The following occurred b/w 6:00 and 7:00 pm on Tuesday evening:
Running along my usual route, minding my own business, making pretty good time.
A dog (chow mix) that has never ever never bothered me before (with the exception of barking at me, making a little noise) comes running after me.
Bites me on my leg.
I yell.
He backs off.
I run away.
Fast.
I look at my leg.
I'm bleeding, badly.
Run the rest of the way home.
Drive myself to the EMT station.
Don't need stitches.
File a report with the sherriff because we don't have animal control.
Cry.
Friend comes over, cheers me up.
Try and go to bed, but it hurts.
Cry.
The good news in all of this:
--> I ran a 7 min 39 second mile home
--> Everyone in Oglethorpe County got to see my very hairy legs since I haven't shaved since Hawaii. I've given them something new to talk about, and that is rare in "these parts."
--> I don't think it had rabies.
--> I now know what to do when you get bitten by a dog. Learning new things is good.
--> "Pain heals. [People] dig scars. Glory lasts forever." (Keanu in The Replacements)
I'm feeling much better now, it just threw a wrench in scheduling, sleeping, and my tri training (coming up in May!!!). But, I have survived!!!! Maybe the dog sensed that I was "not one with nature" since my accidental murder of the bat. (Get it M.? Our latest chick flick...)
Love ya- More later - Jess
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Alooooooooooooooha
Hey everyone, I am checking in because it has be a minute since I last posted anything on this blog. Things are going fine here. I am just missing Jessica right now. I know I just saw her, but we had a fabulous time in Hawaii and our time together went way too fast. I used the word fabulous because Jessica always uses descriptive words like this and I usually say," I had a good time"- I am just giving her a hard time. We will definitely be going back in the future. We both wanted to get our surf on, but there wasn't enough time in the day to do all of the activities that we had planned. It was a well-timed vacation for both of us. But, with all things, I had to return to reality. I have 104 days left here and I can't wait to get back home. I miss sleeping in my own bed. The bed that I have here is very uncomfortable and I live very close to the flight line, so I have dreams of planes taking off in my sleep. I also miss the pets. What can I say, I am an animal lover. I pass by the veterinarian clinic on my way to work everyday, so I usually stop by and play with dogs. They don't get a lot of visitors, so I think they are glad that I take the time to see what is going down in the pooch playpen.
The weather here is currently in the mid50s, but sometimes we get into the 60s and I get very excited about playing golf. As of now, this is really the only sport that I can play because of the issues that I have with my heels. I am paying for being stupid about 2 years ago. For those that are unaware of the situation, I went to my sister's (Heather) graduation about 2 years ago and we decided to play some late night basketball afterwards. I was not prepared for this occassion because I was wearing dress clothes, and of course, dress shoes. Regardless, I was pulling J's like MJ in his prime. I was dropping dimes (assists) to my teammates (Jessica/Eric) and Jess was pretty unstoppable with her up-and-under move. That girl has skills! All that aside, after I got out of the bed the next morning I could barely walk. It was pretty bad. That one event gave me a pretty severe case of plantar fasciitis. So, I have temporarily retired from high impact sports. It kills me, but what else can I do? I have gone to see my Doctor a few times now, but the pain has not subsided at all. I have another appointment in April, so maybe I will get better news at that time. That is all of my news for now. I will check back in soon. I hope everyone is doing well.
Love, Brent
The weather here is currently in the mid50s, but sometimes we get into the 60s and I get very excited about playing golf. As of now, this is really the only sport that I can play because of the issues that I have with my heels. I am paying for being stupid about 2 years ago. For those that are unaware of the situation, I went to my sister's (Heather) graduation about 2 years ago and we decided to play some late night basketball afterwards. I was not prepared for this occassion because I was wearing dress clothes, and of course, dress shoes. Regardless, I was pulling J's like MJ in his prime. I was dropping dimes (assists) to my teammates (Jessica/Eric) and Jess was pretty unstoppable with her up-and-under move. That girl has skills! All that aside, after I got out of the bed the next morning I could barely walk. It was pretty bad. That one event gave me a pretty severe case of plantar fasciitis. So, I have temporarily retired from high impact sports. It kills me, but what else can I do? I have gone to see my Doctor a few times now, but the pain has not subsided at all. I have another appointment in April, so maybe I will get better news at that time. That is all of my news for now. I will check back in soon. I hope everyone is doing well.
Love, Brent
Friday, March 24, 2006
The happy couple - together at last in Hawaii
\/ Brent cooking our steaks and seafood at the Shore Bird
\/ Walking on the beach at Bellows AFS
\/ Brent acting a fool
Pearl Harbor
/\ Aboard the submarine (The U.S.S. Bowfin)
\/ The U.S.S. Missouri
\/ The U.S.S. Arizona Memorial from a distance
\/ Inside the memorial
Hanauma Bay and Halona Blowhole
/\ Brent and I at Hanauma Bay after our morning of snorkeling
\/ Halona Blowhole - so cool!
