Monday, November 15, 2010
busy, busy, busy
I've been in clinical rotations for three months. I need to post something about my experiences and I will but not now. I am soooo busy with this rotation + all of the school work with my extra class + the school work for my current rotation + I am sick right now.... I will write something soon :)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Two Down, One to Go!
So I wrapped up yet another semester and feel pretty awesome. There were definitely some dark times last semester. It was getting dark before we even got out of class and making myself come home and study was no easy feat. There seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel sometimes, with one test coming right after another. I would talk to friends and apologize for not having more time to chat because I had a big test coming up. Inevitably they would call back the following week and I would give the same response. There was really never a time last semester that I wasn't studying for a big test. We had fewer tests than the first semester which made them all a little more important. Overall I finished strong and gradewise, did better than the first semester.
We have only one more semester in the class room, thank God! That room is depressing, cold, and crowded. I can't wait to be out of there. Also, the summer semester is only 2 1/2 months!
I am planning on doing a lot of nothing for the next week! We are going to Vegas for a few days where I will continue to do a lot of nothing, maybe a little beach reading, and most likely gain back all those pounds I lost (Vegas kind of does that to you!) It will be worth it though :)
We have only one more semester in the class room, thank God! That room is depressing, cold, and crowded. I can't wait to be out of there. Also, the summer semester is only 2 1/2 months!
I am planning on doing a lot of nothing for the next week! We are going to Vegas for a few days where I will continue to do a lot of nothing, maybe a little beach reading, and most likely gain back all those pounds I lost (Vegas kind of does that to you!) It will be worth it though :)
Sunday, May 9, 2010
So It All Started When.....
It seems that as of late, many of my friends are having relationship difficulties. I'm not sure why this culmination is happening at the precipice of summer, but it is nonetheless. Natalie joked that maybe it is something in the air, something comparable to M. Nights "The Happening", only instead of out right suicide, some of us are committing relationship suicide.
I always thought that relationship counseling was reserved for couples that were married or had at least been together for a really, really long time. Not so. Relationship counseling is for anyone in a relationship in which both parties have come to a stand still, communication wise, or for couples seeking to iron out or even find out some of the areas in which improvement is needed.
For the record, I think counseling is a good thing. I think it can provide a couple insight into their relationship that they may never have had otherwise. It doesn't "fix" anything and I think a lot of people enter into counseling with impossibly high hopes that counseling will magically " fix " everything. What counseling does is provide the right environment and the right questions to lead a person down a path that might provide them with the right answers (i.g. Is this person I'm with really the right person? Can I make the sacrifices/changes needed to make this relationship work? Is the sacrifice/benefit ratio in my favor?) I think often times the individual's past allows the therapist to draw conclusions about why the person might be doing the things they do but at the end of the day, the responsibility still lies with the person in the relationship to make or not make changes.
In my opinion couple counseling can be good but it's only as good as each person's willingness to accept criticism. Both members must be willing to hear some things they may not want to hear and also be willing to accept advise about how to change. Whether they change or not, an openness to the process is a really big step.
It's hard to let go of something that you've put so much of yourself into. For a lot of people, when nothing else seems to be working counseling is a life line. However, I think that the line is only as strong as the couple's willingness to see it though, to listen to what is being said and to have the ability to follow through with whatever steps are necessary. Otherwise, you're just paying some geek to tell you how to run your life and that you are kind of a piece of crap for not realizing these things on your own. Oh ya, that'll be $160 bucks....
I always thought that relationship counseling was reserved for couples that were married or had at least been together for a really, really long time. Not so. Relationship counseling is for anyone in a relationship in which both parties have come to a stand still, communication wise, or for couples seeking to iron out or even find out some of the areas in which improvement is needed.
For the record, I think counseling is a good thing. I think it can provide a couple insight into their relationship that they may never have had otherwise. It doesn't "fix" anything and I think a lot of people enter into counseling with impossibly high hopes that counseling will magically " fix " everything. What counseling does is provide the right environment and the right questions to lead a person down a path that might provide them with the right answers (i.g. Is this person I'm with really the right person? Can I make the sacrifices/changes needed to make this relationship work? Is the sacrifice/benefit ratio in my favor?) I think often times the individual's past allows the therapist to draw conclusions about why the person might be doing the things they do but at the end of the day, the responsibility still lies with the person in the relationship to make or not make changes.
In my opinion couple counseling can be good but it's only as good as each person's willingness to accept criticism. Both members must be willing to hear some things they may not want to hear and also be willing to accept advise about how to change. Whether they change or not, an openness to the process is a really big step.
It's hard to let go of something that you've put so much of yourself into. For a lot of people, when nothing else seems to be working counseling is a life line. However, I think that the line is only as strong as the couple's willingness to see it though, to listen to what is being said and to have the ability to follow through with whatever steps are necessary. Otherwise, you're just paying some geek to tell you how to run your life and that you are kind of a piece of crap for not realizing these things on your own. Oh ya, that'll be $160 bucks....
