One of those!

Oh no! I've officially become one of those!

You may wonder--to what those am I referring? A great question.

I refer to those people who see the TRAX train pulling into the stop and make a mad dash to catch it before it takes off again.

Much as it pains me to admit it, I have joined the ranks of those dashing to catch TRAX. I've done it three times in the last week and a half, twice in the last week alone. Before I was a regular TRAX rider, I would often see people making this run as I left my building, and I'd watch with mild interest. I couldn't quite fathom the need to do so until I found myself in that situation. So, off I go!

See, if I can catch the 5:10 train from downtown, I reach Sandy just before 6, giving me a little extra time in the evening. This is especially important on the nights when I have something else after work. If I miss that train though, it's another 15 minutes before the next one comes. Now I know that 15 minutes isn't that big of a deal, but it's enough of a difference that if I see the earlier train, I will run to catch it.

Now I just have to be careful to make sure my mad dashes don't involve getting hit by a car or anything like that. I would be just plain embarrassed, not to mention injured, if that happened, so I'll make sure I'm careful, even if I have become one of those. :)

Starting over again

Yay! Internet access twice in a few days. Excellent!

Today I attended my new ward for the second time. I was so proud of myself last week for going because I had to do it by myself. Let's be honest--it's not always fun to go to church alone, but it's especially hard to do it in a new ward. I was glad that I got up the nerve to do it. And I felt rewarded by the fact that I made a new friend in my ward, who is also new.

It wasn't quite as hard to go today, but it hasn't gotten to the point where it's easy yet. In fact as I was leaving the house to head to church, the thought crossed my mind that I could just come right back in the house and not go to church at all. But it was fleeting and I dismissed it immediately. Not going to church is not an option for me, especially after all I've been through in the last year. I've had too many witnesses to ever think that I could stop going and be okay with it. That's why I plan to work hard to get established in my ward, so it's easier to go every time. And I've got to put myself out there, which I'm not very good at. But I'm working on it.

It's been a couple years since I've done the new in the ward thing, and I've forgotten that it takes time and effort to establish yourself. Most people don't just come up to you and make it easy; in fact, that's the exception rather than the rule. But just because people don't come up and introduce themselves to you doesn't mean it's a bad ward or anything. It just means they're comfortable and have probably forgotten what it's like to be new. It's all right.

Each time I become the newbie, I always promise myself that I will become one of those people who introduces herself to other people and tries to make others feel welcome. I don't know that I always succeed, but I do try. Sometimes I'm just better at it than other times.

In any case, wish my luck as I integrate myself into a new ward. Hopefully it all works out for me. :)

Feed me, Seymour

It's been six years since the last time I had a cavity filled. I was so hoping that despite the (cough, cough) three-year gap between my last dentist appointment and the one I had a couple weeks ago that I'd come away with a clean bill of health.

Alas, such was not the case.

When the dentist told me that I had a small cavity, I sighed and reluctantly set the date for the appointment to get it filled. Which happened to be Monday.

I sat in the dentist chair as the top right part of my jaw went numb for the torture to follow. Or, rather the filling. I sat in the chair with my hands clasped tightly in front of me as a guard was placed in my mouth to keep my tongue out of the way. Then the dentist was bending over me, drill and pick in hand. He did a quick test to make sure my mouth was all the way numb (it was), and then started the process.

I can't even tell you how much I not only hate the sound/feeling of my tooth being drilled away but also the smell that accompanies it. Ugh! I know it's for the health of my tooth, but still, it's not a pleasant experience. I'm sure my eyes were wide as I listened to what was going on and watched the various instruments put into and out of my mouth. I was quite curious about what one of them was, but of course I couldn't ask since my mouth was rather occupied.

Although I was worried it was never going to end, of course it did and not too long after it started, thankfully. The dentist warned me that he had to dig sort of deep, but he'd put medicine by the nerve so hopefully it wouldn't hurt. He also said it might be sensitive for a couple weeks. I was very worried after hearing that just because the last time I got a cavity filled, they hit the nerve, and it hurt for about a month before they replaced the filling, which made it better.

I'm happy to report that thus far I've been pain free! This dentist really must know what he's doing I guess. :) Good news for me. . . and my teeth!