Sassafras

Talking Beaver on the Highway

2010-09-16T22:07:00.002-05:00

There's this guy who takes raw footage of animals and adds voices to the clips. I could not stop laughing for like a half hour.

2010-08-24T20:05:00.002-05:00

K, so my poem writing skills are no good. But I thought no harm in trying.

The reason why I wrote it was actually because of a patient of mine that made a few crucial mistakes and wound up dealing with HUGE consequences. And it's kind of disheartening to see these young girls where puberty hit so early while their emotional capacity lags behind in childhood. And these girls, usually pressured by hormone filled guys, experiment with adult subjects far sooner than they should. And that leads to worse decisions that leave lasting emotional scars. It really does. Seeing perimenopausal women still become tearful about having an abortion as a teen is literally heart wrenching. To carry that weight for decades... I can't imagine.

well, so next poem will not be as heavy.

2010-08-13T21:36:00.003-05:00

hi folks. k, so I'm trying my hand at writing a poem, and I'd like some feedback. a fwe of the lines need some work. I'd love ideas if you'd like to share

(title to be continued...)

I thought I loved you, but I was not sure;
though you seemed so through and through.
For those cliché lines poured from your lips
with such strength and confidence that sip by sip
I drank, and my doubts dissipated as you lured
me cunningly in with each intoxicating word.

Jiggers of promises, like liquid courage, filled
me with drunken anticipation. Yet, oaths spilled
from your soul seeming so honest and true,
in the light of sobriety showed the subtle proof.

The somber realization ensuing the altered sense
Left fixed scars sustained while under the influence.

2010-07-14T20:11:00.005-05:00

I've been thinking about this for a bit. Let's see, how to start.

I lead a different kind of life. A veeery interesting type of life. I realized that my last post might have nauseated a few of you, perhaps a little too late. Deepest apologies. But for me, faux pas topics are becoming old hat. And perhaps it's just as well, because I can remember a time were I was so uncomfortable by image issues, the topic of sex, even bowel habits that I'd blush at the mere mention of it. It wasn't so long ago that I stuttered out the words "Ppp-p-p-l-ease describe your f-f-f-feces" and now, without batting an eye, "let's talk about your poop."

A world of difference. PA school really breaks you of that... I can't think of another profession were you see your classmates in their birthday suit on a weekly basis for months on end, or worse, have them see the stretch marks, the spider veins, all the flaws that make the physical you. And guess who was the one who drew the short end of the stick and had to be the patient for breast examination week. And here I should give a mini shout out to Joe, my teacher. Huge thanks for the confidence boost.

side note, shells, I'm working in Killeen for a large company in central Texas called Scott and White, and I'm in family practice right now. I'm really starting to love it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that at I know I definitely teeter with the "what's appropriate" topic line. As much as my mom wanted me to be, I'm not Jackie O. But I am someone that if you have a question, no matter how gauche you think it is, I've got no problem helping you find all the facts you need to make an informed decision.

A bone to pick with the inventor of the Whiff Test

2010-07-02T23:14:00.002-05:00

There are some things in my profession that is, how shall we say, unsavory. Digital Rectal Exams… I must raise a choice finger to the inventor of that. Examining a “rash” to find out it’s scabies… fun for the whole family! Well, one of the least favorite tests I encounter is The Whiff Test. Now you’ve got to assume that any test with the word “whiff” and talking about a bodily function is gonna activate the up-chuck reflex, much like when physicians of yore actually tasted urine for glucose. And I can’t emphasize how true this is.

Obviously an attack on a favored sense of mine, the whiff test forces the examiner to sniff a glass slide prepared with a woman’s discharge from her, as one of my patients called it a “cookie,” sprinkled with potassium hydroxide. Performing the baptism is said to cause a fishy odor to develop if the woman is indeed cursed with this disease. Somewhat less appealing than the marvel of the loaves and fishes, this modern day miracle points the way for the power to heal. At least 70% of the time.

So, dear inventor, my deepest gratitude for the daily assault on my olfactory nerve.

and the decision is...

2010-03-06T23:06:00.003-06:00

Number 4!

Yes, yes, i know I didn't mention the number four offer in the last post, but that's becuase I didn't want to jinx the Killeen interview by saying I already had it. So let's see what I've won:

A family practice clinic in a large military town outside Fort Hood with an 8a-530p job M-F, no call. No call means no working Sundays, no ringing in the middle of the night, no exiting a movie to adjust a patient's med. I've got a good feeling about this one.

gimmie a T, gimmie a H, gimmie a Y-R-O-I-D! What's that spell?!

2010-02-28T21:12:00.012-06:00

So Mom and I are on a little trip down in Killeen for a few days while I look for housing. Yesterday we were tapped out with touring cookie cutter home after home so we decided to take a little jaunt to Austin. Well, as it happens I forgot to bring my thyroid medicine down with me, so by day four I was feeling a little tired. So much so, that by the time we finished the walking tour of the capital I had to take a little rest on one of the benches outside. And by that time Mom's leg was hurting bad that she needed a respite herself. As we're sitting, Mom turns to me and says:

"Man, getting rid of your thyroid was the worst thing you could do. You should have just left it."

I reply, "Well, if I'd of left it, ultimately my eyes would have started popping out of my head."

"What?! You're joking."

"Nope," I respond, "It's called exophthalmos. And can't you just picture me having to tell my patients good or bad news with HUGE buggy eyes." I continue, " So envision this, you're the patient and I waltz in looking like Rodney Dangerfield, you're gonna think I'm gonna tell you you've got two days to live when you've really got heartburn. And what if you actually have two days to live?! Do you really want to get that kind of news from a deer in the headlights provider. Nope. No good."

We laughed and laughed on that bench as we appreciated the silver lining.

working 9 to 5

2010-02-08T00:32:00.002-06:00

Update on the job search. I just finished three interviews this past week, and I've got one more interview in Killeen tomorrow (well, today actually). And I've got three job offers so far.

Door 1: Family practice in Fort Worth. Decent pay, great supervising physician, good benefits. I'd work four 10 hour days M-Th and have the rest off (aside from call once every couple of weeks). Not so great: still using paper charts and old school x-rays, but plans are in the works for an EMR next year.

Door 2: Internal Med in Denton. Crap office, but will be upgrading by September. Very nice attending, but a horrible structure in the office. I'm knocking this one off the list.

Door 3: Dream job working in an emergency room (Level 2 Trauma Unit which was just built last April). Sweet perks, best pay of the bunch. Three 12 hour shifts a week. Down side: it's in Waco. and I'd have waaaaay more responsibility (aka stress).

So what do ya think, 1 or 3?

Happiness is...

2010-01-06T16:34:00.008-06:00

1. Old churches with red doors, usually with beautiful stain glass windows. When I lived up east, I'd sometimes wander around the city and walk into a cathedral and just sit there enjoying the ambiance while watching the folks light candles. Two of my best memories were in churches: 1) joining in evensong with Kristi and the boy's choir in London and 2) waltzing into St. Patrick's with the brothers in NY and by fortunate circumstance the choir was rehearsing for their Christmas program. Couldn't ask for more.

2. When my mother is happy

3. When my dad tells a super dumb joke, and I look at him with this "Really?! Did you really just say that?" face and he looks back with that impish grin

4. Learning to appreciate exercise: I have yet to find something more empowering than cycling. Yoga is a close second (Yeah, I never thought I'd be that girl either, but it turns out a gazillion people were right. Exercise does a body good).

5. finishing a project

6. When I can actually make that connection with a patient, when I can explain something and see that it actually makes sense to them, and especially when they make a turn for the better.

7. Very old trees

8. CAUTION, cheese is about to fly: Friends. Especially the ones that know me inside and out, know my quirks, my challenges, my faults, my unhappy days. And still love me.

9. Watching Kristi play Wii fit... this girl is the epitome of calm and collective except for when she tries to conquer the obstacle course. So funny!

10. Something that makes me have a huge belly laugh

I'm tagged!

2009-12-29T23:02:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine, Annalise, tagged me in one of those taggy things. Man, that line is just seeping with intelligence. Anyhow, I can't remember the last time I was excited to do one of these (I truly think never), but it must be the season! So I'm gonna have to think about it. Topic: 10 things that make me happy.

I'm officially certifiable

2009-12-10T20:19:00.002-06:00

You thought I was gonna say crazy, didn't you? Don't deny it. I know I wouldn't.

I took my national boards to become a Physician Assistant, and good news! I passed with above average flying colors! Woot woot! I love being above average. It's just enough to feel like you've got a little more than your neighbour, but a little less than the Pope.

Point is, I passed.

A little touch of Garland

2009-11-30T14:56:00.002-06:00

I love this time of the year when the air turns crisp and the smell of firewood wafts through the sky. Love it! And I especially love take a few moments to knit a stitch here and there while watching Judy's best. Such favorties include The Man that Got Away, The Trolley Song, and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Yep, I'm officially ready for retirement.

I heart Sesame Street

2009-11-06T14:40:00.008-06:00

In celebration of the 40th birthday of the most beloved street I thought I'd find a few recent clips. Though they might not be the classics from our time, they are just as entertaining and educational.

I'm officially skilled with counting to the number 4 thanks to Feist.

I love this outtake with Elmo and Ricky Gervais.

Shakespeare just got a little bit better

2009-10-14T09:10:00.004-05:00

I love the theater, but it's sometimes tough to go every weekend because the bank account is looking mighty thin as of late. BUT! All across America tomorrow you can get into a show for free! You can even sign up to see a show over the weekend if tickets are still available. Simply visit the Free Night of Theater 2009 website, browse shows in your area, click and reserve. And tada! You're on your way to watching Hamlet's famous soliloquy or hearing Ichabod Crane's heart beat loudly from his chest.

