from the starbucks @ the 2 story target at the nicollete mall in downtown minneapolis, mn. weather is a perfect 55, sun with a few clouds and the view of the skyline is pleasant down the mall....

Car has additional 800+ miles on the odometer. I drove about 700 of them.

I giggled with glee when i saw the 70mph sign on the Ohio Turnpike.

The Indiana toll system can kiss my fat white ass for making me wait 15 minutes to pay to leave and give me change in Susan B Anthony dollar coins.

Chicago looks like an interesting place to visit but i wouldn't want to drive there.

Accidentally found the most foodie vegetarian restaurant because we got off the highway to get gas (pictures will follow eventually) in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

I like the Wisconsin landscape but it was hillier than i expected on the I-90/I-94 and drivers don't seem to understand the slower drivers should keep right rule.

Love our Park Place Hotel room and it's comfy king sized bed.

It's challenging to buy beer in Minnesota on Sundays.

I suspect i will have sore feet tomorrow......

We are making progress. Still more to get done but we need (e:Uncutsaniflush)'s blisters to heal a bit...

Here are a couple more pics of my our new closet:

We are turning a smaller back bedroom into a big walk in closet.

Here is a snap of how the room looked before (why would we want to improve this wonderful room?):



And here is that same corner in the room after being painted with 75% of my clothes on a Martha Stewart starter kit closet with additional shelves for the top:



We still have lots to do in the room -- poly the shoe shelves, put up another kit for the rest of my clothes and (e:Uncutsaniflush)'s clothes, get a few hooks for belts and scarves, get a full length mirror and hang it, get some dressers and maybe an area rug....

But i am so happy i could cry!!

I have been avoiding the dentist because of my huge fears. I know, everybody says they are afraid or don't like the dentist. I think i have more of an anxiety related thing and perhaps a phobia. The thought of it, and those smells, well, they make my skin crawl, give me nightmares, and i can't think of a time i have been to a dental office and not cried. No, i do not mean a few tears, i mean, big time ugly cry and sobs. It's embarrassing.

Saturday i cracked a filling while eating a peanut at my friend's 2 year old's birthday party.

I even have another tooth with a chipped and missing filling that happened when we were in Pittsburgh back in the spring.

The dentist i had been seeing doesn't take my insurance.

So, i got online to look at my unions benefits page to look for someone new.

I also had a vague recollection that (e:Paul) saw a dentist that takes his insurance (e:Paul,49698) and since he and i are in the same union, i reckon they take mine, too.

They do.... so i called yesterday and they had a cancellation for today. I took it.

In the meantime, i got online looking for something to help me. Yes, (e:Uncutsaniflush) there to hold my hand is nice, but he can't sit in the damn chair for me.

I found this website that really hit home for me. The Common Fears section helped me identify exactly what it is that i am scare of. The Handle Me With Care form helped me to be able to communicate better with the staff. And i've only scratched the surface of reading the site. I think, just seeing it there in print on the screen has helped me not feel like my feelings should be diminished by others. It's been a quiet empowerment thus far.

The appointment was a cleaning and check up, because they always do that first, but i got the best hygenist ever. So patient with me. She let me rinse and spit out all the grit from the cleaning whenever i told her i was feeling icky about it.

The dentist allowed me to ask him for specific methods of communication that were helpful to me. To be able to stand and look him in the eye and have him point out what he was talking about on my x-rays was enormously satisfying.

I have no new cavities. However, i have a mouth of about 75% fillings and 2 are old and broken and need crowns.