tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24449708726413641442024-03-12T19:20:57.433-07:00Painting My Roses RedLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01341529172747572224noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-17711318706150498942010-04-15T12:56:00.001-07:002010-04-15T13:12:22.290-07:00Social Networking and Medicine: or, How Not to Be an IdiotToday we had a lecture about social networking websites and the use of them by medical professionals.<br /><br />It amazes me how little common sense some people have about these sites. There's always a lot of discussion about privacy settings, and how to make sure your site represents you in a positive, professional light. I could have explained how to do that in thirty seconds:<br /><br />"Behave with integrity and don't do things you aren't proud of."<br /><br />One student suggested that it was a problem that you couldn't take down photographs of yourself that other people post. I tend to agree with him that the site should allow that, but the thing that he seemed not to realize was that if you don't do stupid things in the first place, no one will have embarrassing pictures to post. <br /><br />It seems like this is being presented to our generation as a huge challenge that we must overcome, to avoid being negatively portrayed online due to loss of the privacy that previous generations have enjoyed. It isn't about privacy - it's not about how "not to get caught" doing inappropriate things. It's about the fact that we cannot expect to reliably hide indiscretions, unprofessional or illegal behavior anymore. Everything we do might be photographed or videotaped by someone walking by with an iPhone, posted on the internet within seconds, and forever out of our control. The thing that people don't seem to realize is that what shows up on the internet about you is absolutely within your control - because <span style="font-style: italic;">you</span> control what you say and what you do.<br /><br />I don't want a doctor who has the "sense" to not post on the internet that he or she thinks I'm stupid and disgusting and slovenly. I want a doctor who doesn't think it in the first place. I don't want to trust someone with my health who drinks irresponsibly, or thinks its funny to laugh about people because of their weight, or race, or sexual orientation - regardless of whether I know about it or not.<br /><br />The internet hasn't made people do these things, or think this way - it's just made it much more difficult to lie about it successfully. Frankly, I think that's a good thing.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01341529172747572224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-45626750638739498952010-02-11T08:17:00.000-08:002010-02-11T08:26:43.772-08:00The Coffee Diet Makes You OldSo I am a coffee drinker.<br /><br />I don't really mean, I drink coffee occasionally - or that I'll accept a cup of coffee with dessert at your dinner party. I mean, when I arrive at the ISP lounge in the morning, I start the coffee pot first thing, make a whole pot so I can share with my friends, and then drink the whole damn pot because my friends are mostly Mormons who don't drink coffee, and I am a Midwesterner born and bred and can't abide wasting food. Aren't I sweet?<br /><br />Anyway, I've noticed over the last year or so that although I've yet to see the dark side of 25, I have wrinkles. Actually fine lines, but as someone who has yet to buy a car or work a full time job, I think we can stop quibbling about the details. They're wrinkles. In my forehead.<br /><br />I bought some wrinkle cream, which made me feel like I was a lot older than I actually am. People my age across America are doing beer pong and tanning, and I am drinking countless cups of coffee and abhoring the time I spent in the sun in my youth. Which isn't much, because my dad is a redheaded Scots-English man, and my mother is as fair as I am (though since I'm on the subject of Mom, everyone I know says she looks very young for her age, as does Grandma, so thanks for the genes, sorry I am trashing my share with coffee).<br /><br />I'm convinced it is the coffee, because otherwise I'm healthy! I do yoga every week, and pilates about every other - I don't drink soda, because we don't keep it in the house. We eat meat-free on Fridays, and I drink plenty of water and eat things that have fiber. I wear SPF 50 because while freckles are attractive, sunburn is not. I'm doing all those good things that people say to do, and I still have wrinkles. It couldn't be anything else, right? I mean, I don't even go out into the sun - I sit inside, all day, with my laptop and textbooks, and study.<br /><br />Oh, wait.<br /><br />Maybe it's med school.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01341529172747572224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-63554831736114124382010-01-06T20:05:00.001-08:002010-01-06T20:14:26.116-08:00Not Even Midnight...and I'm done studying. So there.