Summer Jobs, Awesome and Awful
Summer may be associated with vacation and free time, but when I was growing up, it also meant summer jobs. I’m grateful for the work experiences I had as a kid. They instilled in me the value of hard work and gave me the chance to develop some unique skills. I may not use all of those skills today, but I still have them in my back pocket.
Unless you’re extremely lucky, you’ve had a job that you hated. For me, that was bagging groceries at Albertsons one summer. As you can imagine, it was far from thrilling. The first few weeks were okay, when I was still figuring out the best strategy for stacking milk, eggs, and produce in the same bag. Pretty quickly, though, I was going through the motions. This summer was long before the days when people worried about bag consumption, so double-bagging was a consistent occurrence. I know one thing for certain: If I never have to say “paper or plastic?” again, I won’t mind.
Slightly more exciting were the summers I spent on my uncle’s potato farm. They could always use someone to do a little grunt work. As a nephew, I was pretty cheap labor. Most of my time there was spent working on irrigation. That might sound glamorous, but when I say “irrigation,” what I really mean is “moving pipes around.” Nevertheless, it was great to work alongside family, and the gig off ered me the chance to learn a little about agriculture and Idaho’s most iconic export.
“I know one thing for certain: If I never have to say ‘paper or plastic?’ again, I won’t mind.”
The coolest of my summer jobs was building log cabins. We constructed everything by hand off-site, dismantled it, labeled each piece, and sent it off to its final destination. It was a bit like playing with a massive, heavy Lego set. I like to think I’m pretty handy these days, and I owe a lot of that to my time spent on the cabin crew.
Of course, I didn’t spend every hour of my summer on the clock. Some of my best summer memories are the times I spent camping with my family throughout the Northwest. Being out in the wilderness was so relaxing, especially when compared to bagging groceries for eight hours. Another favorite activity was riding my motorbike. In particular, I will never forget biking the St. Anthony Sand Dunes, where the open space meant I could cut loose without fear.
This year, I’ve already had a new summer experience: sturgeon fishing. Oregon opened up sturgeon fishing for six days and allowed you to keep sturgeon 44–50 inches in length. I felt lucky just to be able to go and even luckier that I brought home a sturgeon.
I’m hoping to provide my kids with a lasting memory when we go to Rexburg to watch the solar eclipse. Apparently, it will be one of the best places in the country to view this once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Rexburg, a town of about 50,000 people, is expecting 10 times that for the eclipse. Luckily, with my family out there, we won’t struggle to find a place to stay.
I hope everyone enjoys the last few weeks of their summer this year. If you happen to trek out to eastern Idaho for the solar eclipse, maybe I’ll see you there.
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Learn How Smiling Actually Improves Your Mood
Nothing projects happiness quite like a big, beautiful smile. The connection between smiling and joy, however, is not a one-way street. A study by psychologist Robert Zajonc shows that facial expressions contribute to the feelings associated with them. That’s right — smiling more will actually make you a happier person, and nothing will motivate you to flash those pearly whites more often than being excited about the alignment and appearance of your teeth.
Feeling great about your teeth is one of the chief benefits of orthodontic treatment. When you look in the mirror and see a flawless smile, you gain an increased sense of self-worth. Not only are people with straight teeth more likely to be successful and score more dates, but according to a Kelton study, they also feel better about themselves. High self-esteem yields positive results in every facet of your life and will have you grinning from ear to ear.
Heightened self-confidence isn’t the only benefit to working with an experienced orthodontist. Straighter teeth also contribute to your overall oral hygiene. Crowding and crookedness increases the likelihood of plaque buildup and cavities. The health benefits of orthodontic treatment extend beyond the mouth as well. Loads of ailments — like jaw aches, sleep apnea, and migraines — can be alleviated through orthodontic treatment. These added bonuses will lift your mood even higher.
Everyone is searching for inspiration to smile more often. The job of an orthodontist is to give you as many reasons as possible to broadcast your inner contentment. Possessing the best possible smile will improve your mood and, in turn, will keep you smiling from dawn till dusk.
A mentally sedentary summer can cause your child’s learning to stagnate and backslide, erasing the equivalent of as much as two months of in-school learning. But you can have fun with your kid this summer and help them learn at the same time. Try this project from sciencebob.com, which demonstrates how geodes are formed and gives a primer on the science of crystals. The results are stunning!
All you need are some clean eggshells, water, several different soluble materials (salt, sugar, baking soda, borax, cream of tartar), coffee cups, spoons, food coloring, and egg cartons.
