Zero, feels like -21? YUCK

The lack of spontaneous blog-postings that have been going on pretty much this entire year can shed some light on the lack of excitement pharmacy school brings. Seriously. Everyday I get up, go to class and take notes, come home and study, and go to bed. It's a drab, dull sort of existence, but I suppose in the end it'll be worth it. That, and it's pretty lonely here. Beth is gone, and Jim-bug is never home, so I pretty much talk to my fish a lot. I actually find myself talking with my classmates significantly more between/after classes simply because I miss companionship. On the plus side, I've made a ton of new friends that way. :)

I've been feeling pretty terrible lately. Dizziness after showering, headache, nose all snotty, and coughing fits. Not sure what's going on, but I probably got it from someone at school. And considering I have three huge exams between this Friday and next Friday, it is just NOT a good time for me to be ill. Concentrating for hours at a time on "Beta-lactamase inhibiting antibiotics" is significantly harder when you have to blow your nose every three minutes. That crap isn't even interesting when you're healthy.

On the plus side (yes there is a plus side, I'm not completely saturated with negative energy today), it was so ridiculously cold today that Ferris closed down all day! When I got up this morning for my eleven o'clock class and checked the weather, it said it was "0 degrees, feels like -21." Brrrrr. I'm so happy I didn't have to venture out in that. So I went back to bed and slept until twelve-thirty. :D

I miss having a life. *second semester woes*

Cold Feet?

For your enjoyment, here is 101 reason why I'm freezing right now:

• Obviously, it's winter
• Jim-bo refuses to yield in my turning up of the thermostat to 70 degrees, by stubbornly resetting it every single time to 67 instead
• I'm in the basement--consequently, mostly surrounded by frozen earth
• The heating vents down here are near the ceiling
• Heat rises! OMG, who knew??
  
• Jim-bo keeps opening the basement door, further coaxing any and all warm air in my vicinity to relocate itself to the upstairs
• Mike isn't here to cuddle with *tear*

Ok, so that wasn't 101 reasons exactly. I never said I was good at math, but if you want to know anything about DNA, I'm your (wo)man.

Fuck my life

Mike: See? I'm your bra now!


Later...

Mike: why do I have to be pink? I want to be bold-fucking blue!

Why I go to class

Dr. Hult: No offense, but it's Friday, it's sunny outside, and I really don't want to be here.
---------
Dr. Ngoh: Killing people is frowned upon.
---------
Dr. Krueger: Oh, fuck this!

Valedictorian

My brother Chris is about to graduate from high school and with a 4.0 GPA, he'll be Valedictorian. That's three for three--my sister, myself, and my brother all graduated from Mt. Morris high school as Valedictorians. It's like a legacy or something. My parents must know how to grow 'em.

I'm incredibly proud of Chris. Being Valedictorian isn't about winning the competition, or being able to stand in front of your classmates and declare, "I'm number one" (as most of my own class assumed my intentions were in high school). Being Valedictorian for him, as it was for me, means starting off his higher education with the most choices available. As they say, the most important part of a house is its foundation, and if his future is going to be tested by the wind, its beginnings better be made of concrete. Hit the ground running--that's what being Valedictorian is all about. By the time I stood in front of my peers with my cap and gown on, it wasn't about them (nor had it ever been). It was about that future in my heart.

Chris wants to be a doctor. Somewhere along the way he came to a fork in his road, and from boundless possible paths he chose the most difficult of them all, and I just have to admire him for that. His choice is not for the faint of heart. I grow excited to watch him proceed from here because I see myself in him. When I listen to him talk about being a doctor, when I hear the passion, the desperation, the knowing that he'll feel useless in this world unless he succeeds, I see myself, from once upon a time. I sit on the edge of my seat and I realize, "I'm going to help him through his obstacles. I'm going to make sure that passion never dies."

I'll do this because I know, more than anyone in his life, that it will be the passion more than his intelligence that will propel him through to his finish line.

:)

*Angry fist shake*

It would be awesome if it would warm up. Something warmer than "15 degrees, feels like 3." And it would also be nice if it would stop snowing. FOREVER. I just cleaned out my wheel-wells, and it's a wonder how my wheels could even turn.