I suggest yo hurry since tickets are going fast!

next to normal

2009-08-05T06:50:00.003-05:00

I'm sure you've heard of this musical, but just in case you haven't, take a look. As of late, it's the music that gets me up in the morning. I'm so excited because next weekend I'm taking a little trip up to the big city and this is top of the to do list.

Here's a link to the prelude, and you can see in the related videos on that page you can listen to the entire musical. Favorites include Who's Crazy/My Psychopharmacologist and I, Everthing Else, Aftershocks, and Light. WARNING: swearing may be present.

Overview found at Wikipedia . Here's a video of when they were on the Tony's in June.

Let me know what you think.

you know it's time for a break when...

2009-08-02T01:16:00.005-05:00

Tonight in the shower I shaved an entire leg before realizing that I still had the guard on.

a moment to relax...

2009-07-19T16:53:00.003-05:00

I'm going to the Georgia Aquarium wit my folks after graduating the end of August. Preview to something I might see.

la cucaracha, la cucaracha, ya no puede caminar

2009-06-13T10:13:00.009-05:00

We've all got phobias. Whether it be a wide-eyed china doll whose gaze always seems to follow you or the creepy clown/weather man on channel six, in some fashion everyone has that one thing that upon seeing it immediately causes a TIA.

That thing that gets my amygdala going is the forsaken cockroach. Even as I write this, I'm controlling my gag reflex and trying to keep the instant stress headache at bay. I truly hate the bugs from the underworld.

As an example, when I was in high school I remember one night I was taking a shower and as I stepped out I saw two evil ones staring at me from the counter. Well tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum were much smarter than their names imply, for they knew I was terrified of them. They could sense it. Frozen in my place, with barely a towel, I screamed for my father. He, thinking someone was attacking me, ran up the stairs to find me in my statuesque Venus de Milo pose, and that's when it happened. The little buggers FLEW AT ME! I, of course, ran down the stairs and exited my house, all the while screaming with nothing but my tiny towel on. Let's just say I was the entertainment for the neighbours that night.

My story brings me to last week. I just moved to Reading, PA to finish up my very last preceptorship, and the hospital provides housing for the students in one of their older buildings. I, wanting to save a penny while substantially increasing the amount of nap time I'd get from cutting out a commute, concede to the plan. First week no problems. Second week, I get a new roommate who is a med student from PCOM. Well, make that two new mates. The second came two nights after the first moved in. Sitting in my chair, studying the night away, I see something in my periphery, and low and behold there aroseth from the fiery depths the spawn of Satan himself crawling up my wall.

Again, I'm frozen in my place. Yet, this time the rational part of my brain kicks in, and I actually start to move for the shoe resting next to my foot. And then the dance begins.

Sensing danger, the roach freezes from his course, and I immediately follow suit. Barely breathing, I hold my position till he pushes on. For the second time, I slowly reach for the shoe, and now have it in my grasp and start to slothfully stand. He stops. and I. He starts up again, and here I gather all my strength to move into striking position. I work up the nerve to get mere feet from the bug, and start to swing, when the power of his stare completely deflates my attack attempt, and I gutlessly swing to make direct contact with the wall a good foot away from the target. And that's when he flew at me. F.L.E.W. A.T. M.E.

Oh no you didn't. I'd like to note here I did not scream, but rather doubled my efforts to attack by taking one last pitiful swing before fleeing the room.

And that's when I walked down the hall to get the toughest guy I knew on the floor, Al. He once was a football player for the Miami Dolphins who now happens to be the Chaplin for the hospital (I know, talk about career change). I needed the power of God on my side. Well, he and his friend come down to discover for themselves that the fourth sign of the Apocalypse just arrived in Reading.

They walk in, the bug immediately kamikazes Al, and I'm not even kidding, the two literally dive for cover. The bug makes a bee line for my closet, and the boys quickly recover and take action by digging out my luggage and laundry on the closet floor to see the roach crawl into a crack in the corner.

HE'S LIVING IN MY CLOSET. Well, I should say the wall between my closet and my pansy med student neighbour who didn't have the guts to open his closet door to see where the roach had gone.

Let the nightmares begin.

you seriously need to check out the awkward family site... look for the choker

2009-05-14T12:21:00.003-05:00

Woot-Off-Killer Killers: Our Favorite Wastes of Time

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i need this

2009-05-13T23:04:00.003-05:00

wax on, wax off

2009-04-07T23:39:00.006-05:00

The days are getting longer, the weather warmer. Soon shorts will be popping up like the bulbs in my front yard. And nothing makes a girl feel sexier during this season than smooth, beautiful legs that are ready for the beaches. Wanting to feel a little more sassy, I bought a waxing kit from Wal-mart complete with tongue depressors, sheets of paper, and paraffin wax.

b.a.d. i.d.e.a.

I started with my underarms since I thought I could muscle through two strips without chickening out. First one.... RRRRRIIIIIPPPPPP. And the words still echo in my mind, for though they came from me, I never knew I could speak in tongues. it was something along the lines of Oh Holy Night mixed with By The Power Of Greyskull.

Okay, that's a scorching red right there, as I stare at my sad, hurt armpit. But I thought I can quit now or power through. Just power through, Jackie.

Underarm torture take 2: and ACTION!

Dip, smear, apply strip.

Pause.

"You can do this, you can do this, you can do this," I chant to myself as the piece of paper starts to quickly fasten to the hair and work its way down to the live layer of skin. As I move my free hand into death grip position, I notice something. hmm. I can't lift up my arm I just waxed. What the... oh no.

no.no.no.no.no.

In my hurry, I forgot to use the "soothing oil" after the first strip, and it hits me that I didn't get all of the wax off from the first try. my right armpit is NOW GLUED SHUT.

Panicking, I hop in the shower as I tear off the second strip (MOTHER!) and start dumping the body wash all over my underarms, which seems to loosen the skin stuck together, but now the wax is melting under the heat of the warm water, and spreading and is not coming off at all with vigorous scrubbing and soap. Towel, I think.

nope, not the answer. As the wax cools off from exiting the shower, the towel now becomes one massive furry paper strip. Towel glued to armpit x 2, I finally read the directions to discover that the oil is the way to remove extra wax. I dig through the box, towel draped across chest and securely fastened to body sans safety pins/clips/buttons, to discover this ity-bity bottle of oil, and I just start pouring. worked like a charm. in the aftermath I could somewhat recognize the remnants of what should be the skin under the arms, along the thorax, and even part of the skin around the biceps.

and now I'm pissed. No way in hell some smart-a box is gonna win this battle. I reheat the wax and start on the leg, determined to finish.

Well 3/4 of one leg later, I finally had enough. And since I used the entire bottle of oil during the arm fiasco, I resorted to PAM cooking spray to remove the stubborn tidbits of dried wax sculpted to my poor red leg.

AND SCENE.

bear attack

2009-02-03T15:52:00.004-06:00

When I feel I need a break, I somtimes go to Howcast to fill in the void. and I always seem to find myself watching something like this, thinking just in case.

Hershey: the scariest place on earth

2009-01-31T17:55:00.011-06:00

So you may be wondering where Jackie has hibernated to, and that lucky place is the great city of Hershey. One sentence describes my entire experience here: I've seen things that will stick with me for the rest of my life. And at the top of that list is the singing cows at Chocolate World. During one weekend after a snowfall I decided to get out of the house and head over to the locally recommended hot spot, all the while operating on the assumption that it's one big candy shop. Heads up, it is not. It is so much terrifyingly more.

As I drive over on the overcast afternoon, I turn into the entrance to see massive empty parking lots covering acres of land and a vacated amusement park looking old and dingy in the poor light, and it honestly feels as if I'm passing through a bizarre ghost town. I park next to the main entrance, which brings the total car count in the lot to a dozen, and as I head toward the faded multi-colored entrance I realize I'm virtually alone.

I walk through the doors and past dimly lit doorway openings to the nearest signs of life, and I enter into the back way of the gift shop. So there I am stepping into this massive labyrinth of chocolate, whose walls consist of 10-16 feet high walls of Reece's and Hershey's milk bars and kisses, and at the top I can see giant pieces of candy fully equipped with eyes, legs and toothless smiles all staring down at me.

Opting to distance myself from the glare, I weave my way to the front where after 10 minutes have passed, I see my first human. The cashier. Wanting to make sure I just didn't fall down the rabbit hole, I ask about the empty place to find out that most things are closed, but that there is a indoor Hershey's ride still open for the day.

Well, not wanting the trip to be a total bust, I waltz my way over to the giant "Hershey's Great American Chocolate Tour" entrance where yet again I walk through to find myself alone. In a dimly lit hallway. Come on, I think to myself. side note to Hershey: has the economy hit you that hard that you're cutting back on lighting? Please.

You can tell these vacant hallways are meant for herding massive amounts of people, and each is peppered with TV sets playing a video on the process of cocoa bean harvesting. I pause a moment to watch, but again I start to notice the void of life made clear by the utter silence aside from the TVs. So I book it through hallway after hallway to find the entrance to the ride all the while thinking to myself that a few of the patients on my psych rotation would have lost it by now. As I reach the pinnacle I find a flight of stairs descending to a circular moving floor with the carpet in the design of a multi-colored brown pinwheel. And on the border of the wheel I see bucket seats in groups of three moving by the edge and then breaking off into the entrance of the ride. Two people were taking their time exiting the ride, so the worker directed me to sit in the second bucket. I climb in and cozy myself down, and after a moment my seat glides me into the opening, and it's obvious that there is no one joining me in my bucket. or my group of three. or the groups in front or behind me.