First, crack the eggs as close to the narrow end as possible. Then, clean the eggshells in hot water, which allows you to pull the skin out of the inside.
Place the shells in an egg carton lined with wax paper to hold them upright. Boil the water and pour half a cup into each coffee mug, followed by ¼ cup of one of the soluble materials, stirring until it dissolves. Keep adding the solid slowly until the water is supersaturated — this simply means that the water has absorbed all it can and any additional solid won’t dissolve.
Then, add food coloring to the solutions. See what creative color combinations your child can come up with.
Carefully pour the solution into an eggshell, filling it as full as you can without the solution overflowing or the egg tipping over. As the water evaporates (be patient!) crystals will begin to form inside the eggshells.
But how? As the water is heated, it expands, allowing more space for the dissolved solution. When it cools and evaporates, that space goes away, and the solids are forced to become solid again.
See, science is fun and educational! Check out further science experiments on sciencebob.com, sciencekids.co.nz, or redtri.com/ classic-science-experiments!
My Fourth of July Memories
Independence Day is a holiday full of traditions for my family. I’m so excited for our newborn, Max, to experience his first Fourth of July. His arrival is the most exciting thing going on in our lives, and it’s been really fun to watch our other children interact with him. Our daughter, Avy, has already begun mimicking her mom in terms of taking care of the baby. Jett, our three-year-old son, is still adjusting to the fact that he’s no longer the youngest and center of attention, but I can tell he’s excited about having a little brother.
This year, I’m taking off the week before the Fourth in order to head up to a cabin my in-laws have rented in Island Park. It might be a cliché that you don’t get along with your wife’s parents, but in my case, that couldn’t be further from the truth. My in-laws are awesome! I really cherish any time I get to spend with my extended family, and this trip will be an awesome chance to get away and unwind. It will also bring back memories of the camping trips I used to take with my family when I was a boy, which were always an early summer staple.
“It’s hard to believe that bumping into my aunt and uncle at the Rexburg Fourth of July parade started a chain of events that would lead to a connection that will last a lifetime. Talk about a spark setting off fireworks!”
On Independence Day itself, we always head to Rexburg for the parade. The kids really enjoy seeing all the floats, tractors, and fireworks. They particularly love when the fire truck comes by to cool everyone off with a blast from the hose. I’ll be looking forward to the family barbecue. I’m no master, but I do like grilling from time to time. This year, though, I’ll probably leave those duties to another relative, as I’m just as content to be on the eating side of the equation.
When I think back to all the previous Fourth of Julys I’ve spent in Rexburg, there is one that stands out. Nine years ago, I graduated dental school and started working in Boise as an associate dentist in a large group practice. That summer, I went back to Rexburg for the Fourth of July weekend to be with my family. I went to the parade and happened to see my aunt and uncle, and they invited me back to their place for a barbecue afterward. My cousin and his wife were there, and we started chatting. During the course of the conversation, my cousin’s wife said that she had a best friend who was single and going to Boise State. She thought we might hit it off. The woman she was talking about, of course, was Meredith, the love of my life. It’s hard to believe that bumping into my aunt and uncle at the Rexburg Fourth of July parade started a chain of events that would lead to a connection that will last a lifetime. Talk about a spark setting off fireworks!
Here at the office, I hope you’ve noticed the new sign we finally got installed. It’s been a six-month ordeal jumping through hoops to get it approved, but I’m really happy with the way it turned out. I think it’s much more reflective of the atmosphere inside the practice. Here’s wishing everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July. May you enjoy it with your families.
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Here you are again at the bathroom sink. You’ve lathered up your teeth with fluoride toothpaste, using the proper brushing technique — 30 seconds per quadrant, all the way to the gumline. You’re a brushing pro, in fact. But then, when you’re done, you suddenly meet the great dental dilemma: To rinse or not to rinse?
Of course, this isn’t an entirely realistic situation. There’s no dental dilemma, right? Almost everyone rinses with water after they brush. You have to get that toothpaste sludge out of your mouth and clear away those germs. But you might be surprised to know that most oral health experts recommend against it.
The reasoning here is pretty simple. The fluoride in your toothpaste coats and protects your teeth from the acid damage caused by the bacteria and sugars in your mouth; it even reverses early tooth decay. But while fluoride is bacteria-resistant, it’s not waterresistant, and studies show that when you swish that post-brush water around in your mouth, it can wash away that helpful coating, causing your teeth to lose out on those fluoride benefits. In this way, a thorough water rinse can actually increase your risk of cavities.
