Flaws in technology

Being bored means you Google lots of things, at least in our household.  Tonight, we decided to 'Google' directions from where we live to Honolulu, HI.  Google Maps tells us to head to Seattle, WA and then to KAYAK across the PACIFIC OCEAN!  For 2756 miles!  Oh, and then take a slight right at Turtle Bay Hilton.  I assume we'll be able to see the Hilton after that quick trip across the ocean.  I doubt we'll be dehydrated, sunburned, or passed out in the kayak.  It is, after all, only 2756 miles.  Or, just a measly 15 days worth of traveling.

Planes are so overrated.

AOC Party Night

Wednesday night, my co-workers threw me a party for a graduation!  Well, it was for Kevin (the other student), too, but one can dream...right?  Chris and I had a great time!  We had Olive Garden catered in and a yummy cake.  We even watched the American Idol finale with everyone! 

Kevin and I

From top left to right:

  Mark, Jason, Tony, Rachel, Jim, Jano, Kristen (holding Gracie), Brent, Leslie, Debbie, Charlie

Tiana, Kevin, me, Chris and Diane

I sure am going to miss working with these people!  They are so incredible!

Lamar University Graduation

Saturday, May 16th, I officially graduated from school!  With my doctorate!  It was very exciting and nerve racking, all at the same time.  We were told to be at the graduation site at 8 to get our name cards and get lined up and get in order.  I was the very first one in line!  Doctor of Audiology was first, and then my last name put me as numero uno!  

We marched in and heard the President of our University speak, where we learned we were the largest graduating class in the history of Lamar!  Because we all had plans following graduation, it was only natural to be part of the biggest graduation because that meant that we were all late for our plans afterwards.  

Our key note speaker was Secretary of State for Texas from '05 to '07, and despite his "Texas is the best state ever" speech and his tiny little soapbox for voting, it was a rather good speech.  When he was finished speaking, they were ready to call us to be hooded.  I was so thrilled I was going to be the first one up and was sitting towards the edge of my seat when they didn't call my name first.  They called someone from a whole other department.  Sitting 6 chairs away.  I was super confused, my heart was beginning to beat faster, and then I realized that they were graduating from the College of Education, and I graduated from the College of Fine Arts.  E comes before F.  Whatever.  I got my turn and was pleased as pie to finally get my hood on!

My whole family came, including my little brother and his girlfriend from Montana/Oregon!  My older brother rode with Chris and I to Houston to pick them up and then over to Beaumont.  We got to the hotel, but couldn't find anyone waiting for us, so I called my mom, and they weren't at that hotel, they were at another one...and no one had told us!  We were all a little peeved at the situation, but it was fine in the end.

Mom and Dad were so wonderful to me, they even got me a diamond necklace!  I was so ecstatic over it, it was totally unexpected!  

Also, my Grandma and Peepaw made the trek down with my Aunt and Uncle.  It was great to have their support on this huge day in my life!!

Now feel free to call me Dr. Awesome :)

AOC Game Night

A couple Friday nights ago, my work rented a pavilion at the Traveler's stadium (Arkansas' Minor League Baseball team) and gave us all tickets to sit and watch the game and midget wrestling.  Chris and I got to go and have yummy hot dogs and hamburgers, popcorn and ice cream.  Here are a few pics from my phone!

Kristen and Brent

Kevin and Tiana

Kevin is the other student, and he's the complete opposite of me.  He's so laid back I sometimes want to shake him!

Of course, us!

Grocery Store.

There are a few reasons I despise going to the grocery store.  The main one is because I don't like the general public outside of work.  I know, I work with the general public.  It's different, though, I promise.  I hate going after work because everyone is cranky (including me) and the after school shift is there (the young 'uns without a clue) and then the people who can't read (but you secretly know they can, they just choose not to).  

Today was a perfect example of that last one.  This woman had a WHOLE cart full of stuff.  Not just big stuff that took up the whole cart, but little stuff crammed in nooks and crannies that I didn't know existed in the shopping cart.  And she was in the self check out lane.  Where the sign reads '1-15 items only, Please'.  I was tempted to move the sign by her buggy, but Chris wouldn't let me.  