At this point I consider busting out a few lines of "All By Myself" when before I knew it someone beat me to the singing. Well, I should say something. Three cows, that it. Three massive cloth covered cow heads sticking out from a wall start to soulfully sing three words over and over again, that being "Hershey's milk chocolate!" Thinking that I want a better view, my bucket turns me toward the blasting music to face the cows head on (hardy har har).

My cart continues to carry me on to the next room, which is really a room starting the explanation of how chocolate is made. So from room to room my cart shifts me from left to right to stare at massive equipment used during each step of the chocolate making process (along with actual footage from the factory displayed on large TVs). And all the while a wanna-be spokesman for Rogain with background music from the Milk Chocolate song blasts me away. I went through many a room, and even through the inside of a massive heating oven to finally find myself in the last room. The best way to describe the room is one giant LCD screen with iconic images from cities around the US flashing before my eyes with jazzy music from the 1980s adding the finishing touches to the nightmare I'll be having later on that night. As I exit, a pubescent teen hands me two pieces of chocolate, and looking on the ground I notice carcasses of empty wrappers and even unopened pieces haphazardly tossed on the floor. I imagine that's the chocolate that was chucked away from patrons fleeing the scene.

You know, I completely understand now why small children spontaneously start screaming on amusement rides. I wondered if people who've been abducted would use this as an adequate description of their experience.

sounds like...

2008-12-26T22:21:00.007-06:00

I'm currently home in Texas for the holidays visiting my folks. It's been entertaining to say the least,mostly because of the funny slips of the tongue that are oh-so infamous in the Cummings clan.

For example, during Christmas Eve dinner at Macaroni Grill, we started talking about places we've always wanted to visit, and I mentioned how I want to go see the Northern Lights in Canada. I also let them know how I've been taking mini-trips during my rotations, and my Mom chimed in by saying "Well, on one of those trips, Jackie, you can go see the Areola."

A moment passed until the full weight of the comment sunk in at the table, and suddenly an explosion of laughter rang out from the two of us.

Me: "Mom, do you mean Aurora Borealis"

classic Mom.

ornaments and organized religion

2008-12-13T20:01:00.005-06:00

I just came home from a night at the Goggleworks, a community arts center in Reading, where I was both academically and pseudo-ecumenically educated. I participated in a hot glass blowing workshop in which I created an ornament to give to my dad for Christmas. Each year he asks for the same thing, that being Peace, and since he knows there's a slim chance of fulfilling the request in its entirety, he asks that the monetary gift be handmade. Well a girl can only make so many scarfs/hats/cards before she runs out of good ideas. Thus, the class. Actually, I love that he asks for that because it gives me an excuse to do something new and fun and not feel a lick of guilt for not studying.

After the class I wandered over to the main building to see what new independent film they were showing, and as luck would have it, Bill Maher's new movie Religious was playing. Since the class ran a little late, I missed the first half hour of it, but the part that I did see was enough to realize that though there were a few quick witted comments and partial truths, Maher wasn't openly looking for alternatives to his view on religion, or lack thereof. He pushed his own agenda with sounds bites and montages from people of various faiths and his diatribe at the end felt completely disjointed and hoaxy. I usually don't love Fox news, but in this case this review of the movie nailed it on the head. My critique: go for a few laughs if you've got nothing else to do, but expect nothing more than to be mildly entertained, and if you're super religious, possibly offended.

guess who's coming to town

2008-12-01T10:36:00.003-06:00

My preceptorships are tentatively assigned... and the winners are:

Feb-April: Family Practice at Central Utah Clinic, Provo, Ut

May-August: ED at Reading Hospital, Reading, PA

I'm coming back to Utah!!

nut, nut, who'se got the nut?

2008-11-05T17:31:00.023-06:00

I've wrapped up the end of my time served in inpatient psychiatry at Olean, NY and if you've ever wondered where the mullet originated from, you needn't look further. Other firsts in this city include knick-knacks, psychotic patients, and my personal favorite, massive ceramic squirrels. Does anyone else see a correlation?

You may think I'm kidding about the squirrels, and I would've been right on that disbelieving boat with you. But, friends, I have been there. I have seen. I have had nightmares. And here is my proof (I named a few):

Disco Ball Ben: Small Town Bugsy:

Mr. Money Bags:
Incognito Irnia:

Possibly the most terrifying of all the squirrels, whom I call the Godfather:

Vincent:

Honolulu Hal:
Nurse Betsy:
Surgeon Sam:

And of course we can't forget Santa Squirrel:
and his back side:

white girls can jazzercise

2008-10-25T12:55:00.001-05:00

wait for the freeze frame... pure laughter

(thanks to Luke for finding this gem)

some interesting sites on my drive up to Olean

2008-10-13T17:44:00.003-05:00

A crazy water fountain sputtering water onto the four lane highway. who puts a fountain next to a highway?

A house and lawn ENTIRELY decorated with massive inflatable Halloween ornaments (including a huge ghost castle, five pumpkins, a spider, and a ghost hanging from a tree)

a dolphin mailbox

three kids driving a seated lawn mower whose sum ages added up to 14

ZZ Top reincarnated

A classic car colored sea foam green with the occupants dressed like from The Sting

a good day

2008-10-03T17:25:00.002-05:00

I delivered 3 babies on my birthday... couldn't ask for a better present. Not gonna lie, I teared up a little.

growing pains

2008-09-25T16:57:00.004-05:00

Today was the day I got my hands dirty during a natural delivery and delivered my first baby. As luck would have it, my first was with a baby who had Meconium stain and nuchal cord x 1. In other words, a very complicated delivery, so much so that the baby was in respiratory arrest and we had to start bagging him. NOT GOOD. The mom kept staring at me and the doctor asking why her baby wasn't crying. I literally wanted to vomit. Thank the lord that my preceptor (the doctor) is completely amazing and knows how to keep her cool in a very tense situation. She guided my hands to where they needed to go when I started to freeze up and helped me stay outwardly calm and collected when all I wanted to do was jump out of my skin. I felt so bad after the delivery thinking I had done something wrong (which I didn't).... she let me know that sometimes deliveries are just complicated, and it happened that my first case was that way. The baby is now fine, and mother is fine, and I'm fine. I guess this is what comes with growing up.

as we say in Alaska...

2008-09-15T18:36:00.002-05:00

judging a book by its cover

2008-09-10T20:26:00.009-05:00

While walking through the halls of yet another hospital today (this time Kent General in Dover) I noticed a trend in medical marketing. Every place I've worked at so far displayed a sign with children dressed up as doctors/nurses reminding folks to wash hands or be quiet or whatever. Sure, at first glance you think everything's alright, perhaps even a little precious, but after so many exposures, you start to become concerned. Concerns like where the hell do these kids get off telling me what to do? They've got to be no older than 4, sans college degrees and permanent teeth. Unless you're Doogie Howser and can chew through steak, I'm not buyin, even if I know better.

In fact, I'm rebelling. My plan tomorrow... avoid soap like the plague while screaming Yankee Doodle Dandy. See that kids, look at what you made me do. you're bringing me down to your level.

side note: I was actually slapped in the face by a two year old girl who was the sister of an 8 month old baby I was treating. Apparently I was giving too much attention to her brother even though the staff took the time to blow up a disposable latex glove and fashion it to look like a chicken. So she climbed up on a step and took her glove and slapped me with it. I swear, I almost quit right there.

something must be in the air

2008-08-28T12:51:00.004-05:00

Today I didn't have to go to work so I started the day by sleeping in till ten, breakfast in bed, and a movie. Since I hadn't yet gotten out of bed at one o'clock I felt a bit like a bum, so I thought I'd have a mini workout. But I didn't want to completely give up my slothful ways, so I went without a bra.

Or pants.

So there I am doing sit-ups on my exercise ball in a very flimsy top and skivvies while listening to my usual exercise music when all of a sudden the song I Don't Feel Like Dancin' from the Scissor Sisters starts up. Now, if you've never heard the song, you might find it hard to understand how the tune posses people to stop their current activities and force them to start wilding dancing about the room. Friends, I was easy prey.

As I flail about, I glance out the window to find the gardner, THE GARDNER, standing outside with his weed whacker, John Deer hat and massive head phones staring straight at me. Yep, I just died a little. And I couldn't help think about Annalise's recent adventures in streaking.

How to Pick Berries of Blue:

2008-08-16T15:44:00.014-05:00

Step 1. Find fun friend who enjoys thrusting head into bushes. Encourage such behavior.

Step 2. Fill fun bucket with berries found in bush.

Steps 3. 4. 5. & 6. Pick up berry found in bucket and in veeery slow motion place berry between gargantuan teeth.

Step 7. Make ridiculous face whilst chewing.

Thus completes lesson one of berry pickin' Enjoy!

Wipeout!

2008-08-08T10:45:00.001-05:00

I usually hate reality TV, but I absolutely LOVE this show... probably has something to do with the hosts and the genius use of sound effects. My favorite contestant: Margie Stubbs (around 3:48). I know I'm horrible, but I couldn't stop laughing

i'm still standing

2008-07-04T16:43:00.003-05:00

surgical rotation has started and not gonna lie, it is rough. no so much sandpaper rough, more like tsunami kind of rough. i know this is a crap post, but really i'm just trying to keep my head above water.

better news: after getting off work this morning (I was on call last night which meant I was at work from 5:30 am yesterday to 8 am today) I drove to Boston and met up with a few friends to watch the Boston Pops/fireworks in action. I've been wanting to see this since I was a little girl and right now I don't care how much homework I have to do, I'm gonna have some fun tonight.

muppet murder

2008-06-14T22:02:00.004-05:00

Yesterday Aubrey and I drove to the outlet mall to look for a few birthday gifts for her boyfriend Kyle. Along the highway stood a billboard that displayed a massive head of Elmo perfectly perched to glare at those who passed by. I turned to her and said,

Me: You know, Elmo creeps me out a little.

