Saturday, October 25, 2008
Success!
I went to a friend's house last night to hang out for a couple of hours and I had never been to her house before. I was pretty excited because I made it all the way to her house and home without getting lost. You have no idea what an accomplishment that is for me! I just had to share so you could all appreciate it too! :)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
You know you're not in Utah when...
You walk out of the hospital and there are three policemen decked out with bullet proof vests, all kinds of weapons, and machine guns...and no one bats an eye.
A homeless man on the street tell you that "you're a pretty white girl" who is also "intelligent" (I was outside the medical library) and declares "I'm in love with you". Then proceeds to make up a rap song to sing to you as you walk away across the quad.
The man next to you on the bus tells about this great bike path he found, and once he even rode through a police chase while he was riding on it to get to the metro.
Wow- to steal a classic line: "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
And that was just one day.
A homeless man on the street tell you that "you're a pretty white girl" who is also "intelligent" (I was outside the medical library) and declares "I'm in love with you". Then proceeds to make up a rap song to sing to you as you walk away across the quad.
The man next to you on the bus tells about this great bike path he found, and once he even rode through a police chase while he was riding on it to get to the metro.
Wow- to steal a classic line: "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
And that was just one day.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Week: A Synopsis
Sometimes, so much happens in a week that it should be illegal! Life was hectic this week and I am not so sorry that this one is over for very many reasons. Still, there have been good things. Here are a few of the highlights:
My car decided it needed some special attention. I went to IHOP on Thursday night to study because I needed to get out of my house to be able to focus and I wanted a milkshake. I stayed and studied for about an hour and a half, but was feeling so exhausted that I just had to go home. I went to my car and alas! it would not start. I couldn't get help from anyone at IHOP or the adjoining hotel and not being able to get a phone book from either business I called my roommate for help. I also called a guy in my ward and the two of them came to my rescue. Unfortunately, we couldn't get another car close enough to my engine to jump the car that night, so I left it and went home. The next evening another roommate spent a good three hours with me trying to get the car going, but alas still no luck, though after calling for help etc. etc. we ended up taking the battery out and having it checked at an AutoZone and discovered the battery was bad, but they didn't have the type of battery I needed to replace it. All in all, Saturday, I learned how to replace a battery in my car and it is home safe and sound- thank goodness!
Saturday, my freshman roommate, Catherine, also came and visited me from NC. We went into the city for a bit, and wandered through the National Museum of Art. The first picture is of my amazing parallel parking job. I promise it doesn't look this good every time I try to parallel park, so this was definitely picture worthy, and the second picture is of Catherine and I. We had a great time together.
Yesterday, my roommate Kate went apple picking and came home with a big bag of apples. We decided to make apple cream pie (which I am going to pull out of the over right now!) with those wonderful apples. I peeled almost an entire apple in one long strip- another amazing stunt for a clumsy gal like me- and thought that was also picture worthy. Kate got to wear her cute apron, as seen in the picture below.
So, there's the short version. Life is never dull, that is for sure!
p.s. I kind of love getting my hands greasy working on my car. I've decided that I really want to learn a lot more about working on cars so I can worry a bit less about getting ripped off by dishonest mechanics.
My car decided it needed some special attention. I went to IHOP on Thursday night to study because I needed to get out of my house to be able to focus and I wanted a milkshake. I stayed and studied for about an hour and a half, but was feeling so exhausted that I just had to go home. I went to my car and alas! it would not start. I couldn't get help from anyone at IHOP or the adjoining hotel and not being able to get a phone book from either business I called my roommate for help. I also called a guy in my ward and the two of them came to my rescue. Unfortunately, we couldn't get another car close enough to my engine to jump the car that night, so I left it and went home. The next evening another roommate spent a good three hours with me trying to get the car going, but alas still no luck, though after calling for help etc. etc. we ended up taking the battery out and having it checked at an AutoZone and discovered the battery was bad, but they didn't have the type of battery I needed to replace it. All in all, Saturday, I learned how to replace a battery in my car and it is home safe and sound- thank goodness!
Saturday, my freshman roommate, Catherine, also came and visited me from NC. We went into the city for a bit, and wandered through the National Museum of Art. The first picture is of my amazing parallel parking job. I promise it doesn't look this good every time I try to parallel park, so this was definitely picture worthy, and the second picture is of Catherine and I. We had a great time together.
Yesterday, my roommate Kate went apple picking and came home with a big bag of apples. We decided to make apple cream pie (which I am going to pull out of the over right now!) with those wonderful apples. I peeled almost an entire apple in one long strip- another amazing stunt for a clumsy gal like me- and thought that was also picture worthy. Kate got to wear her cute apron, as seen in the picture below.
So, there's the short version. Life is never dull, that is for sure!
p.s. I kind of love getting my hands greasy working on my car. I've decided that I really want to learn a lot more about working on cars so I can worry a bit less about getting ripped off by dishonest mechanics.
Friday, October 10, 2008
A Story
I love to tell stories and haven't posted this week- so here's one for the record from when I had pneumonia.