Kualoa Ranch
We rode 4-wheelers here - this is where they make lots of movies and shows, like Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor, Lost, etc.
Our last day
/\ Brent and I in our St. Patrick's Gear at Lulu's
Scenes from our last night in Hawaii - it was the only full day of sunshine, and the sailboats and surfers were out in droves.
\/
Scenes from the baptism
/\The baptism
\/Hollis and Green families
\/The gals, being a little silly
Scenes from the baptism of the latest addition to the Hollis family
Baby Jam Pics
Here are some pics from the Baby Jam March of Dimes Fundraiser in Feb:
Brent's folks; Kob with our mom and aunt; Kob, Schawna, and me; Kob, Brent's mom, and me
Brent's folks; Kob with our mom and aunt; Kob, Schawna, and me; Kob, Brent's mom, and me
Funny eval's
Laughs from Employee Performance Evaluations
For everyone who has ever had an evaluation - just remember, it could have been worse. These are actual quotes taken from federal government employee performance evaluations.
1. "Since my last report, this employee has reached rock-bottom and has started to dig."
2. "I would not allow this employee to breed."
3. "This employee is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definite won't be."
4. "Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap."
5. "When he opens his mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet."
6. "This young lady has delusions of adequacy."
7. "He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them."
8. "This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot."
9. "This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts the better."
10. "Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together."
11. "A gross ignoramus - 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus."
12. "He doesn't have ulcers, but he's a carrier."
14. "I would like to go hunting with him sometime."
15. "He's been working with glue too much."
16. "He would argue with a signpost."
17. "He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves the room."
18. "When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell."
19. "If you see two people talking and one looks bored, he's the other one."
20. "A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on."
21. "A prime candidate for natural de-selection."
22. "Donated his brain to science before he was done using it."
23. "Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming."
24. "He's got two brains cells, one is lost and the other is out looking for it."
25. "If he were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week."
26. "If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you'd get change."
27. "If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean."
28. "It's hard to believe he beat out 1,000,000 other sperm."
29. "One neuron short of a synapse."
30. "Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled."
31. "Takes him 2 hours to watch 60-minutes."
32. "The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.
For everyone who has ever had an evaluation - just remember, it could have been worse. These are actual quotes taken from federal government employee performance evaluations.
1. "Since my last report, this employee has reached rock-bottom and has started to dig."
2. "I would not allow this employee to breed."
3. "This employee is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definite won't be."
4. "Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap."
5. "When he opens his mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet."
6. "This young lady has delusions of adequacy."
7. "He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them."
8. "This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot."
9. "This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts the better."
10. "Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together."
11. "A gross ignoramus - 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus."
12. "He doesn't have ulcers, but he's a carrier."
14. "I would like to go hunting with him sometime."
15. "He's been working with glue too much."
16. "He would argue with a signpost."
17. "He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves the room."
18. "When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell."
19. "If you see two people talking and one looks bored, he's the other one."
20. "A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on."
21. "A prime candidate for natural de-selection."
22. "Donated his brain to science before he was done using it."
23. "Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming."
24. "He's got two brains cells, one is lost and the other is out looking for it."
25. "If he were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week."
26. "If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you'd get change."
27. "If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean."
28. "It's hard to believe he beat out 1,000,000 other sperm."
29. "One neuron short of a synapse."
30. "Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled."
31. "Takes him 2 hours to watch 60-minutes."
32. "The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
HI highlights
Here is the short version - no worries - my goal for this weekend is to download pics for you all.
Highlights
Sun: saw my husband, arrived to the Honolulu Festival
Mon: hiked Diamond Head, Cheesecake Factory, Shore Bird*, enjoyed the rain
Tues: Hickham AFB, Pearl Harbor, Cheeseburger in Paradise, enjoyed the rain
Wed: Hale Koa, Waikiki Beach, Shopping, Outback**, enjoyed the rain
Thurs: snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, Halona Blow Hole, Koko Head, Bellows Air Force Station, Luau at Hale Koa*, enjoyed the rain
Fri: Beach and water fun, riding ATVs at Kualoa Ranch, Lulu's, enjoyed the sunshine
Sat: :-( all day at the airport (or on a plane), flew overnight while studying for midterms and missing my husband already
*Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Bjurstrom
** Thank you Grandma Zara
I will weigh in with more later - just know that we had a great time, and we really did enjoy the rain (we were on Flood Watch until Thurs!) because the sun would still make appearances. Also know that my husband is a fool !!! That boy cracked me up the whole time - my side STILL hurts from laughing.