Aubrey: Me too... I used to watch Sesame Street when he wasn't as popular. It was more Big Bird, and Oscar the Grouch, and Bert and Ernie when they still had Bert.

Me: What? They got rid of Bert?

Aubrey: Yeah, a few years ago. Since some people complained about the two living together. they thought it implied a gay relationship. you know how everything has to be p.c. these days...

Me: So they killed off a muppet?

After hearing the news, I felt sad for the loss of Bert. Out of all the characters, he's the only one I know that had my laugh and a shared fondness for paper clips. I wanted to do something to show my love for him and the thing I came up with was to say a few words.

Eulogy for Bert:

Bert, I loved everything about you from your boring persona to your unibrow. Your sense of fashion said it all. You reminded me of a guy I used to date, and I'll never forget that. The times I remember best were when you learned how to fish by yelling and when you chatted on a banana. Most of all, you helped me through the rough times of 2nd grade, teaching me that I am special just as I am.

decreasing the surplus population one hypothetical patient at a time

2008-06-11T08:21:00.010-05:00

I've been taking a Foundations of Clinical Medicine class for the past few weeks, and to understand my story I should give some background info. Each week of FCM is like a mini rotation in preparation for the ones that I'll have this next year. So the first week was Ob/Gyn week, the second Psych week, last week was Peds week, and this week is Medicine week. During each section I've been assigned a different patient with a correlating disease for that field of medicine. I should note that these are standardized patients, a.k.a. actors who play up an illness. You gotta love those safety nets.

So this week I've been working with nine of my classmates on a case of a 54 y/o female with a history of significant alcohol use and Hepatitis B. Colby (one of my teammates) and I performed a complete history and physical on her, and of course her chief complaint was "I just don't feel right" x 1 month. nice. That's like going into the auto shop and saying "Um, there's something wrong with my car. not sure just what, but I can sense it. can you fix that? by tomorrow? grrreat." We got little from talking with her, aside from the fact that the day before she drank "half a fifth" and that multiple times a week she drinks before noon. In fact, when Colby asked if she drank to pass out, her exact words were "Yeah, on Fridays... and Wednesdays" and I chimed in "And Saturdays?" Yup. And Tuesdays, and Thursdays... She's a pro.

Her physical exam revealed acute liver failure. she's got severe jaundice, ascites, caput medusa due to portal hypertension. In other words, her liver has completely crapped out. If ever you are in a poker game where you find yourself betting organs, don't go for the liver. it's important.

Today she's now showing extensive signs of hepatic encephalopathy, which means that toxins are backing up in her blood and going to her brain since the liver can't process them properly. and she has an increasing fever which is difficult to treat since a LOT of drugs are metabolized in the liver. NOT GOOD. this is like One Foot In The Grave sort of news.

update: she's alive! our group rocked the house at treating her, and she pulled through. i knew there had to be a happy ending... after all, it's make believe.

wait. did you just feel that? hell froze over.

2008-06-07T10:46:00.000-05:00

I joined facebook

Good ol' San Antonio

2008-06-02T10:24:00.006-05:00

The PA national conference was this past weekend, and OMG I forgot how hot Texas is. Before my visit, I considered moving back (possibly Austin), and though I haven't thrown it completely out, I now am looking for a place that doesn't immediately melt my face when I step outside. Seriously, it was like walking through a Dali painting.

I went down with a few classmates and before we arrived I of course couldn't resist talking up Texas. Come on, It's Texas! With Big Tex at the state fair, big drinks of Diet Dr. Pepper, big people. So when we arrived, the manager at the front desk was very cordial and gave us a room with a "river view." Awesome, I thought since the last time I was there as a kid I remembered how cool I thought the river was. We get in the room and I walked over to the window and opened the drapes to find this ity bity trickle of water.

Julia sidles up beside me and says, "That's it?!?"

Me: "Yup."

Julia: "That a creek!"

Me: "Yup. Isn't it awesome..."

As luck would have it, Lark, an old roommate of mine who is originally from the east coast, moved to San Antonio awhile ago and we got together. It was good to see her and meet her very nice boyfriend and tour her new home (she has a home!!).

W. and Arnold give There Will Be Blood a little facelift

2008-05-22T10:14:00.001-05:00

best part- listen for the line "that's a weapon of mass destruction!"

medical rite of passage

2008-05-20T21:42:00.002-05:00

I performed my first male and female reproductive exams this evening and before walking through those exam room doors I was sure this would be the most uncomfortable experience ever, but after finishing, it wasn't at all what imagined.

There's a group called META whose members specialize in teaching medical students how to do a proper exam by being the patient. Though that sounds liked it'd be so awkward to have the guy that I'm examining directing me what to do, it was probably the best feedback I've ever gotten. and since I was in the room with three other fantastic students, the set up was just what I needed to keep the nerves at bay.

heavy metal with a different kind of hook

2008-05-14T21:46:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I just caught myself crocheting to Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven. that's a new one.

nicknames

2008-05-05T08:11:00.005-05:00

My friend Aubrey just finished her dissertation in anthropology and it's official, she's now Doctor Baadsgaard. How cool to be completely done with school. While she's wrapping up a few things she's been staying at my place for the past week. So I've been spending most of my days with her either exercising, shopping, exercising, chatting, exercising, or eating (yeah, she's a HUGE gym buff). Needless to say, she's a tough cookie packed in 100 lbs of muscle and bone. She's helping me to be equally as tough, and to start things off she's given me the nickname of "Jack The Smack." no joke. With that, I think I can quit school and try out for a spot on WWF.

On Saturday, we went to get groceries at Trader Joe's and the check-out guy had a name tag with "X-Box" on it. She questions him if that's his real name. He responds with a story of how he and his brother in college stayed up for countless hours playing Halo 2, thus the birth of the nickname. I mention my new one, and I think to get the full picture we need some quotes.

Me, joking with X-Box: Yeah, she gave me the nickname Jack the Smack.

X-Box completely stops scanning the groceries and stares at me like I just erased his high scores. He then turns his shock to tiny Aubrey and I can see him debating in his head whether to call protective services on me or just give her the keys to his getaway car out back.

Me, with a terrified look: Wait! I don't hit people! She gave me that name to toughen me up... If you knew me, you'd know big of a pansy I am... (as I trail off)... really, uh, pansy's my middle name....

Finally, after multiple confirmations from Aubrey that indeed I am a chicken, he starts to warm up to me again. But that look he gave was priceless.

free at last, free at last!

2008-05-02T10:14:00.002-05:00

I've officially finished my didactic year of PA school with flying colors! YAY!! I'm done... with the first year, that is. But I think that's not too shabby. Now I get to relax for two weeks, and that includes a book list as long as my foot, a house to clean, a cute shoulder bag to make (I'd like to thank etsy for the inspiration), a little pampering, and lots and lots of naps. like the one i'm gonna take right. now.

a bit about me

2008-04-26T02:26:00.008-05:00

I'm not sure where to start this since this is something I usually don't talk about much, but here goes. Today I got the results of another thyroid test and it's good news. I'm normal!

I'm sure most of you don't know that a few years back I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism caused by a toxic multinodular goiter. All that means is that a few lumps in my neck decided to go rogue and released more hormone than normal. The first time I noticed something was wrong was early into my college career, but I simply brushed it aside blaming my changes on the stress of school. I'm a pretty stubborn girl, so I ignored the signs and symptoms for a very, very long time until my levels were six times higher than the amount they should be. So I had dealt with hot flashes, the hand tremors, the overwhelming anxiety, the utter exhaustion, the increase in appetite and weight changes for over a year before my mom finally made me go to the doctor. By this time the heart palpitations were starting to kick in and I'd had enough of feeling so awkward in social situations that I finally went. Fun fact: for such a small organ, the thyroid affects the majority of cells in the body. A few tests later showed the nodules, and that's when I went through a simple treatment where they ablated my thyroid. It wasn't a demanding treatment at all... I just had to swallow a blue pill and stay away from people for a few days while the radioactive iodine flushed through my system. FYI: Your pee does NOT glow in the dark if you've been exposed to radiation. I checked. Well, the treatment of what I had causes the exact opposite problem, hypothyroidism, but it is easily managed with hormone replacement meds. That was the summer of 2006.

My story brings me to a month ago. I started to notice the same change that by now I am very familiar with. I noticed the anxiety return, the tremors come back, the tiredness sink in, the blunted thought process, and the most embarrassing bright red splotchy rash run across my chest, neck, and face. Basically not myself. So I stopped taking the meds, made the appointment with the doc and as I said earlier the results came back normal. AND it looks like my thyroid function is working well enough on its own that I don't have to take anything for it!

Now you're probably thinking, Jackie, that's great! And I couldn't agree with you more. I've never been happier to be wrong. So it looks like there can't be bad news then? And it's true, there can't be much of something bad if the results are so good. The thing that's bothering me is that I'm realizing that the struggles with school, the struggles with church, the struggles with myself, they are all taking a noticeable toll.

