My Yearly Political Rant: Updated

The Ohio house has just passed what has become known as "The Heart Beat Bill" and it now goes on to the senate, where no one is sure what is going to happen with it. Hopefully they'll realize how ridiculous it is, and strike it down. While I agree there need to be certain protections in place for fetuses, this bill is especially ridiculous for two reasons:
1. It is being reported that there are NO provisions in this bill for rape or incest. This bill makes abortion illegal after the first detectable fetal heart beat, which they are saying is around the 6th week of pregnancy. I think this is an unimaginable position to put a women in who has found herself pregnant because of rape or incest. How many women even know they are pregnant by the 6th week? This is an even more severe position than the stance the Church takes on abortion.
2. Groups on BOTH sides of this issue (both pro-choice & pro-life) admit that if this bill passes it will probably face a lengthy challenge in the courts and eventually be struck down and found unconstitutional per the Roe v. Wade ruling. For a state that is so budget conscious these days, it seems like this is a ridiculous way to spend our time and money.

I'm just sayin'.

OK, rant over. For now.

Misterpiece Mastery.

Nerdy Aside: Did you all know that it's about to be Masterpiece Mystery season on PBS again?! Every Sunday night, Ben and I just PINE away for a little Poirot, or Inspector Lewis, or the new Sherlock Holmes, or whatever this new season will have in store for us. We are NOT fans of Masterpiece Classic, and rarely fans of Masterpiece Contemporary, but oh how we LOVE our Masterpiece Mystery! Woot!

OK, now that I got that out of my system, on to other things. Probably equally as nerdy, though.

1. My foot/heel/plantar fascia rehabilitation is a really pain in the . . . foot! This is seriously cramping my summer style. Flip flops are apparently not the footwear of preference for podiatrists' patients. Boo. Hiss. Also, doing the same PT stretches over, and over, and over, and freaking over again is super boring. Zzzzzzz. See? I just fell asleep doing them!

2. Our plans for a summer excursion westward-ho tour of Utah/Arizona are temporarily/permanently on hold/put off. What with having to buy a new car, and practically purchasing a robotic organ (insulin pump + CGM=semi-functional pancreas) this year, our stash of cash has been depleted and we have a solid financial policy in our house not to put things on a credit card we can't pay off quickly. Airfare is EXPENSIVE these days, peeps! What happened to $99 specials?! Maybe we'll get out there in the fall, during the "off" season? I know you'll all be in mourning for weeks after this announcement, and I'm sorry to disappoint my adoring fans, but "in these Economic Times" (barf, gag) one must do what is best for one's bottom line.

3. Speaking of bottom lines, did I tell you that this foot injury is also seriously cramping my exercising style? Sheesh! This little bottom does not tone up on an elliptical trainer. No, siree! And I am currently under strict orders to not do anything high impact. That's right, I have a doctor's note that gets me out of running! Ha! If only I'd had one 15 years ago, it would've saved me a lot of junior-high heartache. So, any way, that extra marriage-weight I've been putting on will just have to wait a little while to come off.

4. If I seem to have been especially snarky in this post, it's because I'm battling day 2 of a migraine, and don't have any serious pain killers in the house (where is some oxy-whatever-you-call-it when you need it?!) and am seriously contemplating using Ben's drill that is sitting unused in our basement to bore a hole in my skull to relieve the pressure. That makes sense, right?

Fun fun fun.

Did I tell you my sister-in-law is going to Thailand on her mission? I think I did. Last weekend we went down to North Carolina so we could be with her as she went through the temple for the first time. It was so great to be there with almost the whole Carper family! We had lots of family dinners, complete with Cheerwine, and just generally lots of fun. My sister-in-law showed us all the new outfits she bought for her mission, and I must say, sister missionaries are allowed to look a lot less frumpy these days. Not that she would ever look frumpy anyway, she has an impeccable sense of style. Any way, she doesn't have to wear panty-hose (the world's most pointless invention) and she's not even allowed to wear long skirts! I think the church is trying to move away from having people mistake our sister missionaries for fundamentalists. :) No Jody dresses for this missionary! Also it sounds like they have different rules in Thailand about how to dress because it is just too dang hot to wear frumpy clothes any way. So, we're super excited for her. She is going to be an absolutely amazing missionary.

While we were there we also got to help my brother-in-law and his wife move into their brand new home. It's a beautiful home, in a great neighborhood, and they're already fixing it up and making it their own. My sister-in-law is amazing at decorating, and she created this beautiful and fanciful playroom in their new house for their girls. I can't wait to see what the whole house looks like when she's done with it. One of these days I'm going to have to get her up here to decorate my house.

We drove up and down with Ben's dad, who is currently working in Dayton. He drives up Monday morning, works a 40 hour week, and then drives back to High Point on Thursday night. That's a 14 hour total commute and nearly 1000 miles! Hard core. It was fun to drive up and back with him, though, and I think he appreciated the company since he usually makes the drive by himself. We didn't have to put the miles or gas on our car, and we didn't have to drive and could just watch the scenery go by. I love the Appalachian mountains! So beautiful!

