick pooch.
4) Demo's restaurant is six minutes from my house. Yes, I timed it. We used to drive to Murfreesboro to enjoy Demo's, but now we're practically neighbors. This is Dan's favorite restaurant which is fortunate because it's also pretty cheap. The four of us can go there on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday night when they have special pricing and eat for less than $25. We spend about $20 getting fast food, so this is way better.
5) Many of my other favorite restaurants are within a five to ten minute drive also, just like they were in Smyrna: Chili's, O'Charley's, Cheddar's, Zaxby's, and more. The boys are very excited because there's a Burger King here and we didn't have one in Smyrna. They've also discovered the joys of Subway, thanks to Grama.
6) Kids' Kingdom. We used to have to drive to Murfreesboro to Kids' Castle, but this park is much closer to our house. The boys spent the day there with their Grama today while I was at an in-service at school.
7) Short commute. I drive about five minutes to get to work--three if I'm running late like I was today because I remembered that I had to make a presentation at the in-service. I love how much I'm saving in gas money.
8) The Streets at Indian Lake. This mall is similar to The Avenue in Murfreesboro, but it feels cozier. The best part is the Summer Music Series: every Thursday night during the summer they have live music on the square. Mom and I go just about every week. Dan even went with us a few times. They usually have photographers walking around taking pictures for their website. Here we are a few weeks ago enjoying the show. There's a great grassy square in the center with fountains that the kids can run in, like Aaron did on this night (in the blue trunks) while his brother looks on from the left side of the photo. In this shot, Ryan looks like he's scheming. This takes the place of the fountains at Stonecrest that the boys used to run in.
9) Within a ten minute drive there are THREE ice cream stores that I didn't have close by in Smyrna: Maggie Moo's, Marble Slab, and Baskin Robbins. I know Smyrna has a BR, but it's over by Wal-Mart so I hated going there. Marble Slab is at The Streets, which makes going to hear the music on Thursday nights even better.
10) My new friends. Nothing could replace my Smyrna girls, but I'm slowly making new friends up here, mostly people I work with. Most of the teachers at my school are great and we sometimes socialize outside of school. In Smyrna most of my friends were moms who have kids the same age as my kids. The problem up here is that I taught at the same school my kids attended last year (Aaron will still be there, but Ryan is moving on to middle school). I can't really get too buddy-buddy with the other moms because it could get awkward if I have their children in my class next year. Plus, with me working full-time and being confined to my own class, I don't get to meet the other moms volunteering or going on field trips and things like that.
But, we've been attending church up here for six weeks now. This Sunday is the boys' last time to go to their current classes before they're promoted. After this weekend, Dan and I will try to find a Sunday School we like and hopefully make some friends through that.
I like my neighbors a lot, but most of them are a lot older than we are (parents of people I went to high school with).
I found a new vet for Lily and got her updated on shots Monday. The new folks seem great and they talked to her the way the staff at Premier did, so we liked them. (But we'll still miss Dr. Hatcher and his staff.)
I still have to find a family doctor, but one of the ones on my insurance list is a Tennessee Top Ten doctor for thyroid care, so we may have a winner there. I took Ryan to check out the middle school on Monday and gave him the tour. He says he's ready; I feel like crying just thinking about him wandering the halls of that great big building.
In short, we're settling in and adjusting to life on the north side, even though we still miss our friends.
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