In Connecticut

I went up this past weekend and visited my dear friend Laura. It was such a blast. It was the best break I've had in ages! We didn't do too much exciting stuff, but it was just good to be with her again. We did go to Pepe's pizza in New Haven which is the talk of the town. It really is very awesome pizza and we went to the Yale medical school fundraiser which was a mini musical sort of thing. And other randomness like ice cream, church, talking, etc. We forgot to take any pictures until we were saying goodbye, so these are our self portraits (a specialty really).

Laura and I looking oh so cute.

Looking love struck
Unfortunately it turned into
a terrible picture of me so....

"Lovestruck Take 2"
which worked pretty well for me,
but not so much for Lolo.

And "What I Think of Grad School"

The Future...

Funny how life takes you along paths you absolutely never expected...it sure keeps happening in my life at least. Here's the latest information I learned about my future.

On June 14 I will start an eight week clinical in Topeka, Kansas.
On August 9 (3 days after my eight week clinical ends) I will start a 12 week clinical in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
On November 3, I will report back to DC to complete my final 6 weeks of classes.
Finally on January 10, I will start my last semester and clinical for school which will be completed in Columbia, Missouri.

Wowzer- I wasn't really expecting to have to move quite so many times in the next year, but there ya go. I really will get a better idea about what part of the country I like. So if you care to find me...that's where I'm gonna be!!

My Favorite News Story

I like it!

Did you see this?

Just because...

Just because I don't want life to get too boring.
Just because I don't want to loose my reputation as "most likely to have a limb amputated".
Just because I hadn't had an urgent medical problem recently enough.
Just because I didn't have anything better to do with my night/day.
Just because I'm in a wound care class and thought I needed some hands on experience.
Just because it would be "fun"

I sliced my finger open on a cheese grater. It won me a trip to urgent care, a trip to the doctor the next day, and then an hour or so of my own disagreeing with the doctors and self treating my finger (it really felt better that way anyway).

It was a nice one. Didn't win me any stitches, but some good derma-bond which I removed within 24 hrs because it was causing problems instead of helping. Here's the latest and greatest in my scar formation-




I tried to take a picture of it while it was still open (cause it was pretty gross and deep), but it was a bit too bloody. Sorry to all those crazy people like me who get excited over the gross things of life!!

Makes me laugh

One of my friends posted this on facebook today. She's a school psychologist working in Utah- I changed her name so she can remain annonymous:

Jane was testing a kid and had to ask: "man is to woman as boy is to...?" Answer: Pizza. Explanation: because men like women and boys like pizza. Genious.

Things that I love

10) being in a that stupor when you wake up, thinking it's Sunday and realizing it's only Saturday- I still have the whole entire weekend!
9) gadgets that help me not loose things (ie the lanyard I wear to keep my ID and the key chain that clips my keys into my backpack)
8)Walking around Book stores or Target
7)my car (her name is Nymphadora- Dora for short, there's a story, if you want to know it, you should ask!)
6)chocolate mint chip cookies (Thanks Megan!!)
5) SNOW (especially when it scares away all the VA drivers so there's no traffic!)
4)reading
3) good friends, long talks
2)laughing
1) babies/children

Mostly, I wanted to write about the kiddos of my life. I was walking around Target this weekend (something I do love to do) and there was this little girl, probably 3 years old, who had one of those fake microphones that when you talk into it it echoes back at you. She was chanting (and I emphasize chanting, not singing) Twinkle Twinkle Little Star at not quite the top of her lungs. It was so funny. You could hear her for isles around and it cracked me up. Her parents seemed less than impressed and pretty ready to get out of the store, but I marveled at the simple things that can bring so much fun and joy to life.

Another example- I get to volunteer in the nursery at the local Children's Hospital. It's basically my dream come true. The hospital has a very unique program in that the volunteers who are trained in these particular units are permitted to do all well baby care, no nothing clinical, but holding/rocking, feeding, diapers, bathing, etc. Which means I get to give babies their first bathes after they are born and their temperature stabilizes and I get to do some of their first feedings, etc. I don't know what else to say except- my dream come true.

Finally, just a few pictures to show it all. I love being where I am and I am content with my current life status, but something that always is music to my ears is hearing sweet children call me "Aunt Nicki". There's nothing that melts my heart quite like it. I miss being in Utah and driving up to my brother's house to have the kids run out and shouting "Aunt Nicki! Aunt Nicki!". How can you doubt that you are loved and good when such innocent precious people love and trust you so much?