<br /><br />I've been studying digestive/GI pathophysiology for the last week or so. It's interesting physiology, but I've decided there are two kinds of gastroenterologist - the kind who make it all about the hormones and nutrient absorption and pH gradients, and the kind who make it all about the poop. My instructor is a poop guy. <br /><br />It was when I was eating beanie-weenie (a classic Dad recipe I'm sure you all know and love) and looking at pictures of stool that I realized I had reached an all-time low. It isn't that it's so bad, really - it's that it doesn't really bother me that much that is a visceral (ha, ha) reminder that my world has shifted pretty dramatically in the past year or so. I'm one of those people, now - the ones who make inappropriate dinner table conversation. You know the kind.<br /><br />At any rate, now I'm done! and can move on to renal. <br /><br />And let the cat out of the basement, where he's been for at least an hour because he will. not. stop. scratching. our kitchen cabinets. And the dishwasher. Somehow I don't think he'd much like what he finds in there, though I've been tempted to let him in and close the door for a few minutes as an object lesson. I've been good, though - so far it's just the basement. <br /><br />We used to use the laser pointer to distract him and wear him out - we bought it over the holiday back in Missouri. This evening, though, I was playing with him, and he started looking doubtfully at the dot - and then speculatively at the little plastic cat with the shiny red nose. Back at the dot - back at the plastic cat. Then he reached up one paw, and batted - you guessed it - the plastic cat. He's got us figured out, all right.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01341529172747572224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-15744502234903961282009-08-24T13:54:00.000-07:002009-08-24T14:09:17.619-07:00Because I'm Technologically AstuteI just figured out how to change the profile associated with this blog to the email address I actually use now. Hopefully that will simplify my life a little. It may also lead to some new people finding this blog - hello, everyone! I hope that all my previous posts are fit for present company.<br /><br />Anatomy is going well so far - it's really encouraging to see how well the first year students have been doing. It's kind of hilarious, because most of them seem to think I know everything, because I'm a TA - yeah... I don't, actually. But I have gotten really good at knowing how to look stuff up, so if you want help with that, I'm your girl. I'm sticking to my guns so far about not telling anyone what a structure is if I'm not sure I'm right - makes me look kind of stupid sometimes, but I'd rather look dumb than tell someone the wrong thing. If someone asks me, and believes me, "because I'm the TA," and I'm wrong, then that's unfair - so I'm taking one for you all, M1's, and you're welcome.<br /><br />Studying CNS pathophysiology right now - basically seizures, headaches, strokes, etc. It's pretty interesting - the module is a little confusing, so I'm highlighting all the parts that don't make sense so I can tell the module author. Apparently, "You left out a bunch of words and phrased things in a really confusing way," isn't all that helpful when they're trying to revise. Who knew?<br /><br />House is a mess... I need to clean, but don't really want to, so I'm not. The worst part is it would probably take about fifteen minutes to make things presentable. Oh, well.<br /><br />On an entirely different topic - Eoin is the best cat ever. Know why? He doesn't mind baths, for one; he rides in the car well, for another - but the absolute best thing? If he feels sick, he meows (you all know the "cat about to throw up, meow, I'm sure), waits for someone to come see what's wrong, and then runs downstairs to throw up on the concrete basement floor - after showing you just where he's going to go, so you can clean it up right away. Fantastic. I may never get another cat - I couldn't top this one.<br /><br /><br />According to our neighbor (across the street), our next-door neighbors with the barking dogs and the tabby cat don't ever feed their animals. Now, I don't know how true that is - the cat's old, and old cats get kind of bony - and the dogs certainly look well fed. But I wonder. We'll keep an eye out. Another neighbor said her cat has feline leukemia, so I think we're going to keep Eoin in till he's got his vaccination in the next month or so. We only take him out on the leash, and don't let him approach other cats, but better safe than sorry. Everyone thinks that the neighbor tabby is the disease-spreading culprit - poor kitty. Unfortunately, poor kitty likes to spend time in our yard, so we want to be sure Eoin stays away from her and anything she might leave in the yard.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01341529172747572224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-83965887418896898122009-08-19T10:18:00.000-07:002009-08-19T10:29:39.318-07:00RantingI generally try to be a nice person. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. That said, I'm having a very difficult time with one of the other women in my program. <br /><br />She's a sweet person, who tries really hard to be helpful. That said - she is incredibly distracting, irritating, and often says things that make life more difficult instead of less.