Ouch, my face hurts

Image from flickr "HDR-procedure-6.jpg"

So, it's 2:00 in the morning and I can't sleep. I had the surgery to repair my deviated septum sixteen hours ago and for the most part things are going fine. I am just so packed in that I cannot breathe through my nose, which explains the sleeping problem, also I have to get up every four hours to take pain medication.

From what everyone told me, the procedure when fine. There were a few problems getting the iv line established. They tried both hands twice and then finally put it in my right arm. That was no fun, feels like a mosquito bite my eye! Next thing I knew I was waking up and in a bit of a panic. I wanted water desperately and I was so cold my teeth were chattering. It did not take too long for the nurse to take me to my final recovery spot where Matt was able to sit with me. He tried to cheer me up as he fed me cheese crackers, but I still think I cried.

Once home, I got in bed and slept most of the day. My mom stopped by in the afternoon and she, Matt, and Goliath all stared at me while I ate a piece of toast. They finally quit when I told them they were freaking me out. Granted, I think Goliath was much more interested in the toast than me. After she left, I got in one more nap, had dinner and a movie, and haven't been able to sleep since.

I am happy at how little change I see on the outside. My nose is stretched a bit due to the packing and splints. Plus, the skin around it is shiny, sort of like people that have had too many face lifts. There is just the faintest hint of bruising under my eyes. It just looks like I haven't been sleeping well. I expected there to be more. Like the time I was about 4 or 5 and managed to get in the middle of a fight at the local swimming pool. Both boys swung at the same time, and I got two black eyes.

In 7 hours, I get the splints removed from my nose. Can you tell I'm anxious? Hopefully it won't hurt to have them removed. Maybe it will feel like the time when I was little and shoved M&M's up my nose. Mom had to removed them with tweezers, remember that Michelle? Oh the memories...

Go Tribe!

I am not much of a sports fan (I take books to hockey games, sorry Matt), but I was excited to wake up this morning and find out the Cleveland Indians are one game away from making it to the World Series. Why, do you ask, would someone with no interest in sports care? I mean, I make it a point to go to the market during Ohio State football games. One simple reason, my dad.

I have so many memories of growing up and having the Indians games playing in the background on television. The first professional baseball game I ever went to was a Cleveland Indians double-header. This was back when Municipal Stadium was the playing field. Michelle and I played a game of counting the color of cars on the long drive from Bellefontaine to Cleveland. I cannot begin to tell you why I remember all of this. I don't even remember if they won that day, but it has stuck with me nearly 25 years later. My dad was raised a Cleveland fan, and for better or worse, it has been passed to me as well (what little there is).

My sister and her son Connor are probably staying up 'til all hours to watch the games. I can just hear Connor yell with each run and out. Good thing he doesn't have school on Friday in case they win. I also know my friends Michael and Marlys are rooting for the Tribe and what a lovely wedding gift it would be for them if Cleveland beats Boston. Good thing game 3 will be in Colorado or we would have to move the wedding and reception to Jacob's Field.

So what else can I say, Go Tribe!

Ten

Last Thursday Matt and I marked our first decade of marriage. How did we celebrate such a momentous occasion? In multiple ways and typical Butterworth South style.

Matt started by going into work on his day off for a meeting. I then had to teach a yoga class, but caught up with him for lunch. We did have plans to go to the cheapy movies (only $1 before 6:00), but instead watched episodes of Pysch and Burn Notice that we had recorded weeks before. But the fun did not end there. We celebrated throughout the weekend. On Friday, I scheduled surgery to repair my deviated septum and the rest of the day was spent doing laundry in preparation for our big trip to...Cleveland.

Whenever we told people that we were going to Cleveland for the weekend, we received the strangest looks. I realize it is not a hotbed of tourism, but we had a good reason for going. We stayed in a delightful bed & breakfast in Ohio City, a small community located next to downtown Cleveland just over the Cuyahoga river. The community web site touts Ohio City as an area in the midst of restoration and provides a walking tour to see the classic architecture in the area. Needless to say, it was not all we hoped it would be, Ohio City must still be in the beginning phase of restoration. We did visit their large community market and it was a sight to see. Stall after stall of fresh produce in one building, homemade cakes and pastries in another. There were also dozens of butchers with their own areas and once I caught sight of a whole small suckling pig I announced I was ready to leave. I am perfectly happy with my soy sausage patties, thank you very much.

Dinner was spent at the Great Lakes Brewing Company, known for their finely crafted micro brews. Considering neither Matt nor I drink beer, the full experience was lost on us. We were content to eat our food and walk back to our room where we prepared for the main event, the Genesis concert later that night. Thanks to Matt's brother Mark, we had tickets to the show. Matt has been a fan for nearly 20 years and was looking forward to the event. A friend of mine saw the show in Columbus, so I already knew that it was going to be good. We were younger than most of the crowd, but still old in so many ways. About halfway through the show, my ears were ringing and I could still hear the music, but couldn't really understand Matt when he talked to me. Understated as always, Matt did not yell or cheer. He sat through most of the show and a few times I could see him mouthing the words to the songs. He told me he had a good time and I believe him.

The next morning, we had a fantastic breakfast of fresh fruit, pumpkin bread, and french toast. We also met the other couple staying in the house and found out that they had also come into town for the Genesis show. They were from Canada, just outside of Toronto and that led to hockey talk. The best part was when they did not realize that Columbus had an NHL team. Go Blue Jackets! Maybe more people would know about them if they actually had a winning season. And to complete the meal, they commented about leaving soon so that they could get home shortly after the dog sitter left. I think Matt and I met our future selves.