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This year has been a roller coaster of a ride. Starting in March, we dismantled our old upper deck and cleared out stuff underneath for a bottom deck. It took us 6 months, but in August of this year, we finished and now have a new beautiful upper and lower deck! It took many hours, but it’s finished and man, do we love it. Look at the difference from 9 months ago!! Anyway, now that fall has hit, and even some winter conditions, it’s time to huddle indoors and be a hermit. Well, can’t really do that, because I just got a new job after working conditions at my old job were not good. I left my old job three days ago, got a phone interview the next day and an in-person interview the day after. Two hours after, I got the offer!! That was the fastest time from going from one job to another and it’s a bit of a whirlwind, but an exciting one.I went from being a copywriter to a content director, and the building is 5 minutes from home on the freeway.When one door closes, another one opens - and quickly in my case. I felt it was a vindication from what happened in my last job and from being attacked by two dogs last month.Now, I say, bring on the holidays!! OH, and next project is new kitchen cabinets, counters, and bathroom tile!! And, next spring, new landscaping with square foot gardening, revamped flower gardens, and maybe even a deck slide for the grandkids!We got our work cut out for us!Soon, I will post about ‘The One Thing,’ a great book about finding that one daily thing to focus on, particularly when it comes to work.Enjoy the extra hour of sleep, (for those who come off D.S.T. ) come tonight!

Marketing campaign pitches:  Vitamin D Creative Sample Marketing Report Sample Marketing Campaign Report Pitch for Sparkz Marketing Client Sample Marketing Campaign Report for Batteries Plus (Scorpion Client) Links to online articles and blogs, as well as samples of writing Shining Light on LEDs with Landscape Lighting Pro of Utah  (Blog page) 10 Biggest Cities in Vermont: How Well Do You Know the Green Mountain State? 5 Facts About Vermont's Captial: How Well Do You Know Montpelier? Places to See and Things to Do in Albany GA | Avis Rent a Car 7 Possible Career Paths For Event Planning Degrees Services in Diamond Bar, CA - Honest-1 Auto Care Home Page - Mount Pleasant, SC - Honest-1 Auto Care 3 Tools and Apps Every HR Manager Should Have ATS Innova Blogs ATS Safety Shield Blogs Sample of published articles Paws Up: The Picture-Perfect Family Resort for Your Summer Vacation (Written for Paws Up Resort, 2013) Okay, now I know you've been asking, "What can we do differently this summer as a family, something unique and yet fun and relaxing?" Well, I found the perfect family vacation. So listen, picture your family in the countryside this summer, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, enjoying each other without constantly hearing, "I'm bored!" Paws up, family resort is your ticket, my friend. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains in Montana, approximately 35 miles from Missoula and several other cities, we are an all-inclusive family resort that couples Montana's beautiful warm summer weather with family-friendly outdoor adventures or winter-time activities, making for a perfect Christmas vacation. One of the best family resorts that won't cost you an arm and leg, we feature the best activities around, including: • Horseback riding • River rafting • Fly fishing • Rappelling • Kid's camp • Paintball wars • Chuck wagon rides • Mountain Biking • Hiking, and more This is a family resort that your family will be talking about for years to come because they will get to experience a new environment and learn how to do new activities instead of just riding rides all day long. This is truly one of the best experiences you can have with your family on our huge 37,000-acre (60-mile) piece of beautiful wilderness. Besides being a great family resort, we also accommodate family and school reunions, a unique wedding experience, or even just a small family vacation. At all-inclusive family resorts, you can find anything you're looking for in a vacation. Looking for a winter wonderland Christmas vacation? Our resort also caters to the outdoor winter enthusiasts by offering:  • Snowmobiling  • Snowshoeing  • Cross-country skiing  • Ice wall climbing  • Sleigh rides • Ice skating • Ice fishing  • D og sledding • Downhill skiing nearby and so much more Surrounding Lewis and Clark History, we are also home to ten winding miles of the Blackfoot River (think of the movie, "A River Runs Through It.")  Our family resort is not just "roughing" it; the resort features luxurious accommodations for your family, all the while keeping the rustic look of wood cabins. There are many different rooms to choose from, depending on the size of your family, and comfortable furnishings with large windows to bring in plenty of summer sun or to look out at beautiful sow-capped trees. After a fun day of horseback riding, river rafting in the summer, or skiing down the mountains, our luxurious spa treatments can help your family rejuvenate and prepare for a relaxing night's sleep.  