“Wait,” you might protest, “I’m just supposed to deal with that uncomfortable film? That overwhelmingly minty taste and the gross toothpaste slurry in my mouth?”
One option for those who are particularly offended by not rinsing after brushing is to wash out the mouth with a fluoride rinse instead of water. Pay attention to the bottle, though — many commercial mouthwashes don’t actually contain any fluoride and thus would have the same negative effect as water. You can also simply use less water — the smaller the amount, the better. Using less water should fix that post-brush feeling and still leave your teeth protected.
The sun is summer’s greatest ally — and greatest enemy. For every sun-soaked day at the beach, there are sunburns trying to ruin the party. With every excuse to drink an icy beverage, the sunshine’s more determined to keep the drink from staying cool.
These hacks will allow you to enjoy the benefits of the summer sun without the side effect of a warm beverage.
First, let’s say you just got home from the grocery store where you purchased a 12-pack of your favorite soda. You’re thirsty and it’s room temperature at best, right? Patience is a virtue, but there’s nothing wrong with accelerating the process. Fill a bowl with ice water and add a teaspoon of salt, then submerge a can of soda in the bowl. This process will cool your drink more than twice as fast as just putting it in the freezer.
This other example requires less work, but it takes more freezer space. And if you’re like the rest of us, your freezer is pretty packed in the summer! Wet a paper towel and wrap it around a bottle or can before you place it in the freezer. The contents inside will cool much more quickly.
If you have more time to plan, this hack will keep your drink cold for longer. Ice doesn’t fit in a bottle, and freezing your beer or other beverage will get you to Slushy Town in a hurry. Fill an empty bottle about halfway, put the cap on, and place it in the freezer on its side. When it’s frozen, pour your favorite beverage inside — the ice from top to bottom will keep the contents cool on the go.
Bonus Hack: This has nothing to do with the sun, but is still a neat way to make drinking your beverage easier. If you go fancy and use a straw when you drink from a can, you know how hard it is to get the straw to stay put. Spin the can’s tab around and feed the straw through it. Now you’ll have a well-behaved straw that doesn’t shift around when you need it to be there for you.
The sun is hot, and the summer is long. You need the comfort of a cool beverage to help you get through it. Keep cool, wear sunscreen, and have fun!
Introducing Dr. Thomason
I remember the exact moment that set me on the path to becoming a dentist. I’m the youngest of five boys, and I’ve always been extremely close with my brothers. When I was graduating high school, my brother James was finishing dental school. During this time, we took a fishing trip to the Teton River. While on the river, James asked me if I had given serious thought to what I wanted to do professionally. At that time, I wasn’t really sure, but was leaning towards mechanical engineering. James suggested to me that I would love dentistry and explained why he thought the career would suit me. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made, and I owe my big brother a huge thanks for giving me that initial nudge.
There’s a lot to love about the field of dentistry, but one of the most rewarding aspects is being able to relieve the pain of others. When somebody enters the office with pain so severe that it’s affecting their daily life, it means a lot to be able to lend a hand. I also relish being able to improve patients’ smiles — not just cosmetically, but functionally, too. I never forget the instances when I help patients gain an improved quality of life.
“I never forget the instances when I help patients gain an improved quality of life.”
I feel so fortunate to practice at Eagle Dental Care. We have an amazing team here, and creating a fun environment for both staff and patients comes naturally when you work with people as awesome as those we have here. Don’t get me wrong: We take our work seriously, but we’re not afraid to have some laughs. We want every person who walks through our door to feel like an old friend, and we strive to make real connections with our patients.
Outside of the office, I spend most of my time with my family. Meredith, my wife, is absolutely awesome, and I am a better individual because she’s in my life. Our relationship has been a joy from the moment I met her. She is also smokin’ hot and beautiful in every way! Even though we both grew up in Rexburg, we didn’t meet until after I graduated from dental school and moved to Boise. We were set up on a blind date and immediately hit it off. We’ve been married for eight years, and we have three beautiful children: Avy, Jett, and Max. Our youngest, Max, was born just a few weeks ago, so it’s been a thrilling time for our family. Avy and Jett are excited to have a baby brother!
When I’m not trying my best to keep up with the kids, I love spending a little time outdoors. My favorite ways to unwind are motorbiking, fly-fishing, and camping. I also have a hobby that I’m not afraid to admit is a little nerdy: flying remote control planes. They can be really sophisticated machines, and flying them has always been a ton of fun for me. My greatest passions, though, are my family and career. I cannot wait to see where life’s journey takes us.