The nurse from the UHS clinic called today to give me the culture results from the freakish rash under my eye......it turns out that the culture came back negative for both Shingles and Herpes. I didn't have either, which is great news but as she said, they don't know what I had. Huh. Things are all cleared up now and I'm back to perfect health, but that doesn't change the fact that I took anti-viral meds for 10 days unnecessarily. Grumble. But I guess I'm better safe than sorry : )
KATIE IS HERE!! I picked her up from the airport tonight and it was definitely a girl-type of reunion at the airport with lots of giggles and hugs.....but none of that obnoxious high-pitched squealing. We hate that. We caught up over a yummy dinner at Prickly Pear and it was just like I said it would be: like we saw each other just last weekend. We have lots of fun stuff planned for the visit and she'll be meeting all of my close friends, so it should be a fantastic time. She's coming to some of my classes with me tomorrow (wisely opting out of the 2 hours worth of biostatistics) then social time will be upon us. I'll be sure to post lots of pics from the weekend festivities : )
goodnight!
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Sunday, November 27, 2005
The Holiday Season Begins
Well, after my last post, which probably bordered on scary, I'm happy to report that I'm feeling much better after a few nice days of family, laughs, and lots and lots of food. Too much food. I've been taking my meds 5 times a day and the bad part about that is they make me nauseous so I have to eat a little when I take them. Couple that with having lots of good food around and you get lots of eating.
Thanksgiving break was nice. I procrastinated Wednesday night and didn't start packing until around 11:30, which meant that I got about 4 hours of sleep before the flight. Oops. Our trip out to DC took forever due to a delayed flight, an occupied gate at Regan National (our plane had to sit and wait for 20 minutes before the other plane left), and a broken baggage claim carousel. After getting up at 5:00 that morning we finally made it to Jillene's house around 2:30 pm. We had "The Dinner" around 4 and then I crashed on the sofa for about an hour....I just couldn't help it! It ended up being one of those nights where you look at the time and say "it's only 7pm?? It feels like it's 10!". Dad had rented a bunch of old movies, so we watched "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (which brought my dad to tears--he's a softy) and a "classic" Burt Lancaster movie called "Come Home, Little Sheba". Yeeaaahhhh.
Friday was a beautiful day in DC! Dad took us for a tour of the Pentagon and I must say that it is a pretty impressive building. We saw the memorial for the people killed on 9/11 and looked at all of the history displays scattered through the halls. The place is a mini museum! We saw his office and met a co-worker or two. No windows, though. Then back to the house for leftovers and more movies--dad went modern on us for Friday night's selection and we watched "Dirty Filthy Love" and "Modigliani". Jess and Lydia (Jillene's daughter) went to see the new Harry Potter and get this, they left before it was even over!! I'm glad I didn't go with them otherwise we would have had some words in the theater. I was dying to see "Rent" but didn't have the opportunity....maybe when Katie's in town.
We actually braved the mall on Saturday. My dad is one of those people who gets super impatient very easily, so it was a TON of fun for him : ) I joke that he was meant to be a NYC cab driver because he honks at other drivers for no reason at all. No joke, the half hour I was in the car with him he honked at least 5 times. It drives me NUTS!! At the mall Jillene and I went into a total of 4 stores and according to my dad it was "The Longest Mall Trip EVER". We take his complaining with a grain of salt. He was sulking during the car ride back to Jillene's: after surfing the radio stations and changing CDs several times he had to listen to HIS music (smooth jazz, which sounded a lot like the weather channel) despite my and Jillene's protests. My response was "well, you didn't have to come along, now did you?" He did some more grumbling. Ah, if only I had the money to buy stuff--window shopping makes me depressed, that's why I avoid the mall if I can't buy anything. I'll be a shopping fiend after I get gift cards at Christmas. Saturday night was more of the same: food (no leftovers!), a movie, bed. It was relaxing, but the majority of the time I was thinking about all the stuff I need to get done when I get back home.
Spending time with dad is great. He's incredibly funny and everything just feels at ease when we're all together. He and I have the kind of relationship where I can tell him whatever I'm thinking and call him on being unreasonable when appropriate.....all with total respect, of course. He gets sad when Jess, Josh, and I leave.....he'll call us after we leave to make sure we made it home OK and tell us that he misses us. Jillene left for another trip to London a couple hours after we left and he called tonight and said that he told Jillene that the four people he cares most about left today. Awwww.....
Christmas will be here before we know it. SO much to do before then! Better get started........
Here are some pics from this weekend:
Dad Cookin' in the Kitchen
Me and Dad
Dad presenting his masterpiece for all to enjoy
Thanksgiving break was nice. I procrastinated Wednesday night and didn't start packing until around 11:30, which meant that I got about 4 hours of sleep before the flight. Oops. Our trip out to DC took forever due to a delayed flight, an occupied gate at Regan National (our plane had to sit and wait for 20 minutes before the other plane left), and a broken baggage claim carousel. After getting up at 5:00 that morning we finally made it to Jillene's house around 2:30 pm. We had "The Dinner" around 4 and then I crashed on the sofa for about an hour....I just couldn't help it! It ended up being one of those nights where you look at the time and say "it's only 7pm?? It feels like it's 10!". Dad had rented a bunch of old movies, so we watched "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (which brought my dad to tears--he's a softy) and a "classic" Burt Lancaster movie called "Come Home, Little Sheba". Yeeaaahhhh.
