Sunday, December 2, 2007
Moving on
I am moving to my website to continue the journey of Lexie. Please visit my new website www. sandrakhorn.com to see my book and if you feel like it - buy it! If you like it, tell your friends. Lexie and The Rabbit Trap are a powerful journey for me. I will be sharing it with you as I plan my book signing as soon as it is finished in the printing.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Technology gods
I am trying to meet deadlines so people can read more about Lexie. But today is one of those days the technology gods are not with me.
Technology gods are taking over the world. You have had days like this. I know you have. Everyone has. Anything has to do with technology does not work. Be it the weather, time of day, or a planet moving into a certain position.
I walked into the local Cord Camera to scan the photos that were taken for the back of my book and I sit down really convinced this was not going to take very long. I work on computers every day. No biggie. Wouldn’t you know it; I sat down at a computer and scanner set that made the pictures look crayoned. I went to find the clerk. “Is this supposed to look like this?” I asked.
“No, it isn’t. Why don’t you try another computer?” She advised.
I moved. Okay. Here we go again. I had left the house with pullenty of time to do this scanning, put it on a CD and make it to my dental appointment. Well, now looking at my phone, like the rest of America I have taken off my watch. I see I have fourteen minutes to get to the dentist. Better go. I can come back.
Now I have arrived at the dentist with time to spare. I chatted with Judy and the ladies updating myself with them. Between numbing shots, Judy, Laura, and even Bill my dentist had time to look at the shots for the book to express a vote.
We were ready to replace a crown. Now I love my dentist. But I hate anything having to do with drilling. Come on lasers! Please hurry and replace the drill! The smell alone makes me want to gag. But I like my teeth being in my mouth and not on a side table at bedtime so I will endure the drill.
For distraction I put the Beatles One on my Ipod and placed the ear buds in my ears. Bill is drilling and Laura is keeping spit out of his way alternating between rinsing and suctioning. Bill is talking about someone vacationing in Maine. I am trying to concentrate on The Long and Winding Road and breathing through my nose when the light above me blinks.
“Great. Let’s hope that is just a fluke,” Bill says. He goes on asking several times how I am doing. He stops what he is doing and let’s me breathe. Back again, he continues. Once again, the light blinks. He tells me of a time a squirrel is fried walking the electrical lines. Blink. Blink and off. Calm and a bit annoyed, he tells me if they stay off he will put a “temporary” in so I should not worry. I didn’t ask a temporary what. My mouth was still open at the time. He then explains that he will have me spit and wash like the old days and I am still back at thinking how numb my mouth is feeling. He explains he will be right back. Laura is also in action getting something to help him put in a temporary something. Another one of sweetest dental techs comes in and now everyone is looking out the window at the AT&T guys working. Everyone is wondering if they cut something. Conversations about my Ipod and computers, and Bill worrying about how hot the office will be in the 96 degree weather transpired while flashlights and other foreign tools were being gathered to aid the tiny gap now in my mouth.
A red flashlight, a purple looking fluorescent “thingy”, and a dangerous looking tool were used to place the temporary in my tooth. The last of the air pressure was exhausted as I sipped, swished, and spit trying not to dribble out of my numb lip and down my chin.
The temporary in, I got up out of the reclining chair and gave some thought about what to do if the repair work on the crown could not be done later today. My schedule becoming much more complicated in the days to come, I decided to let everything play out and started to plan to return to Cord Camera again to scan the pictures that was needed ASAP.
You can guess that this effort was not exactly successful either. It ended with the clerk deciding she should do it for me and I could return for the CD later today. I wanted to tell her really that I had a technology degree and on a daily basis worked on media projects. I decided to let the younger girl take pity on the older lady and produce the CD for me.
I was not in favor with the technology gods today.
Technology gods are taking over the world. You have had days like this. I know you have. Everyone has. Anything has to do with technology does not work. Be it the weather, time of day, or a planet moving into a certain position.
I walked into the local Cord Camera to scan the photos that were taken for the back of my book and I sit down really convinced this was not going to take very long. I work on computers every day. No biggie. Wouldn’t you know it; I sat down at a computer and scanner set that made the pictures look crayoned. I went to find the clerk. “Is this supposed to look like this?” I asked.
“No, it isn’t. Why don’t you try another computer?” She advised.
I moved. Okay. Here we go again. I had left the house with pullenty of time to do this scanning, put it on a CD and make it to my dental appointment. Well, now looking at my phone, like the rest of America I have taken off my watch. I see I have fourteen minutes to get to the dentist. Better go. I can come back.
Now I have arrived at the dentist with time to spare. I chatted with Judy and the ladies updating myself with them. Between numbing shots, Judy, Laura, and even Bill my dentist had time to look at the shots for the book to express a vote.
We were ready to replace a crown. Now I love my dentist. But I hate anything having to do with drilling. Come on lasers! Please hurry and replace the drill! The smell alone makes me want to gag. But I like my teeth being in my mouth and not on a side table at bedtime so I will endure the drill.
For distraction I put the Beatles One on my Ipod and placed the ear buds in my ears. Bill is drilling and Laura is keeping spit out of his way alternating between rinsing and suctioning. Bill is talking about someone vacationing in Maine. I am trying to concentrate on The Long and Winding Road and breathing through my nose when the light above me blinks.