So to try and alleviate some of that, I've been getting my house in order, so to speak. I've been trying to take more care of my physical self (and I have some amazing friends here that are helping me stick to that). After a long drought, I now go to church and I'm working on things that I know I need to (a whole other story). And I'm trying to not let the small things get me down so much. Now, this is a new thing for me, being so honest and open and now feeling slightly vulnerable, but I felt like I needed to have sharing time. Not sure why just yet, but hopefully you get something from this.

side note: this week I completed the most dreaded oral exams, where I sat down with one of the faculty members and was grilled for an hour about stuff I've been learning the past year. For one of my diseases I had to explain in detail hypothyroidism. At the end of it I just wanted to yell out, NAILED IT, SUCKA! Apparently, that's frowned down upon, so I settled with a hand shake and a grin.

a look says it all

2008-04-17T10:42:00.016-05:00

I was scrolling through pictures I've taken since last May, and I happened to stumble across these gems. I'm thinking I took these during one of my super late night study sessions as a stunt to finagle sympathy from the parents. My plan was to send them the first picture with a ransom note reading "Send $1,000,000,000,000 and a box of Girl Scout Cookies or else her face stays this way."

Since I already had the camera out I thought it a perfectly good waste not to take more.... which led me to this.

I like to believe that one day, when all my little grand kids tenderly gather around, I can show them these and lovingly tell them that Crazy runs in their genes, and they've got deal with it.

cherry blossoms

2008-04-15T21:09:00.015-05:00

Let me introduce you to my friend Shelly.

A few weeks back this dear friend of mine from college and I took some time away from our busy schedules and met up in DC during the Cherry Blossom Festival. We spent hours enjoying the perfect weather and perfect timing because ALL of the trees were in bloom. She served her mission in Japan, which made it all the more interesting to stroll along the Tidal Basin while listening to her stories of the times she's celebrated spring with beautiful blossoms thousands of miles away. It was even better to meet Charlie, her baby boy, and get to know Dave, her husband, a bit better. I don't know if you've had the same experience, but when I've had friends that have been pregnant, delivered, and raised babies during which I've known they were expecting but I haven't seen them during any of that time, it somewhat surprises me when I see them for the first time. I think, Here's my friend! Looking just the same as I remember. Who's this tiny person standing next to her?

Photo time:

What's that in the sky? A bird? A plane?

This was something important that I have completely forgotten.
The profound crevices and healed wounds in the bark of the aged trees emphasized the delicate birth of the fresh flora (yeah, one Humanities minor later, I've perfected writing a load of crap).

Hello Myer's Family!

I love this picture of the fellas. Stellar admiration of the flowers Dave. Charlie has a tendency to scowl at anything from grass blades to moving objects, and here's an example of that.

It was so good to see her and her family... a respite that I very much needed.

a note on momma's hair

2008-04-13T20:19:00.015-05:00

While talking with my dad tonight, he told me of an actual conversation that occurred over the weekend. Apparently him and my mom were working in the yard on Saturday and since it was a windy day my mom's hair whipped to and fro (so punny!) to form something like this:
Well, our neighbor strolled by and paused for a chat. As the conversation lulled, he must of said the first thing that came to his mind, which was:

Neighbor, turning to my mother: "I really like your hair. It's, uh, fluffy."

Now I don't know if this guy was having a bit of fun with my mom, or if he seriously fancied it. Either way, my mom took it as a compliment and all of us had a good laugh.

for fun, here's the first pic that pops up if you google fluffy:

baby genius pa

2008-04-08T09:42:00.005-05:00

In our E Med class today we talked about Ob/Gyn emergencies, and I have never been more entertained, not so much because of the subject (kinda gross), but because of this amazing lecturer. Example: when she was explaining that in practice we have to do a pregnancy test on EVERY menstruating woman that walks trough the door, she follows with "I’ve seen more virgin births than any wise men." so, so funny.

the Lord DOES answer sporadic prayers

2008-04-01T12:21:00.005-05:00

The Deseret Morning News published an article today explaining the church's new "Slow-Track" program. Finally, something in the church that I excel at.

the hair cut

2008-03-24T14:16:00.003-05:00

Due to the melting of my brain, I've reverted to using excerpts from emails I've written to friends. This beauty comes from part of an email I wrote to Kristi explaining my spring break:

So this past week was way more busy than I expected, but it was all so much fun. It started last Friday when Mandy and I went to get hair cuts at a place called Bubbles. That morning I thought I woke up late for my e med test (my clock said 8:13 and they stop handing out the tests at 8:15). So I got dressed and ran to the school, swung open the door to the exam room to find it completely empty. I had a moment of panic thinking that everyone finished the test in the 8 minutes it took me to get over there, but when I looked at the clock it said 7:21 am. I realized I must of hit the hour button on my clock to set it ahead. By the way, I had fallen asleep with my my hair braided into tiny braids (the night before I was trying anything to help me keep awake while studying) so when I was running to the test I was frantically trying to unweave the dread locks. imagine this white girl tearing out her hair in the city of minorities. My doorman, paper man, and security guard at the school all had a good laugh. To top it off, when I unraveled the last braid, my hair was the size of Bon Jovi's hairdo circa 1987. So I end up going to my hair appointment sporting a muppet on my head. good times. She ended up cutting like 4 inches off (it had gotten sooooo long, down to the small of my back), and it is so much more manageable and still long.

news news news

2008-03-18T20:57:00.004-05:00

So today our class celebrated receiving our official assignments for clinical rotations. I didn't realize how big of a deal it was until our director broke out the champagne to ring it in. Personally, I think they just needed an excuse to 1) polish off the left overs from St. Patty's, 2) nurse the hangovers and 3) throw back one before noon. I love it here.

And now, for my official rotations. Drum roll please... And the winners are:

Surgery in New Britain, CT
Peds in Waterbury, CT
Ob/Gyn in Dover, DE
Psych in Olean, NY
ER in Reading, PA
Internal Med in Hershey, PA

Though I'll be living out of suitcases till February 2009, I'm beyond excited to try out these new places to see if I might potentially want to settle down here.

I also found out today that our school is going to be one of the forty eight to compete at the National Academy of Physician Assistants Student Challenge Bowl! And I'm on the team! What's the Challenge Bowl, you ask? No, it's not a jousting tournament with your local crapper. It's a competition against 47 other PA programs, with three people on a team and the winner gets fame, fortune, and... well, pretty much nothing. Which I think is something to drink over, so raise your glasses. Here's to not getting knocked out in the first round!

cry for help

2008-03-13T16:05:00.004-05:00

So I've volunteered to cook Easter dinner for about a dozen friends and I've decided to have roasted chicken and honey baked ham (to appease those that must have pork on Christ's day... yeah, he was a Jew). I've got two good recipes for the meat, but I have virtually no recipes for good sides. So here's a plea to all you dear friends for your stellar recipes for veggies/potatoes/anything else that you'd think would be good with los main courses.

Second: my friends Mandy and Soren are getting married and since they plan on having some sort of DJ at their wedding, they are asking for music suggestions. Got any?

I recognize two favors in one post is a tall order, but I know you have mad skills. many thanks.

loved it

2008-03-05T22:13:00.007-06:00

Just came home from a concert with Sons of William as the opening for Griffin House. I HIGHLY recommend both... picture Tom Petty meets Travis.

(Thanks to Heather and Andrew for the introduction)

this stuff actually happens

2008-03-01T10:57:00.005-06:00

Last night while heading to dinner I watched a car pull away from a gas pump with the hose still attached! And it started to drive off with the handle jetting out from the side and the hose flopping around before finally noticing and pulling over. Jen and I were surprised to see that gas didn't spray everywhere, and even more so that the attendant lazily strolled to the car as if nothing happened... must happen a lot.

update

2008-02-26T07:12:00.003-06:00

Four more days till spring break! Granted I have two exams (BIPC and E Med) till then, but at this point I really don't care... the only reason I'm still going is because of Jen and Luke's encouragement. I don't think I've been more ready for a break, or sleep for that matter. I haven't even started my clinical year yet, but I've been averaging 5-6 hours of sleep a night. And I can't totally blame it on school. Last week was the first week out of my entire semester that I haven't traveled. And though I love to visit new places, and I see it as only living here once, I was glad to stay in. In fact, I think that for the break Jen, Marcie and I will postpone the cruise and instead have a mini spa day with mani-pedis and massages. And perhaps a day trip to NY or DC. Oh, and have I told you I'm in a Spades Tournament? It's gonna be awesome.

So it dawned on me that I have less than two months before I have my white coat ceremony and I start my clinical year. That's right, I'm a stone's throw away from performing a SOAP note on anything that walks in the door (SOAP= Subjective (taking a history), Objective (performing a physical), Assessment (making a differential diagnosis), and Plan (treatment plan)). If we're completely honest, that scares the hell out of me.

Disney World

2008-02-23T18:19:00.005-06:00

Kristina: So what are you doing for your spring break?

me: I'm going to the place where dreams come true.

Kristina: Iowa?

you may be crazy

2008-02-21T11:32:00.011-06:00

This semester I've been taking a class called Biopsychosocial Issues in Patient Care (BIPC) a.k.a. let's see how far you're off your rocker. Notice I didn't say "if" but "how far" because it's a stone cold fact that everyone's a little lunatic. It's just some people don't mind showing it. in the middle of the street. naked.

The DSM-IV, otherwise known as the holy bible of psychology, lists criteria for all the diagnosable disorders out there. To help you embrace your inner nut, here's a few points to ponder on the way to the grocery/book/gun store.

Are you prone to persistently bear grudges?

Do you choose solitary activities?

Are you impulsive or fail to plan ahead?

Are you suggestible (aka easily influenced by others or circumstances)?

Are you envious of others or believe that others are envious of you?

