Cutting the Rug

I bought a new rug!

That's not it.  This is it:

I moved all the furniture I could, yesterday, out of the upstairs bedrooms.  Getting the tile and grout cleaned in the bathroom tomorrow along with the carpet in the bedrooms and the hall.  I dusted, dusted, dusted.  Bought an air purifier as the dust gets to me - but then I remembered I found out one of the windows wasn't latched so had been ajar for a long time, contributing more to the foray than normal.  That was as a result of checking everything the day after I heard a cell phone right outside the bedroom window at 4:11 a.m.!!  All I could muster until I fell back asleep, was lying there frozen, staring at the clock, listening for any other noises!

So at any rate, moving the magazine table and the back door rug into the "library", made me decide to buy one, a tad larger.  Will make the magazine table look better, in my opinion.  I actually had looked forever at them, online, but couldn't find one that fit the decor, not trusting that a solid would be the same color in reality.  Tried to find this exact one but larger, after I realized I'd like it, no luck.  Hopefully I feel the same about the new one when it arrives.  If it does, I may do a little dance to justify the blog title.

Hopefully I won't reget putting off my visit to the cemeteries, and get there tomorrow.  Not much to use - the peonies are long gone, though beautiful while they lasted.

The snowballs still look good.  No roses yet.  

I do have one hearty iris grouping.  Moved the rest of them this spring, to a better location, and they, not surprisingly, didn't bloom.  So white snowball and purple iris, it is.  I'm actually not very fond of iris but I'm fond of the former occupant(s) who were.

Got to see Lucy and Hazel briefly when they came up with Ruth for her sister's missionary farewell.  Going to Winter Quarters, the lucky duck!

Went to a posh dinner with great entertainment, earlier in the month at the Salt Palace in celebration of Best of State - our fourth year in a row.

The Failure Farmer & Other Joys

There's a difference, you know, between farmer failure and failure farmer!  And I'm the latter!  Sigh.

Every year Mother Nature points this out to me, some years louder than others.  This year it's the fact that all the years of pre-emergent treatment for crab grass was not only a waste of time and money but not the right diagnosis.  Not even!  Turns out I have Bermuda grass.  I could have gotten rid of it back in the beginning when it was few, but it's too far gone now, in the front.  And yes, I will kill it off in the back.  Crazy annoying!  Tops the cherry tree aphid attack I didn't notice in time to effectively treat, and yes that year was embarrassing, but at least it was one season and will never be repeated.

Have my garden planted.  Cross your fingers!  And I found someone to cut my lawn, which includes edging, for $20/week.  Woo-hoo!  Dont you just love springtime!

I gave myself an early mother's day gift.  Not needed to earmark it myself of course - my kids are great to remember me.  There is a jewelry store in town, down by Walmart.  I spied it one day and it made me think about the ring I have with a missing stone, and how lovely it is and would be if I could wear it again.

So now I can count it among the rest of my birthstone rings I can wear.

(My kids gave me the one in the middle - opal, garnet, ruby.)

I have the best daughters in town!

(Well, "out of town," but you know what I mean.)

Hope all my female loved ones have a great Sunday!

BYU big plus, ACA big minus

It's been a long time since I've been on BYU's campus.  The Wilkinson Center has changed.  (No doubt, more than once!)  I checked out the restroom that had a back room with comfy cots - no windows - totally dark - much preferred as a freshman - a nap vs. study while I waited for my ride home.  Walked down the hall past the theatre and the reading room is gone!  In its place - offices.  Used to be able to read various and many national newspapers, or check out music and headphones to while away the in betweens.  Obviously the internet made it obsolete.  Looked for the office, also long gone, I did secretarial work for some studentbody officer - who/when/what I no longer remember.

Apparently I'm not alone, other "sleeping at BYU" pictures:

Picked up The Universe, April 20-May 6 (above from the digital version), and enjoyed reading it thoroughly while I waited.  Came early to avoid the hike a further-out visitor parking lot would entail. I'd told my friend I'd be waiting in the East Lounge but the wait was long because the emailed instructions were not actually absorbed (and I'd left my cell phone in the trunk)!   Want to read along with me?