Love - Jess
Highlights
Sun: saw my husband, arrived to the Honolulu Festival
Mon: hiked Diamond Head, Cheesecake Factory, Shore Bird*, enjoyed the rain
Tues: Hickham AFB, Pearl Harbor, Cheeseburger in Paradise, enjoyed the rain
Wed: Hale Koa, Waikiki Beach, Shopping, Outback**, enjoyed the rain
Thurs: snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, Halona Blow Hole, Koko Head, Bellows Air Force Station, Luau at Hale Koa*, enjoyed the rain
Fri: Beach and water fun, riding ATVs at Kualoa Ranch, Lulu's, enjoyed the sunshine
Sat: :-( all day at the airport (or on a plane), flew overnight while studying for midterms and missing my husband already
*Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Bjurstrom
** Thank you Grandma Zara
I will weigh in with more later - just know that we had a great time, and we really did enjoy the rain (we were on Flood Watch until Thurs!) because the sun would still make appearances. Also know that my husband is a fool !!! That boy cracked me up the whole time - my side STILL hurts from laughing.
Love - Jess
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
what is up in my world
school, work, exercise, putting neighbor's gate up, dishes, laundry, shopping, planning and packing for trip to HAWAII, getting hair cut, getting nails and toes done, trying to finish school projects but to no avail, studying for midterm, writing IEPs, planning therapy, reading and reading and reading more articles, attempting to write papers, attending baptisms, going to Bible study, eating w/ friends and family,...
Also - took the vacuum cleaner to the landfill (if confused, see "a bat!" below) - the bat has exited the premises! But, now my carpets need vacuuming...any volunteers? Just kidding.
Love always and always - Jess
Also - took the vacuum cleaner to the landfill (if confused, see "a bat!" below) - the bat has exited the premises! But, now my carpets need vacuuming...any volunteers? Just kidding.
Love always and always - Jess
Sunday, March 05, 2006
creepy music...
I was listening to my satellite music channels the other night doing homework. There is a great one called "Cinemagic" that had been playing scores from Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Hamlet, etc. So, I have this music on, and I start getting creeped out - something was not right about the music, it reminded me of something, something scary...
I look and see that it is the soundtrack to Nightmare on... I can't even finish it scares me so much! You've never seen a big girl move so fast to turn a channel!
Anyway, I leave it on "Lite Classical" now - safe, right?
I will be posting pics soon - once I figure out how to transfer them from my camera to the computer. I'm working on it, but I'm a slow learner, so give me time :)
And now - anyone can comment - you don't have to have a blog address in order to do so :)
Love - Jess
I look and see that it is the soundtrack to Nightmare on... I can't even finish it scares me so much! You've never seen a big girl move so fast to turn a channel!
Anyway, I leave it on "Lite Classical" now - safe, right?
I will be posting pics soon - once I figure out how to transfer them from my camera to the computer. I'm working on it, but I'm a slow learner, so give me time :)
And now - anyone can comment - you don't have to have a blog address in order to do so :)
Love - Jess
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
good news
Be sure to read the next few posts - we've entered a few over the past couple of days...
And now, Good news today...
From JSLHR, regarding my thesis and manuscript with U of A colleagues and profs:
"Dear Dr. Plante,
I am writing regarding the review of manuscript# JSLHR-L-xx-xxxx.xx, "Subcategory Learning in Normal and Language-Learning-Disabled Adults: How Much Information Do They Need?" submitted to Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. The revision of this manuscript was reviewed by one of the original reviewers. As you will see below, this reviewer feels that you have adequately addressed the majority of concerns raised in the initial reviews. I agree. The only remaining concern this reviewer has is with the discussion section. I agree with the suggestion to craft the final paragraph in terms of how you intend to pursue this line of work in children with SLI...As soon as you attend to these minor revisions, we will be able to officially accept the manuscript for publication. I look forward to receiving the final version. Sincerely, X X, Editor, JSLHR-Language"
Dr. A's note:
"If you see Jessica Richardson (one of our dept doctoral students) in the hallway sometime soon….give her a hearty congrats. She just got her first paper accepted for publication in JSLHR, our profession’s flagship scholarly journal! YEA !!!!!!! This is a major accomplishment for her and we are all proud of her for doing so.
Way to go Jess!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Richard D. Andreatta, Ph.D."
My response:
Woo-hoo!
Love, Jess
And now, Good news today...
