Happy, Happy Weekend

Yeah, 6th row at the Big House!

This past weekend was full of fun things!

• Dinner at an excellent restaurant and going to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to watch the Wizard of Oz as they played the movie score was a perfect way for Kyle and I to celebrate one year together.
  
• On Saturday we had 6th row tickets to the UM vs. Ball State game (don't get me started on how we almost blew the game to Ball State).
  
• Piddling around Ann Arbor Saturday afternoon. The piddling was good.
  
• We met up with friends Matt and Steph for dinner and then Alison and Kyle's friend Matt for drinks at Ashley's bar. We had a table right by the window, which is my favorite spot.
  

I miss Ann Arbor. I miss it a lot.

Happy Halloween!

Once again it's Halloween and I'm on the sofa in my pjs (remember last year's post?) And once again, I partied like crazy prior to Halloween so I could just sit on the sofa in my pjs tonight. Kyle and I went to the med school post-test/Halloween party last Friday night and had (too much of) a good time. I went as a "Stud Finder"......aka, a 40's pin-up girl with a toolbelt, a hard hat, and lots of leg :-) Kyle went as Capt. Jack Sparrow and I didn't think it was possible, but he looked even taller than his natural 6'5" stature. I think it was the hair. Anyway, we both looked fantastic and had an amazing time.

Of course we spent all of the next day on the sofa, watching the UM game (go blue!) and trying not to move too much for fear of exploding heads and eternal dizziness.

Sunday was another Halloween-type day. We went to a local cider mill for apples, donuts, and pumpkins! Then we headed out to Greenfield Village for their family-friendly Halloween walk. We were surrounded by tykes in costumes and ghoulish decorations and hundreds of jack-o-lanterns. And no Halloween is complete without watching "It's the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown", which we did while carving our pumpkins :-)

Back to work!

Potomac River

I'm back to my usual routine after my trip to DC, which was excellent. After my meetings during the day I enjoyed spending time with my family and one night I met up with my friend Julia for dinner. It was great seeing a SPH friend!

I took the Metro into Bethesda one day during rush hour and vowed never to do it again. I love the Metro. I think it is a fantastic system for avoiding horrendous traffic....except when you are packed tight, there's "traffic" in the tunnel (turning an hour commute into an hour and 45 minute commute) with lots of starting and stopping, and you suffer easily from motion sickness. Ugh. Needless to say, I drove the next day. But I happily took the Metro for all of my other DC adventures.

The fam is great. I miss them terribly. Dad and I took a walk along the bike trail by Reagan National and I realized how much I miss having an outlet for outdoor physical activity!! Detroit isn't so hot for the walking trails.

Kyle flew in on Friday night and on Saturday the two of us, Josh, and Jess took the Metro in to explore a few museums. Also, Kyle and I had the extraordinary luck to get to go up to the top of the Washington Monument! I hadn't been up there since I was 10 years old (pre-restoration days) and it was worth the wait. Dad met up with us later in the day and we had a huge family feast that night. Ahhh, family :-)

Now that I'm back, work is more frenzied, I have to catch up on my classwork, and I need to figure out what the heck I'm going to do for Halloween! I've been slacking on my costume decision.....

Jess, Josh, and Kyle goofin' off ;-)

On the road

I'm posting from a remote location this week. My company sent me to DC for a few days of training before our big study starts and it just so happens that my training location is only a few miles away from where my family lives. Consequently, I don't see this week as training, but as a little vacation where I get to spend a whole week with the fam. So nice.....

AND next Friday Kyle is flying in to spend the weekend with me and the fam! I just know that this time is going to go by way too fast. Luckily, time in general is going by fast so it won't be long until I see the fam again. :)

Work!

I find it funny. Really. Well no, not really....it isn't funny. I'm frustrated with my job. I love the company. I like my co-workers. I can't stand the apparently "normal" development process of a large study. It's essentially like having 10 very important, very intelligent, and very busy people in the same room and trying to get them to decide on something--just. one. thing. Except that everyone is talking via conference call. No one can make up their mind and once they do, they change it.

As the Project Manager, I'm responsible for the logistics of the study: making sure what is decided on is carried out. Ah, you see my dilemma. I make preparations, work for days on something, then I get the word that so and so changed their mind and we're doing it "this" way now. I'm really good at my job. What makes me good at my job is my attention to detail, thinking through tasks and being thorough. I like timelines, knowing what needs to happen when, how things need to happen. Unfortunately, the traits that make me good at my job also make me prone to endless frustration at how these studies typically run. What I didn't know about large multi-center studies is that people are always changing their minds, nothing is ever set in stone, the details are constantly changing. I can't rely on the study protocol in order to get tasks completed because the study protocol is obsolete 10 minutes after the "final" draft is created.

We're 4 weeks away from launching this large study. I'm freaking out at this point, seeing as how I need to do 4 million things in the next 4 weeks and we're still discussing the details. Aaarrgghhh!! Just to be clear, this is how things typically run. I either need to adapt or find another job! I think I'm doing a pretty good job at adapting.

Luckily, I have a full, lovely life outside of work (why I haven't been updating my blog) that keeps me happy!

Ah, such relaxation!

I really needed it. Kyle needed it more. A weekend to just get away from work and school to just relax. The weekend bags were packed with only t-shirts, shorts, and bathing suits, with a few books that have nothing to do with anything remotely related to our daily activities.

After a trip to the med school post-test party on Friday night we headed up north to the family cabin. The car ride was full of random conversations, crazy moments and lots of trying-to-stay-awake activities. We pulled in around 4 am and naturally got a late start to the day on Saturday--but that's what we were there for! To relax, not worry about timelines, and do whatever the heck we wanted. It rained and stormed like crazy on Saturday, which was actually really nice and peaceful. There was a break in the storm long enough for us to take the new sailboat out on the lake and to get some dinner. After dinner we enjoyed more gazing at the lake, reading..........and ultimately falling asleep while reading. That was me--I just couldn't keep my eyes open! Sunday was a beautiful day and we took the sailboat out again for a trip around the lake. I was very impressed with Kyle's sailing skills and by the end of the weekend he had me sailing, too--well, at least pulling on the right ropes.

All in all it was exactly what we had wanted it to be--an incredibly nice getaway where we didn't have to think about anything at all.

Congrats are in order!

Congratulations to Stephanie and Matt, who became engaged this past week! At a picturesque Oregon waterfall of all places :-)

So over the past few months friends Mary, Gabby, and Steph, and Kyle's friend Andy have all become engaged. Something must be in the water--or maybe it's just that time in life.

On to other news, I've been keeping fairly busy here in Detroit. I've put in an application to volunteer somewhere, I've found a gym to work out at, my apartment is coming together (I found a dinning room table!) and I'm looking into taking a few classes in order to go to nursing school next year.......
Yeah, I know:
1) more school?
2) no PhD??
More school--yes. No PhD--not necessarily. I can always get my PhD down the road, but right now I'm more interested in putting my research skills to good use, while having the ability to help (little) people directly.

Kyle took me to my first Detroit Tigers baseball game last Friday. It was a ton of fun, with a quite impressive fireworks display after the game. On sunday I went out to support him at another mountain bike race--a 20 mile race--and he did a fantastic job. I'll post a pic or two soon.

Right now I need to get back to my laundry and keep on hanging pictures..........

Shedding my skin

I finally have internet at home. I'm starting to amass more things at home, which is good because I gave so much away when I moved that I'm seriously lacking things like a coffee table, or any table for that matter.

My apartment is starting to feel more like home. I have a new sofa. I'm learning my way around Detroit....sometimes it takes a few wrong turns through some interesting scenery....

But I can't help but feel as if my life in Ann Arbor was ages ago. There isn't much left of my life there. Or should I say that I didn't carry much of my Ann Arbor life to Detroit with me? My sister and Josh are in Virginia now, I have a full time job (no longer a student), my social circle is completely different, my lifestyle is different. It's almost like I've shed my skin and I'm starting a new life. Kyle is the only thing in my life that has remained constant over the past few months. Unfortunately for him, that means he's been the go-to-guy for me during this adjustment period. And he is most deservingly showered with love because he's been completely wonderful and understanding when I've become emotional and needy :-)

This is probably reading as if I'm miserable and having a hard time. Honestly, I'm doing great. I'm enjoying my new Detroit life and I love my apartment. I do miss some aspects of my days in Ann Arbor and I miss Josh and Jess terribly, but I handle change rather well.