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Big Crimes at BYU few but notable:

Pranks and bike thefts are common items in The Universe’s Police Beat, but BYU has occasionally been affected by more notable crimes.

An interview with University Police, along with a search of BYU Police media releases archived in the Harold B. Lee Library and court records, details some of the more infamous criminal episodes connected to BYU.

Airline hijacking

An FBI wanted poster for hijacker Richard Floyd McCoy. (Image courtesy of Harold B. Lee Library Archives)

April 7, 1972: BYU law enforcement major Richard Floyd McCoy, armed with a hand grenade and an empty pistol, hijacked a Boeing 727. He then parachuted out near Provo with $500,000 in ransom money. McCoy was arrested at his home by the FBI after it was learned that he discussed hypothetical plans for a hijacking with highway patrolman Robert Van Leperen and asked his sister-in-law for help with the hijacking plot. A duffel bag with $499,970 was found in his house. McCoy was a Sunday School teacher in the Provo First Ward. One of McCoy’s Sunday School students said, “All he ever talked about was sin.” In an ironic twist, McCoy was on National Guard duty flying one of the helicopters used in the search for the hijacker. McCoy also wrote his thesis at BYU on how to prevent hijackings.

Murder

March 11, 1974: BYU student Barbara Jean Rocky’s body was found in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Rocky had been raped and was shot five times. Her murder went unsolved for 33 years until Salt Lake City Police were able to use DNA evidence found in a soil sample to charge former BYU student Gerald Hicker with the murder. Hicker confessed to her murder in 2010 but said he shot Rocky in self-defense, claiming she took off her clothes, began to pray to the devil and then threatened him with a revolver, which he took from her in a struggle and used to shoot her. Rocky’s family denies Hicker’s claims and asked Hicker to simply tell the truth about Rocky’s killing. Hicker insisted his story was true.

Serial killer kidnapping

June 28, 1975: Ted Bundy kidnapped 15-year-old Susan Curtis when she left her youth conference group at BYU to go to the dormitory and brush her teeth. Curtis was never seen or heard from again. Before his execution, Bundy confessed to killing her and burying her body by the highway in Price. A search of the area failed to locate her remains.

Large-scale art theft

June 1986: The Museum of Art discovered 900 works of art had been stolen after art donors asked where some of their donations had gone. The dollar value of the missing art totaled in the millions. These works of art included priceless pieces by Claude Monet, Winslow Homer, the Weir family, Norman Rockwell, Mahonri Young and others. This case is still active, and many works have since been recovered.

Church president threatened

Feb. 7, 1993: LDS Church President Howard W. Hunter was giving a Devotional address in the BYU Marriott Center when Cody Judy rushed up to him holding a briefcase he claimed was a bomb and a cell phone that appeared to be a detonator. Judy handed a note to Hunter to be read to the crowd that announced Judy as the new president. Hunter refused to read the note and stayed silent with his eyes looking down at his notes. The audience spontaneously began singing “We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet,” at which point a man ran up to Judy and pepper-sprayed him. A mob of people then rushed up to Judy and tackled him. The mob subdued Judy by punching and kicking him while they waited for police to take him into custody. Afterward, President Hunter resumed his speech. Judy served six years in prison and was released Aug. 3, 1999.

Officer shot

May 20, 1998: A bank robbery was in progress at a Wells Fargo bank branch at 66 E. 1650 North. University Police officer David Adams headed to the crime scene. When he arrived at the intersection of Canyon Road and University Parkway, the robbery suspect got out of a car and started shooting at Adams. The officer was hit in the head and in the chest; however, the rounds first hit the steering wheel, which slowed their velocity and saved Adam's life.
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The Police Beat was always interesting and often good for a laugh, even back in my day (revisited often when Grant would report from his years there); not so much this list other than maybe the harassment section:

Vandalism

April 9 Damage to a stairwell in the Grant Building was reported. An officer checked the area but found no suspects. An investigation is ongoing.

