IT'S FIXED!!!!

That's right folks! That there vehicle isn't an apparition, a figment of my imagination, or some other poor soul's car.

IT'S MINE!

And it's all better.... that is, until the next squirrel decides to chew on another hose.

Good thing we have one or two squirrel worthy guns in this house and my brother's about to come home from college. [insert evil cackling laugh here]

Lessons Learned

Well, losing my wisdom teeth didn't make me dumber after all!

In fact, I think it made me smarter... here are just a few of the things I've learned about myself and the outside world in the past week.

Health Related Pearls of Wisdom (Teeth)   HA!

1. I'm allergic to penicillin. While this discovery is a good one, I didn't figure out that the penicillin was what was making me super nauseous and dizzy until four days after I started taking it.
2. While anorexia is a disease that I'm not advocating in any way, shape, or form... not eating (read: not being able to keep anything down, liquid or solid) for four days, thanks to the aforementioned penicillin allergy, did have it's benefits... I lost 7 pounds. It was almost as good a weight loss regimen as when I had the stomach flu before Christmas.
3. I'm finally glad I never had braces. It was painful enough when my teeth were readjusting to the new space in my mouth and moving around on their own... I can't even imagine how uncomfortable it would be to have metal bands constantly adjusting where your teeth are positioned in your mouth.
4. I swear that the loss of my wisdom teeth wrecked havoc with my sinuses. My doctor said I was crazy, but I found that taking pseudoephedrine along with my Advil helped to keep the slow aching pain in my lower left jaw and the feeling that my chin was separating from the rest of my face at bay.
5. Tights filled with ice bags and reheat-able hot/cold packs are a godsend. I kept two bags of ice tied to my face all day Thursday in my super useful Incredibles tights (see embarrassing picture, above, taken by my mother). Then for the next 5 or 6 days I kept my hot pack clamped firmly to my lower jaw to melt away the aches and pains.

Car Related Pearls

1. Squirrels are not cute. They eat cars. I no longer have a problem with my brother's crazy desires to shoot and cook them.
2. When you are having car trouble and are taking your car to the shop, DO NOT FILL THE GAS TANK BEFORE YOU DROP IT OFF. I made that silly mistake only to find out that the problem with my car could only be solved by replacing the gas tank. Losing less than 2 gallons of gas would have been a whole lot less upsetting than 12.
3. Toyota's are awesome cars... except for the fact that most of their parts are made in Japan. Thanks to the recent environmental disasters in that country, Toyota car part manufacturing there is at a virtual standstill... not a huge deal unless you NEED A NEW GAS TANK. (The parts lady said that she couldn't even fathom when my tank would be in... Awesome.)
4. It's really depressing to continue paying off a loan on a car you can't drive.
5. Good thing I still have the Buick.

Just Kidding.

My car really was sick.

The remedy... a new gas tank.

Yay.

I'm Going Under The Knife

Don't worry... I'm not getting plastic surgery or liposuction or a boob job or some other silly "body bettering" thing.

I'm parting ways with my wisdom teeth. All four of them.

Awesome.

That's right... at 8:30 tomorrow morning I'll be getting my drug induced laugh on for one final moment of painless bliss and then my gums are gonna be cut open and my slightly impacted wisdom teeth (which I swear have spent the past week trying to come out on their own) are going to be ripped from my jaws. 

Then afterwards, (from what everyone's been telling me) I'll spend a few pleasant days feeling nauseous, in tons of pain, and drooling all over myself... with cheeks that will make me look like a chipmunk that is preparing for the apocalypse to boot.

But it's cool. I'm prepared. I've been drinking water like it's my job (although not after midnight tonight) so that I'll be somewhat hydrated still when it comes time for them to stick me tomorrow morning. The doctor told me that being super hydrated would help quicken my recovery... hope he's right!

I have a monster sized bottle of ibuprofen which I plan to triple overdose on if the drugs they give me (Vicodin anyone?) make me sick. Which they probably will. 