Summertime weather is truly perfect, with 70-80 degrees in the daytime and cool temperatures at night—perfect for a warm fire and hot chocolate. In the winter, don on coats, gloves, and hats because it gets mighty cold. If you love the nippy air, we are just up your alley for a fun, outdoor winter experience. So, this summer or winter, treat your family to this awesome, once-in-a-lifetime family resort experience that will have your kids talking about it for years to come. Enjoy the Rocky Mountains of Montana! Six Most Common Uses of Summit Evolution Software (Written for DAT/EM, 2021) Whether you’re in the construction, government, or transportation businesses, ensuring you have clear and concise geo-mapping is essential. Because Summit Evolution’s photogrammetry software includes features that make it user-friendly and cost-effective, you can apply it in many industries: forestry, Departments of Transportation, City, State, and Federal infrastructure mapping, military, watershed management, predictive sea level rising modeling, and more. Photogrammetry has taken the process of 3D photo extraction to the next level, from Stereo data mapping for aerial photography via drones to ground digital photography. Today, we will discuss the six most common uses of Summit Evolution software from the list above. You will learn how the software is easy to use and configure, compatible with most hardware, and uniquely capable of compiling mapping data directly into a target CAD or GIS system, such as Bentley MicroStation, AutoDesk, AutoCAD, or Blue Marble Global Mapper. This is without needing to translate or manage the data after the fact. Continue reading for a quick overview of the leading industries we serve and how the Summit Evolution software helps. What is Photogrammetry? Photogrammetry is the science and technology of obtaining reliable information about physical objects and the environment through recording, measuring, and interpreting photographic images and patterns of electromagnetic radiant imagery and other phenomena. Coined by the Prussian architect  Albrecht Meydenbauer , photogrammetry appeared in his 1867 article, “Die Photometrographie.” and was defined by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. (ASPRS) It’s about as old as photography itself—about 150 years. Since then, it has evolved into digital or softcopy photogrammetry based on digital imagery and computer vision. The concept involves taking precise measurements of three-dimensional objects primarily from two-dimensional photographs. It’s used in many applications, such as: Coordinate measuring Quantification of distances, areas, heights, and volumes Preparation of topographic maps Generation of digital elevation models and orthographics There are two types of photogrammetry: arial (in the air with a camera) and terrestrial (handheld camera or on a tripod). Two other types of photogrammetry you may encounter include interpretive and metric. Interpretive uses careful and systematic analysis to identify objects and gather important factors from an image. Metric photogrammetry is all about finding measurements and covering planimetric and topographical mapping. Industry Applications for Summit Evolution Software As stated above, our software serves several industries. Let’s break down the six typical applications for Summit Evolution’s workstation software, how it helps, and what makes it stand out.   Forestry One of the applications Summit Evolution software serves is in the forestry industry. This includes compartment mapping, logging road layout, harvest planning, stand management, forest fire assessment, and mitigation. In addition, 3D images enable farmers to get insights into soil quality, irrigation scheduling, nutrition, and pests in agriculture. Another valuable photogrammetry service is the ability to survey land after storms or floods to address growth and crop damage. City, State, and Federal Infrastructure Mapping For precision mapping of roadways, bridges, buildings, housing, urban forestry, landscape architecture, and the mapping of taxable assets, Summit Evolution Federal ensures you have the tools and resources necessary to find and capture 3D stereo data information. The software features: CAD and GIS interfaces 3D stereo vector superimposition Automated feature editing Contour Generation, And much more Summit Evolution Federal can apply coordinate transformation, allowing unlimited zoom levels, past pan, and automatic loading of adjacent stereo models. This is accomplished with DAT/EM Superimposition of CAD and GIS vectors over the image view. This program is primarily used for land surveying and by construction crews, architects, and local governments to discover and use data analysis to decide property boundaries and building planning. Departments of Transportation Using aerial footage of roads and streets provides better State and Federal roadway management and long-term planning when using photogrammetry. 3D images produce dimensional data for mapping, design, and computation of earthwork and other construction quantities; it also provides a clear picture of traffic accidents for investigative purposes. With over 75 million vehicles on roadways, the urban planner is responsible for planning today's and tomorrow’s mobility; therefore, using photogrammetry via a drone gives them an accurate, visible assessment of infrastructure. Planning transportation is a massive job that requires careful consideration of public roads, neighborhood streets, and highways. A 3D aerial view offers a clear image of an area that can be surveyed and studied. Military Intelligence If you need software for discovering and capturing 3D information from stereo data, our world-class photogrammetry workstation is one to consider. This software assists in campaign planning, wargaming, access mapping, and defense planning.  