No End in Sight

This week, I was really excited about going to the orthodontist.  Dr. U had taken molds of the teeth 2 weeks ago and I was supposed to get the update.  Now, the little spacers had been put in last time and I knew that was probably not a good thing!  Now, I know that it wasn't a good thing.

Instead of having any idea of what was going on, I was instead disappointed to learn that I had to not only get the molar bands on the last 3 teeth that were metal-free, but I also had to create some gaps in my upper teeth.  I was nervous that I was going to be some gap-toothed hillbilly.  So, so not me!

He has assured me that I won't look any different and the gaps will be barely noticeable!  Here's to hoping...
I got my next appointment in a month and then I will get another wire adjustment and new rubberbands.  But, the powerchain is gone for now.
In October, I will have molds done again, so probably looking at surgery in November which will be almost exactly a year, as predicted!

Holden - The New Man in My Life

So, I have a new man in my life.  No, not what you may think.  It's my 3-month old nephew, Holden.  He is so adorable and alert and completely stealing my heart.  Now, I have a little nephew to complement my baby niece.

Not Always as It Seems

I went to the orthodontist last week.  I wanted to believe that I was close to jaw surgery, but it didn't end up happening the way that I thought that it would.  I was getting molds of the teeth and left with more spacers in order to get more molar bands.  Doesn't sound like I'm getting too close.  I begged him to let me have the surgery as soon as possible.  Of course, he agreed with me but didn't seem to get that I'm ready for it.  

I'm getting anxious to get this done.  I never noticed all the signs of an underdeveloped jaw until it was pointed out.  Now that I know, I'm ready to get it done.  

Smile with Some Bling-Bling!

About a year before my braces!

A Month before I was scheduled to get braces

Last weekend with the bling-bling, 6 1/2 mos.

I've had my braces on for about 6 1/2 months and haven't posted any photos of my new look!

I keep telling people that I'm unsure about wearing the braces but I have been assured that they don't even notice. It may make me look younger but there is no reason to be shy about smiling!

I'm a Winner! Finally!?!

Not that I am a fast runner by any means of the imagination. I run just fast enough to get anywhere. I did run the Bulldog Jog this last weekend on the beautiful Butler University campus. I was #1 in my bracket! Now, that is a first. I won't say that it was a very large race, but I had a PR at 24 minutes and 40 seconds and finally broke the 25 minute barrier...

And, I got to see my grandparents, ages 69 and 70 walk the Bulldog Jog and finish at 45 minutes. We won't mention that Bec, the marathon runner, was just happy to run the entire race after having a baby 6 months ago. She might want to consider training a little bit more if she wants to run 13.1 miles in May! But, I guess she's taking baby steps, no pun intended...

Like Any Proud Aunt!

I had to just gush and add an updated pic of my favorite (aka only) niece, Baby V. Yes, she is adorable and huge; a sign of a very, very healthy baby!

Can't wait to see the gorgeous woman that she will become...

Oh, and she obviously is a child genius! At 5 months, she can play the piano with her mouth; actually, she tries to eat everything. Supposedly, that's another sign of a very healthy baby.

Not Commitment Phobic, Just "Commitment Phobic" Phobic

Following up on a previous post, I decided this weekend that I am not commitment phobic, just "commitment phobic" phobic.  I've become really cautious of relationships because of all the commitment phobic men out there.  They come and go and take a little piece of your heart, come on, girls, you know that ones that I'm talking about.

It just makes me nervous to commit.  Once I've made up my mind to be committed, I'm committed and that makes me leery of giving my heart away.  So, that fear of commitment phobic men masquerades as a fear of commitment on my part.  See, there was a perfect logic explanation for my "craziness"!

Drama Follows Me...Again

We all know that I seem to have a penchant for drama. I try to reason that I'm not a drama queen but drama just follows me, kind of like my little shadow.