After my sister-in-law leaves for her mission, my mother-in-law is going to come up to Ohio when Ben's dad comes up and spend a few days with us, which we're looking forward to! I can't remember the last time we had visitors! I think it was C. Burnside about a year ago! Hooray! Yay for summer fun!

It's official!

I'm a gimp! Well, not quite. I have officially seen a podiatrist for this annoying heel pain I've been having. They said I have plantar fasciitis, and they have taped up my foot! For a WEEK! Apparently the tape is supposed to act as a support for my arch, but I'm skeptical. They took x-rays, and while I don't have any broken bones I do have heel spurs on each foot. They looked kind of gross on the x-ray. But also kind of cool, like I'm growing horns on the bottom of my feet. Or scales. Or something reptilian. Apparently the spurs aren't what cause my foot to hurt though, it's just the inflamed plantar fascia. Also, I have specific stretches I'm supposed to do, and I have to take an anti-inflammatory for awhile. And on top of all that they gave me this really dorky brace that I have to wear when I'm sleeping in order to stretch out my plantar fascia It looks like this.

And now I feel like a big dork. A big, OLD, dork.

April Showers bring more May Showers?

Holy Hannah, have we had some crazy storms here the past few days. We just can't seem to get a weather break for more than a day! The month of May has consisted of two straight weeks of rain (and subsequent flooding in a lot of the lower lying areas), followed by about 2 days of sunshine. Then more rain, and now a whole WEEK of storms!

Luckily none of these storms have spawned tornadoes in Columbus, but there have been tornadoes north of us, south of us, east of us, and west of us. Ridiculous! We are on pins and needles here, people!

Luckily, we are well prepared for a disaster. Well, compared to most people, probably. We have 72 hour kits, and a bunch of water all stored in our nice basement. Oh, how grateful I am to have a basement in a state that gets so many tornadoes! After we saw all the footage from the Alabama and Joplin tornadoes, I told Ben that as long as we still live in tornado alley, we WILL live in a place with a basement. That's the only way you could survive a really bad tornado!

OK, enough about tornadoes, already! In fun news, we are going down to North Carolina tomorrow to spend the weekend there! Ben's sister is leaving for her mission soon to go to THAILAND and she is going through the temple for the first time this weekend. So, we are going to go down for that! We are SO excited for her, she is going to be the BEST missionary! Also, because she is going to Thailand, that means all of the kids in the Carper family who went on missions got called to foreign missions! Ben and another brother of his both went to Brazil. Ben's oldest brother went to the Philippines, and his younger brother went to New Zealand-Mandarin Speaking! Between them all, they know a bunch of languages!

Also, one of my cousins just got called on a mission to South Dakota! And another one of my cousins is currently on a mission in Minnesota! And all these new missionaries are women! I'm so proud of my cousins/sister-in-law! Way to represent the ladies!

OK, that's it. I'll keep you all posted on the storms.

Wussy Injury Update

Remember that time I went to Urgent Care for cutting my lip open with my reading light? And the doctors probably secretly mocked me? And then told me it was no big deal and that I didn't need a stitch and that it would heal up just fine and in a couple of days?

Well, it's been about a month, and I still have a scar. And I think it's going to be permanent. Stupid Urgent Care.

Battlefield: Cincinnati!

Favorite Cousin Erin, reporting in from Battlefield Cincinnati!

I have been honored and privileged this week to serve under the command of the "Little Warrior" Marky Jeanes and his troops (a.k.a. Lynette, his mom)! Mark came out to see a special doctor at Cincinnati Children's hospital who knew how to do a special test. This hospital is Numero Uno in the nation for GI/Colorectal stuff, so our not-so-little anymore "Little Warrior" was in great hands!

Mark and Netti arrived Tuesday afternoon at the Cincinnati/Kentucky airport, and left Sunday morning. Tuesday night we got to spend hangin' out and discovering all the cool stuff at the Cincinnati Ronald McDonald house. That place was AWESOME! Wednesday through Friday were spent on the battle front at Cincinnati Children's hospital, during which Mark led the troops valiantly and bravely to a glorious victory Friday afternoon! It rained during the whole "battle", but was totally sunny and beautiful when Mark and the troops got out of the hospital. During the hospital stay we spent a lot of time watching cool movies like Green Beret & Independence Day, and we shared annoying videos with each other like "Annoying Orange" & "Friday".

After bustin outta that joint Friday afternoon, Mark & the troops spent some time in the beautiful Cincinnati sunshine! Saturday, favorite cousin-in-law Ben came down and we all went to visit the Cincinnati Zoo! We got mooned by a lot of animals! We followed the Zoo trip with a trip to Micky D's for a Black Angus Burger and shakes. Mmmm mmmm! We really were lovin' it! After an awesome game of hide-and-go-seek in the super cool RMH playground, where Mark & cousin-in-law Ben showed off there amazing hiding skillz, Ben & Erin had to leave to go back to Columbus. And the next day, Mark & Lynette flew back to the home base in Utah.

While we loved having the Little Warrior and his support troops here for their deployment in the Ohio, we sincerely hope the next time we see them, they won't have to have any hospitals involved! :)

Marky, it was a pleasure and honor serving under your command! And, one more thing:

Wazzzzzuuuuuuuuupppppp!!!