Yesterday was my last first day of school. Weird. And crazy. Crazy weird? When I started grad school a little over 2 years ago, I thought I was going to be in school forever. Literally forever. I mean, it has been 7 years of college. (I signed up for this?) I thought these 3 years were never going to end. Now, here I am, starting my last term of classes and soon I'll be moving on to the next phase of my life. Of course, I don't feel like I'm ready to be out working with patients under my own license, but maybe I am. Good thing I still have a while before that actually happens. :)
This term we only have 2 classes. Another dose of pharmacology (no pun intended), and a class called Physical Diagnosis Screening. Sounds like fun, huh? Basically we're learning all the other medical screening skills for the day when we get direct access. What does that mean? Well, the goal for our profession is to one day be part of the first round health care professions. In short, people won't need prescriptions to come see us. But, we need to be able to recognize when there are other things going on with someone that is beyond a musculoskeletal condition and know who to refer them to. Or at least when to send them back to their physician.
We have class only 2 days a week:
Pharmacology: Mondays 1-5:30
Physical Diagnosis Screening: Wednesdays 1:30-9:30
We also have a thing called a Professional Portfolio, which consists of multiple "fluff" essays that we have to write about what has made us into the professionals we are, our visions for ourselves, etc. An APU requirement, not a program requirement. And trying to wrap everything up for our thesis. I'm hoping to find a renewed sense of motivation to push through this final 9 weeks. It was almost easier when I was busier beyond belief.
Update on Jeff's knee: no torn meniscus. I was wrong. Well, there's "some junk" in there, but I guess not really badly torn. (This is from Jeff) So he's now a victim of physical therapy (muah ha ha) for 6 weeks, and we'll go from there. No surgery though. Let's just get this all finished up so we can have fun in Hawaii.
Happy Earth Day. Ironic how it's raining and making everything green. I'll leave you with a little something on how Disneyland stays "green".
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Spring Break...
I've been on Spring Break for the past 3 weeks. Yes, 3 weeks. I know, it's not fair and you're jealous. I count this as payback for all the craziness and lack of breaks we got last year. It was technically 2 weeks, but I finished all my projects early for finals week and turned them in ahead of schedule.
After spending Easter in Kernville, I spent the next 2 weeks in SLO enjoying just being and not having to stress about anything. Yes, there were projects I had planned on tackling and assignments for this term I wanted to get a head-start on, but I decided I should rest up as much as I can before heading into this next term. So what did I do to fill my time? To be honest, mostly wedding stuff. I will get to the wedding updates later, but I'll finish everything else up so those who are not interested don't have to skim through it.
I got in a visit to the place I had my rotation back in the fall. They had rearranged the clinic and hired some new faces. Nice to keep my foot in the door so they don't forget about me. I also got names of recommended orthopedic surgeons for Jeff's knee. He's had appointments and images taken, and was going back this morning to have his MRI read. We'll see if surgery is in his future, and if so, hopefully scheduled soon so he's ready for playing in Hawaii.
We also attended the wedding of one of my roommates from undergrad, Kristin. She had the ceremony at the mission in downtown SLO. The reception was at a restaurant in Pismo along the cliffs where there were windows all around for panoramic views of the ocean. This was the first "friend wedding" that Jeff and I had been to, so it was interesting not really knowing many people there. My other roommates from Cal Poly were there as well, and I recognized a few of Kristin's friends who had come over. But other than that, they were all strangers. Very different from family weddings where you know a large portion of the people there. We had fun, made friends with the people at our table and tried to keep the dance floor alive despite the mostly older crowd. Kristin looked beautiful and it was so great to see her after so many years. Congrats Kristin & Andrew!
We also were visited by Jeff's old roommate David and his new wife Jeannette. They just got married a couple weeks ago. They had decided not to deal with the stress of planning a whole wedding and instead rented a villa in Italy and got married over there with their immediate family. After a week with their family, they spent their honeymoon in Capri and Rome. They took some amazing pictures...my travel bug is biting! We also saw pictures of all the before's and after's of their new fixer-upper house. Amazing what a little elbow grease (and money) can do. It was great seeing them, and hopefully we'll get to visit them soon once their house is finished.
Other than that, I didn't do much else exciting besides get lost in the wedding world. A trip to Farmer's Market and my favorite eateries in town, and just hanging out with Jeff. So now for the wedding updates...
We have a photographer! I bit the bullet and booked the photographer (Katie DiSimone) that I have been in love with (and a little bit obsessed) for a while now, and the one we met with a few months ago. I know she's on the spendier side, but no one else's pictures compare. Plus, the photographer is probably the thing I care most about for the entire wedding (besides the fact that I'm marrying Jeff) and thus, something I'm willing to spend more money on. You can check out her work on her website or on her blog. I can't wait to see the pictures she takes of our BIG day!
