a Jake story...

this story happened today, and is typical Jake.

The setting: a little after school Bible club that started today.  

Eleanor, the teacher,  was sharing the story about Jesus' birth and she mentioned Caesar (you know, Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census for "taxing" purposes).  Jake pipes up with "Caesar was kidnapped by pirates, it's true!"  and we all have this stunned look on our faces and Eleanor says "is that so?  where did you learn that?"  and Jake says "I read it in a book!"

 

So later at home, I ask Jake to show me the book.  He digs out a Pirate book (I believe we bought it with the gift card from the grandparents, or it's a book they sent for Christmas).  And sure enough, there's a story about how Julius Caesar (the wrong caesar, but one nonetheless) was kidnapped by Cicilian pirates.  I just couldn't believe it could be true, so I googled "Julius Caesar pirate" and sure enough, came up with several articles of the incident.  By the way, what a nut job Julius Caesar was!  But it's a very interesting story.  Read this:  http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar_t01.htm  and also go to here: http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/caesar.html  scroll down to 75 BCE and read the last sentence there.  LOL!  Crazy man!  Who needs fiction when this sort of thing happens in real life?!

 

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Okay, I hate to tag this onto my cute child story, but speaking of crazy...  things are so crazy here in Hawaii.  You know how when something huge happens there are copycats?  That's happening here.  I heard this made the national news, last week a little toddler was tossed over an overpass onto a highway.  Just stunningly shocking.  Horrible.  Well, a few days later, someone jumped off an overpass.  She survived.  Tonight it happened again.  Another jumper.  It's just horrible.

 

The day before (or was it two days?) the toddler incident, in the very town I live in, a man beat to death a woman (his ex) with a shotgun.  In the street with lots of witnesses.  Horrible.  The lady was starting to pull her life together and was growing away from this horrible man and I guess this threw him over the edge.  Huge guy with lots of priors.  Scary.  (Most of the witnesses were elderly, so you can't judge them.)  He ran her down with his car, pulled her out of her car and began to beat her.  A 69 year old neighbor tried to intervene and he got bashed in the head with the shotgun (concussion and contusions).  The shotgun was loaded.  Obviously he was blind with rage or else he would have just pulled the trigger.  scary.  Anyway, like I said, she had pulled her life together and just two weeks prior had been going to church and was saved.  Wow.

 

Makes you think, huh?  I know what I'm thinking...

 

Anyway, this is not everyday Hawaii.  It's just what's been happening lately.  I don't want to give the wrong impression.  Yes, domestic violence is bad here, I'm not denying that.

 

I better shut up now.  :-)

are you ready for LOST??

Just watching the season ender for last season - I hate all that commentary scrolling on the bottom, but love seeing the episode again.  To get me ready for tomorrow.  Gary bought me season 2 for Christmas and we've been watching it on weekends, but we can only get a couple of episodes in and aren't halfway through.  We usually have OCF (officer christian fellowship) on Thursday night, so we're gonna have to record it and find time to watch it.

Gary is at a "thing" tonight.  A retirement party for a General at the Governor's mansion.  It's $75 a pop, so I didn't go.  I hate those kinds of things anyway.  All Gary is concerned about it what exactly will he get for his money, food-wise!  LOL!

We have a "thing" to go to in a couple of weeks that'll be at the Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki.  I haven't been there before, but I hear it's pretty good.  I'm looking more forward to this one, since I will know some people there, plus the General who will be there is one who has been sending me "Get Well" notes on occasion.  It'll be nice to get to say thank you to him and his wife in person and put a face to a name. 

I decided to shop for this function.  I went to a little boutique in Kailua and found a cute little dress for a reasonable price.  Now I need shoes and jewelry!  LOL!  I usually avoid boutiques like the plague.  But it's impossible to find anything at Sears and Macy's, which are the only places to shop at here.  (I really can't afford the upscale stores that are geared for the Japanese tourists - much less fit into the size 0's!)

Ah, the hubby is back.  Gotta go!

banging my head against a wall

Or I should, it'd feel better than bra shopping.

Hello?  Victoria's Secret, Bali, Playtex, Hanes, Jockey, Maidenform, Barely There, Warners....  could you please take time out of your busy bra-making schedules and spend a little time bra shopping with some reconstructed gals (preferably the implant gals, but, let's include samples of all types of reconstruction to be fair, and even the un-reconstructed gals)?  It would be eye opening to you.  You've come out with a lot of new bra innovations in the last 10 years or so, but still fall short.  I KNOW you can engineer a line of bras that can help out a recon gal.  IF you just get to know us.  PLEASE take the time.  The market is HUGE!!

Call me.  (cwall me)  I can take you on my own private depressing tour.  Then get busy creating.

