Justin Gets LASIK

Justin and I have discussed LASIK surgery previously, but left the discussion as, "It's something we're interested in, but just aren't ready, yet."  A few weeks ago, Justin mentioned he was very interested in pursuing it.

As always, Justin did his research.  He narrowed the list of possible doctors.  He then researched the equipment.  He wanted the latest and greatest, but also wanted a top notch doctor.  He settled on Dr. Ashraf at Atlanta Vision Institute.  Dr. Ashraf has two offices in the Atlanta area - one in Johns Creek and one in Dunwoody.  As much as Justin does not like going outside of Atlanta, he chose to go to the office in Johns Creek because the equipment was newer.

Justin scheduled the consultation appointment for last week.  Dr. Ashraf evaluated him and determined he was a good candidate for the surgery.  Justin asked about scheduling the procedure and they said he needed to begin antibiotic eye drops a week before the procedure, so the next week would be the soonest he could return.

He did a little more research and then called to schedule the appointment for today.  We both took off work for the day and headed to Johns Creek for his noon appointment.

We got checked in and visited with the assistant who told Justin what to expect and what to do after the procedure.  She asked us to head to the waiting room for a few minutes until they called Justin back.  We waited about five minutes and then they called Justin.

Before they called him, Justin showed me the area where they would do the procedure.

This machine is the one that cuts the flap.  The patient lies on the bed/table and the table is moved under the machine.  The doctor does something and the laser quickly cuts the cornea so the doctor can perform the actual LASIK procedure inside.  The flap creation takes a few seconds per eye.

The second machine is the one that actually corrects the patient's vision.  After the flap is created, the team slides the table over to the second machine.  The doctor moves the flap so he/she can access the inside of the eye.  This part of the procedure takes only a few seconds per eye.

Once they called Justin back, I panicked a little.  I was nervous before, but once I knew the procedure was imminent, I got a little more panicked.  Justin was anxious, which is understandable.  They gave him a Valium once he got back there, which helped.  I wish they had given me one, too!

While I was waiting for them to begin Justin's procedure, I watched the surgery of the patient ahead of him.  It was pretty interesting.  I was surprised how quick the procedure was.

Because I could watch the procedure, I knew when they began on Justin.

Once they got him in the room, they got him comfortable on the table and began prepping him.  The prep part took a minute or so.

They began making the flaps.  This took just a few seconds per eye, but it did take a few additional seconds so they could make the first flap and then reposition him to make the one on the other eye.

Once he made the flaps, they moved him over to the other machine and got to work.

The doctor gently flipped the flap and positioned Justin under the laser.  I could hear the laser pulses outside the room, so I knew when they were doing the actual correction.  I could also see everything on a big monitor in the room.

Once they finished the first eye, they quickly repositioned him, moved the flap, and corrected the second eye.  This part took about thirty seconds per eye.  The actual correction took only a few seconds per eye.

Once they finished with the laser part, the doctor returned the flaps to their original positions and used a squeegee thing to make sure they were in the correct position.  Once he did this, the doctor and his staff got Justin to sit up and walk to the exam room.  At this point, the doctor came out and spoke with me.  He said Justin did very well.  He said I could join him in the exam room, so I headed in that direction.

The doctor did a quick exam and pulled up some letters that Justin could easily read.

Once the doctor finished the exam, he said we could head home as soon as we were ready.  Justin and I sat in the room for a couple of minutes.  Justin's dad spoke with him during this time.  Everyone was concerned, so I texted updates and photos during the procedure and afterward.

I need to be honest.  I was probably more nervous than Justin.  I don't handle medical things very well, so I didn't expect to get through this without an "episode."  This time, it was quick and happened after the doctor released him.  I started sweating and had to sit with my head down for a minute or two.

We headed home and Justin went straight to bed.  The Valium really knocked him out.  He slept for a couple of hours and then awoke to put in the eye drops.  He drank some ginger ale and went back to sleep for a while.

He has to wear protective eyewear when he sleeps and when he showers for the next few weeks.  Attractive, no?

His vision is slowly getting better.  He can see better than previously without glasses, but everything is still a little hazy.  This should continue getting better overnight.  Justin has to return to the doctor's office tomorrow for a check.  The doctor told him he could drive himself.

He's still tired and his eyes are very dry right now, which is expected.  He will have to continue using the prescribed eye drops and also keep his eyes moist.  Hopefully the dryness will get better quickly.

I'm so proud of Justin.  I know he was anxious, but he came through it like a champ!  I'm interested now, but still just don't know if I'll be able to make it through.  Dr. Ashraf said I probably wouldn't go through with it since I watched Justin's, but it really wasn't as bad as I was expecting.

