Return of the Y

You may have been asking yourself, "Where has the male half of the Lewisi been over the past few months?" and an appropriate answer to this question would be, "Working and biking but mainly working." My wife has already addressed the biking a few times so I will not bore you with more details, but know that the TdK and MS150 were beautiful rides, both fun and challenging.

However, I don't think Lindsey has said much about my work so if you are interested, buckle up.... I have spent the last (almost) six months working for Enterprise Rent-A-Car (ERAC), and yes, we will pick you up. It has been an up and down adventure for me, struggling through whether or not I will stick around, if the pay is worth the effort, and any number of other things that happen with the job. Through it all my High School teachers would have been proud of me though. Do you remember when they told you that when making a decision you should write out all the pros in one column and the cons in another and the side with more entries should make your decision for you? Well I have done that, dozens of times, in my head and the annoying thing is that it has always come out dead even. Fun huh? Oddly enough, through all of this I have still consistently blown away almost everyone in the city (two or three people rival my numbers) every month since I have been there. Now you might be saying, "Drew do we need to have a discussion about pride in your life?" and I would say that, "No we do not at all because I know I am not a salesman, but somehow I can sell." Basically, the Lord has been listening when Lindsey has been asking that He grant me favor at work.

At work there are multiple different departments, Fleet, Remarketing, Loss Control, Car Sales, etc. I have been eying the Car Sales department since a month or two after I started at ERAC and last month a spot finally came open. Enterprise is all about putting a ladder out there for everyone to climb so I was expecting that this job would be open only for Assistant Managers (two promotions above my current position) and higher. However, they put no restrictions on who could apply, so I asked just to make sure and submitted my formal interest in the position the next day. A couple weeks later I finally got to interview (last Tuesday) and I left feeling like the interview went pretty well. I had to wait until Friday because one of the other four candidates interviewed on Thursday so by the time I found out I was getting pretty antsy. To wrap up this story, I got the job, which is amazing. Me against four people that have more experience and way more buy in with ERAC than me plus the fact they have already been promoted, which can be hard to do in this company, and somehow I ended up on top.... “somehow” can and should be translated here into, through the Lord's amazing grace and blessing, for the sake of accuracy. So starting on the 1st of August I will now be selling cars and no longer renting them up here in Louisville, KY. I guess if you have been looking for an excuse to come visit I just found you another option, you can now buy a car from me too!

The Lord has show us his mercy and grace since we have made the move up here to Kentucky. We had been married two weeks and new basically no one and somehow have gotten plugged into a church that points to Christ in everything it does and been blessed amazingly with jobs and friends. We still miss and friends and family back home like crazy though! Oh, and with my new job I will be working an average of 10 hours less a week so maybe I will find more time to blog on this thing (but don't count on it).

Sinus Story

Well I searched and searched for an interesting picture for this blog and let's just face it... there really isn't anything that fits. I could upload the actual pictures of the inside of my nose that our dear doctor gave us but then you might never visit this blog, or me, again!! It's gross.
If you are one of those people that have to experience everything for yourself and probably thus life life the hard way I will give you a visual to get you on your way.... chunky peanutbutter.
So, Wednesday morning I had my surgery. I was farely confident and mostly relieved the day was here. I don't remember much pain from my previous surgery and it took less than an hour to complete and it was much more severe, so this surgery seemed like a breeze.
First of all, adult hospitals are not near as nice as children's hospitals and they are not as good at putting in IVs and they are LOUD! I was stuck in this little section of a crowded and busy room for hours as they preped me and waited for my doctor, who apparently was in a pretty important meeting. I decided to charge the doctor the same rates that he was charging me minute by minute... so now according to our calculations I have a large credit with this man! If only that were true. Finally he did come and did at least try to be nice to Drew and I... then I lost all consciousness.
Over two hours later I awoke with an oxygen mask on my face, cotton up my nose and an icepack over my eyes.... talk about disoriented. I couldn't talk from having a tube down my throat for hours so I simply raised my hand until I nurse came to me... it wasn't quick. Then they weren't allowed to give me a drink but I did finally convince them for a few ice chips... I think they felt bad b/c I started crying immediately when they refused me a drink. I was in some serious pain.
My face felt like some one had taken a meat malet and gone to town on my face all over. It was a weird tightening and squeezing sensation... so more morphine it was.
Finally they moved me to a little recliner chair on wheels and moved me to recovery where they informed me my husband was not there but would arrive shortly. Luckily I did remember that he had work and that a longer surgery probably meant he had to run home to put on his suit but it was still really lonely and scarey to be at this big hospital in all this pain and not know a single soul! The nurses finally brought me a drink and something to eat and then I started to throw up and was able to catch a nurse (these gals are slippery to catch!) and she gave me some more meds that kept it from coming out!
Finally my prince came and I felt much better having him there. I could barely keep my eyes open.
A friend came and took me home and I have done little else but sleep the past two days away. I just haven't been able to keep my eyes open until today... and I have only taken one nap so far! My nose is already full of junk again, which makes me so frustrated, because I am not allowed to blow my nose. I am on tons of horse pills but yet my DR gave us little direction about what to do! SO FRUSTRATING! So we are just hoping for the best until my check up next week! You'd think after surgery everything will be great but really that is just the first step in kicking this thing!!!
So... that's the story. We're still alive and kickin... but I'm doin a lot of sleeping!

