Pretty good today, inspite of it all

I sent out this mass email to try and update my addresses to be able to send out Christmas cards. Which I soo will not get to until after finals. I am basically at the point where I am wishing that I wasn't so attached to sleep. But unfortunately I am. That and eating pretty much get me through my day. :) Not completely true, but physiologically!

As an update to a recent note about buying a hole punch. The hole punch broke last night after only being used three times. So now I guess I will have to use it as a chew toy. As Marc commented, finals are coming up. A good chew toy may come in handy! So I am forced to go in search of another hole punch that will survive the test of time, or at least not die within days like its predecessor. Right now the stack of note card sits wrapped in a hair band, 1500 thick, waiting to spread across my apartment as the next mess to be cleaned!

The "hole" experience has annoyed me on two levels. One being the fact I will have to go somewhere that will actually sell a better one. The other being that I spent $1.50 that could have gone to coffee! Very sad, very sad.

Leaving the library . . . . hopefully not too soon!

I am so proud of myself. I studied after physics lab. Which always drains me and makes me mad!! But today my lab partner and I booked it out of there and I studied successfully for 4 hours. Pretty good. Then again I also spent 2 and 1/2 hours doodling around, rating movies on Netflix and playing. Which some how made time fly!! Ugh! But now I will leave the library because my ipod is running out of batteries after being played for hours on end!!

On to quick dinner of last nights leftover ham and scalloped potatoes and more studying, for the physics test tomorrow!

Answer to prayer. . .

A friend of mine since high school has been going through a rough time with a aggressive form of cancer. Monday after many rounds of chemo, he finally had surgery to remove the tumors and it was successful. They are very optomistic about his outlook. Which is a praise the Lord! Ben seems to be coming through much better than expected. Check out his blog at http://802heaven.analogcafe.net/ . Lately his wife has been the writer for sure, but he always has interesting thoughts.

If you could, keep him in your thoughts and prayers too? All of it can help.

Wonderful picture

This is the picture of my wonderful parents in front of their newly decorated house. Isn't it great! Christmas is here.

Second, this is just warning. If I don't call you or respond to your call in anything approaching a timely fashion until the 18th, I am desperately sorry. But I have finals in less than two weeks and I figured out that I have to review at least a chapter and a section of orgo and biology respectively for at least a that long. How bad is that?! So basically I went to buy a half pound of Christmas blend Starbucks and a I am considering investing in full pound before the week is over. I love you all. And do call. I enjoy know that you are thinking of me . . . but sorry if I don't get back to you right away.

I hate ...

getting kicked, even when I deserve it.

Pictures are in a funny spot

I realized yesterday that all the pictures I posted were in weird places on the page. I was unable to fix them to my satisfaction, but I did get rid of the large amount of extra space. Then today revisited and it looks all smooshed with the words running along side and everything. Isn't it nice to have something useless to worry about?

Going to study biology. The nervous system and some immune system review. Oh yeah!

Chinese deals

Do you know I just bought a hole punch for $1.50? Which means the store bought it for way less even. Made in China. Is it any wonder they put lead in different products? What else can you afford to make it of? After all, lead would be one of the cheapest materials to buy, because no one wants it!

I think I am safe, even if there is lead in my hole-punch. After all, its not like I am going to be using it as a chew toy. And thank goodness for cheap deals on something. Good pencils cost $5!

Another day, another class

The year is winding down, and I look forward to seeing home, seeing many friends get married (stop with the engagements already, I can't take any more!) and enjoying a whirlwind Christmas break with family. Although I already anticipate returning to DC January 4 much more tired than I left it. New York this weekend was an excellent break but back to the job at hand.

The leaves are still falling from the trees and the weather varies fairly widely from day to day. I feel somewhat obsessed by the weather since I moved here. I think because it is a very different feel from Seattle. The Northwest has its own micro climate, with things brewing up from the Pacific. But we don't ever watch weather in Wisconsin to see what next week is going to look like. The District does. The weather here comes from plains states and the Atlantic, from New York and Tennessee. It is truly strange. It gives you a wider appreciation of the country.

Alright, I am rambling and saying nothing. I will return to studying and go the Organic Chem class.

New York after Thankgiving!

These are some of pictures of Samantha and I in New York this weekend. I really enjoyed the time off and away from DC and even from Seattle. Nothing to do but enjoy (and study, yes, yes). But we also caught a movie, Disney's Enchanted, which I have to say I throughly enjoyed. Partly because it had Patrick Dempsey aka McDreamy. It also had fun with the ridiculous concepts of love Disney style, with happily everafters guaranteed. You may think of Steven Sondheim's musical "Into the Woods," but this was definitely not as dark ending. This one had a happy ending as well as a measure of unreality but was still really enjoyable. I thought it was a pretty good kid movie too!