Photogrammetry is necessary for understanding a landscape. It creates  accurate geo-locational mapping with low processing times, which, together with aerial imagery and photogrammetric technology, enables accurate 3D maps—all without human input. The two purposes the military uses aerial imagery for are map preparation, used by Army staff to plan their operations, and by combat troops to find their way on the ground, from place to place. When computing field artillery and infantry firing data, it’s also used for intelligence purposes. Pictures taken above and over enemy lines are studied for signs of movement to help with military planning and disclosing those of the enemy.        Watershed management Central and local authorities adopt photogrammetry for watershed management, including contour mapping for runoff estimation, flood risk assessment, and emergency response to flooding events. The software makes it more manageable, allowing crucial assessments and imagery. For example, it’s used for pinpoint accuracy in locating people stranded after a natural disaster, along with a visual of the depth of damage to an area. Regarding integrated and participatory watershed management approaches, drones are vital catalysts in providing authorities with integrated management, planning, forecasting, executing, and sustaining projects. Participatory management involves actively collaborating with NGOs, local government, and people.   Survey and Engineering With the advent of drone technology, it’s now much easier to take more accurate and transparent images of contours and landmasses. This is a valuable tool for engineers to evaluate a construction project, allowing for more detailed photos. Land surveyors can also take more precise measurements, which assists local governments in mapping out areas, benefiting the community. Like land surveying, photogrammetry can also help with commercial and residential development and subdivision planning by giving clients and construction workers perspective images; this allows them to take in-progress visuals or prospective results. Visit DAT/EM for Summit Evolution’s Software The applications for photogrammetry are vast and offer valuable tools in many industries when precise data is crucial for mapping and photo extraction. Summit Evolution’s software gives you everything you need to obtain the best 3D images. In addition, our products include key features that will become more valuable as technology evolves and more industries come on board. Take advantage of the ground-breaking technology of photogrammetry’s digital landscape and start seeing what makes us stand apart. Visit our  product page  for more information or  contact us  for general inquiries or sales information.

Today is Friday and the sun is shining!! The beautiful snow glistens in my yard and no one got hurt from these horrible storms this week! I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm also grateful I was able to do yoga last night with my awesome sister-in-laws; I come home, take a hot bath, crawl into bed and crash the whole night; it's vunderful!! Anyway, here is part five on my continuing adventures in Dizzyland! I, of course didn't want to hear it. I wanted to pity myself. I wanted to stew in my angry juices, let them boil and then simmer, until I was ready to face them. I wanted my dad. Now, anyone knows, your spouse, friends, family and mother are wonderful, but there’s just something about Dad that makes it all OK. He didn't have answers, only a hug and “It will all work out.” I felt better already. Soon after, I started finding natural solutions to my problem, or at least the symptoms. I tried motion sickness medicine, essential oils, aromatherapy, exercises, you name it. When those failed to work, I tried physical therapy. Maybe I could retrain my brain to deal with the balance disorder. That helped, but made me dizzier, as it was supposed to do, in order to retrain it. I did walking exercises, closing my eyes, walking forward, with my eyes open, looking side to side and up and down. Whew! In the course of my research, I thought it might have to do with my jaw. It was off and had been for years. Maybe it was putting pressure on the ears causing the imbalance. I went to a TMJ dentist. He took x-rays and said that my jaw bone, on both sides, was deteriorating and pushing on the ears because of how off they were. I needed an appliance to wear at night that would re-grow the bone and take the pressure off the ears. Sounded quite reasonable, so forked over the money and started wearing it. Needless to say, it didn't cure the problem and only made things worse; except for it did re-grow back the bone, but changed my bite big-time! Back to square one. By this time, it was going on two years and I was getting used to this constant off-balance feeling. But, I was not giving up. Chapter ThreeWhat Now? Just as I was getting used to the idea of having the balance problem, another symptom reared its ugly head—tinkling, or as the experts call it, tinnitus. I felt it in my left ear, almost like a high tinkling sound, akin to chimes outside your window. It drove me nuts! Was I having a stroke? Was I losing my hearing, or just hearing things, losing my mind? No, it was another pesky symptom of a balance disorder. In fact, in all my research and from being told by doctors, balance disorders make up a whole host of symptoms. I counted close to thirty of them. Not only that, but your muscles, eyes, and ears all make up your balance system. Who knew? I would learn quite a lot about the amazing labyrinth that makes up your balance and how seemingly small things can throw it completely out of whack.  