Garage-Goodness

"Sometimes the mind, for reasons we don't necessarily understand, just decides to go to the store for a quart of milk."
- Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

I guess I've reached the unlucky point in my education when my textbooks no longer have pictures in them anymore. I'm not talking the "see spot run" sort of pictures, but just diagrams that often help illustrate concepts that are very difficult to understand when simply read about. For example, the Krebbs Cycle, from Biochem. Reading about the Krebbs Cycle makes my eyes want to bleed, therefore, being the visual learner I am, I completely skipped the written words and looked instead at the diagram. It helped me tremendously. Now, I'm forced to read every square inch of my textbook pages, because there as so many words, OMG. *tear*

You know, the snow is really getting to me. Whenever I travel, a massive snow storm ensues. I'm like a weatherman or something. Next time I plan on traveling, I'll let you know. Sure enough we'll get like a foot of snow. I guess I can't complain too much about my horrible luck with weather though, because my car has been awesome so far (knocks on wood) and has handled the snow so well. At least I have always made it home safe and sound, so maybe my luck isn't so bad after all.

Speaking of my awesome car, this morning as I was about to leave Mike's place to come back home, his neighbor Blake couldn't get his truck running, so I jumped it for him! My little Prizm!! I'm so proud. Although, it took so long to get his truck going anyway that I was worried my little engine just wouldn't cut it. >_<

I didn't have class yesterday due to it being MLK day, and today my lab was canceled so I didn't have class until 2 pm. So, I got to enjoy an extended weekend with my boy! :D We went to see the new movie Cloverfield, which I thought was very good and interesting. It was definitely a unique sort of film, but I enjoyed it. We also watched most of Nip/Tuck season 2, and part of the Shield season 1. I love watching TV series on DVD! :D After being so spoiled, I was sad to say goodbye this morning. :-(

Jim-bug got me a garage door opener!! OMG YAY!!! Now I can park inside, like a grown-up or something! I don't have to start my car fifteen minutes early, or trudge across the front yard to clean the layers upon layers of snow off my car before going to class! I'm SO HAPPY, HOMAN. My excitement over this has somewhat silenced my desire to complain about the frigid temperatures I must suffer downstairs. I pretty much carry a blanket with me wherever I go, but I don't want to turn the heat up without asking, because Jim went through a lot of odd sort of trouble to get me the door opener. What a guy. What a creepy sort of nice guy.

It's not that I can't live without you...it's just that I don't even want to try.

Sketchbooking

I used to draw constantly when I was a few years younger, and I still find the hobby very relaxing and rewarding, but I have almost no time to do it. In this calm before the storm however, when I don't really have anything but a few pages of notes to read through at night, I find myself drawn to pick up a pencil again. Art is just about the only other major route I considered for my life aside from medicine, but the consideration came and went quickly. Being an artist would've become a job eventually, leaving little behind of the hobby I once loved. Being a pharmacist is different--I doubt it could ever feel like work.

These are the first pieces I've squeezed in during the past two years. Sad, I know. I still paint, but only during break. I blame all of this on pharmacy school, selfishly robbing me of other things I enjoy while consuming most of my time. One day, when school is all said and done, I'd like to make it part of my daily life again.

The top image is of me and Mike. I can draw Mike in what I consider to be a fairly accurate way... but I really have no idea what I look like. That seems unusual, I know, but it's the absolute truth. The dragon was unfinished in my old sketchbook--a floating head on a white page. I gave him some wings. :)


Don't steal my images, or I'll harvest your organs. :D

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
to my big sis
:)

You're old now, but I still love you.
<3

Returned

Today was my first day back to school after the break, and everything went just fine. It was another normal, nothing exciting sort of day in pharmacy school. I had four classes, so I was on campus for most of the day and it was great to see my classmates again. My first class didn't start until eleven, so I actually got to do things before class, like eat breakfast. What a concept! My professors were fine, and I lived through my first day of Chemotherapeutic Agents (Chemo), which is supposed to be the hardest class in pharmacy school. Thinking about this has given me insomnia a few nights already. Something harder than Biochem? Oh dear God. >_<

Classes I'm taking:

• Integrated Laboratory IV
  
• Introduction to Pharmacy Law and Ethics (elective)
• Medicinal Chemistry II
• Pharmacology II
• Chemotherapeutic Agents
• Pharmacy Practice Management

... to make up 17 credits. Geez. This semester I'll also have my White Coat Ceremony, during which I'll get my pharmacy coat to be used during my internships in my 3rd and 4th years. So today I got to mark off another square on my Calendar of Pharmacy School, and I'm one step closer to the end. I miss Beth--the Lakehouse isn't the same without her. I miss home a lot too. All these beginning-of-the-semester oddities. :-/

Back to Big Rapids

I'm going back to Big Rapids today to get everything organized for class to start on Monday. I had a great vacation from pharm school, and it was wonderful to see family and friends again. I got to paint, draw, knit, write, and watch a ton of movies, but it's time to get back to business. Even though in a few weeks I'll be sick of homework and studying all over again, I'm eager to get through this second year and be on the downhill slide. School is my job--time to get back to it.