<br /><br />This person comes into the lounge nearly every day, and chats with the people who are trying to study there. Now, I don't know about you, but I usually assume that when a person is typing away on a computer, or discussing an assignment with another person, or smiles at me and then immediately returns to what they were doing when I arrived, that that person is busy and doesn't want to visit. This woman doesn't. She continues to talk, is oblivious to cues that are meant to indicate the end of a conversation, and often speaks to us condescendingly about the things we are trying to learn (she's a year ahead of the rest of us, and already on the wards). Or she tells us that the material we are studying is wrong, and that "the attendings say that..." - which is fine, but not really helpful - if we miss an exam question, "So-and-so said the attendings say..." is not a valid reason. I appreciate that she's trying to help, and she's probably coming in because she wants to socialize a little and relax. That's fine - but we are not taking a lunch break, we're studying, and we don't have the time to facilitate her down time. <br /><br />It's aggravating to say, "Have a nice day," as she leaves, and then realize that your polite nothing has invited her to stop and lecture you for ten minutes on what she's going back to the hospital to do. She can't go out the door without stopping to talk at least three times. <br /><br />The thing is, she is basically nice, and very friendly - but she has often wasted an hour of my time this way. I guess I should stop trying to be nice and just walk away and study elsewhere - but why should I have to? Our lounge is for relaxation and studying, mainly by the first and second year students in our program - if I'm using the lounge as it was intended, why should I have to leave because someone else is being disruptive? <br /><br />Oh, well. Not really looking for a solution - I could be blunt and tell her I need to study, or leave the room. I know what my options are, I just feel mean for doing either, and kind of resent her for putting me in a situation where I have to be rude to her or not get my work done.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-28561325045623046572009-08-13T19:50:00.000-07:002009-08-13T20:04:12.688-07:00Memorization in Half-LivesNo, I don't mean that I spend half my life memorizing... although, this past week, I have. Jeez - I could have done without that realization. At any rate, I've noticed that I can memorize about half of any given set of information on one pass. So, for example, I had a drug list of 500 to learn for my pharm exam - the first time through the list, I got 300 right. Out of that 300, I got 180 the next time; and out of the 120 left, 50. <br /><br />So what this makes me think is that I should start studying much bigger chunks of information, so as to learn more, faster. Flawed logic? Probably. But I kind of feel like a genius for coming up with it.<br /><br />Pharmacology is kind of an interesting subject to study. It's a huge amount of information, and you need to understand a lot of physiology for it to make much sense - the less phys you know, the more you have to brute-force memorize. I am all for efficiency (read: lazy) and so I'm not so much a fan of straight memorization. As a result, I've reviewed a lot of phys this summer so the pharm would make sense.<br /><br />Another result of not liking to memorize? I can't actually remember mnemonic acronyms. You know, "Some Drugs Create Awesome Knockers"? Not so much - I usually forget what acronym goes with what, and which of the 73 "K" drugs Knockers stands for. So, I go for drug-name based memory aids - "Eszopiclone" = "Iz Zolpi Clone!" (same basic mechanism as zolpidem.)<br /><br />School officially starts back on Monday - I'm starting back to class for the first time since last October, because I'm independent study and a TA for the anatomy class. Not looking forward to 8 am class at all, but anatomy should be fun - it'll be a good review for me, and a little change of pace from studying flash cards and tables in my study all day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-84702669740197050562009-04-25T14:49:00.000-07:002009-04-25T14:58:02.517-07:00You Won't Hear This Advice at the Doctor's OfficeBut I'm firmly convinced that when taken in moderation, scotch cures <span style="font-style: italic;">everything</span>. <br /><br />Bad cold? Scotch.<br /><br />Tension headache from reading about gastrointestinal phys all day? As I recently discovered - scotch.<br /><br />Not a lot - I imagine that a lot would make everything worse in a number of ways. But a little bit? Let's just say I think there's a reason the Irish call whiskey "the water of life." <br /><br />I'd probably never get my medical license if I ever said to anyone in a clinic visit, "Have you tried scotch for that?" But really - all things are good or bad in moderation, right? I wonder a little why everyone is so comfortable prescribing opiates for people with chronic pain, and yet no one ever says, "A hot toddy will take care of that cold for you." Oh, no. It's Neti Pots and clear fluids and wait till it's over. Why are doctors so comfortable with strong drugs that have potentially dangerous side effects, and yet you'd never catch one suggesting alcohol beyond a glass of red wine a day? I'm not saying it's always good for everyone - no drugs are, come to that - but surely it isn't any worse than anything else is. And anything that can get rid of the monstrous headache I had all afternoon that Excedrin couldn't touch is golden in my book. Thank you, Glenfiddich.