feel brand new

Yesterday I had a dentist appointment to get some fillings revamped, as they were starting to discolor and such. This is a new dentist office and I think I am going to really like it. A week ago I had the first visit and she was very shocked at how poor a job my previous dentist did on the fillings and that she had actually drilled away some of my enamel leaving my teeth very rough. So she wanted me to come back to get the fillings fixed and my teeth smoothed out. I didn’t need Novocaine this time as she was only drilling halfway into the old fillings and redoing them. She smoothed out two of my teeth that were left roughened by my old dentist. My new dentist even went as far as to do what she could to make m smile even. So she shortened one of my teeth and lengthened another. Now t feels like I have brand new teeth. My top teeth look even and can run my tongue over them and not feel the roughness I had before. I am very pleased so far with this dentist. That is a good feeling to have.

here you can see my new level smile, where all my teeth are even length

in case you can't find my teeth, Scott is guiding the way.

Scott had a silver ticket!

Scott’s boss, Brian, was able to get Scott and his coworkers tickets to the silver standing area for the inauguration. As you can see by the above map, it was a distance from the capital but still so very worth it. He had a blast and took lots of video of the crowd. I am still amazed he was there and can tell our future children and grandchildren he was there. And then explain why I wasn’t. ;-(

and the hits keep coming

On azcentral today there was another negative story about the way Magellan is running the mental health system in Maricopa County. This time the focus is on the Urgent Psychiatric Care Center (UPC) at 2nd St and Roosevelt.

In my job as a crisis counselor in the county, I frequently have contact with UPC as we bring clients there for emergency mental health treatment. We have known for years that this has not been a well oiled machine but with Magellan taking over those of us in the field thought we’d see positive changes. According to the article, this is not happening.

An audit has found that UPC is not placing clients who are there for more than the initial 23 hours into inpatient beds, even when they have inpatient beds available. This is ridiculous. There is no reason to not provide proper care to clients in need of help. UPC was also found to not provide the proper documentation and treatment plans, as directed in the contract with the state.

It is disturbing that I am not shocked by the findings as, like I said, as a crisis worker I frequently have to utilize this facility in order to help clients. And it is not a facility that is customer friendly. I hope these recent audits and findings make enough waves to make REAL changes in our system. Only time will tell.

portable shelters

This is an amazing idea. It is a portable shelter for homeless people. It attaches to their shopping carts and provides a covered, weather resistant place for them to sleep, or at least stay out of the conditions. And it folds up easy enough for it to be taken wherever the person goes. This is a wonderful idea and I hope it become available every where. Phoenix could use this in the summer time when the sun is way to strong to be outside uncovered. I know some people may say that this will only promote being homeless, but I totally disagree. Just like everything else, if people want to be homeless they will be homeless regardless of a shelter. For people who want a different lifestyle this shelter will only aide in them remaining safe until they can get their life on track.

Thanks to Scott for sending me the ink to this story.

history is made

Today, the world watched as history was made. Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States and it is the dawn of a new era. Our future is bright and full of hope. A hope that we can rebuild this country to what it should be and can be. So much has happened over the last 8 years to take away a lot of what living in this country means. This is a chance to regain all of that. And so much more.

This morning as I got ready for work, I found it nearly impossible to move away from the TV. It is such an amazing thing we have in this country. The passing of the Presidency from one person to another is a wondrous act. It is moving, regardless of your political preferences to be witness to this historical event.

Scott was able to be there in person. He and his coworkers are all in DC this week, first for the inauguration and second for work meetings. His boss was able to get him a ticket so Scott was A LOT closer than he would have been without one. Watching it on TV, knowing my husband is there among the crowd of people, made it even more special for me. How awesome to be a part of history IN PERSON.

Tears of joy and happiness and pride filled my eyes today. And I know in my heart that only good things are to come.

call me bag lady

I think I have made a decision on what laptop bag I want. After looking at several places and examining multiple bags, it looks like I am going to get the vertical sling (a military-type looking bag) to hold my hand-me-own MacBook Pro. Scott is upgrading his computer system from an iMac and MacBook Pro to just a MacBook Pro (the new fantastic design). So I will inherit the older MacBook Pro, which I am totally cool with. I will be changing my system over from the Mac Mini to the MacBook Pro.

missing Jake

I truly miss Jake Plummer in the NFL.

As an ASU alumni and huge Sun Devil football fan, Plummer is like a god in lots of ways. When he went to the Cardinals many of us groaned in disbelief because we knew it was going to hinder his ability to shine. Then he went to Denver, where Elway will always be King. No matter what, I always rooted for Plummer, and always wanted him to succeed. I despise Cutler for being the impetus to ousting Jake from the Broncos roster. I think Plummer had a better hold on things to bring Denver to where they wanted to be.

But I can’t blame Plummer for wanting a change. The NFL and its fans can be unforgiving and merciless. And he is excelling in his new career. So I wish him well, even if I still wish he was playing on Sundays.

If you want a good read, check out this article. It has a good insight into a football player who walked away from the game but still has a desire to play.

morphing presidents

video morphing of all 44 presidents

and now I know

When I heard that Tim and Willy were returning to KMLE I wondered where they would fit in. I had no idea that it would be to replace Dave Pratt. Dave Pratt and the gang made the mornings enjoyable and fun. And he had a following that knew no music boundaries. People who followed him when he was covering rock made the transfer over to country when Pratt did. That’s pretty amazing and shows how well he does his job. He makes a connection with his listeners. I always enjoyed the banter he and his crew had and like I said, mornings were better. I am just shocked that they let him go without really any warning at all. I think KMLE will see a severe drop off in listeners, at least during the morning hours because of this.

makes you want to own one

hedgehog eating a snack