I have some videos, but need some help from Justin to rotate them.  Once he's able to help me do that, I'll post them.

Orange Theory Fitness

If you've read my blog for any period of time, you've probably read a post where I talked about trying to lose weight.  I don't like to exercise.  There, I've said it.  I don't like it.  I know it's good for me to exercise, but I spend the entire time thinking about other things I need to be doing.  Of course, I do that no matter what I'm doing.  At work, I think about the laundry at home that needs to be washed.  When I'm eating lunch away from the office, I'm thinking about all the meeting agendas I need to send, or the 2,000+ emails in my inbox I need to respond to.

In a shopping center near my office, I've watched a gym being built.  That gym is Orange Theory Fitness.  The hair salon I go to is next door, so I asked my hairdresser about the gym.  She peaked my curiosity, so I dragged Justin to OTF one Saturday about a month ago.

They explained OTF is a group personal training gym.  They have classes with a maximum of twenty-five people and a trainer.  Half of the group starts on the treadmills and the other half starts in the weight room.  The classes are an hour each and you spend thirty minutes on the treadmill and thirty minutes in the weight room.

I found these photos online.  They are not of the OTF I joined, but mine looks similar.

I need guidance in the gym.  I know how to run, but that's about it.  I don't know how to properly use the rowing machine or lift weights.  I probably don't even know how to do a push-up properly.  This is why person training is appealing to me.  I need someone telling me to run, slow down, walk, speed-up, use heavier weights, etc.

I joined the Saturday I visited with Justin.  I joined as an unlimited member, meaning I can go to as many classes each month as I want.  So far, I've visited 2-3 times per week.  I haven't seen a difference in my weight, but I haven't changed my eating habits.  I'm trying to get the hang of exercising and then will work on my diet.  I haven't gained weight, so that's good.

One way OTF helps you track your progress is to provide you with a report of your workout session.  When you arrive for your session, you are given a heart monitor to snap on a band that you wear under your shirt.  During the class, your heart rate is displayed on the two large TV screens near the treadmills.  A few minutes after class ends, your stats from the class are emailed to you.  My stats for some recent classes and my first class are below:

12/13/13

 

12/10/13

 

12/7/13
I don't know what happened those two times when I "died" in the middle of class.

 

11/23/13

 

 

You may be thinking, "Katherine, your first workout was only thirty minutes."  That's right and wrong.  The class was an hour, but Katherine only participated for about thirty minutes.  Katherine's heart monitor also wasn't tracking for the first thirty minutes of class.  I think I pushed myself too hard during the cardio portion of class.  For about ten minutes, I hung in there, but finally had to sit down for a little while.  I was about to throw-up.  I waited until the class switched and then I joined my group in the weight room.  That incident made me realize how out of shape I am.  I also realized I need to listen to my body and back off if necessary.  I know I won't get stronger if I don't push myself, but I don't think the goal is to see who can vomit on the treadmill first.

 

The goal of OTF is to spend about twenty-five minutes in the green zone and twelve to twenty minutes in the orange and red zones combined.  The rest of the time is spent in the white and blue zone.  I'm in the green zone just sitting on the bench waiting for class to start.  Everyone else is in the white zone.  You'll notice I spend way too much time in the orange and red zones.  My heart rate is higher than normal.  This has been checked by a cardiologist and I've been deemed ok.  My pulse is just high.  Exercise should help slow it down, though.  It's kind of embarrassing because the trainer always checks on the people in the red zone and they're constantly saying, "Katherine, are you ok?  Give me a thumbs up!"

 

I'm sticking with it.  Like I said, I haven't really noticed a difference in my weight, but I know I'll see results once I change my diet.  OTF has a challenge beginning in January.  You have to commit to working out at least three times per week.  The person who loses the most weight, wins.  I know I probably won't win, but I'm going to give it all I've got.  The prize is $2,500 and I could do a lot with that money.  I could use it to pay my gym fees!

Shrimp Burritos

A few years ago, Justin found a recipe on Allrecipes for shrimp burritos.  I love shrimp and I love burritos.  Honestly, I don't think we've ever made the recipe as it is written, but we've tailored it to our tastes.  It's close, but not exactly the same.

I start cooking by gathering all of my ingredients. I also like to measure out everything before I begin.  This makes the cooking/mixing process so much easier.

While chopping onions, I usually wear gloves.  I do not like for my hands to smell like food, and it's also just a good habit for cleanliness.

I didn't measure the oil this time, which was a mistake.  I had too much oil in the pan and had to remove some after I put the onions in there.  I essentially deep fried the onions because I had so much oil in the pan.

