Regionals!

The other night Alvin and I got to talking about the regional dances that we went to when we were around 14 yrs old.

The regional dances in Kaysville were/are a big deal for any 14-15 year old in the area. My girl friends and I usually played out the same routine. The day or so before we’d all go to the mall and choose a new top to go with the black, stretchy, rayon skirt that we all owned. And to be sure we all had our signed (by a member of the bishopric) dance card on hand.

The afternoon before the dance we spent getting ready. I’m not sure why it took so long to get ready when it was basically the same thing every time but the 14 year old Nattie needed it to be perfect. Alvin said he would get a hair cut before each dance and carefully iron the same specific shirt to wear. This is classic; it was a button up that had small square pattern on it with a color scheme of purple, black and tan. What girl could resist that kind of hotness?!

I’m not sure how it went down in Jefferson, Oregon but when we got to the stake center behind Davis High in Kaysville we had to show our dance card and be checked for dress code. (This is starting to sound a lot like Foot Loose.) If you had a long enough skirt on and sleeves covering your shoulders you were allowed in. If the guys showed up without a tie on there were extras available at the door.

We’d generally wait in packs around the perimeter of the dance floor for a slow song to play. Then nervously you’d see the guys inch toward us until one of them was brave enough to ask one of us to dance. After the tension eased up we’d also brave a fast song here and there. You could see us standing in a circle attempting Heidi and Kristen’s dance moves such as the “fax machine”,” lawn mower”, and the “sprinkler head”.

I’m not sure who they hired to be the DJ but to be sure the following songs were always played: “God must have spent a little more time on you” – by N’Sync, “I’m already there” – by Lone Star, “With or without you” – by U2, “I knew I loved you before I met you” – by Savage Garden, and the “The Chicken Dance”, just to name a few.

It wasn’t uncommon for me to get in trouble at one of these dances. Not to the point of getting myself kicked out, I just liked to dance too close on the slow songs. (With the ranging King girl hormones can you blame me?) The chaperone couple would tap my dance partner’s shoulder and slide a triple combination between us. Yeah and that worked for like 30 seconds. I don’t think security was as high in Jefferson, Oregon. Alvin was able to mack on some girl in the overflow without too much notice.

It’s funny to look back at all the drama and big to-do that surrounded regional dances back then. It was usually the highlight of our month if there wasn’t something going on at school. What were your regional dances like? Much like Napoleon Dynamite’s Prom?

Pedro: Well, what are you going to wear to the dance?
Napoleon Dynamite: Just like a silk shirt or something. What are you gonna wear?
Pedro: Dad has something for me. But you should probably get a suit.

Watch it...

This is how I'm feeling this morning...

How 'bout you? lol

2nd Date With My Dentist

I have the worst luck with dental work.

I've been dealing with increasing wisdom teeth pain. Saw the dentist and got an appointment for October 21st. I woke up Wednesday morning and knew there was no way I could wait 2 more weeks. My normal dentist was no where to be found. (What kind of dentist is closed on a Wednesday?)

After making a few calls we found a dentist that could get me in that afternoon. Here's the hitch, getting your wisdom teeth out by a general dentist instead of a oral surgeon is well cheaper but THE WORST IDEA EVER.

1. You aren't put out.
2. They claim pain medicine, laughing gas, and Novocain will do the trick but they lie.
3. You can hear everything. Crunch after horrible crunch and ridiculous football small talk.
4. An oral surgeon is more likely not to invite you back the next morning.

To begin with the hygienist took me back to take x-rays. For some reason she was making the biggest deal about covering my tummy with the lead apron. The 1st x-ray didn't turn out so for a 2nd time she fussed about the lead apron over my tummy. Meeting the dentist for the first time he says to me, "So they tell me you're pregnant..." (Huh, what?!)

Moving on, they cleared up the pregnancy fallacy, had me take the pain medication, and get started on the laughing gas. I think I sat there for almost an hour in la la land before they even started on the procedure. By then I think the pain medication had started to wear off.

I was supposed to have 3 wisdom teeth removed during this appointment. The dentist worked on one molar for over 2 hours. I started to literally crawl in the dentist chair. I could feel the tears run down my cheeks. At one point I could feel the dentist's hand in my mouth trying to support my jaw and with his other hand cranking a wrench on my back molar.

The dentist decided to call it quits for the night. That molar wasn't going anywhere and neither was my agony. Apparently the molars roots were acting as a fish hook around bone in my jaw. So he sewed me up and sent me home only to come back the next morning. I don't think I stopped crying until I got home and got a blessing from my sweetheart and my dad.

So this morning it was time to try this all again. We made sure I had taken the pain medication and got started on the laughing gas. I don't know if it was my nerves or the pain but about 5 minutes before the dentist began the procedure I "got sick". I mean I "got sick" all over that exam room floor, the chair, and me.

They gave me a couple of options after trying to clean up as best we can. We could be done right then and try to go to an oral surgeon instead or we could let the dentist take a look at it only if they promised me if after 20 minutes they couldn't get it that they'd stop trying. Although I begged to go to an oral surgeon instead I was coaxed into letting the dentist try first.

The dentist had a new determination and began moving very quickly. True to his word he finally got the stubborn molar out after 20 minutes. As for the other two upper wisdom teeth, there was no amount of coaxing that would have convinced me to allow them to extract them as well.

For a procedure that normally takes all four wisdom teeth out rather smoothly at once, under the right circumstances, my stubborn body likes to suffer this one at a time. If/when those other two teeth become symptomatic I don't care what the cost is, I will be going to an oral surgeon.