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-77712108497478707052009-04-14T21:11:00.000-07:002010-04-15T13:15:33.608-07:00SpringtimeIt's finally spring in Ohio... we have some lovely yellow tulips in the yard, and a brand-spanking new garden plot all tilled and tucked away under a tarp until May, when it will finally be safe to put the tomatoes outside.<br /><br />I am beginning to suspect that I was a little too ambitious with the tomato plants - we have about 30 started inside. I forgot that tomatoes produce all summer long, and more than one tomato at a time. Ahem. Then we went to Lowe's, which sells six foot long tomato stakes. Oh, my goodness.<br /><br />So.. if we have a boatload of tomatoes this summer, I may learn how to can homemade pasta sauce.<br /><br />We've been getting to know our neighbors - Phil is a middle-aged man whose partner passed away several years ago; my mother in law calls him "the pirate" because when she met him he was wearing an earring and a bandanna on his head. He's really nice, and always willing to keep an eye on the house if we're going to be gone for a weekend. He rents a room to a guy about our age, Andrew, who is also nice, though we rarely see him.<br /><br />Across the street is Birgit, a middle-aged woman whose husband passed away this past year - she and Phil have gotten to be pretty good friends (she says it's nice to talk to someone who understands what it's like to lose a partner). She's really funny, and the kind of neighbor you can borrow a ladder from in exchange for a plate of cookies, if you know what I mean.<br /><br />It's nice to have neighbors - I never really have before, and it's kind of neat. When the power goes out, everyone goes out to their yards and visits; people chat over yard work on the weekends; people offer to help you with big projects if they see you need it. Kind of a novelty for someone raised out of sight or sound of neighbors - but I like it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-8436899978413312712009-03-24T20:00:00.000-07:002009-03-24T20:06:47.056-07:00The Sound of Med School... Is the burr of a coffee grinder at 10 pm.<br /><br />I feel like I'm finally settling in to the rhythm of studying all the time. Not that I wasn't before, but now I don't feel so resentful about it. Just the way it is.. it helps that I'm studying more effectively, and doing well on the exams. Makes me feel like the effort is worth it. <br /><br />I feel like a "real" med student this week - Pat's been out of town on retreat, so I've been studying all hours of the night, eating quick dinners of yogurt, hot dogs, and leftovers, and generally functioning the way I imagine most of my classmates do on a regular basis. Kind of nice to have so much time for studying, and for myself - but I'll be glad when he's home. <br /><br />In the meantime, I'll be studying cardio at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-65143157358771525072009-03-10T08:51:00.000-07:002009-03-10T09:09:01.097-07:00Why, Yes, We DID Buy Right Before the Crash!As I've been watching the news lately (or, you know, reading it on the internet at 1:30 am after finishing studying ... not quite as picturesque as sitting at the breakfast table with the paper and a cup of steaming coffee, is it?), I've been realizing more and more how <span style="font-style: italic;">very, very</span> lucky Pat and I are.<br /><br />We bought a house in June 2008. Lest you think we are completely stupid, let me remind you that in June of '08, we all thought that the sliding home values were a good thing - it was a buyers' market! Kind of like... oh, I don't know... buying a bunch of stock in June of '29, we had no idea how bad things were going to get. <br /><br />That said (and this is where the first <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> comes in), we are not worried about losing the house. We can pay all our bills. We even go out to dinner sometimes. Why? Because we, unlike most American homeowners, do not have jobs. I know this seems counterintuitive, but stick with me. We are students - our money comes from the university and good ol' Uncle Sam. As long as we don't fail out of school, we will have income. We are lucky that the recession hit while we were in school, and somewhat insulated from the realities of the job market.