April 16 Graffiti was found all over downtown Provo, including businesses, fences, alleyways, garage doors and a phone box.

Criminal Mischief

April 9 A fire was seen at Helaman Halls. Upon investigation officers found that gasoline had been poured on a cement pad and lit on fire. The fire starters have not been found, and the crime is under investigation.

April 15 A liquid was poured down the Spencer W. Kimball Tower stairwell. Officers responded and checked the area, but no suspects were found. Custodians were contacted to clean up the mess.

Theft

April 9 A locked bicycle was taken from the Heritage Halls bike racks.

April 13 A bicycle was secured outside Centennial II apartments. Upon returning for his bicycle, the victim found his lock cut and the bicycle missing.

April 15 A person’s clothing and wallet were stolen from the Smith Fieldhouse.

Vehicular Theft

April 13 A vehicle was stolen from 100 S. Freedom Blvd.

April 13 An individual’s scooter was stolen from a BYU parking lot. Officers filed a report and put a county-wide lookout for the scooter.

Trespassing

April 11 Individuals were found trespassing in LaVell Edwards Stadium. They were warned and escorted from the stadium.

Harassment

April 9 An individual reported receiving unwanted texts in the Harris Fine Arts Center. An officer talked with both parties, and the texting stopped.

April 11 A victim reported receiving a harassing phone call in the Richards Building. The phone call is under investigation.

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The Tweet Beat was actually humorous:

@karlyscastillo  ”Next to my friends, what I’m going to miss most about #BYU is all the attractive men. But really.”

@bekiweki “The commercials on #BYU TV are so weird that at first I thought they were part of the skits on#StudioC.”

‏@danlefevre89 “To the man who tried and failed a backflip at the graduation ceremonies today…glad four years of school made you smart #byu #graduation”

‏@Brit6363 “Ps I go to the most amazing school in the world. #proudcougar #BYU”

@BrettTwin“Gonna stand by the road with my guitar and a sign: “will play sappy graduation song $5″#BYU #graduation”

‏@haileynoelleee“I just took 30 shots of #byu chocolate milk. Not one of my better decisions.”

@brookay13 “Wait I didn’t know #BYU had frats!”—Quinn after reading Magna Cum Laude in Megan’s graduation program.”

@kyote_g “those ducks walk around like they own the campus!” Sorry random girl, they do. #BYU#ducks”

@cmacmitch “So is this church or is it not church? Because it felt like church but…more clapping. #BYU”

‏@cierrabrooke “I don’t recommend ironing your gown on high #whoops #BYU”

‏@Kaderd “Waiting in line for 3 hours is worth it!!! I love splash mountain! Jk I’m at the testing center.#byu”

‏@tylerpsays “They’ve got rent-a-puppies in the testing center line. I’ve seen everything. #BYU”

@tylerpsays “What happens when you’ve been in the finals line so long that your facial hair is no longer an acceptable length? #BYU”

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#Ygrams seem to be fully in tune with the self-mocking BYU humor I best remember:

This coming week's ... but I put this up because there was an amusing caption about this BYU statue getting a shave to comply with BYU grooming standards (a myth).  Which no doubt means a former typical BY statue completely replaced by this one!  (I wouldn't even know who it was absent being told.)

Not a myth:  BYU ranked fourth most 'stress-inducing' school in the country, surpassing Harvard, the Naval Academy, Columbia and Princeton.  The article claimed that BYU's strict honor code (for those who feel guilty or felt pressured into keeping it) and tough requirements for major programs contribute to its high-stress atmosphere.  Cornell was #1, West Point #2, MIT #3.
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Janeil clued us in, back in her Nauvoo days, on this therefore unsurprising news:

Black and her husband, George Durrant, are currently waiting for their assignment.

Susan Easton Black at her last class as a professor. (Photo by Gabriel Meyr)

Susan Easton Black finished her final class at BYU to a standing ovation after 37 years and a prolific career as a religion professor.