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Amber Has A Message For You:
I have felt a bit of social awkwardness since PA school started for me. Before PA school I was on a softball team, a bowling team, and a regular Fan - o - saur. I used to go out to dinner with good friends, play board games till all hours of the night and play rock band like nobodies business!
Now, I see no one. I don't go to softball games or bowling nights, I don't get into the latest and greatest video game craze that has everyone talking and gathered together on weekend nights. I feel like I have lost some part of my life and it makes me really sad. I miss all of the social gatherings I used to be a part of. It never really mattered what we were doing but the atmosphere was always one of good friends and good times.
Now when these kinds of events occur and I am actually able to attend, I feel like the new kid in high school. I want to be able to just fall right back into the easiness of being with good friends but I have nothing in common with my friends these days. I have nothing to talk about except school and my dogs and that really sucks. I know that it won't always be this way, but it still sucks. I miss my friends and miss all of the fun and all of the laughs we used to have.
If any of you are reading this, I promise to return Amber in a little over a year.... Please don't give up on her :)
Now, I see no one. I don't go to softball games or bowling nights, I don't get into the latest and greatest video game craze that has everyone talking and gathered together on weekend nights. I feel like I have lost some part of my life and it makes me really sad. I miss all of the social gatherings I used to be a part of. It never really mattered what we were doing but the atmosphere was always one of good friends and good times.
Now when these kinds of events occur and I am actually able to attend, I feel like the new kid in high school. I want to be able to just fall right back into the easiness of being with good friends but I have nothing in common with my friends these days. I have nothing to talk about except school and my dogs and that really sucks. I know that it won't always be this way, but it still sucks. I miss my friends and miss all of the fun and all of the laughs we used to have.
If any of you are reading this, I promise to return Amber in a little over a year.... Please don't give up on her :)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
I am happy to announce that since the beginning of this semester I have lost 10 lbs! I definitely took advantage of every little calorie that my Christmas break had to offer and by the end of it I could barely fit into any of the clothes I own. But instead of going out and buying a bigger size pair of jeans I was determined to fit into the ones I had. I think it will get even easier as summer nears. The days will be longer which means hopefully I can stop going to bed at 8:30! Also, more daylight for hiking and fun activities.
I have been hiking quite a few times this year with Bella and Daisy. It's funny to watch them because they both have such distinct personalities on the trail. Daisy is fairly conservative. Most of the time she stays on the trail and never gets more than 25 yards in front of me before she stops to wait. I never have to worry about her seeing a wild critter and bolting after it. Bella, on the other hand, is quite a different story! She is ALL over the place! She has no idea what a trail is or what purpose it serves. She is running through the woods constantly, trying to scare up birds to chase. I am having to call her back frequently because she gets so excited and runs too far ahead. There is never a dull moment on the trail with her :)
School is going well, just chugging along. We have the BIG test this Wednesday. It's nice because I have tomorrow (tues) off so I will definitely be using it! Other than that I have just been soaking up every second of sunlight that I possibly can. I have already gotten a blistering sunburn on my chest! I think I was being a little too greedy :)
I have been hiking quite a few times this year with Bella and Daisy. It's funny to watch them because they both have such distinct personalities on the trail. Daisy is fairly conservative. Most of the time she stays on the trail and never gets more than 25 yards in front of me before she stops to wait. I never have to worry about her seeing a wild critter and bolting after it. Bella, on the other hand, is quite a different story! She is ALL over the place! She has no idea what a trail is or what purpose it serves. She is running through the woods constantly, trying to scare up birds to chase. I am having to call her back frequently because she gets so excited and runs too far ahead. There is never a dull moment on the trail with her :)
School is going well, just chugging along. We have the BIG test this Wednesday. It's nice because I have tomorrow (tues) off so I will definitely be using it! Other than that I have just been soaking up every second of sunlight that I possibly can. I have already gotten a blistering sunburn on my chest! I think I was being a little too greedy :)
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Our class had the privilege of visiting the CAPE center on Wednesday. This is a place of hands on learning that is available to medical students, Nurse Practioner students and PA students. It's located in Childrens Hospital which is kind of near the airport.
We were scheduled to get hands on practice doing female pelvic exams and male penis, testicle and rectal exams. I was a little nervous to say the least! How it worked was the class was divided into groups of 3 and 4, and we were directed into an exam room where a "model" was waiting for us.
My group began with the female exam. The "model" was in her mid 20's and very friendly. She taught us how to do breast exams and then we each got to practice on her. Then she taught us how to do a pelvic exam and we each got to practice on her again. She basically guided us through the entire process making sure that we were feeling and seeing the right things. It was pretty amazing. Also, I can't believe that she does this for eight people a day times 2 to 3 times a week! That's like 20 pelvic exams per week! No Thank You!