Thanks for everyone who has been praying for Drew's dad... he is recovering though still very tired. The meds he is on keeps his blood pressure super low so energy is lacking. He is also workin on his new diet and excercise plan. We're not sure how much more chicken Susan can pump into him until he starts to crow! Keep him in your prayers and their business as well!!

Lifetime Accomplishments!

Over the past week I have accomplished two lifetime achievements!! First of all, my handsome husband and I participated in the MS 150. If you have been keeping up with the hubby this is just a petty ride for him since he did 700 miles in one week for MS just a few weeks before. However, my longest ride consisted of 25 miles and maybe 3 mediocre hills. But nonetheless I jumped headlong into a 150 mile ride from Georgetown, KY to Danville, KY. It was the hardest thing I quite possibly have ever done. We took the "short route" which consisted of a little under 60 miles the first day. I am not joking you when I tell you that the first 30 of those miles did not include a single space of flat ground. It was constant uphill and downhill...somtimes multiple uphills for merely one downhill. By the first rest stop I thought I might die. But a peanut butter sandwich and some gatorade got me back on that silly bike.


(bike fix #1)

About the next mile we realized that maybe the hills were soooo hard for me because I couldn't shift into my easiest ring that would give me a whole new set of easier gears to play with on the hills. So we pulled over and the amazing bike shop Schellers had vans going up and down the course to help out bikers. The lovely gentleman fixed my bike in no time and the ride became MUCH more enjoyable after that. Many miles and even more hills later we realized that I had a leak in one of my tires....luckily we were at another rest stop (which were every 15 miles or so). So the nice Scheller man gave me a new one for free and we went merily on our way again!!


(bike fix #2)


(right before the huge hill... and look how high we already have climbed... this picture shows you some of the hills!)


Then there was a HUGE hill we had to climb for a few miles that tested my endurance for sure... and yes there was shedding of tears. Then we stopped for lunch only to find my new tire completely flat.. so the nice Scheller man gave me yet another one and did some nifty repairs to the wheel to keep that from happening again. The last 20 miles were still very hilly but thankfully they were mostly less steep and we did get in about 5 miles of flat land in farm country that was breath taking!!


(bike fix #3)

The Lord was so gracious to me because not only did he give me the body to get through this physical trial but he answered my prayers about the weather. It's a silly request but it was cool and cloudy but never dropped rain on us, which really helped me to keep going... if I had been overheated it would've been all over! Also the people at the rest stops were amazing and so encouraging. The best snack by far was a type of s'more. Two grahm crackers with crunchy peanutbutter and marshmellow cream oozing in the middle! Why hadn't I thought of this sooner... it was probably my favorite part of the whole ride!!!


(during the flat land... I was a happy camper!)

However, after the ride I was whiped out and by the time dinner and speeches were over I couldn't barely move my legs. Usually people don't get sore until a day or two after their work out.... I was practically immobile after a few hours... it even woke me up during the night I was so sore and tired. So, after much debate and a need to get back quickly Sunday to teach Sunday school we opted to celebrate my lifetime achievement and leave the second day of riding to be a goal for next year. Drew and our friend Matt rode it in half the time it took me the previous day! It was great though and I am still very proud of my small achievement. It's funny that I was ashamed for not completing the 150 miles but then I got to work on Monday and was talking about weekend stuff with my co workers and they were amazed that I did 60 miles and have gone on and on about it all week...So that has helped me really realize that I can be proud and thankful for what I did do and look forward to an even bigger challenge next year if the Lord permits me to participate again!!