Not only did I hear that sound in my head constantly, I also started noticing tingling in my forehead. The kind of tingling that makes you feel like there’s not enough blood going to it, and that at anytime, you will keel over into nothingness. I ended up scratching my head numerous times a day to get feeling back into it. My legs also shook and felt like they would collapse, and I would go down like Gumby, after a few too many cartwheels.  I felt like I was falling apart. Of course that triggered the panic feelings, which fed off the fear, which continued to feed the panic, and well, you know. My fears were not just about me, but about my family. Would my children resent me for not taking them to the mall? Not go bike riding, or just a simple walk down the street? What about my husband? Would he hate me for not going hiking with him or go to dinner at a restaurant? Would I ever be able to get on a plane again?  Two years ago, my husband and went on a Mediterranean cruise to Greece and Italy and I was scared to death! What happened if I panicked in a plane cruising at thirty thousand feet in the air? Or become so dizzy and sick, I couldn't stand up? I slowly prepared myself, such as walking 4-5 times a week. It did get better. I had a great time; I didn't panic. Yeah, I was a little dizzy, but Dramamine took care of that. I got to see some beautiful ancient relics and buildings, such as the  Colosseum  in Rome, Vatican City, Pompeii, The Parthenon, etc...WOW! I will remember that for a lifetime! I still have the real fear of what might happen in the future, when I have grandchildren, and it haunts me daily. Will I be able to hold them without feeling dizzy? Or drive them to the movies? My son wants to be a pilot and take me and his dad all over. Can I do that with this balance disorder?

It's still snowing and, even though it's beautiful, I want spring! I am sure the snow plows are loving this weather, as well as the skiers, snowboarders, and other winter-loving enthusiasts. For me, I want warmth!! Alas, come summer, I will be in sunny Florida on a Disney cruise with my family, so I will look forward to that! Here is part four of Adventures in Dizzyland... I came home, took my antibiotic faithfully, and viola! A week later, no difference. Went back, doc said the ear was nice and pink, but there was a little fluid still in there. It would take time, he said, to drain. Ok, I would wait patiently, but three months later, I was patient enough. This time, the fluid was gone, but I was still off-balance and dizzy. Why? I demanded. He didn’t know and sent me for an MRI, just to check for a tumor in my brain. Great! Just what I wanted to hear. When that came back negative, he sent me to an ENT. Test after test came back negative for anything and everything related to the ear. Sent me for another MRI to check my ears. Nothing to report there. This was starting to weigh heavily on my mind, not to mention my wallet. And of course, I couldn’t drive there, so my mother, father, when he could, mother-in-law, and husband became my chauffeurs. Month after month, test after test, and I was ready to pull my hair out, along with my ears! Maybe that would solve it. Uh, no, then I would have two problems. Back to the drawing board—the internet. Let’s see, I could have Meniere’s Disease, and inner ear disorder, but is characterized as someone who falls down and vomits all the time. Not me, I hadn’t vomited once. BPPV? Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo…hmmm…could be…oh wait, ENT already tested for that—negative. What about Vestibular Neuronitis, inflammation of the vestibular nerve, perilymph fistula, a leakage of inner ear fluid into the middle ear. Ok, those are plausible. Of course, not one of these could be diagnosed without first seeing a hearing and balance specialist, thirty minutes away. More time off of work for my poor hubby, who by this time, is so tired of the millions of doctor’s visits and money being poured out in rivers, he could throw his own tantrum. Of course, I had to get to the bottom of this. I couldn’t be like this forever, could I? I had, of course, researched what a balance specialist does, and it didn't sound pretty or fun. Nevertheless, I braced myself. How bad could it really be? Plus, it would be worth it to find out what’s wrong with me. The day of the appointment, I dressed casually, as if I was going to see a movie with a dear friend. My appointment was for 8:30, but my husband couldn’t get time off, so my mother drove. After parking underground, we walked inside the huge building that housed all kinds of medical specialties. Thank Heavens the Balance center was on the first floor (someone knew I didn’t want to be tortured) because my height phobia had jumped through the roof with this balance problem. We waited, me filling out a million forms, giving them everything from how long I had the problem to my pain scale, which was 0 for a balance problem, unless you count the time I fell back onto my then 11-year old son at church, oh and possibly when I bumped into the wall in the middle of the night, because I couldn’t see or walk straight. A while later, we finally went in. The first thing was to check my hearing—been there, done that, twice already—but had to do a third time for their records. Hearing fine, except for a few high-pitch noises that should have sent me through the roof, apparently. After my hearing appendages popped back into place from the heavy, suck-your-ears-back-into-your-head phones were gone, they took me into another room. This is where it not only got very weird, but very nauseating.  