Growing Up and Giving In

What started out as a simple visit to my new Urbandale dentist became a much bigger ordeal this Thursday morning. Whatever happened to, "oh your teeth okay. Just keep flossing and here's your toothbrush."

I haven't visited a dentist in almost two years but I brush well, floss sometimes, and try and make clean teeth a priority of mine. Yet to my dismay, the dentist informed me that my four cavernous cavities needed attention. Three hours and a sore mouth later, I paid the outrageous dental bill and got the heck out of there.

This is the first time I've had to cover my own dental costs and wow was I in for a surprise. Still feeling a little numb from the novacaine, I lispingly phoned my dad to thank him for his years of financial dedication to my orthodontics. "Sthank you sad for making my seeth sraight." He thought it was a prank and hung up the phone.

As I trudged back to work I thought of all the things I could've bought with my cavity money-a plane ticket back to Europe, adopt a child, spring break festivities, and more new shoes. kidding

I'm steadily facing reality. This is just all part of growing up-paying your debts and your dentist.

If you find it in your heart to make a donation to Cayla's plane ticket back to Europe, adopt a child, spring break festivities, and more new shoes fund, please contact her at westergard1@gmail.com. Pledge now to improve Cayla's social well-being.

Until we meet again,

Cayla

A few of my favorite things

A few of my favorite things:

1.) New makeup

2.) Driving through the country

3.) Eating out with friends

4.) North Grand Mall Dollar Theater

5.) Morning News

6.) Surprise Dates

7.) County Fairs

8.) Perusing bookstores

9.) My bathrobe

10.) Mexican restaurants

Skip on soufflés...Never fall asleep while whitening your teeth

Last night's inevitable Iowa weather meant staying cooped up inside slaving over a hot stove making what else but soufflés!?! :-) If you've never tried a soufflé before, it's essentially a baked cake made with egg yolks, beaten egg whites and other desserty ingredients. I started on the amaretto soufflés at 6:00 pm and didn't actually taste the finished product until 10:30. Although they were great and turned out like the picture showed they would, it wasn't worth the almost four-hour trouble. I'll stick to cookies next time...and keep the amaretto. :-)

Have you ever fallen asleep while whitening your teeth? Not good. I woke this morning feeling as though I'd chewed a sheet of aluminum foil. (Yeah, you know the feeling) I then tried to eat another soufflé for breakfast, which also tasted like aluminum foil...apparently they're a "serve immediately" type of dessert. A typical Tuesday.

Until we meet again,

Cayla

What's all the Buzzz?

Happy Monday everyone.

It was a great weekend, wasn't it? Saw lots of friends, celebrated some birthdays, watched good movies, and stayed under the covers for a good portion of it.

Almost nine months out of college, I'm still trying to figure out what to do with all this extra time on my hands...read books for pleasure (what!?!), work out (not very often but yeah!), catch up TV shows, go back to school???

I would LOVE to go back and get a Master's Degree-in what though I have no idea. So rather than wasting money on a degree program I'm still unsure of, I've decided to just take a handful of interesting classes.

After hearing wonderful things about DMACC (thanks recruiter Elise), I've enrolled in Beginning Beekeeping and Intro to Graphic Design. The classes are a couple hours one night each week. Beekeeping starts this Thursday and Graphic Design starts in March.

I'm looking forward to learning in a classroom setting again and learning "sweet" things...here come the puns. :-)

Until we meet again,

Cayla

Hey January, get out of my life!

Is the month of January every going to end? Now 22 days in, I feel like we are forever stuck in this black hole we call "the dead of winter." Crummy roads, snow drifts, bad winter drivers sans four-wheel drive capabilities, bad winter pick-up drivers on their cell phones, and now for the icing on our Baked Alaska (I mean Iowa) Cake-more ICE ICE ICE and I've got the elbow bruises to prove it.

I just heard on NPR that today has been named the most depressing day of the year. And who can blame them?? Scientists are saying that today's depression is the result of:

*Bad weather

*Christmas debt

*New Year's Resolutions gone belly up

*Trying to get back into a work routine

*Just being plain old lethargic

Check yes to all of the above.

Off the top of my head I can think of six friends who have birthdays today-that's amazing considering I have a difficult time just thinking of six friends off the top of my head! Feliz cumpleaños to them!

Yet, I thank God for these six friends because looking forward to their combined birthday parties all week is what's been keeping me from going off the deep end on the year's most depressing day. Thank you to my six friends!

This weekend, I'm getting a facial thanks to Carissa's generous Christmas gift card in Ames. I've never gotten a facial before so it will be interesting for both parties no doubt.

If you haven't checked out the Des Moines Botanical Center this winter you HAVE to go! It's an instant boost to your skin's moisture (and a much cheaper facial) plus it's a nice to escape to a domed-in tropical environment for a couple of hours. Also, they have what's called 'Botanical Blues' from 1-3pm on Sundays in January. Blues musicians play while you enjoy the greenery. :-)

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.

-Cayla