Friday was a beautiful day in DC! Dad took us for a tour of the Pentagon and I must say that it is a pretty impressive building. We saw the memorial for the people killed on 9/11 and looked at all of the history displays scattered through the halls. The place is a mini museum! We saw his office and met a co-worker or two. No windows, though. Then back to the house for leftovers and more movies--dad went modern on us for Friday night's selection and we watched "Dirty Filthy Love" and "Modigliani". Jess and Lydia (Jillene's daughter) went to see the new Harry Potter and get this, they left before it was even over!! I'm glad I didn't go with them otherwise we would have had some words in the theater. I was dying to see "Rent" but didn't have the opportunity....maybe when Katie's in town.
We actually braved the mall on Saturday. My dad is one of those people who gets super impatient very easily, so it was a TON of fun for him : ) I joke that he was meant to be a NYC cab driver because he honks at other drivers for no reason at all. No joke, the half hour I was in the car with him he honked at least 5 times. It drives me NUTS!! At the mall Jillene and I went into a total of 4 stores and according to my dad it was "The Longest Mall Trip EVER". We take his complaining with a grain of salt. He was sulking during the car ride back to Jillene's: after surfing the radio stations and changing CDs several times he had to listen to HIS music (smooth jazz, which sounded a lot like the weather channel) despite my and Jillene's protests. My response was "well, you didn't have to come along, now did you?" He did some more grumbling. Ah, if only I had the money to buy stuff--window shopping makes me depressed, that's why I avoid the mall if I can't buy anything. I'll be a shopping fiend after I get gift cards at Christmas. Saturday night was more of the same: food (no leftovers!), a movie, bed. It was relaxing, but the majority of the time I was thinking about all the stuff I need to get done when I get back home.
Spending time with dad is great. He's incredibly funny and everything just feels at ease when we're all together. He and I have the kind of relationship where I can tell him whatever I'm thinking and call him on being unreasonable when appropriate.....all with total respect, of course. He gets sad when Jess, Josh, and I leave.....he'll call us after we leave to make sure we made it home OK and tell us that he misses us. Jillene left for another trip to London a couple hours after we left and he called tonight and said that he told Jillene that the four people he cares most about left today. Awwww.....
Christmas will be here before we know it. SO much to do before then! Better get started........
Here are some pics from this weekend:
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving! (and no shingles!)
Is it almost December already?? Really?? What's up with the time going by so fast? Man, I'm about to turn another year older......28 is a good age, I think. Good thing I've never been one of those girls who has their life planned out year by year. I've always thought that to be a little silly and ultimately disappointing; what if you don't meet your deadlines? It could force you to settle and settling is never good. And I think I've finally convinced my grandma that "my time" hasn't passed (please, grandma just because I wasn't married by the time I was 24, don't assume I'm never gonna get there). Although, it'll be pretty hard to make substantial progress BEING PERPETUALLY SICK. Thank goodness Thanksgiving break is upon us--I seriously need some time to recuperate both mentally and physically! Just when I thought I was in the clear my body decided to play a nasty trick on me. I must say that it is quite a leap of faith assuming that my friends who read this blog won't treat me like a leper when they see me next.......but I do have great friends : )
OK, for those of you who aren't medically knowledgeable or haven't taken courses in virology, read EVERYTHING I'm about to write before freaking out, OK?
I went to University Health Services Monday due to a rash under my left eye. Turns out that I may have either: Shingles or.......Herpes......on my face.
Yeah, don't freak out.
It is a MEDICAL FACT that 90% of the adult population has this type of Herpes. There are two types of herpes and let me make myself clear, this isn't the type of herpes that you get from sex and see all of those late night commercials about, it is the type of herpes that brings about cold sores and canker sores and they can surface anywhere on your body, it just usually happens to be the mouth. I have never had a cold sore, but I have had canker sores in the past. I guess that since my immune system has been stressed the virus decided to wake up and pay a visit and chose my lower left eyelid as its vacation spot. Here's a quote for you: I hope I have herpes and not shingles. If you want an explanation for that statement, email me or look up the difference between the two regarding side effects in the medical dictionary (and keep in mind that my eye may potentially be affected ) : )
So here's a summary of my current shitty health situation: I have a rash under my eye that itches like you won't believe, but I can't scratch or else it'll spread (flash back to your childhood encounter with the chicken pox), I can't sleep at night, I'm still recovering from my head cold, the anti-viral meds I'm taking 5 times a day to help prevent the spread of whatever it is I have make me nauseous and run me down, and my mental health is definitely taking a hit from all of it.
Bring on the turkey and cranberry sauce!! Please!!
OK, for those of you who aren't medically knowledgeable or haven't taken courses in virology, read EVERYTHING I'm about to write before freaking out, OK?
I went to University Health Services Monday due to a rash under my left eye. Turns out that I may have either: Shingles or.......Herpes......on my face.
Yeah, don't freak out.
It is a MEDICAL FACT that 90% of the adult population has this type of Herpes. There are two types of herpes and let me make myself clear, this isn't the type of herpes that you get from sex and see all of those late night commercials about, it is the type of herpes that brings about cold sores and canker sores and they can surface anywhere on your body, it just usually happens to be the mouth. I have never had a cold sore, but I have had canker sores in the past. I guess that since my immune system has been stressed the virus decided to wake up and pay a visit and chose my lower left eyelid as its vacation spot. Here's a quote for you: I hope I have herpes and not shingles. If you want an explanation for that statement, email me or look up the difference between the two regarding side effects in the medical dictionary (and keep in mind that my eye may potentially be affected ) : )
So here's a summary of my current shitty health situation: I have a rash under my eye that itches like you won't believe, but I can't scratch or else it'll spread (flash back to your childhood encounter with the chicken pox), I can't sleep at night, I'm still recovering from my head cold, the anti-viral meds I'm taking 5 times a day to help prevent the spread of whatever it is I have make me nauseous and run me down, and my mental health is definitely taking a hit from all of it.