First, I had to put on these funky, not-so-cool-driving-with-the-top-down glasses that sucked into my face. A red dot appeared, and oh goody, I get to follow it, back and forth, back and forth—whoa! When did the room start spinning? Of course, on their computer, my eyes looked like huge saucers, as they watched them go back and forth. They wanted to see if I had nystagmus—if my eyes fluttered when the motion stopped, indicating an inner-ear problem. Very slight, he said, but nothing to indicate a serious problem. Next, I had to walk up and down the hall, just to check my gait, which I looked drunk while I did it. I had to close my eyes and stand on one foot, almost fell over, and a bunch of other tests.  The last thing was to have a caloric test, and let me tell you right now, it is the worst, out-of-control feeling you have ever encountered. They first put cold water in your ear, which simulates dizziness, while wearing the funky glasses and closing your eyes and counting back from forty, or saying whatever they wanted you to say, so they could see what your eyes were doing, while you feel like puking your guts out. Then, they do the other side! After that, I lay on the table, on my side, not moving a muscle! I just wanted the world to stop spinning. How embarrassing, even though the specialist said he sees it all the time. Yeah, I bet! After sitting there waiting for those results, I just wanted to go home and crash. Soon, the specialist comes back in and says the tests are inconclusive. WHAT?! Meaning, you need to repeat them at a later date. I wanted to reach out and strangle the life out of him, not really, but I had to endure this torture again?! Not cool! On the ride home, I cried. I was so tired, so sick, so sick and tired of feeling this way; I wanted to climb out of my body and say, “See ya!” At home, I tried to remain calm, but when my husband came home, he got the brunt of it, poor guy. “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?” “Nothing, but then nobody does anything to deserve what challenges they’ve been given, they just have to work through them, with the Lord’s help,” my wise husband said.

It's Tuesday and the snow is coming down in a flurry of excitement. The roads this morning are a mess and I am shaking my head wondering why a snow day wasn't declared for our region. We should have plenty of extra snow days from years previous to use for this morning. Alas, I am glad I'm back home safe in my warm home, and thank The Lord for that. The snow is always pretty when it blankets the earth, so as long as I'm not, or anyone I know, driving in it! Here is part three of My Adventures in Dizzyland. Hopefully, you are enjoying it so far. Leave me a comment if you're so inclined. Adventures in Dizzyland Continued... Before any of this happened though and I was still unsure of my driving ability, I stopped driving, except for taking my kids to and from school and to the local store. Why chance it, right? I did teach my daughter to steer when she was thirteen and drive while she was fourteen, just in case she had to take the wheel. The first time I had a panic attack on the road, I was by myself. I was tired of being stuck home, not being able to drive, and the ironic part was that I was driving to a natural medicine clinic that I thought might be able to shed some light on this mysterious illness I had. Well, I was lost to begin with. I had no clue how to get to the place and the dizzy spells were getting worse. The familiar panic starting welling inside me (and yes, I had had many panic attacks in the past not related) and I knew what would happen. My heart was beating out of my chest, my hands became cold and sweaty, a feeling like I would die right then and there was so overwhelming, I began to hyperventilate, which made the dizziness worse. I managed to pull into a gas station and sit there, trying to get a hold of myself, while people stared at me as if I might go insane. I had to call my mother, who lived just up the road, to come get my husband from work, who was thankfully only minutes away. We only had one car. Both of them showed up about fifteen minutes later, and by that time, I had calmed enough that I felt like I would live. My husband drove me home and went back to work, but by then, all I could do was sleep. I felt like I had just run a marathon. It wiped me out. After that terrifying experience, I relegated myself to my home. I became agoraphobic, afraid to leave my house. I swore I would never go through that again. Well, because of that vow, I made myself a prison—within the walls of my own home. This was not the life I wanted to lead, which then propelled me to becoming a research maniac. Chapter TwoInformation Overload Let me tell you, the internet is a wonderful tool, but it can also be the devil. What I mean to say by