Where's Waldo?

Or more interestingly.... where are Ben and Dave? I expected to see a post from them shortly. I've heard the seats in the Barracuda (which is also my best song on Guitar Hero) leave something to be desired. Dave compared the vinyl on the seats to duct tape. Nice. They couldn't find the Sequoias and said they were going to the Grand Canyon from Albuquerque...which if you look at a map is about 700 miles wrong. I'm sure they'll clarify at some point.

I'm slaving away at the VA medical center here in Dallas. Patients faint while waiting in the lines at the pharmacy. I think there were 5 or 6 people that passed out last week. It's pretty sad. They're remodeling some of the pharmacy windows (making them bullet proof) so the lines are terrible. Two more weeks at the VA and then 5 weeks in the ICU at Parkland (where JFK was taken when he was shot). After that (middle of March to mid April) I have five weeks in the health clinic at the Dallas County Jail. Then I am done done done done done. Graduation is May 16th at Creighton in Omaha. Be there or be square.

We're going to San Antonio the first weekend in April for the national pharmacists' convention. Party like a pharmacist. Actually, I'm taking a preparation class for the pharmacy licensing exam. Evan will be worshiping at the shrine of the Alamo and checking out high end audio stores.

Evan's working at St Jude's Medical in the 'advanced neuromodulation' division. Kids are doing well. David has his first follow-up appointment with the endocrinologist in a couple of weeks. We should see if the growth hormone is working.

Suzi's excitement has been keeping us on our toes. I made Jeff and the kids some lasagna and some chicken enchiladas tonight. I just need to get them over to their house. We all hope she can keep those babies in there cooking for at least another three weeks. Six weeks would be even better. So far, so good. Not good enough for her doctors to let her out of the hospital, but still doing well. Noki tried to eat Evan's mother when she unlocked Suzi's front door on Friday. If you didn't know, Noki hates little old ladies. They are evil and scary and he must protect us from them. Stupid dog. He quit growling when she scolded him and told him he was a bad dog.

I've taken the leopard gecko, Lego, to the vet twice in the last 10 days. I have to give him eye drops twice a day and an injection of antibiotics every three days for three weeks. After stabbing David and his lizard every day, I'm pretty skilled in the injection department. Did you know geckos can scream?

I'm supposed to be teaching Relief Society tomorrow, so I better get cracking on my lesson.

M

Clines Update - Twins & Peter... and all that stuff

I would type up a nice long update on where we are at with the twins, with Peter's accident and all that stuff... but since it's all posted on our blog I figured I just put a link here and redirect everyone to our blog.

http://familyclines.blogspot.com

Camp Wannaweep T-Shirts

So I designed a camp t-shirt. This is totally optional. But if you would like one, I've attached the file HERE so you can print it out on transfer paper and iron on the design to as many shirts as your heart desires.

Contact with Lake of the Ozarks

I just got off the phone with the gal at the camp I guess it takes a week to return calls. All the business is squared away for us to arrive on the 7th at 2pm. Here are some details that I was able to ask her:
NO Pool- there are other state parks that have pools but not Lake of the Ozarks, we get a private beach on the lake. Now Jeff can use his professional Lifeguard license for a summer job ;-)
Cabins: all have electricity, but if there is too many extension chords or things plugged in circuits will break. Fans are ok. A/C units are not.
Dinning Hall: the Kitchen area had a window air conditioning unit, dinning area is in closed (has walls), but can open windows for circulation. Might need an oscillating fan.
Water hook up: there is an outdoor facet to hook up a hose behind the Dinning Hall. SO dad if you want to bring the slide I'm sure the younger kids would love that, although I'm not sure how close an open area to set it up is.

There is not a Sam's Club within a 50 mile radius but there is a Super Walmart 2.2 miles away.

If you have any other questions about the camp then you have to wait until we get there!

Camp Wannaweep

Dad made a spread sheet with the expenses of Camp Wannaweep. Evan's brother isn't able to come but maybe one of his boys will. So once the final decisions are made I'll send out the spread sheet. I do find it easier for one person to pay for every thing, so if everyone can get their $ ready before you get there it would be good. If at all possible cash would be the best so that no one is putting out all the money and waiting to get home to deposit it all. Roughly it's going to be around +/- $175 per family depending on how many people you have in your family.

I'm working on a menu and would love any suggestions, I figure since we will have a kitchen we don't have to have the same food we always eat when we are camping. Once the menu is done then I will make a shopping list and a binder that will contain the menu and recipes. I was also going to get all the groceries there instead of people hauling it with them. Each family will be assigned kitchen duty sometime during the weekend.