Bring on the turkey and cranberry sauce!! Please!!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
I've been slackin' on the posts
I spent the majority of last week sleeping. I still attended my classes and went to work, but I went to bed early and tried to get a minimum of 10 hours of sleep a night; one night I even hit the 14 hour mark. For some reason I think that sleeping a lot helps heal a cold. I'll have to ask my med school friend, but I think I may be on to something there. I was feeling good all week until Friday morning after an hour in a smokey bar, half hour standing in the cold, and then getting to bed at 3 am Thursday night. Darn it! I know, I over-extended myself with social activities. Even after Thursday night it wasn't that I was feeling sick, it was just that my voice was gone. Seriously. It is funny when people you've known for years call you and they don't recognize your voice. Mike, one of my best friends, called friday morning to check in and say his last "hello" as a bachelor before his wedding on Saturday. He wasn't sure he was talking to the right person : ) I was supposed to go to Atlanta for Mike's wedding, but being broke and short on time I ended up being a bad friend and not able to make it. So, Mike, I love you and wish you and Laura all of the happiness in the world.....and I can't wait to meet her! (But don't forget, Laura may be George's step-mom now, but I'll always be his mama) ; )
Baby George after bringing him home from the Humane Society
I'll have to post a tribute to Mike. He's the sole reason I survived the 4 years in Atlanta post-undergrad, pre-Grad school. He means the world to me and I'll never be able to repay him for all he's done for me and my family. A truly wonderful man and if the stars had aligned and times were different I would have married him when I had the chance ; )
Whew, back to my very un-domesticated grad student life. I had a great time with Kyle at his med school post-test party friday night. Who would have guessed those crazy people at the club were serious students, well, until they started quizzing eachother on pancreas position or something--I've never heard such vocabulary! But, seriously, everyone was a lot of fun and very nice. Way to go Kyle for having great friends!
My voice was still non-existant Saturday when I woke up for the Michigan vs. OSU game. I met up with my friend Alison to head to the game and on the way there we passed all of the frat and house parties on State St. with drunken undergrads dancing on rooftops (literally), throwing giant blow-up penises with "Fuck Ohio" written on them around their frat lawns......ahhh, the smell of stale beer at 11 am. One younger kid walking to the game with his parents was in awe of all the "College Kids Gone Wild" and proceeded to give everyone high fives as he passed. His mother had a definite look of horror as she watched him enjoy the craziness that is game day tailgating.
Anyone who follows college football and has been anywhere near a tv in the past 24 hours knows that we lost to OSU; and to make matters worse the refs blew a call that MAY have changed the outcome. One thing I've learned about the differences between men and women when it comes to football (and sports in general) is this: women will be upset and disappointed when their team loses, but they let it go and move on (usually to wings and beer). Men sit with their disappointment. They commiserate with each other and talk about it over and over again. They bond over mutual hurt and anger. I witnessed it last night. My friend turned to a total stranger sitting behind him and started "the game" conversation. It lasted for at least 5 minutes and at the end of it you'd think they had been stranded on a desert island together, said goodbye with a "great to talk to you, man" and a handshake. I think this is the common thread between the sexes. Men and women have certain things that make them utterly happy that the other sex just doesn't understand and the same emotional reaction to disappointment, but with women it is usually relationship-related and for men it is sports-related. But I doubt any man will ever admit to seeing both circumstances as similar.....after all, it IS football. Now, I am not mocking men and sports--I'm actually intrigued and in awe of it.....I guess it is because I just don't and probably never will truly understand the bond. But I can appreciate and support it.....just as long as I'm appreciated and supported on woman-stuff like a new pair of shoes, or that concert/movie that a man doesn't really want to go to, but a woman would love for him to go to. It's all give and take : ) And really, what man is truly going to understand how that special pair of shoes can make us SO happy? Common thread, common thread....
After the game I went to the usual post-game meet up place for a beer and some wings with my friends. Usually it is just a starting place for the night; we meet there for a little while then head home to rest or nap, change clothes, and meet up later. Last night didn't quite work out like that. I had every intention of staying for only an hour or two, but ended up hanging around as friends came and went and came back again and as the beers kept coming. That's the problem when you're drinking with guys....they drink faster and they expect you to keep up, then when you finish that tall 23 oz. beer they order you another....before you know it you've had 5 tall beers and a round of shots with only 6 little chicken wings in your belly. Oops. But, it was fun. Not responsible, but fun.
Oh, and I loved the new Harry Potter movie! Not really for little kids with the return of Voldemort being quite graphic and scary, even for a 27 year old woman who knows exactly what is going to happen : )
I'll have to post a tribute to Mike. He's the sole reason I survived the 4 years in Atlanta post-undergrad, pre-Grad school. He means the world to me and I'll never be able to repay him for all he's done for me and my family. A truly wonderful man and if the stars had aligned and times were different I would have married him when I had the chance ; )
Whew, back to my very un-domesticated grad student life. I had a great time with Kyle at his med school post-test party friday night. Who would have guessed those crazy people at the club were serious students, well, until they started quizzing eachother on pancreas position or something--I've never heard such vocabulary! But, seriously, everyone was a lot of fun and very nice. Way to go Kyle for having great friends!
