Sylvester I Feel Your Pain

When I was a kid and watched Looney Tunes I always felt bad for Sylvester the Cat. It wasn't that Tweety could out smart him or that he took the fall for all the mayhem they caused. It was when Sylvester tried to talk that made me feel bad for him.

As you may recall he had a lisp. I know you're shaking your head wondering where this post is going with this story. Well here's the thing...I have a self-made lisp. As I stated in "I'm Not Talking" I am now wearing clear braces (Bioliners http://fivestarortho.com/featured_products_blackice.htm).

I know at some point I will have beautiful straight teeth but right now I have a clear retainer in my mouth nearly 24 x 7. This means every time I try talking I have a lisp, I slobber and I'm embarrassed. Those of you who wear or have worn retainers have an idea of what I am experiencing.

I am doing what I can to lisp my way through work; I am a Dental Office Manager who has to answer phones, talk with patients and vendors face-to-face, and have some level of authority when dealing with the staff. It's not easy to 'lay down the law' at work when I sound like this. Don't even get me started on the amount of saliva I've generated because of this thing.

I am also lisping my way through life: Sunday I had meetings in Durango for my calling as Stake Single Adult Co-Leader and after our committee meeting we went in with the High Council. Thank goodness our Stake President is an orthodontist so is used to it but I feel sorry for everyone else who is struggling to understand me. I know you all say I sound fine but what are you really going to say, 'can you take that thing out while you talk to me'? Actually, Linnea (my sister) asked me to do that last night when we were talking.

I did draw the line last night when my Alison's Pantry (http://www.alisonspantry.com) customers came by to pick up their orders. I took the braces out and a few hours later I paid for it when I popped them back in...my teeth cried out in agony. There is a silver lining in all of this. With the Bioliners you don't have to wear them as long as you do with traditional braces, your cheeks don't get all cut up and at some point it will all come to an end. I just keep telling myself that eventually it will have been worth all of the pain and embarrassment.

A jaunt to the mountains

24 hours ago I was sitting in the mountains enjoying time with Mom, Dad, and my sister Linnea. These are three of my most favorite people and time away from the tv, cell phones, etc. make our time together even better. It's great to disconnect from the world and reconnect with the ones I love.
This morning we got up early and slopped through the mud to hunt. Hours later we had seen and heard NOTHING. How disappointing but then some friends from AZ showed up and we spent a few hours perfecting the camp area, ate lunch and waited out the rain.
The rain was a constant companion on this year's hunt. It rained all Friday night and throughout today. Finally, around 3p Mom and I decided that we better head back to Cortez. We had to get back for Sunday meetings.
Dad and Linnea drove us out to the main gate so they could scout for deer and/or elk on the round trip. As we were coming down we saw a heard of 4 does about 300 yards away from us and weren't able to make the shot. I got a text that on the way back to camp Linnea and Dad shot a doe.
So although it was a short jaunt to the mountains I had a great time. I enjoyed the company, the location and the scenery. The colors were stunning, honestly I've been witness to the Eastern Coast colors and Southern colors but nothing compares to the golden hues of Aspen trees like you get in the Western Rocky Mountains. I L-O-V-E this of year and hope it will always inspire me to want to go spend time in the mountains.

Not Talking

So today, at age 33 years, I start my braces. I am wearing Bioliners (similar to Invisalign) that making me feel as if I've stepped back 20 years. Now I am an insecure teenager. I cover my mouth worrying about how I look with these clear retainers in my mouth.
I keep telling myself it's only for a few months and then I will have straight teeth. Oh, the perks of working for a dentist. A perk to everyone else that I am speaking less. Maybe it will be a more reflective time for me since I will stop and think before I speak.
Hopefully, the sounds of me clicking the retainer into place doesn't scare the wildlife this weekend. Linnea, Mom, Dad and I leave tomorrow to hunt in the mountains, with have high hopes of filling as many tags as we can. Either way it will be a great to be out of cell phone range for a few days.