When I'm not missing my family I'm doing fun stuff with Kyle. We went mountain biking yesterday. He's a champ, having raced competitively (most recently last weekend--see pic below) and yet still willing to go out on the trail with me and my no suspension old-school Specialized mountain bike. I hadn't done any serious riding in over two years! Kyle says that I did I great job :-) It was a 9 mile trail and there were times that I was worn out, but overall I think I did pretty darn good for not riding in a while. For Kyle it was more like a walk through the park ;-)

Other than driving around looking for more furniture, going to work, seeing Kyle, and missing my family, not much else is going on. I'll update more regularly now that my freakin' internet is working (only 3 weeks post move-in)!

Can't post now...

I haven't had internet since I moved into my new apartment (over two weeks now....stupid comcast) so this quick post (on my lunch hour at work) is to say that as soon as I have it all worked out I'll provide massive updates.

hugs,
Janine

Yes, I am still here!

You may think: "Janine's working, she's not in school anymore, so why the heck doesn't she update her blog?" Well, I just have not had the time. The only reason I am updating now is because I'm forcing myself to take a break from packing up my apartment to post a "hello".

In the few weeks since my last post I've finished my thesis, apartment hunted in Detroit, watched the Detroit fireworks from a friend's 20th floor balcony right across the street from the Renaissance Center (basically where the action is), spent a long weekend up north with Kyle and his family for the 4th, and started packing for my move into "the D".

Yes, I am moving to Detroit. I am a little apprehensive, not because of the location, but because I'll be living by myself for the first time in three years. That and I know I am going to miss Ann Arbor's perks. I don't think I'll be doing much running around my new place. But--my office is only 5 miles away, Kyle is 2 miles away, and I got an amazing deal on a one bedroom-loft apartment. It is pretty cool. The sad news is that Jess and Josh are moving far, far away. They're moving to Virginia. At this point I honestly don't know how I am going to spend my days without them around! Josh has lived with me since he was 10 months old. Just the thought of not seeing him every day completely breaks my heart. Luckily for me I have a job, a salary, and a rent payment that won't suck up my paycheck, so I'll be making frequent trips to visit them. Alas, I still fear I am going to be a very lonely girl.......with a huge phone bill.

I've been packing up the apartment this weekend and it's amazing how you think it will only take you a day or two and yet, you spend two days just sorting through crap that's been lying around, trying to figure out if you should keep it, toss it, or donate it. I thought I'd get most of my packing done this weekend and now that it is Sunday night I see a massive mess and very little progress made. WTF? This process sure does help to cleanse the debris from you life, though. I am a reformed pack rat and with every move I toss more stuff that I previously thought I couldn't live without. Like those class notes from high school or the old New Jersey license plate that was on my dad's '87 Jetta. One thing I never throw away on principle are photos. Ooohh, I take that back, I threw one away today. So I have a large U-haul box full of photos, all organized, that I lug around from apartment to apartment; I tell myself each time I move that I'm going to put them in a photo album, but that obviously hasn't happened yet.

I only have 5 days to finish packing, while working 8 hours/day, and 7 days to spend with Jess and Josh before they leave. Unfortunately, work will be extra-busy this week. Our collaborators from the NIH are flying in tomorrow to finalize the details for the study we're conducting, which means that I have a "Team Dinner" tomorrow night, meetings all day Tuesday, I'm skipping out on Tuesday's team dinner, and meetings on Wednesday. I think I can handle it, but I do believe my brain is rebelling. As the Project Manager of this study I am responsible for the logistics of all steps involving our patient population--which means I need to track and take care of over 4,800 people. That's a little mind-numbing. But, I'm looking forward to the challenge and I like to be organized, so it should end up fine. If not, then I guess I'll never work at the NIH ;-)

OK, I've sat still for long enough.......but I'll leave you with some pics from my trip up to Kyle's cabin for the 4th--which was a great time! Me and 11 members of his family went on boat rides, tubing down a river, at TONS of food, and managed to get some sun.

The boys: Kyle's cousin, Kyle, his brother, and his other cousin

Sunset over Lake Michigan by the Charlevoix lighthouse

I'm Back!

It has been quite the hiatus, I know, but I've been adjusting to the daily commute and vacationing--two very good excuses. The days have been going by very quickly and I've been running around doing various things in the evening, so time in general is flying by.

First things first. Kyle and I had an amazing vacation in Northern Michigan. Amazing. We stayed on Mackinac Island at an adorable B & B for one night and went horse back riding and biked around the island. Mackinac is truly unique because they don't allow motorized vehicles of any kind on the island. When we were on our trail ride we saw two huge draft horses pulling a ginormous cart......they were the garbage service! Everywhere you went you saw horses and carts transporting people, cases of beer, store supplies, and garbage. This lead us to wonder: do they have ambulances on the island? What if there is a medical emergency? Granted, the island is tiny (the road that goes around the island is 9 miles long), but still......

Mackinac Horses

Me in front of the B & B where we stayed

Me and Kyle in front of "the arch" on Mackinac

We left Mackinac Thursday evening after a mad dash to catch the ferry and headed into the Upper Peninsula--or U.P.--for a night of camping near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We arrived as the sun was setting and after we put up our tent we decided to make a run for Lake Superior to catch the sunset. Lake Superior was 1.5 miles away down a densely-wooded trail and it was getting darker by the minute, but I put my thoughts of bears and strange mountain men aside and grabbed the flashlight. We passed the "bear-proof cans" on the way to the trail and I remembered the NPS warning about locking all food in your car and not washing dinner dishes anywhere near the campsite.........

We ran the trail for quite some time in order to catch the sunset, and I think it definitely was worth the bear-fear and effort:

Sunset over Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

On the way back to the campsite Kyle sang a bunch of random songs--I thought he was just being funny--but his intention was to keep my mind off of the darkness and unfamiliar trail, and it worked! Such a sweetie.

Both Kyle and I packed poorly. The weather report didn't look too bad and the temperature on Mackinac was perfect. But up in the U.P., with the wind coming off of the lake (yes, those are waves in the picture), my t-shirt, hoodie, old worn-out sweatshirt, topped off with my jean jacket barely cut it. Consequently, I would be wearing these same layers for another 28 hours (with a new t-shirt, of course ;-). Luckily we weren't sweating, otherwise we'd have been a pretty stinky pair.

The next morning our very U.P. campsite neighbors pointed out that we had a flat tire. Crap. Luckily people in the U.P. were incredibly friendly and a guy patched the tire and got us back on the road for only $12! The friendly U.P. park ranger (sense a theme?) gave us a suggestion for the best day hike in the area and we headed out. The day hike was a 10 mile loop within the park that took us by two waterfalls and along the cliffs of Pictured Rocks. The trail started out flat, open, and easy, but once we hit the cliffs it was single track and quite treacherous in places. The ranger's suggestion totally paid off. The loop scenery was gorgeous! After a strenuous 10 mile hike, having hiked/ran for about 4 miles the night before and gone horseback riding on Mackinac, I was exhausted! Fighting-off being cold for almost the entire time didn't help.....but Kyle's trusty Camelbak stocked with lunch, snacks, and water kept us going.

The first of two waterfalls on the hike

The rock at the park is quite soft, leading to beautiful scenes like this one

Kyle on the trail by the cliffs and carved-out caverns

Collapsed rock and the arch it created

Kyle on 'Mosquito Beach'

Mosquito Falls--the second waterfall of the hike

After our hike we left the U.P. to head down to Kyle's family cabin for the rest of the weekend. There we relaxed, ate, went on boat rides, had s'mores, and just enjoyed the time together. I certainly wasn't ready for work on Monday morning--it took about 2 hours for me to get my brain working at full capacity again.

Me at Torch Lake after dinner

It was a wonderful trip :-)

Greetings from Detroit

No time to post now......Kyle and I are heading off to the great Michigan north for a (much needed) vacation. But, work is good, the commute is horrible, having a paycheck is great, everything else is peachy. :-)

Stay tuned.......

The time has come.....

Tomorrow is the day. I venture out into the working-world once again. Actually, tomorrow is a day long orientation to familiarize us new hires with the company and to get us "pumped-up" about working there. They even gave me a brochure about the Orientation. Huh.

Nevertheless, I am excited. The other night I spent two HOURS sorting through my work clothes and ironing all of them. I even cleaned, polished, and waterproofed my good (expensive) heels in preparation for more frequent use. I bought a really nice leather tote/purse, because I believe that I'm supposed to have one as a "working woman".......it was on super-sale.......

Now I just have to adjust to getting up really early to commute. That'll be interesting.