My voice was still non-existant Saturday when I woke up for the Michigan vs. OSU game. I met up with my friend Alison to head to the game and on the way there we passed all of the frat and house parties on State St. with drunken undergrads dancing on rooftops (literally), throwing giant blow-up penises with "Fuck Ohio" written on them around their frat lawns......ahhh, the smell of stale beer at 11 am. One younger kid walking to the game with his parents was in awe of all the "College Kids Gone Wild" and proceeded to give everyone high fives as he passed. His mother had a definite look of horror as she watched him enjoy the craziness that is game day tailgating.
Anyone who follows college football and has been anywhere near a tv in the past 24 hours knows that we lost to OSU; and to make matters worse the refs blew a call that MAY have changed the outcome. One thing I've learned about the differences between men and women when it comes to football (and sports in general) is this: women will be upset and disappointed when their team loses, but they let it go and move on (usually to wings and beer). Men sit with their disappointment. They commiserate with each other and talk about it over and over again. They bond over mutual hurt and anger. I witnessed it last night. My friend turned to a total stranger sitting behind him and started "the game" conversation. It lasted for at least 5 minutes and at the end of it you'd think they had been stranded on a desert island together, said goodbye with a "great to talk to you, man" and a handshake. I think this is the common thread between the sexes. Men and women have certain things that make them utterly happy that the other sex just doesn't understand and the same emotional reaction to disappointment, but with women it is usually relationship-related and for men it is sports-related. But I doubt any man will ever admit to seeing both circumstances as similar.....after all, it IS football. Now, I am not mocking men and sports--I'm actually intrigued and in awe of it.....I guess it is because I just don't and probably never will truly understand the bond. But I can appreciate and support it.....just as long as I'm appreciated and supported on woman-stuff like a new pair of shoes, or that concert/movie that a man doesn't really want to go to, but a woman would love for him to go to. It's all give and take : ) And really, what man is truly going to understand how that special pair of shoes can make us SO happy? Common thread, common thread....
After the game I went to the usual post-game meet up place for a beer and some wings with my friends. Usually it is just a starting place for the night; we meet there for a little while then head home to rest or nap, change clothes, and meet up later. Last night didn't quite work out like that. I had every intention of staying for only an hour or two, but ended up hanging around as friends came and went and came back again and as the beers kept coming. That's the problem when you're drinking with guys....they drink faster and they expect you to keep up, then when you finish that tall 23 oz. beer they order you another....before you know it you've had 5 tall beers and a round of shots with only 6 little chicken wings in your belly. Oops. But, it was fun. Not responsible, but fun.
Oh, and I loved the new Harry Potter movie! Not really for little kids with the return of Voldemort being quite graphic and scary, even for a 27 year old woman who knows exactly what is going to happen : )
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Katie is coming to visit!
Katie is finally coming to visit! To adequately understand how exciting this is to me, you need to know the background.
It all started first day freshman year of high school, 1992. I walked into homeroom knowing only 3 people out of the 375 in my freshman class......I was a little nervous. A short bubbly girl walked up to me and said (really fast) "Hi my name is Katie Dillon, what's your name?".
Katie and I were fast friends. After graduating high school we went to the same college and roomed together for all four years (and managed to remain friends in the process!). I was the maid of honor at her wedding and we were never out of touch for long while she went to grad school at Princeton and I worked in Atlanta. With our busy schedules it has been difficult to visit each other, so it has been over a year since I've last seen her!! Katie keeps me grounded, she calls me on my shit, and she knows me better than anyone else in my life. She's seen me at my best and worst and she loves me no matter what. It'll be like we saw each other just last weekend.
One of my favorite Katie moments:
Katie: "Hey Neen, do you want these vitamins? They taste horrible!"
Janine: "That's because they aren't chewable....you're supposed to swallow them!"
Katie: giggle.
I'm feeling much better after sleeping 14 hours last night......so I'll be better in no time! Perfect for the big UM vs. OSU weekend!!
It all started first day freshman year of high school, 1992. I walked into homeroom knowing only 3 people out of the 375 in my freshman class......I was a little nervous. A short bubbly girl walked up to me and said (really fast) "Hi my name is Katie Dillon, what's your name?".
Katie and I were fast friends. After graduating high school we went to the same college and roomed together for all four years (and managed to remain friends in the process!). I was the maid of honor at her wedding and we were never out of touch for long while she went to grad school at Princeton and I worked in Atlanta. With our busy schedules it has been difficult to visit each other, so it has been over a year since I've last seen her!! Katie keeps me grounded, she calls me on my shit, and she knows me better than anyone else in my life. She's seen me at my best and worst and she loves me no matter what. It'll be like we saw each other just last weekend.
One of my favorite Katie moments:
Katie: "Hey Neen, do you want these vitamins? They taste horrible!"
Janine: "That's because they aren't chewable....you're supposed to swallow them!"
Katie: giggle.
I'm feeling much better after sleeping 14 hours last night......so I'll be better in no time! Perfect for the big UM vs. OSU weekend!!
Monday, November 14, 2005
I asked for it.
I danced and danced and then danced some more Saturday night. It was 3.5 solid hours of dancing. People were doing some unnatural things on the dance floor--solo, in pairs, and in chains of up to 5 people. It made for an entertaining spectacle. But the atmosphere at Rick's wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! Below are some pics. In one of them I look completely drunk, but I assure you, I only had 3 drinks!