“Great. Let’s hope that is just a fluke,” Bill says. He goes on asking several times how I am doing. He stops what he is doing and let’s me breathe. Back again, he continues. Once again, the light blinks. He tells me of a time a squirrel is fried walking the electrical lines. Blink. Blink and off. Calm and a bit annoyed, he tells me if they stay off he will put a “temporary” in so I should not worry. I didn’t ask a temporary what. My mouth was still open at the time. He then explains that he will have me spit and wash like the old days and I am still back at thinking how numb my mouth is feeling. He explains he will be right back. Laura is also in action getting something to help him put in a temporary something. Another one of sweetest dental techs comes in and now everyone is looking out the window at the AT&T guys working. Everyone is wondering if they cut something. Conversations about my Ipod and computers, and Bill worrying about how hot the office will be in the 96 degree weather transpired while flashlights and other foreign tools were being gathered to aid the tiny gap now in my mouth.
A red flashlight, a purple looking fluorescent “thingy”, and a dangerous looking tool were used to place the temporary in my tooth. The last of the air pressure was exhausted as I sipped, swished, and spit trying not to dribble out of my numb lip and down my chin.
The temporary in, I got up out of the reclining chair and gave some thought about what to do if the repair work on the crown could not be done later today. My schedule becoming much more complicated in the days to come, I decided to let everything play out and started to plan to return to Cord Camera again to scan the pictures that was needed ASAP.
You can guess that this effort was not exactly successful either. It ended with the clerk deciding she should do it for me and I could return for the CD later today. I wanted to tell her really that I had a technology degree and on a daily basis worked on media projects. I decided to let the younger girl take pity on the older lady and produce the CD for me.
I was not in favor with the technology gods today.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Adjusting to my new home
When I first started school, my mom kept the same rules I had when I was in junior high and in a smaller town. My curfew was so early parties hadn't even started yet by the time I had to be home. I was worried that no one would want to be friends with me if I couldn't go with them. Soon, my friends started drinking at parties, only beer but still I still felt funny. When I realized that my boyfriend was smoking marijuana, I started really feeling scared. This is all stuff we weren't supposed to do. I worried just as much about caught as I was worried about people not wanting me as their friend.
When I think back, no one ever said anything. When I think back, I did the right thing joining the theater group. I did the right thing and joined the orchestra group. When I played for the musical, the director wasn't so bad. I probably was oversensitive to any criticism he had of me being gone for those weeks.
I guess I was the one who overexaggerated a lot of things.
It wasn't all me as I look back. My parents lack of support was also part of my problems back then. But I could've made an effort to find more help. I never went to a school counselor. I didn't look for a school group to see if there was any that supported my not wanting to drink. I wonder if I had told Lisa or Katy about Danny and my fear of what he said about Caleb "bringing me along" if they would have understood.
(Lexie is fictitious. She is a compilation of research, real experiences and observations of 18 years of teaching high school.)
When I think back, no one ever said anything. When I think back, I did the right thing joining the theater group. I did the right thing and joined the orchestra group. When I played for the musical, the director wasn't so bad. I probably was oversensitive to any criticism he had of me being gone for those weeks.
I guess I was the one who overexaggerated a lot of things.
It wasn't all me as I look back. My parents lack of support was also part of my problems back then. But I could've made an effort to find more help. I never went to a school counselor. I didn't look for a school group to see if there was any that supported my not wanting to drink. I wonder if I had told Lisa or Katy about Danny and my fear of what he said about Caleb "bringing me along" if they would have understood.
(Lexie is fictitious. She is a compilation of research, real experiences and observations of 18 years of teaching high school.)
About Lexie
Lexie is now a senior in high school. Her story will be out in a book called The Rabbit Trap in the fall of 07. She has learned a lot in the past three years that she would really like to share with girls such as herself or parents of girls like her.
"Being 15 and starting high school was hard enough, but being in a new school on top of that was awful. I was leaving Penny, Olivia, and Perry. We didn't have to talk we just knew how we felt. We had been in playgroups together while we were all in diapers. They loved music like I did. We were all string players. Penny's violin couldn't hold a tune, and Perry was always on tempo speed, but we liked playing together. They didn't mind that I was first chair forever. When Mom and Dad said we were moving to Columbus, Ohio, they promised nothing would change. They said I could come back and visit and we would stay close. But things did change. That's why I am writing."
(Lexie is fictitious. She is a compilation of research, real experiences and observations of 18 years of teaching high school.)
"Being 15 and starting high school was hard enough, but being in a new school on top of that was awful. I was leaving Penny, Olivia, and Perry. We didn't have to talk we just knew how we felt. We had been in playgroups together while we were all in diapers. They loved music like I did. We were all string players. Penny's violin couldn't hold a tune, and Perry was always on tempo speed, but we liked playing together. They didn't mind that I was first chair forever. When Mom and Dad said we were moving to Columbus, Ohio, they promised nothing would change. They said I could come back and visit and we would stay close. But things did change. That's why I am writing."
(Lexie is fictitious. She is a compilation of research, real experiences and observations of 18 years of teaching high school.)
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