We went shopping yesterday I got some very enjoyable items, filled in some more holes of my Christmas gifts. I am really looking forward to giving these away! We stopped to look at the unlit Rockefeller Christmas tree. There were thousands of people in the area and trying to take a picture. It was crazy. Which continued as we walked north. Good thing we had filled up with Olive Garden earlier, soup and salad and bread sticks. We stopped at the Apple store, as I said yesterday. But fairly quickly moved into Central Park where I took some of the later pictures of the arch and leaves falling. We tried to catch tea at Alice's tea shop on 73rd, but the wait was long and we settled for Starbuck's across the street.

Topped with a Barnes and Noble stop, a dinner at a Chinese restaurant interestingly named "Ollie's" which was busy but fun, and then a movie, it was a wonderful after Thanksgiving day.

In New York with Samantha

And it is really starting to get East Coast cold. I decided that since I had never been in to FAO Schwartz, we would try there. But  . . .  a long line started around the block and that idea fell by the wayside. I wasn't going to buy anything . . .  all of New York is starting to get all hopped up for Christmas. It is a very different change from Thanksgiving with Hope and the girls which was very laid back. And nice. I am feeling excited to get home and finish out my year strong in school. Really make a serious showing in my classes.

The trip up yesterday was very quick. I can't laugh enough about the great deal that are the Chinatown bus lines. 35 dollar round trips just seems insane. How can you make money at that? 

I will post pictures from up here tomorrow when I get home. Right now I am typing from Apple store which is really a cool structure. I am impressed. Then I think a quick walk through Central Park to walk off the Olive Garden lunch. And the enjoy the crisp air. I think I will definitely have opportunity to use my new "cashmere" scarf I bought to interchange with the wool one  I have been wearing so frequently already. I am impressed the wool one has done so well, since Mom and I bought them with Dad in DC my sophomore year in high school. That is a really long time ago!

Sorry for the scattered thoughts. I will talk more coherently again soon! 

Later . . . after the turkey.

Quite a bit fuller after eating lots of turkey, these are family pictures and a few more of the girls around the lake. I thought about taking a picture of the pumpkin pie, but the concept of even looking at another bit of food hurts my over full stomach. Isn't wonderful for all of us that Thanksgiving only come once a year! May everyone be so blessed today.

Thanksgiving day!

PS. there are more pictures posted on Picasa Web albums. Just click on the link to My Pictures!

Things are . . . going. But today is Thanksgiving. And for that I am truly thankful. We all need the rest and recuperation. Some time to rest. Here are some pictures is the day so far.

In Starbucks

There is a man sitting here, in Starbucks. He was asleep when I came in, quietly over in the corner, a newspaper lay in his lap and piled, obviously read, at his feet by the gas fire. He looked like everyone else enjoying the quiet Starbucks away from the bustling street. Then I noticed his slippers, and grayed from use pants. And a carryall with thick, black tape around the corners and several holes. He woke quietly, shifting to sit up straighter. He started reading and alternating through parts of the paper. Picking them up, looking through, and settling for moment with the paper 6 inch from his face. The New York Times. A rough looking garment bag, similarly patched with tape sat under his chair. Despite his obvious lack of wealth, he seemed to fit with the aura of the room, occasionally glancing nervously about as he searched for an unread portion of the paper, squinting to see just like the other lady in the corner, the one who belatedly pulled out her reading glasses. The background noise of the room is the tapping of laptop keys and two middle aged Scandinavian men, apparently discussing business, amicably. All else is quiet. Restful. The tired man from the corner stands and moves to leave, quietly murmuring to me, “Take care.” No accent. I wonder. Lord bless that man, wherever he goes.

Would you love to see someone beaned by one of these?

I see this (or something similar) everyday as I walk to school, since fall start. I have been meaning to take a picture of one. I remember running to school in the wind during fall semester at the UW trying to dodge falling horse chestnuts on 17th, trying to avoid a minor concussion on my way to learn. Apparently many schools have this ritual. Although the winds haven't been back here, I would pay money to watch people walk to school here during the height of this fruit season and high winds. This is a picture of a London plane tree. I will have to give you a picture of the ones I see on the ground. Think softball size. If the horse chestnuts could serious dent my car, I think these ones could break my head!

What tree is that?

So I was looking for something that I wanted to post here on my blog, but I wanted to know the name of it and I ran across this fantastic site. http://www.arborday.org/trees/treeID.cfm It is a tree identification tool for East or West. You answer yes or no questions about the tree, leaf shape and texture, etc. and it winnows down the possiblities for you until you get the name of the tree you are searching for! Isn't that so cool? Check it out!