Maybe it was the late night Friday, or the football game, or the late night Saturday at Rick's.....possibly the run and work out on Sunday......whatever it was, I'm now battling "The Cold of the Semester". I hate being sick. Sleepless nights--or even worse, the NyQuil Nights where you think you'll get peaceful sleep, but you just toss and turn in that strange dream world. I'm trying hard to fight it off, but I fear I'm losing the battle. Regardless, I will be better by Friday for another "Rock Star Weekend" (not my saying, really).
I have too much to do!! I can't be sick!!
ugh.
Pics from Rick's Bar:
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Just let me dance!
It's amazing how finishing a test makes me happy--IMMEDIATELY. I wasn't particularly worried about the test, but it was a daunting 2-hour experience with a "Mystery Question" that always throws us kids for a loop. There are 3 parts to the test: 18 true/false questions, one multi-question analysis part where we interpret SAS output and models, and then the "mystery" part. This test's mystery question was the following;
3. (10 points) In this last problem, you will be asked to consider data from a recently reported abstract in the medical literature......blah, blah....[excerpt from the paper outlining the objectives of the study and the findings]. Then we're given the covariates that were measured and a list of assumptions and told to "describe in detail the logistic regression models whose odds ratio are being reported on in the abstract".
Wha? Sounds like fun, doesn't it?!?
Luckily, this section is only 10% of the test grade and he gives partial credit. I ran into the prof after the test and he said "I made it through grad school on partial credit" : )
On to bigger and better things ; )
Friday night: Kyle is coming into town and we're going out for drinks.
Saturday: PHSA tailgate and UM football game followed by the "American Products Party" at Kara and Julia's house, where we have to bring American food/drinks or wear our favorite "Made in the USA" clothing. Franzia boxed wine will be provided. Then we move on to Rick's Club for some much needed dancing! While I usually avoid Rick's (yucky frat boys and girls straight out of "Girls Gone Wild") I NEED TO DANCE. I haven't been out at all since Halloween and haven't really been dancing since the beginning of September........the "dance reservoir" is full and the time has come.
Studying will be done on Sunday and in the gaps in between the other events. I know, it seems wrong to prioritize going out over studying, but I'm really not........I'll still get a lot done! AND just so you know, I declined an invite to go out to a club last Saturday night. See?
3. (10 points) In this last problem, you will be asked to consider data from a recently reported abstract in the medical literature......blah, blah....[excerpt from the paper outlining the objectives of the study and the findings]. Then we're given the covariates that were measured and a list of assumptions and told to "describe in detail the logistic regression models whose odds ratio are being reported on in the abstract".
Wha? Sounds like fun, doesn't it?!?
Luckily, this section is only 10% of the test grade and he gives partial credit. I ran into the prof after the test and he said "I made it through grad school on partial credit" : )
On to bigger and better things ; )
Friday night: Kyle is coming into town and we're going out for drinks.
Saturday: PHSA tailgate and UM football game followed by the "American Products Party" at Kara and Julia's house, where we have to bring American food/drinks or wear our favorite "Made in the USA" clothing. Franzia boxed wine will be provided. Then we move on to Rick's Club for some much needed dancing! While I usually avoid Rick's (yucky frat boys and girls straight out of "Girls Gone Wild") I NEED TO DANCE. I haven't been out at all since Halloween and haven't really been dancing since the beginning of September........the "dance reservoir" is full and the time has come.
Studying will be done on Sunday and in the gaps in between the other events. I know, it seems wrong to prioritize going out over studying, but I'm really not........I'll still get a lot done! AND just so you know, I declined an invite to go out to a club last Saturday night. See?
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
So Sleepy......
I only got about 4 hours of sleep last night thanks to an ill-timed text message at 1 am. I was sound asleep, heard the little text-ring from my phone, and then couldn't fall back asleep for 2 more HOURS.
Naturally, I thought that I'd be super sleepy today, but I had an epiphany and the subsequent excitement kept me on the go for a while. We had a guest speaker for our Policy class and while the presentation wasn't great, the info rocked my world! I've been under a cloud of indecision and procrastination regarding the PhD application process. I've been trying to figure out how to combine and focus my interests in order to identify faculty members who would make effective mentors for my research and wouldn't you know, this prof laid it all out for me nicely in an hour-long presentation. He's a pediatric MD, but his interests lie in research with policy goals relating to childhood immunizations....and he is interested in the societal influence on policy and health outcomes. The PhD path is crystal clear now. I set up a meeting to speak with him, and I have 3 other meetings set up regarding PhD stuff as well--all with very accomplished professors who could really guide me (and may have the much-needed funding!). I don't think I've been this excited about anything since, well...in months! The kind of excited where you think about the possibilities and you can't help but smile big. And all of this craziness is over the possibility of 3 more years of school--so you know this is good.
That kept me awake for most of the day. This afternoon I walked from SPH to downtown to the Registrar's office and realized that my (limited-run) bus didn't start service for another 45 minutes........so I walked all the way to the park and ride lot. Who needs a bus anyway?? It was (and still is) crazy-windy today--the type of wind that when it hits you sideways while you're walking your leg is pushed from the force and you end up tripping yourself. Yep, please tell me this happens to other people......... : )
It took me 40 minutes to walk to the west side of town and the wind resistence made for a great work out. I must say that I really enjoyed the walk.
Of course, as soon as I sat down to study for my biostats test tomorrow I was overcome with sleepiness. I got a good 4 hours of studying in before my eyes gave out on me and my brain froze. I think it is time to give up and just go to bed.
whoohoo!!