Once I got the onions sautéed, I added the rice, garlic salt, and cumin.

 

I then added the diced tomatoes and chicken broth. 

Annabelle is my little taste tester.

 

 Pete just hangs out on her bed near the fireplace, looking confused.

This is where I begin making changes to the recipe.  Instead of using refried beans, I use black beans.  They're a little lighter than refried beans and I actually prefer them.  I pour the can's contents into a pot and add the garlic salt and pepper.

After I stir everything together, I cover and let the beans simmer while I finish everything else.

Justin is way more artistic than me when it comes to photography.

I occasionally stir the rice mixture while it simmers.

I also love listening to music while I cook.  Yay 80s on Pandora!

We use frozen shrimp in this recipe, which I thaw in warm water.  I then remove the tails.

Once the shrimp are thawed and de-tailed, I begin heating them in the pan with garlic.

They're already cooked, so all I'm doing in this step is heating the shrimp.

My favorite part of the recipe is the sauce.  Whoever thought to combine these ingredients is a genius.  This is also another step where I don't exactly follow the recipe.  I use Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt.  I also add more of the adobo sauce than the recipe calls for.

Cute Pete.

The recipe calls for flour tortillas.  The first few times we cooked this, we used tortillas.  To reduce the calories, we skip the tortillas and just mix everything in a bowl.

I start with the rice mixture.

I then add some beans.

Then the shrimp.

Next comes the shredded cheese.  The recipe doesn't say, but we use reduced fat cheese instead of full fat cheese.  We bought the Mexican blend this time.  We shared the cheese with the pups.  They love cheese!

I top everything with the adobo sauce mixture.

We enjoy this meal.  It's not terribly complicated, but it takes a few minutes to gather everything and prepare the meal.  It also requires several pots, pans, and bowls, so we have nearly a full dishwasher of dirty dishes afterward.  Still worth it, though!

Nailed It

When I was younger, I enjoyed having my nails painted.  I guess I was too rough because the polish was perfect for about an hour.  Because of this, I was never one to pay for manicures because I knew I was wasting my money.  I would occasionally paint my own nails, but as a right-handed person, my left hand looked decent.  My right hand looked pretty bad since I had to paint it with my left hand.  Pretty bad is being a little generous.  It was a hot mess!

 

Enter the gel polish manicure.

 

I discovered this miracle when I moved to Atlanta a few years ago.  One of my favorite stores is The Limited.  Three stores down from The Limited at Perimeter Mall is Nail Premier.  While they don't have great reviews online, I've always had good experiences.  For the last five or six months, I've gotten the same guy when I get my nails done.  He does a good job and seems very interested in how long my polish lasts.  He'll call over other employees so he can show off his work.

 

Back to The Limited...

 

One day after completing a shopping excursion, I decided to stop by Nail Premier and get a manicure.  They had a special for a gel manicure, so I told them to go for it!  I got a French manicure the first time because I figured that was pretty safe.  I don't remember exactly how long it lasted, but I think it was at least two weeks.  At that point, I was hooked.

 

I like for my fingers and toes to match, so I was introduced to Lechat's Perfect Match line of gel polish.

 

My favorite Perfect Match color is Fizzy Apple.  It's a classic red and looks nice on my hands.  I have very pale skin and this color works well with it.

 

 I like it so much that I ordered my own Fizzy Apple set from Amazon.com.

While ordering Fizzy Apple, I discovered Jack Rose.  It's a peachy, coral color.  It's a great color for spring and summer.  I always have either Fizzy Apple or Jack Rose on my nails.

Prior to Sunday, my last manicure was four weeks ago.  Gel polish is supposed to last two weeks.  I can get mine to last three, but that's because "the gap" doesn't bother me.  As your nails grow, a gap develops between the polish and your cuticle.  Depending on how fast your nails grow and the polish color, the gap can be very noticeable after a couple of weeks.

The four week gap was awful.  I don't have any photos of the gap, but it was big.  I even had to trim my nails because they were getting so long.  Oddly enough, there were no chips in the polish.  This stuff is awesome!

This is what my nails look like when they are freshly manicured:

 

 

This makes me smile.

 

Time wise, I don't have a lot of spare time these days, but my manicures are something I will work in.  Pretty nails make me happy, so it's worth it to me.  The cost is also something to consider.  I pay $66 including tip each time I get my nails done.  This includes a pedicure with regular polish and a manicure with gel polish.  This is about $15 to $20 more than a regular main/pedi combo.  It's still worth it in my opinion since my nails are flawless for two to three weeks.

Bacchanalia

Bacchanalia is touted as one of Atlanta's best restaurants.  Some people even say it's Atlanta's best restaurant.  I agree with the latter.  Hands down, the best food I've ever eaten.

