Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The First of Many, I'm Sure
The other day I was driving Bella to one of her classmate's birthday parties. All I was going to do was walk her to the door, discuss with the mom a rendezvous time, and be on my merry way. The drive was pretty quiet until Bella broke the silence with a question she asked through clenched teeth. "Moooommmmm...why are you wearing those ripped jeans to the party?" I could tell by the way she said it she'd been thinking about it for a while.
Hello! Has the girl not been following the trends? Tattered denim is totally in right now. But with my flip-flops and no makeup, I guess I was looking pretty scrappy.
"Bella, I am just going to walk you to the door and ask Katie's mom what time to pick you up. No one else is even going to see me." That is, unless Stacy and Clinton from TLC's What Not to Wear were hiding in the bushes, waiting to sabotage me for dressing like a ragamuffin in public, and if so, HOW AWESOME WOULD THAT BE?
She didn't say much after that. I was a little surprised at her shame in my outfit, considering she dresses like a total gypsy. This is the first time she's been embarrassed by me and I found it to be both funny and sad. As I drove away I realized I'd just experienced a rite of passage as a mother.
Hello! Has the girl not been following the trends? Tattered denim is totally in right now. But with my flip-flops and no makeup, I guess I was looking pretty scrappy.
"Bella, I am just going to walk you to the door and ask Katie's mom what time to pick you up. No one else is even going to see me." That is, unless Stacy and Clinton from TLC's What Not to Wear were hiding in the bushes, waiting to sabotage me for dressing like a ragamuffin in public, and if so, HOW AWESOME WOULD THAT BE?
She didn't say much after that. I was a little surprised at her shame in my outfit, considering she dresses like a total gypsy. This is the first time she's been embarrassed by me and I found it to be both funny and sad. As I drove away I realized I'd just experienced a rite of passage as a mother.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
A Few More Check Marks On My To-Do List
Have you ever tried to photograph your own Band-aids in the mirror in an attempt to capture a somewhat flattering image? Don't bother. It's too hard.
Yesterday I got my travel immunizations. I assumed I'd need only one, which was the second Hepatitis A of the two-part series I started last year. I was only partially right.
When you get travel shots, it's not quite a simple and quick process as it might seem. It's not like they say, oh, you're going to Nepal? Ok, you need X, Y, and Z shots. Now lift your sleeve...this may pinch a little.
The doctor must ask a barrage of very specific questions to determine the exact cocktail that must be formulated. A small sample of the conversation:
Where will you be working? In the city.
Who will you be working on? Children.
Will you be working on any adults? Maybe.
Who will you be working with? I don't know.
Where will you be sleeping? In a hotel.
Will you be handling any farm animals? No.
Do you plan to get pregnant while there? No.
Will you be sexually active while there? No.
Do you know the top two causes of death of young healthy people traveling in third world countries? (I didn't) It's car accidents and swimming while drunk.
Are you aware of any animals you will be in close proximity with? I know there are a lot of Monkeys running around Kathmandu, and there will be yaks on the trekking trails.
You're going trekking? Yes.
To what altitude? 13,500 ft.
Tell me what you know about Altitude Sickness. Know the symptoms and not ignore them if you have them.
Where will you be staying while trekking? In the villages, in tea houses.
At this point the doctor turns from her computer screen and faces me. "I'm so jealous right now," she says.
Ultimately she decided I need that second Hep A shot, and that boosters for MMR and polio were necessary. I don't have to get a new Rx for antibiotics since last year's dose doesn't expire for another year and I never had to use them. That's in case a bug throws a party in my stomach.
While I'll bring a medicine called Diamox to help my body adjust to less oxygen at altitude, I will only have to take it if I need it. In addition, I am happy to report I will not have to take Malarone (for malaria) this time. You have to take it daily, starting a week before your adventure begins. To summarize this expensive burden:
28 days @ $6 per day = YIKES!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Confucius Say...
I SWEAR THIS STORY IS TOTALL TRUE.
"Ok honey," I said to Dale, sitting across the table from me. "Whatever this says, it is predicting how my mission is going to turn out."
We'd just polished off a platter of sushi and the waitress plopped down the bill and four fortune cookies. I grabbed the closest one and snapped open the crispy little confection.
This little lucky charm's going in my suitcase.