Naturally, I thought that I'd be super sleepy today, but I had an epiphany and the subsequent excitement kept me on the go for a while. We had a guest speaker for our Policy class and while the presentation wasn't great, the info rocked my world! I've been under a cloud of indecision and procrastination regarding the PhD application process. I've been trying to figure out how to combine and focus my interests in order to identify faculty members who would make effective mentors for my research and wouldn't you know, this prof laid it all out for me nicely in an hour-long presentation. He's a pediatric MD, but his interests lie in research with policy goals relating to childhood immunizations....and he is interested in the societal influence on policy and health outcomes. The PhD path is crystal clear now. I set up a meeting to speak with him, and I have 3 other meetings set up regarding PhD stuff as well--all with very accomplished professors who could really guide me (and may have the much-needed funding!). I don't think I've been this excited about anything since, well...in months! The kind of excited where you think about the possibilities and you can't help but smile big. And all of this craziness is over the possibility of 3 more years of school--so you know this is good.
That kept me awake for most of the day. This afternoon I walked from SPH to downtown to the Registrar's office and realized that my (limited-run) bus didn't start service for another 45 minutes........so I walked all the way to the park and ride lot. Who needs a bus anyway?? It was (and still is) crazy-windy today--the type of wind that when it hits you sideways while you're walking your leg is pushed from the force and you end up tripping yourself. Yep, please tell me this happens to other people......... : )
It took me 40 minutes to walk to the west side of town and the wind resistence made for a great work out. I must say that I really enjoyed the walk.
Of course, as soon as I sat down to study for my biostats test tomorrow I was overcome with sleepiness. I got a good 4 hours of studying in before my eyes gave out on me and my brain froze. I think it is time to give up and just go to bed.
whoohoo!!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
World travelers, take me with you!
Well, not so much "world" travelers, more like "far-off city" travelers. This week my dad is in San Francisco (one of my favorite cities) for a conference. He just called to say how nice the weather is and "what a great town". I'd really love to be there right now! I visited SF with Mike over Memorial Day weekend back in 2002 and just couldn't get enough of the city. We ate at the most amazing Chinese restaurant in Chinatown--it was a tiny dive on a side street, but the food was out of this world. We walked around the city forever, rode the trolley, took a ferry over to "The Rock", where Mike recounted his experience competing in the "Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon" (and I couldn't believe anyone would willingly get in that water to swim back to shore), we visited the original Ghirardelli Chocolate store, Golden Gate Park, and enjoyed even more amazing food in Little Italy. I think I took 4 rolls of film (no digital camera.....damn) during the trip.
I have a habit of buying a travel-guide book whenever I'm going to visit a new city. Not just any travel guide, either, it has to be the "Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Travel Guide":
They have the best pictures and maps :). Before the trip I read through the travel guide and soak up all of the info, but I'm not a "by the book" type of girl when traveling--I usually keep things random and spontaneous, but this way at least I know what I'm looking at and have a general idea of what I want to see.
In other traveler news, Damon and Solomon are in Miami this week on "school business" ;). No, really, they are picking up some stuff to bring back to UM, but still, they're in Miami and may make a brief jaunt down to Key West. Ahhh, Key West :) The only place in the world where you can get frozen authentic key lime pie on a stick:
AND it's covered in dark chocolate. Talk about a tasty treat! I was there in late November 2001, which means the temperature was perfect and the massive hoards of tourists hadn't arrived yet. We enjoyed some great food (sense a theme?), took in a sunset cruise on a beautiful sailboat, and did some snorkeling at a coral reef, where I saw an octopus and some creepy barracuda (they actually do just "sit" in the water and watch you)......shiver.
To top it all off, my dad's girlfriend is in London on business.......I think these people are trying to torture me!
SO--anyone up for a trip?? I need to get back out there into "travel-land". I can provide the road trip music :)
I have a habit of buying a travel-guide book whenever I'm going to visit a new city. Not just any travel guide, either, it has to be the "Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Travel Guide":
They have the best pictures and maps :). Before the trip I read through the travel guide and soak up all of the info, but I'm not a "by the book" type of girl when traveling--I usually keep things random and spontaneous, but this way at least I know what I'm looking at and have a general idea of what I want to see.
In other traveler news, Damon and Solomon are in Miami this week on "school business" ;). No, really, they are picking up some stuff to bring back to UM, but still, they're in Miami and may make a brief jaunt down to Key West. Ahhh, Key West :) The only place in the world where you can get frozen authentic key lime pie on a stick:
AND it's covered in dark chocolate. Talk about a tasty treat! I was there in late November 2001, which means the temperature was perfect and the massive hoards of tourists hadn't arrived yet. We enjoyed some great food (sense a theme?), took in a sunset cruise on a beautiful sailboat, and did some snorkeling at a coral reef, where I saw an octopus and some creepy barracuda (they actually do just "sit" in the water and watch you)......shiver.
To top it all off, my dad's girlfriend is in London on business.......I think these people are trying to torture me!
SO--anyone up for a trip?? I need to get back out there into "travel-land". I can provide the road trip music :)
Sunday, November 06, 2005
What's He Saying?
My nephew was playing with some of his trucks this afternoon and amidst all of the "vroooommmm.....crash!" and high-pitched squeals Jess and I hear something that sounds like "Oh Crap". We focus our gaze on Josh and wait for it again....."Oh SNAP!". My nephew now says "Oh Snap". Huh. I must admit it was pretty funny. I certainly don't say that and I'm pretty sure Jess doesn't say that--the influence of day care, perhaps? I wonder what he'll come up with next (and please don't let it be "shit"....I've let that one slip a few times).
