Updraft

After the "crash landing" experience earlier this month It was good to have some positive experiences. We were reminded by phone of our dental appointments on Tuesday. We receive two free checkup/cleanings a year from our sometimes helpful insurance coverate, so we were happy to spend the morning there. When we were just winding up we received a cellphone call from our Primary Care Physician's office saying that we could come in that day instead of waiting until November. Since we had already been postponed from September, we decided just to make a day of it and drove through the driving rain (no pun intended) to LR. Arriving early, we stopped at the bookstore my sister-in-law manages and picked up a case of Bibles we are giving away to kids at our church.

Yvonne said she would go to lunch with us so we went downtown to "Dave's Place", a former Schlotsky's sandwich site, now open at noon and some evenings (with a jazz combo playing). We had been there before, but not in several months. We ordered salads, tea, non-or low-carb foods. It is nice to be able to go out and still stay on program.

Dave, the owner and chef has, it turns out, been on a quest like mine to lose weight. He has lost 104 pounds so far. I think that's simply amazing for someone who is preparing really tasty food for other people every day! I went back to the kitchen and talked with him. He remembered me and immediately congratulated me on losing weight! We talked about how each of us is managing it, with the upshot of it being that we agreed: turkey is our best friend (no carbs, high protein, low calories). We really enjoyed being out with Yvonne!

After taking her back to the bookstore we still had some time so we went to Best Buy where I picked up a set of disks that go with my new HP computer. They had not been able to find them when I bought the thing, but they had them right away for me. I like Best Buy most of the time!

Then we went to the clinic, registered, and were weighed and taken to a room. Linda had gained some. I had basically held my own...which I count as progress, given the week away from home we spent earlier. When the doctor came in he was amazed and gave me all sorts of emotional strokes for having lost 70 pounds in four months. He also said, and this was important to us, that if I continued to do as well as I have been, I will NOT need the lap-band surgery. I WILL, however, need to make the low-carb lifestyle my way of living. Forever. He checked both of us out and said he wanted to see us in January.

Before he left he told Linda she could go on the same food plan I am following, and give us another source for the Low-Carb Slim Fast that does so well for us. She was very happy about that; it has been difficult for her to cook for one. Now we can drink together! I felt very good about the visit and all the positive strokes we both received. Good words really to lift a person up!

We drove back out to West LR to pick up new CPAP masks with the new prescriptions the Dr. gave us. He saved us (at least for now) about $8,000 that we would have had to spend on getting prescriptions from the sleep disorder doctor after a costly sleep study. We have good CPAPs, just fragile masks. I was happy to note that the new masks are more substantial in the previously weak joints. Maybe they will last longer.

After an uneventful drive back to PB, Linda settled in at the house while I went to the church to help with choir practice...catch up on some correspondance, and filing. Got home late, but not too late to watch a Russel Crowe movie with Linda...then off to sleep.

Today has been spent mostly at the church with counseling, bookkeeping, writing, studying, and, this evening, our weekly "Wacky Wednesday" with the all the children. I told Bible stories and introduced a script for a children's musical. We'll see if that seed grows.

Tomorrow is a day full of counseling, writing, printing, and preparation for Sunday's activities. This weekend is also the start of the hunting season...for muzzle-loaders. We have seen only one deer in the back in a couple of weeks. I think they know when to head for the deep woods.

Me, I think I know when to head for bed! It has been nice experiencing the uplifting events of the past couple of days. I know not to trust the updraft as a source of continual support, but it is good for soaring from time to time.