For the male exam it was pretty much the same routine. We sat in an exam room with a 50ish year old guy who taught us how to properly examine the penis, testes and rectum. I think we were all much more nervous than he was. He was completely professional and very knowledgable!
I was super excited to be able to get this opportunity. I can't imagine having to do either of these exams for the first time on a real patient!
Well we have five more weeks until the semester ends then its off to Vegas for some much needed fun in the sun!!
Also, no new incidents to report with the truck :)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The craziest things seem to keep happening to me and unfortunately, my truck seems to be involved as well. Last week after dropping off my car pool buddies I get a call from one of them asking if I know how to jump start a car. I say sure and ask if she has jumper cables. She does so I turn around and pull up facing her car. She has a 98 Volvo and has been told that her battery connection isn't the greatest and something like this might happen.
Both of us are "pretty sure" we know how to hook up the cables but to be on the safe side she calls her boyfriend to double check. While she is on the phone with him we hook the cars up, black to black and red to red. My car is running and she gets into her car to start it but nothing happens. Her boyfriend suggests that I rev my engine a little and she try again. I get in and rev the engine and she tries the car again again nothing happens. As soon as she gets out of her car I get out of mine and we both notice smoke coming from the place where the cables are connected to her battery. I quickly turn of my truck. Unfortunately, this does not solve the problem.
The smoke is getting worse and worse and eventually we see smoke coming from the connection of the cables to my battery! The situation is escalating quickly. The smoke is now a visible plume that can be seen from a distance. A few people passing by stop and stare. Within seconds the cable catches on fire!! Katherine and I are running down the street, she on the phone with her boyfriend and I on the phone with 911.
Out of nowhere I guy runs out of the apartments across the street with a fire extinguisher and puts out the fire, takes the keys out of Katherine's car (her car was not on, but I guess this is what your are suppose to do) and yanks the cables off of the cars. The police and the fire dept show up, but the mystery hero had already fled the scene.
After calming down we try to think of what the heck could have caused this to happen. The fire dept stuck around for awhile examining the batteries and the cable, and came to the conclusion that it must have been a bad cable. I think they were also pretty upset that the fire had been put out before they arrived!
Anyways, there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the internal operating system of either vehicle. My truck does have a "shiner" to the driver side headlight and bumper where the cable melted into it. Did I mention this happened just days after I picked up the truck from the body shop?
So the next incident happened yesterday on the way home from school. Once again, it was me and my car pool buddies. Now, I know that the windshield wiper on the driver side of my truck needs to be tightened and its worthless otherwise. Its something I have been putting off but I know needs to be done. I just avoid driving on days that there is inclement weather. Little did I know that the mother of all storms would be hitting us yesterday on our way home. I tested the wipers before we left school and as I predicted the driver side wiper didn't do anything but what I did not predict was that the passenger side wiper would fall off completely!
Long story short, we ran into some major weather on the way home and had to pull off on the side of the road and tape the passenger side wiper back onto the arm so we could at least stay on the road! I'll keep the blog updated if I have any new adventures!
Both of us are "pretty sure" we know how to hook up the cables but to be on the safe side she calls her boyfriend to double check. While she is on the phone with him we hook the cars up, black to black and red to red. My car is running and she gets into her car to start it but nothing happens. Her boyfriend suggests that I rev my engine a little and she try again. I get in and rev the engine and she tries the car again again nothing happens. As soon as she gets out of her car I get out of mine and we both notice smoke coming from the place where the cables are connected to her battery. I quickly turn of my truck. Unfortunately, this does not solve the problem.
The smoke is getting worse and worse and eventually we see smoke coming from the connection of the cables to my battery! The situation is escalating quickly. The smoke is now a visible plume that can be seen from a distance. A few people passing by stop and stare. Within seconds the cable catches on fire!! Katherine and I are running down the street, she on the phone with her boyfriend and I on the phone with 911.
Out of nowhere I guy runs out of the apartments across the street with a fire extinguisher and puts out the fire, takes the keys out of Katherine's car (her car was not on, but I guess this is what your are suppose to do) and yanks the cables off of the cars. The police and the fire dept show up, but the mystery hero had already fled the scene.
After calming down we try to think of what the heck could have caused this to happen. The fire dept stuck around for awhile examining the batteries and the cable, and came to the conclusion that it must have been a bad cable. I think they were also pretty upset that the fire had been put out before they arrived!
Anyways, there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the internal operating system of either vehicle. My truck does have a "shiner" to the driver side headlight and bumper where the cable melted into it. Did I mention this happened just days after I picked up the truck from the body shop?
So the next incident happened yesterday on the way home from school. Once again, it was me and my car pool buddies. Now, I know that the windshield wiper on the driver side of my truck needs to be tightened and its worthless otherwise. Its something I have been putting off but I know needs to be done. I just avoid driving on days that there is inclement weather. Little did I know that the mother of all storms would be hitting us yesterday on our way home. I tested the wipers before we left school and as I predicted the driver side wiper didn't do anything but what I did not predict was that the passenger side wiper would fall off completely!