This weekend has been nice. Low key, yet still eventful. Caught up with a few friends and spent some quality time with others.
Yet, the pic below accurately portrays how I'm feeling at 11:40 on a sunday night. Must be the weather.
g'night.
Me at the Outer Banks, NC
This weekend has been nice. Low key, yet still eventful. Caught up with a few friends and spent some quality time with others.
Yet, the pic below accurately portrays how I'm feeling at 11:40 on a sunday night. Must be the weather.
g'night.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
An Enjoyable Time-Waster
My friend AJ sent me the link to the "Numa Numa" clip off of the Albino Blacksheep.com website (which is hilarious, by the way and anyone who has been in a club in the past few months has invariably witnessed the phenomenon where people dance to this song while trying to sing in Romanian--Solomon even referenced it in his blog! I wonder what the lyrics translate to...the joke could be on us) and I had to share the equally enjoyable time-waster below. I think it's pretty funny. And NO, it isn't a personal comment on my life. :)
Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me
Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me
Friday, November 04, 2005
Tidbits
I went for a nice run tonight before the sun set. It was 68 degrees outside and while I was lacking the energy to run, I couldn't help but enjoy the trail one last time before I get wussy and don't want to run in the cold (I'll move things indoors!). It is the same trail that I ran and biked this past summer and it seemed so different now that the trees have turned and leaves are on the ground. It made me sad. For those of you who don't know me, I definitely express the "sentimentality" gene found in most women. It seems to be lacking in my sister--definitely recessive. She gets pissed when I get sentimental. We balance each other out well :)
A fact: I'm drawn to creative people. When I encounter someone who has an affinity for creativity I can't help but be intrigued by them. I want to know what makes them tick and move and where they find inspiration. I want to understand their individuality. I love it when someone can say something that changes my perspective and challenges my perception. For instance, I ran into one of my favorite creative friends today at Amer's and had a conversation about his PhD interests and general goals for improving society :). Just by being who he is and representing his life experiences and insights he challenges my perceptions and makes me think. I love that! My hope is that I do the same for other people. I guess it's rather relative in that contributions I may make vary depending on the person's experiences and knowledge. All I can do is represent my thoughts and experiences honestly, right? RIGHT!
Song that's currently playing on my itunes: "U Can Look" by Jump, Little Children. (they're fun in concert!)
Song that's next on my itunes: "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice.
After that: "I Can't Wait" by The Sundays.
Then: "A Lack of Color" by Death Cab for Cutie.........
I could go on and on.....
goodnight!
A fact: I'm drawn to creative people. When I encounter someone who has an affinity for creativity I can't help but be intrigued by them. I want to know what makes them tick and move and where they find inspiration. I want to understand their individuality. I love it when someone can say something that changes my perspective and challenges my perception. For instance, I ran into one of my favorite creative friends today at Amer's and had a conversation about his PhD interests and general goals for improving society :). Just by being who he is and representing his life experiences and insights he challenges my perceptions and makes me think. I love that! My hope is that I do the same for other people. I guess it's rather relative in that contributions I may make vary depending on the person's experiences and knowledge. All I can do is represent my thoughts and experiences honestly, right? RIGHT!
Song that's currently playing on my itunes: "U Can Look" by Jump, Little Children. (they're fun in concert!)
Song that's next on my itunes: "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice.
After that: "I Can't Wait" by The Sundays.
Then: "A Lack of Color" by Death Cab for Cutie.........
I could go on and on.....
goodnight!
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Sign me up!
You know you're a Public Health nerd when you start jumping up and down when a PBS special on Global Health comes on TV. I read the program description and the moment unfolded like this:
"hmm.....Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge: the current challenges facing the world regarding night blindness, nutritional deficiencies (voice starts increasing in pitch and I start jumping up and down) HIV/AIDS and Avian Influenza??!!! AWESOME!!!".
My sister called me a "total dork" and left the room :)
What can I say? I'm a dork. But...a well informed dork! I further demonstrated my dorkiness by insisting that she watch it with me; her response was "no, it doesn't really interest me". I glared at her and was actually speechless for a few seconds. I really couldn't understand how it didn't interest her....it interested everyone, right?? I asked her a few times more just to check to see if she was pulling my leg--she got annoyed. I called my dad and told him that I finally understood why she is his second favorite. HA! His response was, "well, you've always been cut from a different log". I think that was a compliment.....
My dad had called me last night when I was stuck doing SAS work in the SPH computer lab at 10 pm (ugh) to let me know the Rx series was on and I had completely forgotten about it until I was flipping channels tonight looking for CSI. Needless to say, I didn't watch CSI (which happens to be one of my favorite shows).
The program (only one part of a multi-part series) was like a mini emotional rollercoaster; moments of elation, sadness, promise, hopelessness, admiration for my fellow human beings who put it all out there and risk EVERYTHING for public health progress. Yes! I am ready to go and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!! :) As soon as I get my degree....
And, for those of you who haven't been paying attention to a little thing called Avian Influenza--it's really. scary. shit.
here's the link for more info:
Rx for Survival
"hmm.....Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge: the current challenges facing the world regarding night blindness, nutritional deficiencies (voice starts increasing in pitch and I start jumping up and down) HIV/AIDS and Avian Influenza??!!! AWESOME!!!".