The good food comes with a price.  Justin and I have wanted to eat at Bacchanalia for a few years, but knew the cost meant we needed to save the visit for a special occasion.  Justin has gotten into flipping houses and said once he sold the first house, we would dine at Bacchanalia.  The flip house sold a few months ago, so Justin made a reservation.  Bacchanalia is popular, so a Saturday night reservation wasn't completely easy to get.  If we wanted to wait and dine at 9:30 p.m., would could have gotten a reservation a couple of months ago.  We tend to like eating a little earlier, so we waited for a 6:00 p.m. reservation.

I've been looking forward to June 20 for several weeks.  June 20 is when our reservation was for.  We dressed up and headed across town.  Traffic meant we had to detour slightly and even with the detour, we arrived about five or six minutes late.  Justin will attest to this, but I do not like being late for things.  I managed to remain calm since I was really looking forward to this dinner.

Surprisingly, they do not offer valet parking.  Nearly every other restaurant in the city has valet parking, but the highest rated one does not.  This made me smile.

We were seated immediately and the dining experience that is Bacchanalia began.

The menu is divided into five courses - a first and second appetizer, a main entrée, a salad/cheese course, and dessert.

 

This menu is from another day, but is very similar to the one from last night.  My selections are below: 

• Georgia White Shrimp
• Gulf Crab Fritter
• Ricotta Gnudi (not on the menu above)
• Many Fold Farm Brebis
• Peach Fried Pie

I think my favorite course was the crab fritter.  Oh, was it good.  The shrimp was served with clams and a foamy broth.  The crab fritter was served with an avocado puree and a Thai pepper sauce.  Gnudi is a gnocchi made with ricotta instead of potato.  It was delicious.

 

The fourth course is the one I was least looking forward to.  I'm not too adventurous when it comes to food.  I've gotten a lot better in the last couple of years, but I'm still hesitant to try some foods.  Cheese is one of those foods.  I love cheese, but I don't like tangy cheese.  I prefer cheese made with cow milk.  Don't ask me why I'm so anti-sheep's milk cheese.  Goat cheese is a little too tangy for me, so I don't eat it.  The brebis was made into an ice cream (no sugar) and served with blueberries, oats, and homemade cream.  Oh, was it tasty.

 

My dessert consisted of two small fried peach pies, served with ice cream.  It was wonderful.

 

Justin had the following items:

• Confit Foie Gras
• Gulf Crab Fritter
• Magret Duck Breast
• Sequatchie Cove Dancing Fern
• Blueberry Souffle

He said his favorite course was the crab fritter, too.

 

Once we were seated, a server brought a small bowl with gougeres.  These were tiny biscuits filled with a soft cheese.  They were amazing.  They also served a melon gazpacho with a melon and cucumber "sandwich" between the first and second appetizers.  Between the cheese and dessert courses, they served a small peach smoothie.  It was perfectly refreshing.

Not only was the food impeccable, but the service was also top-notch.  The server was attentive, but not overly intrusive.  Everyone working seemed to have a purpose.  No one stood around doing nothing.

I told Justin I wish we could eat at Bacchanalia frequently.  We would be broke, but the food is worth it.

Hipe Bluetooth Shower Speaker

I enjoy listening to music while showering.  Anytime I'm at home alone, I crank up the speakers on my desktop computer in the guest room and shower away.  Luckily, the guest room is across the hall from the bathroom Justin and I claimed as the master bath.

 

The problem with this set-up is that I'm infrequently home alone, so I rarely get to listen to music while showering.  Justin isn't opposed to music, but because the speakers are in another room, I have to turn up the volume pretty high to be able to hear it in the shower.  This borders on torture to anyone not in the shower.

 

One afternoon, I searched for a bluetooth enabled speaker I could use in the shower.  I found some options, so I knew what I was looking for existed.  Win!  I shared my want with Justin and considered ordering the speaker for myself, but decided to wait.  It wasn't something I needed.

 

I had actually kind of forgotten about the speaker until my birthday.  Justin presented me with an Amazon box the morning of my birthday.  Inside was the Hipe speaker.

 

I am in love!  I immediately began charging the speaker so I could use it later that morning when I showered.  After it was charged, I paired the speaker with my mobile phone and opened Pandora.  I'm pleased with the speaker.  The sound is good and I don't have to wake the dead by turning up speakers in another room of the house.  Don't ask me how I know this, but moon walking in the shower is so much easier than moon walking outside of the shower.  Heee! (said in the style of Michael Jackson)

Thanks Justin!  I'm so lucky my husband listens and remembers things I say I want.