So here's to all of my friends out there who have already started their new jobs, summer or permanent, Good Luck! I, too will be trying to get used to sitting in one spot (my OWN office) for hours on end. And I thought a three-hour lecture was rough........I hope I don't develop a case of "I can't stay in this little room all day with only minimal breaks". Ooohh, or I may have a hard time staying awake--the coffee addiction just might return. Ah, I'm sure the rewards of putting all of that Public Health training and education to good use will be stimulating enough ;-)

Transitioning to "Summer Janine"

Who is "Summer Janine" you ask? The girl who drives a lot (thanks to the new job location), but loves it because she listens to music that she's either discovering for the first time or rediscovering after a school-driven-music-hiatus, the girl who thinks a lot (while listening to music and driving), the girl who goes for lots of runs (because there really isn't much else to do in the summer besides exercise and organize), the girl whose room is really clean all of the time (reference "organize"), the girl who is just peacefully happy.

Happy because I like to think. And my world is pretty much together. And I'm in shape.


The first sign of this transition: I bought "The Fray" CD from itunes and the first thing I did was burn a copy to listen to in the car while I drive. So far, since my commute hasn't really started yet and my car-time has been limited to random 15 minute spurts, I've been listening to it on my computer using headphones (the only way to really listen to a new CD for the first time if blasting it in your car isn't an option). I love it. I believe it will make for a great driving companion. So anyone out there who is interested in good new music (Solomon), check it out!

Tonight I met up with some friends to go to Vinology for the first time. While I can't verify the accuracy of Solomon's Mojito recommendation, all of the wines we sampled were excellent and the atmosphere made for a nice grown-up evening out. AND they gave us all chocolate covered grapes in lieu of after-dinner mints or candies. Excellent.

Tomorrow night will be more hangin' out with friends and some long overdue trivia.

Yes, summer is here. :-)

Free time is good

Graduation has come and gone and with my new-found free time I've been running around and being very productive. I drove into Detroit twice last week for new job preparations and lunch with Kyle. I took Jess out to dinner at the Chop House as a 'thank you' for being a supportive sister during my two years of grad school. And I FINALLY got my car fixed, an oil change, and tires rotated in preparation for commuting every day.

I was able to meet up with friends on Friday night when Kyle and I joined the group for Julia's birthday dinner and to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! Hopefully there will be lots more socializing this coming week before people head out to their new locations and ventures.

The great thing about not being in school is that I can enjoy the outdoors more. Jess bought Josh a kite and we went out on Saturday and tried to fly it inspite of very sporadic, and at times, non-existant wind. Oh well, he had a good time regardless.

I'm going to continue to enjoy my time off and try to be as productive as possible before I start work next week......because who knows what'll happen once I start commuting!

Here are more graduation pics:

The Graduate

Me and Kyle
(no, I'm not sleepy--it was an ill-timed blink)

That would be me! And quite a few of my friends, too. Graduation weekend has come and gone and what the frenzied time it was.

The rest of my family: dad, his girlfriend, her kids, and Kyle came in Friday and provided quite the cheering section at graduation. After the ceremony, which I thought was pretty good, we headed out to our dinner spot and indulged in a few pre-dinner celebratory cocktails. It was also my dad's birthday and grandma special ordered an amazing cake--seriously, one of the tastiest treats I've had in a long time. Ah, family. We had a good time.

There was an abundance of activity Saturday as the fam rushed around in final preparations for the graduation party Saturday night. Jillene (my dad's girlfriend) and her sister went above and beyond in the planning of this party and it was a truly beautiful event. Unfortunately, it felt as if my family was gone before I even realized they were here. I miss them already.

So now I'm a graduate. Life doesn't feel much different, but I'm sure everything will hit me at some random moment in the next few weeks when I suddenly realize that friends have gone away and I'm working an 8 to 4 job. Yes, I accepted the job. BUT that doesn't mean that I'm not doing the PhD thing. I have faith that everything will fall into place in due time. In the mean time, while I'm trying to adjust to no homework, no classes, few friends, and a commute, I'll be buying a new mountain bike with some graduation money, revamping my (previously nonexistant) work wardrobe, and patiently waiting for Kyle to finish his first year of med school. How much am I looking forward to the summer? ;-)

There will be actual graduation pics soon, but here are a few from the party:

Kyle and some of the fam

Josh and his great grandpa out for a walk

Some of the party guests

Arrrggghhh!

No, I am not a pirate.

That was a manifestation of my frustration. Apparently the UM email server that 'serves' me is down. It has been down since 1:15 pm today. I am waiting for a very important email. I can't tell if that email has arrived because the server is down. Not to mention a little thing called graduation that is taking place tomorrow -- I found out through a friend whose server IS working that SPH sent out a summary email today regarding the graduation ceremony. Oops.

Can there be any worse timing than now for the server to fail? Don't respond to that.

So if anyone is trying to reach me regarding graduation stuff or the party on Saturday--call me!

OK, so some of this frustration may be due to sleepiness. I'm super sleepy. So sleepy in fact that I had to cut out of a party tonight to come home and go to sleep. I washed and waxed my car today--maybe that has something to do with my sleepiness.......

Regardless of the email malfunction and my inability to function socially at the present time, I'm excited about graduation and seeing my family. Gma and Gpa arrived today and took me out to dinner. Dad and the entourage are arriving tomorrow morning. The apartment is sparkling clean and my car is waxed (so hopefully dad won't freak when he finds out that I hadn't washed it in about a year). I've had free time to hang out with friends since I finished my last final on Monday AND I've come to a conclusion regarding my job/PhD dilemma. But, that news will have to wait for another time......

An offer I can't refuse....?

I had a second interview with a particular local (big) company last Thursday. I think it went well.....well, they offered me the job so I guess it couldn't have gone much better. The rub: I'm still trying to work out PhD funding. And I'm not getting very far. I told my (maybe) future employers that I need a few days to think things over and I hope that's all that it takes to sort out my funding situation. I can't pass up a good job opportunity if PhD funding isn't going to be there! A salary would be nice.....a PhD would be nice, too.

The interview in Detroit meant that I was able to spend some time with Kyle afterwards. Friday night we went to the wedding of two of Kyle's high school friends and the evening was quite the food and dance extravaganza. Of course I forgot my camera, so hopefully pics will be coming from a friend soon.

Saturday was the birthday party for Solomon and a great chance to see friends. Sorry that I couldn't head out to the afterparty-party! Jess and I ended up watching "King Kong" and while I'm not going to spoil anything for particular readers, I'll just say that I was a total girl while watching this movie :-) So be prepared!

Tomorrow is my last final! Family is arriving and I'll be a graduate by the end of the week!

Music selection of the night

I have to share what music I'm listening to right now, well, because I think it's pretty good. Check it out:

Sufjan Stevens: Chicago
His voice on this song reminds me of Ben Harper, only the music is very theatrical and grandiose. I'm a fan.

Gillian Welch: Revelator
Gillian and David Rawlings are geniuses. Even if you don't like bluegrass-esque music, you can appreciate their style and delivery. Beautiful.

Interpol: Untitled
This is good, but I think I'm a bigger fan of the songs off of "Antics".

Dixie Chicks: Godspeed
I know...Dixie Chicks. I don't own the album, just the song. It's a lullaby for her son (I believe) and I think it's beautiful. I'll make a copy for Josh to play at night when I'm not around to tuck him in.....tear.

Is it really over?

Today was my final day of classes as a masters student. Two years certainly has flown by! I graduate in a week and a half and it really hasn't hit me yet. Is there anything to hit me? Yes, graduating certainly is an accomplishment, but it doesn't have the same feeling as my high school or undergrad graduation. Maybe it's because my thesis won't be done until the end of May (that's my deadline). Maybe when my thesis is done I'll feel graduated.

I am definitely excited about my family coming into town for the ceremony. Dad, gma and gpa, dad's girlfriend, her two kids, her sister, sister's husband, and their two kids are all gonna throw me a party! Hopefully Kyle won't be too overwhelmed by my crazy family.....but I'm pretty sure he can handle the unexpected.

Speaking of Kyle, we had a great time celebrating his birthday last weekend. Festivities included competing against one another in a very heated, very close game of putt-putt (I got a hole-in-one!!). But alas, my never-used putting skills failed me on the very last hole and I lost by one.......or did I? It was Kyle's birthday after all ;-)

Josh, Jess and I colored Easter eggs and successfully prevented Josh from:

• drinking the easter egg dye
• submerging BOTH hands in the dye glasses
• any other dye-related incidences

We had a great time and Josh certainly loved it.

Now, what am I going to do with all of this free time on my hands?? Um, prepare for graduation, work a lot, and try to finalize my post-graduation plans. I've been asked back for a second interview for a real, actual epidemiologist job and I'm still waiting to hear about funding for my PhD stuff. Hopefully I hear soon!

Chocolate overload

Happy Easter to everyone!