Are you concerned with being criticized or rejected in social situations?

Do you passively resist fulfilling routine social and occupational tasks?

Does your self-concept center around beliefs of inadequacy, worthlessness, and low self-esteem?

Are you preoccupied with details, rules, lists etc...

I should note that all of the questions come from one section, the personality disorders section (I haven't even mentioned mood disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders, somatoform and pain disorders, dissociative disorders, sleep disorders, learning disorders, attention-deficit disorders, sex disorders, tic disorders, adjustment disorders, anxiety disorders etc... plus all the disorders that don't have the word "disorder" in the title).

So I'm sitting in class as they go through the list of all these and I'm thinking to my self, yep, have that, and that too, and that. By the time class is done I'm debating whether to check myself into some sort of facility.

I've come to the conclusion that, yes, sometimes you'll answer yes to these questions. Honestly, I hope you do. I feel it makes you far more relate-able than those who've never been through things like loss, embarrassment, pain, desire (god forbid!), envy, true moments of happiness... I'm not trying to sum up life in four lines, just letting you know what's been on my mind.

ps: If you like to suffer through a barrage of questioning along these lines simply click the title of this post. Warning: there's a disorder for that too.

baby, it's cold outside

2008-02-17T15:35:00.012-06:00

weekend trip: Niagara Falls
accomplices: Kristina, Angie, and Dhardielle
hours in car: 17
movies watched: 3
frost nipped fingers: 5
getting out of the country: priceless

Horseshoe Falls is better seen on the Canadian side. As a girl, I went with my mother during the summer time and we rode on a boat that took us to the outer rim of these falls. It was surprising to see that same water covered in ice.

Horseshoe Falls. Taking this shot got my heart beating a bit faster. Though there was this huge gate with stone preventing anyone from falling in, if you slightly leaned over the ledge you were mere feet away from the rushing water. It was entertaining watching the chunks of ice plunge over the edge.

The mist rising from Horseshoe falls landed on the nearby trees and froze on only one side of the bark.

Hiya Angie! You can see that most of the river has frozen over

This is the base of the American Falls. It was amazing to see this massive amount of water dump over the ledge and disappear under the top ice. I particularly loved the icicles... reminded me of stalactites.

Thus concludes el tripo de Niagara. side note: This is the last time I travel North for the winter. what was I thinking...

john.he.is

2008-02-11T18:10:00.003-06:00

Yes We Can Obama Song by will.i.am

2008-02-11T18:10:00.001-06:00

say hello to my little friend

2008-02-05T15:42:00.000-06:00

Soren, Mandy, Stanley and I drove up to Punxsutawney for Groundhog's Day and received in person the bad news of winter's unwelcome stay for another six weeks. We were one of the few that walked up to Gobbler's knob and arrived just minutes before the prediction was read (we chose not to stay the night in the cold). most entertaining moment: As soon as Phil saw his shadow an enormous "BOOOOOOOO!" erupted from the crowd, and then in one mass movement, the crowd bolted for the shuttle buses.

After being rejected by the relentless mob, Phil huffed off to his cage to drown his sorrows in Jack Dandelions.

One of Phil's handlers snuck up behind us and joined in our photo. I turned around to find him waving away and Phil balled up in his cage.

hat time:
and from the back:

and finally...

This is the hat that I crocheted to keep my tiny head warm.

V.I. day one

2008-01-22T18:21:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Jen, Marcie, Chantelle and I all agreed that we needed a break so we took a little trip down to the Caribbean. beau-TI-ful! The first night we caught a ferry to St. John and visited Trunk Bay, which is THE most beautiful beach I've ever visited. You know when you usually go to a beach you're trying your hardest not to step on questionable items, and then if that doesn't deter you, you then face the battle of the murky, opaque water itself. Think of the exact opposite and you've got Trunk Bay. The entire beach, including in the water, was pure refined sand, AND the water was crystal clear! side note: as a memento, I put a handful of sand in a plastic baggie all the while thinking of how I'd explain the powdery substance to airport security.

View from the ferry

We were a bit late in arriving, so the shops at the bay were closed, but the sun was still up, so I went in for a dip. We watched the sunset and then started back to where we thought we could catch a taxi. However, since everything closed at 4:30, all the taxis had left, and we were stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, two divers had just returned back to their "truck" and offered us a lift. Now I know I shouldn't take rides from strangers, especially in a vehicle made of duck tape, but we really had no other option. So we all pile in the back of the aspiring El Camino and took a seat on a wooden plank. Since only two of us could sit side-by-side, Marcie sat on Jen's lap and Chantelle on mine. Usually this wouldn't be a problem, but as we were driving along the hilly switchbacks (with six people and all of their diving equipment piled behind us) I start to feel this burning sensation on the soles of my feet. Not wanting to move, I ignored it for a few minutes until we reach the next steep hill, in which my feet start to sear as Paul the driver floored it. I immediately moved my feet causing Chantelle to bounce about, which is something to avoid in an open-air, open-cab vehicle. Thankfully, the car did not tip over.

We ate dinner on St. John before heading to our resort on St. Thomas (if you go you have to eat the bbq there... so good). The ferry home was a perfect ending to the night. As we set off for home the captain turned off the lights, so that when I looked up I saw the entire night sky filled with stars (a sight I haven't seen in years).

nutshell

2008-01-15T20:42:00.000-06:00

Here's what happened in the life of Jackie for Christmas:

Family visited for Christmas, the first few days the boys and I stayed in an amazing hotel called the Casablanca in NY. I have to give many thanks to the parents for letting us stay there. As a gift to Greg, we went to Wicked, and hands down Kendra Kassebaum far surpassed Helen Dallimore (London cast) as Glinda.

Chris and I in front of the Rockefellar tree as the rain sprinkled down.

We went into St. Patrick's Cathedral and listened to a chior practice. It was a nice respite from the crowds and the weather outside.

Here are the stockings I made for my family.

If you'd like to see more pictures just click on the title.

a lullaby

2007-12-11T13:08:00.000-06:00

It's finals week for me, and as a pick me up I've been listening to old school musicals. I'm sure you all have so many stresses with work/school/family/life that I thought you might like to listen to a little tune to relax. Hushabye Mountain is one of my favorites, and though I'm not a kid anymore (or so my parole officer says), I still think you're never too old to appreciate a lullaby.

Ben Franklin Bridge

2007-12-06T20:18:00.001-06:00

gobble, gobble

2007-12-04T16:50:00.000-06:00

While wandering around before the parade started, I ran into this cordial guy that let me take his photo.

He's Real!

2007-11-29T15:52:00.000-06:00

Per Shells request, I'm posting a few of my favorite photos this week from my Thanksgiving trip to NY. Side note: don't you just love the kid in the tree costume completely zonked out.

a break

2007-09-25T15:30:00.000-05:00

folks, i'm gonna take a little sabbatical for awhile. no worries, i'm fine, i just feel like i haven't been on my "A" game with writing, and I don't want to disappoint with unfulfilled expectations.

poke-a-nose

2007-09-19T21:07:00.000-05:00

For Labor Day a few friends and I went to the Poconos. This was somewhat of our last summer hoorah before we started up with the fall.

You probably can't see but Topher is the one in blue behind the girl in the black shirt, and he was our entertainment for the night. Good guitar player with a voice to match. Forgive the blurriness.

Jason and Marcie.

Brian, Jen, and Malina.

The gang. Yeah, my eyes look crazy and I'm partly out of the pic because 1) I was checking my camera to see when it was going to snap, 2) no make-up, and 3) I had to run through this obstacle course (stairs included) to get from behind the camera to in front of the camera. scary, I know.

It was a much needed trip full of swimming/water sports, night walks down to the beach, movies, nintendo, bike rides, laying on hammocks, reading, a bonfire, ghost stories, going into town and hitting a few at the batting cages, rocking the house at air hockey, and wasting the days with friends. Oh! I taught them Texas hold'em! It was a fantastic trip.

on notice

2007-09-14T17:06:00.001-05:00

I knew it! This morning in my email I find this letter from Corporate:

"Thank you for your recent order. When you placed your order, we did have a limited supply of the item listed below. However when it was time to ship, our stock had been depleted and unfortunately, the item is no longer available. Please accept our sincere apologies."

So of course I called Customer Service since I was trying to find any excuse to put off studying for my quiz today. I explained to the lady how my rug was out of stock, and asked if she could price match for a smaller size. Now I must pause here for a minute because I think it takes a lot of guts (and little dignity) to actually ask this of them. Nonetheless, I felt it was my duty, NAY, my calling to stick it to the man.

She asks for my order number. A long pause ensues.

"A dollar?", she shockingly voices on the phone. "A DOLLAR?!?" she repeats, but with a cackling laughter I've never heard before in my life.

Me: "Yeah... like I said, it was ridiculously cheap."

"Well, I can go ask my boss, but I don't think it's gonna happen," she concludes. As she is putting me on hold I hear her repeat the amount and then I hear what seemed like the entire room start to laugh.

$1

2007-09-13T22:49:00.000-05:00

I just bought a 9' x 12' rug from Restoration Hardware for a $1. That's right, a buck, uno dollar-o, 100 pennies. Actually, the shipping cost brought the rug to a whopping $6.37. Call me big spender.

Obviously, someone made a typo while putting in the price and if I'm honest, I don't completely love the rug and I have no need for it. But I really could not pass up the opportunity to 1) test out their customer service policy, and 2) to own anything from that store. Now I am wondering if RH will actually honor their posted price and send me my rug, or will they send me some "We regret to inform you that the rug in question does not exist..." But if they actually come through with this, you might be the lucky recipient of something long and flat and oh-so-stylish for Christmas (don't think that just because you live across the pond that you are exempt).