The morning that I decided to go to the emergency room, I woke up at 6am and couldn't sleep anymore. I knew that I wanted to go to the ER early hoping it would be less busy, but I thought that 6am on a Sunday was just a little bit too early to ask my roommates to take me (I actually considered driving myself, but decided that I didn't want the wrath of my roommates for doing something so ridiculous), so I spent some time looking up hospitals that are close by because I didn't know where the closest hospital was. When I got my roommate up and we were ready to go, we looked at the computer again to decide exactly which one we would go to- there were a few to choose from. We got directions, hopped in the car and headed on our way. When we arrived at our destination we were rather confused. It was the strangest looking hospital I had ever seen- very residential and not very clear. We were driving around trying to find an entrance to the ER and a place to park, but all we could find was a big entrance for ambulances and police and another for employees. We eventually found a place to park and made our way to the front of the building. We were within 20 feet of the door when my roommate saw a sign that indicating that Dominion Hospital (where we were) is leading in mental healthcare. "Click" It all came together- we were at a psychiatric hospital- thus no ER, not much parking, and no signs telling walk in patients where to go. I was super glad that we hadn't actually made it into the door. We laughed so hard at our silly mistake and then called my other roommate and woke her up to help us find a regular hospital with an ER. Fortunately, that roommate had taken a wrong turn once coming home and thus knew where a hospital was fairly close to our home. Ah- the joys of a new town. At least there is always something to laugh at.
The morning that I decided to go to the emergency room, I woke up at 6am and couldn't sleep anymore. I knew that I wanted to go to the ER early hoping it would be less busy, but I thought that 6am on a Sunday was just a little bit too early to ask my roommates to take me (I actually considered driving myself, but decided that I didn't want the wrath of my roommates for doing something so ridiculous), so I spent some time looking up hospitals that are close by because I didn't know where the closest hospital was. When I got my roommate up and we were ready to go, we looked at the computer again to decide exactly which one we would go to- there were a few to choose from. We got directions, hopped in the car and headed on our way. When we arrived at our destination we were rather confused. It was the strangest looking hospital I had ever seen- very residential and not very clear. We were driving around trying to find an entrance to the ER and a place to park, but all we could find was a big entrance for ambulances and police and another for employees. We eventually found a place to park and made our way to the front of the building. We were within 20 feet of the door when my roommate saw a sign that indicating that Dominion Hospital (where we were) is leading in mental healthcare. "Click" It all came together- we were at a psychiatric hospital- thus no ER, not much parking, and no signs telling walk in patients where to go. I was super glad that we hadn't actually made it into the door. We laughed so hard at our silly mistake and then called my other roommate and woke her up to help us find a regular hospital with an ER. Fortunately, that roommate had taken a wrong turn once coming home and thus knew where a hospital was fairly close to our home. Ah- the joys of a new town. At least there is always something to laugh at.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
An Antigen!
My sister-in-law had a baby yesterday! I am so excited for their family and so sad that I can't be there to see my beautiful new niece. I have had the opportunity to live close to this brother and his family ever since his oldest daughter was just a few months old, so I've been able to watch their kids grow up and really get to know them. It just kills me to be so far away from the happiness and celebration, but I am having my own little celebration here. Congratulations on the new baby Trent and Ashlie. I love being an antigen- I mean and aunt again! (Laura that's for you! and for those of you who think the antigen thing is weird...well, it is! It's a long story and if you want to know it, I'd be happy to tell you, but really it's one of those things that is most funny in the flesh.)
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Life is never boring...sort of
So, I haven't blogged for a bit- things have been rather on the eventful side. I had some fun things to write about last week, but got side tracked so maybe I will get to those later. For today...guess what? I have lived here less than two months and I already know where the emergency room is- and a few places where it is not! Yes, I have continued my unfortunate trend of having random problems. This time- pneumonia. When I say that it seems like everyone then asks: "How did you get pneumonia?" My answer: "I have no idea." Bacteria got lodged in my lung and decided to fill it with fluid. I didn't have a clue what was wrong with me when I went to the ER. My whole body hurt, I thought I was having a bad asthma attack that I couldn't get control of, and I had a horrible fever for two days. There was no serious coughing, sore throat, cold..nothing. Came out of the blue as far as I could tell. Chest x-rays, blood and urine samples and even a nose swab later and I have pneumonia . Fun times. The good news was that they didn't keep me over night at the hospital. Let me tell you, that is very good news. The PA who was treating me didn't know it, but I would have put up a fight over that one. Apparently, the admit most patients who come in with pneumonia, but since I could walk around and didn't act too horribly ill, he let me go home and follow up with another doctor two days later.
So here I sit- Thursday night. I am so tired of being at home. I do not make a good invalid. I have watched so many movies that I am sick of the TV and reading is so sedentary. I haven't gone running in over a week so I feel like a bum. Alas! I hope I make a better healthcare professional than I do a patient. Don't worry about me though- I am really doing ok. As soon as my fever broke, I started feeling so much better, now I am just so exhausted that I don't have the energy to do much. And there you have it. My week has been sitting at home on the couch for hours- not so exciting, but some day soon when I have more energy, I will write about the adventures of getting healtcare treatment here in VA (nothing can ever be too easy!) because that was quite eventful.
So here I sit- Thursday night. I am so tired of being at home. I do not make a good invalid. I have watched so many movies that I am sick of the TV and reading is so sedentary. I haven't gone running in over a week so I feel like a bum. Alas! I hope I make a better healthcare professional than I do a patient. Don't worry about me though- I am really doing ok. As soon as my fever broke, I started feeling so much better, now I am just so exhausted that I don't have the energy to do much. And there you have it. My week has been sitting at home on the couch for hours- not so exciting, but some day soon when I have more energy, I will write about the adventures of getting healtcare treatment here in VA (nothing can ever be too easy!) because that was quite eventful.
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