Long day today. We learned all about the ear, including the Epley maneuver, a maneuver that my mom is all too familiar with. The Epley maneuver is a type of therapy for patients suffering from a type of vertigo that is a result of "displaced otoconia," which is really just a fancy term for an inner ear "rockslide" where the crystals involved in balance and head positioning have fallen out of place somehow. Here's a little picture of what is done to fix the disequilibrium:

 

This lady looks like she's having a good time, no? My mom had a good time too when she had hers done. As she explained it to me, it's like watching the world swirl and twist around you for a few long minutes and then BAM, everything stops and the crystals are back where they belong. Pretty cool!

Okay, enough of this boring stuff. It's just been on my mind for the last 10 hours or so. Anyway, had a great Tuna and Squid sashimi dinner with Will at The Usual Spot -- the only sushi restaurant in the area, and perhaps Dominica. We also took care of some flight changes today with our new best friend from American Airlines, Kenny! Kenny is from the deep south and he was a big help in getting Will's return flight changed to right after Thanksgiving (he's got some hunting to do!) and my flight changed to match up with my parents return flight when they come down to visit in December! All in all, a pretty productive day. Also, our two favorite island dogs have reunited after one took a little field trip to another part of town for a while, probably to find some tastier scraps. They are now back at "home" on our front lawn.

 

     
This is "Cornroll"                                This is "buddy" or "lady's man" or "tank"

           

If we could adopt both of them we would.






Fun science trivia: 1) What happens to the auditory cortex in the brain of a deaf person?



ANSWER: Since our brains are so plastic, the auditory cortex starts to process VISUAL information -- mainly sign language and reading lips.



                           2) How did Beethoven compose music after he went deaf?



ANSWER: He devised a method that involved using a wooden pole connected to a piano on one side and his teeth on the other so that he could hear the notes through vibrations in his head.