30 Rock

2007-09-06T22:13:00.000-05:00

During my three week break I watched the entire first season of 30 Rock. In a 24 hour time period. Yes, I know, I have skills. Amazing skills that are crucial for future employment.

Two of my favorite characters (aside from Tina Fey) include Jack Donaghy, the tactless boss (Alec Baldwin) and Kenneth, the home-grown-country NBC page (Jack McBrayer). The best line of the entire show comes from "The Head and The Hair" episode:

Jack Donaghy: "You and I actually have a lot in common. We're both hard workers. When I was your age I was putting myself through college in Boston... paddling swan boats for the tourists."

Kenneth: "Is that a euphemism for some kind of sex worker?"

I did NOT sign up for this

2007-09-05T19:24:00.000-05:00

This semester I'm taking a class called Physical Diagnosis in which I learn how to do the hands on stuff of my profession. And when I say hands on, the thought comes to mind "Shouldn't you ask me to dinner and a few drinks before this?" kind of work.

Today was my first lab for the class, in which three other peers and I gathered around a make-shift exam room with two professors (one in training). As luck would have it, the three peers are all gals whose sum weight equals that of a paper clip and the professor is, well, just see for yourself. He asked today "does anyone have a problem with this" referring to the fact that our classroom attire will consist of patient gowns comparable to mosquito netting. I'm the only one to raise my hand, and I shockingly stare at the girls and ask, "You seriously don't?" All three shake their heads no.

I wouldn't really have a problem aside from the fact that I have to be in a gown next week with the only thing separating me from the world is a flimsy pair of undies with my peers poking and prodding ME!!! That's just not gonna cut it. or cover it.

Yep, that sums it up

2007-08-28T17:53:00.001-05:00

2007-08-25T17:12:00.000-05:00

I went to brother's graduation this past weekend and while there I stayed with my Aunt Lorri and Uncle Shannon. I love that family. If I could have a house, this is what it would look like:

That's right, I'd have a blown up version of the American Girl dollhouse (flowers included).

And this is what I would have in my back yard:

where i could pull this from the ground...

Well, perhaps not the turnip, but I'd go for some fresh tomatoes and corn right about now.

Frivolity '07

2007-08-23T21:07:00.000-05:00

I'm starting a new section of my blog in which people will decide which is their favorite. Good debates as to why you backed a particular party are welcome. Nonsense is encouraged. For christening this launch we have the most debated question:

Paper or Plastic?

vagrant disregard for the 8th amendment

2007-07-31T16:23:00.000-05:00

I've decided this is the Filipino equivalent to Guantanamo.

ps: my favorite is the Thriller drill.

I am beyond happy

2007-07-26T12:24:00.000-05:00

Why, you ask? I just finished Harry Potter.

Royal Ballet

2007-07-12T16:51:00.000-05:00

Mark, Kristina and I attended Romeo & Juliet performed by the Royal Ballet and after the performance it made me realize how much I missed and enjoyed it. My favorite scene was at the end because of the choreography and phenomenal performance by the principles. Romeo, after finding Juliet in the crypt, tries to arise her by dancing with her like he had once done during the balcony scene. I know my description will not do it justice, but just imagine this arrangement with Romeo picking up her unconscious body and gently trying to lift her above his head and she holding that position for just a moment and then slumping to one side with arms dangling. Honestly, I think that the female principle had a harder job in that she had to convince the audience that she was virtually lifeless, yet graceful. Her beautiful performance mixed with his expression of hopelessness and loss just tore at you.

Ugly American

2007-07-09T13:06:00.000-05:00

Today I tried out this new lunch shop that I always pass on my way to school. The lady behind the counter showed extreme patience with me when I couldn't make up my mind (I was having one of those days), and seeing my backpack, she said "You a Hahnemann student? I give you 10% discount" and immediately took it off my bill. Nice doesn't cover it.

As I am waiting, a group of four men come in and sit at the stools along the counter. They were each dressed in slacks and a button-up and looked like professional computer geeks. Well, all but one. He screamed faux-yuppie, with shallow pockets and a shallow personality. On his tombstone it will read Plain Rotten. Loud, aggressive, interruptive, defensive, and RUDE are a few words that come to mind. Prime example: The nice lady is serving them their meals and without hesitation he says, "Where's my drink? I thought my meal came with a drink." She informed him that the drinks were self-serve, and pointed out that they were located at the end of the counter. He responds "Well, go down there and get it," to which she explains again that at this establishment you get your own drink. By this time he has moaned for so long that one of his co-workers got up, got his drink (his own drink, not the ugly guy's drink), sat back down, and was half way through with his onion rings.

You could feel the tension in the air and it escalated to the point where it was physically uncomfortable. The lady has a noticeable accent, and the jerk yells out in a mocking way "NO TIP! NO TIP FOR YOU!" He said it so ugly, and with such a belittling tone that I completely lost my appetite. She quickly says "this is a no tip place" and I was really hoping that she'd add "so get the hell out."

end of story: When I left he was still sitting there without his drink.

First Friday

2007-07-07T22:35:00.000-05:00

Every first Friday Old City's galleries and cultural organizations open up their doors and let the public explore for free. I attended this month, and now I know what I will be doing for the rest the firsts for the next year. I started the evening visiting a glass blowing shop complete with a demonstration that required four people to manage one piece. They were making a somewhat large light fixture, and I seriously never knew the amount of work it required. After watching them, I appreciate Chihuly that much more. side note: If you ever go to one wear nothing but your undies, because the heat was overwhelming. At the end of it, I stepped outside into a typical Philly summer and felt refreshed. By the way, the studio offers classes starting in the fall, and even a day class during December to make your own glass ornament. If you get bored at your respective locations you can come take a class with me! I even will let you stay on my deluxe, diamond encrusted, fur lined inflatable twin bed.

Next we wandered around the streets and visited a few more exhibits. We came upon an entrance where a ton of people were gathered, so we squeezed our way in. Come to find out, it was a place called the Old City Jewish Arts Center, and they were about to start dinner. Chris and Alex (the two guys were wandering around with us) didn't want to attend, but Jen and I decided to stay. As we took our seats, I saw this line next to me waiting to wash their hands at a make-shift sink. Interesting, I thought. Investing a little bit more brain power, I realized that Friday night is the Jewish Sabbath and we were right in the middle of their worship service. Gratefully, a lot of people looked like they were in the same boat, so we just stayed where we were (and I'm about 99% positive I took a guy's seat that was standing in the washing line). Luckily, we sat next to a chatty Kathy (or, in this case, a chatty Dan), who attempted to explained everything that was going on. The best way to describe Dan is superficially insightful. He had a laissez faire way about him, with a touch of ambiguous wisdom. He gave explanations such as "everyone around you, for we are all teachers" when asked how many rabbis were in the room. The nice thing, though, was that he politely answered all of my questions, and I got to experience bread pudding made with cinnamon, sugar, broccoli bits, and stacked noodles. I couldn't stop thinking of Friends.

it's hard to say goodbye

2007-07-05T20:26:00.000-05:00

If you have ever had the misfortune of chatting with me on the phone, you'd know how bad I say bye. I absolutely hate it. And probably why I hate it so much is because I entirely suck at it.

How hard can it be? Right? Well, for me, it is something I entirely dread. When I feel the conversation wrapping up, these feelings of anxiousness start to arise deep within my bowels because I just know the moment is coming. And that moment would be when I totally make a fool out of myself trynig to pretend like I know what I'm doing with my "k, talk to you later... I hope your cat starts to feel better... and the weather turns out in your favor... and you have exact change whenever you need it...and" etc. Sad, I know.

So I've been more comfortable with just the "k bye"and I quickly hang up. But I've been told that that is incredibly cruel. Thus, I'm stuck in between a rock and a hard place.

MISSING

2007-07-03T09:22:00.000-05:00

My beach cruiser has run away!

Color: Orange, grey, and a splash of white

Seven speed (the fifth speed clicks a little)

handle breaks

Fenders

Those leading to the safe return of miss bike will be handsomely rewarded.

target!

2007-06-23T08:19:00.000-05:00

I am sooo excited because today my friend and I are going to Target! I love that store. Lately, I've had to settle for K-mart since it's in the city, and I've never really warmed up to the idea. I feel like I'm having an affair.

ps: I need some new music, and I'm hoping that you guys will give me some good recommendations (I need something I can study to, like Cat Stevens or Bread).

The Classics

2007-06-16T20:51:00.000-05:00

You know how there are things in life that you've decided you have to do, no matter how cliche or extreme it might be? Valentine's Day in Paris? Certainly, but only if Eddie Cahill is available. Jumping off the cliffs of Dover (with a parachute, of course). Why not? Well, I've made a mini-list of the big events that I want to participate in before I'm too feeble (which gives me about a year). Usually, these classics are associated with holidays. This list is no way inclusive, but a good start. Feel free to add to it.

New Year's Eve in New York City

Boston Pops for the Fourth of July

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade sitting along Central Park West

Mardi Gras in New Orleans (before I turn 30)

Stand on the steps of Lincoln Memorial on MLK Day

Groundhog's Day in Punxsutawney, PA (whilst sporting a top hat and possibly a moustache)

Attend a presidential debate (preferably Democrat)

Be a participant in a Live 8 concert (I'm getting good at that tambourine)

Ring the bell at the NYSE (Dad, I'll catch up to you someday)

If I'm Inebriated (not happened yet, suckas!):

Run with the Bulls in Pamplona

Try out for a Musical on Broadway

Drive for NASCAR

Terror, Part I and II

2007-06-13T21:59:00.000-05:00

Well, from the plethora of responses from my last post, I'm thinking I need to add some context.

