Tinnitus

Hopefully this will be a post were I look back and think, "well it really wasn't that bad." or "So glad that is over with." or something of the sort. Ever since I received the second Pfizer vaccine shot, I have had persistent ringing in my left ear. Sometimes it seems like it might be both ears when it gets loud, but I think it is just in one ear. 

At first it was really distressing. I was still recovering from the second vaccine shot (which packed a multiday punch to me) and then waking up with the ringing was mentally taxing. I had anxiety. I was depressed. I relied a great deal on Bridget. It is funny that just a little ringing in my ear would cause such a fuss. 

It is still ringing now. I am starting to deal with it better. usually it is not ringing as loudly as it is right now. It is likely because I am focusing on it that it is a bit louder. Sometimes it is more like a fuzzy sound. 

I have done a lot of reading on it. It seems like most people get used to it. Bridget is convinced that I will also. We fasted last Sunday about it. It was the first fast I have legitimately completed in a long time. Too long certainly. 

This post is not going to be all about the details on this. I have to get an MRI though to rule out a benign brain tumor. The odds of that are pretty small. And it would not be a life ending thing anyway. Certainly not a pleasant thing though. 

Most likely it is because I have some hearing loss in my left ear. I am going to see about getting a hearing aid or something of the sort next month, which is the soonest they can get me in. The ENT I saw today thinks that will make a big difference and provide relief. Some people see lots of relief, others not as much but they are then able to adapt and life their lives without such a distraction from the tinnitus. I think I have had the hearing loss for a bit though. I have suspected it for a time. My left ear is about 10-15db different in hearing than my right ear. It is not horrible, and I have likely been compensating for a time. My right ear is just a bit of hearing loss, not bad enough that it would need help I don't think. 

What this has done is made me more open to focusing on my relationship with Heavenly Father. I know I need to do better. Even during this two week period I am not as good about what I know I should be doing. But I do have a much greater desire to do good, if for no other reason than I need to be in a place that I can not be a drain on everyone around me. 

Oh, and I have the best partner and spouse. And she didn't make me write that. She just is. She has lots of her own stress but she has been is and my rock. Love her lots. 

Maddie the Keeper

Maddie's team with Bridge City Soccer Academy does not have a permanent goal keeper. They have been rotating through the players, each one taking half of each half. 

Playing keeper is a little stressful. Maddie wants to do well so she and Colin have been practicing lately. It was evident during the game she was a little amped up. The coach wanted her to take her time when she had the ball. Nope. Maddie just runs and kicks it just about as quick as she can. 

Day 7 Time to Go!

We started the day packing as much as we could before we went to the stables to ride horses. We confirmed that we could get everything within our luggage, BUT BARELY! I am hoping nothing busts open during transit. 

The ride at the stables in Fort Wilderness was great. The perfect amount of time for us, a little less than an hour on the horse. I think I might have been on a horse as a kid, but if I did ride one, I don’t remember it. The horses were very well trained and put up with the humans very well. 

Afterwards we zipped over to the cabin, finished packing and then drove everything over to the main lodge/check in building where we could store our stuff. We started with 2 four person carts, then went to a six person cart when one became available. We used it for 2 or three days but it was not a well functioning unit. Last night it barely got us home so I swapped for a working unit. However all they had was a four person unit. We decided to make due. And we did. Below is what it looked like with all of our luggage packed on it when Ryan and I drove to the main lodge to have it held for a couple of hours while we ate lunch. 

After dropping of the luggage I went back and picked up the family and then we caught a Disney transport bus to Disney Springs. 

We ate at Polite Pig again. Very good. We went to Ghirardelli for ice cream (I feel a bit sick right now after all of that). Then we picked up the long promised suckers at The World of Disney store. 

Colin like to pose for pictures. While at Ghirardelli he wanted me to take the picture of him shown below. By the way it is a hot day here and he wanted to have hot chocolate instead of ice cream. Not sure about him. 

Then back on the bus after a long wait, then we collected our luggage and a nicer shuttle came to pick up our family instead of having to ride the “Magical Express” bus. Nothing wrong with the bus but this was very nice. The guy said he was there to see if the Flynn Family was ready to go. We were. The other family there to ride the express with us was left behind. I do t know how we got so lucky, maybe I tipped the right people while we were here. I don’t know, likely we were simply lucky. 

So we are here at the airport waiting to board. It’s been a pretty darn good week. Hoping for a nice flight home. 

Day 6 or Day 2 at the Magic Kingdom

We slept in today. Every other day we all woke early to make sure we were in the park as soon as the gates opened. We were usually waiting 10 or 15 minutes for the opening. Today we all slept in until 8. Then we ate breakfast and lallygagged until around 9. On other days we had done 3 or 4 rides by this same time. 

 We took the bus to Magic Kingdom and did the rides that Maddie wanted to do last time, but we missed. That included the Tea Cups and Ariel’s ride. I have not ridden the tea cups since I was a kid. I dislike them. I hate spinning, it throws me off for quite a bit. I was hoping that by going with Maddie and Bridget that I would avoid spinning fast. Nope. About halfway threw I knew I was sort of screwed anyway so I think I said something like if you want to go fast let me try.  Oh man, it was not a good feeling but we did go pretty fast. And I admit I had my eyes closed the entire time. I don’t know if it helped, but I’d did not like. Everyone else wanted to eat lunch around 11am. I was still not feeling 100%. 