My sister called me a "total dork" and left the room :)
What can I say? I'm a dork. But...a well informed dork! I further demonstrated my dorkiness by insisting that she watch it with me; her response was "no, it doesn't really interest me". I glared at her and was actually speechless for a few seconds. I really couldn't understand how it didn't interest her....it interested everyone, right?? I asked her a few times more just to check to see if she was pulling my leg--she got annoyed. I called my dad and told him that I finally understood why she is his second favorite. HA! His response was, "well, you've always been cut from a different log". I think that was a compliment.....
My dad had called me last night when I was stuck doing SAS work in the SPH computer lab at 10 pm (ugh) to let me know the Rx series was on and I had completely forgotten about it until I was flipping channels tonight looking for CSI. Needless to say, I didn't watch CSI (which happens to be one of my favorite shows).
The program (only one part of a multi-part series) was like a mini emotional rollercoaster; moments of elation, sadness, promise, hopelessness, admiration for my fellow human beings who put it all out there and risk EVERYTHING for public health progress. Yes! I am ready to go and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!! :) As soon as I get my degree....
And, for those of you who haven't been paying attention to a little thing called Avian Influenza--it's really. scary. shit.
here's the link for more info:
Rx for Survival
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Hee.
My sister felt compelled to hide Joshie's Halloween bucket from me.
I'm. Addicted. To. Chocolate.
But, in all honesty, I've only had 3 of the mini candybars over the past 2 days. That is not reason enough to hide it, is it??
:)
Boycott, Badness, and Beauty
The Boycott:
I love my Nestle's Crunch and hot chocolate, but now when I think about enjoying the chocolate-y goodness I'll see hundreds of thousands of dead babies in my mind. Morbid, right? Apparently, the Nestle Corporation is one of the major global players in the Infant Milk Substitute Market and their ethically-questionable marketing practices in developing countries has lead to a 20-country boycott of their products. The participants of the Nestle boycott accuse Nestle of not complying with the WHO's World Health Assembly Marketing Requirements and of unfairly marketing their infant formula to women in developing countries, advocating formula as the "modern" and convenient thing to do. The consequences of advocating infant formula versus breast feeding: hundreds of thousands of infant deaths from diarrheal diseases caused by contaminated water used to reconstitute the formula. Now, there are benefits to using formula in certain situations: mothers who are HIV/AIDS positive, infants who refuse to breast feed, mothers who are too malnourished to nurse.....definitely a case-by-case situation.
I had a mini-Baby Ruth chocolate bar this afternoon (courtesy of Josh's Halloween bucket)! If the accusations against Nestle are true, then I feel bad for enjoying their chocolate. Damn.
Here are two references so you can check out the facts:
Baby Milk Action Org
Nestle's page
The Badness:
So I know a guy who is in a long distance relationship. They have been seeing each other for only a short period of time, but he swears he thinks she's "the one". He says this, goes on and on about how excited he is about the relationship and it's insane how he feels about this girl......then invites a (different) girl over to hang out and make out!
WTF??
He's legitimately interested in having sex with this other girl. Now, call me crazy, but something just isn't right. How can he be so enamored with his girlfriend and still be physically interested in another girl, and more importantly, willing to act on that physical attraction? Is this the norm? Am I that naive? Is sex that removed from emotion? I just don't get it.
The Beauty:
It's November now and the trees are still full of color, the air is cool, and the sun is shining. Today's high is supposed to be 60 degrees! It won't last long....I really need to get out and take some pictures before the color is gone and the snow arrives. I'll post pics when I get around to it :)
I love my Nestle's Crunch and hot chocolate, but now when I think about enjoying the chocolate-y goodness I'll see hundreds of thousands of dead babies in my mind. Morbid, right? Apparently, the Nestle Corporation is one of the major global players in the Infant Milk Substitute Market and their ethically-questionable marketing practices in developing countries has lead to a 20-country boycott of their products. The participants of the Nestle boycott accuse Nestle of not complying with the WHO's World Health Assembly Marketing Requirements and of unfairly marketing their infant formula to women in developing countries, advocating formula as the "modern" and convenient thing to do. The consequences of advocating infant formula versus breast feeding: hundreds of thousands of infant deaths from diarrheal diseases caused by contaminated water used to reconstitute the formula. Now, there are benefits to using formula in certain situations: mothers who are HIV/AIDS positive, infants who refuse to breast feed, mothers who are too malnourished to nurse.....definitely a case-by-case situation.
I had a mini-Baby Ruth chocolate bar this afternoon (courtesy of Josh's Halloween bucket)! If the accusations against Nestle are true, then I feel bad for enjoying their chocolate. Damn.
Here are two references so you can check out the facts:
Baby Milk Action Org
Nestle's page
The Badness:
So I know a guy who is in a long distance relationship. They have been seeing each other for only a short period of time, but he swears he thinks she's "the one". He says this, goes on and on about how excited he is about the relationship and it's insane how he feels about this girl......then invites a (different) girl over to hang out and make out!
WTF??
He's legitimately interested in having sex with this other girl. Now, call me crazy, but something just isn't right. How can he be so enamored with his girlfriend and still be physically interested in another girl, and more importantly, willing to act on that physical attraction? Is this the norm? Am I that naive? Is sex that removed from emotion? I just don't get it.
The Beauty:
It's November now and the trees are still full of color, the air is cool, and the sun is shining. Today's high is supposed to be 60 degrees! It won't last long....I really need to get out and take some pictures before the color is gone and the snow arrives. I'll post pics when I get around to it :)
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