Visiting Teaching

I just finished my visiting teaching for September. I've always enjoyed these monthly visits. Okay, I get anxious every other month when it's my turn to share the lesson. But this time I was the one to schedule the apointments. It also helps that my partner lives just two doors down and is just a really awesome woman. We've been visiting teaching companions since I moved here last December and I'll be really sad when that changes. I hear that in regular wards people can be assigned together for years. Due to the nomadic tendencies of student life, visiting teaching companions in a student ward are lucky if they're paired up for 6 months.

Now, I know some people don't like visiting teaching or have a beef with the program. And sure the first visit or two - AKA the 'getting to know you' stage - can be awkward, but after that it's a good way to make sure you schedule time in to see friends.

Between work, school, grocery shopping, laundry, attending family events, etcetera, etcetera... how often do we take time to drop by and spend some time with our friends? If I see my mechanic every 3 months for an oil change then shouldn't I see my old college roomie at least as much? At least she doesn't tell me I'm old and broken each time we get together. Unlike my mechanic.

Nathan's No Good Week

It went downhill after his birthday. The next day he rode his bike to work. I get a call at 8:30 AM, the time he's supposed to start work. He has a flat tire and can I come pick him up? So I hurried myself there, we got the bike into the car, I dropped him off at work and the day went back to normal.

Enter Thursday. He's up all night with our friend Stomach Flu. I, a trained medical professional, listen helplessly to the bathroom sounds as there is not much that can be done at home to help with Ralphing. But I'm tired, so I sleep too. Bad wife.

Friday afternoon. Nathan tells me that he feels dehydrated. In between stomach spasms (his), we drive to the nearest IHC Urgent Care. After the usual paperwork and 3 other healthy-looking patients being called in first, we saw a doctor. Actually, I don't know who we saw. He never said his name and he may have been a physician's assistant. And actually, we saw more of the medical assistant, who came in first and took Nathan's vital signs. A fever of 103.5? Wow. The doctor (or PA) asks some questions, diagnoses gastrointestinal virus and puts Nathan on IV for an hour. We left with a prescription for an antinausea medicine. Silver Lining? We just got health insurance coverage September 1. For the first time in a year.

Saturday and Sunday. I quarantine Nathan to the living room couch and keep him supplied with a liquid diet. No church for you mister.

Monday. He puts in half a day at work. Still not feeling up to par, but the day passes uneventfully.

And finally - Tuesday. To come full circle, as he's driving to work the car gets a flat tire. Silver lining? Our spare isn't a donut. But it was flat too. He had to put air in it before going to work. And he also felt sick.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN!

Today is Nathan's Birthday. I got off work so we can spend the day together - that doesn't happen much anymore (because of our work schedules). We have to do some boring stuff like laundry at the laundromat and grocery shopping. Nathan knows one of his 'gifts' is the Intro to Criminal Justice course he's taking at UVSC this semester. I can't tell you what else I'm giving him because he hasn't opened it yet. But we've had a card from his Grandma sitting on the table all week driving me nuts. I don't like waiting to open things.

Congrats to Nathan!

We just found out that Nathan passed the exam he took at the beginning of August. Now he can be paid to teach yoga instead of just volunteering for experience. Things won't change instantly though, because BYU and UVSC don't have openings for yoga instructors. So for the time being he will continue to be a TA for BYU's community classes and sub when asked to. But Yea! for passing a difficult test.

People Say Nice Things

During my recent interactions with people 2 comments stand out:

1) A boy at work got some new acne face wash from his mom and I, trying to make small talk, said "You'll have to let me know if it helps. I could use a good face wash." The sweet child answered, "Beth, you have acne? You must cover it up with make-up because I don't see anything." This was especially touching because I wasn't wearing make-up.

2) I hate shoe shopping. On Labor Day, I bit the bullet and tried on some shoes at a store in the mall called Tradehome. I explained to the salesman that I have a hard time finding shoes that fit because my feet are wide. After measuring my feet, he said, "Your feet aren't particularly wide. You just have a high instep." I didn't know what an instep was but having someone tell me that I didn't have wide feet gave me warm fuzzy feelings. In a shoe store? Unheard of. I left with a pair of Adidas Supernovas.

I'm Still Sick

The storm is long past but my body didn't get the message. I've found a very effective way to not overeat - a sore throat. Wednesday, I fasted for 24 hours with no problem, not even cookies were tempting. The bathroom counter reads like a pharmacy shelf: Chloraseptic throat lozenges, Benedryl, Nyquil, Dayquil...

Nathan has been great this week while I've been under the weather. He's a good person to have around when you are sick, very patient and understanding.

So send healthy thoughts my way while I go see if my bowl of Cheerios is mushy enough for my throat.

My Body The Barometer

A storm is coming, so says the weatherman, that will lower our daily highs from 95+ degrees to just above 80 degrees. I am very much looking forward to 'cooler' temperatures but for right now I feel like crap. My bones ache. This stuff is supposed to happen to arthritic old people, not me. I have the TV to tell me if rainclouds are coming, I don't need anything more intuitive. Thanks, but no thanks. And Advil isn't helping.