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I know this will sound rude and presumptuous, but please don't leave comments about how you have a hard time finding a bra for your natural boobs.  I just wouldn't be able to stand it.  And no court would convict me.  ;-)

our latest newseses

Gary and I had planned a 20th anniversary trip this spring.  He has a conference to go to, and it was scheduled to be in Australia.  We have babysitters lined up and everything.  Yesterday I finally bought a travel book at the bookstore.  I think that's what did it.  Gary emailed me today to tell me that the venue was changed to Singapore!  Wow!  That will be very different.  Needless to say, I'm game for anything and this sounds very exciting.  I need to find out everything there is to know - because Gary will be working 9-5 the whole week.  It's one thing to wander around Sydney where at least they speak a semblance of English - but Singapore sounds so exotic!  I'll need to be able to get around, handle the money, eat, be a tourist (on my own).  Anyone has any help, I'm open to it!!

On other fronts, our school has graciously opened itself up to us having a Good News Club after school.  It has been a previously rejected idea.  I'm not going to be the teacher, but I will be a helper.  11 kids have signed up so far!!  This is very exciting!  My doubtful self was figuring maybe 3 or 4 kids, tops.  (including my 2)  Well I should have known better.  God opened the doors, so obviously he had plans.

One of my new year's  resolutions was to put what I learned about training for a marathon to use.  Lots of people say life is like a race, or like a marathon - but life is really like TRAINING for a marathon and the major events in your life are the races that you have been preparing for.  I've learned that in order to finish the race, with grace, you have to train.  Consistently.  The race itself is not the goal necessarily.  Many benefits come from what you gain in the training.  And you need to enjoy the training.  Make that effort to look for the joy.  Plus, some days you just have to make yourself do it.  And some days you just can't - but make those few and far between. 

So all that is leading up to my resolution.  I've resolved to do the read-the-bible-through-in-a-year program.  This is probably my 4th or 5th time in my life.  It's time. 

So far, so good.  Just wait till I get to Chronicles.  The begats.  That's a tough time.

One more tidbit of fun news.  I'm going to take surfing lessons.  On SuperBowl Sunday!  Yipee!  It'll be fun.  I can wear a rash guard (shirt) and board shorts over my bathing suit, so I won't be worrying about my belly and little boob.  I have a friend (from the vortex) that got lessons (certificate) as a Christmas gift.  She's going with a company called "Girls Who Surf".  It's girls, who teach the surfing lessons.  Takes you away from that shyness hump.  Plus, going with friends who are equally novice as you, makes it even more fun.  We just won't mention that I have lived here a year and a half and have not gone into the ocean deeper than my waist yet.  LOL!  And it's gonna be cold and jellyfish!  (these are my fears)  We just won't think about sharks and coral reef.

the results so far

I guess I ought to report on the surgery.  I think it's good so far.  He did not go up in size, but it is a different type of implant with a different projection.  What really has made the most difference is the work he did on the pocket and the fold.  Looks more natural.  Plus, I don't have the rippling and weird feeling bumps underneath the skin (from the wrinkling effect gravity has on the implant).  Let's just say I'm done with this part of reconstruction.  I'm satisfied. 

The bad news is the redness is back.  He tried to take care and use less adhesive - but alas, steri strips require adhesive, and my skin does not like it.  I've washed and I've used a cotton swab with alcohol, but the adhesive is still on there.  I can feel it on there.  It really needs a good scrub, but I'm not doing that!!  Not yet!  I'm also itching.  It's like an itching inside.  Argh!  See, I don't have feeling on the surface, but I'm suspecting that there must be some regain of feeling in the deep tissues that is having that healing itch.  there is a sensitive spot near my armpit that I can gently rub, and it has the affect of scratching.  So I get a little relief there, but reallly, I shouldn't scratch.  It'll be okay once I'm ready to pull off those steri strips.

All in all, if that's all I have to complain about, then there's really nothing to complain about!

 

sad news

Ms. Dottie passed away this morning.  I just found out.  She's whole and well with the Lord, but it's still sad.

I don't know how to tell the boys, but we will have to.  I'm sure it will be talked about freely at church and I want us to tell them first.

I'm home!

doing fine.  Took a little nap and have been eating non-stop.  Just little stuff.  Chicken N Stars soup, crackers, rice krispy treat.  I've drunk two bottles of water so I think I've earned the diet pepsi I'm drinking to wipe out the cobwebs from my head.

I'm not in any pain.  Well, the back of my hand hurts.  Both IV sites are swollen.  The anesthesiologist was very sympathetic and drugged me up well and sent me home with pills (phenergen), so no throwing up.

I can't wait until tomorrow for the unveiling.  I hope my hopes aren't too high - but they're pretty high!