I put two ice packs in the freezer, which my ballet teacher told me to put into the legs of a pair of tights and then tie around my face to keep them in place. Pretty sure I'll look like the coolest kid in the world. I may even start a trend.

I also am preparing a smorgasbord of chew-less food so that I won't shrivel away to nothingness when chewing causes me life ending pain. I'm saying yes please to chocolate pudding, Jello, Jello cake!, ICE CREAM, and for a little protein... yogurt.

I've also got movies and television up the wazoo to entertain myself while I'm couchbound. 

Now all I have to do is make sure that I'm better by Sunday so that I can enjoy the Pentz family Easter party. I think I would die if I missed all that yummy food... especially the apricot cookies and bread.

Wish me luck!

It's Not!

The gas cap was loose...

Why the car took 5 days to realize this and start blinking lights and stuff is beyond me.

Epic fail Melissa.

Epic fail car.

My Car...

... Is sick.

As I write this I'm sitting at the Toyota dealership waiting to hear the diagnosis on my car... My new car. The one I bought because my old one kept having issues.

The car my dad now drives and hasn't had any problems with.

The vehicle stability control light is flashing and the check engine light is on. Lame.

I hope it isn't broken!

Just A Little Nosey Humor For You

I've been suffering from quite the head/sinus/chest cold for the past few days. It's one of those annoying colds that include a nose that alternately runs like a faucet and feels like a brick wall, a monster headache, a never ending cough that tries to be productive, and an scratchy throat that makes my voice sound like an adolescent boy.

Well, in honor of the two and a half boxes of tissues I've finished since Friday evening, I'm sharing a little nose-centered humor with you this evening.

The first piece of amazingness was today's daily Mutts comic. It is oh so appropriate to the way that I feel right now... especially since I haven't been able to treadmill since Friday, on account of the fact that I still can't quite breath properly.

Next (and sadly last) we have my absolute favorite comic ever. Mostly.

It makes me laugh every time.

(ps if you click on the picture it gets bigger... and easier to read)

Here's hoping for a healthier tomorrow. And for school to be closed. I could use a miracle.

My Wellness Checklist

As you may have guessed from yesterday's post... I'm sick. Don't know what kind of sick, but judging by the pulsating headache, runny/stuffy nose, skummy throat, and stuffy ears I've had for the past few days, it's something to do with my sinuses. GREAT.

But, I'm determined to get better. By Wednesday. No problem.

Sooo....

Humidifier ✔
A box of tissues (yay for puffs+vicks) every where I go ✔ ✔ (I have a box on both sides of my bed)
Hot washcloth ✔
Ibuprofen Sinus Headache ✔
Robitussin DM-MAX ✔
Musinex ✔
Multi-vitamin ✔
Crazy vitamin C suplement ✔ (But it's pretty nasty so it may become a last resort...)
Lots of sleep ✔ (well I'm trying at least)

Good health... here I come!

This won't be me for long! ☛

I'm Falling In Love...

...with Puffs + Lotion + Vicks tissues.

I've been suffering from an awkward coughing, sniffling, headache inducing cold/sinus thing for the past few days. It certainly is not what I want to be dealing with mere days before I hop on a plane bound for Florida, fun, and friends, but I think I'm finally starting to wear it down.

Anyway, last night I finished my last Kleenex + Lotion tissue, so this morning after deciding that normal tissues were just not going to make the cut for on my poor chapped sore nose, I headed down to the grocery store.

I must have stood in front of the tissue aisle for about 15 minutes trying to decide what the best tissue option/deal/price was... Do I buy generic and run the risk of using sandpaper tissues? Do I buy the ones on sale that I don't have a coupon for? Or do I buy the ones I have a coupon for, but have to buy 3 of to use the coupon? And then, do you get the lotion one? the Vicks one? the one with anti-microbrial properties? Too many choices.

In the end I bought three boxes of lotion tissues and one glorious box of Puffs + Lotion + Vicks.

They are awesome. They make your nose all tingly and help clear out your sinuses.

I ♥ them!