Do's & Don'ts for the Dental Patient

As a Dental Hygienist you get the prestige and honor of maintaining the local population's oral health. With this lofty calling you come in contact with the good, bad and the ugly, and I have seen lots of ugly. The following are some guidelines to remember the next time you happen to grace the dental chair. (Note: Heavy sarcasm to follow, although these are actual accounts of my adventures)

DO:

• Brush prior to letting someone (namely ME) in your mouth. This is common courtesy, do you shower and make sure you are tidy down there when visiting the GYN? Of course you do.


• People with braces: Take care of them! Brush! Floss! Rinse! Whatever it takes to remove the past few meals from your brackets. I am not here to push my way through mountains of plaque and mushy leftovers to discover the poor little tooth and bracket buried beneath.

DON'T:

• Eat a bushel of onions and then proceed to breathe through your mouth so your hygienist can relive your meal with you.


• Forget to take your brush to Scout camp -which is a week long- and then "forget" to brush this morning, last night and probably the past few days. Nasty.


• Please, PLEASE don't hock a loogie and then proceed to motion for me to suction it for you. Usually a dirty old man.


• Don't complain about how uncomfortable you are, that you can't lay back "all the way"; this only takes an hour! I am doing this for 9! How do you think I feel? And if you can't lay down, how the heck are you sleeping at night?


• Touch everything in the room, on the tray, the expensive equipment, etc. And then, when I nicely tell you to stop because all these things go in your mouth and you don't want germs from your hands to go in your mouth, you tell me "you don't have dirty hands" and then again when you still touch I firmly tell you to stop. This time you hover your fingers millimeters away and say you're not touching them. (me mentally smacking you silly, dang 10 year old ADD boy.) Have I mentioned how much I love and want children of my own?


• Don't hit on the hygienist, especially if you are a 300 pound tattooed Hispanic who just got out of jail. "Dang Girl, you got pretty eyes." Why thank yoooouuu! (said nervously, as I glance around looking for a speedy escape if necessary) As I was saying...flossing...


• Don't lie. Especially about flossing. We know. We know you don't do it, the gums don't lie. Not when they are bleeding and oozing, and no it's not because I am "poking" them.

Obviously the don't list is longer. There are more, but this post is getting lengthy. Just be a nice pleasant patient who brushes and flosses regularly, showers, and shows up on time for your appointment. Listens to what I am saying, (floss people, floss!) and respect my time and the nasty job I do for you. (I had an 8 hour schedule for today and only 3, that's right 3 people showed up! SO maybe I am just a bit bitter today. I will be the happy hygienist tomorrow!) It really is all about you!

Lucky Hermana

This weekend we were busy with YW happenings. We are building a turkey pit for our Girls Camp fundraiser, we will deep-pit bake turkeys for Thanksgiving. Saturday we cleaned up cinder block and chopped down a bunch of citrus trees for firewood to fuel the pit. Hard work all day long. We had borrowed Phil's mom's truck to help haul the trailer for various pit business.

As customary when we borrow things we make sure it is returned clean and in good working order. I washed, vacuumed and detailed the truck so we could return it to Susan spic and span. We left shortly after to return various tools and then the truck. First stop was to a friend's house to return a tool, we spent 20 minutes or so in their house chatting. Knowing that in their community you cannot park on the street I pulled the truck around the corner and walked back to the house to continue visiting. We leave their house and are approached by a man standing on the corner asking if we own a Toyota Tacoma. We warily reply "yes".

"Well," he replies, "it just got vandalized." Nice. Just what we need. How ironic it is on the way to return the freshly cleaned truck back to it's rightful owner. This is what we found:

Some crazy punk kids decide to throw a rock or something through the driver side window and then rummage around to see what they can steal. Fortunately there was nothing of value in the car, they took the garage door openers and we think some maintenance papers. We hung around the neighborhood wanting for the police so we could file a report to help out the neighbors stop this petty crime. It only took over an hour, very timely, seeing it wasn't an emergency! Thanks to Officer Speedy I was unable to run all of my other errands such as dinner, grocery shopping, return other borrowed items, clean my house, etc. So, if you ever want to loan us something, we do try and make sure it is returned in its original condition. By the way Mom & Dad Gunnell, look in the mail for Phil's photo radar ticket. Hope you are enjoying your trip in Philly. Love ya!