that is we humans are curious people, even downright obsessive when it comes to our health. Any abnormal bodily change was an urgent alarm in my head to find out what I “had.” I was, I admit, a hypochondriac. It started in childhood. I was afraid of everything! I was afraid of the wind, thought it would blow the house down, (Three little Pigs must have traumatized me or something) afraid of thunder, (not sure why) and lightning, thinking it would split our house in two (was told a relative’s house was struck by lightning, therefore, ours was bound to as well) and afraid of every spider there was. Didn't help that as a child I was bit by a wolf spider that sent me to the E.R. in the middle of the night, with a fever over 104. To me, these were legitimate reasons for my fears, but alas, I obsessed over my health, and the internet became my connection to every disease on this planet. So, naturally that’s where I went when I wanted answers, at least ones I could take to my doctor. I wanted him to know I was intelligent when it came to my health, you know a real sleuth. I was taking control. I turned on my computer, went to my trusty search engine (Google) and typed in dizziness and off-Balance feeling. I got #6, 524, 345, 678 results! Ok, I would be there a while, I figured. After seven hours of searching over everything from constipation to cancer, I couldn't see straight and a panic attack was knocking on my door. I had to downsize. So, I just typed balance problems. Better, now it was only a couple thousand pages—that I could handle. Armed with my  new-found  information, I headed to the doctor. He did a complete exam, looked in my ears and said, “You have a red ear.” Red ear? Was it bleeding? A sore, what? An infection. Ok, have had ear infections for years, no biggie. Take an antibiotic? That’s it? I had my stapled concoction of possible diagnoses and he tells me an ear infection? Well, my ears did feel full and stuffy, and to think about it, I would slap anyone who touched my sinuses, so yeah, made sense. I’ve always had sensitive ears, a stink load of infections as a child. In fact, I had an infection so bad; my hearing was almost gone in my right ear. My mother never took us to doctors. Whatever we had would be cured by herbs. Too bad my rotten teeth couldn't be cured by that.

Before I post the second part, I just want to say thanks to those who have seen this blog. The skies are starting to clear, and it may be just for one day, but I'll take whatever sun I can get. The air is clear and beautiful, and for a Monday, I will definitely take that! :) Adventures in Dizzyland Continued... That was five years ago. How things change. At the beginning of this journey, I started feeling little things, such as leaning over to the left side when I drove, mini dizzy spells from looking left to right, feeling like someone was continually pushing me forward. I am short, well height-challenged if you want to get politically correct, so I always had the seat forward, grasping the steering wheel so as not to feel like my arms were reaching for the sky. Now, I pull the seat forward as far as it literally can go, as well as the headrest, which my husband, being 6’3 would smother to death if he couldn’t change positions when he drove. I clutch the wheel, hoping a dizzy spell doesn’t attack me going 45, or anxiety doesn’t creep up on me and I have to pull over and tell myself, “You’ll get through this, just drive like your grandmother did at eight-five-years-old and you’ll make it home.” Believe me, having a dizzy spell in a car is frightening, but when you’re driving three plus kids around with you, it’s downright terrifying.   I tried to never let them see me panic, but also teaching two teenagers how to drive being dizzy, well I should have been institutionalized! The first time my daughter drove on the freeway with ongoing construction that would last at least a hundred years, I said a quick prayer, not that wouldn’t cause a crash, or someone else, but that I wouldn’t freak us both out, try to slam on non-existent brakes, slap her against the seat, to “protect” her, or scream there was a rock in the road that would blow out a tire and we would go careening down a snowy embankment to our inevitable deaths. Over paranoid? Of course, but being in a car with a balance disorder was a thrill a minute, and not the kind you get when coursing down a 100-foot drop on a rollercoaster and screaming your lungs out, as your hair flies off your head and whiplash is an underrated medical term for your neck snapping in two. No, this was sheer terror, thinking the lines of cars would rush backwards and smash into you. Sound a little off? Well, with a balance disorder, you don’t quite know where you are in relation to space, so when things go rushing by, instead of watching them and knowing you’re moving, not them, I feel like everything is alive!   There is no stability that grounds things when in motion. In essence, the cars, trees, buildings, everything is moving, and I’m the one standing still. Now tell me, would you feel safe and comfortable in a car, with your sixteen-year-old daughter driving? Thought so. And yet, I had to take her, made sure she got her 40 hours of driving, which I doubt EVERY teenager did honestly, right? Then, because I was a glutton for punishment, I did the very same thing with my teenage SON, who thinks a car is his master and what he says goes, and fast he goes!