The class was an exam review for REL 324, Pioneers and Persecution, and before she launched into the kind of detailed, note-free lecture she’s known for, Black asked students to stand up if they were going on a mission.

“You’ll notice that I’m standing up too,” Black said.

Brent L. Top, chair of the Church History and Doctrine department, rose and spoke after Black concluded the class.

“I just wanted to let you know that Sister Black is probably the most recognizable woman associated with BYU,” Top said. He also explained that she begged to always be available as a substitute teacher in the future.

“(So) I’m planning to be sick a lot when she gets home from her mission,” he said.

But he may have to act fast, because Black hopes she and her husband will be serial missionaries that serve multiple missions.

Black leaves a towering academic legacy behind her. She has authored 134 books, traveled the world and spoken in all fifty states. She is glad the books make her scholarship available to people who cannot attend BYU, but she pointed to one thing in particular as her most valued legacy.

“My students, look what they’ve become,” she said. “I’m thrilled about that. … Every time I come to this class, I feel like I just walked into sacred space, sacred ground, because of what you will do for the Lord serving in the Church.”

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Last one:  Front page article captioned:  Missionary age change linked to 500 unfilled BYU campus jobs.

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So why was I there?

Got recognized as an Employee of the Year, along with others out at the schools.  (There were several men named as well, but they didn't come - wives possibly not impressed enough to let them come to an employee-only dinner.)

These ladies came from our department:

(Our Table)

A few more:

(And two more who dodged the camera.)

It was rather an odd event.  The district has just determined that our six-hour employees will now be 5.5 max as a result of the ACA taking effect in 2014 (early because we can't switch midstream).  Likely also (will be announced by May 30th), any future non-licensed employee (teachers are licensed) will not receive any leave nor retirement benefits due to a USR ruling that anyone with leave benefits (which all non-licensed get, in time) must also receive retirement benefits (which only over four hour/day non-licensed get).  Current employees will be grandfathered.  My hours/benefits are the same (for now), and of all the persons pictured, only two others, because we have contracts.

This event was lobbied for in negotiations almost a year ago (but only recently announced).  Non-licensed have been getting decreasing benefits for the last two years (prior we always got the same as teachers), so this event was supposed to be a morale-booster.  It was well attended, I give them that.  Every attendee also got a $10 gift card.  I'd guess several hundred attended.  They didn't define it by hours, so it included every non-licensed person, from working less than an hour per day (yes, there are a few) up.  It really was fun (even though I thoroughly dislike this kind of attention - have occasionally been nominated for various things and the forms go straight to the trash can).  I have to go to the next School Board meeting, and it for sure won't be fun, but I'll get money so that will soften the blow. *wink*

I used to attend monthly non-licensed board meetings - for ten years, representing our department.  I finally bowed out of all that stuff so that others could get up to speed before I disappeared.  Still get lots of questions and confusion from our association officers, but it's getting better, with time.  We make our money by hosting restaurant-quality kitchen supplies sales, which are very popular.  If I last that long, I'll get to participate in our very big fling spending down the CD I bought with the association surplus eight years ago, and it will cover the registration (which is pricey) and hotel rooms for ALL of us (100±  in our department), when the national School Nutrition Association convention is held in Salt Lake City the summer of 2015.  Normally only officers can go (well, can afford to go, courtesy of our fund), and we send them biannually.  (I got to go to Los Angeles in 2006.)  That will be a laugh in itself, if I "make" it.  I'll be 70.  Not likely, but then who'd have thought I'd still be working at 68!

The Whole Fandamily!!

P.S. - Ruth sent a bunch of pictures and I wanted to include a few here (so marked below).

Crawling out of the last depressing post and skipping into much happier news:

Hayden got baptized March 30th.  Because of Easter, every other ward but his in the stake chose to wait, luckily for those of us who had flight reservations!