Today, I also had the opportunity to speak in the Pueblo Branch (Spanish speaking only). For the first time in my public speaking career, I was not nervous! Maybe it had something to do with the fact that they don't know what I am saying. Just kidding, I had a translator, but really all I did was read my talk line by line and she would repeat me. BORING! Poor congregation! All in all, I am so glad this week is over and all speaking, digging, chopping, YW events are over.

Hope your weekend was better than mine!

It's Over! And other Happenings

I am just barely meeting my own blogging standards of posting at least once a week! YW in Excellence is over, (yay!) and today was a much needed day off. It went fabulous, we had a beautiful chapel program with several speakers and then went into the cultural hall for gingerbread and to view the girl's Belief Boards and testimonies.

First thing is to get my house back in order and to have clean sheets. Then some baking-whole wheat bread, yum! Shopping with my mom (like I need an excuse to shop, I am only fueling my dress obsession). And finally some yummy food at Cheesecake Factory and great company.

Remember this post? Well...I have completely jumped ship and then have proceeded to blow it to smithereens. I need help! I am having this love affair with food and I have not been taking care to minimize the junk in my trunk via any additional physical exertion other than the workout my fingers get scraping crap off in the nasty orifice that people are neglecting. (Now go floss! So your dental hygienist doesn't bad mouth you behind your back, -but not you Crystal!)

I am toying with the idea of eliminating (gasp, shock, horror!) desserts until Thanksgiving, where I will dive into a slice of my homemade pecan AND cherry pie. (Don't judge.) I know my friend Rebecca is sadly shaking her head now at my pitiful attempts to live a healthier life ("Counting calories is stupid!"). I am trying Bec! (We need our nightly walks again.) Well, maybe not really trying as I should. I need to get moving and being smart with my grub. I know how, really. And I am going to do so...tomorrow. After I go and eat my last slice of heaven. Coconut Chocolate Cream!

Busy

Sorry there hasn't been a post in awhile, like 4 days. Maybe not so long but I feel like a slacker. I have been slacking on the blog because I have been super busy with Young Women's. We have YW in Excellence peeking around the corner and I am scrambling around trying to tidy up all the loose ends so we have a spectacular evening. The theme is "I Believe..." and the focus is all about testimony.

Today I have been typing up the girl's testimonies and favorite scripture and then making this cute display. They girl's also did a Belief Board which is divided into thirds, the center being what is closest to their heart and the remaining two sides can be fun stuff, like "I believe in Chocolate" etc. I will post pics of the evening next week and then I will breathe a big sigh of relief as it will be over! And then it is on to the next project.

Here is Phil's catch of the day from his last fishing trip. HUGE! Great job Babe!

While the Cat's away the mice will play

Phil went fishing. Again. I am home, alone. Again. So what's a girl to do? Well, I don't know about you, but I have this nasty habit called spending. As in money.

Hooked up with my cousins and Aunt for a delightful evening of spendy shopping. But this time I was good. Or rather nothing lured out the plastic I hold dear to my heart. (Which I pay off every month, in case you were wondering, or really concerned I was wallowing in my self-induced inpoverishment from my addiction to spendy shopping trips. Not so.)

Good deal of the Day? This peachy keen, totally cute bookend letter. I love it. And Phil better too! Or at least deem it worthy of the green we (we're in this together) spent. What do you think? And what honorable place shall it rest?

(And mine is Black Crackle, my trusty blogging side kick camera is again documenting the mad skillz of my husband as he casts at the Black River, so this stock photo will have to do.)

Things I Recommend...

I recommend buying your year supply of bathroom needs at Costco. Take soap for instance-Irish Spring comes in 24 bars for like $6! And now my bathroom cabinet smells like the Irish, or at least what Colgate-Palmolive thinks the Irish smell like. I recommend using real Q-tips, not the imposters that bend as you go about your wax removal duties. They are also great for cleaning up mascara messes during application. Never quite mastered that art.

I highly recommend Glide Deep Clean floss, I prefer to use this on my patients and it is the only floss I will use. While we are on the subject, I recommend DAILY flossing. If you don't, you should. Try this, been a few days since you last flossed? Go floss right now, then smell it. Nasty, right? Right. That is what is living in your mouth. Go. Floss.