Speaking of jobs... I just got a new job and tomorrow I will have been there for a week. This is a lifetime achievement in many manys ways. First of all this is the first job that I have had that I actually liked . A girl at church works there and got me the job because she is leaving to be a volunteer at an orphanage in Mexico in a month! Its this little sandwich and coffee cafe in the LGE building downtown (a few blocks from my sweet hubby). The owners are SO fun and nice and the costumers are mostly regulars who like to chat and are always friendly. It's busy but it's the best job I've had. Also, I have worked my first ever 8 hour day!!! TA DA! I have never worked 5 8hour days in a week before this week and it is tiring but yet a small accomplishment for my life!! The closest I came to this was working at a summer camp where you are working all the time and none of the time! It's been really nice to see the Lord provide this extra income that we are able to save up for next semester's seminary!
So that's life in the Lewisi right now

On a more serious note, please pray for Drew's parents. His dad had a heartattack this past weekend while we were on the ride and it has taken every one by surprise. He had bronchitis and then suddently felt odd and eventually got diagnosed as a heartattack and immediately taken into surgery. He has to lay off work for a month to recover which is difficult since they own their own business... so please pray for his health and recovery. Also this is a huge deal for Susan, his wife, because she is not store owner, wife, nurse, mom and woman! I know her emotions are so strained right now and she could use the tender mercies of the family of God right now!!
Thank you to all of you who I know really will pray!

Pictures from Tour de Kentucky!

From Start to Finish

Tour de Sinuses

Hurray for husbands!! Many of you got the daily reports from Drew while he was one his bicycle ride and thus you know all the details. However, for those of you who do not... my husband is amazing!! (well other than the fact that he left me for over a week!) Drew just participated in an 8 day ride around Kentucky (see map above) to raise money, support and awareness for MS. Our first and only contact in Louisville when we moved here were Bill and LeeAnn Turner. Bill works for UPS and LeeAnn is a talented musician and also has MS. These two have hosted us for dinner, provided a job for Drew when we first moved (Drew built their deck), let us do laundry and introduced us to our church and many of our closest friends! Bill organized this whole ride and in the process we decided that we should change the slogan "Go Big or Go Home" to "Go Bill or Go Home". Bill does everything top notch and to the extreme and this ride is a perfect example. Drew had minor problems with his knee towards the end but still ended up biking over 700 miles! WOW! So I am very grateful to have my man back and have a mouth to feed and clothes to wash and some one to snuggle with at the end of the day! You can check his ride out by googling Tour De Kentucky or I think visiting whyiride.com that's just an educated guess...




In other news, many of you also know I have severe sinus issues. It's so strange how this just popped up in my life and hasn't left me with any peace since!! During my spell with Bronchitis I went to the ear,nose and throat doctor for a check up and he revealed that I needed to have sinus surgery again! He said that I actually have severe pollup disease and sinusitis. Since I had issues with the interior wall of my sinuses before he deemed it best, after another appointment today, to have the surgery as soon as possible followed by major allergy testing and shots. It's expensive and a pain but it'll be nice to breath again and I have always thought that perhaps I should get my allergies tested instead of self diagnosing based on when and where my allergy attacks occur. So it will be nice, though painfully expensive, to get the shots and have a chance to improve my finnicky nose!! If you look at the picture... my entire right sinus... that's the big hole by the nose and above the nose is clogged. In a CAT scan bone is white and air is black and my left sinus is completely black and my right sinus is completely grey, as in NO AIR GETTING IN OR OUT! eek. So here we go on another newly wed adventure... surgery. It's always something not budgetted for coming up and freaking me out. However, I realize that this is actually good because those are the times that Drew leads the best and I get to follow him b/c he is soo laid back and trusting of the Lord and he leads me to that same mindset! It's great! So this time, for example, when I went to the doctor I did not break down into tears or snot all over anyone or have a total breakdown! Progress!

This week has been soo beautiful and it's getting HOT, I hope everyone gets out and enjoys it a little!!

Here, There, Everywhere!