The benefit of having a 3-year old in the house: an abundance of Easter candy. The downside of having a 3-year old in the house: an abundance of Easter candy. Looks like I'm gonna have to run a few extra miles this week :-)

Happy Birthday!

Today is Kyle's birthday and how great would it be to start the day off with a hot air balloon ride?? I'm thinkin' that's definitely a future birthday activity.

But it really doesn't get any better than a great dinner and fun with friends :-) So Happy Birthday, Kyle--I hope you enjoy your day.

Haha--you're so funny!

Two funny encounters:

Me: "I want to go to London. Hey, we should go to London, do you want to go?"
Friend (with a perplexed/disgusted look) : "NO...."
Me: "Why not?"
Friend (with a "what sort of dumb-ass are you?" look) : "I don't know how to speak French!!"


Friend (telling a story): "I was getting pretty nervous and so I was drawing on my balls...."
(Me laughing like crazy)
Friend (cracking up): No, no, no....I can't believe I said that.....my golf balls....golf balls!!


Ah, what fun :-)

Hmmm....very interesting

Anyone who has been near the school of public health in the past two years has probably noticed the huge new building going up in between SPH I and SPH II. It will be a very nice building once it is done and apparently the extra space was needed.....but why?

There is a rather mysterious and abandoned building called the "Observatory Lodge" that sits in front of SPH II. It appears to have been part of the school at one point since "Epidemiology" is on one of the entrance doors. There are stained glass windows and some interesting architectural details, but the building is dark and silent.

No one ever goes in, no one ever comes out..........until today.

As I was passing "Observatory Lodge" on my way into SPH II this morning, I happened to see three people on their way into the building. Two were wearing hard hats and all were dressed "officially". I rather subconsiously strained my neck to try and get a better look while the door was open. How bad did I want to stop them and ask if I could tag along to finally get a peek inside? And what were they doing? Are they going to tear it down? Refurbish it? Leave it abandoned to torment the imaginations of future SPH students?

I'd just like to know what happened to the building in the first place.

So worth it

Looking at the clock at 1:15 am = crap, it's really 2:15 am.
Losing one hour of sleep = cranky girl.............

7:50 pm and still light outside = well worth it.

(not an actual Michigan sunset--photo courtesy of my dad)

Da-Daaaa!

Here it is...the much requested blog update. I joke, but apparently Sol and Kara were waiting for something to happen on my blog (see comments on previous post). And Kyle made a verbal comment or two concerning the lack of blog activity, but he hears everything that goes on in my life anyway.

I'm pretty darn tired from a very late night and the loss of an hour due to daylight savings adjustments---I never realized how many people vehemently dislike daylight savings because of losing one hour of sleep---therefore I am posting a-la-Solomon and providing main points in bullet format.

• Last weekend I marveled at Kyle's soccer playing abilities. He scored a goal with his head. That's pretty cool. He was great--his team was great and it was definitely fun to watch.
  
• I've had two good PhD meetings regarding funding opportunities--so stay tuned!
• Friend Steph and her boyfriend Matt had a bunch of people over to enjoy a homemade pasta feast--it was delicious! And congrats to Steph on finishing her first half-marathon!!
• Friend Beth celebrated her 25th birthday with ice cream, sangria, and lots of shots.
• Yesterday I went to Detroit to hang out with Kyle. We went and worked out, then met up with friends in Royal Oak for dinner and a stand up comedian at The Comedy Castle. I've never been to a comedy club before (besides improv) so I wasn't sure what to expect, but this guy was hilarious! I laughed so hard that I thought my cheeks were going to cramp up. Definitely a must-do activity for those people out there who are stressed and need a mental break.

I apologize for the lack of theme to this post.....and lack of any creative aspect. I promise I'll be back to my normal blog-self as soon as I get some much needed sleep and find inspiration.

Reliving my youth

Kyle and I went to the CCHA Hockey finals with some friends this past Saturday. It was great--we had general admission tickets, but there were so many empty seats that we moved down to row #7 right by the ice. Sweet. We collectively decided to cheer for Miami-Ohio since Matt went there and, well, we would never cheer for Michigan State. While the game was great and the company was a blast, I was frustrated by the arena music situation. Whenever play stopped for a second they'd start playing some pretty good songs, then cut it off after only a few moments when play resumed.

The end result was lots of song tid bits stuck in my head for the rest of the night. One tid bit in particular: "Cold as Ice" by Foreigner. Love it. The song reminds me of my Atlanta days of listening to 96 rock or Z93 classic rock. That and my dad playing his Foreigner tapes when I was younger. So tonight I downloaded Foreigner's "Urgent" and "Cold as Ice", then proceeded to download Journey's "Don't Stop Believin", "Separate Ways", and "Any Way You Want It". Definitely reminds me of my youth......and Caddyshack.

Remember that road trip I was planning in my mind, well I think I've started piecing together a great soundtrack and some future karyoke selections ;-)

I'm a happy girl :)

I'm a happy girl because:

• My boyfriend is a ton of fun: CCHA hockey finals, dinner, Greektown, friends, funny rap songs.
  
• The weather has been beautiful!
  
• My drive to work out has been rekindled.....mainly due to previous bullet.
• I've stopped worrying about the whole PhD thing and decided to just let things lie where they fall. (no definitive word after the open house on Friday).
• I'm almost a graduated student, which means SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!!
• Spring/summer is almost here: mountain biking, swimming, going to the lake, road trips, NO STUDYING.

Life is good......just as long as I finish my thesis......

tossin' and turnin'

I've been in bed for about an hour now (well, technically now I'm sitting at my computer). 10:30's early, right? I know! I was tired and have an early morning so I figured I'd go to sleep. I started to do a little reading, but couldn't concentrate. Then I tried to sleep and my mind was racing. Then I busted out my handy "relax and go to sleep" CD, but not even "John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman" can help me tonight.

Why, you ask? Tomorrow is a big day. The admissions committee has given my PhD application a seal of approval and sent it out to the faculty to find a match. If a faculty member doesn't pick me up, I don't get into the program. Tomorrow is my best (and last) chance to sell myself to the profs.........

No pressure, truly.

Then there's my thesis. Still not finished, still running out of time, but still making progress.

Sleep, please find me soon so I can find some rest and have a productive day tomorrow. Love ya!

Atleast I have green beer waiting for me tomorrow night. Or it may be sangria, I really don't care at this point. I haven't had an alcoholic beverage in weeks! And that's no lie.

Saturday will be fun time with Kyle. Friends, hockey, more beverages, and some QT.

.........c'mon sleep!!!

Realization:

I'm a dork.

Just what I needed

I think it is amusing when you become bogged down by the insignificant things in a given situation. Things that may obscure the bigger picture. Or worse yet, may blind you to the truth. Whenever I would drown in the details of a situation my mom always told me to "stop fretting". I would become too wrapped up in the little insignificant aspects, things that didn't really matter, and fail to realize that I had nothing to fret about. This weekend I was reminded of how important it is to just be. Let go...stop fretting...and be.

Oh, and I also learned that dogs and swans have an odd proclivity toward chasing Kyle.....

It was a wonderful weekend :-)

a lil' bit of everything

Whew. There's a lot going on in my multi-faceted world right now. Wait. Do "student" and "student-worker" qualify as "multi-faceted"? I guess there are other layers present, like sister, aunt, daughter, granddaughter, friend, girlfriend, thesis-writer, PhD applicant, nursing school prospective student, chocolate lover, and broke-ass girl. Broke-ass as in I have no money. Ever.

The past few weeks it seems as if all of these layers have decided to vie for my attention and it's starting to stress me out a little. There are the things that I want to be doing, like spending time with my boyfriend, hanging with friends, playing with the nephew, etc. and then there are the things that are stressing me out, like having no money, writing my thesis, trying to decide what the hell I should do after I graduate (nursing school or PhD??--believe me, I'm actually stressed about the choice). Then the little things that are just THERE.......finding and reserving a place for my graduation party, preparing for graduation, paying bills, and trying to feed my chocolate addiction while broke.

But, today was a good day. I made decent progress on my thesis, I reserved a perfect room for the graduation party--and just so you friends out there know, it's a family thing that my dad's girlfriend is putting together, otherwise you'd all be invited.....the fam wants some quality time--, I'm heading to a nursing school informational meeting tomorrow, Kyle called me from the balcony of a friend's penthouse condo in Miami (how much do I wish I was there??), and I think I'm finally getting over this freakin' cold! Good times. But the best part of my day, besides hearing from Kyle (I know, I'm mushy): Google.earth finally put out a mac edition!! Oh, google.earth, how much do I love thee? I'm a travel nut. So much so that when I was little and couldn't yet reach the gas pedal, I actually poured over road maps and atlases......just to see what was out there. I love road trips. I love new places. So you can imagine how happy I was when I downloaded google.earth and went to the grand canyon, San Francisco, Miami, and Hawaii--all from the comfort of my desk chair. I know, it isn't the same as actually going to those places, but it still gives me the same happy feeling as looking at atlases, only better. I have found a new time-waster :)

Friends are back!!