<br /><br />Furthermore - we are used to living very, very frugally. Granted, we have no children, which is a money-saver in itself! But we live on less than $25,000 a year - and do so pretty comfortably. How, you ask? <br /><br />1. We don't buy convenience foods. <br /> We do buy store bread, now, which we didn't when we first moved - but we are busier with school, and I can't figure out how to keep it from going stale/molding before we can eat it, so we buy bread on sale and put it in the freezer till we need it. <br /><br />2. Speaking of the freezer. This is the best investment you can make for saving money. Buy <span style="font-style: italic;">everything </span>on sale - meat, vegetables, butter, cream cheese (for baking - the texture goes a little funny after freezing), shredded cheese, bread, juice. It all goes into the freezer. Our grocery budget is low - and we eat meat most nights, and always have balanced meals. <br /><br />3. We buy everything else on sale, too. Canned goods, pasta sauce, coffee - you name it, we've got it in the pantry. We could probably go for a whole month without buying food, though the meals might be more interesting toward the end. <br /><br />4. Craigslist. We keep a list of things we're looking for (bread machine, sewing machine, new ceiling fan to replace the one that crapped out, cabinet for the TV, just to name a few) and keep an eye on the list to get things when they're available cheap or free. <br /><br />5. Sharing a checking account really curtails discretionary spending - every time I buy a coffee, I KNOW he can see that I did... and while he wouldn't care, it does make me think about whether I really need it.<br /><br />6. Keeping a savings account for household spending, so that if we see a GREAT deal on something we can get it without using credit cards or maxing out the budget for the whole month.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-6427683285872328702009-01-29T11:55:00.000-08:002009-01-29T12:11:28.988-08:00Looking UpWell, we got a cat. His name is Eoin, which I personally feel is a little pretentious given that we are not Irish, but my husband's ancestry is, and he is studying the history of music in Ireland, so I capitulated. I kind of think that the new-agey back-to-fairies-and-nature types ruined Ireland for the rest of us... but I digress.<br /><br />Eoin is a three year old black cat, who is very sweet and friendly, independent enough that I don't feel like I'm constantly tripping over him, and disdains his new scratcher. "Why would I use that silly cardboard thing," he asks, "when your living room chair has such lovely, resilient upholstery? And is that CATNIP I see on there? Come now, foolish woman - joke's on you, it has no effect on <span style="font-style: italic;">me.</span> Crack is whack!" <br /><br />Our poor furniture.<br /><br />I discovered a great neuroanatomy tutorial page on Washington University's med school page - thank goodness. Because I think that the module author for neuroanatomy here may have gotten into the catnip. The book we were supposed to use is a good text, but the objectives don't really ... go with it well. So I have spent a great deal of time being frustrated and confused, and I don't really deal with either very well. As a result, this is the first post in awhile, as I decided that dwelling on the situation would not do much to improve my mood.<br /><br />Anyway - the point is, now that I understand what the heck the guy is talking about, I've realized that he wrote a really comprehensive module that simply needs a little more background knowlege to be understood. And neuro is really, really interesting. Go figure. I think that was the worst part - knowing it was going to be such a great topic and then... not understanding a word.<br /><br />I've also been dealing with some personal stress... I realize that I am a liberated modern woman, etc., and that doing dishes, dinner, laundry, windows, floors, and toilet is not necessarily part of my job description as first year medical student. That said - I'm also newly married, a new home-owner, and would really like our house to feel... like a home. Not an oversized dorm room. So I feel like I'm letting <span style="font-style: italic;">someone</span> down if I don't make dinner, or if I let the dishes pile up or the cookie jar lie empty. I'm not sure exactly whom I'm letting down - most likely, just me. My husband's - well, he theoretically can cook, do laundry, dishes, etc., but I think he forgets that when he does, he's just doing his part, rather than doing me a personal favor by taking over my chores. But he really believes he thinks that these jobs should be shared equally. <br /><br />Anyway ... a lot of the men in my program are married, and very few of the women - so the wives my age I know are stay at home wives and mothers, who have neat homes, hobbies, enjoy baking, and produce bouncing bundles of joy. And even though I want to be a doctor, and really enjoy what I'm doing, it's hard being constantly bombarded with other people who are doing all the other things I would really like to do. I love to bake - I love babies. But I don't have a wife, and I'm in med school - so unlike the men in med school, who can get married and have those idealistic home lives, I have to use a crock pot and get a cat. Whom I love dearly, but that's not exactly the point.