Rhino Rockets

Since I started running I have been some problems breathing. My body feels great but I just can’t catch my breath and keep it level and even. Everyone was telling me that I should breathe through my nose and out through my mouth but that made me incredibly dizzy, which isn’t great when you’re running by yourself in a nearly-abandoned military base.

So I went and saw the doctor and he noticed the problem right away -- I have a deviated septum, which means I can only breathe effectively from one side of my nose. No wonder why I felt like passing out. I also have gross tonsils that get infected every year. And, last but not least, my terbinates need to be shaved back so that I have more room in my nose. It’s all about shaving a little off the bones.

Monday morning I’m going to be heading into surgery to get the above problems fixed. Sweet joy!

FIVE FUN THINGS ABOUT THIS SURGERY….

Become BFF with Media
I’ve already downloaded season five Lost, season two Private Practice, season three of The Unit, season three of Brothers & Sisters, plus I borrowed books, books, and more books. I’m totally ready to curl up in bed and rest the week away.

Playing Guess Where the Blood is Coming From
The doctor said that I will bleed from both my nose and my throat. I should be concerned if I have intense bleeding from either; although with the combination of two surgeries I should have more bleeding than the average person. Hint: since my nose should heal faster than my throat, it should ooze and bleed a brown color, while my throat will bleed a pink/red color.

Daddy Daycare
Jeremy took off a week and a half to help me with Abby and be at both my surgeries. He is so excited. I am so happy to have such a wonderful, compassionate and helpful husband.

Dropping Some LBS
Nothing says dieting like a 10 day low-cal liquid diet.

Hospital Goodness
Airy robes, room service, complimentary toiletries – the hospital is nothing but a poor man’s Ritz Carleton.

FIVE BAD THINGS ABOUT THIS SURGERY….

Numbness
Apparently I won’t be able to feel my teeth for a month after my surgery, which I guess is better than feeling pain in my teeth. I have no idea why since I’m having nothing done to them. Tis the joy of medical mysteries.

Sporting the Rhino Rocket Nose Tampons
Enough said.

No Exercising
I’m a little bit terrified that my body will forget that I’ve been working my butt off and I’ll have to start from scratch again after I heal. It took me a LONG time to teach myself how to run, and even LONGER to learn to like it. Ugh. I hope all the liquid doesn’t pool in my behind and give me jiggle buns.

Keeping Distance from Abby
Abby is in a slapping/hitting phase, which could get pretty painful if she hauls off and slugs me anywhere near my face. It’s all fun and games until she pulls out the Rhino Rockets while I’m buzzing on the Percocet. We’re going to need a little space until I get my act together.

The Round Two
What goes in must eventually come out. I’m totally not looking forward to the splints and tampons exiting my nasal cavity, which my doctor kindly pointed out is going to be incredibly painful for a brief moment. Then I get more drugs.

***Drugs: Just say heck YES.***

Waterworks

We can never visit Sagamihara Park enough. The petting zoo is tremendous fun and the open space is divine. Goodness knows I'd live there if they let me.

Abby looking thoughtful
A few months ago she was afraid of this horse, but now she would have crawled into his cage if I let her.

She was fascinated by this peacock. We literally spent 10 minutes gawking at it. The cheeky bird wouldn't show her his feathers.

Abby still hates the guinea pigs. Some things never change.

Perfect pigs

This lazy raccoon cracked me up! All it needs is some shades, a sandy beach and an umbrella.

Abby thought she would outsmart the fountain and crawl underneath the spout to stay dry.

But then she got up too fast and it sprayed her right in the face.

A very wet Abby

Happy days are here again!

Who's exhausted?

Uneo

A few weeks ago we went to Ueno Zoo with Maryl to celebrate Ashley's birthday. It was well worth the trip to Tokyo.

Ashley standing in front of the Uneo Zoo map.
A grey birdy thing.
Flamingos

A giraffe

A cute polar bear

A depressed monkey

Rhino-licious

Calum, Maryl and Tate

Giggles with the birthday girl

Just monkeying around

Straight up Jurassic Park goodness

It was all fun and games until Abby became the most sought after animal in the zoo. The following pictures show the slow and steady steps into chaos.

First she was spotted by two school girls as she attempted to kick it with the zebra.

Then they called over their friends for a meet and great.

Then the touching and photo shoot began.

Next came the encircling, curl touching, claustrophobic smiling.

Cue mad dash to safety.

Face-to-face with a gorilla

Taming the wild beasts

Tate and Abby

Abby laughing at Maryl

Random Japanese children coming in for a snapshot with the American animals.

Dad Fun

Abby is a HUGE fan of the park. We go there nearly every day. She was thrilled that daddy was able to go with us this weekend. I held back and took photos while they played. I love to watch them interact. They are so bonded. Every day she is more and more enthralled with her dad. As my dad used to say, 'it makes my heart soar like an eagle.'

Underdogs galore -- all caution to the wind.

Walking up instead of sliding down.
Smirking behind bars.
Love those mommy curls!!

Taking a rest.

Martha Stewart

There is a really good chance that Abby might end up in jail one day. In the past few days she's stolen from both Jeremy and I, tried to break into a car that wasn't ours and vandalized church property. And yet, strangely, I'm proud.

She was also kind enough to put Jeremy's wedding ring in the paper shredder and then hide my glasses under bed to pawn off later.

Here are some of the pictures we took to scrapbook her road to the big house.

Only fives and ones? These people need to get better jobs.

Pills! Now we're talking. Mom should have some better ones after her surgery next week.
This drawer makes my thieving a lot easier.
What do you expect? My mom said I had to pay my own way back to Canada this summer.

Abby loves to climb up and sit on our chairs like a big girl. We have no idea how she got the remote off the top of the bookshelf. She's our own David Copperfield.
Here she is breaking into a car on the military base.
Luckily her dad was close and pulled her away before the cops came.

Care Bear Stare

The weather was so beautiful this weekend that we decided to take some family photos before we headed off to Zama. Here is the fruit of our labor....

Me hanging out with Kristen's roses.

Abby giving the family photo the stank eye. She loves us. Really.

Jeremy won this Care Bear for Abby at the Zama festival. Look how proud Jeremy and I are. Abby is so impressed she won't hold or look at it. If I could read her mind she would probably be thinking that Care Bears were cool about 20 years ago and we need to get over it like the rest of the world has. The Care Bear stare and the Abigail stank eye look an awful lot alike. Maybe she'll like it better when Santa brings it to her this Christmas.

Priceless Artwork

I was honored and privileged last week to be given an original piece of artwork by Calum Sommer. It's a black Japanese hippo, obviously. Don't even think of stealing it.