From JSLHR, regarding my thesis and manuscript with U of A colleagues and profs:
"Dear Dr. Plante,
I am writing regarding the review of manuscript# JSLHR-L-xx-xxxx.xx, "Subcategory Learning in Normal and Language-Learning-Disabled Adults: How Much Information Do They Need?" submitted to Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. The revision of this manuscript was reviewed by one of the original reviewers. As you will see below, this reviewer feels that you have adequately addressed the majority of concerns raised in the initial reviews. I agree. The only remaining concern this reviewer has is with the discussion section. I agree with the suggestion to craft the final paragraph in terms of how you intend to pursue this line of work in children with SLI...As soon as you attend to these minor revisions, we will be able to officially accept the manuscript for publication. I look forward to receiving the final version. Sincerely, X X, Editor, JSLHR-Language"
Dr. A's note:
"If you see Jessica Richardson (one of our dept doctoral students) in the hallway sometime soon….give her a hearty congrats. She just got her first paper accepted for publication in JSLHR, our profession’s flagship scholarly journal! YEA !!!!!!! This is a major accomplishment for her and we are all proud of her for doing so.
Way to go Jess!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Richard D. Andreatta, Ph.D."
My response:
Woo-hoo!
Love, Jess
a bat!
So - mucho drama in my house last night. I finish my run, enter the house, take a shower, get ready for homework/therapy planning, and see something in my bedroom. Shadows, a flicker here, a flicker there. Napoleon is going crazy in my room, and Cash is getting as far away as he can...
I begin to walk towards my room, and I decide it must be a bird. A bird must have gotten into my house. However, upon closer inspection, I realize that IT IS A FREAKING BAT! My gut instinct is to run screaming from the house, but what good would that do? It would still be there when I got back!
I shut the bathroom door and closet doors, to prevent it from getting elsewhere. I left the room, closing the door behind me, and had to think ... and shake. My whole body was shaking! I call my neighbor - I have a bat...what do I do...how do I get a bat out of my house???
I come up with a plan. But first, I had to dress appropriately. So, I put on my only jacket with a hood and some gloves, and I grabbed a broom. I was going to open the window, and direct him outside with the broom. As I entered, I saw the bat flying around like crazy, and I just could NOT make myself go inside. But Napoleon went fearlessly into the room, and must have gotten his claws into the bat during a low pass or something, because when I entered the room with my new "weapon", the bat had parked it behind my dresser.
So, I had to move the dresser - very slowly, very quietly, so as not to wake the beast. My bright idea (keep in mind the bat seemed very large) was to suction the bat onto the extension hose of my vacuum cleaner, move to the window, and turn the vacuum off, in order to let him fly outside. I inched closer to the bat, shaking, shaking, shaking. I get the extension as close as I dare, and then turn on the vacuum!
And then - I hate to say it, because it was NOT my intention - it sucked it up! The whole bat! The bat goes into the hose! And I'm pretty sure it got stuck. So now, I'm freaking out, because either I have a dead bat in my vacuum cleaner, or a bat that is about to fly out of the extension hose and get revenge. So, I yank the plug out of the wall, and run outside, and throw the vacuum cleaner into my back yard.
And it is still there. Where it will remain until I haul it off to the landfill this weekend, because there is NO WAY I'm getting near it! Its really sad too - it was a really great vacuum cleaner.
I found the point of entry, sealed it up, and hope, pray, pray, hope, that this NEVER happens again.
More later - love, Jess
I begin to walk towards my room, and I decide it must be a bird. A bird must have gotten into my house. However, upon closer inspection, I realize that IT IS A FREAKING BAT! My gut instinct is to run screaming from the house, but what good would that do? It would still be there when I got back!
I shut the bathroom door and closet doors, to prevent it from getting elsewhere. I left the room, closing the door behind me, and had to think ... and shake. My whole body was shaking! I call my neighbor - I have a bat...what do I do...how do I get a bat out of my house???
I come up with a plan. But first, I had to dress appropriately. So, I put on my only jacket with a hood and some gloves, and I grabbed a broom. I was going to open the window, and direct him outside with the broom. As I entered, I saw the bat flying around like crazy, and I just could NOT make myself go inside. But Napoleon went fearlessly into the room, and must have gotten his claws into the bat during a low pass or something, because when I entered the room with my new "weapon", the bat had parked it behind my dresser.
So, I had to move the dresser - very slowly, very quietly, so as not to wake the beast. My bright idea (keep in mind the bat seemed very large) was to suction the bat onto the extension hose of my vacuum cleaner, move to the window, and turn the vacuum off, in order to let him fly outside. I inched closer to the bat, shaking, shaking, shaking. I get the extension as close as I dare, and then turn on the vacuum!
And then - I hate to say it, because it was NOT my intention - it sucked it up! The whole bat! The bat goes into the hose! And I'm pretty sure it got stuck. So now, I'm freaking out, because either I have a dead bat in my vacuum cleaner, or a bat that is about to fly out of the extension hose and get revenge. So, I yank the plug out of the wall, and run outside, and throw the vacuum cleaner into my back yard.
And it is still there. Where it will remain until I haul it off to the landfill this weekend, because there is NO WAY I'm getting near it! Its really sad too - it was a really great vacuum cleaner.
I found the point of entry, sealed it up, and hope, pray, pray, hope, that this NEVER happens again.
More later - love, Jess
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