"Ok honey," I said to Dale, sitting across the table from me. "Whatever this says, it is predicting how my mission is going to turn out."
We'd just polished off a platter of sushi and the waitress plopped down the bill and four fortune cookies. I grabbed the closest one and snapped open the crispy little confection.
This little lucky charm's going in my suitcase.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Scoop: Nepal Trip
Unfortunately, I do not know a ton about my upcoming trip yet. I wish I did! I am itching for more info. Here is what I do know:
This mission is not with Medical Teams International, as it was when I went to Cambodia. Humanitarian organizations only serve certain countries, and since I had my heart set on going to Nepal, I had to find a group that serves there. Introducing Global Dental Expeditions.
I leave April 16th and will be gone for 3 weeks. (I promise I will blog as much as I can!)
We will spend 2 weeks doing dentistry in the capital city of Kathmandu, then we will fly up into the Himalaya and go trekking. We will trek the Mt. Everest trail. We won't make it all the way into base camp, but we will at least get to see the mountain.
I do not know my team or how big it will be. I won't meet them until I get there.
That's it! Frustrating, huh?! I will post more as I learn more.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Seattle-to-Portland 2011
Because the opportunity to create friction sores that bleed through spandex is an opportunity that Dale and I cannot pass up, we signed up for the Seattle-to-Portland bicycle classic this coming July.
If you remember, we participated in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, Dale spent the summer focusing on climbing Mt. Rainier (after the avalanche he attempted it again and was successful...still on my to-do list of blog posts), and I spent the summer not riding a bicycle. How did I spend my summer? I don't know. It's kind of a blur. But I do remember the weekend of the STP, and the two of us were bummed knowing it was going on without us.
So, the next question on everyone's mind is, will we ride it in one day or two? If you ask Dale, he'd tell you we'd do it in one day. But we'd stop half way, climb Mt. Rainier, then finish up the ride. He'd be all, what? WE TOTALLY COULD.
If you remember, we participated in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, Dale spent the summer focusing on climbing Mt. Rainier (after the avalanche he attempted it again and was successful...still on my to-do list of blog posts), and I spent the summer not riding a bicycle. How did I spend my summer? I don't know. It's kind of a blur. But I do remember the weekend of the STP, and the two of us were bummed knowing it was going on without us.
So, the next question on everyone's mind is, will we ride it in one day or two? If you ask Dale, he'd tell you we'd do it in one day. But we'd stop half way, climb Mt. Rainier, then finish up the ride. He'd be all, what? WE TOTALLY COULD.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Brittany's Senior Pics
Back a few months ago (so sad is my lack of blogging that now my posts begin with back a few months ago...) Anyway, a few months ago my Cambodia team met up for another reunion, and a couple days before our party I got an email from Brittany. Little refresher: Brittany is Franklin's daughter...Franklin was our team leader and Brittany came along as his assistant. That was like a year ago, I know.
So this email was basically one brief question. Hey Jessica, if you are going to bring your camera to the party, do you think you could take a picture of me so I could use it in the yearbook?
And I was all, um, no. Brittany, dear, let's do this right. So we came up with a plan to meet a few hours beforehand and do a real photo shoot. When I picked her up, I was all DAMN GIRL, YOU CLEAN UP GOOD! We shot at Oregon Health Sciences University, and didn't exactly have weather or daylight on our side, so we worked quickly.
We both fell in love with the same image, and this is the official yearbook picture. She is leaning up against the dental building here, which seems appropriate since she wants to follow in her father's footsteps. This is one of those photos that is equally beautiful in black and white as it is in color.
So this email was basically one brief question. Hey Jessica, if you are going to bring your camera to the party, do you think you could take a picture of me so I could use it in the yearbook?
And I was all, um, no. Brittany, dear, let's do this right. So we came up with a plan to meet a few hours beforehand and do a real photo shoot. When I picked her up, I was all DAMN GIRL, YOU CLEAN UP GOOD! We shot at Oregon Health Sciences University, and didn't exactly have weather or daylight on our side, so we worked quickly.
We both fell in love with the same image, and this is the official yearbook picture. She is leaning up against the dental building here, which seems appropriate since she wants to follow in her father's footsteps. This is one of those photos that is equally beautiful in black and white as it is in color.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Random Story #314
I have no idea what has possessed me to share this story, but it popped into my mind this morning and well, here we are.