The grocery store was packed, lines were so long, and the after school kids were just moseying along without a care in the world.  I wanted to smack them with my Audiology book.  At least they'd be able to hear the commotion that was about to happen once they came to :)

This is why I send my wonderful, loving, awesome hubby to the grocery store on his days off.  He knows that it's better for the general public that they be spared my temper tantrums after work.

When you come home and see this...

and this...

You probably should start looking for a new place to live.

April 27, 2009

Monday started like any other typical Monday.  We got up, Chris earlier than me, and began preparing the day.  Chris had to be at work at 5 a.m. that morning, which meant I could laze around and take my time while getting ready and gearing up for patients that day.  When I got to work, I was surprised to see that I didn't have anyone on my schedule.  It was a rather light day in hearing aids for the whole and so I spent my morning going through papers and organizing inventory.

I was talking to some co-workers about what I wanted for lunch that day (I didn't pack a lunch, which is very rare) and had settled on going to get Kris and Sam's (this sandwich shop in L.R. with the best chocolate no-bake cookies.  Ever.).  It was about 10:30 a.m. when I got a text from Chris asking me to call him ASAP.  So I went back to my office and did as I was told and called him.  He told me that Jon (his brother) had called and said they were taking his Grandma off life support, and that we probably wouldn't make it in time to say our goodbyes.  

The Friday before this, April 24th, she had gone into the hospital with an aneurysm in her aortic artery, but thankfully, it was contained.  They performed emergency surgery and sent her to ICU to recover.  She was in and out of it from what we hear, not knowing (at least outwardly) where she was, who everyone was, where she lived, etc.  She asked for her pills, but told the nurse they were in her rock house.  She hadn't lived there in 20+ years.  Then she went into shock, and the doc's said that was typical following surgery.  After that, things began going down hill and her kidney's stopped functioning, her liver began to fail, etc.  So Monday morning, when it became apparent what the final outcome was going to be, my in-laws decided to take her off life support.  

Chris and I rushed home from work, packed like mad people (it was like the hurricane all over, we hadn't moved that fast since Hurricane Rita), made arrangements for Baxter (thanks Pam and Micha!) and headed up the hill.  Everyone said we wouldn't make it in time.  They expected that she would live, at most, an hour or two.  As we were driving we were getting updates from the family, but I had this feeling that we would be able to see her while she was still living one last time.  Sure enough, we got to the hospital that afternoon and she was still holding on.  We waited in the ICU waiting room and decided to go get some dinner, the next visiting hours didn't begin until 8 p.m.  After dinner, we ran by the in-laws house and were getting ready to go back to the hospital when the nurse called.  Chris' Grandma had passed away.  

When we got back to the hospital, we all went back, but Emily and I stayed out of the room.  We went back to the waiting room to meet the chaplain and wait for the doctor to pronounce her and then they got to go see her one last time before we left the hospital.

Tuesday was spent in F.S. for Chris and I.  We met Chris' parents and Jon at the funeral home to make arrangements that afternoon.  There were so many decisions to be made, deadlines for obituaries to run in the paper the next day, etc.  We chose the casket, went to the florist and chose the flowers.  Chris' parents had brought her burial clothing and had to deliver that to the funeral home.  We then had to go to the cemetery to make the arrangements there.  Chris' Grandpa had passed away 20+ years prior, and so the plot was already there, it was just making sure everything was straightened out.  

The funeral was yesterday, April 30th.  She was 85.  Her birthday would have been this Saturday, May 2nd.  We were worried it was going to rain during the funeral, but we had beautiful weather.  Afterwards, we all gathered at Jon and Emily's to have dinner and it began to rain.  When we got ready to leave, we went out to the cemetery one last time and it rained the entire way there.  But when we turned on the road to go to the cemetery, it stopped raining.  On our way out of town, we saw a rainbow, and it was perfect.

She was very independent, living at home by herself until she had to be taken to the hospital.  When she fell and broke her hip several years ago, she couldn't wait to get out of rehab and return home.  She learned how to drive in her 60's after her husband passed away.  She loved her great grand puppies and my favorite memory is when Baxter jumped in her lap because he was being chased by Rylie.  It shocked her and she just began to laugh.  Her expression on her face was priceless!

We will surely miss her, but we know that she is in God's care and with her husband.  

Her obituary can be read here.