Long story short, we ran into some major weather on the way home and had to pull off on the side of the road and tape the passenger side wiper back onto the arm so we could at least stay on the road! I'll keep the blog updated if I have any new adventures!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I got my truck back!! The total bill for repairs came to $13,500!! Thank goodness for car insurance. It's definitely one of those things I hate paying for every month. I consider myself to be a pretty darn good driver but I have to say that so far, I think the car insurance companies are in the red as far as I am concerned! Also, my truck looks better now than before it went in to the shop :)
Thanks State Farm!
Thanks State Farm!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
I'm Drowning!
Okay, I'm officially humbled. After spending about 16 hours studying for my most recent Pharmacology Exam I received a devastating 74%. Ouch! I have a "History and Physical Exam" test on Monday. I got up at 7 a.m. this Saturday morning and put in 7 hrs. I need to do at least another 7 hrs tomorrow in order to feel slightly ok about this test.
I don't know what it is but I feel like I am barely staying afloat. It's one test after another and I am frantically cramming for each test. I don't have time to get ahead because we have at least one test every week. If I don't put in at least 16 hrs of studying for each test, I feel unprepared.
I just feel anxious all the time! Hopefully during Spring Break I'll get a chance to get ahead and I won't feel this constant pressure.
I don't know what it is but I feel like I am barely staying afloat. It's one test after another and I am frantically cramming for each test. I don't have time to get ahead because we have at least one test every week. If I don't put in at least 16 hrs of studying for each test, I feel unprepared.
I just feel anxious all the time! Hopefully during Spring Break I'll get a chance to get ahead and I won't feel this constant pressure.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Hello World!
I'm a couple of weeks into the second semester and it's going pretty well. I think that I learned a bit about time management from last semester and hopefully I will not be so stressed out in the next few months! We are learning about some pretty cool stuff right now like heart and lung physiology and pathophysiology! I think I am probably having a slightly easier time with these subjects than some of the others in my class because I am really fascinated by it. Also, having been on an ambulance for a couple of years isn't hurting either :)
In other news, Paul has been out of town since school started and there is really no word on when he will be back. His endeavors have not been without compensation though! He won his very first tournament and is very fired up to to win a few more :)
I found out the hard way that Panera will allow you internet access for only 30 minutes between the hours of 11 and 2. I thought I had found the perfect place to study...too good to be true!! It is almost impossible to find a coffee shop with a place to sit in Boulder at around 5 pm!
I wrecked my truck but it isn't totaled thank goodness!! It will cost about $8500 to fix but it should be fine. I am okay, I was very lucky. Stupid icy roads! I didn't think it was possible to do a complete 360 on a straight freeway .... but it is! ;)
Oh ya, and I'm completely hooked on the show House. I could watch it all day long. I kind of even sorta know what they are talking about some of the time! Yay
In other news, Paul has been out of town since school started and there is really no word on when he will be back. His endeavors have not been without compensation though! He won his very first tournament and is very fired up to to win a few more :)
I found out the hard way that Panera will allow you internet access for only 30 minutes between the hours of 11 and 2. I thought I had found the perfect place to study...too good to be true!! It is almost impossible to find a coffee shop with a place to sit in Boulder at around 5 pm!
I wrecked my truck but it isn't totaled thank goodness!! It will cost about $8500 to fix but it should be fine. I am okay, I was very lucky. Stupid icy roads! I didn't think it was possible to do a complete 360 on a straight freeway .... but it is! ;)
Oh ya, and I'm completely hooked on the show House. I could watch it all day long. I kind of even sorta know what they are talking about some of the time! Yay
Monday, November 30, 2009
Okay, two weeks to go and semester number one is in the books! My grades so far are pretty good. I have managed an A in Biochemistry, Anatomy, Problem Based Learning and Professional Seminar; a B in Clinical Medicine and Patho/Physiology; and a C in History & Physical Exam. My grade for Pharmacology is yet to be determined.
For a lot of people in my class this report card is A-OK, lucky for me I happen to be one of them. I sit in the back row and tend to be a lot more laid back. I don't ask a lot of questions because people who do that annoy me and I secretly think they just want show the rest of the class how smart they are by asking completely ridiculous questions. I don't study as much as a lot of my class which allows me to have some semblance of a social life. I am grateful for this! Sometimes I feel like a slacker but when it's all said and done I realize that getting an A in every class is not worth my sanity. "you know what they call the guy that got C's all through Med school? Doctor!"