This weekend, Brad can attest to this tidbit about me and maybe even has a physical reminder of it! We decided to grab dinner at the Short North before going to a birthday party for a friend. We arrived at The Rossi at a decent "dinner" time, 7:30 or so. Of course, being in the Short North on a Saturday evening, we had to wait for a table. Looking around, there is no good "waiting" area at The Rossi. So, a few seats at the bar opened up and we decided to grab them. To our credit, we did notice the fairly drunk woman on the stool next to us, but she seemed harmless, just about falling over onto the guy on the other side of her! But, as soon as we sat down, it started. She called Brad an "a-hole" and then proceeded to tell me, "Honey, stay away from him, he's bad news!" We decided to placate her and just agree. Harmless as it seemed, I mean she was only 100 lbs. maybe, soaking wet, we proceeded to chat about whatever it was. I did notice that this woman was staring me down. Then, she broke into our conversation again and warned me against Brad yet again. This was getting humorous if uncomfortable as well! Finally, it happened. She hauled off and slugged Brad in the side of the head with her fist!!

Honestly, I didn't know what to do or say. As he was recovering, more dazed from the unexpected than hurt, I pulled a waitress aside and asked if she could help this woman. She was there alone, we thought. They helped her to a cab and she proceeded to refuse the cab. I'm not sure what happened to her and I was pretty worried about her state. She was alone, drunk or high, at 7:30 on a Saturday night. Being a woman, I can see what a precarious position that can be. I hope with all my heart that she found a place that she can be safe and can find the help that she most obviously needs.

Still, makes for a good story!

Snow Dump

We just got dumped on with 5 inches of snow all within about 18 hours! And now dealing with freezing temps...

Seriously when did I think that it was a smart idea to stay in the Midwest. I hate cold and snow is only good for skiing.

Driving in the snow/ice scares me to no end. Probably this fear stems from the serious car accident that happened when I was in college. I was a passenger in a car that skidded off the highway on ice and then got hit by a semi truck (twice). Miraculously, I sustained no serious injuries in the wreck. My siblings also walked away with minor bumps/bruises. My mom, however, dealt with a few bruised ribs and cut to the forehead as well as a serious phobia to driving for a while. I had to do all the driving for her during the break and then it was my car that was totalled, so I had to do without until we found another car. It was my one and only time in an ambulance and I was more worried about my little brother and mom than about any injuries that I may have. Every since, I have flashbacks to the wreck whenever I have to drive on the snow and ice. Not serious enough to stop driving, a necessity in Columbus...I can't remember actually getting hit by the semi but I can remember seeing it coming toward us. God obviously had a purpose for my life past that day.

But, as I do every year, I will get through the winter driving season and forget all about that wreck until next winter!

Threw Me for a Loop...

So, haven't really mentioned much about how first dates have been going...

I much more enjoy living life, I guess, than writing about it, so I seem to leave out from my blog all the good parts.

I finally got a reality check last night! Not that 30 is old by any means, but not much surprises me in the arena of dating. I have seen it all, either through personal experience or through a friend's experience. But, I have been seeing someone recently, let's call him J. We've only been out a few times and we currently live 2 hours away although he plans to move to C-bus in the next few months. My approach to relationships: slow as molasses! My thought has always been that too many people complain about taking too little time, but how many times do you hear of people complaining about taking too much time? I certainly haven't!

I've been keeping all guys that I meet at arms length so that I won't get hurt. The few times that I have let the relationship move at a quick pace, I've always gotten hurt. I've heard every excuse in the book..."I'm not over an ex", "It's not you, it's me", etc. I've let boys invade my heart that were probably not worthy but who said all the right things. Essentially, I got burned...

So, I became selfish in my dating habits. If I don't let them too close, I can't get hurt. But, I forgot to consider that they have feelings too and are putting their hearts on the line. Guys just don't reveal the emotions. During breakups, I swore that my heart would break and was devastated to think that my former guy's heart stayed in tact. Even when they are telling me that they miss me every day and it hurts, I just didn't believe them.

I think that J is really feeling my emotional distance. He had pulled back on texting which to me signaled, "he's just not that into me"! I started to distance myself even more in preparation for total loss of communication. So imagine my surprise when I heard from him last night. And imagine my shock when I figured out that he's distancing himself from me, not because "he's just not that into me" but because he's afraid of liking me and then getting his heart broken...

So, in my panic to protect myself, I forgot to think about the other person involved. I forgot about real human emotions and focused on how to guard myself. Do I think that I'll let him get too close, too soon...absolutely not. I'm still a smart chick and he needs to respect that. But, I will be more mindful that I'm not just risking my heart, but I'm risking another human being's emotions. Wow, how did I make it to 30 without thinking through this? Kind of throws you for a loop...