Well, we haven't blogged in ages and that's because we've barely been able to sit still long enough to collect our thoughts!
I am officially finished with my first full semester of seminary! It was tough. I've never worked so hard in my entire life! I made mostly A's but my Philosophy test that I just took turned out to be quite unfair and knocked me down to a B! oh well. I really didn't like that class and I tried my hardest!
Many crazy things have happened in the life of the Lewisi over the past months. In April I came down with major insomnia and some sort of cold, which turned out to be bronchititis and a severe sinus infection. After several doctor's appointments and wonderful antibiotics I was told that I would once again have to have sinus surgery. This surgery was a huge deal the first time I had it because no one knew what was really wrong and there were really severe things that could've happened.... this instance isn't like that. It's just a huge pollup b/c I have severe pollup disease apparently. (ps. I found all this out while the doctor was dictating into his recording device, not actually to me). This was a shock because doctors and sickness cost lost of money. I always knew that my parents had great insurance and so I never worried about costs of those things. Well we have great insurance too through Drew's work, but I found out to my horror that insurance doesn't cover everything. They don't cover the weird proceedure they do to find the pollup or the cat scan that they then have to do to determine the magnitude of the pollup they found and then they barely cover the hospital bills for a 20 minute surgery. This just seems so wrong. Don't they know we only make enough money to live month to month. It was amazing to see the doctors and nurses look at me with strange wonder as I asked over and over how much each of these things would cost. It was like it had been so long since they ever had to question the price of something that they were stunned that I would do such a thing. Doesn't everyone make 6 digits? no.
Then I finished up finals in a whirlwind and Drew is not off on a 8 day ride around the state of Kentucky to raise money for MS. This is the first time we have been away from each other for more than a day... and the first time we've ever ever been apart since married where we weren't with family etc... I am fortunate to have friends close by to take care of me when I'm scared but it just isn't the same as a husband. I love my husband and miss him soooo bad.
I did get to go see him yesterday at this awesome state park in Indiana for his rest day. We just chilled the whole time and it was a beautiful park with great views from the inn.
We are also riding in the MS 150 in Louisville in two weeks with our friends, which will be the longest ride that I have ever done by FAR! I am so excited for a physical challenge though. (I have emotional ones often enough already)
I also got to go home for Mother's Day since Drew was gone and surprise my mom. We thought she was going to have a heart attack when we surprised her at work witha coffee and ME. It was a great weekend split between my family and Drew's family. I also got to see my life long friend Erin and she is always a breath of fresh air. She is one of those friends that you could just talk for hours and have good conversation. It's the conversations that make you forget how you could ever have those awkward friend chats that happen when you see a long lost friend unexpectedly. Anyways.... I hated to leave.
Now I am back in Louisville for good and looking for a new job. My tutoring job just isn't going to work out with my mid-summer Greek review. So I'm going to look at retail and Starbucks to see if I can get a more flexible job. This is a big scare b/c I HATE working. I've never really had a job that I liked.
So there are many changes in the Lewisi life happening and coming up. Please keep us in your prayers. This is our first summer to not be free students and it's actually pretty hard... all we want to do when it's warm is play outside and I know it will be especially hard for Drew to put that suit on morning after morning with the weather so wonderful!
That's the update. Sorry it's not too creative but there's just too much!

Saver or Savor?

"I save them because I want to savor them!"

It recently dawned on me that these two words that sound very similary are indeed very similar.

A person who would be deemed a "saver" is some one who likes to hold on to things. Maybe, "save them for later" or put away as a "keep sake"... any of this ringing a bell to you?

A person who likes to "savor" is some one who likes to hold on to a taste, moment or feeling and let it linger so that they can experience it for as long as possible.

A few examples of the two...

Example 1. My mom, my mom is the best "savorer" in the world. I remember when I was little I would watch her eat ice cream and she can make one spoon full go a longggg way. She is also always the last to finish her dinner... why? Because she, unlike the rest of us, actually wants to taste each bite on it's way down. She wants to soak up every spice and juice on her plate and when she is done there is nothing worth tasting left on that plate. When I was younger I didn't understand this at all because my goal was always to secretly see if I could be the first one done with my food.. I knew I was a champion when I could even beat dad through a meal. I still eat mostly what I want but there are a few things that I will not rush through now a days because you never know when that guilty pleasure will be allowed again. Examples to follow...