Yay! After a week of friends being gone on vacation blogs are up and running again and I have been tagged......twice. Thanks to Sol and Kara I bring you the following interesting (ha) facts about me:

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. "coffee girl" at The Coffee Beanery. Free slushies!!
2. veterinary technician/assistant. Not once, but three different times: high school, college, and last year--I needed the money. :)
3. "barn girl" at Berry College. I took care of ~70 horses--that's a lot of shoveling.
4. research biologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Yep--I was a lab rat and got to play with some pretty scary stuff......and prairie dogs are smelly.

Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. Moulin Rouge
2. North by Northwest
3. Harry Potter (any of them)
4. The Notebook (yeah, I'm a total girl)

Four places I have lived:
1. Jacksonville, NC
2. Kenosha, WI
3. Chatham, NJ
4. Atlanta, GA

Five tv shows I love to watch:
1. 24
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Lost
4. City Confidential
5. stuff on Discovery Health Channel

Five places I have been on vacation:
1. San Francisco, CA
2. Key West, FL
3. the Grand Canyon, AZ
4. The Outer Banks, NC
5. Seattle, WA

Four websites I visit daily:
1. CNN.com
2. various blogs
3. weatherchannel.com
4. google

Four of my favorite foods:
1. CHOCOLATE
2. sushi
3. thai
4. ice cream

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Miami (with Kyle on his spring break)
2. Washington DC
3. Florence, Italy
4. Charlotte, NC visiting Katie

Four friends I am tagging that I think will respond:
1. Steph
2. Jess
3. Goat
4. random people....?


I met up with Steph tonight for a nice dinner and some catch-up time. I needed the break after working on my thesis. Today was the start of school again after spring break. And Kyle left for his spring break trip to Miami. Am I jealous? No......well, sorta. I'm jealous that he is enjoying the sun, while it snowed here today. But I'm happy that he gets a great vacation and a chance to turn off the brain for a week. I gave him my ipod full of fun music to listen to while at the beach and we picked out some non-medical books for beach reading at Boarders during a rare opportunity to simply hang out on a Saturday morning. It was great :)

I need it.

It's been way too long.
I have to go to a concert.
I need live music.....I NEED live music.

Snow for Spring Break

Ah....spring break. Historically, a week to escape the monotony of studies and prematurely induce spring fever in school kids of all ages. Today is the start of my spring break. I woke up this morning rather early for a "vacation" and looked out the window to see.....snow. Nope, I'm not in a tropical locale. Nor am I vacationing at a place where snow would be exciting and welcome--say Colorado or Canada--for skiing purposes. I'm in Ann Arbor where snow is neither exciting nor welcome, but rather dull and disappointing. This week is just like any other week for me except for not having to go to the whopping three classes I have per week. I'm still going into work and my concentration will be directed towards my thesis. Blech. I am so unmotivated! Spring fever has hit me and I'm in a town where spring is nowhere in sight. For example, I still have to finish my thesis and yet I'm daydreaming about a road trip I'd like to take this summer. Mapping out the route in my mind, where I'd like to stop, what I'd like to see, etc. but I have so much work still to do.

OK, enough bitching. I'm a big girl. I can handle the isolation. And the snow. :)

Elmo is tall in person

Elmo and his gang on Sesame Street

Jess and Josh made their first visit to Detroit today and for good reason: Sesame Street Live's "Elmo's Coloring Book". The beautiful Fox Theatre provided the magical setting for all of the little people's favorite Sesame Street Characters to come to life. Even as an adult, I was entertained with songs, colors, flashing lights, fake snow, dancing, etc. Josh was mesmerized. I was incredibly impressed with Detroit's Fox Theatre--Atlanta has a Fox Theatre as well and I thought Detroit's version was going to pale in comparison. No way!! IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! What a gem. After the show we stopped by the med school to visit Kyle while on a brief study break and he gave us a quick tour. Now I have a mental image of where he spends his time. A lot of his time. But I guess that's the life of a med student! Here's a *hug* for you for all of the hard work you're doing!

Do you have a certain song --or several--that no matter how bad or outdated it may seem to other people, to you it is still the song that you could listen to again and again? I came across "Love My Way" by the Psychedelic Furs when I was looking at potential ring tones for my new phone. I haven't downloaded it (yet), but I just found it on itunes :) I love this song! I heard it on the radio in the 80's and then there it was in the (bad) 80's movie "Valley Girl" starring Nicholas Cage. When I was a hostess at Ruby Tuesday's in high school it was on the house cd that played over and over and over again. This song was probably the only one that I didn't get sick of. Wait, "Don't Dream it's Over" by Crowded House definitely had staying power, too. Oh and for those of you who are younger and weren't necessarily exposed to early 80's music "Love My Way" was also in "The Wedding Singer".

I now own "Love My Way". I'm actually listening to it as I blog and I just can't help but dance a little bit. Why? I don't know.

Other 80's songs that have the same effect: "Hold Me Now" by The Thompson Twins (there is a funny story involving a late night party thrown by my parents and me waking up in the middle of it and dancing around my room in a stupor, half-asleep), a song or two by The Alan Parsons Project, "Overkill" by Men at Work (Colin Hay--lead singer--also has a great song on the "Garden State" soundtrack). And there are many, many more. These are just the ones that came right to mind.

Regarding current music, I'm lovin' the "Emblems" cd by matt pond PA. Thanks go to Kara for the introduction to their song "Lily Two" and Mark's enthusiastic review of the entire album. And thanks should go to Kyle for showing me that there IS some country music out there that doesn't involve a dog, a truck, or anything else I consider to be "country". But that doesn't mean I'm completely OK with country music set as the alarm clock....... ;)

I'm no spring chicken.....

Me at the Bar Crawl!

I'm not sure what I was thinking here.....but I think it had something to do with either:
a) another drink
b) the special "find the baby" cake
c) nothing in particular

What a weekend! Friday night was the SPH bar crawl fundraiser for Charity Hospital in New Orleans and we raised over $1200! The bars were packed-full and everyone had a great time. The only downfall: lots of very cold weather and snow. Oh well, the bars were cozy and warm. I was going to try and keep it from being a late night, but I ended up getting home around 2:30 am and then waking up at 7:45 to go judge the local middle school science fair. Boy am I glad they had coffee and breakfast waiting for us! I really loved walking around looking at all of the science fair projects--there were some smart cookies! Some of the judges were a little too rough on the kids--at least with their verbal comments made to each other. I tried to be as supportive and positive as possible with my comments, while providing constructive criticism when appropriate--they were 6th graders not grad students!! It did take more time than I thought it would.....I got home around 1:45 pm and proceeded to take a long and quite peaceful nap. I love naps.

The best news of the day? Kyle was putting aside the books for the evening and coming into town to see me and go to Steph's birthday party. Steph's parties are the best! Her boyfriend Matt is one amazing chef and good food is always a given. The menu: pulled pork aripas, chicken quesadillas, sweet cornbread with green peppers, and mini tamales---ALL homemade and delicious. Kyle and I mingled and ate and had a great time :)

Sunday turned into a movie-fest and Jess and I took Joshie out for a nature walk. The weather was beautiful, but the temp was still around 19 degrees. Snotty noses all around! Oh, and for those Grey's Anatomy watchers out there: what the hell is Meredith thinking?? If she goes through with what I think she's about to go through with, then I'm definitely less of a Meredith fan. Poor George....she's gonna break his heart.

Catherine, Ly and Me at Scorekeepers (yes, that's right, Scorekeepers)

Beth, Julia, Erin, AJ, Monsine, and Me at Oz

Matt and Steph the Birthday girl

Reprising my role as "Social Butterfly"

....Not really. But I have been out TWICE already this week and the week is still young, my friend. Last night Julia and I grabbed a beer and some food at BW3 after our late class. It was nice to get out and catch up. Today is Kara's birthday (Happy Birthday!!) and she had a few of us girls over for chocolate fondue and some girl time. I miss my friends! We don't have any core classes this semester so we really don't see each other on a regular basis. At least I haven't been able to make it out to get-togethers on a regular basis :-)

Friday night is the First Annual SPH Canal Street Bar Crawl. There are over 100 people signed up to run around Ann Arbor as part of a Mardi Gras themed fundraiser. Ugh. It will be crazy. Very crazy. But A LOT of fun.