I recommend making your family Christmas gifts at Enrichment night. And making new friends in the process. Make one of these to start new family traditions. And if I get your name this year for Christmas, just pretend you are surprised. Or forget.

I recommend eating at Costa Vida, Sweet Pork Salad anyone? With good company of course! I recommend getting together with cousins regularly to dish and catch up. You may want to get there before the lunch and dinner rush hour, cuz that place gets hoppin'!

I recommend watching this, every Thursday night with my honey and listening to his infectious laugh. But get your own honey, mine is taken. And then buying the Seasons to view at your leisure, all commercial-free.

I recommend updating your blog regularly, (note to self) at least weekly people! And for all you lurkers, I recommend leaving a comment so I know you care! Come on, I know you're there! If you don't, that's okay and I still love you.

What do YOU recommend?

General Conference

Yesterday's sessions of conference were amazing and truly inspirational. I have been praying that I would receive answer to prayer from listening to our prophets voices, that I would receive counsel from the Lord on my behalf from the wonderful leaders of our great Church. I will wait another month to try and get pregnant. It is extremely frustrating and discouraging to try at something and continually fail. I do not want to make a habit of posting my monthly disappointment so this will be my last. I do want to share my testimony of answered prayer.

Friday night I noticed the physical changes that prelude my monthly nemesis. I was crushed and had let myself get excited of the possibilities, therefore leading to my heartbreak. Later that evening I fell to my knees asking the Lord to bless us with children and submitting my will to His. I asked for patience and understanding. I then went to our patriarchal blessings and reviewed the promises the Lord has made to each of us regarding children. I printed out these promises and placed them on the fridge and bathroom mirror where I can review them frequently. Then I went to bed.

Saturday morning conference comes, Elder Spencer J. Condie speaks in the first session about the promises of the Lord. Listen here until the written talk is available. He reminded us that the Lord is not slack in remembering His promises to us, that we must have faith, patience, long suffering and endure to the end. He talked about earthly impatience of which I am very guilty. He then related the story of Rachel who longed to bear children, but because of her jealousy of Leah and her earthly impatience the Lord stayed her blessing. And then my favorite part of his talk, "And God remembered Rachel" and she was blessed with children.

I know that this message was an answer to my prayer to receive guidance from my Heavenly Father. I need to have faith, patience and be long suffering. The Lord has not forgotten me and will not forget. It is on His timetable and not my own. I know that God will remember ME and that He will fulfill the promises he has made to Phil & I. This is the last I will speak of it, and I will not complain anymore of the "plight" that is mine, of my lack of conception and child bearing, for the promises of the Lord are sure. "And God remembered Rachel."

Oktoberfest!

Entertainment German Style courtesy of the Arizona Accordian Club.

German Grub: aka Brats & Kraut

Trying to take the couples photo: This shouldn't be too hard.

Kevin demonstrating how to keep your eyes open during the shot:

Notice the NY Yankees jersey. During the evening several drunk men came up to Kevin and patted him on the shoulder offering their condolences since the Yankees lost to the Indians. "It's okay man, we'll ...come...back, (slur, slur) we'll come back. (Throw back another slug of beer)"

And finally, let's see if we can get this picture posing thing right.

Phil, taking Kevin's advice. This will have to do.

Recommitted

Sorry for the absence. Nothing spectacular to blog about, although I was going to post on Saturday but my camera was on the Black River documenting a fishing trip. Saturday I went here, The Vintage Junque Fair and snagged these darling curtains.

Hit Old Navy for fabulous steals! $5 screen shirts, $20 jeans, a 97 cent maternity black jersey wrap dress for future use. You should go!

But my favorite find was this silky number from TJ Maxx.

Perfect for dressing up church, of course I need to get these too.

I love shopping! Inspiration and motivation to get back on track. That's right, back on track. I fell off the wagon this weekend and bumped alongside for a few miles. So, I am recommitting myself to eating better. This "diet" for lack of a better word, is really hard! Pretty restrictive and if I am not prepared with fresh fruits and lots of veggies to eat than I start raiding the pantry like a post-hibernation bear, eating anything in sight. I think I will tweak the rules a bit so I can cook and eat with my husband. So, here's to greens and beans. Eat up!