Example 2. My mom is also a great "saver". I remember one day I found a cabinet where she had kept art projects and the like and I'm pretty sure they dated back to kindergarden! Even this Christmas my mom had up my sister and I's white doves that we made out of clothes pins and spray painted in Elementary school. Pretty sturdy birds if you ask me! If you still don't believe me just go to the house... count the number of coffee cups and pieces of furniture and you will be convinced for sure! My mom is a saver- and we love her for it (and many other things!)

Example 3. I myself am a saver. When I get money or gift cards I might go and peruse the isles of the local stores but it is rare that I will buy something on the first go. I usually look and if it's super nifty I will try it on, but I always put it back on the rack. "I need to think about it" If I really want it, it will come to me at odd hours of the day and night and then I will know that that is a worthy purchase. I will keep Christmas money and birthday money until late Spring knowing that I will desire spring and summer clothes more than winter clothes and that there will be no more Christmases and birthdays left to supply that demand.
Also, when I get something that I really enjoy such as a DP or vitamin water I don't chug it down right away..oh no no no. I let it linger. If I am really thirsty I'll drink water with it. I am not going to waste a $1.39 in five minutes. If I only drink a 3rd of it then I can have the wonderful experience of vitamin water for three days instead of one. When I eat popcorn, I want to eat it one kernal at a time. This is mostly due to the fact that I got my hand slapped once by my dad for shovelling popcorn. My little sister and I would get in a frenzy eating faster and faster trying to get more popcorn than the other afraid that with each bite the other sister would render the bowl empty! So my dad made us eat it one kernal at a time with the promise of making more if we wanted it later. So now it drives me up the wall when people don't eat it one at a time... point and case (I don't care if you think that phrase is backwards... obviously you have to make a really great point to end the case!) my husband will grab handfuls of popcorn and half the bag is gone. He doesn't eat one jelly bean at a time... no no... a whole handful... that's five individual experiences down the drain! Also, when he takes a sip... it's a whole serving of my drink... that could've lasted me a day! So many a time I have gawked at this fact and have come to understand that alas, my way isn't always the absolutely right way. It is probably the better way.. haha.. but I get over it. Plus, he's so cute who could care about a little thing like that? right....? The real deal is, it's teaching me to consider him better than myself. And I have to say, I am a food scarfer... I haven't gotten that savor thing quite to a T just yet! But there are times when I get something special like thin mint cookies (which I still have one left from a box at christmas) or anything else chocolate and I will wait for the perfect moment to eat it, for the perfect craving and then I will eat it slow. With the thin mints I would only eat one at a time and days apart to make them last. Silly, but hey we have a budget people!

Example 4. my little sister. My sister NEVER spends HER OWN money! She played my parent's wallets for years! She would ask for money to go here or there and they'd give it to her b/c she didn't have a job or anything... little did they know the chunk she had in the bank or hidden in some remote place in the closet only to be found yeeeeaaarrrrrssss later!
To this day she or I will be cleaning her room and find a hundred dollars in quarters and fifty dollars in ones and a twenty here or there in a random pocket or nook. I will give her credit though, she pays for a lot of her own stuff now.. she is growing up beautifully! And she was always generous to her big sister, especially when I was broke!

Then you have your typical non savers who are typically men but hey they have their strong points! My husband saved us loads and loads of loading and unloading by helping me pack up my house in college station. I would say "what should I do with this" and he'd say "throw it away" and it was like I needed permission or something and so I would. I donated over HALF my closet to good will and threw away papers and things from HIGH SCHOOL. There are still more things to get rid of I'm sure but it's nice to have some one to walk around behind you unstuffing drawers and throwing that junk away... you won't remember... I don't! Also, it's nice when my husband scarfs down his food because it means he likes it. I would hate for him to eat little bites or push his food around on the plate... that is never a good sign. And the faster he eats that candy lying around the house the faster it is not a temptation to me anymore!

So I guess that's one of those reasons why God made us different... to save our closets and cabinets from over stuff-ation and yet to have enough memories to pass down to your kids. It makes one person really care about how the food tastes, which usually means the other person will like it too. It keeps us from going over budget and prevents stingyness when you have a saver and a nonsaver. So thank the Lord (no really I do!) that He made savers and nonsavers, savorers and nonsavorers... which one are you?