We have a florist! My mom came up for a day to meet with the florist because I was really nervous about it. Flowers (and catering) are what people always say they underestimate how much they'll cost. So I figured it couldn't hurt to have someone who knows about flowers by my side to suggest cheap options if need be. This florist had been recommended by our photographer and was the florist at Kristin's wedding. And I love her! She was so easy to work with and was completely honest and upfront about the costs of everything. We went through every little detail of the entire day, and wrote everything up, and we came in under budget. I didn't know that was possible in the wedding industry! The flowers will be hydrangeas, stephanotis, gerbera daisies, and stock in shades of pink, purple, and white. You can see her website here.
We have a DJ! I met with DJ Bob, who we had met at the wedding fair back in October. He's also gotten rave reviews from tons of vendors, and has never once tried to sell himself. He actually makes you feel like he cares about your wedding. Amazing. Plus, we get a discount for a Sunday. Woohoo! Jeff and I know the importance of a good DJ...it'll make or break your reception. And we feel we'll be in good hands. We'll meet with him when it gets closer to go through our music selections, including the "must play's" and the "do not play no matter what's".
We went cake tasting! Well, my mom and I did. Jeff got some leftovers. :) I had figured out what I wanted and how much it was going to cost from one bakery, until I went to set up a tasting with them and found out that they don't do Sundays. Darn it all! So it was back to square one, and my mom and I went tasting at The Cakery. They have some amazing chocolate ganache. I was in heaven. But they are on the spendy side, and we'd have to get a pretty small cake in order to afford them. Our florist recommended another baker who is more affordable, Christine's Cake Creations. Her cakes were not quite as decadent, but were still tasty. She has even more flavors than are listed on her website, and we definitely will be able to afford a bigger cake with her. And who doesn't want more cake?! The size we get will depend on how much catering costs.
Which brings me to caterers. They are the bane of my existence right now. Why are they so impossible to get a hold of? Do they not want to cook for me? Are they not hurting for business? If you remember, in order to get a discount on the venue we need to use one of their preferred caterers, otherwise we pay full price. I finally got a hold of Blacklake Catering, and they seemed pretty reasonably priced. Until all the hidden fees (destination, cake-cutting, rentals, set-up, clean-up, bartenders, etc.). We'll see if we can afford them. And I've just about had it with the other preferred caterer, McPhee's. The person I apparently need to talk to, Bob, never seems to be there. And no one will take a message. I'm starting to wonder if Bob really exists. I'm pretty sure they'll be more expensive than Blacklake, but I don't know if they have hidden fees. So, after being frustrated by these darn caterers, I decided to look into one of the caterers we liked at the bridal fair, Phil's. On his website you can develop your own menu, what services and rentals you'll need, etc. and they'll send you a proposal back. I did this at around 11 pm last night, and by 7:30 this morning I already had a proposal waiting for me in my inbox. McPhee's...you might want to take notes. He's very reasonably priced. So if he ends up being over $1000 less than the other two (which it's looking very likely), we may end up using him and pay full price for the venue. Decisions.
That about wraps it up. Tomorrow's the first day of class...8 hours of it. Bleck. Will write about this term later...I think I've written enough already! :) Can't believe it's almost May...and my birthday!
After spending Easter in Kernville, I spent the next 2 weeks in SLO enjoying just being and not having to stress about anything. Yes, there were projects I had planned on tackling and assignments for this term I wanted to get a head-start on, but I decided I should rest up as much as I can before heading into this next term. So what did I do to fill my time? To be honest, mostly wedding stuff. I will get to the wedding updates later, but I'll finish everything else up so those who are not interested don't have to skim through it.
I got in a visit to the place I had my rotation back in the fall. They had rearranged the clinic and hired some new faces. Nice to keep my foot in the door so they don't forget about me. I also got names of recommended orthopedic surgeons for Jeff's knee. He's had appointments and images taken, and was going back this morning to have his MRI read. We'll see if surgery is in his future, and if so, hopefully scheduled soon so he's ready for playing in Hawaii.
We also attended the wedding of one of my roommates from undergrad, Kristin. She had the ceremony at the mission in downtown SLO. The reception was at a restaurant in Pismo along the cliffs where there were windows all around for panoramic views of the ocean. This was the first "friend wedding" that Jeff and I had been to, so it was interesting not really knowing many people there. My other roommates from Cal Poly were there as well, and I recognized a few of Kristin's friends who had come over. But other than that, they were all strangers. Very different from family weddings where you know a large portion of the people there. We had fun, made friends with the people at our table and tried to keep the dance floor alive despite the mostly older crowd. Kristin looked beautiful and it was so great to see her after so many years. Congrats Kristin & Andrew!
We also were visited by Jeff's old roommate David and his new wife Jeannette. They just got married a couple weeks ago. They had decided not to deal with the stress of planning a whole wedding and instead rented a villa in Italy and got married over there with their immediate family. After a week with their family, they spent their honeymoon in Capri and Rome. They took some amazing pictures...my travel bug is biting! We also saw pictures of all the before's and after's of their new fixer-upper house. Amazing what a little elbow grease (and money) can do. It was great seeing them, and hopefully we'll get to visit them soon once their house is finished.