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-67336234081839985602009-01-10T12:37:00.000-08:002009-01-10T12:42:49.079-08:00New ChairI finally found a comfy chair that fits up the stairs in our 1955 Cape Cod - not a small accomplishment! It's a light green wing chair, and has kind of chenille-y material. My husband says it looks like an old lady chair, but considering that he married a woman who like rose-scented lotion, cats, and crocheting, I'm not entirely sure what he expected. I think it looks like a perfect place to sit in my very own little study, where I can read for hours about physiology and chemistry and not be disturbed. <br /><br />I'm spending way too much time looking at cats on http://www.petfinder.com even though I know we've agreed that we won't get one till spring. I want a kitty... sigh. Not sure how to do it, because most places want a reference from a vet and I've only ever had pets at my parents' house. Their vet knows me, but don't know if they'd accept a reference from him or not since I wasn't the primary pet-owner. <br /><br />Guess I'll find out in a few months.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-77788492118477893892009-01-07T06:08:00.000-08:002009-01-07T06:14:11.763-08:00Another Day in the Neighborhood...Or, more correctly, the Independent Study library. In my gray little cubicle, which I have happily outfitted with all the comforts of home so that I can at least have a few material things to ameliorate the effects of studying all day long. <br /><br />I have a green blanket, filtered water brought from home (because Columbus water is awful and the medical school seems to filter all of <span style="font-style: italic;">theirs</span> through a limestone deposit - it comes out white from the water fountains. Literally), a Hot Shot (nifty thing - put the water in and it heats and dispenses enough for a really big cup of tea), a beverage warmer, a space heater, and a huge stock of granola bars and easy mac. <br /><br />Still ... all I want to do is curl up with my green blanket by the space heater and take a nap.<br /><br />And yes, I did just get here.<br /><br />Oh, a long day is approaching...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-20133803580040137622009-01-06T13:18:00.000-08:002009-01-06T13:20:55.614-08:00Why I'm Doing ThisThis is just a reminder to myself, because it has been a pretty hellish week.<br /><br />I'm doing this because I can't be a doctor without knowing how these things work.<br />I'm doing this because I never want to look at my patient, who trusted me, and tell him or her that I screwed up because I didn't bother to learn the boring details.<br />I'm doing this because I want to help people.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I'm doing this because I'm a masochist.<br /><br />To all future patients -<br /><br />You're welcome.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-47281910057319867742008-05-08T14:56:00.001-07:002008-05-08T15:04:45.450-07:00good bye, cruel undergrad...I am finally done! Unless I seriously overestimated my success on that molecular biology test, I believe I passed and am officially finished with "college." <br /><br />Wow. Definitely an adult now, huh? No more excuses because I'm young and stupid.. from this point on, I'll just be stupid, which isn't nearly so endearing.<br /><br />Anyway - we went and ordered a cake today!<br /><br /> http://www.mcarthurs.com/wc203.asp<br /><br />No flowers on top, but that's the one... pretty, huh? It's traditional, and pretty, but not too frilly. And <span style="font-style: italic;">chocolate... mm.. yes.</span> My dress may be about all the frilly this wedding can handle. Actually, I know it's about all the frilly that <span style="font-style: italic;">I </span>can handle. I love it, really, though I perpetually make fun of myself for it. Not going to post a picture on the off chance that Fiancé finds this page - I don't care if he reads but he doesn't want to know what the dress looks like, and the temptation might be too much. lol<br /><br />Sent the contract to the realtor... anyone reading, please cross your fingers or say a prayer for us! I'm not picky... any well-wishes will do. I'm trying not to get so excited about <span style="font-style: italic;">The House</span> (as I think of it.) If we didn't get it, I'd be too upset if I'd already considered how lovely my teapots will look in the corner cabinet in the kitchen, or how nicely a vegetable garden would fit in the back corner of the yard. For example.<br /><br />I'm at a loss. It's been so long since I didn't have homework or studying to do that I don't exactly know what to do with myself now. I think I'll maybe spend the rest of the afternoon with tea and Harry Potter.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-36502403852236190002008-05-07T08:10:00.001-07:002008-05-07T08:20:52.652-07:00I have no sense for measurement, thanks for askingThis morning I very carefully poured water into my coffeepot to the 2-cup line. I am trying to cut down on the liquid crack. Unfortunately (fortunately? hm...) my ability to measure is pretty deficient, so I ended up with four cups. Yes, you did read that right. The worst part is that I was <span style="font-style: italic;">damn sure I poured two cups of water in the machine.</span> And last time I ran it, it went the full time - so I don't believe there was any water still in the reservoir.