I was in Las Vegas with my office for a dental convention. It was 2006, and I was 6 months pregnant with Rowan. It was really hot, as it is there most of the year, and I was laying out by the pool by myself. I don't remember why I was alone...oh wait, yes I do...we only had like 2 hours before we were all to meet to head to the airport, and most of my coworkers wanted to head down the strip to shop and see some of the other casinos. Well, I'd been to Vegas several times before this, and I knew how time and distance seems to escape people there, and I wasn't about to join them and risk missing my flight on my boss' dime. No way. So there I was, sunbathing alone amongst strangers at the MGM pool.
I was at the point in my pregnancy where I definitely looked pregnant, but I wasn't big and waddly and swollen. I thought I looked cute. I had confidence. I rocked a hot pink bikini.
In the sweltering upper 90 degree desert heat, I decided a smoothie was just what the baby needed. I wrapped a sarong under my belly, tied it into a knot at my hip, and made my way to the outdoor bar.
I got a few sideways glances from passersby for being pregnant and bare-bellied, but I didn't think too much of it. I was was standing in line behind a middle-eastern man. He turned around and looked right at me, lowered his eyes to my abdomen, looked me dead in the eye again, then turned back around. This man wasn't Indian, he wasn't Hispanic, He was a Muslim, and probably had ties to Al-Qaeda. Women in his culture don't even show much of their veiled faces or any of their bodies, lest their pregnant bellies. I was an infidel of the worst kind. I'd had sex with my husband, and there I was, brazenly showing the world the result. This man, I was sure, was furiously praying to Allah to strike me down. I wanted to bolt from the line to the safety of my hotel room. Surely the Taliban would soon be on the hunt for me.
The man turned around again. He was smiling and had kindness in his eyes. In perfect English, he said, "You're pregnant. That's great! I deliver babies for a living, I'm an OB-GYN. It's a beautiful thing. Well...good luck to you."
The moral of the story?
Don't stereotype people.
I was in Las Vegas with my office for a dental convention. It was 2006, and I was 6 months pregnant with Rowan. It was really hot, as it is there most of the year, and I was laying out by the pool by myself. I don't remember why I was alone...oh wait, yes I do...we only had like 2 hours before we were all to meet to head to the airport, and most of my coworkers wanted to head down the strip to shop and see some of the other casinos. Well, I'd been to Vegas several times before this, and I knew how time and distance seems to escape people there, and I wasn't about to join them and risk missing my flight on my boss' dime. No way. So there I was, sunbathing alone amongst strangers at the MGM pool.
I was at the point in my pregnancy where I definitely looked pregnant, but I wasn't big and waddly and swollen. I thought I looked cute. I had confidence. I rocked a hot pink bikini.
In the sweltering upper 90 degree desert heat, I decided a smoothie was just what the baby needed. I wrapped a sarong under my belly, tied it into a knot at my hip, and made my way to the outdoor bar.
I got a few sideways glances from passersby for being pregnant and bare-bellied, but I didn't think too much of it. I was was standing in line behind a middle-eastern man. He turned around and looked right at me, lowered his eyes to my abdomen, looked me dead in the eye again, then turned back around. This man wasn't Indian, he wasn't Hispanic, He was a Muslim, and probably had ties to Al-Qaeda. Women in his culture don't even show much of their veiled faces or any of their bodies, lest their pregnant bellies. I was an infidel of the worst kind. I'd had sex with my husband, and there I was, brazenly showing the world the result. This man, I was sure, was furiously praying to Allah to strike me down. I wanted to bolt from the line to the safety of my hotel room. Surely the Taliban would soon be on the hunt for me.
The man turned around again. He was smiling and had kindness in his eyes. In perfect English, he said, "You're pregnant. That's great! I deliver babies for a living, I'm an OB-GYN. It's a beautiful thing. Well...good luck to you."
The moral of the story?
Don't stereotype people.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Frosty Outside...Frosty Inside
With lots of concern on my Facebook page, I thought I'd share the full story how our furnace picked a fine time to leave us.
We woke up Jan 1st to 2011 and an awfully chilly house. Dale checked the thermostat, bumped up the heat, and went about making coffee and breakfast.
