So Mike, at work, suggested an ear wax treatment known as Debrox. We had both used the ear candles, prior, and they didn't seem to have had much of an impact (regardless of my living room clinical trial that involved burning one in my ear and the other to the exclusion of my ear...there was a definite difference between the two). We had both had issues with ringing and reduced hearing, so I figured, "What the hell?" Night one...nothing. Night two...nothing. Night three...nothing, until...4 or 5 shots of really warm water with a bulb and a capful of alcohol later and...voila! A chunk of wax the size of a raisin plunked into the sink in front of me. I told Andree, "You will not believe what just came out of my flippin' ear, but I'm not sure you want to see. It's about the most revolting thing you've ever seen." She had to look, and her face contorted into the kind of expression one gets when biting into a chicken sandwich, only to realize they have received the "breast" composed of nearly 50% cartilage. It's been a long time, however, since I've seen that, so perhaps another analogy is in order. It looked as if she had eaten an unripe persimmon (if you've never done this, try it at least once in your life). Hence, the image that banners this post. The ear is just operating one-hundred times better than it was, and there is no longer any "squishy" sort of noise when I plunge my ear with my pinky.
I got in 4 days on the trainer this week (about an hour a shot), and the plan is to ride Marrington this weekend. This is monumental, considering the girls weren't allowing anything near this a couple of weeks before. We've put them on a routine recommended by the "Baby Whisperer" that seems a little harsh but is, ultimately, really beneficial for them AND for us. It simply slates things in a logical fashion that we were sort of already doing, but with some slight variation. The biggest change is that they no longer go to sleep after eating. This is critical, it seems. I think we had established a cause and effect, feed-THEN-sleep thing. Now, they get activity time after each feeding. It seems strange that we didn't initially put them on the same kind of routine that works for us, except that when you have two crying babies, you just want them to be placated. A little crying is tolerable, but, trust me, there are just times when you do everything possible (rocking, calf raises, consoling, etc.) to reduce it (and for those of you with one child...shut your mouth and keep your advice to yourself...it is not the same at all). This can lead to some bad habits, but I think we caught them just in the nick of time to correct our mistake.
I was driving to the storage unit containing the 50 or so bicycles we're servicing for Vermont Bicycle Tours the other day and noticed a peculiar billboard. It was for the Charleston Humanist Society and it simply read, "Don't believe in God? You're not alone." This struck me as funny, since most atheists I know are fairly isolationist, but then I realized there are people, like me, for instance, that would love to have the companionship and moral assistance that a church provides, if it just weren't for all the formality and blind obedience. Yes, I realize there are some lower-key churches out there that don't come off quite so dictatorial, but what I have in mind is something more along the lines of what I'd like to see happen with most groups. Instead of a Robert's Rules of Order meeting for the local cycling group, for example, how about a group ride, after which the club could discuss things over a beer or food? Instead of an art gallery having a "showing," how about an artist makes his/her showing interactive and encourages attendees to add to the art displayed? Instead of sitting in a pew for an hour, how about somebody does a workshop on landscaping, making cheese or soap, or how to roof your house. How about a gathering where people would come to learn crafts, child-rearing, and a million other things from each other? Sounds a little better to me than having to dress in uncomfortable clothes to hear one person tell me, through somebody else's words, how unsatisfactory is my existence. I am not making an argument for a communal situation that would only wind up eating itself, I am arguing for something that maintains the periodicity and good-natured element of church that is more constructive and realistic.
I just applied for a job with the county. It is a Natural Resources Planning Project Manager position. We'll see if it works out. If it does, Andree may go down to one day a week with teaching, and I will stay at work full-time. If nothing doing, then it's daddy Brad this Fall. Either way, I'm anxious about the future.
The animation is complete, but I've not seen the result, yet, since I haven't been able to download the software needed to view it. I trust that our shop website manager has put it together well, and I'll have it up here, soon.
Check out the You Tube of Louis Bellson. I'll try to link it in, here, but, as before, it may prove beyond my grandfatherly computer understanding. I came across it while listening to satellite radio the other day. They were playing "Skin Deep," by Duke Ellington (maybe not the author of the tune, but it was his performance), and this incredible drum solo erupted. It was really fitting, since I'm nearly finished on the biography of Count Basie, and my mind is wrapped around that era, right now (to the point that I subjected my co-workers to nearly 6 hours of the forties channel on satellite the other day). When I hear that music, I feel like I have to agree with Andree that we were born a few decades too late. Beautiful.
Welcome home, Garrett! The Lowcountry has seen the return of a king among men. Looking forward to some bicycle camping trips this season and the hunts for rare plants we discussed. The CCL is lucky to have you.
Love to all.