Our instructors vary from being as annoying to me as nails on a chalkboard to being downright fascinating. One of our Clinical Medicine instructors (we have had approx 10 this semester) crams about 5 hours of lecture material into 2 hours. She uses abbreviations in her power points that none of us know and has given us enough handouts this semester to keep a cozy fire going all night long. Oh, and we're all pretty sure she makes her own clothes and was the inspiration for Dr Seuss' Grinch character. Key Point: I cannot stand her
Our Clinical Medicine class is this: 2 hrs on Mon, 3 hrs on Tues, 4 hrs Wed. We are never sure who is going to be lecturing because most of the time we have outside physicians and PA's coming in to lecture and it's always completely random topics. I posted something on facebook about our last test and I think we had well over 1000 power point slides, 14 handouts, plus the material from the last test. Each instructor gives our medical director 10 questions. The medical director picks the same number of questions from each instructor to put on the test. This means that if 70% of the material covered comes from one instructor, this instructor and the instructor that lectured for an hour will get the same amount of questions on the test. The test is 30 questions. I don't know, this just seems ridiculous to me. Also, you only pass the test if you stay with the pack. If you are more than 2 standard deviations away from the mean you fail. So if everyone does pretty good on the test (mean is 95%) and you got an 87% you could possibly fail the test. It's just craziness!
But...I am super happy to be there! I know everyday how fortunate I am to have gotten into this program. I just need to vent a little here and there. However, I am seriously wondering how a few of the people in my class got in. Seriously!! I think some files got switched around or some sort of foul play is involved. Also, a love triangle!!! Coming next on Kermster's blog!
Stay tuned :)
For a lot of people in my class this report card is A-OK, lucky for me I happen to be one of them. I sit in the back row and tend to be a lot more laid back. I don't ask a lot of questions because people who do that annoy me and I secretly think they just want show the rest of the class how smart they are by asking completely ridiculous questions. I don't study as much as a lot of my class which allows me to have some semblance of a social life. I am grateful for this! Sometimes I feel like a slacker but when it's all said and done I realize that getting an A in every class is not worth my sanity. "you know what they call the guy that got C's all through Med school? Doctor!"
Our instructors vary from being as annoying to me as nails on a chalkboard to being downright fascinating. One of our Clinical Medicine instructors (we have had approx 10 this semester) crams about 5 hours of lecture material into 2 hours. She uses abbreviations in her power points that none of us know and has given us enough handouts this semester to keep a cozy fire going all night long. Oh, and we're all pretty sure she makes her own clothes and was the inspiration for Dr Seuss' Grinch character. Key Point: I cannot stand her
Our Clinical Medicine class is this: 2 hrs on Mon, 3 hrs on Tues, 4 hrs Wed. We are never sure who is going to be lecturing because most of the time we have outside physicians and PA's coming in to lecture and it's always completely random topics. I posted something on facebook about our last test and I think we had well over 1000 power point slides, 14 handouts, plus the material from the last test. Each instructor gives our medical director 10 questions. The medical director picks the same number of questions from each instructor to put on the test. This means that if 70% of the material covered comes from one instructor, this instructor and the instructor that lectured for an hour will get the same amount of questions on the test. The test is 30 questions. I don't know, this just seems ridiculous to me. Also, you only pass the test if you stay with the pack. If you are more than 2 standard deviations away from the mean you fail. So if everyone does pretty good on the test (mean is 95%) and you got an 87% you could possibly fail the test. It's just craziness!
But...I am super happy to be there! I know everyday how fortunate I am to have gotten into this program. I just need to vent a little here and there. However, I am seriously wondering how a few of the people in my class got in. Seriously!! I think some files got switched around or some sort of foul play is involved. Also, a love triangle!!! Coming next on Kermster's blog!
Stay tuned :)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Yo Yo Yo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX7jme2b0N0
This is a really funny "rap" that was made by the Emory University PA program! It's about the first year of PA school :)
This is a really funny "rap" that was made by the Emory University PA program! It's about the first year of PA school :)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A blog!
I was searching the PA forum and I ran across a PA student's blog. After reading it I am 95% sure that the student is a Senior at my school. That means he is currently doing clinical rotations while we, the juniors, are going though our didactic year. He never mentions the program specifically but he does talk a lot about the individual instructors, class schedule, ping pong tables outside the classroom and he mentioned that it snowed a foot a couple of days before Halloween. Makes sense to me.
Anyways, his blog gave me the idea that maybe I would do a blog about my experience in PA school. It seems these days I don't have much to talk about that isn't somehow related to PA school. I'm sure that a lot of what I post will not be remotely interesting to most of the people that read this blog but I think it might be a good way for me to vent. The guy whose blog I found almost got divorced during his didactic year b/c his wife felt that he was neglecting her so much and he had a 3 year old son. Reading his blog made me feel very grateful that I have no real responsibilities outside of the program and that my fiance' understands that we will have to sacrifice time together for a little while ;)
So, more posts to come.....