His mom's invitation:

Here we are after the event (many of us squinting against the bright sunlight):



The baptism and confirmation were done by Uncle Grant (one of his girls said, just as they were beginning, "Aren't they supposed to put special oil on his head?"/shushed by mom):  "Hayden Cody Rudder, by authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, we confirm you a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and say to you:  Receive the Holy Ghost.  Hayden, we also bless you to know how much your family loves you, your parents and step-parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins.  We also bless you that you will be able to continue to grow strong and learn in school and at church, and we bless you that you will be able to have have the strength to choose the right, and also have the strength to change, when you make mistakes as we all do.  We bless you with all these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

(Sound only [of course - we were in the chapel] -

lost some clarity in moving it from my phone to here.)

(Hayden's paternal side came but I don't think they realized the chapel might be involved and slipped off in their casual clothes before we could gather for the picture.)

(Snapped by R.)

(Snapped by R.  Hard to catch a picture of all the children at the church,

in fact only the formal line-up caught them all.)

The paternal side did come to the lunch at BJ's, and Jewel told Hayden to sit by his Dad.  He was beamingly proud to have everyone together.  There were 17 of us at the restaurant.   Drink of choice, all you can eat salad and different kinds of fantastic pizza.

                                         

Brings back memories of the last (larger) family reunion when I got so sick the first morning of it I had to go home.  So I appreciate even more, this time, the gift of that first evening and the next two days, as you'll see below!

(The [non]sleeping arrangements, snapped by R.)

Raygen was thrilled and talked constantly before, during and after, about "my girls".  Hayden, as you can see in the group picture, is pretty much GQ.  After Raygen was born, her great grandparents on Johnny's side began an annual Easter hunt at their house, to which they've invited me every year (but I haven't gone down). That event was after the luncheon and a lot of fun there was had by all.

Grant's family was going to visit Larry's at their hotel that evening, but the kids were dirty and too exhausted after baths.  Sunday morning Larry's crew came over for an egg hunt for all the kids in the local park.  The men went ahead to hide the eggs.  At one point, Austin ran up to me, all excited as he hollered, "Grandma!!", to show me all he had gathered in his basket.  It was amusing and sweet.  His sister Aliyah is magical.  I swear she can be standing behind you and you actually feel her presence.  Facing you she will give you an electric smile that almost speaks out loud: "I can see you need some extra love, and here it is!"

(Austin and Johnny, walking home from the egg hunt.)

(Aliyah with Jewel, snapped by R.

If you stare long enough into her eyes,

you might catch a glimpse of her spirit's warmth.)

Three of the cousins at church.

One badly in need (again) of a few catch-up winks.

(Jewel holding back a smile noting

me being a little less than reverent, taking phone pictures.)

(Back at Jewel and Johnny's [Sunday after church], snapped by R.)

The cousins had a blast, lost a lot of sleep in the process, tears of sadness at departure.

The event was a gift of mercy in that in the wee sleeping hours of Saturday morning,

Lucy started major flu symptoms.  At the time we figured it was reacting to the plane ride,

as she was fine the rest of the time.  Lucy's same symptoms picked back up

the day after they left, and later that week Hazel and Ruth succumbed

but no one else has (yet) been visited.

The first these four have been together since early July, 2011.

And the first time ever for all six children to play together.

No first cousins on Hayden's paternal side.

(Nor aunt/uncle children!)

Dentists Aren't All They're Cracked Up to Be

... but then, neither are teeth.  !!

These two root canals under the crowned tooth were done poorly (15-ish years ago), per current analysis.  I well remember the day (if not the date).

Prior to this choice we had great family dental insurance, and the choice for the kids and me was Dr. Adamson (not related, but I was his mother's R.S. counselor).  Larry chose to go to another dentist he could barter with (THE worst choice of all we made having to do with family teeth.)  Then the plan changed and we three had to change dentists - went to the one that did the above work.