Lunch was at the Pinocchio place. Sorry I’m not looking up exact names, but it is late here and I’m tired. Realizing that our expectations were not particularly high, they make a really good antipasto salad. Again, this is on a Disney food scale, which is on a lower scale than what Olive Garden is in for example. We also had flatbread pizza. Which is edible but not far off from higher end frozen pizza in the grocery store. Still, we’d recommend it over Pecos Bill’s Mexican food. We thought it would be akin to the Mexican restaurant in Disneyland. Nope. Not that great at all. 

Anyway, in the afternoon we rode Splash Mountain, which I love. We came back to our room to scrounge food, do laundry and play in the pool with Maddie. None of the boys were interested in the pool. Actually, neither was it, but sometimes I feel like I need to not make Bridget do all of the pool duties. The pool water was a little too warm, but it wasn’t too bad. Maddie is such a water kid though. 

For dinner, we had the last of our Amazon orders. Hashbrowns with bacon, and Annie’s Mac n Cheese. Then we went back rode space mountain again, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Thunder Mountain. 

I think we ate all the Disney treats we were interested in trying. We had Mickey Mouse soft pretzels and cheese, churros with chocolate sauce, donuts, and various Dole Whip flavors. I am sure I am forgetting a couple of things. 

One of the nice results of this trip is that Colin found his roller coaster legs. He has been nervous about roller coaster for quite sometime now. I am not sure if that is because his cousin reluctant to go on rides and they tend to go to amusement parks together in the past. The past couple of days he has been riding with Maddie and neither of th have want to ride with a parent. Awesome. And they make sunny poses and so forth for the ride cameras. Love it. 

And now it is time for the pictures. Not too many pictures today. I have been taking a lot less these past couple of days. 

Day 5 or Day 2 at Disney Hollywood Studios

 Today was a focused day at Hollywood Studios. I got us in the queue for Rise of the Resistance—something that must be done within about a minute of 7am or you’re not likely to get in the ride that day. We were in the 22nd group today which eventually meant we could get in line for the ride between around 10am and 11am. Prior to that we rode the Millennium Falcon twice, Star Tours, the Toy Story shooter game (I again placed 2nd behind Ryan) and then afterwards we ate an early lunch and then jumped in the nearly hour long line to do Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Train (I love this ride—so creative and entertaining, but it’s not cool enough for Ryan and Jack). Finally Jack and Bridget went to the Tower of Terror which was nearly a 2 hour wait (not at all worth it they said) while I went with Ryan, Colin and Maddie to hunt for cool t-shirts and perhaps a very cool light saber for Ryan. There was a great deal of walking around. 

Now on with some pictures. 

This was likely in the Millennium Falcon ride while waiting in line. 

Colin can often be found dancing in line randomly. It’s usually funny to watch. 

This was taken in the Ride of the resistance ride. Here they are waiting to be interrogated by the empire. 

In the holding cell, waiting to be saved by the Resistance. 

She may not look it, but she was excited to see Rey. Just not so excited for another picture. 

Tonight we met Jim and Tracy for dinner at the Polite Pig in Disney Springs. It was excellent, but no pics of the p

Food sorry. However I do recommend ordered the Crispy Brussels Sprouts. Afterward we went the Coke store. Yes a store all about Coke related products. On the third floor they have an open air place for getting alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages. This views wasn’t too bad either. 

Then we went and walked to the M&M store. Maddie was the red M&M for Halloween and she loves them generally. 

Day 4 Disney Magic Kingdom part 2

We had another good, but tiring day. Up early to at the park before the gates opened. Rode most everything and Thunder Mountain twice. 

We took the boat back to Fort Wilderness to do laundry and rest. The older boys took a nap. We made some sandwiches and then took the boat back to the Magic Kingdom.

The biggest news of the day is that Colin is riding most everything. He says a hard pass to the tower of terror but otherwise he has either ridden it or might be open to it (the open to it but not yet ready to ride it is the Aerosmith themed coaster in Hollywood Studios). He and Maddie even sat together instead of being with parents. That was fun to see. 

Pre dawn waiting for the bus. 

At the park as it opened and still sort of dim and Maddie in front of the castle as we went to our first ride. 

We ate at the Pecks Bill restaurant (not that great). We enjoyed our Dole Whips and the funnel cakes and fruit waffles at Sleepy Hollow. 

The kids get along pretty well in lines. Ryan has been reading a ton though. This is his usual pastime in a line:

Below the two younger sitting with Roy Disney and Mickey.

Maddie has been looking for Chip n Dale stuffed animals. This is the best we’ve found so far. Stuffed with people inside. 

Below are pictures not taken by us.

Above are a bunch of photos from rides. 

Lastly here are some photos from Disney photographers. We paid for the service, we figure we ought to use it.