Anyways, his blog gave me the idea that maybe I would do a blog about my experience in PA school. It seems these days I don't have much to talk about that isn't somehow related to PA school. I'm sure that a lot of what I post will not be remotely interesting to most of the people that read this blog but I think it might be a good way for me to vent. The guy whose blog I found almost got divorced during his didactic year b/c his wife felt that he was neglecting her so much and he had a 3 year old son. Reading his blog made me feel very grateful that I have no real responsibilities outside of the program and that my fiance' understands that we will have to sacrifice time together for a little while ;)
So, more posts to come.....
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Halloween Party!
For some odd reason I decided to have a Halloween party this year. It seems like every year since my parents stopped picking my costumes for me, my costumes have sucked and I have thrown them together the day before. There were so many Halloweens that I didn't even know what I was supposed to be. I put on random, mismatched articles of clothing from the thrift store, threw on a wig and called it a costume. Most of the time I was attending another persons Halloween party where I knew hardly anyone or I was freezing my ass off in some "downtown" Halloween craziness (Tahoe, Chico, Boulder, Berkeley?) The bottom line is...I always seem to let Halloween sneak up on me and then I am frantically throwing together a half ass'd costume and celebrating in a less than ideal way.
Well this year I decided to take the Halloween bull by the horns and plan a party! I have never planned a Halloween party before so I just went to the Halloween Super Mega Warehouse Store and bought a lot of cheesy decorations. I think it will be perfect and I'm so excited!!! I also invited my PA class to join the festivities and so far I have about 6 RSV P's. I hope anyone who is reading this blog is also planning to attend. :-D
Sunday, October 4, 2009
I know that no one really reads this blog anymore and I totally understand. I guess that blogging for blogging's sake is what blogging is all about...how many times can I use the word "blogging" in a sentence?
Anyways, I've been in school now for over a month. Here is what has suffered:
1.) My patience
2.) My social life
3.) My ability to find time to work out
4.) My pitching
5.) My trying new and awesome recipes
6.) My friendships
7.) My time spent with the new pup and the awesome Daisy
8.) My ability to talk about anything not related to the human body
9.) My ability to locate pretty much anything (keys, car, wallet, etc)
10.) My ability to have a meaningful conversation about anything other than physiological processes even when I'm trying
Here is what has strengthened:
1.) My ability to make friends in a new environment
2.) My ability to make choices about short term/long term gain and prioritize accordingly
3.) My ability to multitask
4.) My ability to accept that I am an intelligent person
5.) My ability to realize what is lacking and what is important in my life
6.) My ability to face most challenges and know that I can and will succeed
7.) My ability to recognize strengths I possess
8.) My belief that nurture can rise above nature
9.) My belief that my knowledge could actually help someone someday
10.) My belief that I can do anything if I want it badly enough
Anyways, I've been in school now for over a month. Here is what has suffered:
1.) My patience
2.) My social life
3.) My ability to find time to work out
4.) My pitching
5.) My trying new and awesome recipes
6.) My friendships
7.) My time spent with the new pup and the awesome Daisy
8.) My ability to talk about anything not related to the human body
9.) My ability to locate pretty much anything (keys, car, wallet, etc)
10.) My ability to have a meaningful conversation about anything other than physiological processes even when I'm trying
Here is what has strengthened:
1.) My ability to make friends in a new environment
2.) My ability to make choices about short term/long term gain and prioritize accordingly
3.) My ability to multitask
4.) My ability to accept that I am an intelligent person
5.) My ability to realize what is lacking and what is important in my life
6.) My ability to face most challenges and know that I can and will succeed
7.) My ability to recognize strengths I possess
8.) My belief that nurture can rise above nature
9.) My belief that my knowledge could actually help someone someday
10.) My belief that I can do anything if I want it badly enough
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Week Two
So I am officially in week two of PA school. So far...not so bad. However, I have the sneaking suspicion that the monster is merely luring me in and in no time, I will be fighting for my life...as a PA student. I don't know if any of you are this way but in order for me to put the time in to study a certain subject I need to have the EXAM lurking over my shoulder. I know that everything I have been told since being a PA student stresses the fact that I should be studying for tests that are 2+ weeks away. I just can't do it!! I need to know that test is in my very near future to be able to buckle down. It's how I've always been. I certainly don't "cram" but if I have a test in one week I sure as heck am going to study for it. Anywho, I know that the full force of the fire hose of information has not hit me yet but when it does I have only two words to say....bring it! :)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
A New Chapter
I have officially begun PA school! I am a mixture of emotions at present. I am excited, nervous, scared, anxious and overwhelmed. It was brought to my attention on Thurs that I am in fact the only person in my class of 30 who does not currently possess an undergrad degree. I realize that that should make me feel very proud to have been selected, which it does, but it also makes me feel very different from the rest of the class; kind of like an outsider. I will have to prove to myself that I belong there and that I can be competitive with the rest of the class. That will happen in time.
The classes that I will be taking this semester: Biochemistry, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Human Anatomy, Human Anatomy Lab, Clinical Medicine, History and Physical Exam, Professional Seminar, Problem Based Learning and Pharmacology....yikes.