But the heat never came on.
So, being Mr. Handyman Troubleshooter, he tore into it. The motor, he found, had taken a poop. Great timing, considering we are in the middle of a COLD SNAP!! And there is frost on the ground that has no intentions of going away any time soon. In fact, it may even snow later this week!
Yesterday, we drove all over Olympia from one industrial parts store to another. This, we soon discovered, was a tall order. Finding a store that was A) open on a holiday, and B) carried precisely what we needed...needless to say we returned empty handed to a very cold home.
But don't worry about the Ackleys! Dale ordered said part online and by Wednesday our house should warm with the cozy hum of a working furnace. In the mean time, in addition to wearing down coats to battle the inside temp of 47 degrees, we have a fireplace downstairs. It is extremely inefficient at heating this big, old house, but it's better than nothing.
The real saving grace, though, is Rowan's room. The first few years living in this house, we discovered that that particular bedroom, with three exterior walls, was impossible to heat in the winter. So Dale installed a heater into the wall. Here is the sleeping arrangement:
I find it kind of funny that we all congregate to Rowan's room to seek relief from the cold. In the summertime, our bedroom is the only place in the house that has air conditioning. When the really hot spells hit, we all sleep in there, like weary little refugees.
We woke up Jan 1st to 2011 and an awfully chilly house. Dale checked the thermostat, bumped up the heat, and went about making coffee and breakfast.
But the heat never came on.
So, being Mr. Handyman Troubleshooter, he tore into it. The motor, he found, had taken a poop. Great timing, considering we are in the middle of a COLD SNAP!! And there is frost on the ground that has no intentions of going away any time soon. In fact, it may even snow later this week!
Yesterday, we drove all over Olympia from one industrial parts store to another. This, we soon discovered, was a tall order. Finding a store that was A) open on a holiday, and B) carried precisely what we needed...needless to say we returned empty handed to a very cold home.
But don't worry about the Ackleys! Dale ordered said part online and by Wednesday our house should warm with the cozy hum of a working furnace. In the mean time, in addition to wearing down coats to battle the inside temp of 47 degrees, we have a fireplace downstairs. It is extremely inefficient at heating this big, old house, but it's better than nothing.
The real saving grace, though, is Rowan's room. The first few years living in this house, we discovered that that particular bedroom, with three exterior walls, was impossible to heat in the winter. So Dale installed a heater into the wall. Here is the sleeping arrangement:
I find it kind of funny that we all congregate to Rowan's room to seek relief from the cold. In the summertime, our bedroom is the only place in the house that has air conditioning. When the really hot spells hit, we all sleep in there, like weary little refugees.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
If You Can Figure This Out, I'll Think You're the Coolest Person Ever
There is something that has me completely baffled.
See, since signing up for my mission to Nepal, I have been doing my homework. I have to know what to expect about the place, such as, the climate, the currency, the local customs, and will there be a Starbucks along the Everest trail? (Actually, yes.)
So the other day I pull up the world clock app on my iPod to see the time difference between Seattle and Kathmandu. I think it's pretty well known that if it is, say, 2:38 here it is 11:38 somewhere else and 6:38 somewhere else, but it would never be 2:38 here and 12:52 somewhere else. No, it would never be like that.
OR SO I THOUGHT.
My iPod read something completely wacky, like Seattle 6:00, Kathmandu 8:45. And I was all, This damn thing is broken! Later on, I investigated this matter further by pulling up an online world clock. Sure enough...check this out. Look at all the other time zones. They are all normal. They play by the rules. Kathmandu is clearly the black sheep. It flicks it's cigarette and says, Don't tell me what to do.
Seriously, folks. WHY IS THIS?? Does anyone know?
See, since signing up for my mission to Nepal, I have been doing my homework. I have to know what to expect about the place, such as, the climate, the currency, the local customs, and will there be a Starbucks along the Everest trail? (Actually, yes.)
So the other day I pull up the world clock app on my iPod to see the time difference between Seattle and Kathmandu. I think it's pretty well known that if it is, say, 2:38 here it is 11:38 somewhere else and 6:38 somewhere else, but it would never be 2:38 here and 12:52 somewhere else. No, it would never be like that.
OR SO I THOUGHT.