<br /><br />This is a long-standing affliction of mine. On more than one occasion, my fiancé has looked at me incredulously, hearing me say confidently, "Oh, it's about ten yards away..." and then carefully pointed out that it is, in fact, closer to ten feet. Ahem. I once mis-estimated that a 10-lb weight weighed "about a pound." Though I did warn my 6th-grade science teacher when he asked me to guess that I wouldn't be anywhere close. <br /><br />It's a little weird, really. I can estimate the center of gravity for nearly any object, and I can tell immediately if two things are parallel or slightly askew - but when it comes to any kind of real measurement, I'm impaired. <br /><br />Oh, well. More coffee for me - I couldn't let it go to <span style="font-style: italic;">waste</span>, could I?<br /><br /><br /><br />Still no contract from the realtor... despite my having been told twice yesterday (once at 11:20 and once at 2:30, thank you) that I would have it within two hours. I'm a bit irritated, but to be honest am getting weary of the whole process and no longer care. Either we'll get it, sign it, and buy a house... or we won't. To be honest, I'm feeling a little vindicated because my friends and family, seeing this process, finally realize that I was <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> exaggerating when I complained about Realtor's absentmindedness.<br /><br />Anyway. I have a molecular biology test tomorrow; I should maybe study for it. Graduation is so close I can smell it - well, figuratively. To be honest, our graduation is being held in the gym, so I don't really want to smell it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-90928454480260168732008-05-05T17:28:00.000-07:002008-05-07T08:10:03.094-07:00House developmentsTo the astonishment of the majority of my twenty-something friends, we are going to buy a house.<br /><br />Even though that's something "grown-ups" do.<br /><br />Because although it may seem completely counter-intuitive, we are, in fact, grown-ups. I am still not entirely sure when I made the switch. Last I knew, I was sixteen, pathologically stupid, barefoot, and convinced that I still had decades to think about what I would be "when I grew up." Except, of course, that I woke up this morning realizing that at the end of this summer I will be by any standard an Adult.<br />By August, I will be married. The big commitment that according to the laws of this fine nation only Grown-Ups are allowed to make. According to several of my friends, this will mark the end of my independent life, and I will no longer be allowed to go out with them in the evenings. I wasn't aware of that rule. Luckily, I don't think that the fiancé is aware of it, either.<br />By August, I will own a house. That house will cost more money than I have made in my entire working life. This is a sobering realization, to say the least.<br /><br />So we are in the midst of this collaborative effort to buy a house. Between my parents and grandparents, his parents, and us (not to mention the realtor and mortgage broker, who happens to be his aunt) we have quite a crowd of opinions, prejudices, and hardheaded fools. (The hardheaded fools are mostly on my side; I'm afraid it's a genetic trait. Poor Fiancé hasn't yet realized exactly what that means for the 10+ years of his life when he will be trying to raise our teenagers). The whole endeavor has been frustrating and exciting - frustrating because it's hard to find something that everyone agrees about ("No, I don't like that kind of basement," leads to, "Well, are you sure you don't want a garage?" and on, and on...) and we're balancing a fine line between caring about the valuable experience they have to offer and not caring at all about the biases that they have because of their own prior experiences. The exciting is the buying a house bit. A place where we can come home and be by ourselves. A place where I can have a garden. A place for bookshelves, comfy chairs and homemade bread. And that part makes it all worth it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444970872641364144.post-75291530541407513722008-04-30T21:59:00.000-07:002008-04-30T22:15:08.129-07:00may dayWell, it is officially midnight, May 1st, 2008 - May Day. I guess it's as good a time as any to start a new venture. <br /><br />By way of introduction, I'm 22, and I live in Missouri. I am a week and two days away from graduating college with a biology degree, and senioritis is hitting me hard. When I was a senior in high school, senioritis lurked, and slowly crept up on me in tiny little steps. This year, it swooped in wearing a Dolly Parton wig and sparkly green eyeshadow, and has been cheerfully smacking me over the head with its purse ever since. <br /><br />I'm headed to Ohio for medical school in the fall, which will begin exactly a week and two days after I marry my fiancé. I said all my life that I would never have an August wedding in Missouri - if I listen closely, I can hear God laughing. <br /><br />Mini-trivia: Did you know that the phrase "mayday" actually comes from the French "m'aidez"? It means "Help me." Not the most auspicious beginning, now that I think of it. More laughter from above...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0