I think I am also a little more overwhelmed than I normally would be because I have done absolutely nothing for the past year and now am being thrust into this type of schedule. I'm sure I will develop a rhythm and routine before too long and it will all be manageable.
Anyways, it was nice knowing everyone, see you in two years! ;)
The classes that I will be taking this semester: Biochemistry, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Human Anatomy, Human Anatomy Lab, Clinical Medicine, History and Physical Exam, Professional Seminar, Problem Based Learning and Pharmacology....yikes.
I think I am also a little more overwhelmed than I normally would be because I have done absolutely nothing for the past year and now am being thrust into this type of schedule. I'm sure I will develop a rhythm and routine before too long and it will all be manageable.
Anyways, it was nice knowing everyone, see you in two years! ;)
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Buddy
As most of you know, Paul and I have really considered getting another dog. We took our time making this decision because we knew it was not something to be taken lightly. After returning from Vegas we had our minds made up to go ahead and start looking for a dog. We first went to visit a 3 year old black lab girl that was being fostered in Denver. She seemed nice enough but when she was introduced to Daisy she began showing a bit of aggression. It didn't last long and as soon as she was convinced that Daisy was not going to threaten her, they began to run around together. We decided that this was just not the dog for us.
The next day I went to the Humane Society. I got almost the whole way through when I saw Bear. He had the biggest, most beautiful eyes. He was a 7 month old black lab. I took him out and played with him and he was such a sweetheart. He could catch a tennis ball in the air, sit, lay down, and liked to play with other dogs. I ran home and got Paul and we both went back with Daisy. They met and everyone seemed to get along. So we brought him home. At 7 months he was already bigger than Daisy! Also, I forgot to mention that he had already been diagnosed with mild hip dysplasia. He didn't really show it though.
After we got him home, he and Daisy ran around the house playing. It was then that we learned that he is probably one of the most slobbery dogs I've ever seen. Big, long strands of slobber going everywhere. Also, we notice that he did have some trouble going up and down stairs because of his hip. Paul and I began to question our choice.
He was a really good dog and very smart. I named him Buddy and by the morning he was already responding to it. It took Daisy and Buddy to the dog park the next day. Buddy was also great in the car. He just laid down for the duration. At the dog park a girl noticed him and asked whether he was mine. I told her the situation and that I was actually planning on returning him to the Humane Society that day. She said that she really liked him and wanted to take him home but that she was in the process of moving. I gave her my number and told her to call me if she changed her mind in the next few hours.
I drove directly to the Humane Society because I knew that if I kept him any longer it was going to be exponentially more difficult for me to give him up. After returning him I got back into the truck and noticed a missed call. It was the girl from the park asking me to hold on to Buddy b/c her boyfriend was very interested and wanted to meet him that night. I told her that I had just dropped him off but that she should call and put him on hold. She called me back a bit later saying that she had called and tried to put a hold on him but that b/c he had been adopted and returned he would not be available for a whole week! I think that is just crazy! Especially when later that night I received a mass email from BVHS saying that they were at capacity and needed people to adopt and foster if possible.
Anyways, I looked on the website yesterday and he has a hold on him. I really hope he goes to a good home because I really think he has a lot of potential for someone who doesn't mind a little slobber. It was very hard to take him back. It was through no fault of his own that it wasn't a good fit. He deserves a great home.
The next day I went to the Humane Society. I got almost the whole way through when I saw Bear. He had the biggest, most beautiful eyes. He was a 7 month old black lab. I took him out and played with him and he was such a sweetheart. He could catch a tennis ball in the air, sit, lay down, and liked to play with other dogs. I ran home and got Paul and we both went back with Daisy. They met and everyone seemed to get along. So we brought him home. At 7 months he was already bigger than Daisy! Also, I forgot to mention that he had already been diagnosed with mild hip dysplasia. He didn't really show it though.
After we got him home, he and Daisy ran around the house playing. It was then that we learned that he is probably one of the most slobbery dogs I've ever seen. Big, long strands of slobber going everywhere. Also, we notice that he did have some trouble going up and down stairs because of his hip. Paul and I began to question our choice.
He was a really good dog and very smart. I named him Buddy and by the morning he was already responding to it. It took Daisy and Buddy to the dog park the next day. Buddy was also great in the car. He just laid down for the duration. At the dog park a girl noticed him and asked whether he was mine. I told her the situation and that I was actually planning on returning him to the Humane Society that day. She said that she really liked him and wanted to take him home but that she was in the process of moving. I gave her my number and told her to call me if she changed her mind in the next few hours.
I drove directly to the Humane Society because I knew that if I kept him any longer it was going to be exponentially more difficult for me to give him up. After returning him I got back into the truck and noticed a missed call. It was the girl from the park asking me to hold on to Buddy b/c her boyfriend was very interested and wanted to meet him that night. I told her that I had just dropped him off but that she should call and put him on hold. She called me back a bit later saying that she had called and tried to put a hold on him but that b/c he had been adopted and returned he would not be available for a whole week! I think that is just crazy! Especially when later that night I received a mass email from BVHS saying that they were at capacity and needed people to adopt and foster if possible.