Since we are staying in cabins you won't need to bring tents, but will need appropriate bedding (pillows, blankets, sheets), and what ever else you will need. Every family should be able to have their own cabin, but as far as which cabin we won't be able to make that assignment until we get there.

We are also responsible for bring all cleaning supplies for the kitchen and bathrooms including brooms, dust pan, toilet paper, paper towels. I figured we could use the grocery money to pay for the cleaning products unless someone would like to donate them. I purchased wash clothes and towels last year for the camp and will bring those. The website says that the kitchen is stocked with pots, pans, cookie sheets, plates, utensils etc... but I don't think we should relay completely on them to have every thing so based on the menu we should bring extra supplies.

There is a basketball court, volleyball court, and a private beach on the lake. There is a question about there actually being a pool and the lady in charge at Lake of the Ozarks is very difficult to get a hold of. Jeff is at lifeguard training this week end in hopes that there is actually a real pool at our disposal. There is one at the park by the stables but I don't know if it cost anything to get in. It is also on the other side of the park than Camp Wannaweep (about 7 miles). We can't plan for everything since this is a new place that we are going to and not sure what it all has but there is a first time for everything.

If you have any questions that I need to track down then let me know, also suggestions about meals is needed.

It's that time of year...

It's that time of year again. It's Scout Camp time. David and Sam had camp this week. David went to Camp Constantine and Sam had a week of Cub Scout Twilight camp. Jacob was also at Scout camp this week. In fact, I think Dad went a few days as well. Jeff leaves for Scout camp tomorrow with his new troop. This is his first summer camp as Scout Master. I have a tip for Jeff. Personal hygiene is NOT optional. Make sure the boys take at least one shower during the week. Scout Masters don't seem to think that's a big deal, but mothers do.

David seemed to have a good time. He earned several merit badges this year (last year he earned 0 as he missed several of his class). He'd taken to calling Camp Constantine the 'Place of Evil' after his experience last year. Camp Constatine is a couple of hours west of DFW located on scenic Possum Kingdom Lake (seriously, that's the name) and it's know for it's blazing hot and arid condition. Last year it rained the entire week - a once-in-100-year event. David came home with his pillow covered in mildew. This year it didn't rain, but the fire ants were out in force. Camp Constatine may not be a place of evil, but fire ants are truly the devil's spawn.

So David's been telling me stories from camp this week that generally revolve around various humorous-to-13-year-old-boys body sounds. David earned a merit badge in Reptile Studies while at camp so when he told me that he saw two diamond back rattlesnakes, I assumed this occurred in Reptile Studies class. I suppose one shouldn't assume. Evidently, Camp Constantine is not only overrun with fire ants, but also has a sizable number of rattlesnakes. David told me that he and another scout, AJ, found a rattlesnake on the path one afternoon.

"I knew it was a rattlesnake, because it was shaking it's rattle at us. And then AJ poked it with a stick and it rattled even louder!" Ack!

Slave Labor Update

Evan says (behind my back when he thinks I can't hear him) that I've had a personality transplant since my last semester of pharmacy school course work ended last month. I do feel like a tremendous load has been lifted from my shoulders. I started my clerkship rotations on June 2. So 2 weeks of my 40 weeks of slave labor as a doctor-of-pharmacy-wanna-be are completed. 1600 hours of working for free and paying tuition to Creighton for the privilege. Who made up that rule?

I'm working just down the road at a local chain pharmacy. Working with the public is always interesting. Here's what I've learned so far...

1. If someone comes in with prescriptions for both intestinal worms and pubic lice, use rubber gloves and a long stick to hand back the medication or you'll feel like bugs are crawling all over you for weeks.
2. If you must smoke while simultaneously using bottled oxygen, please don't use the pharmacy drive through to pick up your asthma inhalers. When you explode into a fiery ball of nicotine stained chunks, I'd rather not be standing 3 feet away with only a plate glass window to protect me. What kind of fool blows oxygen over an open flame? Evidently, lots of them.
3. Old ladies complain about paying $4 for 30 pills that will probably save their lives. Old men willingly pay $10 a pill for Viagra that will probably kill them, yet they never complain about the cost.
4. No, I don't want to see your rash and, yes, you probably can spread jock itch to your face.
5. If you took your Viagra an hour ago but then your wife called and said her appointment at the beauty parlor ran late and she won't be home for a couple more hours, don't call the pharmacy and ask me what to do about it. Really, don't call me.