My iPod read something completely wacky, like Seattle 6:00, Kathmandu 8:45. And I was all, This damn thing is broken! Later on, I investigated this matter further by pulling up an online world clock. Sure enough...check this out. Look at all the other time zones. They are all normal. They play by the rules. Kathmandu is clearly the black sheep. It flicks it's cigarette and says, Don't tell me what to do.
Seriously, folks. WHY IS THIS?? Does anyone know?
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Hello From Lake Tahoe
Happy to be in Lake Tahoe...Sad my camera's battery read full when we left the house, but now, for some unknown reason, it is dead. (I'd only shot five pictures.)
Happy to be here during a full blown snow storm...Sad all routes out of here require us crossing very high passes where the snow is measured in feet. (The news says stay put if you can.)
Happy to be able to see many great friends all together in one place this morning...Sad to watch a friend of nineteen years be put into the ground today. (Sharon, your kids carefully chose your plot with a view of the lake.)
Happy to be here during a full blown snow storm...Sad all routes out of here require us crossing very high passes where the snow is measured in feet. (The news says stay put if you can.)
Happy to be able to see many great friends all together in one place this morning...Sad to watch a friend of nineteen years be put into the ground today. (Sharon, your kids carefully chose your plot with a view of the lake.)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Exciting News! (No, I'm Not Pregnant)
I was going through my hard drive last night and came across this photo, taken my last day in Cambodia while we were touring the Angkor Wat temple.
If you read my blog, you may remember I was planning a return trip to Cambodia to attend my friend Ratha's wedding. That would have been at the end of August.
I ended up cancelling that trip. I also cancelled a mini-triathlon I was training for around that time. I rescheduled photo shoots, stopped blogging, and basically dropped out of life for a few months. I took that time to simplify my life. I was exhausted from always living life at full speed, doing things that weren't always best for me, but for others. I got over my fear of disappointing others and saying no. I spent less time on the computer and more with my kids. I reconnected with my husband and realized that a strong marriage must come before EVERYTHING else. Yes, that's a biggie.
One thing that will always be important to me is going on missions. Water, food, shelter, my husband and family, a good job, and humanitarian work...see, it ranks right up there on top.
With that said, my gypsy feet have been itching to travel again. So a few months ago, I signed up to serve another dental mission. This trip will be for 3 weeks, leaving mid-April. Words cannot express how excited I am to go again.
Guess how mean I am? I am not even telling you where I am going! Not yet!! I am cruelly going to make you guess, and I'll divulge the location later on.
Leave a comment and tell me where you think I'll be going. And you can't guess if I've already told you! Here are three hints:
1. It is in Asia
2. It is not Cambodia
3. I'll need a warm coat and trekkiing poles
If you read my blog, you may remember I was planning a return trip to Cambodia to attend my friend Ratha's wedding. That would have been at the end of August.
I ended up cancelling that trip. I also cancelled a mini-triathlon I was training for around that time. I rescheduled photo shoots, stopped blogging, and basically dropped out of life for a few months. I took that time to simplify my life. I was exhausted from always living life at full speed, doing things that weren't always best for me, but for others. I got over my fear of disappointing others and saying no. I spent less time on the computer and more with my kids. I reconnected with my husband and realized that a strong marriage must come before EVERYTHING else. Yes, that's a biggie.
One thing that will always be important to me is going on missions. Water, food, shelter, my husband and family, a good job, and humanitarian work...see, it ranks right up there on top.
With that said, my gypsy feet have been itching to travel again. So a few months ago, I signed up to serve another dental mission. This trip will be for 3 weeks, leaving mid-April. Words cannot express how excited I am to go again.
Guess how mean I am? I am not even telling you where I am going! Not yet!! I am cruelly going to make you guess, and I'll divulge the location later on.
Leave a comment and tell me where you think I'll be going. And you can't guess if I've already told you! Here are three hints:
1. It is in Asia
2. It is not Cambodia
3. I'll need a warm coat and trekkiing poles
Monday, November 1, 2010
Halloween Pictures
Wow. It's been so long since I have blogged I can barely remember the HTML code to post pictures. I'd love to share the last four months with y'all...
Anyway.
Here are some pictures from Halloween last night.
Anyway.
Here are some pictures from Halloween last night.
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