It may be hard to believe, but Saturday night may even be crazier. Good friend Steph is having her Second Annual Birthday Bash. And no, she isn't turning two. Last year's bash was full of amazing food (courtesy of chef extraordinaire Matt), TONS of alcohol, and TONS of people. I think that 50 people have already RSVPd--and there are another 45 people who still haven't responded. Wow. I remember, um.......about the first 2/3 of last year's party. Hee. That was definitely the most "fun" I've had since undergrad and haven't had as much "fun" since.

I'm thinking there will be a lot of pics to post by Sunday night.

Who's sleepy?

I find it astonishing how fast a mess can accumulate. I've been on the go since last Wednesday night and have let things lie where they drop. So now I'm doing laundry and trying to straighten out all the crap lying around my room! Call me weird, but I honestly love picking up. I feel so much more at peace when things aren't cluttering up my space. I wish I felt the same way about studying.....you know, love studying. I did make a great effort yesterday and this morning to prepare for today's test. I started studying last week, actually, so I wasn't that much of a procrastinator. I think I did really well on it. Ask me anything about the childhood immunization schedule or public health surveillance systems and I'll give you an answer. Hopefully the right answer. Now I'm in desperate need of a nap.

On to more exciting stuff. Kyle and I went to the med school gala Saturday night and had a crazy time! Kyle looked very handsome all dressed up and I think I pulled myself together rather well ;-). We went out for Valentine's Day dinner at Andiamo's in the Renaissance Center beforehand and ate LOTS of great food. We were going to ride the elevators up to the top of the Renaissance Center to view the city, but were running short of time and I probably would have glued myself to the elevator floor for the trip: the elevators run up the outside of the building and we would have been heading up to the 72 floor. I haven't been the same since those freaky elevator dreams, but that's a story for another time.

The gala itself was full of dancing, watching a few med students drink a lot and get crazy (they work hard so they deserve a break), and the old and new dean get down with some students on the dance floor. We had a nice time :-)
Here's a pic of us at the Gala:

Woo-hoo!

This week is turning out all right. First, I found out that I'm not anemic and my thyroid is A-OK.....and I'm feeling much better, thank you. Next, I bought a very grown-up, very sexy little black dress for the med school Gala tomorrow night. Finally, I made an appointment to get my hair cut and highlights retouched (it's been since early November....) at the Aveda Institute here in town where advanced students perform the services (some people are afraid to go and receive bad hair care). Students = reduced price and no tipping! I'm all for that. I can get a hair cut for $15 and highlights for $47!! This afternoon, 2 hours before my appointment time I received a phone call informing me that my student called in sick and while I was silently panicking the receptionist informed me that I now have an appointment at the Aveda Exchange and I'll be receiving the same services, performed by a professional, FOR THE STUDENT PRICE! You guys out there are probably wondering what the big deal is. Well, I'm getting a professional color and cut (~ $250) for ~ $62. AND I'm not allowed to tip the pros either. Woo-hoo! I'm such a girl.

Now I'm off to buy a new pair of shoes, finalize Kyle's Valentine's Day present, and get my hair done. I love it!

Lotsa stuff...and the Superbowl!

I guess that the absence of a new post during the past week makes it look like nothing much has been going on in my life. I have no excuse besides the lack of a drive to post. I can hardly remember much of last week (so it can't be that exciting) but I DO know that I finally got my new phone in (congrats to those of you who made "the list"--just a joke....no, really, I'm not that popular or full of myself).
The phone is pretty fun and I spent several hours:
a) downloading real-tone ring tones to represent key friends and family
b) playing with the applications and personalizing fun stuff

I also remembering studying a bit, working on thesis stuff, and going to Pizza House. Oh, and I also gave up coffee. It was kinda a spur of the moment decision, but it felt right and so far I've stuck to it. I was never a coffee drinker (and rarely a caffeine drinker) until I started grad school and then I started having a cup a day to stay awake during the 2-3 hour long classes. Next thing I knew I was drinking a cup a day, every day, and got a nasty headache when I went without the stuff. THAT's the part I didn't like.....dependence. And the gradual loss of teeth-whiteness. I had great sparkling teeth. I was worried about the no-caffeine headaches so I went with a glass of Diet Mountain Dew in the morning to help wean myself off and I think it has worked! Ah, coffee. I'll miss you. Not to say that we'll never meet again--it'll just be a long distance relationship from now on, OK?

Speaking of long distance relationships, I spent a great weekend with Kyle. He had a few friends over to his place Friday night to go check out the Superbowl happenings in "the D". We went down to the Renaissance Center and then walked around Winterfest. It was packed and great to see so many people out enjoying the festivities. Way to go Detroit! Saturday we did some studying, made dinner, and then watched the documentary on the "Grizzly Man".......the unconventional bear-guy who was eaten by a bear out in the Alaskan wilderness. Interesting. Sunday: more studying, then the Superbowl. Kyle's roommate and one of his friends were in the half-time show as part of the Rollingstones' audience. We were watching the superbowl primarily to see if we could spot them in the show, but it was impossible. Too many brightly-colored people jumping around waiving their arms like crazy to spot anyone. Oh well.

I've started formulating a back up plan to put into place if I don't get into the PhD program. Everyone keeps saying that I'll get in, but I'm not so sure. So, so far my back up plan consists of: finding an epi job somewhere in the area, or Nursing school. I know....more school? In March I'm going to an informational session on a "second degree accelerated" nursing program. It would only take 15 months to complete and I'd be an RN. I'm considering being a pediatric RN...eventually a pediatric NP. I do have an innate interest in medicine and I've always excelled in the related subjects: biochem, anatomy/physiology, etc. But they haven't been courses as part of a medical program, so I may just fall flat on my face. I was a veterinary technician for several years, so I know I can handle the practical application (at least where animals are concerned). And I volunteered at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Hospital for 2 years and loved it. All of that info was to prove that this isn't as out of the blue as it may have seemed initially.

Now, my last item to do is to figure out why I'm sleeping 10-12 hours a night (coupled with the tendency to nap after dinner), why I have no energy, why my mood is all over the place, and why my ass is getting bigger. You're thinking that this all points to no exercising, right? Possibly, but I'm worried that my thyroid is acting up again. No good.

OK, I think that's enough personal info for this post!

Here is a pic or two from the weekend:

Matt and Kyle waiting for the People Mover

Tom Brady on the side of a building

Welcome to the 7-3-4

Last week my cell phone broke. I have dropped it a few times in the 1.5 years I've owned it, but for no reason at all, in the middle of a walk down South U a piece of plastic popped off of the hinge and now the darn thing won't stay closed. So now I have a rubber band wrapped around it. No better excuse to get a new phone than that! Oh, little LG, you've been good to me, but you're being replaced with a brand new Samsung model that is most superior. R.I.P.

The new phone and new service plan means that I'm finally shaking off the old remnants of my former life in Atlanta by officially moving my number from the 770 to the 734. That also means that if you don't receive an email from me with my new number you're out of luck (and the new phone will arrive no later than Wednesday so don't start panicking until say, Friday. I'll be reachable at my current number until then). What a nice way to tidy up the ol' address book!

The dress search today was disasterous! I guess it is close enough to prom season to warrant droves of moms and daughters out hunting down the perfect prom dress. Couple the dressing room waiting lines with my innate inability to make a dress decision and you have my wonderful afternoon. Typically I'm the kind of shopper who goes in knowing exactly what I'm looking for and am usually pretty speedy in finding it, deciding, and getting out. The indecision comes into play when I'm not exactly sure what I should be looking for. What do you wear to a gala? Long and formal? Short and cocktail-esque? I tried on some amazing dresses and would have come home with one if money wasn't an issue. Apparently I have expensive taste. But after reviewing my choices in my mind tonight I believe I have settled on something perfect. Now for the shoes........

