Blurt

Discovered a new game today...Blurt! Apparently its a pretty popular game, but it was the first I've heard of it.  It was in a random collection of card games at work - pulled it out and played with a group of students - they had a blast and it seemed like we all learned quite a bit.

The point, from what I understood, is to guess what word is being defined. The first person to guess the word being defined advances.  This was great on two levels - it made reading and thinking about how things are described competitive, and it built the student's vocabulary. The students were practicing their English language skills in reading, comprehension and listening, while also getting a good laugh.  It was great seeing their progression from resisting the challenge of the game to completely embracing it, gaining confidence and consequently thinking quicker on their feet.

 It was fun for the kiddos, but I can see it being a blast at an adult game night as well.  I'm going to have to pick it up for myself now! 

Review: Bull Mountain Dental Images

Imagine a dental office that cares about providing a quality holistic dental experience instead of torture as care. I may have found one:

My fear of the dentist stemmed from a horrifying childhood experience where I was performed dental work while my mouth wasn't fully numb. I was too young to understand or know how to communicate my concern to the dentist, and since then I've had this excruciating fear of the dentist. It didn't help that all the dentist offices I've ever been to have had a sterile, impersonal feel to them. Seemed like dentist offices hadn't changed much in the past twenty years despite the enormous leaps in technological advances.

Until yesterday when I went to a new dental office in my new neighborhood. I chose the dental office because it was the closest one to my home. When I called to make my appointment I warned them of my dental anxiety and they reassured me that they have many patients like that. So I proceeded.

The office is in a new building and looks nice from the outside, but the real test was what lied within. Entering the office, the first thing that caught my eye was the lighting - it was ambient - not too bright, and the furniture was new. They serve water out of goblets not paper cups. I began feeling more like I was at a spa than a dentist office, so I started to relax a little bit. Then I discovered that the dentist chair doubles as a massage chair that is on a very subtle and relaxing setting. Who can complain about a massage chair? The dental offices were also nicely furnished and had a healthy plant in the corner.

The dental assistant was extremely friendly but not in an annoying fake way. She made me feel comfortable in a matter of minutes. The x-rays were painless and results were instant. This office knows how to incorporate technology into their practice. Then I got to meet the dentist. He was very relaxed, confident and friendly. A dentist with a sense of humor! Imagine that?! He asked about my previous dental experience and I did get a little teary eyed sharing my childhood horror experience, but he was understanding. The hunch I get is that he is a dentist because he truly wants to make dentistry a good experience for people because he understands how it feels.

So I think this dental office is a keeper. They totally know how to make a comfortable patient experience, they are up to date with technology, and most importantly, they can make me comfortable. That is quite a feat considering I'm probably the most difficult dental patient ever.

I highly recommend Bull Mountain Dental Imaging & Dr. Rod Johnson DMD

P.S. I was also told that they have this laser technology that takes care of small cavities without the drill. This is exciting because I hate the drill.