Other than that, I didn't do much else exciting besides get lost in the wedding world. A trip to Farmer's Market and my favorite eateries in town, and just hanging out with Jeff. So now for the wedding updates...
We have a photographer! I bit the bullet and booked the photographer (Katie DiSimone) that I have been in love with (and a little bit obsessed) for a while now, and the one we met with a few months ago. I know she's on the spendier side, but no one else's pictures compare. Plus, the photographer is probably the thing I care most about for the entire wedding (besides the fact that I'm marrying Jeff) and thus, something I'm willing to spend more money on. You can check out her work on her website or on her blog. I can't wait to see the pictures she takes of our BIG day!
We have a florist! My mom came up for a day to meet with the florist because I was really nervous about it. Flowers (and catering) are what people always say they underestimate how much they'll cost. So I figured it couldn't hurt to have someone who knows about flowers by my side to suggest cheap options if need be. This florist had been recommended by our photographer and was the florist at Kristin's wedding. And I love her! She was so easy to work with and was completely honest and upfront about the costs of everything. We went through every little detail of the entire day, and wrote everything up, and we came in under budget. I didn't know that was possible in the wedding industry! The flowers will be hydrangeas, stephanotis, gerbera daisies, and stock in shades of pink, purple, and white. You can see her website here.
We have a DJ! I met with DJ Bob, who we had met at the wedding fair back in October. He's also gotten rave reviews from tons of vendors, and has never once tried to sell himself. He actually makes you feel like he cares about your wedding. Amazing. Plus, we get a discount for a Sunday. Woohoo! Jeff and I know the importance of a good DJ...it'll make or break your reception. And we feel we'll be in good hands. We'll meet with him when it gets closer to go through our music selections, including the "must play's" and the "do not play no matter what's".
We went cake tasting! Well, my mom and I did. Jeff got some leftovers. :) I had figured out what I wanted and how much it was going to cost from one bakery, until I went to set up a tasting with them and found out that they don't do Sundays. Darn it all! So it was back to square one, and my mom and I went tasting at The Cakery. They have some amazing chocolate ganache. I was in heaven. But they are on the spendy side, and we'd have to get a pretty small cake in order to afford them. Our florist recommended another baker who is more affordable, Christine's Cake Creations. Her cakes were not quite as decadent, but were still tasty. She has even more flavors than are listed on her website, and we definitely will be able to afford a bigger cake with her. And who doesn't want more cake?! The size we get will depend on how much catering costs.
Which brings me to caterers. They are the bane of my existence right now. Why are they so impossible to get a hold of? Do they not want to cook for me? Are they not hurting for business? If you remember, in order to get a discount on the venue we need to use one of their preferred caterers, otherwise we pay full price. I finally got a hold of Blacklake Catering, and they seemed pretty reasonably priced. Until all the hidden fees (destination, cake-cutting, rentals, set-up, clean-up, bartenders, etc.). We'll see if we can afford them. And I've just about had it with the other preferred caterer, McPhee's. The person I apparently need to talk to, Bob, never seems to be there. And no one will take a message. I'm starting to wonder if Bob really exists. I'm pretty sure they'll be more expensive than Blacklake, but I don't know if they have hidden fees. So, after being frustrated by these darn caterers, I decided to look into one of the caterers we liked at the bridal fair, Phil's. On his website you can develop your own menu, what services and rentals you'll need, etc. and they'll send you a proposal back. I did this at around 11 pm last night, and by 7:30 this morning I already had a proposal waiting for me in my inbox. McPhee's...you might want to take notes. He's very reasonably priced. So if he ends up being over $1000 less than the other two (which it's looking very likely), we may end up using him and pay full price for the venue. Decisions.
That about wraps it up. Tomorrow's the first day of class...8 hours of it. Bleck. Will write about this term later...I think I've written enough already! :) Can't believe it's almost May...and my birthday!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Easter...
For Easter, Jeff and I headed up to his parents' vacation home in Kernville (well, really Wofford Heights), to spend time with his family. We were joined by Melissa, Derek, Grady, Bob, D and the Mitas family. Family everywhere! Although it said that it was supposed to rain and snow while we were there, we didn't get any. Just lots of wind! So we took Grady up the mountain for his first trip to the snow. He kind of liked it, until he got too cold and tired.
But Grady wasn't the only one having fun in the snow...
And some of us got a little worn out by all the snowball fights...
And what's Easter without dying eggs, Easter baskets and having an Easter egg hunt?!
All in all a great trip, and a wonderful time seeing everybody, including celebrating Grady's 1st birthday a few days late! Happy birthday Grady! We loved spending time with you! (and everyone else too!)
But Grady wasn't the only one having fun in the snow...
And some of us got a little worn out by all the snowball fights...
And what's Easter without dying eggs, Easter baskets and having an Easter egg hunt?!
All in all a great trip, and a wonderful time seeing everybody, including celebrating Grady's 1st birthday a few days late! Happy birthday Grady! We loved spending time with you! (and everyone else too!)
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