Mixed Bag

What a week. Both good (rest, family, symposium) and bad (sickness, not a lot of studying):

• Monday: Um, don't quite remember.
• Tuesday: GREAT symposium on zoonotic diseases; Laurie Garrett spoke (author of "The Coming Plague") and I have to say that I was incredibly impressed with her presentation. Too bad the topic of her talk was primarily Avian Influenza (remember: really. scary. shit.). Yep, that statement was definitely supported by the facts in her presentation. Yep.
• Wednesday: Jessica's 24th Birthday!! I was also pretty sick by this point.....maybe all of that avian influenza talk traumatized my immune system.......I spent a quality night babysitting Josh and then received a great surprise when Kyle stopped by for a visit :)
  
• Thursday: Lots of sleeping. Lots. A PHSA meeting, cancelled plans to hang out with some friends, more sleeping.
• Friday: Productive day at work, improved health status, and the "Mr. Wolverine" contest. This was a last minute decision and I successfully roped my friend Alison into meeting up with me, Steph, and V. It was put on by the Law School as a fundraiser and they were pretty darn funny! My favorite part: well, let's just say that there was some lambasting. The lambasting wasn't necessarily funny, but the fact that the target of the lambasting proceeded to lambast himself, well.....that WAS pretty funny.
• Saturday: Jess woke me up at 9:30 am with "I made eggs and toast, if you want any you better get your ass out of bed now". I love my sister. We took advantage of the amazing 50 degree weather (in Michigan.....in January??) by going for a walk/run with Joshie. Josh and I ran, Jess walked :) Josh insisted on holding my hand while we ran (which was adorable) and he ran the entire way with me! We're in training for Muppet Soccer. Yay Michigan Basketball!! 9 of us went out to the UM vs UW game and my loyalties were tested, but I went with UM, of course. I downloaded a few songs (a sure sign that I'm feeling better) and discovered the profession of love that every woman dreams of hearing: "I love you like a fat kid loves cake".
  
• Sunday: Shopping for a killer dress to wear to the med school gala in a few weeks. And I guess I should do some studying, too at some point ;)

Oh, and I also found out that my mom has been in the hospital since Monday. Mom didn't want us to worry. Thankfully she's doing fine and we now have a new understanding in the communication department. She's done this a few times before--hiding medical situations. Gotta love her.

Another one down

I kinda came off as frustrated in that last post, no? There's no doubt I was at the time, but what I left out of the post is the fun I had with Josh. There was fun amidst the poo. Like when he curled up in my lap when we watched "The Rocketeer" and he called me his friend. A title typically bestowed upon his stuffed animals and his mom. I'm now a part of the gang :)

I woke up Saturday and after copius amounts of coffee I dived into the literature search. I think I found some good stuff. Consequently, I was in my pjs until almost 4 pm......then I peeled myself away from in front of the computer to head to Detroit to spend some time with Kyle. On the drive over I tried to shake off the haze from 5 hours worth of lit search by listening to my matt pond PA cd and was almost completely successful--there was some residual haze when I arrived at Kyle's, but that was gone in no time. We had plans to meet up with Steph and V for dinner after the auto show, but plans changed and Kyle and I headed out to dinner in Mexican Town. I have to admit, while dinner with Steph and V would have been lovely, dinner with just Kyle was perfect. We aren't able to spend a lot of time together so what time we do spend is nice. We even squeezed in some time for watching the Michigan basketball game.

Alas, another weekend is over. Back to the real world today: studying and more studying for the both of us. I'll be super happy when summer is here and all of this thesis work is finished!!

2 posts...on a Friday??

That's pretty sad ;)

It implies that I have nothing better to do--oh no, my friend, I have a ton of stuff to do. So much in fact that I'm going to regret this little "relaxation" time tomorrow. Why the quotations, you ask? It has been anything but relaxation time. I've been babysitting my nephew tonight. He's three. We had a great time dancing to music off of my mac (courtesy of a nifty connector cable that connects my mac to my living room stereo). I even made a little play list for the occasion. So, he was permitted to dance on the living room table (the only time that it's allowed--consequently, he thinks that any situation that involves music is grounds for hopping up on the table, regardless if we have guests or a party going on. Good thing my friends have a sense of humor: "oh look! The kid is breakdancing on the living room table....oops, there goes a wine glass"). This dancing session was short-lived as I left the fiesta for a phone call and he proceeded to dump all of his mini-leggos all over the floor......then kick them about. I made dinner. I then realized (after picking him up) that he had a leak. A poo leak to be specific. A poo leak that was on MY shirt, on HIS shirt, on the floor, on his Care Bear slippers, and on his blanket. My little buddy had issues. After being thoroughly grossed out, we settled in to clean up the mess in the living room, I cleaned the kitchen, we ate some Nilla Wafers, and caught an OnDemand movie. I love the little guy with all of my heart, but am I glad that he finally fell asleep!

All of this action didn't stop me from checking my email about every hour (some interesting stuff was going on--TWO SPH Talent shows??). Nor did it stop me from thinking of my friends out there having a good time on a Friday night! Kyle is out partying in Detroit with a bunch of friends--no doubt having a great time. My SPH and SNRE friends are out at BW3 for wings, beer, and trivia to help ease the pain in the ass that is thesis work. My sister is out at a party. And my dad called me after a fabulous night of wine tasting.
I had poo duty.

Ah, friends and fun......

Why will I regret this "relaxation"time? Because I found out that my study population for my thesis isn't adequate to answer the research question that I am proposing (selection bias has ruined me!). I can complete the analysis, no problem, but the paper probably won't be publishable because the results won't be generalizable to the target population (aka no one will find the information useful because they most likely won't be able to apply my findings to pregnant women in general). I was told that that's perfectly acceptable because we (those required to write a thesis) aren't expected to publish a paper out of our thesis, but we're expected to thoroughly explain the limitations of our study and why the selection bias exists, etc. My thesis work load just doubled.
Translation: I need to complete the analysis, research a whole hell of a lot of stuff, and then worry about identifying all of the problems with my study. At least in the end I can say that I wasn't the one responsible for selecting the study population :)......in scientific terms, of course.

Turn it up!

Tonight I think it is time to revisit my summertime Friday night ritual of busting open a bottle of wine, turning up the music, and dancing like crazy in the living room. This time it will be a bottle of beer instead of a bottle of wine and it will be just me and Josh instead of me, Jess, and Josh. I'm babysitting tonight and my little buddy and I are going to have a blast.
Josh: dancing on the living room table.
Me: bottle of beer
And some loud music.

Yep. It's been a really shitty week.

I don't like the locker room....

I had my first Ann Arbor spin class this morning.
And I didn't wear my bike shorts.

Yeah.

The class itself was good. Good music, nice people, encouraging instructor. And I was able to look out the huge studio windows at the beautiful snowfall. Alas, my several month hiatus from biking has manifested itself in a sore back, shoulders, and ass. I'm gonna be in super shape by the time this is over!

The unpleasant part: after my shower in the locker room, the ladies' swim group came in and proceeded to be naked all over the place. Being a woman myself I don't mind it, really, but you couldn't avoid them! They were talking to each other (naked), putting away their wet swimsuits (naked), at the mirror brushing their hair (naked). I mean, c'mon, why not just use a towel if you're going to have a five minute conversation with your buddy?

Before all of you guys reading this become jealous, let me just say that this was the OLDER swim group.....60s, 70s........Yeeeaaahhhhh. But, I must say "way to go, ladies for lovin' your bodies!"

I prefer to use a towel :)

In other news, I had a meeting with my thesis advisor yesterday and he illuminated for me the amount of work that I still have to do. While this would seem daunting (and it is) he is pleased with my work thus far and thinks that I may have a nice little manuscript on my hands if the data analysis turns out the way he thinks it could. And for me there's the added bonus of actually being interested in my thesis topic: the analysis of maternal factors that may influence participation in prenatal care. That's always nice.

50: Such a milestone

Not really. This is my 50th post--quite the non-celebratory fact. I just didn't have a catchy title. I don't have a catchy title because there isn't a theme to this post, more like an amalgam of random stuff that'll probably bore you......I'm just having a hard time falling asleep :)

Random stuff:

• I can finally access the status of my PhD application online, which will inevitably lead to frequent site visits hoping for the coveted "You have been recommended for admission" link.
• I picked Josh up from day care today and we hung out for a good two hours before Jess came home. We discovered (Josh and I) that he likes red, yellow, and green bell peppers with ranch dressing. What a kid! I fed him peppers, raisins, popcorn, baby carrots, and chex mix. Does that sound bad? I guess I could have made him a sandwich, but he was lovin' the healthy stuff!
  
• I was feeling kinda nostalgic and watched "Hello, Dolly" On Demand tonight--it is kid friendly (considering Josh and his innate ability to hone in on inappropriate movie scenes, if showing...which we definitely try to avoid!) and the movie reminds me of mom. When Jess came home she jumped right into the "Old Musicals that Remind Us of Mom" fest and proceeded to go to Blockbuster and rent "The Sound of Music", the "Music Man" and "My Fair Lady". They didn't have "Carousel".
• I made huge progress in "Mountains Beyond Mountains" tonight.
• I received a great email from Kyle.........
• Tomorrow I'm making sugar cookies with Josh as an aunt-nephew bonding experience.
• Tomorrow night is Tank IV. Solomon, Damon, and James' fourth party at their place, aka "The Tank". There will most certainly be lots of fun, with maybe some drama added in there (there always seems to be drama when certain people get together). My flipcup team "Team Bowfin" will once again dominate! Oh, and there is going to be a fish quiz. I'll try to remember my camera and take pics.....I don't know if they'll be shooting a party video this time around (those are always entertaining).
  