The last few years I've been back with Dr. Adamson.  He has been watching the above issue and recommended I see an orthodontist as he could see increasing infection and for whatever reason my body was insisting on getting rid of it.  He recommended three.  He doesn't do the fancy work, but he's the best I've ever known of for what he does.  Back when I first went to him he said he chooses not to do root canals, etc., because specialists do a much better job, and it's better for your career to have kids think the family dentist is friendly.

One of the three was a no because back in the day, I'd gone to him for the root canal work preceding a crown and he cracked that tooth which then had to be extracted.  I don't blame him, necessarily, but I have bad memories, him getting me all uncomfortably rigged up in gag mode, a friend of his shows up and he leaves me there alone in the room and I listen to them chit-chat for half an hour!  Plus he didn't mention the problem (may not have know, granted), so I basically paid hundreds of dollars for nothing including no explanation.  That was my first clue I "had" cracked teeth (crazed they call it).  Luckily, if you can call it luck, it was a back molar so I haven't really missed it.

Then when Grant came back from his mission, he got his first cavity of his life, and his Masters gift from me was $2,000 for his dental bill - filling the cracks so they wouldn't continue to decay.  He has had sensitivity ever since.  That dentist thought it resulted from brushing too hard.  So I'm also thinking, since we're related, clue #2, possibly crazing runs in the family.

Of the two remaining recommendations, Dr. Adamson said if it were him he would pick one that was more expensive, worth it because he has the very latest 3D equipment.  Decided I'd pick the "best" this time.   Now I didn't necessarily expect to continue with him after his evaluation, just wanted the best info I could get.  Paid $145 for his opinion that the tooth root was fractured (clue #3).

Had to wait until yesterday to get it pulled, but took an antibiotic to tamp down the increasing infecting.  Purportedly root infection never clears up even with an antibiotic, short of drastic orthodontic procedures.  Dr. Adamson cut the crown off (you can see that below).  He then had to sever the two roots because they were too widely angled (see above) to get out with one pull.

The oval darkness on the right-hand root, about in the middle is decay.  Decay caused by a now unobservable fracture, or the post that was inserted for the crown caused it.

Dr. Adamson said that posts are to be centered where they enter the top of the tooth.  As you can see below (though not quite lined up properly), the hole for the post was drilled off to one side, so that inaccuracy led to the opening the space underneath, and susceptible to decay.  (Yes, I smashed my thumbnail awhile back and yes, it hurt like the dickens.)  He said the 3D specialist could have drilled through the jaw bone, but the surgery would have had a high likelihood of failure, given it's location (not "facing" any possible access).  I guess I'll believe that, instead of the alternative - paying another $145 for an extraction for nothing and no explanation.

So, even with three clues, I'm not so sure I need to worry about future cracking.  But I'm not going to chance it - no bridge for me, which would mean three crowns and the possibility of more extraction/wasted money in the process.  Dr. A. agrees.  I asked about Valplast (flexible), but he showed me one and it certainly isn't what I envisioned "flexible" meant, meaning, it could influence the future loss of the attachment teeth.  He said few people wear them long, due to continuing pain and actual wounds under it.  So that leaves implant.  We'll see.  Supposedly I've already outlived out my actuarial years, based on my blood disease.  It's for sure I don't care about misalignment arising from the empty space.  Overusing other teeth in accommodation to the point of incurring added dental visits, I do care about.

Lesson learned?  1)  Do as Grant is doing - brush his kids teeth if they decline the reminder!  Hopefully not too hard, though probably matters not in that the ingrained training completes pre the second set.  2)  Get those check-ups!  So you can have problems tackled before increased damage is done, which equates to way bigger bucks.  Kinda like a car in that regard.  If you think you can't afford a check-up, you're dooming yourself to even more of what you very likely can't afford later either.  3)  Sometimes life is NOT short and so you don't die before exorbitant dental screw-ups.

Which reminds me.  Dr. A. is of a mind that having dental insurance (these days) is not the way to go, even if provided by your work.  He said dental plans are awful in general, getting worse, and typically don't include the best dentists and, as you can see, if you pick poorly, you're just turning the inevitable screw.