Anyways, I looked on the website yesterday and he has a hold on him. I really hope he goes to a good home because I really think he has a lot of potential for someone who doesn't mind a little slobber. It was very hard to take him back. It was through no fault of his own that it wasn't a good fit. He deserves a great home.
Monday, July 13, 2009
My Trip To Vegas
I drove out to Vegas on Thurs, July 2nd. I took Daisy, two over sized tubes, and a cooler. The drive took me 11hrs and I rolled in to Vegas at about 7p.m. I was super tired. The plan for that night was to do all the shopping for the boat outing the next day. However, the number of people that had committed to going on the trip originally began dropping substantially. I certainly didn't feel up to shopping for people who may or may not decide to join us on the trip. That meant that we needed to get up extra early and do the shopping in the morning. Despite our best efforts to get to the lake early, we didn't actually get on the lake till about 11. It was a complete zoo! The party boat we rented turned out to be an awesome idea. We kept a lot of the drinks and food on this boat and the power boat came and went as people wanted to tube. I had a blast! The water was perfect! Daisy made "jumping of the boat" debut and she was so cute. Later in the day Ethan and Amanda joined us and brought with them their black lab Missy. Daisy and Missy had a great time too.
It was such a great day until the clouds started rolling in. It took only about ten minutes from the visualization of the clouds until total downpour! We couldn't get off the lake fast enough. By the time we arrived back at the marina, so had every other boat on the lake. So once again, zoo.
It continued to rain for the next half hour or so. So all in all, $700 for five hours and two boats. Not really the best bang for the buck but it was fun and I'd do it again :)
The rest of the trip was pretty fun too. While Paul was playing in the main event, Katie and I did some shopping and played $1/$2 at the Luxor. On Paul's days off he would join Katie and me but instead of playing, he would sit behind us and critique our play. I was super nervous about this idea at first but it turned out to be extremely helpful to both of us. Katie won almost $1000 this last week and I was up about $150. She gets herself into the craziest all in pots but usually manages to have the best hand. Yay Katie!! The last night we were there Katie, Justin and I went to see Bruno at Red Rocks. It was really funny! Afterward Justin went home and left us ladies to bring home the bacon ;) We played for about 4 hours at Red Rocks and we both ended the night up about $130. I love playing live poker but it's even more fun when you win some money!
Daisy was extremely bored in Vegas. I felt so bad for her. I took her to the dog park one day and there wasn't a single other dog there. I threw the ball for her about three times in the 106 degree heat and it was time to go. I don't know how Zoe did it for nine months, she was a trooper. I felt so bad for little Daisy that one morning I got up early and drove her to lake mead. She found a pit bull buddy to splash around with (I swear, all the dogs in Vegas are pit bulls) and we left after about 90min.
Paul made a good run but unfortunately we packed up the car Sunday morning and headed for home. It was a nice trip but probably my last for awhile.
If anyone snapped any pictures from the lake I'd love to see them!!
It was such a great day until the clouds started rolling in. It took only about ten minutes from the visualization of the clouds until total downpour! We couldn't get off the lake fast enough. By the time we arrived back at the marina, so had every other boat on the lake. So once again, zoo.
It continued to rain for the next half hour or so. So all in all, $700 for five hours and two boats. Not really the best bang for the buck but it was fun and I'd do it again :)
The rest of the trip was pretty fun too. While Paul was playing in the main event, Katie and I did some shopping and played $1/$2 at the Luxor. On Paul's days off he would join Katie and me but instead of playing, he would sit behind us and critique our play. I was super nervous about this idea at first but it turned out to be extremely helpful to both of us. Katie won almost $1000 this last week and I was up about $150. She gets herself into the craziest all in pots but usually manages to have the best hand. Yay Katie!! The last night we were there Katie, Justin and I went to see Bruno at Red Rocks. It was really funny! Afterward Justin went home and left us ladies to bring home the bacon ;) We played for about 4 hours at Red Rocks and we both ended the night up about $130. I love playing live poker but it's even more fun when you win some money!
Daisy was extremely bored in Vegas. I felt so bad for her. I took her to the dog park one day and there wasn't a single other dog there. I threw the ball for her about three times in the 106 degree heat and it was time to go. I don't know how Zoe did it for nine months, she was a trooper. I felt so bad for little Daisy that one morning I got up early and drove her to lake mead. She found a pit bull buddy to splash around with (I swear, all the dogs in Vegas are pit bulls) and we left after about 90min.
Paul made a good run but unfortunately we packed up the car Sunday morning and headed for home. It was a nice trip but probably my last for awhile.
If anyone snapped any pictures from the lake I'd love to see them!!
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