• Yup, that's all I've got for tonight.
  

So, I lied.....

I registered for a spin class! Which happens to be Wednesday morning....so I WILL get my butt out of bed (at least one day a week) to exercise. I'm partial to afternoon exercising, but with the Michigan winter bringing darkness around 4:45 my options are limited. And, this spin class has a 20 minute weights workout afterwards for "people on the go". I'd say that's me. I participated in an adventure racing spin class back when I was doing adventure racing and it killed me. But, to be fair, it was a 2 hour long class that had us up out of the saddle "climbing hills" for the majority of the time. I don't think this will be that intense. So I get some exercise, get in shape, and train for the mountain biking adventures I'll have once spring and summer arrive. Sweet.

morning motivation

I'm having a hard time waking up before 9 or 9:30.....disregard the fact that my alarm clock is set for 7:20. It doesn't seem to be effective. The problem: I have a 10:00 class Tuesday and Thursday. Needless to say, I missed my class this morning (which I hate) so I'm gonna try to get motivated to get my ass out of bed in the morning! Maybe I'll start an exercise routine in the am. Yeah, probably not.

State of (my) mind: Part III

Enthusiastic: about my Applied Epidemiology for Public Health Practice class. I'm all about practicality and this class is all about dishing it out.
Restless: too much sugar and not enough exercise.
Un-athletic: see "Restless" above.
Happy: I get to see Kyle this weekend.
Determined: to appreciate whatever time I can get with the people I care about.
(a tiny bit) Sad: because I can't spend as much time as I'd like with the people I care about (reference "Determined" above).
Nervous (I): that I won't get into the PhD program.
Nervous (II): that I WILL get into the PhD program.
Preoccupied: with trying to sell my piano (that is currently in storage in Atlanta).
Upset: that I have to sell my piano.
Disconnected: classes this semester are practically friend-free due to thesis work and the absence of required classes......I miss my friends!
Worried: my car is falling apart and I don't have the money to fix it (see "Upset" above).
Excited: about finishing reading "Mountains Beyond Mountains"--the life story of Paul Farmer.
Inspired: by Paul Farmer's diligence in the face of adversity, his endless commitment to doing the right thing regardless of context, situation, environment.....what an amazing man.
Loved: my nephew makes me smile and warms my heart :)
Lucky: to have a sister who is willing to put up with me.
Silly: for writing all of this down!

Heartfelt lesson of the day:

You cannot predict when something natural to you, something that is just part of who you are touches another person's life by showing them that they are cared for or simply thought about. It is a precious feeling to know that you made someone feel special just by being who you are. Strive to be a good person and you may just make a difference, however big or small, in someone else's life.

I love a challenge......

.....and I think that's exactly what my first attempt at skiing will be. I have confidence that I'll be able to do it and do it reasonably well, but sitting back and watching all of the skiing action going on around me this weekend has given me new perspective on what to expect my first time out.

First, let me just say that I really liked northern Michigan. It was beautiful up there! Peaceful, tranquil,....woodsy. Kyle's cabin was perfect. It was comfortable and homey and just what I pictured it to be. Hopefully I'll get the chance to visit again this summer and spend some time on the lake and just enjoy the scenery.

We went to Boyne Highlands on Saturday so the boys could ski. It was my first time being around the slopes, so I took it all in and took some mental notes for my skiing debut in a few weeks. While it would have been fun to ski this time around, I'm glad that I was able to check out how things are done, what people are wearing, proper skiing etiquette, etc. I pulled up a chair to the window overlooking the slopes, right in front of the "magic carpet" that takes newbies up to the top of the bunny hill. I watched (mostly little kids) get onto the conveyor belt with their parents standing behind them, ride up to the top, then awkwardly slide down to the bottom of the bunny hill.....some clinging to their parent's leg, some going solo and toppling over, some crouching down like little pros and making it down without problem. Then I pictured myself climbing onto the magic carpet (standing a good 3 feet above my fellow magic carpet riders), riding up to the top, and then biffing it on my way down. Hmmmm.....maybe I'll be lucky enough to only have to go down the bunny hill once or twice......

So I sat in the lodge and did my homework, listened to my ipod, and stared out of the huge windows at all of the little skiers. Now I'm super-excited to go skiing. I also have an idea of what kind of ski outfit I'd like to get.....once I can afford it :).

After dinner, a trip to the hot tub, and successfully avoiding sticking around for the Miss Hawaiian Tropics Competition, we headed back to the cabin. It was a really nice weekend--a great way to enjoy the final days before school gets into full swing again.

Pics:

Kyle in his cabin
Jason and Kyle ready to ski
northern Michigan

Venturing North

This weekend I will travel north of Lansing and venture into the great Michigan "up north". When I tell Michiganders that I'm from Atlanta and just moved up here last year for grad school, they invariably ask if I've been "up north" yet. Then I say "no" and they respond with a "wow, I can't believe it! you have to go!!". It isn't as if I haven't wanted to go, it's just that the opportunity hasn't presented itself until now. My boyfriend has a cabin "up north" and has invited me and some of his friends on a ski trip. I'm quite excited, not just because Kyle has spoken fondly of his cabin since our first date, but also because I get to see the countryside that everyone has been raving about AND I get to spend a cozy weekend with him (as in, there's no heat or running water--but I can do rustic no problem). I will not however be skiing this trip. While I have never been skiing (another "what??" response-getter), I'll be waiting to test out my skiing finesse until our second trip up north to stay at a friend's cabin. I can't afford two ski-trips in a month's time :)

Kyle and Me on New Year's Eve

Welcome to 2006!

2005 was a good year for me and my family. Never mind the debt due to school loans or my car progressively falling apart, my loved ones are healthy and happy. That's what matters. As my grandpa says "well, I'm still suckin' air". Well put :)

Christmas in Tennessee was nice. There was lots of great food, the bar was stocked to an insane level--grandpa, do you really need 7 bottles of vodka?? (the family tradition of offering up cocktails before dinner, after dinner, and whenever you felt like it was very much upheld). Not to say that my fam drinks a lot, because we don't, my grandparents just like to offer drinks at any available opportunity. Their house is beautiful. It sits right on the lake and is perfectly tranquil. I can't wait to go back this summer and enjoy the warmer weather and the perks associated with their pontoon boat. You may not believe it, but these kids know how to party on their pontoon boats. The residents meet out in the middle of the lake and tie their pontoon boats together to make one long fiesta barge complete with a "drink" boat, "grill" boat, and "desert" boat. People walk from boat to boat socializing, drinking and eating. The retired community definitely knows how to have a good time :)

At one point Jess, Josh and I drove down to Atlanta to take care of some stuff and visit with Mike and his new wife Laura. I had forgotten how horrible Atlanta traffic is! No joke, way worse than Detroit. Luckily grandpa let me borrow his pimped-out Ford Excursion for the journey. There's nothing like a big, black SUV to pursuade people to MOVE THEIR SLOW ASSES OUT OF THE LEFT HAND LANE!! Ohio drivers are the worst--they just don't get that the left hand lane is for passing, not piddling along. When we hit Atlanta the weather was 62 degrees and sunny, which led Jess and I to ask ourselves why in the world we left......until we heard it: our first reintroduction to the southern accent. Oh. my. goodness. And I'm not talking about the pretty southern-belle accent. I'm talking about the SOUTHERN accent that predominates. Ugh. I do love Atlanta....

After a brief visit in Tennessee again, we started the 9 hour road trip back to Michigan, arriving just in time for New Year's Eve with Kyle and his friends in Detroit. I was able to spend some quality time with Kyle and we had a really, really good time....there's a funny pic below :) We went to Summerset mall to shop around, I saw where he grew up, met his family, and when we were eating a (very late) breakfast at the Original Pancake House New Year's Day we saw Hamilton from the Pistons....I'm ashamed to say I would have had no idea who he was if Kyle hadn't pointed him out.

In the few days before school starts back up I have successfully submitted my PhD application, used all of my Christmas gift cards, and have tried to get organized for my last semester as a grad student. I keep forgetting that I have to do my thesis this semester...that's probably a bad thing. Gotta get that done.

Here are some pics from my vacation:

Me and Jess in our "Christmas Pose"
Grandpa waiting for the action to start Christmas morning
a peaceful morning view from the back deck
Kyle, Brandon, and Matt in "the cage" after a rowdy drinking game