Rain and tests

You know how I kept wanting it to rain? Well today its raining, and its great, really. Except my new shoes are wet and so are my socks now. The major 'fashion' trend over here is to wear rain boots, whenever it rains! I guess it is so funny to me because we could just wear the same shoes all winter in Seattle. It definitely seems to be fashion statement. Then again, so do scarves, even when its not cold enough outside to need them. Yesterday I saw someone in full winter regalia: wool scarf, wool long coat, black pants, leather boots. It looks beautiful. And about 25 degrees too hot. It was 68 degrees yesterday. I wore short sleeves and a light jacket and was stinkin' warm for most of the day.

Isn't it funny

So I am slightly behind in my classes and I should be going nuts. But I am happy. Because today my hair is still wet from my shower, but lookin' good! I won't be going to the mirror frequently to check this, because it could be an illusion. I would rather look funny, and think I am looking good, than know I am looking good and be often making sure of it! There is your convoluted thought for the day.

PS. I may have a coffee addiction. I have really development an enjoyment for it. And I have time line for dealing with . . . growing dependence. The day after I finish my last medical residency I will look into 12 step coffee programs. But for now . . . its good to feel awake and joyful.

Today I pick up the pieces after losing my mind yesterday

Today I woke very late (yes, Samantha, I need you as an alarm to get me out the door on time). And missed the first few minutes of biology after running around my apartment and boiling over the coffee I needed to get me going, I realized my organic chem lab manual (for the second time in the semester!) and my umbrella. Luckily my umbrella I found on the bus, properly stowed away in my bag! The lab manual is still at large.

I am freaked out. Some. Alot. I have signed up for biochemistry and organic chemistry and physics for next semester. Hope and pray with me that I can do well. I know it will go quickly because this semester has absolutely flown by. I actually wish it would slow down some!

On a happy note, I seem to have kicked to cold without having really ever gotten the full blown version! My sinus feel pretty clear, no headache, and less post-nasal drip. Good times.

Slacking on the blogging. . . ugh, that rhymes

So I have been slacking on the blogging. I am sorry. Things have been going ok. Just bumping along. I have had a wonderful new addition to my housekeeping routine, namely a bialetti coffee pot. For those of you unfamiliar it is a on stove coffee maker that heats the water up through the grounds into the top compartment. This makes really wonderful coffee without the bitter after taste of french press or some of the other options that have water spending too long on the grounds. It also makes pretty strong coffee. And I can now down it with the best of them! I am drinking way more, which is bad, I know.

On other fronts, tests start again this week. A little early because of the holiday. So friday is a bio test again and monday another orgo test. I am soooo excited about the fact the end of the semester is coming soon. Time has really flow by. I am just praying really hard that I unexpectedly get really, really, really good grades this semester. I know that if I did, it would be undeserved at this point. I have just been squeaking by.

Samantha came this weekend after all. Which I have really enjoyed. Having a best friend around to do nothing with (or something) is nice. Comfortable. Except when she yells at you in the morning to get to school on time like today. Which I did. First time in a long time that I have gotten to physics before he started lecturing. Don't you hate it when people are right!?

Mom went home on Wednesday, which was hard because that was also fun and convenient. But probably a little bad for the studying, although she did get me on track with my biology lab and helped me sound out alot of ideas for a paper I wrote on disparity in healthcare (don't ask me anything about that right now, I will talk forever and be really frustrated and mad at how bad it really is. Maybe in a few months I will calm down!)

I am really tired. I wish I could just feel like I am running at normal speed at least 25% of the time but I feel like I rarely hit my good stride. I found a job at National Children's Hospital which would be on call assisting shifts in the Heme-Onc ward. I am thinking about applying. It maybe good to get me back in my stride at a hospital. Remind me that I really am good at high stress situations. Alright I am an adrenaline junky who needs a fix, but can you blame me!?

Oh, pray that this cold that has been hanging around will not fully develop. I need all the energy I can get.

Writing a paper . .

You know what happens when you write a paper on an interesting topic? You learn too much about it and can't keep it down to 4 pages. Who asks for a 4 page paper any way? Honestly, that is nothing! Especially when you are asking a class full of students intending to go into medicine about medical ethics and issues.

Mom went home yesterday. It was a wonderful time. I have been trying to upload pictures and videos but my stupid Comcast internet goes down every time I try to do anything big. I am determined to find a new provider but that would involve time . . . and that is in short supply.

I am . . . ok. I am hoping to go well here. I am hoping to pull something out, but . . . its been a rough semester.

In other things, family life has been a bit interesting. Cross your fingers or pray. I want peace to reign again in all my acquaintances, friends, and family. No more crisis.

Sometimes

Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane.
- Philip K. Dick