I'm really going to miss home a lot. :( I had a great time hanging out and talking with my brother, and watching movies with everyone. As much as I enjoy the privacy and independence that school gives me, there really is no place like home. I've never slept in a bed as comfortable as the one I grew up in, and I've never eaten food quite as tasty as the Mom's. Soon I'll be back under this roof for another summer of interning and remodeling the house.

As usual, I'm experiencing the Pre-Semester Anxiety (PSA) which always accompanies the last few days of a vacation. I always dread bad professors, difficult classes, and failing grades, but I'm trying to shrug it off this time. Last semester left me humbled, but I only have one terrible one left. Hopefully thinking about this will be enough to push me through with steam. :)

Oblivion

Chris: I already killed the unicorn.
Me: You killed a unicorn??
Chris: Yeah, there's only one in this entire game. And I fucking killed it. *evil*

After more explanation...

Chris: You're supposed to defeat all these guys that are guarding it, but I didn't do that. Know what I did? I dashed in there, jumped on the unicorn, and rode it out of there. I rode it to a river, killed it, and pushed it in the water. Mwaha.

-----

Me: That one was pretty.
Chris: It's still pretty, it's just dead.

The Mist

So, I drove across pretty much the entire state last night, from Mike's place to my parents', and it was so FOGGY, OMG! I'm not talking about patchy stuff either, but thick, can't see twenty feet ahead of you fog. I had to use Tom Tom to tell me when the road was doing anything but going perfectly straight--that kind of fog. So foggy, that I accidentally bought premium gas instead of regular!!

No, that was a lie. I did buy premium gas by accident, but only because I'm a dumbass and didn't read the pumps, not because it was foggy. *sheepish* My wonderful readers, I just cannot lie to you.

Obviously I made it home just fine though, and all the snow is gone. This winter is a little unusual, I must say. Mike and I spent a great long weekend together! He helped me set my internet back up at school, and yesterday I even got to help him lay the carpet down in his office at his school, so that was nice. For the last week of my break I'm back in Mt. Morris with the family, and then a week from today it's back to pharmacy school for my last semester in Big Rapids, WOOO! I can't believe I'm almost halfway through. I'm sure this week will go fast, and before I know it I'll be back at the Lakehouse again.

Even month-long vacations eventually come to an end I guess. :P

Screw you upper respiratory tract infections, and the "r" key on my keyboard, which only works if I push it three times. Three! Psh.

I bought lots of jeans today, and dressy shirts, and it was all free! So I didn't really buy it at all! Whee!

I can't sleep. Obviously.

Another year over, a new one just begun

Oh geez, sorry it's been a while! The past week has been spent back in Big Rapids at my house, and I didn't have internet there. I've been enjoying a relaxing few days with Mike, and for New Years we went out with our friends Nick and Colleen who were also in town! It was great to ring in the new year--2007 was a good year, but I've got a good feeling 2008 will be better. :) Mike had to go back to work on the 2nd, so I went down to Kalamazoo to visit the wonderful Shruti, and we went out for a nice dinner together. I've seen her twice in a month now! I miss that girl a ton. :(

Now I'm back in Beulah with Mike for a few days, and we're going to the mall in Traverse City tonight so I can spend some of my heaps of giftcards! :D I still have a whole week left worth of break after this weekend, and I'm going back home for most of that to spend some more time with my family. After that it's back to pharmacy school for my last semester on main campus. I've heard next year is supposed to be much better--I sure hope so!

My roommate Beth is an accelerator in the pharmacy program, which means she's currently a semester ahead of me, and beginning her third year of pharm school! She moved out of the Lakehouse and down to Grand Rapids, and that's been sad. I was at the house alone these past couple of days, and it was weird not to have her to talk to. Jim-bo's creepiness isn't nearly as much fun without her to complain to. Even so, I enjoy having privacy very much, and I know there will be things about living alone that I'll really like.

I hope everyone had a great New Year! :D