The very first time I visited Philadelphia I stayed in a Hampton Inn on the corner of Race street and 12th street. After my interview, my dad and I decide to go out for a celebration dinner near China town (at Arch and 10th, which is a few blocks south of Race). It was a good meal, but it ran later than expected; so it was around 10pm when we started heading back. While enjoying our walk up 10th we turn on Race to find over a dozen men standing, lying, sitting, peeing, etc along 11th. It was a serious surprise to see all of these men, some with sleeping bags, others with just a pile of dirty, dilapidated clothes stuck to their obviously soiled bodies (the smell of the corner rivaled that of porta-potties). And they were a loud and aggressive bunch. Of course anyone can cat call (which they did), but when they start crossing the street to your side, red flags raise. So as quickly and confidently as I could in heels, I high tailed it to the entrance of the hotel. Father, of course, used this as a prime example of why I should never, ever be out in the city at night, and even said that four hours before dusk was warrant enough to be indoors (that would make the time four in the afternoon).

Really, four in the afternoon is a perfectly fine time to pass by this corner solo. However, a few miles north of Race when you start getting north of Temple University, four o' clock would not be the right time for a walk, a bus ride, or even, let's say, a Sunday afternoon drive in a Lincoln Town Car (as my mother and I did the following week). That corner looked like Mary Poppins compared with its northern crack baby sister who'd kill anyone as a way of passing the time. Trash was everywhere. Literally, EVERYWHERE. I have never seen a place look so filthy in the states (the smell not like that of the porta-pottie corner, but more like that of the sole toilets at an IBS symposium). Disgusting, right? Absolutely. It was like touring a third world country in a food truck that screamed take me. And it wasn't the only one screaming. As much as I love my mother, I can't stand her nerves. (She usually freaks out over small things, like "Jackie, that man looked at me funny." Well, mom, it's because he has a glass eye.) So when we realize our situation, she starts to yell in the car "My god, Jackie, we are going to die..." along with a slew of swear words. side note: she's driving. Each stop light exacerbates the situation with beyond shady people walking slowly in front of and behind the car, which causes my mother to be on the verge of tears. I finally snap. "Mother, clam down and look as confident as you can. Keep your hands on the wheel, and calm it down!"

Now I'm fairly sure that the situation felt a bit more precarious simply because of the crazy lady next to me screaming death was inevitable. Would I have felt safer without the sideline rants? That's one question I'm okay with unanswered.

places that scare me

2007-06-11T01:17:00.000-05:00

The corner of Race and 11th (the place to go if you want to be mugged)

Anything north of Temple (the place you go if you want to be killed)

Chuck E. Cheese

USAMRIID (who knows what they've got cookin' up in there)

bathrooms

suck it up

2007-06-04T11:55:00.000-05:00

This morning I finished my second exam (the first in anatomy) and it was a bit unnerving. Have you ever taken a test where before it started you heard multiple rumors from reliable sources that it was a killer; then, once you see it you think not bad. That means either I am right (genius) or I am an idiot completely unaware of how bad I sucked it up.

Speaking of suction, I bought a vacuum! It's a Dyson DC14 Full Kit Upright and it was the Woot item for the day (sale!). When I moved up here my parents gave me a shop vac. I had no idea what that was, but when they told me it could suck up nuts and bolts and water, I thought the vacuum people made it just for me. I tested it out a few weeks ago to find out that it had enough power to suck up pets and small cars. Literally, it was pulling the carpet up (and it almost took my rug). So I went and got one of those push ones that have no electrical power. total crap. So, kids, the moral of this story is to shell out the money for a normal one in the beginning or else you'll never see Fifi or your Mini Cooper again.

time is not on my side

2007-05-30T08:27:00.001-05:00

How is it that every morning I am late. doesn't matter what, when, or why. late for school, late for a date. late for, oh, everything. and lately it is not that I am really late, just by a minute or so (Kristi I have improved from the days of high school), and I walk up to find everyone is sitting in class all prepared with their damn laptops out or their stupid pencils and paper. I hate those people.

four diet cokes and all the critters in the sea

2007-05-26T23:20:00.000-05:00

I just got home from a fantastic night full of great conversation, excellent food, and much needed relaxation. A fellow from class invited me to a bar called Standard Tap, which was quite different than any bar I had ever been to (all two of them). It was louder than the pub outside West Dean and more chic than the Fox Sports Bar (you might be thinking that it doesn't take much to be more chic than a sports bar, but it did have style). So it was him and his wife and then another couple and me, which sounds like it would be awkward for me. But it wasn't at all. Both girls are originally from Eastern Europe and one is in her second year of med school and I knew that it was going to be a good night when a socialist and a capitalist sat down at the same table. I've never seen the topic of health care discussed with such zeal between friends that had the exact opposite viewpoint. Come to find out that Doug (the fellow from class) has lived outside the states for years, is fluent in Russian, and has hopes for the country to be more like Canada (at least concerning health care).

We had fried oysters (delicious), calamari, and monkfish. I'd never expect that the bar would have such good food (especially seafood), but apparently some shellfish bring out the flavors of quality beer. Who knew?

some things in life are free

2007-05-21T17:08:00.001-05:00

My mom and I had a great time out in Dutch country. So much so that she is actually considering living on a Mennonite farm for part of the summer/fall. She said to me while driving home "I think I could be Amish" and I burst out laughing.

Next story:

I dropped her off at the airport today and caught the train back to the city center. As I was walking out of the station a tall guy from behind me said in a booming voice "Excuse me miss..." Thinking I dropped something I turn to hear him continue "I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to a free dinner this week." Looking dumbfounded I said "who, me?" to which he replied "Yeah, it's free." I politely declined but had to give him props for being so bold as to ask out a total stranger. Yet, I really wanted to help him with his tactics. So I've thought of a few pointers:

Try to avoid emphasizing that the meal during the date will be free. Unless it's from a dumpster. Then explicitly point that out, because, boy, will you be in for a surprise when she strands your butt on the street.

Don't approach people from behind and start asking out their backpack.

Strike up a conversation while on the train when you've got a captive audience. literally.

Lastly, try not to stand so close as to scare your potential date. Introducing yourself is usually not the time to make your move.

so so sorry

2007-05-18T09:49:00.000-05:00

Dear readership (all three of you):

I beg for your forgiveness for not bloging for a month. No excuse can make up for my lack, but I now have access to the internet at home and at school so now you'll have more of me to love.

I've started my program and so far it's do-able. I want to know how everyone is doing. Annalise, how is SLC and the apartment? Kristin, how is the job and what have you been up to? Jenny, when do you move out here to the East coast? have you found a place to live? and Kristi, have you been relaxing after a exhaustive break?

Well, I'm off this weekend with mom to go to Lancaster County. I'm going to see a concert with Pickett and the Union Gap and The Association

Loves,
Jackie

life in Texas

2007-04-24T14:48:00.000-05:00

"Mom, you ready to go out?"

"We can't go out. There's a tornado headed this way"

home sweet home

2007-04-10T09:32:00.000-05:00

Hello all! Kristi and I made it home on Saturday from our trip the UK and the Netherlands. Needless to say, we had a memorable time going from place to place to place keeping busy. Highlights included three musicals in three nights, sitting with the choir in St. Paul's cathedral during Evensong, and wandering around acres of tulips.

The three musicals were Spamalot, the Lion King, and Wicked. Kristi surprised me with the third musical, which was the best. We had planned to go see Wicked before I arrived but once there Kristi told me it was completely sold out. Little did I know, Kristi had bought the tickets and was trying to keep it a secret. So as we were walking around London, I'd say "Ooh, let's go into this ticket shop, they might have Wicked seats," which I'm sure made her have a tiny stroke each time. On the last night there we were standing at a metro station having come from Evensong, and Kristi turns to me with this grin and says "I have a surprise... it's rrreeallly good." I knew it! That massive of smile means one thing. WICKED! And it was incredible, with Elphaba having this voice that filled the entire theater. Hands down I'm going to see it in New York. And i might even see Spamalot again.

London Calling

2007-03-25T23:29:00.000-05:00

I'm excited for tomorrow because that's the day to get on a plane to see Kristi!! I have been waiting for this for months, and finally it is here. I actually have butterflies, like the feeling when you get when you were a kid and it was Christmas Eve and you knew you'd be getting a butt load of presents cause you had been exceptionally excellent that year. that's how excited I am.

back in the saddle again

2007-03-24T10:27:00.000-05:00

I'm home! After three days of driving, with a hike through Arches and a walk through a petroglyph park in Albuquerque, I and my Aunt made it home to Texas. So far we have been showing her around different sites (and quite a few quilt shops), with my favorite site being the Sixth Floor Museum. The museum was of JFK's presidency, death, and legacy. I didn't know that the inspiration for the Civil Rights Act came from his administration, nor did I know that the governor was shot with him. The museum was certainly solemn and humbling. There was a section where they had the layout of the trauma unit of Parkland, and having worked in one, I could picture the chaos and desperation of the health care workers. Even with a bullet to the brain, the charge nurse readied the OR room and neurology team. Over a dozen doctors were in the room likely racking their brain with every last radical effort to save the president's life. If you haven't been I highly recommend it.

my roommate has cojones

2007-03-07T18:48:00.000-06:00

while watching a clothing commercial my roommate Lisa asked "what would you do if I came home wearing that?"

Brandi's response was "i'd call you a whore and throw you off the balcony"